Reviews: The Queen, Ratatouille, The Reaping, Reno 911! Miami, Rush Hour 3, Scary Movie 4, The Sentinel, Shadowboxer, Shooter, Sicko, Silent Hill, The Simpsons Movie, 16 Blocks, Slither, Slow Burn, Smokin' Aces, Snakes On A Plane, Something New, Spiderman 3, Stomp The Yard, Stranger Than Fiction, Superman Returns, Talk to Me, Talladega Nights, Thank You For Smoking, 300, Transformers, Tsotsi, 28 Weeks Later, Underworld Evolution, United 93, Vacancy, V for Vendetta, Waist Deep, Wild Hogs, Who Killed the Electric Car, World Trade Center, X-Men: The Last Stand, You, Me, and Dupree
|
|
|
|
|
Ratings Scale: 100-90 A+/- A Classic 89-80 B+/- A Must See 79-70 C+/- You Got Loot and Don't Have Anything Better to Do. 69-60 D+/- Get the Bootleg! 59-40 F More Film Studios Should Donate to Charity! |
The Queen |
Category: Art/Foreign and Drama Rating: PG-13 for brief strong language. Run Time: 1 hr. 43 min. |
Starring: Helen Mirren, Michael Sheen, James Cromwell, Sylvia Syms, Helen McCrory
Directed by Stephen Frears
Produced by Francois Ivernel, Cameron McCracken, Scott Rudin
Written by Peter Morgan (III)
Distributed by Miramax Films
Release Date: September 30th, 2006
Synopsis: A revealing, witty portrait of the British royal family in crisis immediately following the death of Princess Diana. The setting for this fictional account of real events is no less than the private chambers of the Royal Family and the British government in the wake of the sudden death of Princess Diana in August of 1997. In the immediate aftermath of the Princess's passing, the tightly contained, tradition-bound world of the Queen of England clashes with the slick modernity of the country's brand new, image-conscious Prime Minister, Tony Blair. The result is an intimate, yet thematically epic, battle between private and public, responsibility and emotion, custom and action - as a grieving nation waits to see what its leaders will do.
Keith Johnson a.k.a. Tsarbernard Says: Overall:
B-
Poor Queen Elizabeth. She survived the
Blitz, wore a crown she never wanted, and gave her life to Britain. Yet she was
nearly undone by the memory of a daughter-in-law she never liked, but whom her
subjects adored. Thus is the gist of “The Queen”, an enjoyable
little film starring Helen Mirren in the title role. We’re introduced to Elizabeth’s
incredibly ordered life, with everything in its place and time. One gets the
impression that the queen manages her affairs very well, that there’s nothing
she can’t handle. Indeed, this is demonstrated when Elizabeth meets her new
prime minister, an, idealistic young man by the name of Tony Blair (Michael
Sheen) He’s understandably nervous during their first meeting, but Elizabeth,
cool as ever, handles the situation. No matter the problem, the queen is in
control. Or so it seems. When word of Diana’s
death in a car accident in Paris hits, Elizabeth’s thought is to say nothing
at first. It’s not so much because she basically detested Diana, but because
this is what she thinks the people want and need: in times of turmoil, a
monarchy that serves as a model of stoicism and strength. But as time goes on, the people’s
outpouring of grief grows, and they start grumbling about the queen. Why hasn’t
she made a public statement about Dianna’s death? How can she ignore her
people’s grief? Why have a queen if she can’t even provide comfort for her
subjects? It’s that last point that lends substance
to the film. The question of the monarchy’s relevance in modern times is
often discussed, but even those who aren’t fans of the royals have held a
soft spot for the history they embody. Most Brits have been content to let the
royals be the spiritual symbols of the Empire, making speeches and appearances
while the prime minister does all the real work. However, since Elizabeth’s
not even doing that, the people become outraged. Actress supreme Helen Mirren does a perfect
job of capturing the prevailing image of Elizabeth II. Her every movement is
the embodiment of the stiff-upper-lip Brit. There’s no over-emoting here, no
panic or hysteria as public sentiment turns against her. But her queen isn’t
a cold, unfeeling woman either. Elizabeth loves her family fiercely (though as
Charles remarks, she’s not too good at showing that). Indeed, it’s this
desire to protect her family that is partly responsible for her silence, as she
doesn’t want to expose their private grief to the public. Gotta be a model of
strength, remember. And say what you will about Elizabeth, she
fiercely loves her country. Overlaying the stoicism are flashes of resolve,
irritation, and, as sentiment against her grows, confusion, consternation, and
finally, perhaps even a bit of hurt. Mirren displays those emotions subtly: a
teaspoon put down in exasperation… a walk in the woods, legs pumping
determinedly…a slight drooping of the face displaying anguish. Beneath the
surface is a real human, one whose inner battle of holding to tradition or
giving in to the madding crowd is actually sympathetic. Sheen plays well off Mirren. At first he’s
everything the queen isn’t: approachable, passionate, openly affectionate,
and unsure at times. But as the crisis continues to mount, he too is
transformed. He begins to assert himself as he fights the queen to give the
people a sign she cares. The most surprising change, though—especially to
Blair himself—is from modern liberal to defender of what Elizabeth
represents. In one memorable scene Blair angrily defends the queen to his own
subordinates. The people still need the monarchy, and what it represents,
states this liberal man now showing very traditional views. The moment’s
especially poignant when taken in recent context, as it’s the first hints of
a conservative bent that will ultimately have Blair profoundly disappointing
his supporters with future moves like the invasion of Iraq. It’s an
important, thrilling, and sad moment. Later, when Elizabeth has given the people
the speech they wanted, all seems to be well: her subjects love her again,
Blair has shown strength and gained the queen’s respect. Both have changed,
but is it for the better? How can anyone rule—monarch or elected official—in
a world of constant media coverage and minute-by-minute polls where the will of
the people changes like the winds? Is it worth even trying to stay relevant in
a world where a dead partying princess who hung out with designers and rock
stars is given more respect than a woman who has devoted her entire life to her
country? In some ways “The Queen” feels
like a standard TV movie, especially given the narrow focus and time period it
covers. But with a fine performance by Steen, a great one by Mirren, and
pertinent questions of fame, duty, and respect, it manages to lift itself above
being just another biopic. And no quibbles on my part for Mirren’s Oscar win. Ratatouille Category: Action/Adventure,
Comedy, Kids/Family and Animation Rating: G Run Time: 1 hr. 51 min. Starring: Patton Oswalt, Ian Holm,
Lou Romano, Brian Dennehy, Peter Sohn Directed by Brad Bird, Jan Pinkava Produced by John Lasseter, Andrew
Stanton, Brad Lewis
Written by Dallis Anderson (Story Coordinator), Kesten Migdal (Story Coordinator), Emily Cook (II) (Additional Story Material), Kathy Greenberg (Additional Story Material), Jan Pinkava (Story By), Jim Capobianco (Story By), Brad Bird (Screenwriter) Jason Katz (Additional Story Supervisor)
Distributed by Buena Vista Pictures Distribution, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International
Release Date: June 29th, 2007
Synopsis: A rat named Remy dreams of becoming a great French chef despite his family's wishes and the obvious problem of being a rat in a decidedly rodent-phobic profession. When fate places Remy in the sewers of Paris, he finds himself ideally situated beneath a restaurant made famous by his culinary hero, Auguste Gusteau. Despite the apparent dangers of being an unlikely - and certainly unwanted - visitor in the kitchen of a fine French restaurant, Remy's passion for cooking soon sets into motion a hilarious and exciting rat race that turns the culinary world of Paris upside down.
Ooh Papi Says: Overall: A
I took the whole family to see this movie and it was money well spent. I must admit I already watch cooking shows and reality cooking TV like Hell's Kitchen but this was surprisingly magnificent and my family loved it. If this was not an animated film rats in a kitchen would scare the hell out of me. There's no justice in the world. "Ratatouille" may be rated G, but its sense of humor is more sly, more sophisticated and more interesting than most PG-13 or R-rated comedies at the moment. The film may be animated, and largely taken up with rats, but its pulse is gratifyingly human. And you have never seen a computer-animated feature with this sort of visual panache and detail.
The film is also unexpectedly moving in the way it unites all its major characters in their passion for food and the warm feelings that come with it. Bird and his sterling collaborators have created something wholly new here. It's the haute cuisine of contemporary animation. Plus it's crazy about Paris, the way films such as "Funny Face" were crazy about Paris, and rarely have you glimpsed more supple and detailed images of a great city and its eccentric inhabitants.
Ratatouille" is a tale of two young males growing up and making their way in their respective worlds, which intersect in clever ways. Remy the rat lives in the French provinces with his dad, Django, his brother, Emile, and extended rat clan. The young rat's rarefied nose and highly developed palate ("I know what this needs! Saffron!") serve the family well in the role of poison detector.
A food-finding mission takes the rats into a shotgun-wielding woman's farmhouse, to tense results. After shooting the rapids of a nearby river--an exciting scene, and not merely in the I'll-wait-for-the-video-game "Flushed Away" way--Remy is separated from his loved ones and finds himself in the City of Light. The famous deceased chef Gusteau appears to Remy in Tinker Bell-like form, guiding him along until Gusteau, and Fate, plunk Remy into the very kitchen of Gusteau's restaurant, a former five-star landmark fallen on hard times.
The way Remy makes his bones working in the big leagues is one thread of the "Ratatouille" story line. The comic set pieces are very impressive, but it's the way Remy cooks his new pal an omelet early one morning at Linguini's apartment that gives "Ratatouille" its heart. This is a busy film that nonetheless knows how to take time for the little things. It is, after all, French. I am already trying to figure out how to get this on DVD. This will shock with delight much as The Incredibles did when it came out. I have not even thought much about how kids will like this film but as an adult, I loved it.
Without getting too serious about imparting a lecture on the subject of tolerance and understanding, "Ratatouille" hits on something most every kid feels at some point in her or his life: the attraction of a new world, a new chapter, a universe previously unexplored, preferably one with fresh spices and an eight-burner stove. Early on, a horrified Skinner orders Linguini to dispose of Remy lest the restaurant attract unwanted attention from the health inspector. On the banks of the Seine, trapped in a glass jar, Remy wordlessly entreats Linguini to save him. Slowly the young man realizes that the rat understands what he's saying. He asks Remy if he can cook. The way in which the rat responds--with a shrug and a look of sheepish but unmistakable pride in his abilities--cements the emotional core of the picture. Such fleeting moments make "Ratatouille" special. Like a lot of people, I don't pretend to know how the folks at Pixar do it. How do they make you love a rat? But you will, trust me you will.
The Reaping |
Category: Science Fiction/Fantasy, Suspense/Horror, Thriller and Politics/Religion Rating: R for violence, disturbing images and some sexuality. Run Time: 1 hr. 38 min. |
Starring: Hilary Swank, AnnaSophia Robb, David Morrissey, Idris Elba, Stephen Rea
Directed by Stephen Hopkins
Produced by Erik Olsen, Steve Richards (III), Bruce Berman
Written by Chad Hayes, Carey Hayes, Daniel Seligmann, Stephen McFeely, Christopher Markus, Brian Rousso
Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures Distribution
Release Date: April 5th, 2007
Synopsis: A supernatural tale that centers on a myth debunker who tries to prove that a small boy is not the supernatural force behind the devastation of a small, religious Texas town.
Ooh Papi Says: Overall: C
What happens when you pair an ex-gang banging Christian turned evangelical scientist with an evangelical banger turned scientist? You get The Reaping. The Reaping got a one-day jump on the Easter weekend, which is fitting, considering it's about religion and faith. Hilary Swank plays Katherine Winter, a woman making a living debunking supernatural biblical stories. Science trumps faith in all of her cases until she's recruited to find out why a Louisiana town's river has turned bloody. Once there, frogs start falling from the sky, livestock die, locusts descend, and several other occurrences happen that indicate a plague of biblical proportions. The small scope in which it happens is not biblical but it must be something special about this town. Katherine believes all of it has a reasonable explanation, but a wild little blonde girl and the town's vigilante like inhabitants sway her opinion.
How Swanks character got to be the woman that she is, is very essential to the script. We learn that her family was killed in Sudan while she was working as a “well meaning missionary” trying to spread the Christian gospel until a Sudanese bad guy blamed them for a local drought. As of course is the image of Africans in today’s Hollywood. Africans are no longer slaves, just blood thirsty killing machines (Blood Diamonds, Last King of Scotland, etc). Its ok for movie houses to write this in because to Hollywood Africa is a country not a continent and its an easy scapegoat that is justified by any act of backward ignorant violence. Ironically the explained ignorance we see is the gang mentality of the rednecks in the town who want to kill the person they think is bringing the plagues on there town.
Hilary Swank said she was intrigued by The Reaping: "When I read the script it was a real page turner. I mean, I read it and I didn't stop and all of a sudden it was over and I was really thinking about it. I really thought about it and not just afterwards, I thought about it the next day, I thought about it the next day and I just loved the concept and the idea." All I can think of after reading what she said is that her reading "must have left a lot out of the film" because this is one fans can wait to see.
Is any of this film thoroughly explained, nope it can’t be, not if you want it to make sense. Even the things that should make sense won’t make sense at times because these slow talking southerners are talking really fast - well at least the lead character does. Swank does a decent job of re-iterating why certain biblical stories are not miracles and have scientific explanations but for some reason she is taking credit for debunking them when several hundred scientist and researchers preceding her have already done this. Ok maybe the audience didn’t know but anyway it gets really convoluted but it works itself out in the end. Actually everything does except for her weird and semi sexual relationship with her former teaching assistant Edris Elba. You won't be mad if you go see this but you might be advised to stay home and read a good book instead. - Nuff said.
Reno 911! Miami |
Category: Comedy, Crime/Gangster and Adaptation Rating: R for sexual content, nudity, crude humor, language and drug use. Run Time: 1 hr. 24 min. |
Starring: Robert Ben Garant, Thomas Lennon, Niecy Nash, Mary Birdsong, Cedric Yarbrough
Directed by Robert Ben Garant
Produced by Robert Ben Garant, Kerri Kenney-Silver, Thomas Lennon
Written by: Robert Ben Garant, Thomas Lennon, Kerri Kenney-Silver
Distributed by Universal Pictures Distribution
Release Date: February 23rd, 2007
Synopsis: The officers of the Reno police department visit a national police convention in Miami Beach. When the convention center is bio-attacked, it's up to Reno's "finest" to save the day.
Eyecalone Says: Overall: C+
To be perfectly honest with you I watch a lot of Comedy Central programming, maybe too much. As such a heavy viewer of Comedy Central I've stumbled on to more than my fair share of shows on the station, some of which didn't last that long, others that simply weren't very funny, and others still that require a certain sense of humor. Reno 911 probably falls into the last of those categories for me and has always been a secret pleasure of mine. It rarely leaves me curled up laughing but or even doing much more than giggling but I do enjoy the show and the characters, and the same was the case for this movie.
Perhaps I wasn't in a great mood to see a comedy to begin with when I went to see this film but I was a little disappointed, though I'm not really sure if I should be since I've already described my general reaction to the television show. As a movie Reno 911! Miami translates nearly perfect from the Comedy Central TV show, perhaps too well. If you're a fan of the show you'll in all likelihood like this movie as it captures all the elements that make the show funny. For instance the appearances of the hilarious characters the Reno Sheriffs often encounter when making arrest. If you're not a fan of the show or have never seen it before you might find Reno 911! Miami amusing but you probably won't be able to fully appreciate the movie as it's based heavily on the idiosyncrasies and quirks of the officers of the Reno police department, the show's main characters, such as one Black officer's penchant for White Women, another officer's unspoken homosexuality, and the emotional instability, utter idiocy, and complete lack of regard for police procedure of other officers. In a nutshell if you're looking for a cheap laugh with a few adult situations, and a tiny bit of nudity, and/or you're a fan of the show you'll probably want to check this out. If none of the aforementioned applies to you then you might want to pass, but who knows perhaps there is enough funny stuff in Reno 911! Miami to make some new fans of my secret Comedy Central pleasure.
Rush Hour 3 |
Category: Action/Adventure, Comedy, Crime/Gangster and Sequel Rating: PG-13 for sequences of action violence, sexual content, nudity and language. Run Time: 1 hr. 30 min. |
Starring: Jackie Chan, Chris Tucker, Max von Sydow, Noemie Lenoir, Hiroyuki Sanada
Directed by Brett Ratner
Produced by Leon Dudevoir, Arthur Sarkissian, Roger Birnbaum
Written by: Jeff Nathanson (Screenplay current rewrite), Ross LaManna (Source Material from characters)
Distributed by New Line Cinema
Release Date: August 10th, 2007
Synopsis: In the heart of Paris lies a deadly secret. Half a world away in Los Angeles, Ambassador Han is about to disclose it. In his possession is explosive new evidence about the inner workings of the Triads--the most powerful and notorious crime syndicate in the world. The Ambassador has discovered the identity of Shy Shen, the very crux of the wide-ranging crime ring, and he's about to reveal it to the World Criminal Court--until he is silenced by an assassin's bullet. The Triads will go to any lengths to make sure their secrets stay buried, and there's only one hope for stopping them. LAPD Detective Carter and Chinese Inspector Lee are back--back where they don't belong. The unlikely duo is headed to the City of Lights to stop a global criminal conspiracy and save the life of an old friend, Ambassador Han's now-grown daughter, Soo Yung. They don't know the city, the language or even exactly what they're looking for, but their race will take them across the city, from the depths of the Paris underground to the breathtaking heights of the Eiffel Tower, as they fight to outrun the world's most deadly criminals and save the day.
Review Courtesy of Esther Iverem of SeeingBlack.com: Overall: N/A
Chris Tucker, missing in film action for six years since “Rush Hour 2,” almost miraculously reappears in “Rush Hour 3,” a kinder-gentler version of the first two movies in this series.
Yes, Tucker still starts out with those Michael Jackson pelvic thrusts. Yes, he still plays, to some comedic effect, the lucky fool who manages to avoid bullets, knives and common sense. But his over-the-top motor mouth, which used to make him sound like a ghetto parrot, has gone the way of other outlandish aspects of his routine, which caused many to label him a modern-day minstrel.Maybe the change is because Tucker has been spending a lot of his time chilling out and digging into his African heritage. Maybe it is because he is nearly ten years older than he was when the first “Rush Hour” was released in September 1998. At that time, he had just started to flex his acting muscles (in movies such as the classic “Friday”) and infused his film acting with the same youthful, uneducated logic of his comedy routine. Fast forward to 2007, while he still plays the part of a dim bulb, his character gives the appearance of being just slightly more mature and slightly less annoying, while still delivering his share of punch lines.
This version of Tucker makes for a “Rush
Hour 3” that doesn’t grate as much on your consciousness. Again, Tucker
plays LAPD officer James Carter and his buddy Jackie Chan plays Chief Inspector
Lee. Together they team up to solve a crime, create havoc and try to score with
the ladies. This time, their misadventure takes them from Los Angeles to Paris,
as they delve into the bold daytime shooting of the Chinese consul.
Much of the Black and Asian humor is the same, only recycled into slightly
fresher jokes. Chan actually works out during his martial arts fight scenes,
while Tucker pretends to fight and draws laughs. The French setting also allows
the writers to make fun of real-world tensions between the United States and
France, and to bring the storyline up-to-date with references to the U.S.
invasion of Iraq.
Recent buddy comedies (I’m thinking “Wedding Crashers,”) involve two men
with loose marbles and even looser ethics acting a complete fool. Movies like
“Rush Hour” laid the groundwork for this type of comedy and “Rush Hour
3” carries on the tradition of mindless, action-packed and funny summer
entertainment—nothing more and nothing less.
(This review also appeared on www.BlackAmericaWeb.com. Please support us by
ordering Esther Iverem's We
Gotta Have It: Twenty Years of Seeing Black at the Movies, 1986-2006)
Scary Movie 4 |
Category: Comedy, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Suspense/Horror and Sequel Rating: PG-13 for crude and sexual humor throughout, some comic violence and language. Run Time: 1 hr. 23 min. |
Starring: Molly Shannon, Anna Faris, Regina Hall, Craig Bierko, Leslie Nielsen
Directed by David Zucker
Produced by Robert K. Weiss, Craig Mazin
Written by: Craig Mazin, Jim Abrahams, Craig Mazin (Story)
Distributed by The Weinstein Company , Buena Vista Pictures Distribution, Dimension Films
Release Date: April 14th, 2006
Synopsis: The Scary Movie gang is back with send-ups of "War of the Worlds," "The Grudge," "The Village," "Saw" and "Saw II," "Million Dollar Baby" and much more. Legendary comedy director David Zucker ("Airplane!," the "Naked Gun" franchise, "Scary Movie 3," and "Ruthless People") and producer Bob Weiss reunite to take aim at some of the best fright films, the latest box office hits, music, current events, pop culture, and your favorite celebrities. Anna Faris and Regina Hall are back as the loveable, dim-witted Cindy Campbell and her self-serving, sex-crazed pal, Brenda, respectively - joined this time around by Craig Bierko ("Cinderella Man"), as the cute-but-utterly clueless Tom Ryan. Together, they battle to save the world from a ruthless alien invasion. And the outrageous celebrity cameos include: Carmen Electra, Shaquille O'Neal, Dr. Phil, Bill Pullman, Chris Elliott, Molly Shannon, Michael Madsen, rappers Chingy and Lil' John, Leslie Nielsen returning as our fearless Commander in Chief, plus many, many more surprises.
Ooh Papi Says: Overall: C
The Scary Movie franchise has had the same direction for the 1st and 2nd with the Wayans Clan, and now with David Zucker for the 3rd and 4th. You either love satire or you don't and playahata.com loves satires. However the extent to which people like the film will depend on the extent to which they go to the movies. I go often but I just so happened to miss some of the films that were spoofed and therefore I probably missed a few jokes. The movies spoofed the most was "War Of The Worlds" - in fact if you missed that film, skip this film because "War Of The Worlds" imagery is central to this film. Also spoofed extensively were "The Grudge", "The Village," "Saw I" and "II,", and "Million Dollar Baby".
Personally I found the pop culture skits with Tom cruise on Oprah and Shaquille O'neal meeting Dr.Phil to be hilarious. The disses on George Bush were funny but not insightful, it's the type of joke you can't even recall 20 minutes after the film ends. The sight of Dr. Phil mocking himself as Dr. Phil while Shaquille O'neal peddles his Shaq-ness to make fun of his poor free throw shooting. The "Brokeback Mountain" joke with two Black cowboys (Anthony Anderson and Kevin Hart) defending their heterosexuality while reaching for lubricants is funny cause every skit about Brokeback is walking a bit of a thin line. In case you haven't noticed for the most part the Brokeback jokes all deal with sex or innuendo of it. I didn't see Brokeback Mountain but I knew enough about it to recognize when it was being spoofed. This film is better than Scary Movie 3 though not as edgy as the 1st or 2nd, but as in the case with all these films it's quite skimpy on time and less than 90 minutes which is always annoying considering the high price of tickets in 2006. Scay Movie 4 is going to be good at the box office, simply because its a dumbed down film. It's okay for a few cheap laughs, but better suited for late-night cable viewing than even a matinee ticket purchase. If you decide to sit this one out, never fear - I am sure there will be a Scary Movie 5, although I am unsure who will be directing it. By the time its finished all of Hollywood may get a shot at this franchise, since it seems this series is here to stay despite my lukewarm review.
The Sentinel |
Category: Drama and Thriller Rating: PG-13 for some intense action violence and a scene of sensuality. Run Time: 1 hr. 48 min. |
Starring: Michael Douglas, Kiefer Sutherland, Eva Longoria, Martin Donovan, Paul Calderon
Directed by Clark Johnson
Produced by Michael Douglas, Marcy Drogin, Arnon Milchan
Written by George Nolfi (Screenplay), Gerald Petievich (Source Material Novel: "The Sentinel")
Distributed by 20th Century Fox Distribution
Release Date: April 21st, 2006
Synopsis: Pete Garrison is the most decorated agent in the history of the Secret Service - the president's last line of defense. But now, wrongly suspected of targeting the president for assassination, Garrison has become the Service's worst nightmare. As he uses his formidable skills to try and prove his innocence and find the real assassin, Garrison is tracked by his equally adept former protégé.
Ooh Papi Says: Overall: C+
There are a few ways to describe The Sentinel that go back and forth with how I feel about it. Admittedly it's a "well-crafted Secret Service thriller but lacks plausibility and character development." However it's "worth a look if you're in the mood for some slick Hollywood escapism that's done well enough, though not brilliantly. I consider it a thriller that begins well but muddles and ends oddly. I after all enjoyed the build-up more than the payoff, which again feels rushed and implausible. Eva Longoria's character is used as a props, she is less convincing while running in heels and pretending to look competent with a gun in her hand.
The Sentinel is not exactly FOX's TV show 24 in a movie format, despite the presence of Kiefer Sutherland and a plot where someone is trying to assassinate the president. The word is the "someone" may be a White House insider, so the head of the Secret Service (Martin Donovan) orders all his agents to take a lie detector test. The plot goes off in a half-dozen different directions, many of them familiar from other thrillers though one of the more original subplots involves the First Lady ( Kim Basinger giving the booty up to a secret service man). Here this First Lady has her own Secret Service secret. The joys of sneaking off with the country's most guarded woman are offset when he suddenly finds himself suspected of being a traitor in a looming assassination attempt on the president. Pete radiates the aggression of a riled-up pit bull straining at its leash behind a chain-link fence; the foam practically drips from the corners of his mouth. In his bizarre code of ethics, it's apparently O.K. for him to be carrying on a steamy, secret affair with the President's wife. He even drops the word love, which lands with the squishy thud of a rotten tomato lobbed from a hotel window.
We never know why Douglass does it, we know Douglas took a bullet during the assassination attempt on President Reagan. Since then, his career has foundered. Perhaps that has something to do with his focus on the job. Assigned to head the security detail for the first lady , he embarks on an affair with her. Basinger is a bit glam for the role, and the notion of such a romance is far-fetched - but that's Hollywood.
Shadowboxer |
Category: Drama, Thriller and Crime/Gangster Rating: R for strong graphic violence and sexuality, nudity, language and some drug use. Run Time: 1 hr. 32 min. |
Starring: Cuba Gooding Jr, Helen Mirren, Vanessa Ferlito, Stephen Dorff, Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Directed by Paul Greengrass
Produced by Tucker Tooley, Dawn Lenfest, Sharon Pinkenson, Marvet Britto, Kareem Biggs, Brook J. Lenfest, Lisa Cortes, Dave Robinson, Lee Daniels, Damon Dash, Simone Sheffield, Chase Lenfest
Written by Will Rokos
Distributed by Freestyle Releasing
Release Date: July 21st, 2006
Synopsis: A noir thriller which delves deep into the harsh underworld of organized crime and uncovers the complex lives of trained assassins, Mikey and Rose, who share a special bond. However, on a particular assignment, when a brutal crime boss wants his wife, Vicky, dead, Rose has a change of heart when they find her pregnant. And so the trio--Rose, Mickey and Vicky, with child--begin a harrowing life on the run. Driven by fierce love, Rose and Mikey protect their new adopted family from present danger, looking to redeem their tragic past.
Bruce Banter Says: Overall: C-
Shadowboxer is Lee Daniels first attempt at producing. He directed popular films such as The Woodsman and Monster's Ball. One thing that we know from those films is that Daniels likes Hip-hop music and artist (Nas last album is heavy on the Soundtrack) and also Lee Daniels loves to show lots of interracial sex in his films. In this latest installment all couples are interracial (Black and White). No Black men love Black women, no White men love White women, only strange pairings of Black and White. The overweight Monique Parker with a skinny White doctor and Cuba Gooding with an older White woman who is twice his age and dying of cancer, they have sex more than he would with a women half his age. There is a lot that is not explained in here because Lee is busy "mult-culturlarizing" everything visually. The acting performances are up to par but there is not really a story here. The story focuses on a twisted pair of assassins (Gooding and Helen Mirren, in an Oedipus relationship). Shadowboxer cast Gooding as the often naked antihero who Daniels obvious likes to look at naked. The sexual energy and depictions of sex or violence are what this film really works with. Macy Gray is playing her usual strange act character but Steven Dorf of Blade Infamy really takes the villain role to the next level.
The best part of spending my 7.50 was seeing new upcoming features like Namesake, The Quiet, Hollywoodland and Illusionist. The title of Shadowboxer has little to do with what this film is actually about. This is a soft sex film and interracial erotica. Some say that is what Daniels is all about, if so his fans won’t be disappointed with Shadowboxer.
Shooter |
Category: Action/Adventure, Thriller and Adaptation Rating: R for strong graphic violence and some language. Run Time: 2 hr. 06 min. |
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Kate Mara, Michael Pena, Rhona Mitra, Danny Glover
Directed by Antoine Fuqua
Produced by Erik Howsam, Mark Johnson, Lorenzo di Bonaventura
Written by Jonathan Lemkin, Stephen Hunter (Source Material from novel: "Point of Impact")
Distributed by Paramount Pictures
Release Date: March 23rd, 2007
Synopsis: Bob Lee Swagger (Mark Wahlberg), a former Marine Corps sniper who leaves the military after a mission goes bad. After he is reluctantly pressed back into service, Swagger is double-crossed again. With two bullets in him and the subject of a nationwide manhunt, Swagger begins his revenge, which will take down the most powerful people in the country.
Bruce Banter Says: Overall: D+
I admit the action junkies get their money's worth, but the whole thing is so stupid that it's not much fun. I can’t begin telling you how unbelievable this mess is, talk about phony. Mark Wahlberg is one of the top three sniper’s in the world but he’s a shooter not phucking MacGyver. He is Rambo in the concrete jungle. Walberg does everything, knows everything and we really have to suspend our sense of reality to stay believing the progression of this story unless we really don’t know any better. He’s ego driven more than he is patriotic and but we are asked to cheer for him. He’s done bad and good but he is so jaded by his past that he groups them all in together. I must admit he is jaded with good reason. If you were working with U.S. Special Forces on an illegal covert operation in the horn of Africa and they abandoned you and left you for dead you might be a little salty also. Despite having no money, ID or government help he finds himself back in the U.S.
Yeah right, in a post 9/11 environment that’s as phony as his driving ½ way across the country with no money or credit card and being able to find some of the greatest spooks-with intelligence clearance superior to his. And we know it’s a post 9/11 world because we see that he has the 9/11 Commission report on his desk at one point. That book is indicative of the bipartisan position of the Walberg character. We are led to believe he has a dislike for the current president (presumably George Bush) but he has equal distrust for the Republicans and Democrats. Ironically he is smart enough to realize that neither parties represent the interest of the common every day American nor yet he is not smart enough to realize a lot of basic corruption aspects of politics until one senator breaks it down to him.
But you have to be naïve to accept the progression of events in the story, in one instance after a scene in which the guy wipes out a paramilitary Special Forces brigade of commandos in Virginia one evening, his truck pulls into Montana the next morning. Get ya map buddy - Montana! Means he drove the 2,000 miles going 200 mph the whole way without a rest stop. Antoine Fuqua directed this crap and I hate to rip the brothers but this movie is really absurd.
Danny Glover is used to represent the United States bad behavior in Africa in the interest of oil countries and he is quite evil but it won’t come off as bad because we see the ill will toward Africa coming from a Black face. He does his best bad guy role since color purple but he can’t save this film. This is a script full of holes and exploding head and body shots for the audience. High on innuendo, action but missing a lot of script writing, realism and endearment. In the end this is a film full of explosions and not much else.
Sicko |
Category: Documentary and Politics/Religion Rating: PG-13 for brief strong language. Run Time: 2 hr. 03 min. |
Starring: Michael Moore
Directed by Michael Moore
Produced by Harvey Weinstein, Bob Weinstein, Kathleen Glynn
Written by: Michael Moore
Distributed by Lionsgate, The Weinstein Company
Release Date: June 22nd, 2007 (NY); June 29th, 2007 (wide)
Synopsis: Acclaimed filmmaker Michael Moore sets out to investigate the American healthcare system. Sticking to his tried-and-true one-man approach, Moore sheds light on the complicated medical affairs of individuals and local communities.
Bruce Banter Says: Overall: A+
Believe the hype, this is Michael Moore's finest hour, we admit it he has a gift for making a point but the point was never clearer than in SICKO. If you've been paying attention you would have already realized that America’s health-care system is a disaster, it’s immoral, unethical, greedy and built to punish the sick and enrich corporations. But the most compelling thing may be giving movie goers a real sense of how poorly U.S. healthcare fares compared with other countries despite more money being fueled into it than all countries examined except France.
Any critic or fan reviews that do not celebrate SICKO are straight hating, biased and too partisan to give credit where it is due. Find a review which doesn’t talk good about SICKO and I am sure you will hear regurgitated talking points that the film debunks like rationed care, long waits for care, underpaid doctors and delayed adoption of new technologies.” Americans would not even need to get hit with higher taxes, our tax money just needs to stop financing phony wars abroad.
Moore’s greatest documentary ability is finding rare footage that is indisputable and driving home a point. True that Sicko" is built to persuade. It succeeds by making us ill with laughter and with shame but also uses personal candid talk from everyday Americans like you and me.
But it is the rare footage that is a key to success. Moore brings out the rare and raw footage to teach us how the American Health care system got into shambles in the first place by pulling out the now released Nixon tapes. We witness back to the Nixon administration for a fascinating secret-tapes conversation in which aide John Ehrlichman urges the president to get behind Kaiser Permanente's HMO approach to health care. (Right after, Nixon announced the HMO Act of 1973.) Moore keeps it gully and later in the film he also brings up Hillary Clinton's doomed attempt to pass a universal health-care bill and then brings it to modern day status and shows how Hillary Clinton is now the second-largest recipient of contributions from health-care corporations. Its not just her, all of the congressional people are paid off.
Personally I heard other countries do it better, because I have been to every last one of them highlighted in the film but this makes you want to move. Sicko" ravishes insurance companies, politicians, HMOs, Big Pharma, and ironically the American people because we are allowing it.
I cant wait to see all the outtakes in the DVD, including whatever it took to set up this spectacular documentary. The work it took to find interviews with former insurance company employees who describe quotas for claims denied and bonuses for anything above quota.These are the real folks screwing us over. Moore talks to a doctor whose signature is on a series of denials to a woman suffering from a brain tumor; it turns out the signatures are stamped without the doctor ever reading the claims. SICKO is sick in a good way you better get there as soon as possible, especially if you are healthy. Nuff Said!
Silent Hill |
Category: Action/Adventure, Suspense/Horror and Adaptation Rating: R for strong horror violence and gore, disturbing images, and some language. Run Time: 2 hr. 00 min. |
Starring: Radha Mitchell, Sean Bean, Laurie Holden, Deborah Kara Unger, Kim Coates
Directed by Christophe Gans
Produced by Samuel Hadida, Don Carmody, Andrew Mason
Written by: Roger Avary
Distributed by TriStar Pictures
Release Date: April 21st, 2006
Synopsis: A woman named Rose, desperate to find her child Sharon, finds herself trapped in an alternate dimension as she searches for her daughter in a world of decay inhabited by strange beings. Over the protests of her husband, she flees with her child, heading for an abandoned town to which the child seems drawn. Sharon disappears in the town, and Rose follows what she thinks is her daughter's silhouette into what seems like an alternate reality. It's soon clear this place is not like anywhere she's ever been. It's smothered by fog, inhabited by a variety of strange beings and periodically overcome by a living Darkness that literally transforms everything it touches. Joined by Cybil, a local police officer, Rose searches for her little girl while learning the history of the strange town and realizing that Sharon is just a pawn in a larger game.
Ooh Papi Says: Overall: D
So my kids and kin tell me this movie is based on a video game, who knew. After seeing it, I say, who cares. Even a horror movie designed to tickle the mossy twisted underside of your brain has to be rooted in some sort of earthly logic. Silent Hill is just about as lifeless as its characters. As Radha Mitchell wanders through a ghost town, searching for her lost daughter as though she was touring an abandoned movie set, you can't help but say "that's white people". The movie opens with a certifiably insane mother - whose daughter suffers from nightmares while sleepwalking - crashing her Jeep through a series of chain-link fences in the middle of the night while being pursued by the police. When mom awakens, the daughter is missing. They're in Silent Hill, W. Va., where a mine fire has been burning underground for 30 years. Silent Hill is mostly paralyzing in its vagueness. We ask ourselves who certain people are and what they're doing, and have no idea. Also: ash perpetually falling from the sky, lots of gore and giant cockroaches, plus CGI characters identified in the credits as the Red Pyramid, the Grey Children, the Armless Ones, the Janitor and the Dark Nurses. I can't figure out why parents and kids were flocking to see this movie when a really fantastic film like Akeelah and the Bee was just released. Thou this film had the ingredients it wasn't working for me, : a missing child, a creepy and possibly dead child, which everybody is tired of unless its "Damien", weird drawings, strange writing on the walls, and the usual, vaguely menacing collection of religious slogans and iconography. This hill is silent for a reason, and hopefully the critics will be too unless they're going to tell you how bad this film is.
The Simpsons Movie |
Category: Comedy, Animation and Adaptation Rating: PG-13 for irreverent humor throughout. Run Time: 1 hr. 26 min. |
Starring: Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith, Pamela Hayden, Albert Brooks
Directed by David Silverman
Produced by Hyejoon Yun, David Mirkin, James L. Brooks
Written by: Mike Reiss, George Meyer, James L. Brooks, Ian Maxtone-Graham, John Swartzwelder, David Mirkin, Matt Groening (Creator), Al Jean, Mike Scully, Jon Vitti
Distributed by 20th Century Fox
Release Date: July 27th, 2007
Synopsis: Homer Simpson must save the world from a catastrophe he himself created.
Ooh Papi Says: Overall: B-
I am not a big fan of The Simpsons cartoon but I watch enough to follow and I must say that, Homer Simpson's oafishness reaches apocalyptic levels in The Simpson’s Movie. I watch because they offer the jokes on the fly on the show and the film does this also. "Stop in the name of American squeamishness!" hollers a cop to a naked skateboarding Bart Simpson, while carefully blocking penis shots (Rotflmao). It’s not over the top like the South Park movie, but honestly what would a Simpson's movie accomplish in 87 minutes that the show -- this great, ingenious circus of subversion -- hasn't in more than 8,000? The truth is not much but our standard for good movies is now lower than our standard for good television.
The movie is not newly ambitious. It's not attempting to explain itself to the uninitiated it just is a Simpson’s movie and you can say you saw it. In fact there is slick part of the film which calls out the movie goers as suckers for paying to watch this when actually it’s the same as what is on TV. It was a bold diss but actually you would have already paid for the ticket and Simpson loyalist appreciate the diss.
This film is very good for the first 30 minutes, we see that funny, sassy and intelligent humor that comes in that moronic Simpson’s' way. Watch or not we can probably say in all fairness that “No modern cartoon series has had a more profound influence on the quality of TV comedy. No great television comedy stoked a nation's merry despair with better zingers and quicker-witted, corner-of-the-eye detail.”
There is business to occupy the other Simpson’s, too. Lisa falls for a fellow environmentalist. Bart finds himself torn between his father's unconditional abuse and the unconditional Christian kindness of Ned Flanders. And Marge's frustration with her husband and with Springfield's quarantining drives her to profanity. But the plot's burden is on Homer, whose responsibility for Springfield's ecological catastrophe is revealed, a development that wins the murderous scorn of the rest of the town. The family flees to Alaska. Needless to say, all the dysfunction will be righted. It's just another day with this family and this town.
If you are a Simpson’s fan you have to go simply because you are Simpson’s fan. Although the film is enjoyable I suggest you wait to see it simply because you are not supposed to pay to watch The Simpsons.
16 Blocks |
Category: Thriller and Action Rating: PG-13 for violence, intense sequences of action, and some strong language. Run Time: 1 hr. 45 min. |
Starring: David Zayas, David Sparrow, Bruce Willis, Dante 'Mos Def' Smith, David Morse
Directed by Richard Donner
Produced by George Furla, Boaz Davidson, Danny Dimbort
Written by: Richard Wenk
Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures Distribution
Release Date: March 3rd, 2006
Synopsis: A troubled NYPD officer is forced to take a happy, but down-on-his-luck witness 16 blocks from the police station to 100 Centre Street, although no one wants the duo to make it.
Ooh Papi Says: Overall: B
Does Bruce Willis really look this old or are the makeup people really that great?
Bruce Willis plays Jack Mosley, a broken-down New York detective with a receding hairline and a sickly gray pallor. The star of my favorite film franchise, "Die Hard”, turns out to be ready to work, not sneer and wisecrack but he is just as enjoyable. Willis is at his best when holding a gun and fending off bad guys with as few words as possible. Over the course of a generally tight 105 minutes, we are introduced to a fleet of bad cops, rumpled heavies right out of a Blaxploitation film or ironically a Mos Def lyric. In the 21st century typical cop films are basic and usually offer something we've seen before, but not only had I not seen this, it felt new. I was excited and enjoyed a chaotic chase with a bus and good ole door to door foot chases.
But there is no movie without the annoying witness character, Eddie played by Mos Def. Mos Def, is a fine actor, who delivers a performance here that is at times almost as annoying as reports that he can’t meet his 8,000 a month child support payments. His voice is fixed in an inexplicable nasal whine. A real motor-mouth, Eddie doesn't often shift into idle, and there are moments when his nattering seems more like the tic of a nervous screenwriter than that of a character. Happily, the two stars spend much of their time hustling and panting over packed streets, up and down staircases, through basements and across rooftops as they attempt to cover the ¾ of a mile or 16 blocks that will bring them to safety and the film to a close. Until the creaky last act, the director creates a sense of near-vertigo, keeping them on the run — and us too. The whole plot really comes together in the end of the film because there were parts that did not seem realistic that were tied up quite nicely. It’s worth the price of admission. Yippie Kai Yai.
Slither |
Category: Science Fiction/Fantasy and Suspense/Horror Rating: R for strong brutal violence, pervasive language, some drug content and sexuality/nudity. Run Time: 1 hr. 30 min. |
Starring: Nathan Fillion, Elizabeth Banks, Michael Rooker, Gregg Henry, Brenda James
Directed by James Gunn
Produced by Scott Stuber, Dylan Clark, Marc Abraham
Written by: James Gunn
Distributed by Universal Pictures Distribution
Release Date: March 31st, 2006
Synopsis: The sleepy town of Wheelsy could be any small town in America--somewhat quaint and gentle, peopled with friendly folks who mind their own business. But just beneath the surface charm, something unnamed and evil has arrived and is growing. No one seems to notice as telephone poles become clogged with missing pet flyers, or when one of the town's richest citizens, Grant Grant, begins to act strangely. But when farmers livestock turn up horribly mutilated and a young woman goes missing, Sheriff Bill Pardy and his team, aided by Grant's wife Starla, uncover the dark force laying siege to their town and come face-to-face with an older-than-time organism intent on absorbing and devouring all life on Earth.
Eyecalone Says: Overall: B+
From the twisted mind of James Gunn (Dawn of the Dead, 2004) comes the latest entry into the comedy-horror genre. Slither by no means is the type of movie I normally go see, in fact if I had not received a special free pass I probably would not have gone at all, but looking back I'm glad I did. Judging by the commercials the movie just seemed plane nasty! Giant, slimy slugs from outer space, exploding and oozing humanoids, and people eating zombies - Slither is like horror film gumbo. As the movie begins we're introduced to small-town business Grant Grant (Michael Booker), who stumbles on to a larvae looking extra-terrestrial who takes over his body. As the creature begins to take over his body Grant's begins to undergo hideous physical transformations which begin to make him look half-human, half squid, - which he explains to his wife as the result of a "bee sting". This might sound ridiculous, and that's because it is but Slither is firmly comfortable with it's 'B-movie' roots. It's not slapstick or over the top physical humor, just ironic and hilarious dialogue and situations. I laughed longer and harder at numerous scenes in this movie than I did in movies like "Date Movie" or any of the "Scary Movie" franchise, which were actually supposed to be comedies. As it turns out the the alien that apparently intends to consume all animal life on earth is something like a omni-conscious disease. Once you succumb to it your fate is one of 3 choices, either become a flesh-eating, breeder with an insatiable appetite, a flesh-eating zombie with compromised motor skills, or be absorbed back into the horrendous nastiness that is the creature. Despite the title Slither is really more funny and suspenseful than it is disgusting, even with giant mollusk overrunning this unfortunate small town. It's probably not appropriate for younger children as it earns it's 'R' rating, but if you have older teenagers it might be perfect for "family fun night".
Slow Burn |
Category: Drama, Thriller and Crime/Gangster Rating: R for sexuality, violence and language. Run Time: 1 hr. 33 min. |
Starring: Ray Liotta, LL Cool J , Jolene Blalock, Mekhi Phifer, Taye Diggs
Directed by Wayne Beach
Produced by Wayne Beach
Written by Wayne Beach, Anthony Walton
Distributed by Lionsgate
Release Date: April 13th, 2007
Synopsis: Ford Cole is a big-city district attorney with his eye on the mayor's office and a big problem on his hands. One of his deputies, the beautiful assistant district attorney Nora Timmer, has just confessed to killing a man in what she claims was self-defense. A bad situation gets worse when an enigmatic stranger named Luther Pinks turns up at the police station to contradict Nora's story and paint a very different picture of Ford's talented colleague. With his career and perhaps his life on the line, Ford has a mere handful of hours to sort the truth from the lies in a saga involving Nora, a record store clerk, and a powerful gang lord.
Bruce Banter Says: Overall: B-
A crime drama, Slow Burn was produced in 2003, and finally given a showing at the 2005 Toronto Film Festival but is just getting released. So why does a movie with so many good actors and even more great African American actors only get released to about 600 theatres? I am unsure, but don’t believe that because it has limited release it sucks. Nothing could be further from the truth. This is a good film about a plan for urban gentrification (or land grab) that is very far fetched in plot.
However in all major cities In America the move to kick out the poorer populations and “steal” the resources is occurring fast and hard.I call this film, “blaxploitation meets Usual Suspects”. Its not totally Usual Suspects story telling territory because it’s not being told by just one person but LL Cool J does a lot of the narration. We want to find the Kaiser Sose character, who is Danny Luden a mysterious gang leader, being manipulated by D.A, Nora Timmer. LL is there to Drop-a-dime on a killer’s motive. That might have made the film clearer instead it’s a multiple-viewpoint mystery.
Ray Liotta stars as Ford Cole, the district attorney and mayoral candidate of an unnamed big city. His world gets flipped upside down when his assistant D A (and secret lover) Nora (Jolene Blalock) is accused of murdering a record store clerk (Mekhi Phifer) she claims was trying to rape her. Complicating matters is friend of the deceased Luther Pinks (LL Cool J), who claims Nora is part of a larger gangland conspiracy involving real estate. Twisting it even more is a Breezie named Nora who is supposed to be passing for “black” in the film. She doesn’t have a sisters style or Badunkadunk or any African features, she does have an awful looking braided weave wig that makes her seem as black as Bo –Derek on the beach in 10. She even fools the unofficial Block-Hugger played by Meki Phifer even though those cats are supposed to be the authenticators of who the sisters are. Even redbones have some authenticators like nose, lips or hips but the idea that Nora is posing as black but while really being White is not a possibility in the environment that she thrived in.
Directors try to keep her in the shade for 90% of the film but it doesn’t help convey the story. Her acting was ok but they should have called Jennifer Beal’s for this one.
I must admit some of the dialogue is funny and yet other lines are corny one particularly corny line deals with LL‘s fascination with smelling and fruits he say “She stood there like a tangerine, ripe and ready to be plucked"; however the funny line follows, "The closest her family's been to Africa is Whitney Houston's greatest hits"; and, corny again "She walked in the room smelling like mashed potatoes and every man wanted to be the gravy.” Anyway I could not figure out who was the invisible and mysterious Danny Luden character until the very end but I thought I knew on a couple of occasions and sometimes I was right and other times I was wrong. It’s a guessing game. - Nuff said
Smokin' Aces |
Category: Action/Adventure, Comedy and Crime/Gangster Rating: R for strong bloody violence, pervasive language, some nudity and drug use. Run Time: 1 hr. 48 min. |
Starring: Ben Affleck, Jeremy Piven, Ryan Reynolds, Andy Garcia, Alicia Keys
Directed by Joe Carnahan
Produced by Liza Chasin, Robert Graf (II), Julia Blackman
Written by Joe Carnahan
Distributed by Universal Pictures Distribution
Release Date: January 26th, 2007
Synopsis: Mob boss Primo Sparazza has taken out a hefty contract on Buddy "Aces" Israel--a sleazy magician who has agreed to turn state's evidence against the Vegas mob. The FBI, sensing a chance to use this small-time con to bring down big-target Sparazza, places Aces into protective custody-under the supervision of two agents dispatched to Aces' Lake Tahoe hideout. When word of the price on Aces' head spreads into the community of ex-cons and cons-to-be, it entices bounty hunters, thugs-for-hire, deadly vixens and double-crossing mobsters to join in the hunt. With all eyes on Tahoe, this rogues' gallery collides in a comic race to hit the jackpot and rub out Aces.
Ooh Papi Says: Overall: C-
Smokin’ Aces refers to Vegas magician Buddy “Aces” Israel, a mob jerk played by Jeremy Piven of Entourage fame. Everybody wants Buddy dead. Writer-director Joe Carnahan (”Narc”) stumbles around like an exposition maniac trying to explain why everybody wants him dead, but let’s just say everybody wants him dead, except the feds. FBI agents Messner (Ryan Reynolds) and Carruthers (Ray Liotta) want to keep Buddy alive so he can testify against his venal business associates. Reams of colorful assassins-for hire end up converging on Buddy’s Lake Tahoe hideout in order to “smoke” the magic man, in this awfully written script. Aces is the antithesis of Scooter Libby’s "stop snitching" campaign.
This Film is like the 2007 version of True Romance in the way it converges in the action scenes. There is a ton of gun play and murder but no real script that gets the story across. All we have is lots of action and hipster-cool people but all the singers, rappers and celebrities can’t save this multi-character mobster movie from dissolving into a story driven mess. This film wants to be Quentin Tarantino like but is really unoriginal. It’s so poorly written you can’t even have any spoilers in here.
Ben Affleck plays a Bail bondsman who gets very little screen time, I like him but his Hollywood days seem numbered he gets about 5 minutes. Alicia Keys and Taraji Henson play lesbian hit women. Taraji P. Henson (Baby Boy and singing hooker from Hustle & Flow) sits behind one of the biggest guns ever seen. It stands on a tripod, and when she uses it to cover her girlfriend and co-hit-lady, her targets are flung across hallways.
This film was almost like it was based on a video game, that’s the vibe and the aesthetic at work here: YEAH! KILL!, followed by a few muttered expressions of the horror.
There is nothing to this film although the shoot-out in the elevator is memorable outside of that and a Kung Fu lashing, Ridilin laced 10-year old kid, nothing else about this film is memorable. The only twist is that the Black celebrities don’t kill out of all that murder and mayhem. Common and Alicia Keyes come off pretty good and more importantly believable well at least Common’s character as he reverts to his smash mouth days when he beefed with Ice Cube over the direction of Hip-hop. It’s a good look for him especially considering his soft hippie look of recent. Erykah Badu must have given him his nuts back to play this tough guy role but nothing can save this film
Snakes On A Plane |
Category: Action/Adventure, Suspense/Horror and Thriller Rating: R for language, a scene of sexuality and drug use, and intense sequences of terror and violence. Run Time: 1 hr. 45 min. |
Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Nathan Phillips, Rachel Blanchard, Julianna Margulies, Flex Alexander
Directed by David Richard Ellis
Produced by Penney Finkleman Cox, Sandra Rabins, Toby Emmerich
Written by Sebastian Gutierrez, John Heffernan (II), David Loucka, Sheldon Turner, Chris Morgan. David Dalessandro
Distributed by New Line Cinema
Release Date: August 18th, 2006
Synopsis: When a young man witnesses a brutal mob murder, it falls to FBI agent Neville Flynn to escort his charge safely from Hawaii to Los Angeles to testify. But in an act of self-preservation, the crime boss facing prison smuggles hundreds of poisonous snakes onto the commercial aircraft in a crate timed to release its deadly cargo halfway over the Pacific. Flynn, along with a frightened flight crew and passengers, must then band together in a desperate attempt to survive.
Bruce Banter Says: Overall: B
This film has been hyped on the title alone. It’s that film that people want to like just because of the title, although I doubt that audiences knew what to expect. Even after watching it I could not tell if it was supposed to be a comedy or a serious action thriller.
Snakes On A Plane is a cheesy exploitation disaster film generating amazing buzz using the star power of Samuel L Jackson and the fact that White folks love to hear him yell. He always gets off at least one phrase that will be repeated ad nausea in pop culture circles. This time around the quote goes “Why are there motherf—in’ snakes on this motherf—in’ plane? I am sick and tired of these motherf—kin snakes.” For many that alone makes this worth the price of admission. I laughed and jumped a lot but Snakes On A Plane is still a cheesy and fun good "bad movie", which I could go see again and again. Most of the times the snakes look digitized. Maybe they had 2 real snakes and 25 special effect slimeys. They have the full gamut of snakes too; Rattlers, pythons, cobras, boa constrictors and other exotic intercontinental species.The story starts and ends well but not sure if we can say it actually had a plot. Then again, the title is the plot - Snakes on a plane. Folks can just have fun with this foolish film because it really has no purpose, it just is. Don't try to figure stuff like why the snakes are so aggressive to humans and never to each other. Despite the pheromones scented collars, the aggression is a wayward excuse or was that an explanation for the carnage we see. Snakes up vaginas, snakes snapping penises, you name it. Proof that this is a cheesy good film, is that they show a cool music video at the end of the film and the theatre starts singing. The other plus is that No black people get killed even the obnoxious P-Diddy like rapper character (Sean Combs ain't gonna like this) played by Flex Alexander who deserved death, but for some reason gets spared. (Don't ask me for details why I gave this film such a strong grade. Any film that has an internet presence so strong that studios bow to it is officially a cult classic and deserves at least a B! ) - Nuff Said.
Something New |
Category: Comedy, Drama and Romance Rating: PG-13 for sexual references. Run Time: 1 hr. 40 min. |
Starring: Sanaa Lathan, Simon Baker, Blair Underwood, Alfre Woodard, Mike Epps
Directed by Sanaa Hamri
Produced by Preston L. Holmes (II), Dwight Williams, Stephanie Allain
Written by: Sanaa Hamri, Kriss Turner (Screenplay)
Distributed by Focus Features
Release Date: February 3rd, 2006 (Wide).
Synopsis: While 42.4% of African- Americans have never been married, Kenya, a professional African-American woman is determined to do something about it. She is shocked to discover, however, that she's falling in love with a white landscaper.
Eyecalone Says: Overall: B-
Before you venture any further, if you haven't seen Something New and intend to, and you think you might be surprised by the obvious ending let me warn you, this review contains spoilers.
Right in time for Valentine's Day Hollywood has hit us with another comedic dose of it's latest take on "interracial" dating in America, in the form of the film, Something New. This comedy comes not too far off the heels of the remake, "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" but they're seemingly different films as this time around things seems a little less slapstick and a little more serious. The media blitz and hype surrounding this film has been astounding. If you've turned on your television or listened to "urban radio" in the past 2 weeks it would probably be impossible for you not to have heard about it. From personal experience, I can say that on several urban/adult contemporary radio stations in NYC, the ads have literally played at least once nearly every commercial break during afternoon hours. With that type of push I wouldn't be surprised to see it open at #1, although by touting itself as film basically created, directed, and "written by a black women for Black women", it might not have the demographic range to propel it all the way to the top (I can't help but wonder who's behind the apparently huge push from the studio despite the films very specific market, Black women - but I digress).
Enough about the prospects on the studio returns though, the most important thing is if the movie is any good. In the casting department Something New is solid. A true "ladies night out" kind of film it finds Sanaa Lathan as Kenya McQueen, - in a part we've probably seen her play more than enough but can't seem to turn away from - a very attractive and somewhat "Buppie" women who has "everything but the guy". Kenya is an anal retentive, workaholic, late twenty something / early thirty something, high-powered Senior manager on her way to making partner at her Los Angeles firm. She's looking for a man, but not just any man. She's looking for her "IBM" (Ideal Black Man), despite her claims to the contrary. Unbeknownst to Kenya, her "man problems" probably more than anything else are the byproduct of her lifestyle of pretense, personal hangups, and 90-hour work weeks. Her upbringing is somewhat upper class, and all the way black bourgeoisie, complete with exclusive teenage balls and socials (i.e., Jack & Jill, "Black Like Us" for those in the know). Always there to give advice and support are Kenya's team of girlfriends, Nedra (Taraji P. Henson), Cheryl (Wendy Raquel Robinson), and Suzette (Golden Brooks). Donald Faison plays Kenya's shallow and elitist brother Nelson who seems to change ditsy girlfriends like he changes shoes, and Blair Underwood steps on to the scene later in the film as Lathan's perfect shot at her "IBM" - essentially a male version of herself. Mike Epps does a solid job and plays a semi-serious role as Cheryl's boyfriend/fiancé and Alfre Woodard finds herself in a curious role as Kenya's pretentious and nominally "Afrocentric" mother, Joyce McQueen. Rounding out the cast is the Australian born, Simon Baker who plays Brian Kelly, Kenya's "landscaper" turned unexpected love interest. They're complete opposites as Brian is a "rugged outback" type and Kenya starts off annoyingly uptight, which makes a serious romance a bit of a hard sell in that outside of the physical attraction and the initial challenge it's not really clear why someone like Baker's character would be attracted to Lathan's (it's a comedy so money can't be an issue and yeah I know "opposites attract", but that's more cliché than reality).
Overall Something New, even if somewhat unrealistic at times, is sweet, and entertaining and funny, though I may not have laughed as much as the studio planned since it has that "chick flick" vibe and I was as interested in the movie's message as it's execution. The film will probably go over well with it's target audience especially and it's a step forward that this film is written and directed by a Black (Moroccan) woman, Sanaa Hamri, making her step up from directing music videos. The film deals with the elephant in the room, "race", in a mostly surface and humorous (seemingly the only way you can openly discuss it in America) way preferring to put the characters in awkward situations rather through dialogue, except for one scene when Lathan's character has to explain to Baker's character that race and racism is always an issue for Black people, and we "don't get time off from being Black". Of course this simple observation comes after Baker's character, Brian, subtly lectures Lathan's about her preference for Black men being her "preferring prejudice", which is of course what racial discourse in America needs, White men lecturing Black women about prejudice (heavy sarcasm). Indeed Simon there is still one institution where Black men enjoy preference over White men, with Black women. Don't worry White guys, you still have the banking system, mortgage lenders, the court system, the media, and the U.S. Senate. There is also one scene early in the film where Lathan's characters survey of her Black, male dating options is a full panorama of negative stereotypes which fits right in with the films mantra that has become part of the ad campaign - "42.4% of African- Americans women have never been married". Although in her defense, I think overall Hamri spends more time in the film focusing on what Baker's character IS to Lathan's, rather than what she thinks Black men in general are not. Although I did find it somewhat troubling that Lathan's character despite her class conscious upbringing and having a more than ideal opportunity at her IBM, eventually chooses a working class, White "landscaper", who drives a beat up pickup and kisses his dog in the mouth. I suppose the film's main message is supposed to be that if you open yourself up to ALL possibilities that sometimes you find love where you least expect it, and then live happily ever after - at least that's how it works in the movies. (Click here to tell us what you think)
Shiesty Says: Overall: B-
It's no secret that Hollywood doesn't have a lot of love for sistas'. Whether it's the Tragic Mulatto or the all-knowing, all-seeing Mammy, black women have had it hard over the years. Only recently have we seen the climate shift to an era in which black women can just be portrayed as women: simple and complex at the same time. With Queen Latifah, Halle Berry, and (until recently) Angela Bassett firmly established as bankable leading ladies, the pathway has been cleared for the enormously talented Sanaa Lathan. In her first starring role, she fares relatively well in the romantic comedy Something New.
I'll be the first to admit, I wasn't too crazy about the premise of this movie. The whole "urban" romantic comedy thing peaked with Love Jones, and Hollywood's reliance on this familiar formula reeks of patronage. And since I, like 99% of the other brothas' in the nation, have had a grown-man crush on Lathan since Love and Basketball, I wasn't too enthused about watching her laid up with some white dude. Thankfully, Something New adds some debate-worthy dilemmas and a solid cast to the old recipe, sparing us from the wrath of such recent movies like 2004's dreadful Breakin' All the Rules.
Lathan stars as Kenya, an uptight thirty something accountant on the fast track to professional success, but a personal failure who finds herself dateless on Valentine's Day. Lamenting upon the fact that 42.4% (the film's original title) of all black women have never been married; she decides to spread her wings and go on a blind date. When she arrives at (product placement alert!) Starbucks and discovers her date Brian (Simon Baker) is white, Kenya is caught off guard and cuts things off immediately. But when she runs into him at a party a few days later, she is awed by his work and reluctantly hires him as her landscaper. True to form, the usual cut-and-paste romantic comedy courtship ensues: she finally gives him a shot, they hit it off, a superficial conflict arises, she momentarily falls for someone else (Blair Underwood in his usual sleazy role) and they end up married happily ever after. There aren't many surprises in this movie; the genre pretty much requires you to stick to the formula.
So why do I recommend this movie? Lathan. The camera loves her, and so will you. Finally given the opportunity to carry a movie, she doesn't disappoint. Her screen presence is notable, and even when the sometimes sophomoric dialogue fails her, she still manages to emit an aura of grace and likeability that's hard to deny. Simply put: she's a star, and stars can sometimes make average movies worth watching. Hopefully Hollywood noticed and gives her some heavier material to work with in the future. Baker, however, isn't very likeable, nor believable as her jungle lover (what landscaper do you know that digs trenches in $200 Ben Sherman button downs?), but I'm pretty sure his inclusion was one of those concessions they had to make to get the movie green lit. The rest of the cast (Blair Underwood, Alfre Woodard, Donald Faison, Taraji Henson, etc.) is a gaggle of faces and names you've seen elsewhere and, with the exception of Mike Epps, is mostly forgettable.
Sadly, like any Hollywood movie dealing with the "R" word, racial politricks are in full effect. Brian is just too perfect, and the way he wins over Kenya is unnerving. He says all the right things, supports noble causes, has all the right answers, is great in the sack, AND is hung like a stallion (an emasculating point the movie is quite emphatic in stating). Unlike every black man she's ever met, Brian is thoughtful, romantic, and allows her to be her (even encouraging her to get rid of her weave!). With very little effort, a broke white dude who drives around in a filthy truck with a mangy dog is able to smash a top notch professional sista' in less than a week. It's almost like some white guy's interracial dream come true. Would a movie about a black landscaper bedding a white woman have even been green lit, hell, even been written? I think not. The underlying message seems to be to tell black women to stop putting up with brothers' mess, and just to take any white dude, cause heck, you can be yourself with them, and who cares about color anyway? There's an interesting subplot with Epps' character (a chef) "marrying up" to a black female judge, but when you add it all up, brothers seem to come out on the short end of the stick with this movie. Big time.
Furthermore, the movie presents a very unrealistic view of how blacks handle interracial dating. Kenya's parents and friends are openly hostile towards Brian, something that just doesn't happen in real life. Sure, black folks will talk trash about you when you turn your back, but the way that many of the characters confront Brian about dating Kenya is mean spirited and borderline racist. In my limited experience, whites in exclusively black settings seem to get treated better than vice versa, not worse. Just think about the last time a white family visited your church and you'll know what I mean. Black people are oppressed and excluded enough as is, the last thing we want is to impose those same feelings on someone else. Likewise, when Kenya and Brian get into a racially charged argument about how her white co-workers are treating her, an otherwise hefty debate on how blacks are treated in hostile work environment gets reduced to a lover's quarrel. It's as if the writers had to find someway to create tension between the characters and chose to fabricate something that didn't exist. In failing to adequately address the obvious issues of race, the movie misses the mark that could have made it something far more substantive.
All things said however, I'll recommend it for no reason other than Lathan. Hell, I'd pay $9 just to stare at her for an hour and a half, but she proves herself more than worthy of leading lady status. Something New isn't necessarily anything new, but it is a smart, though-provoking date movie, and there's nothing wrong with that. (Click here to tell us what you think)
Spiderman 3 |
Category: Action/Adventure, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Adaptation and Sequel Rating: PG-13 for sequences of intense action violence. Run Time: 2 hr. 20 min. |
Starring: Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, Thomas Haden Church, Topher Grace, James Franco
Directed by Sam Raimi
Produced by Stan Lee, Joseph M. Caracciolo Jr, Kevin Feige
Written by: Sam Raimi (Screenplay), Ivan Raimi (Screenplay), Alvin Sargent (Screenplay), Stan Lee (Source Material: from the Marvel comic book "Spider-Man"), Steve Ditko (Source Material: from the Marvel comic book "Spider-Man")
Distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing
Release Date: May 4th, 2007
Synopsis: Peter Parker has finally managed to strike a balance between his devotion to M.J. and his duties as a superhero. But there is a storm brewing on the horizon. When his suit suddenly changes, turning jet-black and enhancing his powers, it transforms Peter as well, bringing out the dark, vengeful side of his personality that he is struggling to control. Under the influence of the suit, Peter becomes overconfident and starts to neglect the people who care for him most. Forced to choose between the seductive power of the new suit and the compassionate hero he used to be, Peter must overcome his personal demons as two of the most-feared villains yet, Sandman and Venom, gather unparalleled power and a thirst for retribution to threaten Peter and everyone he loves
Eyecalone Says: Overall: B-
Well the latest installment of Spiderman hit theatres this weekend and you know what that means, time to re-write the box office record books. I have no idea how much money this movie will have made when the weekend is over but I can assure you, that with all the anticipation and hype, it will be a mind-boggling figure. It can almost be assured that any movie with so much pre-movie hype would fail to live up to it and Spiderman 3 is no different. From a pure action, special effects, and fantasy value standpoint Spiderman 3 clicks on almost all cylinders. The special effects are great (though I had a poor seat in a packed movie theater and couldn't fully appreciate them) as is the action, and it's made even better by the list of super-powered characters introduced in this movie, including Venom, Sandman, and the second coming of the Green Goblin. It's great watching all those characters rumble on screen true to their comic book form.
Director/writer Sam Raimi does a good job of keeping in line with comic book story lines and developing Peter Parker as a character when he's not wearing red and blue spandex. The period where Peter Parker begins to give in to some of his more base impulses courtesy of an alien symbiotic organism that turns into an all black Spiderman suit, and later turns one of his rivals into his arch nemesis, Venom, also works as a period of comic relief though the sequence may be a bit over done. Overall Spiderman 3 is a fun ride, the action is great, and it's appropriate for almost all audiences. It's biggest failing is that it arguably tries too hard to be appropriate for all audiences as their are some periods near the end of the film that are a bit campy, excessively sappy, and a bit unbelievable if such a description can even be used to in a comic based movie.
Keith Johnson a.k.a Tsar Benard Says: Overall: B+
Marvel Comics gained its fame by crafting heroes with the powers of gods, but the everyday problems of regular people. Sam Raimi gets this. His Spider-Man films are first and foremost about Peter Parker, the superhero who has trouble paying rent or keeping a girlfriend. Parker has the powers of our dreams, but the life problems of our nightmares.
This time, for once, the problem isn’t Spider-Man being hated and feared by the people. In fact, the opposite is true. As Spider-Man 3 opens, we see that the Web Slinger (Tobey McGuire) has achieved immense popularity. Spidey’s cheered by the masses, has his image on t-shirts, TV reporters clamoring for interviews. On top of this, Peter plans to marry Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst). Life--for a change--couldn’t be better for our Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man.
But this is Marvel, and soon, the wheels start coming off:
Mary Jane is struggling to make it as an actress, and feels that Peter is becoming selfish and arrogant, putting Spider-Man before her...
There’s a new photographer at the Bugle bucking to displace Peter…
Petty crook Flint Marko (Thomas Haden Church) is mutated while on the run (in an impressive but unbelievably convenient accident) and menaces New York as the super powered Sandman. Worse, the police implicate Marko in the death of Pete’s Uncle Ben...
Peter’s former best friend Harry Osborn (James Franco) is busy shining his Goblin Glider and stocking up on Pumpkin bombs as he plots to take Peter down for the imagined murder of his father…
There’s a certain black evil symbiote creature crawling around looking for someone to bond with (literally). Whew! With super villains and girlfriend problems galore, Spidey’s got his hands full!
Spider-Man 3 moves along at a good pace. Raimi takes his time setting up the battles, providing at least the minimal origin stories justifying his characters’ behavior. He doesn’t rush to fights, but doesn’t make you wait too long before the action starts either. Balancing dialogue and action in a superhero film is a tricky thing, and Raimi does it pretty well, giving us enough setup before the punches fly, then getting back to the emotional meat of the movie once the fight’s over.
The battles themselves are for the most part good. One of my major complaints with previous Spider-Man pictures has been the poor CGI used to animate Spidey and his opponents. It looked like a badly done video game. This time I hardly noticed any obvious FX in many of the scenes. I will say though, that many of the aerial fights are too fast-paced, making it hard to tell what was going on. And the battles themselves are often too abbreviated, ending just as I was really getting into the action.
People rarely care about acting in a superhero movie, unless it’s too terrible to be ignored. Suffice it to say that everyone does an adequate job with his or her role. McGuire is fun to watch during his brief transformations from nerd to aggressive super stud. Haden Church plays Sandman as surprisingly sympathetic, but given the lack of real screen time for the character, that potential wasn’t explored. Too bad…
A problem is that the large ensemble cast has to share screen time. After an impressive introduction, the Sandman appears in snippets. He shows up to cause mayhem, then disappears. Looking at Church’s massively muscled body, I kept thinking “man, he sure went through a lot of training not to get much screen time”.
The same goes for “Venom”. Like Sandman, we get background story on the villain, but his subsequent appearances are short in duration.
The Goblin fares slightly better. He’s the major bad guy in the flick, due to his overall influence on Spidey, and the screen time afforded Franco.
Bryce Dallas Howard’s Gwen Stacy is underused. Those who know how incredibly important Gwen is in Spider-Man lore might be disappointed at how inconsequential—and changed—her storyline is. Unless there’s a Spider-Man 4 and she comes back, one of the great tragic love stories in comic history will apparently never be told.
Surprising is the relatively little time given over to Peter’s domination by the black suit. The trailers indicate that the entire movie would focus on Peter dealing with the effects of the suit amplifying his powers and confidence—as well as his aggression. And true, there are some great moments when the suit causes Spider-Man to act with uncharacteristic brutality. There are some funny moments as Peter goes from milksop to confident man about town. But like the treatment of the super-villains, I came away wanting a little more.
Most disappointing is the climactic Big Fight. It’s a mass of special effects, as webs, bombs, and sandstorms all but demolish the landscape. The problem is that this fight is where the CGI is at its worst. Perhaps it was the number of elements being juggled, the length of the battle, or the changing scenes, but I was extremely under whelmed with the FX here. That, coupled with the fact that the battle went on way too long, made it actually rather boring despite all the action.
But these are all minor quibbles. In the end, Raimi delivers a film in the Mighty Marvel Manner of angst mixed with glory, tragedy blended with success. Despite some clipped battles, too many plotlines, and a bad final battle, it was a very enjoyable film. Not the best superhero film ever, but definitely worth seeing.
Stomp The Yard |
Category: Drama, Musical/Performing Arts and Teen Rating: PG-13 for a scene of violence, some sexual material and language. Run Time: 1 hr. 54 min. |
Starring: Columbus Short, Brian J. White, Ne-Yo , Meagan Good, Darrin DeWitt Henson
Directed by Sylvain White
Produced by Rob Hardy, William Packer
Written by: Robert Adetuyi, Gregory Ramon Anderson
Distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing
Release Date: January 12th, 2007
Synopsis: DJ, a troubled youth from Los Angeles attending the historically black Truth University in Atlanta, Georgia. When adapting to his new environment proves difficult, DJ finds solace in joining a struggling fraternity where he begins implementing his street-style dance moves in an attempt to help the step team win the coveted National Step Show Championship. Before long DJ becomes the competing fraternity's main rival, while trying to pursue his new love interest, deal with his own troubled past and learn the true meanings of brotherhood and Fraternity along the way.
Eyecalone Says: Overall: B
I would be lying if I told you I went to see this movie under the impression that it would be good. Truthfully the films advertising campaign was a bit corny. Particularly the part in advertisement where the film's main character ask a fellow student what a group of students in a fraternity are doing, to which the student replies, "they're stomping the yard, where you from!?". I don't know who wrote that line but I don't think anyone on any college campus Black, White, or otherwise talks this way. Then there was of course the cheap sell to teenage girls by putting adolescent girl heartthrobs and R&B sensations Chris Brown and Neyo as prominent characters in the movie, and all the dance sequences which had "You Got Served" written all over it. Despite my "cheesy" suspicions, the film clearly had something to do with Black youth and college life and for that alone I wanted to be supportive. Well after opening impressively and winning it's opening week's box office, probably due to the appeal to adolescent girls, Stomp The Yard showed me something and I was presently surprised. Behind the fluff and immense potential to be "corny" there is actually a solid movie here. It's also empowering, uplifting, full of positive academic messages that the film's target audience really needs to see. It even temporarily lessened my often cynical feelings about the activities and purpose of today's Black fraternities and sororities. Sure the young girls will probably love it because there are a lot of cute guys, dancing, and occasionally they take their shirts off but there is actually a lot more going on here. The film is a must see for any Black parent with a child or children of Junior High-School to college age, and coming not too far on the heals of a movie like Akeelah and The Bee, it's not just an entertaining film but another contribution to changing mindsets and encouraging academic achievement in Black youth.
Stranger Than Fiction |
Category: Comedy, Drama, Romance and Science Fiction/Fantasy Rating: PG-13 for some disturbing images, sexuality, brief language and nudity. Run Time: 1 hr. 53 min. |
Starring: Will Ferrell, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Queen Latifah, Emma Thompson, Dustin Hoffman
Directed by Marc Forster
Produced by Zach Helm
Written by: Vondie Curtis Hall (screenplay), Michael Mahern (story), Darin Scott (story)
Distributed by Columbia Pictures
Release Date: November 10th, 2006
Synopsis: One morning, a seemingly average and generally solitary IRS agent named Harold Crick begins to hear a female voice narrating his every action, thought and feeling in alarmingly precise detail. Harold's carefully controlled life is turned upside down by this narration only he can hear, and when the voice declares that Harold Crick is facing imminent death, he realizes he must find out who is writing his story and persuade her to change the ending. The voice in Harold's head turns out to be the once celebrated, but now nearly forgotten, novelist Karen "Kay" Eiffel, who is struggling to find an ending for what might be her best book. Her only remaining challenge is to figure out a way to kill her main character, but little does she know that Harold Crick is alive and well and inexplicably aware of her words and her plans for him. To make matters worse, Kay's publisher has dispatched a hard-nosed "assistant," Penny Escher, to force Kay to finish her novel and finish off Harold Crick. Desperate to take control of his destiny and avoid an untimely demise, Harold seeks help from a literary theorist named Jules Hilbert, who suggests that Harold might be able to change his fate by turning his story from a tragedy into a comedy. Professor Hilbert suggests that Harold try to follow one of comedy's most elemental formulas: a love story between two people who hate each other. His suggestion leads Harold to initiate an unlikely romance with a free-spirited baker named Ana Pascal. As Harold experiences true love and true life for the first time, he becomes convinced that he has escaped his fate, as his story seems to be taking on all the trappings of a comedy in which he will not, and cannot, die. But Harold is unaware that in a Karen Eiffel tragedy, the lead characters always die at exactly the moment when they have the most to live for.
TsarBernard Says Overall: B-
The 411: I’m starting to think movies need two ratings: one for Effort, another for Execution. Many films have great ideas, but don’?t quite fulfill their promise on screen. And so it is with this flick. Decent concept, good actors. A good Effort. A little lacking in Execution.
First, the good stuff. Ferrell is great. His performance is very subtle, with almost no slapstick. Ferrell does a great job of conveying emotions with minimal expression. There’s loneliness in his eyes, the look of a child who wants someone to play with him. As he starts learning to live, a slight smile, a low humm of eating a cookie, convey a newfound sense of discovery, drawing the audience in as well. Crick’s a nice but clueless guy you can’t help but like.
Maggie Gyllenhaal is good as Ana, the initially hostile tax-dodger who comes to love her auditor. Gyllenhaal has a pixyish smile and twinkling eyes which take the sting out of even her meanest put-downs. As she warms to Harold, they develop a relationship that can only be termed sweet. Good stuff that makes you feel good.
Now to the problems.
Itâ€?s confusing to figure out when Harold is being controlled. Eiffel can kill him, but then why can he change some things in his life? Yeah I know: don’t look closely at sci-fi themed stuff. But you have to ask why Harold can alter or ignore some of the author’s work, but can’t avoid his death, which is, after all, the point.
Haroldâ€?s transformation feels shortened. There’s life with Ana, and a fun moment of fulfilling a lifelong yearning of owning a guitar. But there’s so much focus on the setup and finale, they slighted the middle where he changes, which is where Ferrell really shines. The movie could have been about fifteen minutes longer.
In a hard to swallow plot point, Eiffel debates killing Haroldss character even after meeting him. Say what?? It just made no sense that she’d even consider killing a man just to make her book perfect.
Hoffman, Thompson, and Latifah are wasted. Hoffman could play his role as Harold’s advisor in his sleep. Thompson has a little more meat as the frustrated, desperate writer, but we don’t really get to know or understand her. Why the writer’s block, why is she so scattered, why even think of killing a man for her art? Queen Latifah’s small part as Thompson’s assistant, sent to help her make deadline, doesnâ€?t play to her warm nature. Her character is rather stiff, and ultimately unnecessary. None of these great actors’ full abilities are used to good effect.
If all this sounds as if I hated the movie, that’s not the case. Too many actors play it safe in predictable films. Ferrell takes a chance leaving behind his goofy image for something more subtle. The result is a film that’s smaller than his fans may expect, and not nearly as slapstick as the commercials imply, but which has an irresistable charm nonetheless. You like Harold Crick. You root for him to live and learn, and you enjoy sharing his journey of discovery.
I’d give it an C for effort, a C+ for execution, and a B- overall.
Superman Returns |
Category: Action/Adventure, Science Fiction/Fantasy and Adaptation Rating: PG-13 for some intense action violence. Run Time: 2 hr. 34 min. |
Starring: Brandon Routh, Kate Bosworth, James Marsden, Kevin Spacey, Parker Posey
Directed by Bryan Singer
Produced by Chris Lee, Thomas Tull, Scott Mednick (II)
Written by: Michael Dougherty (screenplay), Dan Harris (screenplay), Michael Dougherty (Story By), Dan Harris (Story By), Bryan Singer (Story By), Jerry Siegel (Source Material from characters), Joe Shuster ( Source Material from characters)
Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures International, Warner Bros. Pictures Distribution
Release Date: June 28th, 2006 (Wide).
Synopsis: Superman--born on a planet which has long since died--has been raised by adoptive parents on the Kent farm in Kansas. The young boy Kal-El is renamed Clark Kent, and though he has grown up among humans, he is not one of them. Under Earth's yellow sun, he can do two things humans can only dream of, but to co-exist with them he must live a dual life as mild, unassuming Clark Kent, secretly transforming into the Man of Steel when the world cries out for him. But now, the world's crises have gone unheeded for five long years since Superman's mysterious disappearance. Without him, crime has risen in the city of Metropolis and beyond; that's not even counting the future destructive acts of Lex Luthor, who has been sprung from prison with the specific intent of using Superman's technological secrets for his own personal gain and glory. Lois Lane, star reporter for the Daily Planet and the love of Superman's life, has moved on since Superman left without a word. She has even won a Pulitzer Prize for her essay, "Why the World Doesn't Need Superman." Lois has other issues to contend with--she is now engaged to the editor's nephew and has a young son to look after. But for Superman, the long search for his place in the universe ends back at the Kent farm, among the only family he has ever known. His destiny lies in Metropolis, where one look in Lois's eyes tell him that this place, among the flawed but ultimately good people of Earth, is his true home. And with Lex's plan coming to fruition mere hours after his return, the world will never need Superman more than it does now.
Ooh Papi Says: Overall:
WARNING: This review contains a spoiler. Superman Returns is a decent film. Although it's not awesome enough to get shown at all of the theatres it has commanded (over 3000), expect number 1 ranking at this weekend's box office. ”Superman Returns” respects its legacy for the most part but the new changes are questionable. Superman stands for truth justice and the "American way" as the saying goes, but Hollywood removed the American way part in 2006, because this film is slated to be sold internationally and too many people hate America right now to take the chance at keeping the phrase, so now Superman just stands for truth and Justice. Most people won’t notice that slight change.
The Judeo-Christian semantic references are ever present during the film though, I can’t accept Superman as any type of Jesus. Take into account phrases and quotes like “we need a savior”, “we don’t need a savior”, “his father gave his only begotten son to save earth”, etc and it’s clear what the the film's makers are doing. Take for instance the father of Superman's directions to Superman, “even though you’ve been raised as a human being you are not one of them. They