Flight
of the Phoenix - A Film by John Moore (Behind
Enemy Lines)
Click
Image for Trailer
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Captain
Frank Towns (Dennis Quaid) along with
his co-pilot spends his days flying
from Beijing to oil rigs, closing them
down due to lack of production. His
latest stop is in the remote Gobi desert
where he picks up the crew as well
as the equipment from the rig. After
a smooth start, the flight turns bumpy
as they encounter a sandstorm. Captain
Towns is forced to crash land, miles
off course and short on supplies. With
little hope of being found, the group
decides to attempt the impossible:
build a new plane out of the wreckage
of the old. The race against time is
complicated by bands of smugglers,
the brutal desert environment and growing
tension among the group.
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| Flight
of the Phoenix (pronounced "puh-ho-nicks") is a remake
of a 1965 film starring Jimmy Stewart in the Captain Towns role.
In this new version, some of the details have changed but the general
concept is the same. According to someone who saw the original
first, this one lacks a lot of the character development and the
level of tension between the characters is therefore reduced. Of
course, films made in the 60s were more driven by the story and
character development rather than the action. Still, this film
has some positives. Some of the performances are alright and the
pacing of the story keeps your interest. Worth a look but you will
have to decide if it is better to spend your $7.50 on Flight of
the Phoenix or The Aviator (if it ever gets to Dubuque.) |
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Meet
the Fockers - A Film by Jay Roach (Austin Powers
Series, Meet the Parents)
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In
Meet the Parents, Gaylord (a.k.a. Greg)
Focker (Ben Stiller), a male nurse, and
his fiancé Pam Byrnes (Teri Polo),
a second-grade teacher, make a trip to
her parents house so Greg can meet her
parents. Her father Jack (Robert De Niro)
is less than enthusiastic about her choice
of a future husband while her mother Dina
(Blythe Danner) is more accepting. At the
end of that film, Jack appears to have
come to accept Greg and the plans for the
wedding are set into motion. In the sequel
to that smash hit movie, Greg, Pam, Jack
and Dina make a trip to Florida to meet
Greg's parents, Bernie (Dustin Hoffman)
and Roz (Barbra Streisand). Along for the
ride is Pam's nephew Little Jack whom Jack
is rearing using tough love. This cast
of characters leads to a dysfunctional
family gathering that eventually brings
the two families together.
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Meet
the Fockers may be the boldest name for a movie in the history
of the industry and it marks the return of Barbra Streisand to
the comedy genre which marked her early motion picture success.
Meet the Fockers is a worthy follow-up film to the original and
has the same comedic timing and character interaction of the
original. De Niro, Stiller, Hoffman and Streisand are perfect
in a film that gives them plenty of great lines and moments to
shine as comics. This an entertaining comedy with many hilarious
moments, from the cat flushing the puppy down the toilet to Streisand
talking openly about sex to Little Jack's first word. Rarely
does the movie go for the easy joke or be predictable. Many of
the best jokes and funniest moments come as complete surprises,
keeping the audience somewhat off-guard and engrossed in the
movie. These are great characters played by great actors. Who
can argue with a cast that includes De Niro, Hoffman and Streisand.
Throw in other quality performers like Stiller and Danner and
you have the makings for a good film. Streisand is by far the
standout and, after so many years, was a surprise. This film
works partly because of the way these great actors play well
with each other and it comes across through the movie that they
truly enjoyed working on the film. We debated about this movie
being a four or a five kernel film and decided by consensus that
it was good enough to earn a five. See if you agree.
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Lemony
Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events -
A Film by Brad Silberling (Moonlight Mile, City of Angels)
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Trailer
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Based
on the wildly successful Lemony Snicket
books, A Series of Unfortunate Events is
the first film to bring the story of the
Baudelaire children, orphaned when their
wealthy parents are killed in a tragic
fire that destroyed their mansion. Now
in the charge of the state, the children
(Violet, Klaus and Sunny) are shuttled
from "distant relative" to "distant
relative", each one offering a different
concept of home and family. Jim Carrey
plays Count Olaf, the first guardian of
the siblings, and his motivations for taking
them in is quickly put into question. Count
Olaf is followed by Uncle Monty (Billy
Connolly) who is an expert on reptiles
and then Aunt Josephine (Meryl Streep)
who is a hypochondriac. The children cope
with each successive situation constantly
looking to regain that sense of home they
lost when their parents died.
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A
Series of Unfortunate Events is visually else that
really captivates the audience. Jim Carrey's performance
has some flashes of brilliance but quickly degrade
into the standard Carrey shtick. Streep comes across
perfectly as the women who is simply afraid of everything
from the radiator blowing up to the refrigerator falling
on you. The child actors portraying the three Baudelaire
kids are the true stars of the movie. While we adults
did not enjoy the film all that much, the children
in the audience seemed to enjoy it more. Of the two
children of a friend who attended an earlier show,
one child liked the movie, the other did not, at least
not as much as the original book. Perhaps the director
was trying to hard to recreate the feel of a Tim Burton
film or could not figure out how to bring the book
to the screen fully, but A Series of Unfortunate Events
misfires on a few too many cylinders to receive a higher
rating. |
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Ocean's
Twelve - A Film by Steven Soderbergh (Ocean's
11, Erin Brockovich)
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for Trailer
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Three
years after knocking over three Las
Vegas casinos owned by Terry Benedict
(Andy Garcia), Danny (George Clooney)
and Tess (Julia Roberts) Ocean are
planning their new life on the straight
and narrow. At least as straight and
narrow as a lifetime thief can live.
The other members of Danny's original
team are also getting on with their
lives: Rusty (Brad Pitt) is in the
hotel business, Saul (Carl Reiner)
has invested in the stock market, the
Provo Twins (Casey Affleck, Scott Cann)
are starting families, etc. When someone
breaks the Number One rule and rats
everyone out, Danny has to bring back
the entire team in order to pay back
Benedict every penny they stole, with
interest. That means, in addition to
the others, pulling grease man Yen
(Shaobo Qin), explosives expert Basher
(Don Cheadle), con-man Frank (Bernie
Mac), casino mogul Reuben (Elliott
Gould), technology geek Livingston
(Eddie Jemison) and thief in training
Linus (Matt Damon) back together for
another big heist. Hot on their heals
are another international thief in
the Night Fox (Vincent Cassel) and
Europol detective Isabel Lahiri (Catherine
Zeta-Jones) who just happens to be
the former girlfriend of Rusty.
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OK,
that is probably the longest synopsis we have
ever written and with good reason. This is once
again one of the most impressive casts ever put
together in a major motion picture and they all
deserve recognition. Also, this is a movie with
a complicated script and intricate story. Much
like its predecessor, Ocean's Twelve has a swagger
that smacks of the original Ocean's 11 which
started the Brat Pack of Sinatra, Martin and
Davis, Jr. If you are a fan of these characters,
you will laugh out loud at some of the conversations,
the way these characters interact and what are
inside jokes from the first film. This cast works
so well together, they seem like they have been
friends for years. They really seem to be having
fun being a part of this movie. The twisted and
intricate storyline and script keep you guessing
and glued to the screen from beginning to end.
It is a truly enjoyable film that has equal parts
comedy, suspense and action. The way that Soderbergh
creates the atmosphere is perfect and, again,
creates the feel of a classic movie. Perhaps
we have over sold this movie but it is a fun,
entertaining movie worth seeing. Period. |
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Alexander -
A Film by Oliver Stone (every conspiracy movie ever
made including JFK)
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Alexander
is the epic story of Alexander the Great (Colin
Farrell), conqueror of the known world and more
in the third century BC. Touted as one of the greatest
military strategists of all time, Alexander hailed
from Greece and Macedonia and lead his armies through
Persia, Egypt, Asia and India. He never lost a
battle, ruling the civilized world by the age of
25. His untimely death at age 32 came at the height
of his power. Throughouthis life, his decisions
and attitudes were formed by his dominating and
bitter mother Olympias (Angelina Jolie), his battle-scarred
and disapproving father Philip (Val Kilmer), his
lifelong friend Hephaistion (Jared Leto) and his
trusted general Ptolemy (portrayed in his later
years by Sir Anthony Hopkins.) The story of Alexander
the Great is only made more impressive by the fact
that it really happened. |
Alexander
is Oliver Stone's attempt to create the classic epic historical
film. He fails in many, many ways to achieve anything on
the level of Lawrence of Arabia, Gladiator or Alexander
the Great, the 1950s film starring Richard Burton about
the same subject matter. One reviewer has criticized the
film for many reasons, not the least being that Stone seems
to even make this film about Alexander actually an allegory
about Vietnam and Iraq. After evaluating the film, this
analogy holds some water. Stone seems to want to find conspiracy
in everything. And this film is a jumbled mess, skipping
over many of the more significant moments in Alexander's
life (his rise to power upon the death of his father is
only shown in a flashback about 2 hours into the film and
we never really see how he developed his knowledge of military
strategy, something that saw him go undefeated in 8 years
of military battles) and relying way too much on voice
overs to tell the story. Stone focuses so much energy on
Alexander's love-life, including his homosexual relationships
(it was a different world with different morals where sex
with men was often just a means to an end) that it distracts
from the greatness of this man. This misplaced focus is
also troublesome because the scenes are poorly constructed
and seem incredibly awkward for the actors trying to play
them out. While some battle sequences are done well and,
surprisingly, Angelina Jolie is superb as the dominating
and devious Olympias, I could take or leave most of the
rest of the movie. If you really have a yen to see this
movie, wait for it on video or DVD. |
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Christmas
with the Kranks - A Film by
Joe Roth (America's Sweethearts, Daddy Day Care)
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Trailer
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When
their daughter Blair (joins the Peace Corps
and therefore will not be home for Christmas,
Luther (Tim
Allen) and Nora (Jamie Lee Curtis) Krank
decide that they are going to skip Christmas
this year and use the money they save to
go on a cruise. This means no Christmas
decorations, no Christmas Eve party, no
Hoo-Hash. This leaves friends, co-workers
and neighbors upset and on a mission to
convert these Scrooges whom they see as
being selfish. All is going according to
plan (for the most part) until Blair calls
the morning of Christmas Eve and says she
has changed her mind and is coming home.
This puts Luther and Nora into a panic
as they try to put together a party,
decorate the house and make Christmas happen
in less than a day. The film is based on
Skipping Christmas, a novel by John Grisham
(yeah, that John Grisham).
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Christmas
with the Kranks was about the only movie worth seeing
one cold November night after we had seen all of the
other worthy recent releases. We walked into the theater
not expecting very much and were pleasantly surprised.
Christmas with the Kranks is actually a better Christmas
movie than we had been lead to believe. Some of the
comedic moments are perfectly timed and the film has
the typical sappy ending that all Christmas movies
have to have. Allen is his usual amusing self and Curtis
is hilarious at times as the wife and mother who normally
buys into the whole Christmas as a cottage industry
but has to suppress such activities for one year. When
she hears her daughter is returning, she kicks it into
high gear, donning her Christmas vest and taking control
of the house. And those nosey neighbors will make your
skin crawl because we all know people like that.
While
this will not join the ranks of the greatest holiday
films you know and love [It's a Wonderful Life,
A Christmas Story, Elf, Miracle on 34th Street
(the original, not the pathetic excuse of a remake
done by John Hughes) and Christmas Vacation], Christmas
with the Kranks does a good enough job depicting
the craziness yet importance of the season to make
it worth a look. It has the potential to make its
way into many holiday video collections and become
a staple during the holidays on network television.
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National
Treasure - A Film by Jon Turteltaub (Phenomenon,
While You Were Sleeping)
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Click Image for Trailer
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How
does this film rate on the
365 popcorn scale...?
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Clues
left by the founding fathers lead Benjamin
Franklin Gates (Nicolas Cage) on the adventure
of a lifetime and more. Gates is the descendent
of a man who was left the first clue by the
last living person to sign the Declaration
of Independence. That clue, "The Secret
lies with Charlotte" is where the trail
begins to finding the greatest treasure, a
National Treasure. Other clues lie with the
Declaration of Independence itself as well
as the Liberty Bell and the dollar bill. Gates
is joined by a faithful sidekick in the person
of Riley Poole (Justin Bartha), his father
(Jon Voight) and a beautiful government agent
(Harvey Keitel) and another treasure seeker
(Sean Bean.)
National
Treasure has been taking more than a few hits
from the critics out there. It is somewhat
understandable, if every movie has to live
up to the level of an American Beauty or Lord
of the Rings. National Treasure is unapologetic
about what it is: a two hour trip through
history on a treasure hunt. It is Indiana
Jones with a history lesson. The way that
it ties events surrounding the birth of our
nation into the clues that potentially lead
to the eventual payoff is clever and, for
a history buff, fun.
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The
movie rarely loses its way or energy. The amount of
humor, intrigue and action are appropriate and do
a good job of keeping the interest of the audience.
Sure, this is not going to win Academy Awards in the
spring other than for some special effects perhaps
but it will make a lot of money making a lot of people
happy for two hours. After all, isn't that what going
to the
movies is all about sometimes? Not quite to the level
of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, National Treasure
could be the first of many movies about these characters,
entertaining and educating audiences for years to
come.
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The
Polar Express - Directed by
Robert Zemekis (Back to the Future, Forrest Gump)
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Trailer
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How
does this film rate on the
365 popcorn scale...?
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It
is Christmas Eve and a young boy is sitting
awake, reluctantly beginning to question
the existence of Santa Claus. As he begins
to drift off to sleep, he is awakened abruptly
by the sound and lights of a steam locomotive
outside his window. He grabs his robe and
slippers and heads out to the street to
see what's the matter. Off the train comes
the conductor (voiced by Tom Hanks who voices
several characters in the film) and he asked
the boy to get on the train. The boy asks "where
are we going" and the conductor responds "why
the North Pole, of course. This is the Polar
Express!" With that, the adventure
begins as the boy joins other children in
need of some holiday spirit as they head
to Santa's workshop.
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The
Polar Express is obviously a film for children. It does
not have the adult feel of the Shreks or Finding Nemos
of the world. It has phenomenal animation, that is for
sure. But the story lacks quite a bit and many of the
musical interludes seem forced, unlike many of the Disney
films. This film may very well impress children with
the action, story and characters. Not being one, it
left me feeling a little uninterested in where the story
was going, even though I knew the direction it would
take. It became clear early on that this boy was going
to recapture his belief in Santa and the other children
would find what they were looking for as well. Tom Hanks
is a great actor with tremendous control over his vocals.
His partnership with Zemeckis always bears fruit, lots
of it green, and expect no less of The Polar Express.
Unfortunately, unless you are sharing the moment with
children, you could probably wait for it on video. For
families, it is a worthwhile trip to the cineplex. |
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The
Incredibles - A Film by Brad Bird (The Iron
Giant)
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How
does this film rate on the
365 popcorn scale...?
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Pixar
Animation Studios presents The Incredibles,
an animated action adventure story about superheroes. Bob
Parr used to be Mr. Incredible (voiced by
Craig T. Nelson of the television sitcom COACH),
one of the world's most famous and beloved
superheroes. That was until a string of lawsuits
were brought against him and other superheroes
for damages. In response to pressure from
the public, the government orders all superheroes
to cease activities and put them all into
the Superhero Relocation Program. Now, 15
years have passed and Bob is working a dead-end
job and living in suburbia with his superhero
wife Helen/Elastigirl (Helen Hunter) and their
three children. Bob is itching to get back
into the game, though, and sneaks out with
Frozone (Samuel L. Jackson), his best friend
from the old days, to stop evil. When he is
approached by a mysterious woman for a special
assignment, he dusts off the old costume and
sucks in his gut. Joining him eventually
are Helen, the kids and Frozone.
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Pixar
certainly knows how to make animated feature films.
The Incredibles in a funny film with a lot of the
same attitude and look of their other films. This
one is not as successful as some of their other outings
but that is like trying to compare the Unity Temple
by Frank Lloyd Wright with the Guggenheim Museum in
New York by Frank Lloyd Wright. Yet, there is something
missing from this one. A few of the characters are
absolutely hilarious but the story is somewhat predicable
and actually seems to stall a few times. The animation
technology utilized here is once again spectacular.
Pixar does a great job of creating realistic sets
for their cartoon characters. Nelson, Hunter, Jackson
and Jason Lee (among others) supply distinctive voices
to their respective characters, providing emotion
and a human quality. Many of the funniest moments
revolve around these superheroes trying to lead normal
lives. As with previous Pixar films, this one is definitely
worth seeing in the theater, it just might not meet
the high expectations they have established with their
previous work.
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Team
America: World Police - A F---ing Film by
Trey Parker (South Park, Base-ketball)
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How
does this film rate on the
365 popcorn scale...?
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Team
America: World Police is a crack anti-terrorism
unit stationed at (and in) Mount Rushmore,
USA. This team of ultra-patriotic marionettes
is dedicated to maintaining global stability
by stopping anyone who has or threatens to
use weapons of mass destruction (WMDs.) Chris,
Joe, Sarah and Lisa are joined by Gary, an
actor just coming off a successful run of
the Broadway play "LEASE." Gary
infiltrates a terrorist cell and helps Team
America thwart the terrorist plot. Unfortunately,
there is a bigger plot thickening under the
leadership of dictator Kim Jong Il. Lead by
Spottswoode, Team America races against time
to save the world, whether they want to be
saved or not. "America, F--- Yeah!"
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The
South Park boys are at it again with Team America: World
Police. In the vain of the film, this is the funniest
f---ing comedy you will see this fall. It is actually
a fairly amazing cinematic achievement with the number
of marionettes and sets that had to be built to accommodate
them. The wit and wisdom of Parker and Stone are in rare
form here as they skewer the current American attitude
toward the rest of the world, just about every nationality
and Hollywood actors lead by Alec Baldwin, "the greatest
actor of all time." Some of the jokes and many of
the scenes will have you rolling in the aisles. Watching
marionettes have sex, use foul language and get drunk
enough to throw up is unique movie-making. The Thunderbirds
these aren't. For fans of sick, twisted, politically incorrect
humor, this is the film to see. |
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Shark
Tale
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Trailer
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How
does this film rate on the
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Oscar
(Will Smith) is a fast-talking little fish
whose big dreams have a habit of landing
him in hot water. Lenny (Jack Black) is
a great white shark with a sensitive side
and a secret -- he's a vegetarian. When
a great white lie turns Oscar into an improbable
hero and the truth about Lenny makes him
an outcast, these two become the most unlikely
of friends.
I
saw this film with a three year old who
generally has no trouble sitting through
most cartoon, especially Dora the Explorer,
but on this day became Dora herself as the
movie quickly lost her attention and she
began to wander. I too lost interest in
the movie fairly quickly. It just didn't
grab me or make me laugh enough.
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Pretty
much all the Pixar movies and other from Dreamworks
(Shreck) have done a great job of appealing to two different
audiences with the same film. A great kids story injected
with highbrow comedy only deciphered by adults. There
was not nearly enough of that kind of writing in this
picture, or at least it was not very clever. I guess
I've already seen a stellar underwater animated film
called Finding Nemo so this by comparison was pretty
lame. I'm sure it has a core audience, I just don't
know what that would be. But the popcorn in the Decorah
movie theater still comes in real buckets which was
a highlight for me. |
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Friday
Night Lights - A Film by Peter Berg (Very Bad Things,
The Rundown)
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How
does this film rate on the
365 popcorn scale...?
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From
September through December, all across America
in small towns and large cities alike, the
night sky is filled with illumination emanating
from high-powered stadium lights. These Friday
Night Lights are what makes the phenomenon
of high school football possible. In most
cities, it is a big deal but in Texas, where
they do everything big, it is the biggest
thing since Texas toast. In Odessa, the hope
of the community rests with the Permian Panthers
who play in the largest high school football
stadium in the country (capacity of 20,000
spectators.) Based on a true story, Friday
Night Lights follows the team during their
struggle to win their fifth state championship
in 1988. Coach Gary Gaines (Billy Bob Thronton),
under the pressure of replicating history,
is quickly criticized when things do not go
according to plan. His players include the
hotshot running back (Derek Luke) with strong
football career possibilities, the fumbling
tight end (Tim McGraw) who has to deal with
an abusive father and the small but aggressive
corner (Jay Hernandez).
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Friday Night Lights is a gritty football movie, partly due to the cimetography
but also for its depictions of over-zealous fans, parents living through
the accomplishments of their kids and the hard hitting nature of football.
Without knowing the story, the film does a good job of generating interest
in how it all ends. The writing, acting and directing are all adequate
but there is something that keeps this film from getting a better review.
And it is hard to pinpoint what that is but there is something. If you
are really into football and movies about the sport, Friday Night Lights
is worth seeing. Does it need to be seen on the big
screen? Not necessarily. Being in the midst of high school, college and
pro football season, the release of Friday Night Lights is well-timed,
to be sure. |
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Ladder
49 - A Film by Jay Russell
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How
does this film rate on the
365 popcorn scale...?
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"Why
do firefighters run into burning buildings
when everyone else is running out?" That
is the question at the heart of Ladder 49,
the story of one such firefighter which is
told largely through flashbacks. The film
begins with Jack Morrison (Joaquin Phoenix)
entering a burning building in search of people
to save. As the situation intensifies, Jack
recalls pivotal moments in his life, beginning
with the day he walked into the firehouse
of Engine 33 and Ladder 49 as a rookie. John
Travolta portrays Mike Kennedy, Jack's mentor
and chief of the fire department. As the film
jumps back and forth from the present to the
past, Jack's life unfolds on the screen and
the audience is made to understand what lies
at the heart of every firefighter who risks
his life every day to save others.
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Ladder
49 has received a lot of positive praise from critics
and audiences across the country and it is deserved. This
movie is brimming with action and suspense but also tugs
at the heart-strings of the audience as we become enveloped
in the life of this one young firefighter. There is not
much more we can say about the story without giving something
critical away so you will just have to see it for yourself.
Joaquin Phoenix pulls together another solid performance
as the naive but dedicated Jack and John Travolta finds
a role in Mike that fits his persona. Both of these actors
have talent that helps propel this film along. The remainder
of the cast serves them well as support without outshining
them. The fire sequences are intense at times and one
can really get a sense from this film of actually how
brave real firefighters must be. This film has a different
feel to it than similar films like Backdraft. There is
not a sinister enemy here. The only enemy is the fire
itself and it's destructive force. Some implausabilities
creep into the story at various points which knock the
film from the ranks of the Five Kernel reviews but it
is well worth the trip to the multiplex. The story will
appeal to both men and women with equal parts action and
heart. |
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Going
Upriver: The Long War of John Kerry - George
Butler
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How
does this film rate on the
365 popcorn scale...?
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Going
Upriver: The Long War of John Kerry is a feature
length documentary about character and moral
leadership during a time of national crisis.
Loosely based on the best-selling book Tour
of Duty by Douglas Brinkley, Going Upriver
examines the story of John Kerry and the key
events that made him a national figure and
the man he is today. The film places particular
emphasis on his service during the Vietnam
War and his opposition to the war upon his
return. Going Upriver director George Butler
(best known for his highly acclaimed films
Pumping Iron, featuring Arnold Schwarzenegger)
first began documenting Kerry's actions in
1969. His own photographs are intermingled
with archival footage and interviews with
those close to Kerry. The film traces Kerry’s
early life as a young man who chooses to enlist
in the Navy and to go to Vietnam. The film
reveals intimate, first person accounts of
Kerry’s war service through his own
private letters, his journal, and the memories
of the men who served at his side. When Kerry
came home disillusioned by the war, he led
his fellow Vietnam Veterans in challenging
Congress and the Nixon administration.
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Certainly
a glowing review for the Kerry campaign, it does a
wonderful job of educating the viewer on where exactly
the John Kerry we know today came from. I think I
learned more about Kerry and his conviction in this
90 or so minutes than I have in a year of campaigning.
Political ads point to Kerry's service in Vietnam
as a selling point to his candidacy, but poignant
to us after viewing the film was what was arguably
the more important and effective role he played as
well-spoken, level headed protester of the war after
his service concluded. The film does not touch on
the current campaign, nor does it address Bush or
Republicans other than the conflict with the Nixon
Administration, though Johnson was not portrayed glowingly
either. It does a great job of painting Kerry's experiences
against the backdrop of a generation of unrest and
follows a cast of men who fought and protested during
a defining era in American history into their current
roles as leaders of a nation. No matter your political
affiliation, this documentary will serve well as an
educational guide to the foundation of today's John
Kerry. Whether or not you agree with his convictions
remains up to you. - Review by Bryce Parks.
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Sky
Captain and the World of Tomorrow - Directed
by Kerry Conran
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How
does this film rate on the
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Famous
scientists around the world have mysteriously
disappeared and Chronicle reporter Polly
Perkins (Gwyneth Paltrow) along with ace
aviator Sky Captain (Jude Law) are on the
investigation. Risking their lives as they
travel to exotic places around world, can
the fearless duo stop Dr. Totenkopf, the
evil mastermind behind a plot to destroy
the earth? Aided by Franky Cook (Angelina
Jolie), commander of an all-female amphibious
squadron, and technical genius Dex (Giovanni
Ribisi), Polly and Sky Captain may be our
planet's only hope.
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This
film should carry a broad appeal as a classic Saturday afternoon
action movie. The intro scenes are amazing and the very original
vision of the movie is refreshing and bold. With the feel of
a classic serial movie the development of the characters appear
less important than the overall aura of the movie. Sky Captain’s
dramatic scenery and unique retro imagery provide for a backdrop
that is far more interesting than the plot. With only a short
appearance Angelina Jolie steels the show and left me wanting
to see her character’s action movie. In the end it is the
creativity and risk taking nature of the movie that makes it
a solid choice.
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Garden
State - A Film by Zach Braff (Directorial
Debut)
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Click Image for Trailer
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How
does this film rate on the
365 popcorn scale...?
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Andrew "Large" Largeman
(Braff) returns to the Garden State after
a nine year absence for the funeral for his
mother who drowned tragically in the bathtub.
He has been living in LA, making a living
as a modestly successful TV actor and waiter.
His return results in a different type of
journey as he ceases taking his lithium, a
drug prescribed to him for 17 of his 26 years
by his psychiatrist father (Ian Holm.) Between
parties with his high school friends and avoiding
confrontations with his father, Large meets
the attractive, if not dysfunctional, Sam
(Natalie Portman) who sparks something in
him. For the first time in his adult life,
Large is experiencing life with clarity and
he finds that he likes it.
It
is obvious why this film has garnered so many
accolades, including being an official selection
of both the Sundance and Los Angeles Film
Festivals. A refreshingly quirky and funny
film, Garden State challenges us by being
something other than your standard motion
picture feature.
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Zach
Braff put together a solid story with a strong set of
unique characters. As with most first time writers/directors,
Braff uses some standard themes and techniques but not
to a great extent. He wrote an original script and directed
a solid movie. The supporting cast delivers the material
with the same level of quality. Natalie Portman once again
proves that she can act when presented with a good script
and a director who knows what he is doing. Garden State
is worth the price of admission and more. |
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Collateral -
A Film by Michael Mann (The Insider, Miami Vice)
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Click Image for Trailer
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How
does this film rate on the
365 popcorn scale...?
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The
night started out like any other for Max (Jamie Foxx),
a cabbie in LA. That is until he picks up US Attorney
Annie Farrell (Jada Pinkett Smith) and sparks fly.
Riding on a high after dropping her off, Max's next
fair causes even more chaos. Vincent (Tom Cruise) offers
Max $600 to drive him around for the entire night as
he takes care of some errands. Max reluctantly agrees,
only to find out that Vincent is a hired hit man with
five people to kill that night. Max immediately tries
to back out of the deal, only to become more and more
uncomfortable with it as the night progresses.
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Tom
Cruise as the bad guy is a nice twist. He plays the hit man
with little emotion, just a man doing a job. Equal to the task
is Jamie Foxx playing the good guy stuck in an unfortunate
situation. The movie has the standard Michael Mann feel, taking
place at night with a lot of neon lights and jittery, grainy
images. The premise is unique and is what propels the story
but the film lacks something. It is hard to pinpoint why this
movie did not strike me as being better but it just fell a
little short for me. It is enjoyable and worth seeing but not
necessarily on the big screen. You will find that you will
root for Foxx but you might not root against Cruise as much
as the director wants you to. The tragic flaw with the story?
Vincent is killing bad people, whether they have turned states
evidence or not. Hard to root against someone killing off drug
dealers. Not until his final mark do we really start looking
for someone to stop him.
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The
Village - A Film by M. Night Shyamalan (The
Sixth Sense, Signs)
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Click Image for Trailer
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How
does this film rate on the
365 popcorn scale...?
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The
people of The Village live simple, uncomplicated
lives. They live peacefully with Covington
Woods, as long as they remain within their
boundary and do not venture into those woods.
For in those woods live savage creatures who
hide in the shadows and stay away from the
village unless provoked. The Council of Elders
oversees all aspects of life in the village
and watch as their children grow up, fall
in love and get married. The death of one
young boy has thrust this isolated village
into grief and prompts Lucius Hunt (Joaquin
Phoenix) to dare to enter the woods in hopes
of reaching the "towns" for medicine
to prevent future preventable tragedies. His
brief trek into the woods apparently disturbs
the creatures and they begin to send signals
to the villagers that things have changed.
When Ivy (Bryce Dallas Howard), the daughter
of teacher Edward Walker (William Hurt), falls
in love with Lucius, the son of Alice Hunt
(Sigourney Weaver), everything seems to be
right with the world. It is not long before
tragedy strikes and the delicate, peaceful
balance within the village is threatened.
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Shyamalan
hits a cultural chord once again with a story about
personal grief, isolationism and interpersonal communication. The
small ensemble of characters he has crafted here are
as interesting as they are disturbed. Each has demons
that affect every aspect of their daily lives (and
their interactions with their fellow villagers.) Phoenix
plays the somewhat slow but good hearted Lucius with
the same zest that he played the power hungry son
to Caesar in Gladiator. Hurt is believable as the
protective father and teacher. And Weaver (who I was
unaware was even in the movie) brings various emotional
states to her role as Lucius' mother. The setting
of this village surrounded by a dark and mysterious
forest; the watch tower; the lanterns; and the vibrancy
of the color red when it appears all set the stage
for the story to unfold. While these elements all
come together to drive a story that keeps you interested,
certain aspects were less successful. To say more
might give away some of the usual Shyamalan mind tricks.
Maybe he has us too well trained to look for the twist
to the story or what but none of his subsequent movies
since The Sixth Sense have been able to capture the
same "ah-hah" moment. Still, not a bad outing
for M. Night.
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The
Manchurian Candidate - A Film by Jonathan
Demme (The Silence of the Lambs)
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Click Image for Trailer
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How
does this film rate on the
365 popcorn scale...?
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The
Manchurian Candidate is a remake of the 1962
classic by the same name starring Frank Sinatra.
Here, Denzel Washington plays Army Major Bennett
Marco, a man tormented by horrible dreams
which the military discounts as Gulf War Syndrome.
While in Kuwait during that conflict, Marco's
squad came under heavy fire. The hero of that
battle turned out to be Sergeant Raymond Shaw
(Liev Schreiber), the son of controversial
Senator Eleanor Prentiss Shaw (Meryl Streep),
a rich and powerful women within her political
party. After the Gulf War, Raymond receives
the Congressional Medal of Honor and all of
the attention. Now over a decade later, Raymond's
name is mentioned as a candidate for vice
president. The action heats up as Marco tries
to put the pieces together to prove that something
sinister is at work behind this young, rising
political star.
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Demme
uses several techniques in The Manchurian Candidate
to draw his audience into the story. Funky camera
angles, really close-up head shots and jittery or
blurry imagery aid in creating the confusing world
of Major Bennett. Of course, his task of creating
a particular illusion is aided by actors like Washington,
Streep and Schreiber, all of which give commanding
performances in this film. The script writers also
did a good job bringing this story to the present
day with their use of the Gulf War and other current
themes. The twisted way in which limited information
is presented is effective but there are a few disjointed
moments and characters with unexplained connections
that were more flaws than intentional script effects.
In all, the story is gripping and well told. While
the film may not garner many awards, some of the performances
might. It is worth seeing for these performances as
well as the quality of the film making.
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The
Bourne Supremacy - A Film by Paul Greengrass
(Bloody Sunday)
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Click Image for Trailer
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How
does this film rate on the
365 popcorn scale...?
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Matt
Damon reprises his role as expert assassin
Jason Bourne in The Bourne Supremacy, the
second installment in the series based on
Robert Ludlum's best selling novels. Supremacy
picks up two years after The Bourne Identity
with Bourne and Marie (Franke Potente) are
living in India. Though disconnected
to the world Bourne left behind, he is haunted
by fragmented dreams, dreams which he believes
are actually memories of past missions. When
a covert op in Berlin goes horribly wrong
for CIA Agent Pamela Landy (Joan Allen), Bourne
is implicated and therefore drawn back into
the dark and sinister world of international
espionage. Along for the ride are Abbott (Brian
Cox), the former head of Treadstone, and Nicky
(Julia Stiles), Bourne's former contact in
Paris. What follows is a race against time
as Bourne avoids capture while trying to prove
his innocence and make sense of the images
in his tormented mind.
|
The
Bourne Supremacy is a worthy sequel to The Bourne
Identity and may be better than that film in a number
of ways. Damon is superb as the dysfunctional, reluctant
assassin who thought he might actually be able to
move on with his life. The cast surrounding him does
a great job of playing off of his angst. Allen is
a wonderful addition to the series and watch for her
to play a significant role in future outings. Cox
comes across as somewhat shady in all of his roles
and it is no different in this film. The speed with
which this movie zips along is mind blowing at times
which fits perfectly with the frenetic pace at which
Bourne and his pursuers are living their lives. The
car chases and hand-to-hand battles which litter this
film are spectularly shot, building tension at every
turn. Even the jittery camera effect works to establish
the mood. Throw in the European and Russian locations,
and you have a suspense thriller that takes you into
a whole new world. And, one cannot say enough of Damon’s
performance. At times, he is vulnerable and confused.
The next, he is tough and shows no mercy for a would-be
assailant. His masterful use of foreign languages
is astonishing. Thrill seekers need to seek this one
out. This one will find its way into many home movie
collections.
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I,
Robot - A Film by Alex Proyas (Dark City,
The Crow)
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Click Image for Trailer
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How
does this film rate on the
365 popcorn scale...?
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Inspired
by an Isaac Asimov short story, I, Robot stars
Will Smith as Detective Spooner, a paranoid
homicide detective in Chicago in the mid-21st
Century. The world has been changed forever
by the introduction of robots into almost
every facet of life. Spooner is skeptical
that these mechanical aids for humans are
as passive as they are meant to be. Not one
robot has every committed a crime nor injured
a human, largely due to the three laws that
they are programmed to adhere to. His suspicions
are fueled by the apparent suicide of the
inventor of the top-of-the-line robots. What
would have caused this man to take his own
life? A trail of clues lead Spooner to
believe that something more sinister is at work and he is left
to prove that the latest version of robots is not as perfect as
everyone has been lead to believe.
|
A
very interesting and visually spectacular science
fiction film, I, Robot had my attention from the very
beginning and never let it go. The future depicted
here is believable and felt real. The robots had become
an integral part of daily life but things were not
all that different from today. Even the skyline of
Chicago was altered to a point that is feasible in
the next 40 years. The acting is good and the story
moves along at a great pace. Will Smith does an adequate
turn as the paranoid cop and the robots have a very
human feel. The expressions of Sonny, the main robot
character, and his interactions with his human counterparts
are a great example of CGI. His robot skin allowed
just a hint of the mechanisms working underneath.
This film reminded me a lot of Minority Report which
also got a great review from us. Both of these films
are quality sci-fi films. I, Robot is worth seeing
on the big screen so don't wait too long.
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King
Arthur - A Film by Antoine Fuqua (Tears of
the Sun, Training Day)
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Click Image for Trailer
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How
does this film rate on the
365 popcorn scale...?
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The
mythical tale of King Arthur is told here
as more fact than legend. The film follows
a Roman military commander in Britain around
100 A.D. for whom the legend is supposedly
based. Artorius or Arthur (Clive Owen) is
of mixed parentage (both Roman and British)
and the leader of a group of loyal knights
who have been doing the bidding of the Roman
Empire for 15 years, all the time working
to become free men. They are charged with
protecting Romans living primarily in the
southern half of Britain. The north is controlled
by the pagan, indigenous peoples of Britain
who rarely if ever venture south of the wall. Just
as they think they have performed their last
duty for the empire, the knights are called
upon to complete one last task in preparation
for the Romans to leave Britain to its own
devices. During the completion of this mission,
Arthur and the knights come to realize that,
without Roman control, Britain will be torn
apart by internal strife and an easy target
for any invading army (manifested here in
the form of the Saxons.) Arthur assumes the
role of leader and begins the process of bringing
together the native people of Britain in an
effort to establish a country for themselves.
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Another
action/adventure from producer Jerry Bruckheimer,
King Arthur is less successful than many of his other
outings. The story here is not well paced and lacks
a common thread that carries the viewer through the
story and makes him/her care. The almost accidental
introduction of the round table (and other elements
of the Arthur legend), the limited focus on the majority
of the knights and the missing pieces of the back-story
make the film seem like more of an exercise in movie
making than an experience for the audience. People
expecting to see the standard Arthur legend will be
disappointed. This is not Excalibur. The acting
here is adequate but not spectacular. The cinematography
is well done but it is hard to mess up when you have
the contrast of the bright blue sky with the deep
green grass of the sweeping countryside and the dark
colors of the clothing with bright red blood. The
fight sequences are well choreographed but the problem
with the movie is that the lines of distinction between
the good guys and the villains is too blurred. Are
we supposed to root for the Romans or the British?
The Saxons are definitely an unwelcome invading force
but do we care enough about the rest to care if they
wipe them out? The film has its moments but they are
rare.
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Anchorman:
The Legend of Ron Burgundy - A Film by Adam
McKay (Feature Film Directorial Debut)
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Click Image for
Trailer
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How
does this film rate on the
365 popcorn scale...?
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Will
Ferrell stars as Ron Burgundy, the anchor
on the top-rated local newscast in San
Diego in the late 70s. He is handsome
and debonair with perfect hair and the
type of charisma that leaves women wanting
him and men jealous of the women who want
him (or something like that.) His world
is just as it should be: male dominated
and he is surrounded by minions (Paul
Rudd, Steve Carell and David Koechner) who do his bidding. Suddenly,
that world is thrown into a state of disarray as his crack team
of newsmen is diversified via the addition of a woman, Veronica
Corningstone (Christina Applegate), as a reporter. Further turmoil
ensues when Ron's favorite pet is viciously attacked and he misses
a broadcast. In his absence, Veronica steps in, takes the center
seat and shows Ron up. Before long, Veronica is sharing the anchor
duties with Ron and the battle of the sexes is on. Throw in rival
station news teams and you have the making of an all-out war.
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Will
Ferrell continues to be the most bankable ex-Saturday
Night Live star of the past ten years. In Anchorman,
he hits the mark again, this time as a male-chauvinist
television anchorman in a decade that seems made
for him: the 1970s. With a strong supporting cast,
especially Carell, Applegate and Fred Willard
(as the news division chief or station manager
or whatever he is), Ferrell creates a comedy with
plenty of belly laughs, pratfalls and fun jabs
at the decade we all keep trying to forget. The
expressions and dialogue delivered by Carell garner
some of the best reactions from the audience but
Ferrell is still the star, delivering the type
of campy performance we have come accustomed to
in films like Elf. Anchorman is a comedy worth
seeing.
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Fahrenheit
9/11 - A Film by Michael Moore (Bowling for
Columbine, Roger & Me)
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Click Image for Trailer
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|
How
does this film rate on the
365 popcorn scale...?
In
the wide-release documentary Fahrenheit
911, Director Michael Moore explores
the events leading up to and following
the attacks on the World Trade Center
and the Pentagon on that fateful day
in 2001. The focus is on President George
W. Bush and his administration and the
director's contentions about how he
and his underlings intentionally deceived
the American people by diverting attention
from their powerful foreign friends
to Saddam Hussein and the government
of Iraq.
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Republicans...
Independents...
Democrats...
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Through
various historical documents, interviews and "man-on-the-street" confrontations,
Moore works to establish his contention that this "non-president" has
mishandled the situation and more importantly
done underhanded and potentially illegal things
in order to maintain power and achieve his goals. |
A
biting and caustic documentary, Fahrenheit 911 gets
to the very heart of this year's presidential election.
Moore wastes no time getting to the point of this
film which is his attempt to discredit and expose
President Bush for the abysmal leader that Moore believes
him to be. The film begins where President Bush's
term began, the poorly run election in 2000 and the
Supreme Court decision to uphold the Florida Deputy
of Elections contention that President Bush and not
Al Gore won that election. It moves swiftly from there
to the events of September 11 and Moore's evidence
that the Bush administration not only covered up who
the true perpetrators were but eventually convinced
the American people that it was someone else (i.e.
Iraq) because it better served their purpose. This
is a well done documentary, regardless of politics.
I question some of the "facts" and wonder
how much of this documentary is framed around Moore's
own political views versus hard evidence and quality
journalism. And that is at the heart of the problem.
This is presented as journalism yet it is not as the
person writing/directing it is too passionate about
the subject matter to be objective. The disdain that
Moore obviously has for Bush makes me wonder whether
he only presented the information that supported his
contention and perhaps refused to see (or worse present)
anything that went counter to that view. Now, that
is not to say that the information he presented is
inaccurate or that it is not disturbing. It most definitely
is. Even those who already thought of President Bush
as the "non-president" will be surprised
at some of the information presented in Fahrenheit
911. If these facts are correct, this film is incredibly
disconcerting. I do not know if it will actually cost
Bush votes or gain votes for Kerry but in an election
year like this, it will certainly give people pause
and make them think. Whatever side of the political
fence you sit on, this film is something that you
should see. Much as you would expect from a politically
charged film like this, the rating we are giving it
is reflective of the split that exists in this country.
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Spiderman
2 - Directed by Sam Raimi (Spiderman, Evil
Dead)
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Click Image for Trailer
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How
does this film rate on the
365 popcorn scale...?
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Tobey
Maguire as Peter Parker in the simply titled
sequal to 2002's top grossing film. This time
around, Spidey’s foe is Dr. Octopus
(Played by Alfred Molina, you know, the guy
from Raiders of the Lost Ark "Toss me
the idol, I'll throw you the whip.",
a mad scientist with deadly bionic tentacles.
The film centers on Peter's inner torment
on choosing which life path to follow, one
of sarifice, or one of happiness, or can there
be a balance of the two. Director Sam Raimi
takes things up a knotch from the first go
round with a colorful, energetic and completely
imaginitive super hero story.
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| The
only caviat to my review is that we made the poor decision to see
it at about 1:00 a.m. the night before it "officially" opened.
For a short while (especially during the SIX, count em' SIX) commercials
included before the trailers) we fought off tiredness. But as the
plot got rolling I was wide awake till the end, which, like LOTR
The Return of The King, seemed to come three of four times. There
were a few story lines to tie up nicely and some forshadowing to
set up for Spider Man 3 coming soon to a theater near you. You
can tell just by watching the the filmmakers must have been having
a ball with this movie. Some of the shots were so inventive and
unique that they worked to pull you into a world of the "fantastic." The
kinds of sweeping cinematic moves and forground background juxtaposition
that is begging to be featured in a super hero movie. The acting
was superb, as McGuire was born to play the vulnerable but confident
Parker, and this edition saw better use of Aunt May as well as
M.J., played by Kirsten Dunst. With the characters already set-up,
a much more involving in a plot in which you really care about
the people and the story, this is a better movie than the original.
If you love swashbucking adventure, love stories, science fiction,
or your grandma, your going to thoroughly enjoy Spiderman 2. This
film has a 96% fresh rating on RottenTomatoes.com, which is incredibly
rare. It seems to be unanimously bot just liked but loved by reviewers
everywhere. Add me to the list. We still have not hear from Dubuque's
foremost Spyderfreak, Ryan Winkelman on this film yet. Check out
Dubuque365.com for comments from a die hard Spiderman Fan. |
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The
Terminal - A Film by Steven Spielberg (E.T.,
Catch Me If You Can, Schindler's List, etc., etc., etc.)
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Click Image for Trailer
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How
does this film rate on the
365 popcorn scale...?
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Viktor
Navorski (Tom Hanks) lands at New York's JFK
International Airport and finds he is a man
without a country. While flying over the Atlantic
Ocean, a coup in his home country of Krakoshia
has invalidated his passport and visa, leaving
him in limbo, not able to enter the United
States nor return home. Viktor barely speaks
English and therefore has a hard time understanding
exactly what has happened and why he is not
being allowed to step onto American soil.
The head of customs for the airport (Stanley
Tucci) is a career minded opportunist who
simply wants Viktor to become someone else's
problem so he sends Viktor into the international
transit lounge with some food coupons and
tells him to wait. Well that is precisely
what Viktor does. He creates a makeshift home
at Gate 67 which is closed for renovation,
he finds ways to generate enough money to
eat and he occupies his time learning English
and observing people. Throughout his stay,
Viktor befriends some of the workers in the
terminal, all while the customs chief attempts
to get him to leave the terminal. He even
meets an attractive flight attendant (Catherine
Zeta-Jones) who he anxiously awaits every
time she passes through. Viktor is a man on
a mission, coming to New York for one specific
reason and in the end it is this mission that
gives him the strength to maintain his dignity
and gains him the support of everyone in the
terminal.
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| At
a little over two hours in length, I walked into the theater
wondering how a movie about a guy stranded in an airport terminal
could fill that amount of time and keep my interest. I should
have known I was in good hands with Spielberg and Hanks. The
Terminal is an engrossing and entertaining look at the human
condition. The depiction of a man coping with confined quarters
and limited freedom could not be in better hands than those of
Tom Hanks. His accent is authentic and, as usual, he becomes
Viktor Navorski, erasing any lingering images of any of the other
characters he has portrayed. The supporting cast of characters
play off of Hanks well, helping to populate this confined universe
in which he can play. Watching him spar with Tucci and interact
with his fellow detainees in the terminal (the workers), is pure
joy. Some of the comedic moments had the audience rolling on
the floor. I laughed more at this movie more than I have at the
last five comedies I have seen. This is a quality movie created
around a simple story with amazing characters, all with different
agendas and flaws. The payoff comes at the appropriate moment
and though there is resolution, not all is resolved which leaves
the audience with some closure but some mystery as well. This
movie has broad appeal with its mix of comedy and drama and is
one of the must-sees of the 2004 summer movie season. Take time
out of your busy life and spend some time in The Terminal. |
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The
Chronicles of Riddick - A Film by David Twohy
(Pitch Black)
Click Image for Trailer
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How
does this film rate on the
365 popcorn scale...?
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The
Chronicles of Riddick picks the story up five
years after the film Pitch Black (2000.) Here,
Riddick (Vin Diesel) has gone off into hiding
in order to divert attention and therefore
protect the people he helped save in that
original movie. Now a bounty on his head has
pulled Riddick back to
reality. He quickly finds that this has all been a ploy to secure
his return in hopes that he, as the last of his race, can stop
a madman from destroying the known universe.
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|
| OK,
so that's the story. The Chronicles of Riddick follows in the
footsteps of Pitch Black very nicely. It is heavy on action,
light on quality dialogue. Some of the science fiction special
effects and imagery here is pretty spectacular but the film fails
to create a lot of tension. The ultimate fate of Riddick and
his comrades is of little interest and the minimal effort to
explain the background story (and therefore introduce all of
the different races and their roles in the universe and this
particular battle) diminishes even more the ability of the viewer
to care. Diesel does his usual, delivering one-liners with that
deep voice of his and flexing his muscles. The supporting cast
barely rises to the level of Diesel which speaks volumes. How
bad must the offers be before Judi Dench would take on a movie
like this? There were some people in the theater who seemed to
really enjoy this movie, they just were not sitting in my row.
See this movie if you live for sci-fi or Diesel. Otherwise, save
your money. |
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HARRY
POTTER PRISONER AZKABAN Directed by Alfonso
Cuarón (E Tu Mama Tambien)
Click Image for Trailer
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How
does this film rate on the
365 popcorn scale...?
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|
In “Harry
Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban,” Harry
Potter and his friends Ron and Hermione return
as teenagers to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft
and Wizardry for their third year of study,
where they delve into the mystery surrounding
an escaped prisoner who seems to pose a dangerous
threat to Harry. A familiar cast of characters,
many of whom are growing like weeds are joined
by a new set of supporting characters highlighted
by actors like Gary Oldman.
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| I
don't hate kids... but come on! I'm a fan of the Harry Potter
series and have enjoyed them all in the theater, but this is
the first that I saw it on a weekend matinee. Big mistake. When
I want the audio commentary to compliment the movie, I'll buy
the DVD. It seems kids read these books very closely and it seems
that some love to announce each character as they enter the screen,
and for some they like to announce how they will be central to
the plot at the end of the movie. Other kids like to sing along
each time the theme comes on. By the way, have you noticed that
the theme is almost exactly like Emperor's theme in Star Wars.
So in essence, if you want to enjoy this movie, see it during
the week and at the latest show possible. Having said that, I
liked it nonetheless. It is a movie for a younger crowd but still
very enjoyable. New Potter series director Alfonso Cauron has
crafted a darker episode of the popular set of books. Interesting
characters and fanciful and inventive technology that I remember
loving from my childhood fit nicely in a fun, if ever template-like
plot. Gee, could the new "defense against the dark arts" teacher
play heavily in the crux of the movie? It's a long film, but
I never bored from the span and would like to see it again some
night when kids won't choose to play with their candy wrappers
or kick the back of my chair. Luckily, their parents were there
with them to provide absolutely no discipline whatsoever. I know
the kids are excited and just want to have fun, but there is
such a thing as manners. Some of the kids had them. If you take
your kids, see that they find them. If not, you could be ringside
for a beating from someone less patient than us. |
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The
Day After Tomorrow - A Film by Roland Emmerich
(Independence Day)
Click Image for Trailer
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How
does this film rate on the
365 popcorn scale...?
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In
The Day After Tomorrow, the world is thrust
into meteorological turmoil as a result of
global warming. As the polar ice caps melt,
they begin to effect the currents of the North
Atlantic. The subsequent weather events include
tornados in Los Angeles, flooding in New York
and ultimately a new ice age (without the
cute animated animals.) This all comes as
a huge surprise to everyone except Professor
Adrian Hall (Dennis Quaid.) Once the you-know-what
hits the fan, Hall sets out on a journey to
New York in order to rescue his son, Sam (Jake
Gyllenhaal) with the support of his ex-wife
(Sela Ward.)
|
Huge
fans of disaster movies will have more than enough death
and destruction to satisfy them. Part of the disaster
here is the storyline following the disaster but these
films almost always suffer from terrible scripts, phony
sentimentality and over-acting. The Day After Tomorrow
is better than most in these regards. While I found the
journey to rescue Sam to be somewhat uninteresting, I
was impressed with how long Emmerich kept my attention
with the disaster portion of the film, including the build-up
and ultimate apocalypse. While the group was split on
what rating to give the movie, we ultimately settled on
the following: |
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Shrek
2 - A Film by Andrew Adamson, Kelly Asbury
and Conrad Vernon
Click Image for Trailer
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How
does this film rate on the
365 popcorn scale...?
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Upon returning from their honeymoon, Shrek (voiced by Mike Myers)
and Princess Fiona (voiced by Cameron Diaz) find Donkey (voiced by
Eddie Murphy) has been watching over their house in the swamp, so
to speak. Shortly after arriving home, they are unexpectedly invited
to the land of Far Far Away for a reception put on in their honor
by Fiona's parents (voiced by Julie Andrews and John Cleese.) Not
thinking that the beautiful Fiona had married an ogre and become
one herself, the citizens of Far Far Away as well as Fiona's parents
are horrified upon setting their eyes upon the happy couple. Lurking
in the background is the handsome and arrogant Prince Charming (voiced
by Rupert Everett) and his mother, the Fairy Godmother (voiced by
Jennifer Saunders of Absolutely Fabulous fame.) A conspiracy is hatched
to get Shrek out of the picture and bring Fiona together with the
Prince. So let the games begin... |
Shrek 2 is an enjoyable animated film that follows on the heels of the
hugely successful original. The same campy atmosphere with Simpson-esque
pop-culture references is as thick in this sequel as before. And some of
the new characters are great additions such as Puss-in-Boots (Antonio Banderas)
and the Fairy Godmother. Myers, Diaz and Murphy successfully reprise their
voice-over roles, complimented by the new storyline and characters. Animation
has come a long way since the days of Snow White and sometimes even seems
too perfect, too sharp. But this movie is all about pure fun. Several of
the jokes had the audience laughing out loud. Others were not quite as
successful but it seemed like everyone enjoyed the overall experience.
I will say that I think the first film was better, probably because it
was completely original, but this one is definitely worth seeing. |
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Troy -
A Film by Wolfgang Petersen (The Perfect Storm, Air Force One,
Outbreak)
Click Image for Trailer
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How
does this film rate on the
365 popcorn scale...?
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Based on the literary staple The Iliad, Troy is the story of an epic
battle fought over the love of one woman. When Paris, Prince of Troy
(Orlando Bloom) falls in love with Helen, Queen of Sparta (Diane
Kruger) and whisks her away to his home country, he sparks a war
that nothing and no one can stop. The walled city of Troy has never
been breached by an invading army. Lead by King Priam (Peter O'Toole)
and Crown Prince Hector (Eric Bana), Troy has the greatest archers
in the world. Unfortunately, they may be no match for the 50,000
man army of Greece lead by King Agamemnon (Brian Cox), brother to
the wronged King Menelaus (Brendan Gleeson), King of Sparta. Agamemnon's
motives for conquering Troy go well beyond his desire to defend his
brother's honor. If he can control Achilles (Brad Pitt), the world's
greatest warrior, Agamemnon can defeat the army of Troy and control
the entire Aegeon. |
A
sweeping movie based on an epic piece of literature, Troy
is worth a trip to the cineplex but you do not have to
rush to get there. The film seems like a B-version of
Gladiator at several moments throughout its 165 minutes,
a length that seemed a little too long to this movie-goer.
Some of the actors are weak in their roles (most notably
Bloom and O'Toole, save for his scene with Pitt.) The
script also has some weak points though in general it
is adequate for the actors speaking the lines. For the
women out there, there is a lot of Brad Pitt in this film,
and I mean a lot of him. For the guys, the alure of the
film is the sword fight between Achilles and Hector and
some of the battle sequences. While the movie takes liberties
with the original work, it does so for dramatic effect
and those more aware of the story will most likely point
out the differences but accept them. In the end, I walked
out of the theater glad that I saw this film but not anxious
to see it again. With some of the wide shots of the action,
it is worth seeing on the big screen so take it in before
it is relegated to video/DVD. |
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Van
Helsing - A Film by Steven Sommers
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How
does this film rate on the
365 popcorn scale...?
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Out of the darkness to defeat madmen and monsters comes Van Helsing
(Hugh Jackman), a mysterious slayer of creatures of the night, commissioned
by a secret society of clerics who operate from a subterranean lair
below the Vatican. Having faced many foes over the years (the likes
of Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hide), his latest foe is much more formidable
and on the verge of attaining a higher level of power. His new foe
is none other than Count Dracula who, along with his brides, is preparing
to create a race of offspring to terrorize the countryside in Transylvania.
Standing in his way are Van Helsing, (the only remaining member of
a family charged with killing Dracula), a friar and Frankenstein. |
Sound
convoluted? Well, it is. And it is poorly brought together
by an extremely weak (and lame) script. If this sounds
familiar, it should. We have had a string of bad movies
here lately. The studios must be trying to clear their
shelves of the trash before the summer movie season kicks
into high gear. Van Helsing is visually interesting at
times but that is about it. Cheesy one-liners are a pitiful
attempt at humor, the over-acting of Dracula's brides
is pathetic, the monsters have been done before (and better)
and the stupidity of everyone's reactions to everything
is painful to watch. Why, for example, do they not just
drop the princess when they are flying a thousand feet
above the ground? I never saw them flying over a
pillow factory or anything like that. This is a weak excuse
of a film in whatever genre you wish to put it (sci-fi
or action or adventure or whatever.) Do not waste
your time. Having riden the success of the X-Men series
in the past, Hugh Jackman better don that Wolverine costume
again quick if he wants to save his career after this
one. |
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Envy -
A Film by Barry Levinson (Diner, Rain Man, Wag the Dog)
Click Image for Trailer
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How
does this film rate on the
365 popcorn scale...?
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Envy is the central emotion in the movie of the same name as Tim
Dingman (Ben Stiller) envies his neighbor and best friend,
Nick Vanderpark (Jack Black) after one of his hair-brained
ideas actually pays off...BIG. Vanderpark Industries is formed
around one product, Vapoorize. This ingenious product makes
doggy doo (make that poo) disappear with one spray from its
aerosol can. As Nick stars in info-mercials hawking his product,
Tim's jealousy continues to grow until he accidentally kills
Nick's horse. In comes the mysterious J-Man (Christopher Walken)
to save the day with a plan to hide the truth from Nick. Throw
in Tim and Nick's wives (Rachel Weisz and Amy Poehler, respectively)
along with their kids and you have a dysfunctional neighborhood
on the verge of mayhem.
|
OK,
so this film had all the makings of becoming a comedy classic:
funny premise, successful director and two of the funniest
comedy movie stars today. Unfortunately, Levinson, Stiller
and Black cannot counter the lack of comedy in the lame script.
Like so many comedy films, a great premise is ruined by the
script built around it. Of course, it does not help that some
of the best one-liners and prat-falls (the limited number that there
are) have been seen for months in the trailers and commercials. Quite
honestly, both Stiller and Black seem to be sleep walking through the
movie, hoping that they alone can carry the movie on their star power.
Well, after their successful turns in Meet the Parents and School of
Rock respectively, both actors have taken a gigantic leap backward. Their
next outings better be much better than Envy or their large paychecks
will become a thing of the past. If desperate for something to complain
about than your day at work, rent Envy and you will have plenty to talk
about.
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Man
on Fire - A Film by Tony Scott (Enemy of the
State)
Click Image for Trailer
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How
does this film rate on the
365 popcorn scale...?
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|
Denzell
Washington stars in Man on Fire (Hombre En Fuego)
as John Creasy, a former CIA operative in a
self-destructive,
downward spiral, unable to cope with the evil
deeds from his past. When the children of prominant
businessmen in Mexico City start being kidnapped
and murdered, he is recruited by one such industrialist
(Marc Anthony) who cannot afford the best bodyguards
and settles for the drunk Creasy. His daughter,
Pita (Dakota Fanning) is 9-years-old and feisty.
Always the cynic, Creasy gradually warms up
to the charms of his charge and fights to keep
her safe. When she becomes the next child abducted,
Creasy goes on a vengeful rampage that touches
all those who were involved.
|
This
movie is a difficult one to get a handle on. For the
first hour, it is all about character development.
The gradual change in Washington from cynic, bent
on destroying himself, to protector with a ray of
hope for a future he can now see. Washington and Fanning
are both superb in their performances. And while the
movie could be viewed as slow at this point, it is
necessary to establish the motivation behind the rage
that follows in the second half. In this portion
of the movie, Man on Fire takes on much of the feel
of Scott's Enemy of the State starring Will Smith
and Gene Hackman. There are a lot of explosions, violent
killings and a jittery camera. It is effective
in jarring the audience as Washington moves from place
to place exacting his revenge.
The one drawback of the film is this split personality. Some people may
enjoy the entire film but many others may only enjoy one half or the
other. The payoff at the end is well done without being overly sentimental.
The whole film carries itself well in this regard, not letting the cute
child actor run rough-shot over the entire movie. Fans of Scott,
Washington or any of the other players in this movie will find it well
worth the ticket price.
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Kill
Bill - Vol. 2 - A Film by Quentin Tarantino
(Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill)
Click Image for Trailer
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How
does this film rate on the
365 popcorn scale...?
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In
the second part of the Kill Bill story, The
Bride (Uma Thurman) continues her murdering
rampage as she searches for the man who shot
her and left her for dead, Bill (David Carradine.)
After having dispatched two of the assassins
she used to work with and who assisted Bill
in hunting her down, The Bride moves on to target
Bill's brother Budd (Michael Madsen) and Elle
Driver (Darryl Hannah) before ultimately finding
and trying to kill Bill. The story is told through
current events as well as flashbacks including
the actual attack at the chapel in El Paso and
The Bride's training at the feet of Pai Mei
(Gordon Liu) in the remote mountains of China.
|
Stylish
and incredibly well crafted, Kill Bill - Vol. 2 is
a different film than the first and, in many ways,
a better film. This film is much more character/story
driven without as much violence and blood as the first.
The look and feel here is incredible. Tarantino is
a master at jumping from present to past to present.
His use of black and white footage as well as color
adds interest to the movie-going experience. The most
entertaining part of the film involves The Bride's
training in China under the tutelage of Pai Mei. Gordon
Liu is hilarious as the Zen Master, with the flowing
white goatee, bushy eyebrows and tough-as-nails teaching
approach. Part of the reason for the success of this
portion of the film is Tarantino's ability to know
his medium and use it to his advantage. Throughout
this flashback, the picture is grainy, the camera
darts in and out on the actors and their motions are
quick, all like the classic Samurai movies you see
on late night television. The actors are solid (Thurman
only seems to pull off good performances when working
with Tarantino) as should be expected with the cast
assembled here. That along with the plot, script,
cinematography, camera angles, etc. create the intended
effect. With his masterful use of all of the tools
available to him, it appears that Tarantino has created
another classic.
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The
Alamo - A Film by John Lee Hancock (The Rookie)
Click Image for Trailer
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How
does this film rate on the
365 popcorn scale...?
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The
Alamo retells the tale of the 1836 battle for
control of the Alamo, a monastery on the outskirts
of San Antonio converted to a military fort.
The Alamo had changed hands several times before
the final battles which ultimately lead to a
free American Texas. Joining the fight are Sam
Houston (Dennis Quad), Davey Crocket (Billy
Bob Thornton) and James Bowie (Jason Patric).
Leading the Mexican army is General Santa Anna
(Emilio Echevarría), an arrogant and
sometimes brutal military strategist who believed
the American insurgents were only a band of
rag-tag militia and therefore no match for the
powerful and well armed Mexicans. What he failed
to realize was the resolve of the Texans and
their commitment to die fighting for what they
believed in.
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The
Alamo is an epic film that fails to evoke strong emotion
or a real sense of the impact and importance of this
moment in our countries history. The final battle
sequences are well choreographed but the script leaves
a lot to be desired. Some hokey jokes from the celebrity
Davey Crocket and other heavy handed sentimentality
only diminish what could have been a more striking
and substantial film. Originally scheduled for release
last fall, the filmmakers determined they needed to
re-edit the film. They probably could have gone back
to the drawing board more times and still not gotten
to where they intended to be. There is just a lot
lacking in the film. The actors seem to be wading
their way through their performances, often without
the passion one imagines actually existed in the hearts
of these men. This film fails to draw you in, unlike
other films that are based on historical events. For
Texans, this film probably holds a lot more appeal
as it is strong in its Free and Independent Texas
rhetoric. For the rest of us, it is merely a movie
about The Alamo. When I have time, I plan to research
the history of the Alamo and this battle, just to
double check the accuracy of the film. So at least
on that level, it did peak my interest enough to look
into it further. That says something.
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The
Whole Ten Yards - A Film by Howard Deutch (Pretty
in Pink, Grumpier Old Men, The Replacements)
Click Image for Trailer
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How
does this film rate on the
365 popcorn scale...?
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In
the sequel to the 2000 hit movie The Whole Nine
Yards, retired hitman Jimmy "The Tulip" Tudeski
(Bruce Willis) is living the quiet life in Mexico
with his wife Jill (Amanda Peet), a "purported
novice assassin who has yet to pull off a clean
hit." In the first film, Jimmy is aided
by one-time neighbor Nicholas "Oz" Oseransky
(Matthew Perry), a jittery dentist now married
to Jimmy's ex-wife Cynthia (Natasha Henstridge),
who falsified dental records to make it appear
that Jimmy was dead. When Cynthia is kidnapped
by Lazlo Gogolak (Kevin Pollack) in order to
force Oz to tell him where Jimmy is hiding out,
the group of reluctant partners-in-crime are
brought back together to secure her release.
Throw in Lazlo's dimwitted son and associates
and you have the makings for a twisted comedy
of errors where the bullets fly and no one is
safe.
|
Not
nearly as entertaining as the first one, The Whole
Ten Yards had more laughs due to scripted jokes and
pratfalls than I expected, based on the reviews it
has been receiving since it's release. Most of the
criticism has been well placed on this sequel that
probably could have gone unmade. Willis and Perry
play well together but they cannot sustain the limited
script and plotline. And the film seems more like
a vehicle to make more money off of a one film franchise
than to make a quality comedy. While I enjoyed it
more than expected, it still falls far short of being
considered a great comedy. Worth a look on video next
winter if you like the actors or enjoyed the original
film but that is about it. The one thing this film
reinforces for me is that Matthew Perry may be the
only male FRIEND with a chance at a feature film future.
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Walking
Tall - A Film by Kevin Bray (All About the
Benjamins)
Click Image for Trailer
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How
does this film rate on the
365 popcorn scale...?
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The
man carrying the big stick is back in this remake
of Walking Tall starring Dwayne Johnson (i.e.
The Rock). In this version, ex-Special Forces
Marine Chris Vaughn (The Rock) returns to his
hometown after being away for eight years, only
to learn that the local sawmill has closed and
been replaced as the primary industry by a casino.
The Wild Cherry Casino, run by a former high
school friend (Neil McDonough) of Vaughn's,
is a sleezy excuse for a Native-American casino
(the friend is one-eighth Native American) and
when Vaughn discovers that the gambling is rigged,
prostitution is taking place and drugs are being
peddled from the casino, he decides to take
on this sacred cow. After being assaulted by
casino "security", Vaughn attempts
to press charges, only to find himself on trial
for assault due to the unscrupulous local sherriff.
Vaughn is vindicated and runs for sherriff and
begins cleaning up the town, deputizing his
closest friend (Johnny Knoxville).
|
A
short movie (only 83 minutes or something ridiculous
like that), Walking Tall is actually better than I
expected. There are some scenes that take up so much
time that the film would have been 60 minutes long
without them, hence their inclusion. The story
is based on real events (the life of the late Sherriff
Bufford Pusser) and I do not recall the exact storyline
in the original but I would guess that Sherriff Pusser's
life wasn't quite like this. That's OK though because,
after all, this is Hollywood and The Rock. A sufficient
amount of action and tension work well in the film
but it is not high art by any stretch of the imagination.
If you are in the mood to see someone take out their
aggression on the ills of society (because you, as
a law abiding citizen, cannot), this could be the
ticket. He walks tall and carries a big stick which
he uses to beat up the bad guys and bust up the casino. Fans
of The Rock will enjoy his turn in Walking Tall and
it has some appeal for others who like movies about
good guys taking on the evil empires of today's society.
A surprise in the movie is Johnny Knoxville (of Jackass
fame) who provides some much needed comic relief.
Possibly worth a look in the theater but there is
no need to run.
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Hellboy -
A Film by Guillermo del Toro (Blade II)
Click Image for Trailer
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How
does this film rate on
the 365 popcorn scale...?
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For those of us who know nothing about Hellboy, the film by the same
name is a fun, sci-fi trip through the world of paranormal good versus
evil. Ron Perlman is near perfect as the dead-pan title character,
dropping his lines like an anvil but without much vocal inflection.
The supporting characters only add to the fun. While I agree with
our esteemed guest reviewer Ryan that there is a certain lack of
urgency in the fight to defeat this Rasputin
character and the ultimate manifestation of evil at the end is weak
(kinda like the giant spider at the end of IT), the movie was quite
enjoyable and worth the trip to the cinema. Maybe there are inaccuracies
here from the original comic books but as an uninformed viewer, they
were not known and the pacing and story worked. |
Another
View...
For
most people...
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If
you're a fan...
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Based
on the comic book by the same name, Hellboy is the story
of a supernatural creature born in the flames of hell during
World War II and brought to Earth to do evil deeds. Rescued
from that life, Hellboy (Ron Pearlman) is raised by Professor
Broom (John Hurt), founder of the Bureau for Paranormal
Research and Defense (BPRD), and becomes a champion of good,
taking on the villians lead by evil madman Grigori Rasputin
(Karel Roden). Hellboy is joined at BPRD by the telepathic "Mer-Man" Abe
Sapien (Doug Jones) and the pyro-kinetic Liz Sherman (Selma
Blair). These defenders of mankind work in obscurity,
hidden from the very people they are charged with protecting. As
the good professor says, "There are things out there
that go bump in the night. We're the ones who bump
back."
Entertaining
and exciting, but it lacked something, something important....
it lacked a wanting to see the characters do well. There
was an extremely important event, but most of the characters
seemed to be limping along to save the day. Pearlman
did an excellent job playing a teenager stuck in an adult
world. Everyone else seemed to need him to feed off of to
have a performance. I did enjoy the movie, and it introduced
a lot of main characters which sets it up nicely for a sequel,
but if the producers and directors want to start
a franchise, they will need to bring more urgency to the
characters. Try less on saving the world, and more saving
the person, or soul (the underlying story of the movie
which only gets touched upon in the last five minutes of
the show). All in all it was entertaining, but you don't
need to run out and see it.... wait for the video.
Reviewed
by Ryan "Spyderfreek" Winkelman
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The
Ladykillers - A Film by Joel and Ethan Coen
(Fargo, O Brother Where Art Thou, The Big Lebowski)
Click Image for Trailer
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How
does this film rate on the
365 popcorn scale...?
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A
remake of the 1955 classic, The Ladykillers is the
tale of Professor G.H. Dorr, PhD (Tom Hanks), his
merry band of misfit criminals and their plan to
rob a southern casino. His team consists of the
inside man (Marlon Wayans), the muscle (Ryan Hurst),
the pyrotechnician (J.K. Simmons) and the military
strategist (Tza Ma). Their plan to rob a riverboat
casino hinges on tunneling into the land-based office
from the nearby home of Mrs. Munson (Irma P. Hall),
an elderly, church going African-American woman
who hates that "hippity hop" music and
is a constant annoyance to local authorities. The
gang pretends to be a group of musicians, using
Mrs. Munson's root cellar as their practice room,
the location from which the tunneling begins. Of
course, with a cast of characters like this, not
everything can be expected to go according to plan. |
|
| Another
outing from the Coen Brothers, The Ladykillers has many strong
performances from such actors as Hanks, Hall and Ma. And the basic
story is an interesting one that creates many opportunities for
strong comedic moments. And there are many. Unfortunately, they
are spread a little thin with too many attempts at southern charm
and Baptist music in between. The most disturbing part of the film
is the incredible amount of unnecessary obscenity. It disrupts
an otherwise quaint outing for Hanks and seems completely out of
place, at least in the amount of it. A few obscenities have impact,
too many tend to desensitize and make you uncomfortable. The ending
pulls the film together and is a satisfying conclusion to the story.
Still, the film is not the Coen Brothers best work, even with the
strong performances mentioned before. |
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Eternal
Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
A Film by Michael Gondry from Charlie Kaufman's script (Adaptation, Being
John Malkovich)
Click Image for Trailer
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How
does this film rate on the
365 popcorn scale...?
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Joel
Barish (Jim Carrey) is a hapless man who is
stunned when he discovers that girlfriend, Clementine
(Kate Winslet) has erased him from her memory.
In order to be able to go on himself and get
over Clementine, Joel contacts the doctor (Tom
Wilkinson) that performed the procedure and
signs up for the same. As the doctor's crew
(Mark Ruffalo, Elijah Wood and Kirsten Dunst)
progress through the procedure, Joel begins to question his choice
to erase Clementine and searches his distant, disconnected memories
to find a place within his mind to hide her from the erasers. The
technicians chase Joel through the maze of his mind as his thoughts
move in and out of their grasp.
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Funny,
witty, clever and unique. That sums up Eternal Sunshine of the
Spotless Mind. And you would expect no less from Academy Award
nominee Charlie Kaufman. While his other two major films (Being
John Malkovich and Adaptation) achieved varying levels of success
in all of these qualities, Eternal Sunshine is the most successful
of the three in bringing them all
together to create a satisfying ride for the audience. Helping make this
film more accessible is the casting of Carrey, Winslet, Wood and Dunst.
Popular and talented actors who bring charm and humor to a twisted story
of love gone awry. As with Kaufman's other films, this is not a light-hearted
love story. The themes and how they are presented are, as I said, twisted.
Especially during the procedure, the film sings as we witness the development
and eventual downfall of the romance between Joel and Clementine, from
end to beginning, and even venture into Joel childhood as he attempts to
hide Clementine in a place in his mind where the technicians would not
know to look. I left the theater thinking I would give this film a Four
out of Five Kernel rating because it is not the type of film that everyone
is going to get (or want to get) but have since decided that such
considerations should not matter. This is a well crafted, well-written,
superbly acted and directed film. If you want to challenge your mind a
little, see this film. If you want some good, more mindless comedy, see
Starsky and Hutch, another good film in current release. |
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Twisted -
A Film by Philip Kaufman (The Right Stuff, The Invasion of the
Body Snatchers)
Click Image for Trailer
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How
does this film rate on the
365 popcorn scale...?
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When
the random men she sleeps with begin turning
up dead, police detective Jessica Shepard (Ashley
Judd) becomes the prime suspect. Aided by her
new partner (Andy Garcia) and the police commissioner
who raised her (Samuel L. Jackson), Shepard
begins to track down the clues that will lead
her to the killer. Complicating the situation
are Shepard's alcohol induced blackouts which
proceed each murder. Her alcoholism along with
a violent temper are apparently connected to
the murder/suicide of her parents when she was
six. The file reads that her father, Jackson's
partner on the police force at the time, went
on a killing spree that ended with him murdering
Shepard's mother and then himself. Scarred for
life and not respected among her male counterparts,
Shepard fights an uphill battle for respect
and acceptance.
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A
more apt name for Twisted would be Simple or Linear
or Lame. A suspense thriller without a lot of suspense
or thrills just does not work. The clues that the
movie gives the audience from the very beginning destroy
any chance of there being either. The climactic scene
is anti-climactic and the dialogue is boring. This
movie was about as exciting and suspenseful as Driving
Miss Daisy which pretty much sums why it fails on
so many levels. Even the acting falls flat, leaving
me to question why actors like Jackson and Garcia
decided to make this film. Do not waste your time
or money seeing this one. It gets one kernel just
because I am feeling generous today.
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Starsky & Hutch
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How
does this film rate on the
365 popcorn scale...?
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In “Starksy & Hutch,” the
origins of the charismatic crime-fighting duo David
Starsky and Ken “Hutch” Hutchinson are
explored when these undercover Bay City detectives
are partnered for their very first assignment. Ben
Stiller plays the tightly wound David Starsky who is
thrown together with Owen Wilson’s easygoing
Detective Ken Hutchinson on a high-stakes case. Platinum-selling
rapper and actor Snoop Dogg plays their savvy street
informant Huggy Bear. Vince Vaughn also joins the cast
as Reese Feldman, a smooth-talking entrepreneur with
an eye towards the future. Adaptation of the classic ‘70s
cop show.
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This
movie falls into that ever growing category of “you’ll
love it or skip it”. If you loved the original show,
Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson, you are a big Snoop Dog fan,
or you just have a thing for funny looking red cars you will
enjoy this movie. Its light, a little twisted and definitely
going for tongue-in-cheek humor. Stiller neurosis and Wilson’s
self-deprecating style are solid as always. It is certainly
not The Passion but if your passion is the 70’s pull
the cover of the old Gran Torino and give this movie a whirl.
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The
Passion of the Christ -
A Film by Mel Gibson (Braveheart)
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How
does this film rate on the
365 popcorn scale...?
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How
do you judge a movie that by its definition
brings such a large degree of pre-conception?
In the case of The Passion those preconceptions
were quickly stripped away by the simple
and powerful message of the medium. It’s
not about religion or even violence as some
suggest. It’s not even about Christianity
in my opinion. I had presumed that Mel Gibson
had a power trip going or had found a calling
but like his many other movies, I believe
the intent and motivations are much simpler.
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It’s
a movie about love. Love between a mother and
son. Love between friends. Love between a leader
and those who follow. Despite a lifetime of awareness
of the story the language and authenticity caused
me to look at it in a new light. With the events
now in the Middle East it is impossible not to
see how close our cultures truly are. How ideas
like hope and courage transcend boundaries of
religion or state. No matter what preconceptions
you may bring to The Passion this film may transcend
your view of the world and for that it’s
definitely a piece of art worth the best rating
we can give.
(Ed.
Note) This film contains extended disturbing violence
and adults should take this into consideration
before bringing children to the picture. Perhaps
see the film on your own first beofre making the
call on whether you feel you children are prepared
for the imagery of this film.
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50
First Dates - A Film by Peter Segal (Anger
Management, Tommy Boy)
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Henry
Roth (Adam Sandler), a veterinarian in Hawaii,
has a way with walruses as well as women. Always
assuming a new identity to woo lonely women
on vacation, knowing that they will be gone
in the morning, Henry is not looking for
love. At least not until he met Lucy (Drew
Barrymore), a local school teacher who eats
breakfast at the same diner every morning. Problem
is, she does that because she thinks every
day is Sunday, October 13. Turns out that
Lucy was in a traffic accident about a year
earlier in which a head injury affected
her short term memory. So, she does the
same thing every day, thinking every day
is the same day. That makes it pretty hard
on Henry, her father (Blake Clark) and her
brother (Sean Astin) who must also go through
the same day with her. When Henry decides
it is time to try to help Lucy by telling
her the truth, things get interesting and,
while she does not remember him from day
to day, she begins to fall in love with
him.
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Going
in, none of us expected very much from this Adam
Sandler project. It seemed as though it would
be just like all of his other films, perhaps not
even as funny as those. Instead, we were all pleasantly
surprised at how poignently funny and heart-felt
the story was. The bits of comedy, some the result
of animal related site gags and others stemming
from the antics of Rob Schnieder as Henry's friend
Ula, kept us all laughing. Sean Astin as the lisping,
drug-enhanced, would-be body builder brother is
a far cry from his three film stint as Samwise
in the Lord of the Rings. The touching ways that
Henry tries to make Lucy fall in love with him
every day kept the story moving along. The initial
reactions of Lucy's father and brother even give
way to their acceptance that something else has
to happen. Once they give in to that, the romance
between Henry and Lucy begins to have a profound
impact on her quality of life. This film makes
for a great evening at the movies and would work
well as a date movie... whether it is your First
Date or your 50th.
Four out of Five Kernels
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Welcome
to Mooseport - A Film by Donald Petrie (How
to Lose a Guy in 10 Days)
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does this film rate on the
365 popcorn scale...?
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In
the small New England town of Mooseport, life
is simple and they have had the same mayor for
24 years. The one claim to fame the community
has is it is home to the summer house of the
former President of the United States, Monroe
Cole (Gene Hackman). Cole is just coming off
two terms as one of the most popular presidents
in history and a nasty divorce. When the mayor
suddenly dies, the town council enlists the
former President to throw his hat in the ring
for the largely ceremonial post, one that would
establish Mooseport as Cole's primary residence
thereby allowing him to keep the house in the
settlement. Thinking he will be running unopposed,
Cole agrees to do it. He causes his own headache
when he asks the fair Sally (Maura Tierney)
on a date, enfuriating her long-time, commital
challenged boyfriend "Handy" (Ray
Romano), the local hardware store owner and
town plumber. In order to win Sally back, Handy
joins the mayoral race and the stage is set
for the "David versus Goliath" election. |
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high wattage movie and television star power like Hackman and Romano,
I expected a lot more out of Welcome to Mooseport. Some of
the best lines and performances come from supporting cast members
such as Christine Baranski as the former Mrs. Cole and Fred Savage
(The Wonder Years) as one of Cole's advisors. Some jokes hit the
mark such as the way in which his Secret Service agents improve
the former President's golf game, the small town way they determine
who fields the first question in a political debate and the ever
diminishing size of Cole's presidential library. Still, the jokes
are too few, too far between and weak. Welcome to Mooseport is
a movie that cannot make up its mind about what it wants to be:
a screwball political comedy, or a romantic comedy revolving around
the love triangle between Cole, Handy and Sally. Only die-hard
fans of Hackman and Romano will find great enjoyment paying $7.50
to see this film. For the rest of us, a better option would
be to rent it and use the rest of the funds to buy some Cold Stone
Cremery ice cream as a movie snack. |
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Miracle -
A Film by Gavin O'Connor (Tumbleweeds)
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does this film rate on the
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" Do
you believe in miracles? YES!" Those resounding
words uttered by ABC commentator Al Michaels on a frigid
night in the winter of 1980 marked the moment the United
States Olympic Hockey Team did the unthinkable; they
beat the venerable Soviet Olympic Hockey Team in the
medal round semi-finals of the XIII Olympic Winter Games
in Lake Placid, New York. While the world watched, a
rag-tag group of college hockey players left everything
on the ice in what became more than just a hockey game.
This contest came to represent the struggle between the
USA and the Soviet Union who had invaded Afghanistan
only a few months earlier. The story follows Coach Herb
Brooks (Kurt Russell) as he struggles to secure the job
as head coach, fights to get the players he wants, convinces
them to play as a team and then watches them exceed the
expectations of everyone except for Brooks himself. With
a struggling economy, the hostages in Iran and the cold
war continuing to generate heat, this singular moment
gave the nation a moment of hope, a feeling of victory
and the ability to believe.
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\Anyone
who is old enough to remember that memorable night in 1980 will
have an appreciation for this film and its recreation of a period
of time when our nation needed something to cheer for. My fear
that this Disney film would degenerate into a sappy, rah-rah film
was thankfully not realized. I was pleasantly surprised about how
well it kept the story real, showed that this team was not always
the "family" they eventually became and depicted the
coach as a hard nosed but fair mentor. Kurt Russell does an excellent
job as Coach Brooks (who died tragically just after principal photography
ended last year and never got to see the finished film), shifting
from tough-as-nails coach to father figure to tortured former player.
One key to the success of the film is that the list of actors portraying
the hockey players are mostly unknowns, much like the original
team. The biggest success of the film goes back to what I have
already said, this film does a great job recreating that moment
in history when we were all glued to our televisions, listening
to Al Michaels and watching our team defy history to beat the Soviets.
That game is so well choreographed, even knowing the outcome, the
tension and excitement are the same, complemented by the play-by-play
commentary of Michaels. This is an enjoyable film. |
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Along
Came Polly - A Film by John Hamburg (Meet the Parents, Zoolander)
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does this film rate on the
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Reuben
Feffer (Ben Stiller) is the top risk assessment
specialist at a prominant insurance company.
He uses the same approach to assessing risk
in his personal life, always cautious of
situations that can lead to danger. When
his new wife Lisa (Debra Messing) destroys
his trust in her on the first day of their
honeymoon, he heads back home, tail between
his legs, wondering what will come next.
Well, along came Polly Prince (Jennifer
Aniston), a former junior high classmate
whom he has not seen in years. When he knew
her, she was a focused young women, participating
in the Model UN with him. After deciding
to take a chance and ask her out, Reuben
quickly discovers that Polly has changed.
She embodies everything that Reuben sees
as risky in a potential soulmate: flighty,
moves a lot, likes spicy food, "dirty
dances" to salsa music and never intends
to get married. Reuben eventually comes
to understand that maybe Polly is exactly
what he needs along with the risks that
come with her.
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A
lighthearted romantic comedy, Along Came Polly
has several good comedic moments. Stiller and
Aniston make a solid on-screen comedic couple,
facing off as the neurotic risk manager and the
flighty risk taker respectively. Some sight gags
like the blind ferret add to the overall ability
of this film to make the audience laugh. In the
vast wasteland of big screen comedies, Along Came
Polly probably will not be considered among the
classics but it may find a home in many video
or DVD collections. It is enjoyable and a fun
movie to watch, especially for fans of Stiller
and Aniston. While the trailers for this film
gave away some of the better jokes, there were
plenty more and many of the plot points of the
movie were unexpected. One of the major strikes
against the movie for me was the similarity between
one particular scene and a scene from Friends
from several years ago. For fans of that NBC TV
show, you will know what I mean when you see the
film. Other than that, if you are in the mood
for a comedy tonight, this would not be a bad
one to chose.
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