July 9, 2009

In The Theater
By Lisa Miller



Year One
(2009)
*1/2 (Grade C-)
Directed by Harold Ramis
Starring Jack Black, Michael Cera, Olivia Wilde, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Vinnie Jones, Hank Azaria, Paul Rudd, Juno Temple, Oliver Platt, David Cross
Sony—Rated PG-13—Comedy—97 min
Teaming roly-poly Jack Black and the effeminate Michael Cera in a comedy of biblical proportions, looks pretty good on paper. In practice, director Harold Ramis has no idea what to do with this diametrically opposed duo. Cera's deadpan style is Black's cue to exaggerate each facial expression and punchline past the point of no return.
The premise, inspired by Mel Brooks's classic "2,000 Year-Old Man," filters 2,000 year-old humanity through today's lens. Brooks struck gold by precisely balancing silly ideas with simple language. Here, that equilibrium is blown away on a flatulent breeze.
"Year One" tests the public’s tolerance for gross humor early and often. Jack Black, playing exiled tribesman Zed, sniffs what he believes to be a pile of human excrement. "I think they ate apples..." he remarks before tasting it with a rapidly flicking tongue. The comedic torture continues when Zed's cohort, a skinny lad named Oh (Michael Cera), urinates on himself while shackled upside down. "Close your mouth!" Zed warns as the yellow liquid trickles up Oh's nose.
Exiled from their primitive tribe for eating the forbidden fruit (and for being its laziest hunter/gatherers), Zed and Oh begin their journey toward enlightenment.
They meet squabbling siblings Cain and Abel (played by David Cross and Paul Rudd), and are introduced to the concept of circumcision by the prophet Abraham (Hank Azaria). Zed is chosen to lay with Abraham's daughter and be fruitful, but alas, she only likes girls. Oh must bunk with Cain and Abel's gaseous brother, a scene faintly recalling Mel Brooks's campfire tootfest from "Blazing Saddles."
Next it's on to Sodom because Abraham has warned the boys that the city's loose women are a lustful bunch of whores. Once there, instead of losing his virginity to a woman, Oh is stripped and painted gold by the king's head Eunuch. Oh's efforts to get closer to the slave-girl of his dreams are spoiled by a hirsute high priest (Oliver Platt) who orders the lad to rub warm oil into the priest's hairy, apelike chest. Giving it a go with blue eye shadow and glossy pink lips, queeny Platt delivers the film's finest gag.
Those persuaded to buy tickets after seeing the film's trailer may note that some of the trailer's punchlines were a whole lot funnier. That's because they are different than those in the film. Ditto the storyline, rearranged to better effect in the trailer. Where the trailer bumps amicably from joke to joke, the film gets lost in a quagmire of chaotic storytelling.
Examining the clash between Paleolithic hunter-gatherers dropped into early civilization sounds so easy a caveman could do it. However, to see that joke done right you'll need to watch for the Geico commercials.

Public Enemies
(2009)
* * * (Grade B)
Directed by Michael Mann
Starring Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, Marion Cotillard, Jason Clarke, Rory Cochrane, Billy Crudup, Stephen Dorff, and Stephen Lang
Universal—Rated R—130 min
Virtuoso style and cinematic bravado flesh out the retelling of John Dillinger's saga. After escaping from prison in 1933, Dillinger (Depp) goes on a bank-robbing spree that gains him public admiration in an era of failing banks and first place on J. Edgar Hoover's (Crudup) Public Enemies list. Dillinger breaks his own rules when he woos and wins the heart of coat-check girl Billie Frechette (Cotillard). Knowing their romance can not last, the pair make every moment count. As FBI Agent Melvin Purvis, Christian Bale uses his intensity, rather than his underwritten character, to convey the agent's determination to bring Dillinger down by any means necessary.

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
(2009)
* *1/2 (Grade B-)
Directed by Carlos Saldanha
Voices: Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Denis Leary, Simon Pegg, Queen Latifah, Seann William Scott, Josh Peck, Simon Pegg, Chris Wedge, Karen Disher
Fox—Rated PG—Animated, Comedy—87 min
Prehistoric mammals and dinosaurs collide when Sid the sloth, Diego the saber-toothed lion, Scrat the squirrel and woolly mammoth couple Manny and Ellie, become trapped in an underground Jurassic world. Opening in 2D and 3D, the latter for several dollars more per ticket, the good news is that acorn-obsessed squirrel Scrat will be front and center with his new girlfriend. Simon Pegg comes on board as dinosaur-hunting weasal Buck—further ratcheting up the laugh quotient.

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 gal pal Mikaela (Fox) travel to Egypt where they search for clues in the pyramids to release an army of good 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.

My Sister’s Keeper
(2009)
* *1/2 (Grade B-)
Directed by Nick Cassavetes
Starring Cameron Diaz, Abigail Breslin, Alec Baldwin, Sofia Vassilieva, Joan Cusack, Jason Patric, Thomas Dekker, Emily Deschanel, Lin Shaye
Warner—Rated PG-13—Drama—109 min
Abigail Breslin headlines a drama exploring complex ethical and familial issues. She plays 11-year-old Anna Fitzgerald, conceived by her parents (Diaz and Patric) to help their leukemia-stricken daughter Kate (Vassilieva) stay alive. During her short life Anna has happily donated blood and bone marrow numerous times, but when Kate needs one of Anna's kidneys, the younger girl hires an attorney (Baldwin) to secure Anna's medical emancipation from her parents. A cozy plot twist has Anna's mom resume her legal career in order to oppose Anna’s petition to the court. Despite all the squabbling, the Fitzgerald's are a loving family doing the best they can. From Jodi Picoult's novel, the film is sufficiently well-executed to assure there won't be a dry eye left in the house.

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 Taking of Pelham 1 2 3
(2009)
* * (Grade C)
Directed by Tony Scott
Starring Denzel Washington, John Travolta, John Turturro, Luis Guzman, Michael Rispoli, James Gandolfini
Sony—Rated R—Action—106 min
The 1974 original film was an adrenaline rush casting Robert Shaw as the merciless mastermind behind a crew of hostage takers on a New York City subway. He was matched by Walter Matthau playing Walter Garber, a subway train dispatcher with a very grumpy disposition. Having gained Ryder's trust, Garber tries to keep Ryder calm while city officials plan their next move. This time, Travolta plays the madman demanding $10 million dollars in exchange for the hostages. Washington packs on the pounds for the Garber role, but director Scott has reversed his actors, putting the intense one where the funnyman belongs. It's a slick, passable production, but lacks the one, two, three punch that made the original a knock out.

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.


UP
(2009)
* * * (Grade B)
Directed by Pete Docter, Bob Peterson
Voices of Edward Asner, Christopher Plummer, Jordan Nagai, Bob Peterson, Delroy Lindo, Jerome Ranft, John Ratzenberger, David Kaye, Elie Docter, Jeremy Leary
Buena Vista—Rated PG—Animated, Family—96 min
Another Pixar story, this one takes to the skies in a big way. When curmudgeon senior citizen, Carl Fredricksen (voiced by Asner), takes off to see a remote range of Venezuelan mountains, he does so by tying thousands of balloons to his house that lift it up, up and away. Comfortably settled inside his flying home, Carl is appalled to discover that a young scout has inadvertently hitched a ride. Animated with spellbinding beauty and vibrancy, the film follows the pair's adventures, and eventual meeting with Carl's boyhood hero (Plummer)—a famed explorer. Confronting an evil plot and encountering wondrous animals, will test the pair's resourcefulness and leave audiences feeling "Up"-beat.

Terminator Salvation
(2009)
* * (Grade C)
Directed by McG
Starring Christian Bale, Sam Worthington, Anton Yelchin, Moon Bloodgood, Bryce Dallas Howard, Helena Bonham-Carter, Jane Alexander, Jadagrace Berry
Warner—Rated PG-13—Sci-Fi—107 min
In this prequel to the 1984 blockbuster "Terminator," Christian Bale steps into a bleak near-future as resistance leader John Connor. The year is 2018, and Skynet Terminator robots scour earth to exterminate the last human survivors. Connor is on a mission to save his time-travelling father, Kyle Reese (Yelchin), currently a mere youth stuck in battle-torn L.A. Joining Connor's Resistance Army and further complicating the plot, is Marcus Wright (Worthington), a killer mysteriously paroled from death row. Linda Hamilton makes a vocal contribution and Bryce Dallas Howard shows up as Connor's pregnant wife. Filmed in dismal gray, it's difficult to see the $200 million dollar budget largely spent on special effects.

Night At The Museum: Battle Of The Smithsonian
* * (Grade C)
Directed by Shawn Levy
Starring Amy Adams, Owen Wilson, Ben Stiller, Robin Williams, Bill Hader, Steve Coogan, Ricky Gervais, Hank Azaria, Dick Van Dyke, Christopher Guest, Eugene Levy
Fox—Rated PG—Fantasy—105 min
The latest comedy trend is to hide lackluster jokes within ginormous special effects. That's what we got from the "Night At The Museum," and there's more of the same from its sequel. Abe Lincoln's Memorial statue gesticulates and spouts modern slang, while the Thinker is saddled with a Bronx accent and punch-drunk mentality. We're supposed to find these anachronistic historical characters hilarious, all of whom magically speak English. Among the figures coming to life in a Washington D.C. museum are: General Custer, Al Capone, Napoleon Bonaparte, Ivan The Terrible, Octavius, an evil Egyptian Pharaoh, and the bones of T-Rex. Once again, Larry Daley (Stiller) is on hand to mediate the confrontations, but this time he's helped by Amelia Earhart (Adams). Will allowing more comedians to do more mediocre work justify the $150 million dollar budget? Yes, but "Terminator Salvation," "Star Trek" and "Wolverine" are carving out large shares of box office for themselves.