Water For Elephants

Robert Pattinson chops off the Twilight hair and ditches the fangs to prove he can be more than a pouty, pale vampire as he plays a young man, Jacob, who loses everything during the Depression and runs off to join the circus in Water For Elephants.

He's joined by Reese Witherspoon as Marlena - the circus owner's wife and main attraction who captures Pattinson's eye. Meanwhile, Christoph Waltz is that maniacal owner, August, who is full of evil at one moment and pure charm the next.

Who will Marlena choose?

How much danger has Jacob gotten himself into?

It's the love triangle which will drive many of you to buy tickets to Water For Elephants, but the movie as a whole is so much more.

Director Francis Lawrence and writer Richard LaGravenese (based on the novel by Sara Gruen) have created a magical, wondrous story that lulls you in with the romanticism of the circus and riding the rails from town to town bringing that excitement to people who have never seen such exotic creatures and performances. The movie looks like a dream with bold colors, mystical performances under the big top and sexy, smoky clubs, while every character comes to life without cliché.

Yet, we also get a feel for how horrifying, brutal and dangerous it all is underneath the glitz and glamour. Mostly through Waltz's amazingly captivating performance, the audience is on the edge of its seats wondering what his character might do next and to whom. Pattinson is great with the longing looks, yearning for the woman he shouldn't pursue and the way he brings Jacob's compassion for the animals through to the audience, but Waltz is the one who you will not be able to forget after the movie lets out as you think back to the genius wickedness he fills August with to shock you.

The result is one of the best movies of the year so far that has you rooting for a dying circus, true love and one guy who just needs a second chance.

Water For Elephants is rated PG-13 for moments of intense violence and sexual content.