Is That All?
By Lisa Miller
THIS IS IT
* * * * (Grade A)
Directed by Kenny Ortega
Starring Michael Jackson
Sony-Rated PG-Documentary-112 min
It seems everyone has an opinion of Michael Jackson -- the man, the songwriter, or the entertainer. However, for all that we have heard of his shocking, perhaps scandalous personal life, we've known little of Jackson's professional life -- until now.
"This Is It," prophetically billed by 50-year-old Jackson as "My final curtain call," sheds light on the process of orchestrating a spectacular stage show. Edited and directed by Kenny Ortega, "This Is It" shows Jackson working to perfect a richly complex presentation. Far from a slapdash vehicle to pay off Jackson's mounting debt (a rumored $500 million dollars), the concert represents a superb treatment of Jackson's work, one transforming the entertainer's songs into Broadway-worthy productions.
Reports that Jackson showed up for a mere handful of rehearsals are borne out in this footage. During each rehearsal he wore one outfit. In various rehearsals spliced together, he wears four different outfits. Behind the scenes Jackson was surely working hard. By the time he showed up to rehearse at the Los Angeles Staples Center, his moves conveyed the grace of one no longer needing to think them through. His physicality, while restrained, was everything audiences expected. Rather than dancing, Jackson gives the appearance of floating across the stage.
Those aware of the rumor mill may have heard Jackson was no longer able to sing. Not only do we see and hear Jackson sing in full voice and in falsetto, doing so sends the singer into minor fits. At one point, an uncharacteristic edge creeps into Jackson's voice when he admonishes his crew, "Understand, I'm warming up my voice. I need to save my throat." Less than a minute later, Jackson breaks into full voice to the delight of his star struck cast.
Onstage Jackson's leadership style is one of quietly exuding charisma that inspires the cast rather than dominates every moment. As we watch and listen to Jackson doling out orders, we begin to understand the detail-oriented vision informing his work. He explains the funky sound he seeks, or the feeling behind a pregnant pause inserted into one of his songs, or the power he senses in a rain forest bulldozer's maw snapping silently shut. Jackson was intimately acquainted with each piece of the puzzle and knew precisely how the pieces fit together.
Investors in the show wisely hired Kenny Ortega as the creative director for the concert series. Ortega, famous for directing the Opening Olympic Ceremony at Salt Lake City, agreed to also direct "This Is It," the film. Several of the show's filmed segments reveal Ortega's genius in conveying Jackson's emotional intent. In one section a little girl attempts to save her patch of rain forest from manmade destruction; in another demons and zombies flesh out Jackson's "Thriller;" in yet another, Jackson is cut into old movie classics. It is Ortega's guiding hand that adds something immeasurable to this rehearsal documentary.
The film starts off modestly. During brief interviews, the principal dancers, 11 of the 5,000 to audition, gush with enthusiasm for the project. Then Ortega cuts straight to Jackson in rehearsal. Snippets of dancers attempting to learn the entertainer's signature moves reveal them to be more difficult than they appear. While backup singers frequently rest, dancers are worked to exhaustion. When not rehearsing, they are led in Pilate workouts, or drilled in their posture, or critiqued on their work over and over again. On stage, they are charged with enhancing every move Michael makes.
My sole complaint is that fully half of Jackson's lyrics are unintelligible. It has always been so because Jackson is more concerned with the sound and the visual power of his performance than he is with the words. Fortunately, the multimedia production helps to clarify his intentions, but unless you know the lyrics to each verse, some of the nuances are lost.
In the end, the documentary is both powerfully entertaining and deeply emotional. Even Jackson's detractors are likely to lament, "Is that all there is?" Yep. This is it.
THE MEN WHO STARE AT GOATS
* * * (Grade B)
Directed by Grant Heslov
Starring Ewan McGregor, George Clooney, Kevin Spacey, Jeff Bridges, Robert Patrick, Stephen Root
Overture-Rated R-Comedy-93 min
In this zany satire a news reporter becomes entangled with a secret unit of the US Military. McGregor plays Bob Wilton, a journalist working in Iraq where he befriends special ops soldier Lyn Cassady (Clooney). Wilton's new friend boasts he's a member of a military group using paranormal powers against the enemy. Under the guidance of Bill Django (Bridges), a vet-turned-New Age psychic, Cassady's training included mastering mind-control over goats. With reporter Wilton in tow, Cassady sets off on a rescue mission that takes many an unplanned twist -- all the while insisting everything is under control. Kevin Spacey shows up to sabotage the paranormal unit, though the group needs little help fouling things up.
A CHRISTMAS CAROL
* * ½ (Grade B-)
Directed by Robert Zemeckis
Starring Jim Carrey, Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Bob Hoskins,
Robin Wright Penn
Disney-Rated PG-Animated-96 min
The beloved Charles Dickens novel has seen many film adaptations, but none to dissuade director Robert Zemeckis from trying his own using motion-capture animation. Like Tom Hanks in the disappointing "Polar Express," Jim Carrey assumes multiple acting roles as miserly Ebenezer Scrooge and the three ghosts of Christmas. Reportedly, Carrey also performed most his own stunts -- such as sliding down a virtual roof. Gary Oldman plays three significant parts while Bob Hoskins and Robin Wright Penn tackle two characters apiece. Disney bah-humbugged early screenings, so we can only hope Zemeckis retained tight control over his egocentric star.
THE FOURTH KIND
* * (Grade C)
Directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi
Starring Milla Jovovich, Elias Koteas, Will Patton
Universal-Rated PG-13-Horror
Filmmaker Olatunde Osunsanmi claims his film is based on actual interviews with Nome, Alaska, psychologist Dr. Abigail Tyler. She tells of treating several clients whose tales of abduction bore eerie similarities. Further investigation revealed a 40-year history of locals gone missing, and the possibility that extraterrestrials were collecting human specimens. Mila Jovovich portrays Dr. Tyler in a documentary-style dramatization that is more jarring than frightening. Will Patton appears as a disbelieving cop who goes to any lengths disproving Tyler's otherworldly claims.
THE BOX
* *1/2 (Grade B-)
Directed by Richard Kelly
Starring Cameron Diaz, James Marsden, Frank Langella
Warner-Rated PG-13-Horror-113 min
Norma and Arthur Lewis (Diaz and Marsden) are living beyond their means when a mysterious man (Langella) shows them a briefcase holding a million dollars. He promises the money is their's if they push the red button on a box he leaves in their care, but warns that along with making their fortune, pushing the button will bring death to someone from their small town. Feeling desperate, Norma succumbs to the Faustian bargain, but getting the money doesn't help the couple fight off the supernatural forces that begin closing in on them. A timeless concept gamely executed, it's too bad this horror missed out on Halloween.
CIRQUE DU FREAK: THE VAMPIRE'S ASSISTANT
* *1/2 (Grade B-)
Directed by Paul Weitz
Starring Chris Massoglia, John C Reilly, Josh Hutcherson, Ray Stevenson, Willem Dafoe, Ken Watanabe, Salma Hayek, Ray Stevenson, Patrick Fugit, Michael Cerveris
Universal-Rated PG-13-Horror-109 min
Teen boys Steve (Hutcherson) and Darren (Massoglia), attend a traveling freak show featuring vampires and werewolves. After gawking in admiration, the boys are turned into vampires and forced to choose which of two competing factions they will be a part of. One vampire group coexists peacefully with humans while the other group, calling themselves the vampaneze, is violent and dangerous. Adapted from the 12-book series by Darren Shan, the story centers around the boys' efforts to come of age even as vampires. Awash in blues and grays, the film's coveted PG-13 rating is designed to start a new supernatural franchise for teens. However, the adaptation is all set up and little pay off -- withholding the instant gratification sought by the younger set.
ASTRO BOY
* *1/2 (Grade B-)
Directed by David Bowers
Voices of Freddie Highmore, Nicolas Cage, Kristen Bell, Charlize Theron, Donald Sutherland, Nathan Lane, Eugene Levy, Matt Lucas, Bill Nighy, Samuel L. Jackson
Summit Entertainment-Rated PG-Animated-94 min
Following the tragic loss of his only son, scientist Dr. Tenma (Cage) creates weaponized robot tyke Astro as a replacement, before realizing that a robot is no substitute for a real boy. Abandoned in Metro City, a futuristic metropolis run by cyborgs programmed to serve human interests, Astro keeps company with a band of orphans that scavenge scrap metal for a living. Astro and his new friends are soon drawn into a battle with supervillain President Stone (Sutherland) and his robot minions. The film, which receives points for streamlined storytelling and action even adults can follow, is a hybrid of Asian anime and contemporary American computer animation that has a pleasant, uncluttered style.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Movie Review 10-31-09
Audiences Needn't Abide This Drivel
By Lisa Miller
LAW ABIDING CITIZEN (2009)
*1/2
Directed by F. Gary Gray
Starring Jamie Foxx, Gerard Butler, Bruce McGill, Leslie Bibb, Colm Meaney, Viola Davis, Regina Hall, Michael Irby
Overture Films-Rated R-Thriller-108 min
The preposterous movie, "Law Abiding Citizen," bills itself as a thriller, a category it qualifies for if you count sadistic murders as thrilling. Serving as a motive for these killings is an imperfect judicial system that happens to have disappointed the wrong guy.
Gerard Butler, an actor blessed with the physique of an ox and face of a chipmunk, portrays Clyde Shelton, a man seemingly broken after watching a pair of home invaders rape and kill his wife and young daughter. Against Shelton's wishes and in an effort to maintain his 96% conviction rate, Assistant District Attorney Nick Rice (Jamie Foxx) makes a deal giving one perpetrator a short prison sentence in exchange for testifying against the other perpetrator.
Rice, smug in the belief he has satisfied his oath of office while simultaneously serving his own interest, doesn't know that Shelton possesses the rage, skills and long fuse necessary to punish Rice and everyone else connected with the deal.
Fast forward 10 years to the botched execution of the killer sent to death row by Rice's deal. The ADA is annoyed that someone has circumvented the system. Since Shelton is the prime suspect, Rice's assistant Sarah (Leslie Bibb) is looking into Shelton's background when the second killer, freed by Rice's deal, is found horrifically murdered in a warehouse owned by Shelton.
Though Shelton sets up and carries out this killing in person and onscreen, we learn that he is a wealthy government contractor who has made his money by designing devices to carry out assassinations from a afar. This becomes an important plot point when Shelton, arrested and incarcerated, continues his killing spree from behind bars. Shelton promises Rice that his retribution against what he believes is corrupt deal-making, is "gonna be Biblical." In carrying out the threat, the film leaves no one alive that we care about. Whether or not Rice learns the lesson Shelton intends to teach him, both the legal system and the world would be better places without either of these men mucking around in them, and the movies would better off without pointless revenge fantasies that make little effort to entertain us.
Saw VI (2009)
* * (Grade C)
Directed by Kevin Greutert
Starring Tobin Bell, Costas Mandylor, Mark Rolston
Lionsgate-Rated R-Horror-90 min
Kevin Greutert, editor of the "Saw" films, ascends to the director's chair for this sixth installment. A rumor leaked by Lionsgate, has Cary Elwes returning to the franchise as the memorable character forced to saw off his own foot in the first film -- now seeking good old fashioned revenge. As before, diabolical puzzles compel the unwitting to either kill their companions, or harm themselves in order to escape Jigsaw's (Bell) diabolical death machines. Whether detective Hoffman (Mandylor) is or isn't responsible for Jigsaw's continuing murderous mayhem, the "Saw" films remain enviable profit generators for Lionsgate.
Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant (2009)
* * (Grade C)
Directed by Paul Weitz
Starring Chris Massoglia, John C. Reilly, Salma Hayek, Josh Hutcherson, Ray Stevenson, Willem Dafoe
Universal Pictures-Rated PG-13-Horror-108 min
Teen boys Steve (Hutcherson) and Darren (Massoglia), attend a traveling freak show featuring vampires and werewolves. After gawking in admiration, the boys are turned into vampires and forced to choose which of two competing factions they will be part of. One vampire group coexists peacefully with humans while the other group, calling themselves the vampaneze, is violent and dangerous. Adapted from the 12-book series by Darren Shan, the story centers around the boys' efforts to come of age even as vampires. Awash in blues and grays, the film's coveted PG-13 rating is designed to start a new supernatural franchise for teens. However, the adaptation is all set up and little pay off -- withholding the instant gratification sought by the younger set.
Astro Boy (2009)
* * * (Grade B)
Directed by David Bowers
Voices of Freddie Highmore, Nicolas Cage, Kristen Bell, Charlize Theron, Donald Sutherland, Nathan Lane, Eugene Levy, Matt Lucas, Bill Nighy, Samuel L. Jackson
Summit Entertainment-Rated PG-Animated-94 min
Following the tragic loss of his only son, scientist Dr. Tenma (Cage) creates weaponized robot tyke Astro as a replacement, before realizing that a robot is no substitute for a real boy. Abandoned in Metro City, a futuristic metropolis run by cyborgs programmed to serve human interests, Astro keeps company with a band of orphans that scavenge scrap metal for a living. Astro and his new friends are soon drawn into a battle with supervillain President Stone (Sutherland) and his robot minions. The film, which receives points for streamlined storytelling and action even adults can follow, is a hybrid of Asian anime and contemporary American computer animation that has a pleasant, uncluttered style.
The Stepfather (2009)
*1/2 (Grade C-)
Directed by Nelson McCormick
Starring Dylan Walsh, Sela Ward, Penn Badgley, Amber Heard, Jon Tenney, Sherry Stringfield, Paige Turco
Screen Gems-Rated PG-13-Horror-101 min
When Michael (Badgley) returns home from military school, he finds his newly divorced mother (Ward) living with David (Walsh), a handsome, but inappropriately behaving suitor. David's ambiguous stories motivate Michael to investigate David's past, turning up evidence that his mother's boyfriend could be a killer. If you want to be surprised then don't watch the trailer and by all means avoid the 1987 original. What we do know is that Sela Ward's characters come across as sharp and capable, so for David's sake, he'd better not be lying.
Where The Wild Things Are (2009)
* * *(Grade B)
Directed by Spike Jonze
Starring Max Records, Catherine O'Hara, Catherine Keener, Mark Ruffalo, Michael Berry Jr., Paul Dano, Tom Noonan
Voiced by Lauren Ambrose, James Gandolfini, Forest Whitaker
Warner-Rated PG-Fantasy-93 min
Max (Records), a lonely little boy, behaves mischievously and is sent to bed without dinner by his overtaxed single mother (Keener). In the privacy of his room Max magically sails away to a land filled with monstrous wild things. These strange creatures play and fight like children, but their large size means they can be extremely destructive. Using his own wild and wooly imagination, director Spike Jonze stretches Maurice Sendak's 20-page, 10-sentence children's book into a 90-minute film. Though thinly plotted, the film adaptation is both frightening and mesmerizing.
Couples Retreat (2009)
* (Grade D)
Directed by Peter Billingsley
Starring Vince Vaughn, Malin Akerman, Jon Favreau, Faizon Love, Jason Bateman, Kristen Bell, Kristin Davis, Peter Serafinowicz, Jean Reno, Kali Hawk, Carlos Ponce
Universal-Rated PG-13-Comedy-107 min
Three happily married couples support their divorce-bound friends, Jason (Bateman) and Cynthia (Bell), by joining them for a couples-only retreat on a tropical island. Once there, all couples are forced into invasive therapy that quickly lands even each coupling on the rocks. While some of the men plot to visit a "singles only" resort, the women find at least one man to ogle. Enough pain -- if it were deftly handled -- to fuel 10 comedies -- but there's so little love between these couples that you won't notice when it's gone or magically reappears.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Movie Review 10-15-09
Comaland
By Lisa Miller
ZOMBIELAND (2009)
*1/2 (Grade C-)
Directed by Ruben Fleischer
Starring Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Amber Heard, Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin, Bill Murray
Sony-Rated R-Horror, Comedy-87 min
In a world overrun by zombies, the unzombified main characters take the names of places in order to avoid becoming too attached to one another. Nerdy teen Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) is only too pleased when the first non-zombie he has seen in days turns out to be well-armed redneck Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson). The two decide to join forces and embark on a cross-country drive.
En route the boy has cause to doubt the wisdom of his new alliance when Tallahassee risks both their lives to forage through a grocery store in search of Twinkies, his favorite snack food. As Columbus watches, mouth agape, Tallahassee brains fat zombies with the banjo on which he's been plucking the theme from "Deliverance." The grocery store's florescent lights emphasize the black-blooded zombie splatter that Tallahassee likes seeing better than a John Wayne movie. It's a fun set up, but it's also the sum total of Tallahassee's underwritten character.
Soon the unlikely duo stumble upon Wichita (Emma Stone) and her younger sister, Little Rock (Abigail Breslin). Columbus, possibly the last teen boy on earth, hopes to lose his virginity to Wichita, possibly the last teen girl on earth. However, since the girls are habitual grifters, they are unable to resist besting their male companions, leaving the lad's fantasy twisting in the wind. This is the one joke that actually improves with each repetition.
The story, a tale about coming of age under difficult circumstances, seems unable to get wherever it's going. A few of its meandering turns, such as one landing the gang at Bill Murray's Beverly Hills mansion, hold promise. Murray briefly appears in zombie make-up, but his chapter ends abruptly, and in a manner that assures us we'd be fools to give a fig for any of the players.
Aiming no higher and a good bit lower than many teen romantic comedies, "Zombieland's" zombies are contrivances meant to create atmospheric humor. However, when some of us find ourselves becoming more interested in the zombies than we are in whether the leads will survive the zombie assault, then "Houston, we've got a problem."
Whip It (2009)
* * * (Grade B)
Directed by Drew Barrymore
Starring Ellen Page, Marcia Gay Harden, Kristen Wiig, Drew Barrymore, Juliette Lewis, Jimmy Fallon, Daniel Stern, Alia Shawcat, Eve, Zoe Bell
Fox Searchlight-Rated PG-13-Comedy-111 min
In her first role since "Juno" Ellen Page appears as Bliss Cavendar, an indie-rock-loving Texan stuck in a small town, but longing for big city excitement. Her mail-carrier mother (Harden) expects Bliss to compete in local beauty pageants, but the girl secretly journeys to Austin where she auditions for the all-girl roller derby team under the moniker of Babe Ruthless. Accepted onto the team, Bliss learns the ropes and feels sufficiently empowered to redefine her closest relationships. In her directorial debut, Drew Barrymore also appears as one of the derby gals in one of the year's most original comedies.
The Invention of Lying (2009)
* *1/2 (Grade B-)
Directed by Ricky Gervais, Matthew Robinson
Starring Ricky Gervais
Warner-Rated PG-13-Comedy-100 min
Pudgy Brit comedian, Ricky Gervais, pens and co-directs a comedy about the importance of lying. He shows us an alternate reality seen through the eyes of historical writer Mark Bellison (Gervais). Anna (Garner), the willowy woman Mark hankers for, is incapable of treating him respectfully. After getting his feelings stomped, Bellison is fired from his job and subsequently evicted from his apartment. This leads to Mark's big break, when under great duress, he develops the surprising ability to lie and single-handedly invents religion. Funny in an off-kilter way, "The Invention of Lying" asks, Would we want to go through a day without lying?
Pandorum (2009)
* * (Grade C)
Directed by Christian Alvart
Starring Dennis Quaid, Ben Foster, Antje Traue, Cung Le, Norman Reedus, Cam Gigandet
Overture-Rated R-Sci-Fi, Fantasy-108 min
Two crewmen awaken alone from hyper-sleep aboard a spacecraft meant to transport tens of thousands. With incomplete memories and malfunctioning equipment, the crew search for the source of strange sounds emanating from the ship's bowels. Before long they discover a band of survivors hunted by warriors intent on killing everyone aboard. Soon it becomes clear that the survival of mankind hinges on the crew's actions. As for the cause of this calamity? My money is on a viral infection due to the involvement of zombie king, Paul W.S. Anderson, as a producer. The enormous spaceship provides both plenty of room for gun-toting confrontations, and a claustrophobic setting reminiscent of the underground labyrinth from Anderson's first two "Resident Evil" films.
Fame (2009)
* * (Grade C)
Directed by Kevin Tancharoen
Starring Kelsey Grammar, Debbie Allen, Charles S. Dutton, Megan Mullally, Kay Panabaker, Bebe Neuwirth, Naturi Naughton, Asher Book, Kristy Flores, Paul Iacono, Paul McGill
MGM-Rated PG-Musical-107 min
Betting that an update of the 1980 film is ripe for a new generation, the setting for this version remains NYC's prestigious High School for the Performing Arts. Kelsey Grammar, Debbie Allen, Charles S. Dutton, and Bebe Neuwirth appear as instructors and administrators of the school, founded in 1948, to fulfill academic requirements while training promising students in dance, music and drama. Emphasis on drama, since plenty of high school melodrama ensues. The question is, given the numerous films covering teens as they train for fame released in the years since 1980, will the remake get much notice? At worst, it functions as a showcase of young talent that you may not see on "American Idol."
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs (2009)
* * * (Grade B-)
Directed by Phil Lord Chris Miller
Voiced by Anna Faris, Bill Hader, Bruce Campbell, James Caan, Andy Samberg, Mr. T, Bobb'e J. Thompson, Benjamin Bratt, Neil Patrick Harris, Al Roker, Lauren Graham
Sony-Rated PG-Animated, Family-90 min
Based on a popular, but slim children's book, the story is expanded and outfitted with new characters for its feature film adaptation. Most residents of an impoverished seaside town are only eating the sardines that are canned there, until Flint Lockwood (Hader) invents a machine that turns water into food. Soon, Hamburgers, pancakes, spaghetti and pizza rain from the sky three times a day. However, in a complication Flint could not foresee, both his machine and the food grow inordinately large. Though fixing the problem sounds as easy as turning off the machine, Mayor Shelbourne (Campbell) insists it be left on to satisfy tourists stuffing the town's coffers. The first animated film from Sony since "Surf's Up," parents are advised to feed the kiddies before bombarding them with realistic depictions of all their favorite edibles.
Love Happens (2009)
*1/2 (Grade C-)
Directed by Brandon Camp
Starring Jennifer Aniston, Aaron Eckhart, Sasha Alexander, Martin Sheen, Dan Fogler, Judy Greer
Universal-Rated PG-13-Drama
Jennifer Aniston pairs with Aaron Eckhart for a romantic dramadey set in Seattle. Dr. Burke Ryan (Eckhart) has written a hugely successful self-help book for those confronting pain and loss. However, secretly the doctor has been unable to get past the death of his wife. Attending Ryan's Seattle seminar, Eloise Chandler (Aniston) wants to let go of her own painful past in order to embrace her budding floral shop business. When the pair meet, romantic sparks fly, but both are unprepared to take a chance. Stuck in an implausible storyline, this admittedly cute coupling ought to attract a following from the over-30 chick-flick crowd. Perhaps due to the success of "Sex and the City," Universal hopes female patrons will come out in sufficient numbers to put this film in the black.
By Lisa Miller
ZOMBIELAND (2009)
*1/2 (Grade C-)
Directed by Ruben Fleischer
Starring Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Amber Heard, Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin, Bill Murray
Sony-Rated R-Horror, Comedy-87 min
In a world overrun by zombies, the unzombified main characters take the names of places in order to avoid becoming too attached to one another. Nerdy teen Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) is only too pleased when the first non-zombie he has seen in days turns out to be well-armed redneck Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson). The two decide to join forces and embark on a cross-country drive.
En route the boy has cause to doubt the wisdom of his new alliance when Tallahassee risks both their lives to forage through a grocery store in search of Twinkies, his favorite snack food. As Columbus watches, mouth agape, Tallahassee brains fat zombies with the banjo on which he's been plucking the theme from "Deliverance." The grocery store's florescent lights emphasize the black-blooded zombie splatter that Tallahassee likes seeing better than a John Wayne movie. It's a fun set up, but it's also the sum total of Tallahassee's underwritten character.
Soon the unlikely duo stumble upon Wichita (Emma Stone) and her younger sister, Little Rock (Abigail Breslin). Columbus, possibly the last teen boy on earth, hopes to lose his virginity to Wichita, possibly the last teen girl on earth. However, since the girls are habitual grifters, they are unable to resist besting their male companions, leaving the lad's fantasy twisting in the wind. This is the one joke that actually improves with each repetition.
The story, a tale about coming of age under difficult circumstances, seems unable to get wherever it's going. A few of its meandering turns, such as one landing the gang at Bill Murray's Beverly Hills mansion, hold promise. Murray briefly appears in zombie make-up, but his chapter ends abruptly, and in a manner that assures us we'd be fools to give a fig for any of the players.
Aiming no higher and a good bit lower than many teen romantic comedies, "Zombieland's" zombies are contrivances meant to create atmospheric humor. However, when some of us find ourselves becoming more interested in the zombies than we are in whether the leads will survive the zombie assault, then "Houston, we've got a problem."
Whip It (2009)
* * * (Grade B)
Directed by Drew Barrymore
Starring Ellen Page, Marcia Gay Harden, Kristen Wiig, Drew Barrymore, Juliette Lewis, Jimmy Fallon, Daniel Stern, Alia Shawcat, Eve, Zoe Bell
Fox Searchlight-Rated PG-13-Comedy-111 min
In her first role since "Juno" Ellen Page appears as Bliss Cavendar, an indie-rock-loving Texan stuck in a small town, but longing for big city excitement. Her mail-carrier mother (Harden) expects Bliss to compete in local beauty pageants, but the girl secretly journeys to Austin where she auditions for the all-girl roller derby team under the moniker of Babe Ruthless. Accepted onto the team, Bliss learns the ropes and feels sufficiently empowered to redefine her closest relationships. In her directorial debut, Drew Barrymore also appears as one of the derby gals in one of the year's most original comedies.
The Invention of Lying (2009)
* *1/2 (Grade B-)
Directed by Ricky Gervais, Matthew Robinson
Starring Ricky Gervais
Warner-Rated PG-13-Comedy-100 min
Pudgy Brit comedian, Ricky Gervais, pens and co-directs a comedy about the importance of lying. He shows us an alternate reality seen through the eyes of historical writer Mark Bellison (Gervais). Anna (Garner), the willowy woman Mark hankers for, is incapable of treating him respectfully. After getting his feelings stomped, Bellison is fired from his job and subsequently evicted from his apartment. This leads to Mark's big break, when under great duress, he develops the surprising ability to lie and single-handedly invents religion. Funny in an off-kilter way, "The Invention of Lying" asks, Would we want to go through a day without lying?
Pandorum (2009)
* * (Grade C)
Directed by Christian Alvart
Starring Dennis Quaid, Ben Foster, Antje Traue, Cung Le, Norman Reedus, Cam Gigandet
Overture-Rated R-Sci-Fi, Fantasy-108 min
Two crewmen awaken alone from hyper-sleep aboard a spacecraft meant to transport tens of thousands. With incomplete memories and malfunctioning equipment, the crew search for the source of strange sounds emanating from the ship's bowels. Before long they discover a band of survivors hunted by warriors intent on killing everyone aboard. Soon it becomes clear that the survival of mankind hinges on the crew's actions. As for the cause of this calamity? My money is on a viral infection due to the involvement of zombie king, Paul W.S. Anderson, as a producer. The enormous spaceship provides both plenty of room for gun-toting confrontations, and a claustrophobic setting reminiscent of the underground labyrinth from Anderson's first two "Resident Evil" films.
Fame (2009)
* * (Grade C)
Directed by Kevin Tancharoen
Starring Kelsey Grammar, Debbie Allen, Charles S. Dutton, Megan Mullally, Kay Panabaker, Bebe Neuwirth, Naturi Naughton, Asher Book, Kristy Flores, Paul Iacono, Paul McGill
MGM-Rated PG-Musical-107 min
Betting that an update of the 1980 film is ripe for a new generation, the setting for this version remains NYC's prestigious High School for the Performing Arts. Kelsey Grammar, Debbie Allen, Charles S. Dutton, and Bebe Neuwirth appear as instructors and administrators of the school, founded in 1948, to fulfill academic requirements while training promising students in dance, music and drama. Emphasis on drama, since plenty of high school melodrama ensues. The question is, given the numerous films covering teens as they train for fame released in the years since 1980, will the remake get much notice? At worst, it functions as a showcase of young talent that you may not see on "American Idol."
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs (2009)
* * * (Grade B-)
Directed by Phil Lord Chris Miller
Voiced by Anna Faris, Bill Hader, Bruce Campbell, James Caan, Andy Samberg, Mr. T, Bobb'e J. Thompson, Benjamin Bratt, Neil Patrick Harris, Al Roker, Lauren Graham
Sony-Rated PG-Animated, Family-90 min
Based on a popular, but slim children's book, the story is expanded and outfitted with new characters for its feature film adaptation. Most residents of an impoverished seaside town are only eating the sardines that are canned there, until Flint Lockwood (Hader) invents a machine that turns water into food. Soon, Hamburgers, pancakes, spaghetti and pizza rain from the sky three times a day. However, in a complication Flint could not foresee, both his machine and the food grow inordinately large. Though fixing the problem sounds as easy as turning off the machine, Mayor Shelbourne (Campbell) insists it be left on to satisfy tourists stuffing the town's coffers. The first animated film from Sony since "Surf's Up," parents are advised to feed the kiddies before bombarding them with realistic depictions of all their favorite edibles.
Love Happens (2009)
*1/2 (Grade C-)
Directed by Brandon Camp
Starring Jennifer Aniston, Aaron Eckhart, Sasha Alexander, Martin Sheen, Dan Fogler, Judy Greer
Universal-Rated PG-13-Drama
Jennifer Aniston pairs with Aaron Eckhart for a romantic dramadey set in Seattle. Dr. Burke Ryan (Eckhart) has written a hugely successful self-help book for those confronting pain and loss. However, secretly the doctor has been unable to get past the death of his wife. Attending Ryan's Seattle seminar, Eloise Chandler (Aniston) wants to let go of her own painful past in order to embrace her budding floral shop business. When the pair meet, romantic sparks fly, but both are unprepared to take a chance. Stuck in an implausible storyline, this admittedly cute coupling ought to attract a following from the over-30 chick-flick crowd. Perhaps due to the success of "Sex and the City," Universal hopes female patrons will come out in sufficient numbers to put this film in the black.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Movie Review 10-1-09
Warner Brothers Keeps This One Ice.
By Lisa Miller
WHITEOUT (2009)
* *1/2 (Grade B-)
Directed by Dominic Sena
Starring Kate Beckinsale, Gabriel Macht, Tom Skerritt, Columbus Short, Alex O'Loughlin, Shawn Doyle
Warner-Rated R-Thriller-101 min
The desolate but powerful landscape of the Antarctic looms before us in the opening scenes of "Whiteout." We see it from a Russian cargo plane where an onboard battle causes the plane to crash on the ice. Fast-forward 50 years and we're in the present day at the McMurdo Research Station. The facility, an oasis in an unforgiving landscape, is viewed through the eyes of U.S. Marshal Carrie Stetko (Kate Beckinsale). Carrie enters the shelter swaddled in her hooded parka and walks through a maze of corridors, passing rooms where dozens of researchers toil, talk, and eat.
Reaching her own room, Stetko removes her parka and five layers of clothing leaving her clad in undergarments when something unsettling happens. The camera becomes a voyeur, peeping at Beckinsale's backside from behind as she leans over to turn on the shower, continuing to leer, both in close up and through a fogged shower door, until someone lets himself into her room. It's Carrie's friend and colleague, Dr. John Fury (Tom Skerritt). His familiarity baffles us when we see Stetko don her robe, and join him in her room for a rather dry discussion.
The viewer is uncomfortable long before murder rears its ugly head, but we can't quite put our finger on the source of this vexation. Are Carrie and John simply good friends, or are they something more? The fog enveloping their connection never lifts. Based on the graphic novel by Greg Rucka and Steve Lieber, the screenplay adaptation by the Hoeber and Hayes brothers becomes tangled in forced psycho drama, disturbing its claustrophobic mood.
Stetko's troubles begin after a Russian is found dead on the ice. Though she had planned to turn in her badge, Stetko is asked to investigate the death, hopefully averting an international incident. And just what is a warm girl like Stetko doing in a cold place like this? Through a series of flashbacks to her previous U.S. Marshal career in Miami, the film discloses that Stetko has fled to the ends of the earth to escape bad memories.
Inorganic character development will injure a story every time, and "Whiteout" is no exception. Beckinsale portrays Stetko as perfectly grounded in reality and free of vices. She is clear thinking with a Sherlock Holmesian turn of mind.
The film suffers from too many expository patches that fail to bridge its storytelling gaps, however, the action is fairly intelligent. Tension mounts when the station is evacuated in advance of an incoming whiteout, leaving only five people in the facility -- one of them the killer. The shivery landscape is Stetko's most formidable opponent and several outdoor sequences are jaw clenching.
It's a tribute to the strength of its premise that "Whiteout" remains engaging despite its numerous character missteps. Warner Brothers Studio has treated this little thriller shabbily, virtually blacking out the press while doing no advertising to speak of. Therefore, it shouldn't surprise anyone that "Whiteout" barely registered at the box office. Since it's likely to have a short theatrical run, fans of adult thrillers ought to hurry.
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs (2009)
* *1/2 (Grade B-)
Directed by Phil Lord Chris Miller
Voiced by Anna Faris, Bill Hader, Bruce Campbell, James Caan, Andy Samberg, Mr. T, Bobb'e J. Thompson, Benjamin Bratt, Neil Patrick Harris, Al Roker, Lauren Graham
Sony-Rated PG-Animated, Family-90 min
Based on a popular, but slim children's book, the story is expanded and outfitted with new characters for its feature film adaptation. Most residents of an impoverished seaside town are only eating the sardines that are canned there, until Flint Lockwood (Hader) invents a machine that turns water into food. Soon, hamburgers, pancakes, spaghetti and pizza rain from the sky three times a day. However, in a complication Flint could not foresee, both his machine and the food grow inordinately large Though fixing the problem sounds as easy as turning off the machine, Mayor Shelbourne (Campbell) insists it be left on to satisfy tourists stuffing the town's coffers. The first animated film from Sony since "Surf's Up," parents are advised to feed the kiddies before bombarding them with realistic depictions of all their favorite edibles.
Love Happens (2009)
* * (Grade C)
Directed by Brandon Camp
Starring Jennifer Aniston, Aaron Eckhart, Sasha Alexander, Martin Sheen, Dan Fogler, Judy Greer
Universal-Rated PG-13-Drama
Jennifer Aniston pairs with Aaron Eckhart for a romantic dramadey set in Seattle. Dr. Burke Ryan (Eckhart) has written a hugely successful self-help book for those confronting pain and loss. However, secretly the doctor has been unable to get past the death of his wife. Attending Ryan's Seattle seminar, Eloise Chandler (Aniston) wants to let go of her own painful past in order to embrace her budding floral shop business. When the pair meet, romantic sparks fly, but both are unprepared to take a chance. Stuck in an implausible storyline, this admittedly cute coupling ought to attract a following from the over-30 chick-flick crowd. Perhaps due to the success of "Sex and the City," Universal hopes female patrons will come out in sufficient numbers to put this film in the black.
The Informant (2009)
* *1/2 (Grade C)
Directed by Steven Soderbergh
Starring Matt Damon, Tony Hale, Patton Oswalt, Scott Bakula and Joel McHale
Warner-Rated R-Comedy
Director Steven Soderbergh attempts to channel the Coen Brothers in this parody of a true story. Matt Damon portrays company-man-turned-whistleblower Mark Whitacre. In 1995, Whitacre is a Ph.D. working for Archer Daniels Midland, a Fortune 500 ag-business he accuses of price-fixing. Much of the humor arises from Whitacre's overconfidence. He claims he will be appointed CEO after exposing ADM's errant practices because "The company needs me," and demands the code name 0014 "Because I'm twice as smart as James Bond." The FBI agents (Bakula and McHale) working his case barely manage to stifle their laughs and contain their fears when Whitacre nearly exposes each of his wired sessions. Whether or not Whitacre tried to do the right thing for all the wrong reasons, the film certainly hangs him out to dry -- or does it?
I Can Do Bad All By Myself (2009)
* * * (Grade B)
Directed by Tyler Perry
Starring Tyler Perry, Taraji P. Henson, Adam Rodriguez, Mary J. Blige, Gladys Knight
Lionsgate-Rated PG-13-Comedy-133 min
Tyler Perry dons a wig and house dress to reprise his role as the pistol packing grandmother with attitude. After catching teenaged Jennifer and her two younger brothers looting Madea's home, the sassy granny delivers the delinquents to April (Henson), their hard-drinking aunt who wants no part of raising her niece and nephews. April soon reconsiders her commitment to parenting the kids when handsome Sandino (Rodriguez) rents her spare room and offers to help out. Sarcastic Madea provides comic relief while April's neighborhood church showcases a colorful collection of characters. Perry's faith-based message films have been a hit for Lionsgate, prompting the studio to greenlight film adaptations of Perry's library of stage plays with all due haste. At this rate it won't be long before Perry will need new material.
Gamer (2009)
*1/2 (Grade C-)
Directed by Mark Neveldine Brian Taylor
Starring Gerard Butler, Michael C. Hall, Ludacris
Lionsgate-Rated R-Sci-Fi, Action-95 min
Following a lackluster Los Angeles test screening, "Gamer" has been kept under wraps. This ambitious story casts Butler as Kable, a living, breathing person controlled by a nanochip in his brain and forced to fight combatants -- gladiator style -- in the video game "Slayer." Kable desperately wants the freedom he was promised as reward for winning 30 games so he can rescue his wife trapped in yet another video game, "Society." Kable's wife is controlled by a creepy, obese gamer forcing her to explore the seamy underbelly of a dangerous city. Chaotic action relies on many a jump-cuts while the storyline struggles to move the action past bloody confrontations. Michael C. Hall, of "Dexter" fame, appears in a brief role as the game's cruel inventor, but since he and his adversary, Kable barely meet, the "Gamer" hasn't got much "game."
All About Steve (2009)
* (Grade D)
Directed by Phil Traill
Starring Sandra Bullock, Bradley Cooper, Thomas Haden Church, Ken Jeong
Fox 2000-Rated PG-13-Comedy-99 min
Sandra Bullock goes blonde and eccentric for the role of Mary Horowitz, a crossword puzzle constructor. Following a brief blind date with handsome news cameraman Steve (Cooper), Mary becomes obsessed with him. She follows Steve cross country, disrupting his assignments. The film is saved by Church playing self-serving news reporter Hartman Hughes (Church), a blowhard encouraging Mary to follow her heart whatever the cost. Neither Steve nor Hartman could predict that Mary's oddball ways would garner her a collection of fans prompting Steve to take another look at Mary. Wouldn't it be cool if we could push a button to vote for who should get the girl? Why not Church?
By Lisa Miller
WHITEOUT (2009)
* *1/2 (Grade B-)
Directed by Dominic Sena
Starring Kate Beckinsale, Gabriel Macht, Tom Skerritt, Columbus Short, Alex O'Loughlin, Shawn Doyle
Warner-Rated R-Thriller-101 min
The desolate but powerful landscape of the Antarctic looms before us in the opening scenes of "Whiteout." We see it from a Russian cargo plane where an onboard battle causes the plane to crash on the ice. Fast-forward 50 years and we're in the present day at the McMurdo Research Station. The facility, an oasis in an unforgiving landscape, is viewed through the eyes of U.S. Marshal Carrie Stetko (Kate Beckinsale). Carrie enters the shelter swaddled in her hooded parka and walks through a maze of corridors, passing rooms where dozens of researchers toil, talk, and eat.
Reaching her own room, Stetko removes her parka and five layers of clothing leaving her clad in undergarments when something unsettling happens. The camera becomes a voyeur, peeping at Beckinsale's backside from behind as she leans over to turn on the shower, continuing to leer, both in close up and through a fogged shower door, until someone lets himself into her room. It's Carrie's friend and colleague, Dr. John Fury (Tom Skerritt). His familiarity baffles us when we see Stetko don her robe, and join him in her room for a rather dry discussion.
The viewer is uncomfortable long before murder rears its ugly head, but we can't quite put our finger on the source of this vexation. Are Carrie and John simply good friends, or are they something more? The fog enveloping their connection never lifts. Based on the graphic novel by Greg Rucka and Steve Lieber, the screenplay adaptation by the Hoeber and Hayes brothers becomes tangled in forced psycho drama, disturbing its claustrophobic mood.
Stetko's troubles begin after a Russian is found dead on the ice. Though she had planned to turn in her badge, Stetko is asked to investigate the death, hopefully averting an international incident. And just what is a warm girl like Stetko doing in a cold place like this? Through a series of flashbacks to her previous U.S. Marshal career in Miami, the film discloses that Stetko has fled to the ends of the earth to escape bad memories.
Inorganic character development will injure a story every time, and "Whiteout" is no exception. Beckinsale portrays Stetko as perfectly grounded in reality and free of vices. She is clear thinking with a Sherlock Holmesian turn of mind.
The film suffers from too many expository patches that fail to bridge its storytelling gaps, however, the action is fairly intelligent. Tension mounts when the station is evacuated in advance of an incoming whiteout, leaving only five people in the facility -- one of them the killer. The shivery landscape is Stetko's most formidable opponent and several outdoor sequences are jaw clenching.
It's a tribute to the strength of its premise that "Whiteout" remains engaging despite its numerous character missteps. Warner Brothers Studio has treated this little thriller shabbily, virtually blacking out the press while doing no advertising to speak of. Therefore, it shouldn't surprise anyone that "Whiteout" barely registered at the box office. Since it's likely to have a short theatrical run, fans of adult thrillers ought to hurry.
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs (2009)
* *1/2 (Grade B-)
Directed by Phil Lord Chris Miller
Voiced by Anna Faris, Bill Hader, Bruce Campbell, James Caan, Andy Samberg, Mr. T, Bobb'e J. Thompson, Benjamin Bratt, Neil Patrick Harris, Al Roker, Lauren Graham
Sony-Rated PG-Animated, Family-90 min
Based on a popular, but slim children's book, the story is expanded and outfitted with new characters for its feature film adaptation. Most residents of an impoverished seaside town are only eating the sardines that are canned there, until Flint Lockwood (Hader) invents a machine that turns water into food. Soon, hamburgers, pancakes, spaghetti and pizza rain from the sky three times a day. However, in a complication Flint could not foresee, both his machine and the food grow inordinately large Though fixing the problem sounds as easy as turning off the machine, Mayor Shelbourne (Campbell) insists it be left on to satisfy tourists stuffing the town's coffers. The first animated film from Sony since "Surf's Up," parents are advised to feed the kiddies before bombarding them with realistic depictions of all their favorite edibles.
Love Happens (2009)
* * (Grade C)
Directed by Brandon Camp
Starring Jennifer Aniston, Aaron Eckhart, Sasha Alexander, Martin Sheen, Dan Fogler, Judy Greer
Universal-Rated PG-13-Drama
Jennifer Aniston pairs with Aaron Eckhart for a romantic dramadey set in Seattle. Dr. Burke Ryan (Eckhart) has written a hugely successful self-help book for those confronting pain and loss. However, secretly the doctor has been unable to get past the death of his wife. Attending Ryan's Seattle seminar, Eloise Chandler (Aniston) wants to let go of her own painful past in order to embrace her budding floral shop business. When the pair meet, romantic sparks fly, but both are unprepared to take a chance. Stuck in an implausible storyline, this admittedly cute coupling ought to attract a following from the over-30 chick-flick crowd. Perhaps due to the success of "Sex and the City," Universal hopes female patrons will come out in sufficient numbers to put this film in the black.
The Informant (2009)
* *1/2 (Grade C)
Directed by Steven Soderbergh
Starring Matt Damon, Tony Hale, Patton Oswalt, Scott Bakula and Joel McHale
Warner-Rated R-Comedy
Director Steven Soderbergh attempts to channel the Coen Brothers in this parody of a true story. Matt Damon portrays company-man-turned-whistleblower Mark Whitacre. In 1995, Whitacre is a Ph.D. working for Archer Daniels Midland, a Fortune 500 ag-business he accuses of price-fixing. Much of the humor arises from Whitacre's overconfidence. He claims he will be appointed CEO after exposing ADM's errant practices because "The company needs me," and demands the code name 0014 "Because I'm twice as smart as James Bond." The FBI agents (Bakula and McHale) working his case barely manage to stifle their laughs and contain their fears when Whitacre nearly exposes each of his wired sessions. Whether or not Whitacre tried to do the right thing for all the wrong reasons, the film certainly hangs him out to dry -- or does it?
I Can Do Bad All By Myself (2009)
* * * (Grade B)
Directed by Tyler Perry
Starring Tyler Perry, Taraji P. Henson, Adam Rodriguez, Mary J. Blige, Gladys Knight
Lionsgate-Rated PG-13-Comedy-133 min
Tyler Perry dons a wig and house dress to reprise his role as the pistol packing grandmother with attitude. After catching teenaged Jennifer and her two younger brothers looting Madea's home, the sassy granny delivers the delinquents to April (Henson), their hard-drinking aunt who wants no part of raising her niece and nephews. April soon reconsiders her commitment to parenting the kids when handsome Sandino (Rodriguez) rents her spare room and offers to help out. Sarcastic Madea provides comic relief while April's neighborhood church showcases a colorful collection of characters. Perry's faith-based message films have been a hit for Lionsgate, prompting the studio to greenlight film adaptations of Perry's library of stage plays with all due haste. At this rate it won't be long before Perry will need new material.
Gamer (2009)
*1/2 (Grade C-)
Directed by Mark Neveldine Brian Taylor
Starring Gerard Butler, Michael C. Hall, Ludacris
Lionsgate-Rated R-Sci-Fi, Action-95 min
Following a lackluster Los Angeles test screening, "Gamer" has been kept under wraps. This ambitious story casts Butler as Kable, a living, breathing person controlled by a nanochip in his brain and forced to fight combatants -- gladiator style -- in the video game "Slayer." Kable desperately wants the freedom he was promised as reward for winning 30 games so he can rescue his wife trapped in yet another video game, "Society." Kable's wife is controlled by a creepy, obese gamer forcing her to explore the seamy underbelly of a dangerous city. Chaotic action relies on many a jump-cuts while the storyline struggles to move the action past bloody confrontations. Michael C. Hall, of "Dexter" fame, appears in a brief role as the game's cruel inventor, but since he and his adversary, Kable barely meet, the "Gamer" hasn't got much "game."
All About Steve (2009)
* (Grade D)
Directed by Phil Traill
Starring Sandra Bullock, Bradley Cooper, Thomas Haden Church, Ken Jeong
Fox 2000-Rated PG-13-Comedy-99 min
Sandra Bullock goes blonde and eccentric for the role of Mary Horowitz, a crossword puzzle constructor. Following a brief blind date with handsome news cameraman Steve (Cooper), Mary becomes obsessed with him. She follows Steve cross country, disrupting his assignments. The film is saved by Church playing self-serving news reporter Hartman Hughes (Church), a blowhard encouraging Mary to follow her heart whatever the cost. Neither Steve nor Hartman could predict that Mary's oddball ways would garner her a collection of fans prompting Steve to take another look at Mary. Wouldn't it be cool if we could push a button to vote for who should get the girl? Why not Church?
Monday, September 21, 2009
September 16, 2009
Hankering After Greener Grass
By Lisa Miller
EXTRACT (2009)
* * * (Grade B)
Directed by Mike Judge
Starring Jason Bateman, Kristen Wiig, Ben Affleck, Mila Kunis, Beth Grant, J.K. Simmons, Clifton Collins Jr., David Koechner, Gene Simmons, Javier Gutierrez, Dustin Milligan
Miramax-Rated R-Comedy-91 min
What if your carefully constructed empire proved to be your prison? This question is central to writer-director Mike Judge's new comedy -- and it's a doozie.
Everyman Joel Reynolds (Jason Bateman) thought he was living his dream. He invented a formula for a fine flavor extract and produces it in a factory owned by the company he built. When we meet Joel -- about 15 years into his entrepreneurial adventure -- he's realized his marriage to Suzie (Kristen Wiig) is on the brink of becoming a sexless, brother-sister-like relationship. The couple's upscale mansionette -- located in one of a those nouveau riche neighborhoods that popped up during the '90's -- has become a trap due to Joel's neighbor Nathan (David Koechner), ambushing Joel at every opportunity to hold long-winded discussions or to foist unwanted invitations onto Joel and his wife.
Joel blames his domestic unhappiness on long hours spent at work where he frequently finds his employees mired in resentment, racism, stupidity and greed. Low factory worker morale ought to be the concern of Joel's plant manager Brian (the ubiquitous, hilarious J. K. Simmons), but instead, Brian's superiority complex prevents him from learning the worker's names let alone familiarizing himself with their complaints.
Joel's professional problems might be solved by selling his factory to General Mills -- provided he can pass that corporation's sniff test -- but Joel's company acquires a bad smell soon after the arrival of temp worker Cindy (Mila Kunis). A flirty young grifter possessing a criminal history and a half dozen IDs, Cindy steals coworkers' wallets. Her grand scheme is to persuade redneck floor manager Step (Clifton Collins Jr.) to sue Joel for an injury resulting from a bizarre on-the-job-accident. Unaware of Cindy's real motives, Joel's lustful obsession with the pretty employee grows day by day.
Joel's adviser on personal problems is his bartender Dean (Ben Affleck), a pot head who sees the world through a smoky haze. Affleck, perhaps the funniest character in this stellar cast, gets just the right inflection of cross-eyed justifications into his character's many schemes. His most intriguing idea calls for Joel to hire an incredibly dense young stud muffin to clean Joel's swimming pool and service Joel's wife so that Joel can pursue a guilt-free affair with Cindy.
While few of the film's characters are completely without redeeming qualities, all are desirous of the forbidden. Judge reasons that it's in our nature to want what we're not entitled to without reaping the consequences of our actions. However, he rightly observes that every now and then we regret our actions, become willing to change and do our best to make amends. Rather than create a misanthropic comedy, Judge gives us a 4-step program to extract ourselves from the addictive effects of bad behavior. Step one is easy enough: See "Extract."
Gamer (2009)
* (Grade D)
Directed by Mark Neveldine Brian Taylor
Starring Gerard Butler, Michael C. Hall, Ludacris
Lionsgate-Rated R-Sci-Fi, Action-95 min
Following a lackluster Los Angeles test screening, "Gamer" has been kept under wraps. This ambitious story casts Butler as Kable, a living, breathing person controlled by a nanochip in his brain and forced to fight combatants -- gladiator style -- in the video game "Slayer." Kable desperately wants the freedom he was promised as reward for winning 30 games so he can rescue his wife trapped in yet another video game, "Society." Kable's wife is controlled by a creepy, obese gamer forcing her to explore the seamy underbelly of a dangerous city. Chaotic action relies on many a jump-cuts while the storyline struggles to move the action past bloody confrontations. Michael C. Hall, of "Dexter" fame, appears in a brief role as the game's cruel inventor, but since he and his adversary, Kable barely meet, the "Gamer" hasn't got much "game."
All About Steve (2009)
* (Grade D)
Directed by Phil Traill
Starring Sandra Bullock, Bradley Cooper, Thomas Haden Church, Ken Jeong
Fox 2000-Rated PG-13-Comedy
Sandra Bullock goes blonde and eccentric for the role of Mary Horowitz, a crossword puzzle constructor. Following a brief blind date with handsome news cameraman Steve (Cooper), Mary becomes obsessed with him. She follows Steve cross country, disrupting his assignments. The film is saved by Church playing self-serving news reporter Hartman Hughes (Church), a blowhard encouraging Mary to follow her heart whatever the cost. Neither Steve nor Hartman could predict that Mary's oddball ways would garner her a collection of fans prompting Steve to take another look at Mary. Wouldn't it be cool if we could push a button to vote for who should get the girl? Why not Church?
The Final Destination (2009)
* *1/2 (Grade B-)
Directed by David R. Ellis
Starring Nick Zano, Krista Allen, Andrew Fiscella, Bobby Campo, Shantel VanSanten, Haley Webb
New Line-Rated R-Horror-81 min
What promises to be a fun-filled day at the races is anything but after Nick's (Campo) premonition that a bizarre racing accident will kill him, his friends, and those around them. Having persuaded his girlfriend (VanSanten) and their companions (Webb and Zano) along with others, to leave the stands, the escapees are horrified to see Nick's prediction come true moments later. None is prepared for death to stalk them in the order they were scheduled to die, nor for the increasingly gruesome methods by which they will be killed. Can any of these kids cheat death again? If so, they'll need to understand the grim reaper's convoluted rules. The fourth "Final Destination" film marks the series's first 3D outing, a format that promises to intensify the visceral experience.
Halloween II (2009)
* *1/2 (Grade B-)
Directed by Rob Zombie
Starring Scout Taylor-Compton, Tyler Mane, Malcolm McDowell, Margaret Kidder, "Weird Al" Yankovic, Richard Brake, Sheri Moon Zombie
Dimension Films-Rated R-Horror-101 mins
Now that Rob Zombie has established the murderous Michael Meyers as the product of an abusive home, the director plans to explore the psychological effect on Michael's sister Laurie (Taylor-Compton), but not until Michael has escaped the mental institution and is determined to kill her. Zombie moves the action to Georgia where he hopes to "open up" the movie by using rural locations as the setting for the numerous grisly killings and employing longer shots to frame Michael's pursuit of Laurie. The return of Dr. Loomis (McDowell) as Michael's psychiatrist should be a plus. Zombie, who initially had no plans to direct a sequel, couldn't resist this opportunity though he claims to be striking out in a new direction. One thing's certain, "Halloween II," will be much darker than its competition, "The Final Destination" 3D.
Taking Woodstock (2009)
* *1/2 (Grade B-)
Directed by Ang Lee
Starring Demetri Martin, Paul Dano, Emile Hirsch, Imelda Staunton, Henry Goodman, Live Schreiber and Eugene Levy
Focus Features-Rated R-Comedy-110 min
Woodstock might never have happened if not for the efforts of Elliot Tiber (Demetri Martin), a gay, Jewish interior designer, son of local motel owners. Based on the book by Tiber and Tom Monte, director Ang Lee mines the comedy arising from Tiber's efforts to locate the concert in the pastures of a local dairy farmer (Levy). As the event comes together, Tiber's family motel hits the jackpot, and Tiber meets a free-spirited transvestite (Schreiber) who helps the youth find his way out of the closet. Trivia note: Schreiber also starred in the often overlooked Woodstock-centric movie, 1999's "A Walk On The Moon."
Inglourious Basterds (2009)
* * * (Grade B)
Directed by Quentin Tarantino
Starring Brad Pitt, Melanie Laurent, Christoph, Daniel Bruhl, Til Schweiger, Eli Roth, Michael Fassbender, Diane Kruger
Weinstein Co.-Rated R-Drama-153 min
A small group of American soldiers, commanded by Aldo Raine (Pitt), plot to terrorize Nazi soldiers in Occupied France. Though Tarantino worked on his script for more than a decade, this rather conventional war movie is lacking his trademark rapier wit. Tension mounts when Hitler's SS plans a Paris film premiere to celebrate the exploits of their best sniper, Fredrick Zoller (Bruhl). A British lieutenant (Fassbender) organizes an Allied group known as the Basterds to blow up the theater. However, the cinema's owner (Laurent), has an even better idea. With spies everywhere, the Nazis come perilously close to uncovering both schemes. Expect an old-fashioned WWII drama and enjoy the film for Tarantino's expert technical construction.
By Lisa Miller
EXTRACT (2009)
* * * (Grade B)
Directed by Mike Judge
Starring Jason Bateman, Kristen Wiig, Ben Affleck, Mila Kunis, Beth Grant, J.K. Simmons, Clifton Collins Jr., David Koechner, Gene Simmons, Javier Gutierrez, Dustin Milligan
Miramax-Rated R-Comedy-91 min
What if your carefully constructed empire proved to be your prison? This question is central to writer-director Mike Judge's new comedy -- and it's a doozie.
Everyman Joel Reynolds (Jason Bateman) thought he was living his dream. He invented a formula for a fine flavor extract and produces it in a factory owned by the company he built. When we meet Joel -- about 15 years into his entrepreneurial adventure -- he's realized his marriage to Suzie (Kristen Wiig) is on the brink of becoming a sexless, brother-sister-like relationship. The couple's upscale mansionette -- located in one of a those nouveau riche neighborhoods that popped up during the '90's -- has become a trap due to Joel's neighbor Nathan (David Koechner), ambushing Joel at every opportunity to hold long-winded discussions or to foist unwanted invitations onto Joel and his wife.
Joel blames his domestic unhappiness on long hours spent at work where he frequently finds his employees mired in resentment, racism, stupidity and greed. Low factory worker morale ought to be the concern of Joel's plant manager Brian (the ubiquitous, hilarious J. K. Simmons), but instead, Brian's superiority complex prevents him from learning the worker's names let alone familiarizing himself with their complaints.
Joel's professional problems might be solved by selling his factory to General Mills -- provided he can pass that corporation's sniff test -- but Joel's company acquires a bad smell soon after the arrival of temp worker Cindy (Mila Kunis). A flirty young grifter possessing a criminal history and a half dozen IDs, Cindy steals coworkers' wallets. Her grand scheme is to persuade redneck floor manager Step (Clifton Collins Jr.) to sue Joel for an injury resulting from a bizarre on-the-job-accident. Unaware of Cindy's real motives, Joel's lustful obsession with the pretty employee grows day by day.
Joel's adviser on personal problems is his bartender Dean (Ben Affleck), a pot head who sees the world through a smoky haze. Affleck, perhaps the funniest character in this stellar cast, gets just the right inflection of cross-eyed justifications into his character's many schemes. His most intriguing idea calls for Joel to hire an incredibly dense young stud muffin to clean Joel's swimming pool and service Joel's wife so that Joel can pursue a guilt-free affair with Cindy.
While few of the film's characters are completely without redeeming qualities, all are desirous of the forbidden. Judge reasons that it's in our nature to want what we're not entitled to without reaping the consequences of our actions. However, he rightly observes that every now and then we regret our actions, become willing to change and do our best to make amends. Rather than create a misanthropic comedy, Judge gives us a 4-step program to extract ourselves from the addictive effects of bad behavior. Step one is easy enough: See "Extract."
Gamer (2009)
* (Grade D)
Directed by Mark Neveldine Brian Taylor
Starring Gerard Butler, Michael C. Hall, Ludacris
Lionsgate-Rated R-Sci-Fi, Action-95 min
Following a lackluster Los Angeles test screening, "Gamer" has been kept under wraps. This ambitious story casts Butler as Kable, a living, breathing person controlled by a nanochip in his brain and forced to fight combatants -- gladiator style -- in the video game "Slayer." Kable desperately wants the freedom he was promised as reward for winning 30 games so he can rescue his wife trapped in yet another video game, "Society." Kable's wife is controlled by a creepy, obese gamer forcing her to explore the seamy underbelly of a dangerous city. Chaotic action relies on many a jump-cuts while the storyline struggles to move the action past bloody confrontations. Michael C. Hall, of "Dexter" fame, appears in a brief role as the game's cruel inventor, but since he and his adversary, Kable barely meet, the "Gamer" hasn't got much "game."
All About Steve (2009)
* (Grade D)
Directed by Phil Traill
Starring Sandra Bullock, Bradley Cooper, Thomas Haden Church, Ken Jeong
Fox 2000-Rated PG-13-Comedy
Sandra Bullock goes blonde and eccentric for the role of Mary Horowitz, a crossword puzzle constructor. Following a brief blind date with handsome news cameraman Steve (Cooper), Mary becomes obsessed with him. She follows Steve cross country, disrupting his assignments. The film is saved by Church playing self-serving news reporter Hartman Hughes (Church), a blowhard encouraging Mary to follow her heart whatever the cost. Neither Steve nor Hartman could predict that Mary's oddball ways would garner her a collection of fans prompting Steve to take another look at Mary. Wouldn't it be cool if we could push a button to vote for who should get the girl? Why not Church?
The Final Destination (2009)
* *1/2 (Grade B-)
Directed by David R. Ellis
Starring Nick Zano, Krista Allen, Andrew Fiscella, Bobby Campo, Shantel VanSanten, Haley Webb
New Line-Rated R-Horror-81 min
What promises to be a fun-filled day at the races is anything but after Nick's (Campo) premonition that a bizarre racing accident will kill him, his friends, and those around them. Having persuaded his girlfriend (VanSanten) and their companions (Webb and Zano) along with others, to leave the stands, the escapees are horrified to see Nick's prediction come true moments later. None is prepared for death to stalk them in the order they were scheduled to die, nor for the increasingly gruesome methods by which they will be killed. Can any of these kids cheat death again? If so, they'll need to understand the grim reaper's convoluted rules. The fourth "Final Destination" film marks the series's first 3D outing, a format that promises to intensify the visceral experience.
Halloween II (2009)
* *1/2 (Grade B-)
Directed by Rob Zombie
Starring Scout Taylor-Compton, Tyler Mane, Malcolm McDowell, Margaret Kidder, "Weird Al" Yankovic, Richard Brake, Sheri Moon Zombie
Dimension Films-Rated R-Horror-101 mins
Now that Rob Zombie has established the murderous Michael Meyers as the product of an abusive home, the director plans to explore the psychological effect on Michael's sister Laurie (Taylor-Compton), but not until Michael has escaped the mental institution and is determined to kill her. Zombie moves the action to Georgia where he hopes to "open up" the movie by using rural locations as the setting for the numerous grisly killings and employing longer shots to frame Michael's pursuit of Laurie. The return of Dr. Loomis (McDowell) as Michael's psychiatrist should be a plus. Zombie, who initially had no plans to direct a sequel, couldn't resist this opportunity though he claims to be striking out in a new direction. One thing's certain, "Halloween II," will be much darker than its competition, "The Final Destination" 3D.
Taking Woodstock (2009)
* *1/2 (Grade B-)
Directed by Ang Lee
Starring Demetri Martin, Paul Dano, Emile Hirsch, Imelda Staunton, Henry Goodman, Live Schreiber and Eugene Levy
Focus Features-Rated R-Comedy-110 min
Woodstock might never have happened if not for the efforts of Elliot Tiber (Demetri Martin), a gay, Jewish interior designer, son of local motel owners. Based on the book by Tiber and Tom Monte, director Ang Lee mines the comedy arising from Tiber's efforts to locate the concert in the pastures of a local dairy farmer (Levy). As the event comes together, Tiber's family motel hits the jackpot, and Tiber meets a free-spirited transvestite (Schreiber) who helps the youth find his way out of the closet. Trivia note: Schreiber also starred in the often overlooked Woodstock-centric movie, 1999's "A Walk On The Moon."
Inglourious Basterds (2009)
* * * (Grade B)
Directed by Quentin Tarantino
Starring Brad Pitt, Melanie Laurent, Christoph, Daniel Bruhl, Til Schweiger, Eli Roth, Michael Fassbender, Diane Kruger
Weinstein Co.-Rated R-Drama-153 min
A small group of American soldiers, commanded by Aldo Raine (Pitt), plot to terrorize Nazi soldiers in Occupied France. Though Tarantino worked on his script for more than a decade, this rather conventional war movie is lacking his trademark rapier wit. Tension mounts when Hitler's SS plans a Paris film premiere to celebrate the exploits of their best sniper, Fredrick Zoller (Bruhl). A British lieutenant (Fassbender) organizes an Allied group known as the Basterds to blow up the theater. However, the cinema's owner (Laurent), has an even better idea. With spies everywhere, the Nazis come perilously close to uncovering both schemes. Expect an old-fashioned WWII drama and enjoy the film for Tarantino's expert technical construction.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Sept 3, 2009
District 9 (2009)
* * * (Grade B)
Directed by Neill Blomkamp
Starring Sharlto Copley, Jason Cope, David James, Vanessa Haywood, Louis Minnaar
TriStar Pictures-Rated R-Science Fiction-152 min
Most alien invasion films envision an advanced race poised to conquer mankind, “District 9” imagines that given a chance, we will mistreat displaced extraterrestrials. This scenario gains credibility once we meet the "prawns," via pseudo-newsreel and documentary footage.
Arriving in a malfunctioning mothership, they look like an insect-lobster hybrid, stronger and are larger than humans. They speak in whirs and clicks through fluttering tentacles resembling a billowing mustache dangling over their mouthparts. These are not cuddly, endearing, nor even vaguely humanoid creatures.
The story begins 20 years after the prawn ship becomes marooned over Johannesburg, South Africa. A million prawns disembark at gunpoint to be interred in a miserable refugee camp called "District 9." Despite the camp's squalid conditions, the prawns double in number over the following two decades, causing unrest in the camp and provoking fear amongst Johannesburg's residents who want the camp relocated further from their city.
The film stereotypes the aliens as shiftless and violent, contained in camps where they can be controlled. The parallels to Nazi concentration camps or to Apartheid are obvious. Initially settling the camp on a garbage dump, the increasing value of this real estate constitutes the real motivation to relocate the aliens to a smaller, more isolated location.
The care and feeding of these creatures is contracted to the Multi-National United Corporation known as M.N.U. The movie plays into our notion that all big corporations are greedy and corrupt with hidden agendas of their own. The company's legal team insists that each prawn household must be served with an eviction notice 24 hours prior to moving to the camp. District 9's lawless conditions are worsened by gun-toting Nigerian gangsters selling goods at outrageous prices.
The daunting task of serving eviction notices falls to Wikus (Sharlto Copley), a somewhat naive, but gung-ho son-in-law of the region's M.N.U. overseer. Anything can and does go wrong when Wikus and dozens of heavily armed soldiers begin knocking on prawn doors. It's only fair to warn viewers that the film's violence is off the charts. Death by exploding bullet is a riot of blood and slime set against the muddied camp and pushing the squeamish factor through the roof.
Occurring in the present day, the developing plot sees Wikus targeted by his own company, but it was difficult to focus on his dilemma because my mind kept replaying the inhumane treatment of the prawns. Where was Amnesty International, Africa Rights, Advocates International, or Better World Campaign? Why didn't the Red Cross step up? Was there no underground movement on behalf of the prawns?
Though unbalanced by its one-sided perspective, the straight ahead storytelling is somewhat rescued by fascinating aliens, and by the humor and irony of Wikus' predicament. "District 9" succeeds as satire in an era ripe for spoofs masquerading as science fiction.
Inglourious Bastards (2009)
* * * (Grade B)
Directed by Quentin Tarantino
Starring Brad Pitt, Melanie Laurent, Christoph, Daniel Bruhl, Til Schweiger, Eli Roth, Michael Fassbender, Diane Kruger
Weinstein Co.-Rated R-Drama-153 min
A small group of American soldiers, commanded by Aldo Raine (Pitt), plot to terrorize Nazi soldiers in Occupied France. Though Tarantino worked on his script for more than a decade, this rather conventional war movie is lacking his trademark rapier wit. Tension mounts when Hitler's SS plans a Paris film premiere to celebrate the exploits of their best sniper, Fredrick Zoller (Bruhl). A British lieutenant (Fassbender) organizes an Allied group known as the Bastards to blow up the theater. However, the cinema's owner (Laurent), has an even better idea. With spies everywhere, the Nazis come perilously close to uncovering both schemes. Expect an old-fashioned WWII drama and enjoy the film for Tarantino's expert technical construction.
Post Grad (2009)
* * (Grade C-)
Directed by Vicky Jenson
Starring Alexis Bledel, Catherine Reitman, Jane Lynch, Michael Keaton, Carol Burnett, Bobby Coleman, Zach Gilford, Rodrigo Santoro
Fox Searchlight-Rated PG-13-Comedy-89 min
Cute-as-a-button college grad Ryden Malby (Bledel), is compelled to move back home with her quirky family (Keaton, Lynch, Burnett and Coleman) because even her college fails to land her a good job. Between romantic misfires, domestic drama, and a series of humiliating, low-paying jobs, Ryden's path to independence remains elusive. Sadly, what begins as an effort to voice the frustrations of unemployed grads becomes a happy sappy romantic comedy. Lacking unique content, this film may quickly join the ranks of the unwatched.
The Time Traveler's Wife (2009)
* * (Grade C)
Directed by Robert Schwentke
Starring Eric Bana, Rachel McAdams, Ron Livingston, Jane McLean, Arliss Howard, Hailey McCann, Brooklynn Proulx
New Line Cinema-Rated PG-13-Drama, Science Fiction-147 min
This weepy drama is adapted from Audrey Niffenegger's novel positioning Henry (Bana) as a time-traveling librarian. Henry, stricken by a genetic "anomaly," lives his life in random order, disappearing into the past or future with no control over where or when, but he always returns to the beautiful Clare (McAdams) who first met a handsome adult version of Henry while still a child. She anxiously wants to grow up so Henry can fulfill his promise to marry her, but domestic bliss proves to be a fantasy since Henry frequently disappears, only to reappear days, weeks or months later. For every element of the wondrous "Benjamin Button," there's a chunk of the weepy "Notebook," meant to stir romantic notions into a tearful potboiler.
The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard (2009)
* * (Grade C)
Directed by Neal Brennan
Starring Jeremy Piven, Ving Rhames, David Koechner
Paramount Vantage-Rated R-Comedy-90 min
The second project from Will Ferrell and Adam McKay's Gary Sanchez Productions, (the first being "The Foot Fist Way"), "The Goods" smartly relies on a maniacal Jeremy Piven to deliver the laughs. As Don Ready, a used-car liquidator, Piven's character is hired to turn a troubled car dealer's Fourth of July event into a money-maker. Colorful characters are played by Ving Rhames and David Koechner, while director Neal Brennan, known for his involvement on the hit, "Chappelle's Show," comes on board to synchronize the film's fireworks.
Ponyo (2008)
* * *1/2 (Grade A-)
Directed by Hayao Miyazaki, John Lasseter, Brad Lewis, Peter Sohn
Voiced by Cate Blanchett, Liam Neeson, Noah Lindsey Cyrus, Matt Damon, Tina Fey, Frankie Jonas, Cloris Leachman, Lily Tomlin, Betty White
Disney-Rated G-Animated, Family-100 min
Hayao Miyazaki's latest family film is rendered in traditional 2-D animation and retrofitted with an all-star English voice cast for its American release. The story, loosely based on "The Little Mermaid," finds young fish princess Ponyo (voiced by Cyrus) longing to become human after being pulled from the sea by a 5-year-old boy named Sosuke (Jonas). The children must prove the power of their love by using it to realign a precariously unbalanced natural world. Liam Neeson intones Ponyo's overprotective father -- once a man who transformed himself into a fish king while Cate Blanchett voices Ponyo's mother. In Miyazaki's imaginative vision, all animate and inanimate objects are changelings, a concept easily understood by children everywhere.
Bandslam (2009)
* * * (Grade B)
Directed by Todd Graff
Starring Alyson Michalka, Vanessa Hudgens, Gaelan Connell, Lisa Kudrow
Summit Entertainment-Rated PG-Drama-151 min
Another year, another tweeny performance-centric drama set against the backdrop of high school. A girl-meets-boy romance evolves when the school's popular Charlotte (Michalka) persuades the school outcast Will (Connell) and his friend Sa5m played by Hudgens (the 5 is silent, hee hee) to help form a rock band for an upcoming competition known as "Bandslam." Lisa Kudrow appears as Will's mom in this original screenplay, unusual because it doesn't rely on previously established Disney or Nickelodeon Channel characters, but takes its chances on the tween movie-going wave that has made productions of this ilk both popular and profitable.
* * * (Grade B)
Directed by Neill Blomkamp
Starring Sharlto Copley, Jason Cope, David James, Vanessa Haywood, Louis Minnaar
TriStar Pictures-Rated R-Science Fiction-152 min
Most alien invasion films envision an advanced race poised to conquer mankind, “District 9” imagines that given a chance, we will mistreat displaced extraterrestrials. This scenario gains credibility once we meet the "prawns," via pseudo-newsreel and documentary footage.
Arriving in a malfunctioning mothership, they look like an insect-lobster hybrid, stronger and are larger than humans. They speak in whirs and clicks through fluttering tentacles resembling a billowing mustache dangling over their mouthparts. These are not cuddly, endearing, nor even vaguely humanoid creatures.
The story begins 20 years after the prawn ship becomes marooned over Johannesburg, South Africa. A million prawns disembark at gunpoint to be interred in a miserable refugee camp called "District 9." Despite the camp's squalid conditions, the prawns double in number over the following two decades, causing unrest in the camp and provoking fear amongst Johannesburg's residents who want the camp relocated further from their city.
The film stereotypes the aliens as shiftless and violent, contained in camps where they can be controlled. The parallels to Nazi concentration camps or to Apartheid are obvious. Initially settling the camp on a garbage dump, the increasing value of this real estate constitutes the real motivation to relocate the aliens to a smaller, more isolated location.
The care and feeding of these creatures is contracted to the Multi-National United Corporation known as M.N.U. The movie plays into our notion that all big corporations are greedy and corrupt with hidden agendas of their own. The company's legal team insists that each prawn household must be served with an eviction notice 24 hours prior to moving to the camp. District 9's lawless conditions are worsened by gun-toting Nigerian gangsters selling goods at outrageous prices.
The daunting task of serving eviction notices falls to Wikus (Sharlto Copley), a somewhat naive, but gung-ho son-in-law of the region's M.N.U. overseer. Anything can and does go wrong when Wikus and dozens of heavily armed soldiers begin knocking on prawn doors. It's only fair to warn viewers that the film's violence is off the charts. Death by exploding bullet is a riot of blood and slime set against the muddied camp and pushing the squeamish factor through the roof.
Occurring in the present day, the developing plot sees Wikus targeted by his own company, but it was difficult to focus on his dilemma because my mind kept replaying the inhumane treatment of the prawns. Where was Amnesty International, Africa Rights, Advocates International, or Better World Campaign? Why didn't the Red Cross step up? Was there no underground movement on behalf of the prawns?
Though unbalanced by its one-sided perspective, the straight ahead storytelling is somewhat rescued by fascinating aliens, and by the humor and irony of Wikus' predicament. "District 9" succeeds as satire in an era ripe for spoofs masquerading as science fiction.
Inglourious Bastards (2009)
* * * (Grade B)
Directed by Quentin Tarantino
Starring Brad Pitt, Melanie Laurent, Christoph, Daniel Bruhl, Til Schweiger, Eli Roth, Michael Fassbender, Diane Kruger
Weinstein Co.-Rated R-Drama-153 min
A small group of American soldiers, commanded by Aldo Raine (Pitt), plot to terrorize Nazi soldiers in Occupied France. Though Tarantino worked on his script for more than a decade, this rather conventional war movie is lacking his trademark rapier wit. Tension mounts when Hitler's SS plans a Paris film premiere to celebrate the exploits of their best sniper, Fredrick Zoller (Bruhl). A British lieutenant (Fassbender) organizes an Allied group known as the Bastards to blow up the theater. However, the cinema's owner (Laurent), has an even better idea. With spies everywhere, the Nazis come perilously close to uncovering both schemes. Expect an old-fashioned WWII drama and enjoy the film for Tarantino's expert technical construction.
Post Grad (2009)
* * (Grade C-)
Directed by Vicky Jenson
Starring Alexis Bledel, Catherine Reitman, Jane Lynch, Michael Keaton, Carol Burnett, Bobby Coleman, Zach Gilford, Rodrigo Santoro
Fox Searchlight-Rated PG-13-Comedy-89 min
Cute-as-a-button college grad Ryden Malby (Bledel), is compelled to move back home with her quirky family (Keaton, Lynch, Burnett and Coleman) because even her college fails to land her a good job. Between romantic misfires, domestic drama, and a series of humiliating, low-paying jobs, Ryden's path to independence remains elusive. Sadly, what begins as an effort to voice the frustrations of unemployed grads becomes a happy sappy romantic comedy. Lacking unique content, this film may quickly join the ranks of the unwatched.
The Time Traveler's Wife (2009)
* * (Grade C)
Directed by Robert Schwentke
Starring Eric Bana, Rachel McAdams, Ron Livingston, Jane McLean, Arliss Howard, Hailey McCann, Brooklynn Proulx
New Line Cinema-Rated PG-13-Drama, Science Fiction-147 min
This weepy drama is adapted from Audrey Niffenegger's novel positioning Henry (Bana) as a time-traveling librarian. Henry, stricken by a genetic "anomaly," lives his life in random order, disappearing into the past or future with no control over where or when, but he always returns to the beautiful Clare (McAdams) who first met a handsome adult version of Henry while still a child. She anxiously wants to grow up so Henry can fulfill his promise to marry her, but domestic bliss proves to be a fantasy since Henry frequently disappears, only to reappear days, weeks or months later. For every element of the wondrous "Benjamin Button," there's a chunk of the weepy "Notebook," meant to stir romantic notions into a tearful potboiler.
The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard (2009)
* * (Grade C)
Directed by Neal Brennan
Starring Jeremy Piven, Ving Rhames, David Koechner
Paramount Vantage-Rated R-Comedy-90 min
The second project from Will Ferrell and Adam McKay's Gary Sanchez Productions, (the first being "The Foot Fist Way"), "The Goods" smartly relies on a maniacal Jeremy Piven to deliver the laughs. As Don Ready, a used-car liquidator, Piven's character is hired to turn a troubled car dealer's Fourth of July event into a money-maker. Colorful characters are played by Ving Rhames and David Koechner, while director Neal Brennan, known for his involvement on the hit, "Chappelle's Show," comes on board to synchronize the film's fireworks.
Ponyo (2008)
* * *1/2 (Grade A-)
Directed by Hayao Miyazaki, John Lasseter, Brad Lewis, Peter Sohn
Voiced by Cate Blanchett, Liam Neeson, Noah Lindsey Cyrus, Matt Damon, Tina Fey, Frankie Jonas, Cloris Leachman, Lily Tomlin, Betty White
Disney-Rated G-Animated, Family-100 min
Hayao Miyazaki's latest family film is rendered in traditional 2-D animation and retrofitted with an all-star English voice cast for its American release. The story, loosely based on "The Little Mermaid," finds young fish princess Ponyo (voiced by Cyrus) longing to become human after being pulled from the sea by a 5-year-old boy named Sosuke (Jonas). The children must prove the power of their love by using it to realign a precariously unbalanced natural world. Liam Neeson intones Ponyo's overprotective father -- once a man who transformed himself into a fish king while Cate Blanchett voices Ponyo's mother. In Miyazaki's imaginative vision, all animate and inanimate objects are changelings, a concept easily understood by children everywhere.
Bandslam (2009)
* * * (Grade B)
Directed by Todd Graff
Starring Alyson Michalka, Vanessa Hudgens, Gaelan Connell, Lisa Kudrow
Summit Entertainment-Rated PG-Drama-151 min
Another year, another tweeny performance-centric drama set against the backdrop of high school. A girl-meets-boy romance evolves when the school's popular Charlotte (Michalka) persuades the school outcast Will (Connell) and his friend Sa5m played by Hudgens (the 5 is silent, hee hee) to help form a rock band for an upcoming competition known as "Bandslam." Lisa Kudrow appears as Will's mom in this original screenplay, unusual because it doesn't rely on previously established Disney or Nickelodeon Channel characters, but takes its chances on the tween movie-going wave that has made productions of this ilk both popular and profitable.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
August 20
Kids Save the World Yet Again
By Lisa Miller
Aliens In The Attic
(2009)
* *1/2 (Grade B-)
Directed by John Schultz
Starring Robert Hoffman, Carter Jenkins, Ashley Boettcher, Doris Roberts, Ashley Tisdale, Kevin Nealon, Henri and Regan Young, Austin Butler, Andy Richter, Gillian Vigman, Tim Meadows
Voices of Thomas Haden Church, Josh Peck, J.K. Simmons, Kari Wahlgren
Fox—Rated PG—Sci-Fi—85 min
An attempt by tiny aliens to invade Earth is thwarted thanks to teens and their siblings in this kid-friendly sci-fi. Presumably because both are small and reptilian, some have compared these aliens to the critters from "Gremlins," but it is the filmmakers' approach to the humorous action and comical extraterrestrial creatures that is the most similar feature of the two movies.
Kevin Nealon and Andy Richter play Stuart and Nathan Pearson, two adult brothers gathering up Granny (Doris Roberts) and the kids for a family-bonding vacation at a Michigan lake house (picturesque New Zealand stands in for Michigan). Stuart's kids consist of a brainiac teen (Carter Jenkins), a young daughter (Ashley Boettcher), and a hormonally motivated older daughter (Ashley Tisdale), the latter in danger of falling prey to the creepy intentions her tagalong boyfriend (Robert Hoffman). Nathan is father to a bullying, but dreamy alpha teen (Austin Butler), and a pair of long-haired, 12-year-old identical twins (Henri and Regan Young).
Soon after they arrive, the kids discover that a meteor shower is actually a sign that tiny aliens have descended from the sky and infiltrated their attic. These small, green CGI creatures are commander Skip (voiced by J.K. Simmons), female warrior Razor (Kari Wahlgren), hulky Tazer (Thomas Haden Church) and Sparks (Josh Peek), a four-armed techno-genius from a race enslaved by the others—and who is only to happy to help the kids prevent the invasion.
The warlike aliens count on high tech gadgets to overpower larger humans. They immediately fire a mind control unit into Ricky (the pesky boyfriend), using a joystick and a bluetooth headset to make him say and do whatever suits their needs. Before too long, the same fate befalls Granny, but the kids appropriate her remote control and reprogram Grans to fend off Ricky's Kung-Fooey attacks move-for-move.
The kids, who defend against the alien incursion using a paintball gun, a spud launcher, and other items from their homemade arsenal, discover the aliens have hidden a machine beneath the house that they must not be allowed to retrieve.
The nonstop action remains perfectly coherent throughout while the story arc is a family comedy best serving parents and the under-12 crowd. A nice addition to the burgeoning genre of family-friendly science fiction and fantasy, the film makes little pretense at achieving plausibility, relying instead on comical family dynamics, particularly between teen males, to save its bacon.
G.I. Joe: The Rise Of The Cobra
(2009)
* * * (Grade B)
Directed by Stephen Sommers
Starring Dennis Quaid, Channing Tatum, Marlon Wayans, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Christopher Eccleston, Sienna Miller, Rachel Nichols
Paramount—Rated PG-13—Action, Fantasy—113 min
After the success of the first "Transformers," Paramount studios was itching to make another film based on a famous line of toys. "G.I. Joe" fit the bill, though a number of script revisions, character additions and subtractions, were necessary before both fans and the studio powers were content. Director Stephen Sommers made his G.I. Joes futuristic, claiming that "almost 100 percent of the technology depicted will be available within 20 years." Whether he's correct about that or not the result is wall-to-wall action, consisting of dozens of chase scenes and battles that rely on flying soldiers wearing suits described as NFL superhero outfits. The PG-13 rating is retained by having the worst damage, and untold deaths occurring off-screen. The production designers modeled the interior of a private submarine on a Handley Page Jetstream, a piece of machinery that appears to fly through the water. Critics complain that some of the special effects are blurry, but acknowledge the film is every young gamers’ fantasy come true.
Julie & Julia
(2009)
* * (Grade B-)
Directed by Nora Ephron
Starring Amy Adams, Meryl Streep, Chris Messina, Stanley Tucci, Chris Messina, Linda Emond, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Jane Lynch, Helen Carey, Frances Sternhagen
Columbia Pictures—Rated PG-13—Comedy—122 min
Julia and Julie each have a story to tell, but while one has meat on its bones, the other is slim pickings. Back in 1949, Streep portrays Child's adventures at the French Cordon Bleu Cooking School and her subsequent efforts to write a cookbook explaining French technique to Americans. In the present day, blogger Julie Powell (Adams) is an American secretary trying to cook her way through Child's 524-page cookbook while blogging about her culinary successes and failures. Child's quirky personality is treasured by Streep's surefooted portrayal, but writer-director Nora Ephron pushes Powell's efforts to the foreground—and the film suffers for it.
Shorts
(2009)
* * * (Grade B)
Directed by Robert Rodriguez
Starring Jimmy Bennett, James Spader, Kat Dennings, Jon Cryer, William H. Macy
Warner—Rated PG—Science-Fiction, Fantasy—89 min
After a rainbow-colored rock falls from the sky and hits young Toe Thompson on the head, the lad and his friends discover that the rock grants the wish of anyone holding it. Though the idea seems wonderful the kids soon learn the rock's diabolical wish fulfillment is anything but. After just a few wishes their suburban town of Black Falls becomes overrun with tiny spaceships, crocodile armies, and giant boogers. Though the kids' wishes have been problematic, the real trouble begins when know-it-all adults appropriate Toe's wishing rock for themselves, certain they can overcome its wish fulfillment defects. Directed and written by Robert Rodriguez of "Spy Kids" fame, the imaginative "Shorts" should be families “movie wish” come true.
A Perfect Getaway
(2009)
* * * (Grade B)
Directed by David Twohy
Starring Timothy Olyphant, Milla Jovovich, Steve Zahn, Kiele Sanchez, Chris Hemsworth, Marley Shelton
Universal—Rated R—Action—97 min
Cliff and Cydney (Zahn and Jovovich) are backpacking to an isolated, remote Hawaiian beach when they are joined by two other couples (Olyphant, Sanchez, Hemsworth and Shelton) they've only just met. While making friendly chitchat, Cliff and Cydney learn that recently others have been mysteriously murdered on this very path. Uncertain of whom they can trust, soon Cliff and Cydney are fighting for their lives in a fast-paced thriller sure to leave you shivering despite its tropical setting. Shot in just over a month, a heart-pounding sequence occurring in a sea cave has caused a tide of Internet buzz.
Funny People
(2009)
* *1/2 (Grade B-)
Directed by Judd Apatow
Starring Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, Jonathan Hill, Eric Bana, Leslie Mann, Jason Schwartzman, Begonya Plaza, Maude Apatow
Universal—Rated R—Comedy—146 min
When superstar comic George (Sandler) is diagnosed with a terminal illness, he reevaluates his life and finds it wanting because his self-centered ways have prevented him from maintaining close relationships. Needing help, George hires struggling young comedian Ira (Rogen) as his assistant and in turn George assists the young man to achieve stand-up comedy success. This nicer version of George looks up old flame Laura (Mann), and rekindles their romance. Then George gets the startling news that he may be recovering, and immediately reverts to his old ways. While Apatow's writing has matured, it's a mixed blessing since most of the fun goes MIA during the film's final act.
The Ugly Truth
(2009)
* *1/2 (Grade B-)
Directed by Robert Luketic
Starring Gerard Butler, Katherine Heigl, Cheryl Hines, Bonnie Somerville, Bree Turner, Vicki Lewis
Columbia Pictures—Rated R—Comedy—101 min
When Abby (Heigl), a Sacramento morning show producer is forced to work with Mike (Butler), the station's popular, but offensive late-night, love-coach, emotional daggers fly. Then Mike presents Abby with a challenge. If she follows Mike's advice to the tee, and still can't win the heart of her handsome doctor neighbor, Mike pledges to quit TV for good. Abby eagerly accepts, and then is shocked to find Mike's advice has merit. The pairing of Butler and Heigl manages to ignite a few romantic sparks though ramping up the laughs could have taken this one beyond merely competent. Lacking competition, "The Ugly Truth" should turn a pretty buck from the dating set and girls' night out.
G-Force
(2009)
*1/2 (Grade C-)
Directed by Hoyt Yeatman
Starring Will Arnett, Penelope Cruz, Zach Galifianakis, Nicolas Cage, Sam Rockwell, Tracy Morgan
Disney—Rated PG—Family, Animated
Disney teams with producer Jerry Bruckheimer for this film centered on a team of biologically engineered, brainiac guinea pigs trained in espionage. Tapped by the US government to stop a diabolical billionaire from taking over the world, the rodents are outfitted with tiny high-tech gear. Team members include squad leader Darwin (Rockwell), weapons expert Blaster (Morgan), and sexy martial arts master Juarez (Cruz)—"sexy" as per Disney's literature! The team's reconnaissance expert is a housefly, and for the dirtiest jobs they've recruited Speckles (Cage), a star-nosed mole. Presented in 3-D, this one's likely to benefit the pet store industry as g-pigs get wish-listed by 5 to 8 year olds everywhere.
Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince
(2009)
* * (Grade C)
Directed by David Yates
Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Michael Gambon, Tom Felton, Jim Broadbent, Alan Rickman, David Bradley, Robbie Coltrane, Helena Bonham Carter, Warwick Davis, Maggie Smith
Warner—Rated PG—Fantasy—153 min
In chapter six the dark forces are gathering to attack the nonwizarding muggle world. Professor Dumbledore (Gambon) encourages Harry (Radcliffe) to pick professor Horace Slughorn's (Broadbent) mind for Voldemort's secrets. As Harry, Ron (Grint) and Hermione (Watson) are distracted by their romantic attractions and misfires, Voldemort grows stronger, recruiting Harry's longtime nemesis Draco Malfoy (Felton) on a covert mission. Professor Severus Snape (Rickman) appears to have chosen the other side and is gearing up for a confrontation of grave proportions. The gloomy tone continues to push PG-Rating, but the film is more "Twilight" than frightening. The major plot points of Rowling's sixth book barely make sense. Rather than continue this trend, the seventh and final book will be split into two, hopefully creating less frenetic films.
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
(2009)
* * (Grade C)
Directed by Carlos Saldanha
Voiced by: Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Denis Leary, Queen Latifah, Simon Pegg, Seann William Scott, Josh Peck, Chris Wedge, Karen Disher
Fox—Rated PG—Animated—87 min
Prehistoric mammals and dinosaurs collide when Sid the sloth, Diego the saber-toothed tiger, Scrat the squirrel and woolly mammoth couple Manny and Ellie, become trapped in an underground Jurassic world. Simon Pegg is also new as a dinosaur-hunting weasel seeking revenge on a Jurassic version of "Moby Dick." The good news is that acorn-obsessed squirrel Scrat and his new girlfriend provide regular breaks from otherwise predictable fare. The film is playing in both 2D and 3D, the latter costing several extra dollars per ticket.
Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen
(2009)
* * (Grade C)
Directed by Michael Bay
Starring Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, John Turturro, Rainn Wilson, Jon Voight
Paramount—Rated PG—Fantasy—147 min
"Transformers" meets "Indiana Jones" and "The Mummy" in what feels like a hybrid of not-so-hot recent movies and LaBeouf's own screen roles. In order to save mankind from marauding Decepticon aliens, Sam Witwicky (LaBeouf) and his galpal Mikaela (Fox) travel to the Egyptian ruins where they hope to find a key capable of reactivating the good-guy Autobot Transformers. Ships, tanks, planes, rockets and giant shape-shifting machines battle for audience attention in this $200 million dollar special-effects bonanza. John Turturro, Rainn Wilson and Jon Voight rush to get in on the frenetic action of this video game movie—minus the joystick.
The Proposal
(2009)
* * (Grade C)
Directed by Anne Fletcher
Starring Sandra Bullock, Ryan Reynolds, Mary Steenburgen, Craig T. Nelson, Betty White, Denis O'Hare, Malin Akerman
Disney—Rated PG-13—Comedy—107 min
In this chick flick banking on Bullock's wholesome appeal, the actress appears as cutthroat New York City book editor, Margaret Tate. Facing deportation to Canada, Margaret conspires to marry her young assistant Andrew (Reynolds) whom she knows nothing about. She finds herself succumbing to his charms during a trip to Alaska to meet Andrew's quirky family. A safe, non-offensive offering, 45-year-old Bullock and 33-year-old Reynolds make a cute pair, but never persuade as a couple. They aren't helped by a script lacking both an "aha" moment and evidence of their blossoming love.
The Hangover
(2009)
* * *1/2 (Grade A-)
Directed by Todd Phillips
Starring Zach Galifianakis, Bradley Cooper, Justin Bartha, Heather Graham, Sasha Barrese, Ken Jeong, Rachael Harris, Jeffrey Tambor, Mike Tyson
Warner—Rated R—Comedy—100 min
Phil, Stu and Alan (Cooper, Helms and Galifianakis) take their soon-to-be-married buddy (Bartha) to Vegas for a bachelor blowout that quickly spins out of control. The following morning, Phil, Stu and Alan awaken in a luxury casino suite where they've somehow acquired both a human baby and full-grown tiger. Though questions abound, the trio's biggest problem is that they've misplaced the groom. Unable to remember events of the previous night, the three attempt to retrace their steps. Clues lead them first to the ER, then to Mike Tyson, and finally reveal that one of them has married a stripper. Using a second-tier cast, director Todd Phillips hits pay-dirt with marvelous comic performances from Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis, longtime supporting players earning their break out roles. Pumping its Vegas locale for everything its worth, the tale's zany humor combines with a crazy detective story to hit the comedy jackpot.
By Lisa Miller
Aliens In The Attic
(2009)
* *1/2 (Grade B-)
Directed by John Schultz
Starring Robert Hoffman, Carter Jenkins, Ashley Boettcher, Doris Roberts, Ashley Tisdale, Kevin Nealon, Henri and Regan Young, Austin Butler, Andy Richter, Gillian Vigman, Tim Meadows
Voices of Thomas Haden Church, Josh Peck, J.K. Simmons, Kari Wahlgren
Fox—Rated PG—Sci-Fi—85 min
An attempt by tiny aliens to invade Earth is thwarted thanks to teens and their siblings in this kid-friendly sci-fi. Presumably because both are small and reptilian, some have compared these aliens to the critters from "Gremlins," but it is the filmmakers' approach to the humorous action and comical extraterrestrial creatures that is the most similar feature of the two movies.
Kevin Nealon and Andy Richter play Stuart and Nathan Pearson, two adult brothers gathering up Granny (Doris Roberts) and the kids for a family-bonding vacation at a Michigan lake house (picturesque New Zealand stands in for Michigan). Stuart's kids consist of a brainiac teen (Carter Jenkins), a young daughter (Ashley Boettcher), and a hormonally motivated older daughter (Ashley Tisdale), the latter in danger of falling prey to the creepy intentions her tagalong boyfriend (Robert Hoffman). Nathan is father to a bullying, but dreamy alpha teen (Austin Butler), and a pair of long-haired, 12-year-old identical twins (Henri and Regan Young).
Soon after they arrive, the kids discover that a meteor shower is actually a sign that tiny aliens have descended from the sky and infiltrated their attic. These small, green CGI creatures are commander Skip (voiced by J.K. Simmons), female warrior Razor (Kari Wahlgren), hulky Tazer (Thomas Haden Church) and Sparks (Josh Peek), a four-armed techno-genius from a race enslaved by the others—and who is only to happy to help the kids prevent the invasion.
The warlike aliens count on high tech gadgets to overpower larger humans. They immediately fire a mind control unit into Ricky (the pesky boyfriend), using a joystick and a bluetooth headset to make him say and do whatever suits their needs. Before too long, the same fate befalls Granny, but the kids appropriate her remote control and reprogram Grans to fend off Ricky's Kung-Fooey attacks move-for-move.
The kids, who defend against the alien incursion using a paintball gun, a spud launcher, and other items from their homemade arsenal, discover the aliens have hidden a machine beneath the house that they must not be allowed to retrieve.
The nonstop action remains perfectly coherent throughout while the story arc is a family comedy best serving parents and the under-12 crowd. A nice addition to the burgeoning genre of family-friendly science fiction and fantasy, the film makes little pretense at achieving plausibility, relying instead on comical family dynamics, particularly between teen males, to save its bacon.
G.I. Joe: The Rise Of The Cobra
(2009)
* * * (Grade B)
Directed by Stephen Sommers
Starring Dennis Quaid, Channing Tatum, Marlon Wayans, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Christopher Eccleston, Sienna Miller, Rachel Nichols
Paramount—Rated PG-13—Action, Fantasy—113 min
After the success of the first "Transformers," Paramount studios was itching to make another film based on a famous line of toys. "G.I. Joe" fit the bill, though a number of script revisions, character additions and subtractions, were necessary before both fans and the studio powers were content. Director Stephen Sommers made his G.I. Joes futuristic, claiming that "almost 100 percent of the technology depicted will be available within 20 years." Whether he's correct about that or not the result is wall-to-wall action, consisting of dozens of chase scenes and battles that rely on flying soldiers wearing suits described as NFL superhero outfits. The PG-13 rating is retained by having the worst damage, and untold deaths occurring off-screen. The production designers modeled the interior of a private submarine on a Handley Page Jetstream, a piece of machinery that appears to fly through the water. Critics complain that some of the special effects are blurry, but acknowledge the film is every young gamers’ fantasy come true.
Julie & Julia
(2009)
* * (Grade B-)
Directed by Nora Ephron
Starring Amy Adams, Meryl Streep, Chris Messina, Stanley Tucci, Chris Messina, Linda Emond, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Jane Lynch, Helen Carey, Frances Sternhagen
Columbia Pictures—Rated PG-13—Comedy—122 min
Julia and Julie each have a story to tell, but while one has meat on its bones, the other is slim pickings. Back in 1949, Streep portrays Child's adventures at the French Cordon Bleu Cooking School and her subsequent efforts to write a cookbook explaining French technique to Americans. In the present day, blogger Julie Powell (Adams) is an American secretary trying to cook her way through Child's 524-page cookbook while blogging about her culinary successes and failures. Child's quirky personality is treasured by Streep's surefooted portrayal, but writer-director Nora Ephron pushes Powell's efforts to the foreground—and the film suffers for it.
Shorts
(2009)
* * * (Grade B)
Directed by Robert Rodriguez
Starring Jimmy Bennett, James Spader, Kat Dennings, Jon Cryer, William H. Macy
Warner—Rated PG—Science-Fiction, Fantasy—89 min
After a rainbow-colored rock falls from the sky and hits young Toe Thompson on the head, the lad and his friends discover that the rock grants the wish of anyone holding it. Though the idea seems wonderful the kids soon learn the rock's diabolical wish fulfillment is anything but. After just a few wishes their suburban town of Black Falls becomes overrun with tiny spaceships, crocodile armies, and giant boogers. Though the kids' wishes have been problematic, the real trouble begins when know-it-all adults appropriate Toe's wishing rock for themselves, certain they can overcome its wish fulfillment defects. Directed and written by Robert Rodriguez of "Spy Kids" fame, the imaginative "Shorts" should be families “movie wish” come true.
A Perfect Getaway
(2009)
* * * (Grade B)
Directed by David Twohy
Starring Timothy Olyphant, Milla Jovovich, Steve Zahn, Kiele Sanchez, Chris Hemsworth, Marley Shelton
Universal—Rated R—Action—97 min
Cliff and Cydney (Zahn and Jovovich) are backpacking to an isolated, remote Hawaiian beach when they are joined by two other couples (Olyphant, Sanchez, Hemsworth and Shelton) they've only just met. While making friendly chitchat, Cliff and Cydney learn that recently others have been mysteriously murdered on this very path. Uncertain of whom they can trust, soon Cliff and Cydney are fighting for their lives in a fast-paced thriller sure to leave you shivering despite its tropical setting. Shot in just over a month, a heart-pounding sequence occurring in a sea cave has caused a tide of Internet buzz.
Funny People
(2009)
* *1/2 (Grade B-)
Directed by Judd Apatow
Starring Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, Jonathan Hill, Eric Bana, Leslie Mann, Jason Schwartzman, Begonya Plaza, Maude Apatow
Universal—Rated R—Comedy—146 min
When superstar comic George (Sandler) is diagnosed with a terminal illness, he reevaluates his life and finds it wanting because his self-centered ways have prevented him from maintaining close relationships. Needing help, George hires struggling young comedian Ira (Rogen) as his assistant and in turn George assists the young man to achieve stand-up comedy success. This nicer version of George looks up old flame Laura (Mann), and rekindles their romance. Then George gets the startling news that he may be recovering, and immediately reverts to his old ways. While Apatow's writing has matured, it's a mixed blessing since most of the fun goes MIA during the film's final act.
The Ugly Truth
(2009)
* *1/2 (Grade B-)
Directed by Robert Luketic
Starring Gerard Butler, Katherine Heigl, Cheryl Hines, Bonnie Somerville, Bree Turner, Vicki Lewis
Columbia Pictures—Rated R—Comedy—101 min
When Abby (Heigl), a Sacramento morning show producer is forced to work with Mike (Butler), the station's popular, but offensive late-night, love-coach, emotional daggers fly. Then Mike presents Abby with a challenge. If she follows Mike's advice to the tee, and still can't win the heart of her handsome doctor neighbor, Mike pledges to quit TV for good. Abby eagerly accepts, and then is shocked to find Mike's advice has merit. The pairing of Butler and Heigl manages to ignite a few romantic sparks though ramping up the laughs could have taken this one beyond merely competent. Lacking competition, "The Ugly Truth" should turn a pretty buck from the dating set and girls' night out.
G-Force
(2009)
*1/2 (Grade C-)
Directed by Hoyt Yeatman
Starring Will Arnett, Penelope Cruz, Zach Galifianakis, Nicolas Cage, Sam Rockwell, Tracy Morgan
Disney—Rated PG—Family, Animated
Disney teams with producer Jerry Bruckheimer for this film centered on a team of biologically engineered, brainiac guinea pigs trained in espionage. Tapped by the US government to stop a diabolical billionaire from taking over the world, the rodents are outfitted with tiny high-tech gear. Team members include squad leader Darwin (Rockwell), weapons expert Blaster (Morgan), and sexy martial arts master Juarez (Cruz)—"sexy" as per Disney's literature! The team's reconnaissance expert is a housefly, and for the dirtiest jobs they've recruited Speckles (Cage), a star-nosed mole. Presented in 3-D, this one's likely to benefit the pet store industry as g-pigs get wish-listed by 5 to 8 year olds everywhere.
Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince
(2009)
* * (Grade C)
Directed by David Yates
Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Michael Gambon, Tom Felton, Jim Broadbent, Alan Rickman, David Bradley, Robbie Coltrane, Helena Bonham Carter, Warwick Davis, Maggie Smith
Warner—Rated PG—Fantasy—153 min
In chapter six the dark forces are gathering to attack the nonwizarding muggle world. Professor Dumbledore (Gambon) encourages Harry (Radcliffe) to pick professor Horace Slughorn's (Broadbent) mind for Voldemort's secrets. As Harry, Ron (Grint) and Hermione (Watson) are distracted by their romantic attractions and misfires, Voldemort grows stronger, recruiting Harry's longtime nemesis Draco Malfoy (Felton) on a covert mission. Professor Severus Snape (Rickman) appears to have chosen the other side and is gearing up for a confrontation of grave proportions. The gloomy tone continues to push PG-Rating, but the film is more "Twilight" than frightening. The major plot points of Rowling's sixth book barely make sense. Rather than continue this trend, the seventh and final book will be split into two, hopefully creating less frenetic films.
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
(2009)
* * (Grade C)
Directed by Carlos Saldanha
Voiced by: Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Denis Leary, Queen Latifah, Simon Pegg, Seann William Scott, Josh Peck, Chris Wedge, Karen Disher
Fox—Rated PG—Animated—87 min
Prehistoric mammals and dinosaurs collide when Sid the sloth, Diego the saber-toothed tiger, Scrat the squirrel and woolly mammoth couple Manny and Ellie, become trapped in an underground Jurassic world. Simon Pegg is also new as a dinosaur-hunting weasel seeking revenge on a Jurassic version of "Moby Dick." The good news is that acorn-obsessed squirrel Scrat and his new girlfriend provide regular breaks from otherwise predictable fare. The film is playing in both 2D and 3D, the latter costing several extra dollars per ticket.
Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen
(2009)
* * (Grade C)
Directed by Michael Bay
Starring Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, John Turturro, Rainn Wilson, Jon Voight
Paramount—Rated PG—Fantasy—147 min
"Transformers" meets "Indiana Jones" and "The Mummy" in what feels like a hybrid of not-so-hot recent movies and LaBeouf's own screen roles. In order to save mankind from marauding Decepticon aliens, Sam Witwicky (LaBeouf) and his galpal Mikaela (Fox) travel to the Egyptian ruins where they hope to find a key capable of reactivating the good-guy Autobot Transformers. Ships, tanks, planes, rockets and giant shape-shifting machines battle for audience attention in this $200 million dollar special-effects bonanza. John Turturro, Rainn Wilson and Jon Voight rush to get in on the frenetic action of this video game movie—minus the joystick.
The Proposal
(2009)
* * (Grade C)
Directed by Anne Fletcher
Starring Sandra Bullock, Ryan Reynolds, Mary Steenburgen, Craig T. Nelson, Betty White, Denis O'Hare, Malin Akerman
Disney—Rated PG-13—Comedy—107 min
In this chick flick banking on Bullock's wholesome appeal, the actress appears as cutthroat New York City book editor, Margaret Tate. Facing deportation to Canada, Margaret conspires to marry her young assistant Andrew (Reynolds) whom she knows nothing about. She finds herself succumbing to his charms during a trip to Alaska to meet Andrew's quirky family. A safe, non-offensive offering, 45-year-old Bullock and 33-year-old Reynolds make a cute pair, but never persuade as a couple. They aren't helped by a script lacking both an "aha" moment and evidence of their blossoming love.
The Hangover
(2009)
* * *1/2 (Grade A-)
Directed by Todd Phillips
Starring Zach Galifianakis, Bradley Cooper, Justin Bartha, Heather Graham, Sasha Barrese, Ken Jeong, Rachael Harris, Jeffrey Tambor, Mike Tyson
Warner—Rated R—Comedy—100 min
Phil, Stu and Alan (Cooper, Helms and Galifianakis) take their soon-to-be-married buddy (Bartha) to Vegas for a bachelor blowout that quickly spins out of control. The following morning, Phil, Stu and Alan awaken in a luxury casino suite where they've somehow acquired both a human baby and full-grown tiger. Though questions abound, the trio's biggest problem is that they've misplaced the groom. Unable to remember events of the previous night, the three attempt to retrace their steps. Clues lead them first to the ER, then to Mike Tyson, and finally reveal that one of them has married a stripper. Using a second-tier cast, director Todd Phillips hits pay-dirt with marvelous comic performances from Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis, longtime supporting players earning their break out roles. Pumping its Vegas locale for everything its worth, the tale's zany humor combines with a crazy detective story to hit the comedy jackpot.
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