Amidst the crash, boom and bang of big studio blockbusters such as the terrible “Trasformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen” and the truly tedious “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra,” it’s nice to see an indie flick break through all the noise with a humorous take on highs and lows of love.

Now before you brand “(500) Days of Summer” as a chic flick, just hold on. What makes this film by first time director Marc Webb so special is how he presents this boy- meets-girl tale. Webb stays away from the tired clichés of the genre, opting for a fast paced, non-chronological approach that manages to keep the audience engaged throughout the entire film.

Tom Hansen (Joseph Gordon Levitt) is a former architecture student who works for a greeting card company in New Jersey and falls hard for his boss’ new assistant, Summer Finn (Zooey Deschanel). He is romantic and in search of “the one.” She is jaded and not necessarily looking for anything.

We first meet Tom and Summer on day 488 of their relationship in which we see them sitting on a park bench while silently holding hands; Summer wears engagement ring. The story goes back and forth in non-chronological order between the good days (their first kiss, at the copy machine room) and the bad ones (Summer tells Tom she wants to end the relationship and just be friends).

What is perhaps the most striking quality of “(500) Days of Summer” is its honesty portraying young love. Who hasn’t gone through an unrequited crush? Who hasn’t had a suitor they might not want to invite into their lives? Scenes like Tom and Summer’s stroll through an Ikea store and their trips to the park bring smiles and thoughts of, “yes, I know what that’s like,” just as much as that awkward scene when Summer breaks up with Tom over pancakes. Yes, I know what that’s like. Who doesn’t? There is no fantasy as in “The Time Traveler’s Wife” or excessively raunchy elements as in “The Hangover.” Webb approaches his story with a refreshing candor and humor that is noticeably lacking in most of today’s romantic comedies.

Mind you, the script, penned by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, is not that original. There are some scenes that have been done before, such as Tom’s triumphant march to work the morning after his first time sleeping with Summer. It’s a little too reminiscent of an Austin Powers movie, but it’s still good for a laugh.

As Tom, Gordon-Levitt shines. He is likable and believable. And so is Deschanel as Summer. The only problem with her character is that we don’t get to know her as well as Tom. Perhaps, we are meant to see her the same way Tom does, as a bit of a mystery that brings more questions than answers. Geoffrey Arend and Matthew Gray Gubler are enjoyable as Tom’s pals McKenzie and Paul. Tom’s younger sister, Rachel (Chloë Grace Moretz) was a bit problematic though, It was hard to believe that a 12 year-old could be wise enough to dispense the advice she gives him in the depths of his despair. Sure, there have been lots of smart urchins on screen but this one was a bit of a stretch. Perhaps the writers should have made her a teenager instead of a ‘tween.

Webb is mostly known as a music video director, having worked with the likes of Fergie, AFI, Green Day and Good Charlotte but “(500) Days of Summer” is a good feature film debut. Needless to say, I’m looking forward to his next film.

“(500) Days of Summer” is a Fox Searchlight Pictures release. It runs 95 minutes and is rated PG-13 for strong sexual content and language. Now playing at Caribbean Cinemas Fine Arts Café in Hato Rey and Caribbean Cinemas Fine Arts Theater in Miramar.

–Valerie López

Puerto Rico has caught the attention of many stateside shows for different reasons, but food seems to be the main attraction lately. This month, the Travel Channel’s Andrew Zimmern brought his show “Bizarre Foods” to the island and had a banquete with some of the strangest items from Boricua cuisine.

Zimmern’s culinary trek on the island began with local chef María Isabel at centenary bakery La Bombonera in Old San Juan, where he delighted his palate with the fresh made mallorcas, café con leche and cocas (something like a pizza, made with vegetables and sardines but no cheese). María Isabel later takes Zimmern to the Plaza del Mercado in Río Piedras and later on, down the “Pork Highway” to visit Cayey’s Guavate region. The pair then stops at El Rancho Original to enjoy a good plate of lechón. And nothing went to waste. Zimmern enjoyed everything, including the pork’s tails and ears.

After that, there was a hike up to the Toro Negro National Forest, where Zimmern visited a local family that cooked a feast for him. Lechón asado, gandinga and morcilla were among the menu staples. Viewers even got to watch how the women prepared these dishes. Needless to say Zimmern was impressed.

Zimmern also made stops in Arecibo’s El Nuevo Guayabo, where he savored dishes prepared with a tiny fish called ceti, and Lares, where he discovers an ice cream shop that scoops up flavors such as sesame seeds, corn, garlic and codfish. Coming down from the mountains, he stops in Piñones for a good mofongo and back to Old San Juan for a tour of the old city on Segways with Boricua master chef Wilo Benet. The chef later takes Zimmern to his restaurant, Pikayo, at the Puerto Rico Museum of Art.

Aside the wonderful culinary tour, this “Bizarre Foods” episode really captures the true nature of Puerto Rico, while still portraying the island and its people in a good light. Not only is it very entertaining, it’s also very informative, presenting great hidden places that even lots of locals may have not even heard about. Plus, Zimmern himself couldn’t have been more likable.

Zimmern’s Travel Channel colleague, Anthony Bourdain, should have taken a page from Zimmern when he brought his show “No Reservations,” to Puerto Rico in 2006. That episode portrayed the island poorly and it even had some inaccuracies. At one point, for example, Bourdain uses sofrito, a paste that is really used for cooking, as a topping for mofongo. Lots of Boricuas were scratching their heads over that one. It’s not just that Bourdain didn’t do his homework, I don’t think that he was interested in going beyond what his own gringo vision of the island was. Unlike that episode of “No Reservations,” there are no cringeworthy moments in this “Bizarre Foods” show. In fact, I hope Mr. Zimmern comes back to Puerto Rico for seconds. Mr. Bourdain, as far as I’m concerned,  can stay home.

Check out “Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern,” now on its third season on the Travel Channel. The Puerto Rico episode airs throughout June. For air times, visit the show’s page at the Travel Channel’s website www.travelchannel.com.

–Valerie López

Christian Bale stars as John Connor in Warner Bros. Pictures' action/sci-fi feature 'Terminator Salvation.'

With an impressive number of old movie franchises getting rebooted, it’s no surprise the “Terminator” films were the next to say “I’ll be back.” This fourth outing may have superior visual effects, fast and furious action scenes, plus the acting graces of Christian Bale, hot off his stellar turn in “The Dark Knight.” What it lacks is a convincing story and good supporting performances.

“Terminator: Salvation” begins in the year 2018, four years after the bombs fell on Judgment Day, annihilating most of humanity and leaving pockets of survivors spread throughout a ravished Earth. Bale portrays John Connor, the long prophesized leader of the Resistance, while he is still a foot soldier in the war against Skynet, the creator of the Terminators. He constantly clashes with his superiors, namely General Ashdown (Michael Ironside), on how to fight the war. But he does count with several loyal fighters such as his right-hand guy Barnes (Common) and fighter pilot Blair Williams (Moon Bloodgood).

The future that Connor had been told about all his life is shattered when a stranger named Marcus Wright (Sam Worthington) appears with no knowledge of the war or any idea how he got there. As he pieces together what happened to him and bonds with other members of the Resistance, Wright begins to question his own existence. Early in the movie, Wright encounters a scrappy teenaged fighter named Kyle Reese (AntonYelchin), who is completely unaware of his own importance in the future’s events. But Skynet knows full well who he will become and has targeted the teen rebel for termination. Connor also knows Kyle has been targeted and desperately searches for the youngster, trying to bring him to safety.

Bale brings intensity and guts to the role, while revealing a few glimpses of warmth with his fellow rebels here and there. But in this script, there’s barely any time or space for drama. Just when we get a fleeting moment of tenderness between Connor and his pregnant physician wife Kate, (Bryce Dallas Howard) he’s off to another dizzying action sequence.

Worthington has a great opportunity to play off his character’s existential dilemma but he does not go beyond the surface. The script does not give him much of a chance. Yelchin is enjoyable as the younger Reese. He even resembles his “Terminator” predecessor Michael Biehn and incorporates some of his swagger into his own portrayal, using Biehn’s famous initial quip “Come with me if you want to live.”

As in most action films, the female characters are underused, seemingly pintadas en la pared. Howard barely gets any screen time. Bloodgood gets more of a chance to kick butt, but is still reduced to the damsel in distress at times. Ironside and Ivan G’Vera, who play Connor’s commanding officers, act cartoonish, offering B-movie portrayals.

Throughout the film, there’s a bit of talk about the human element and how that distinguishes the survivors from the machines, particularly with Wright’s storyline, but the story offers very little of that. The movie basically jumps from one action scene to another, scarcely delving into the psyche of its characters. Maybe that’s, as we say, pedirle peras al olmo. Director McG, best known for flics such as “Fastlane” and the “Charlie’s Angels” movies, devotes most of the film’s time to the action scenes, which are often shaky and shot like those you see on video games. There were too many instances in which I felt like I was in front of a game console instead of a movie screen, something that took me out of the story often.

The script, penned by John Brancato and Michael Ferris (“Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines,” “Catwoman”) tries to give the franchise a different angle by presenting the post apocalyptic world that the characters had tried to avert in the previous films. One fun aspect is that the writers do put references to the first two films throughout the movie, something that will make “Terminator” fans smile. Some of the franchises’ most memorable lines are brought back in clever fashion. Linda Hamilton brings Sarah Connor back to life in the tapes her son listens to for advice while wrestling his own doubts. And yes, Arnold Schwarzenegger does make an appearance, thanks to the magic of CGI. But overall, the story lacks balance, overwhelming the plot with stretched-out action scenes.

“Terminator” fans might see “Salvation” as a slight improvement over the dreadful “Rise of the Machines” but with Bale’s top billing, I expected more. Fiebrús and special effect fans might still catch this at the theater. But those looking for a good action film, as the original installment was, will probably walk away as disappointed as I did.

“Terminator: Salvation” is a Warner Bros. Pictures release and runs 115 mins., It’s rated PG-13 for violence, action and language. The movie premieres in Puerto Rico on May 28 at Caribbean Cinemas.

–Valerie López