Movie Review: Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins

Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins (2008) 

Directed by Malcolm D. Lee 

Written by Malcolm D. Lee 

Starring Martin Lawrence, Joy Bryant, Michael Clarke Duncan, Cedric the Entertainer, James Earl Jones

Release Date February 8th, 2008

Published February 9th, 2008

Martin Lawrence's dimming star power gets no boost from his latest strained effort, the alleged family comedy Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins. In Welcome Home Martin Lawrence plays Dr. RJ Stevens, a Jerry Springer-esque character with a hint of Dr. Phil. His high profile talk show has made him a celebrity but it is his new alliance with fiancée, and Survivor TV show winner, Bianca (Joy Bryant) that has secured his status as a top Hollywood player. However, no matter how much success Dr. Stevens accumulates he remains Roscoe Jenkins when he returns home to his parents house in the deep south.

It is Papa and Mama Jenkins (James Earl Jones and Margeret Avery) 50th Anniversary and though Roscoe hasn't been home in nine years his fiancée see's an opportunity for great TV. They, along with his 9 year old son Jamaal (Damani Roberts) will return home and film the whole event for the Dr. Stevens' show. Returning home of course offers other challenges like the family's many athletic competitions where Roscoe was repeatedly victimized by his cousin Clyde (Cedric The Entertainer). One of the most successful used car salesmen in the south, Clyde relishes the opportunity to once again show up his cousin, even going as far as bringing along Roscoe's childhood crush Lucinda (Nicole Ari Parker) as his date. She maintains that they are just friends.

Then there are Roscoe's immediate family. His brother Otis (Michael Clarke Duncan) a former all American linebacker now a small town sheriff and his sister Betty (Monique) a prison 'counselor' whose personal life is spotted with a number of criminal dalliances. Then there is cousin Reggie (Mike Epps) whose ability to find money without ever having a job is legendary in the family. Reggie brings along his dog who tormented Roscoe throughout his childhood and now turns his eyes towards Bianca's toy pup in one of this films many objectionable subplots.

If from this description you can't figure out the exact trajectory of this plot then you really haven't seen many movies. As predictable as the sunrise, Roscoe rekindles his romance with Lucinda as Bianca becomes more and more a victim of Roscoe's family. The film's perspective is that being rich and successful is bad and being down home and 'real' is all there is to life. Not a bad perspective but a limiting one. Roscoe isn't such a bad guy or even an unreasonable guy. His perspective is shaped by years of what he feels were slights from his father who seemed to give favor to Clyde and Roscoe's older siblings, though he gave his name to Roscoe.

Naturally, earning daddy's love is a major theme that plays out for Roscoe on two fronts. There is his trying to impress Papa Jenkins and his dealing with his own son, at first advising him on the importance of winning at all cost and eventually trying to let him be a kid. This subplot is part of director Malcom Lee's attempt at depth an attempt he undercuts every other turn of the plot. How seriously can you take any movie that takes such delight in the sex lives of dogs. Indeed, Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins has a number of jokes aimed at one giant dog attempting to mount a tiny toy pooch. Why is this funny?

Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins has yet another plot piece that has become popular in comedies that aren't all that funny. Mike Epps joins the cast in what has come to be called the Wanda Sykes role. It is Epps' job to enter scenes that are flailing for a joke and make a humorous observation and then exit the scene. Unfortunately, where Sykes' non-sequiter observations Monster In Law and Evan Almighty could fool people into thinking the movie was funny, Epps' more heavy handed approach lacks the same zing and ability to pull the wool over our eyes.

Malcolm Lee is not an untalented director but certainly undisciplined. A better director drops the dog jokes better utilizes Mike Epps talent for the one liner and is bolder than falling back on non-sequiters. If the script isn't strong enough without Mike Epps' character having to try to rescue every scene with one liners then go back to the drawing board, flesh out your characters and find some truth to bring forth from these characters. Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins is undercooked and underserves it's audience with warm over homilies about family life in the south and a struggling Martin Lawrence.

Movie Review School for Scoundrels

School for Scoundrels (2006)

Directed by Tod Phillips

Written by Scot Armstrong

Starring Jon Heder, Jascinda Barrett, Billy Bob Thornton, Michael Clarke Duncan, Sarah Silverman, Ben Stiller, David Cross

Release Date September 29th, 2006

Release Date September 29th 2006

Todd Phillips and Scot Armstrong are the comic director-writer team behind Road Trip, Old School and Starsky and Hutch. Their brand of broad physical comedy, bathroom humor and just general juvenilia may not be great art but is good for a number of big laughs. Phillips and Armstrong's latest collaboration, School For Scoundrels, is meaner and more physical than their previous films but like those other films it's good for more than a few big laughs.

Roger (Jon Heder) is a shy, lonely, dork; living in New York City and working as a meter maid. He is nursing an unrequited crush on his apartment building neighbor Amanda (Jascinda Barrett) however, because he either hides or passes out when he sees her, he has no chance of getting a date with her. Luckily for Roger his pal Ian (David Cross) has something that might help him.

Ian took a class at the learning annex that is like Fight Club for the socially challenged. For five thousand dollars a man named Dr. P (Billy Bob Thornton) teaches guys like Roger how to find the nerve to take the things they want. His methods are harsh and cruel, including instructing his students to randomly antagonize strangers, shooting his students with paintballs at close range and just generally insulting them until they fight back.

Whatever the methods, Dr. P's teachings do help Roger who finally gets a date with Amanda. However, when Dr. P senses Roger getting too good, so he decides to teach him a lesson by getting a date with Amanda himself and challenging Roger to fight back.

Directed by Todd Phillips and his long time writing partner Scot Armstrong, School For Scoundrels has a number of big laughs but lacks a consistent throughline. Phillips and Armstrong's style is to set a plot in motion and then continuously interrupt it with gags that are hit and miss. An example is a paintball game scene where three of Roger's classmates are taken hostage by Dr. P's burly assistant played by Michael Clark Duncan, and there are intimations that he may forcibly have sex with them.

This rape joke is repeated later in a bizarre cameo by Ben Stiller as a former student of Dr. P's. The gags distract from the main plot and, in the case of the rape joke, really take away from the enjoyment of the rest of the film. Another pair of gags involving Roger and a pair of thuggish parking offenders is funnier but just as distracting.

Another problem that Phillips and Armstrong have is a complete inability to write female characters. Going back to Road Trip where Amy Smart was used merely as eye candy for a terrific but unnecessary nude scene, to Old School where Ellen Pompeo barely existed in the plot and every other woman was used for more naked eye candy to now in School For Scoundrels where Jascinda Barrett is at least allowed to keep her clothes on but otherwise barely exists in the plot. She exists only as a prize to be won by either Heder or Thornton.

Jon Heder has a problem. His role as the awkward socially retarded Napoleon Dynamite continues to haunt his career. The specter of Napoleon hangs over his every role since and in School For Scoundrels his Roger is just a few steps beyond Napoleon in terms of ungainly social graces. There are signs however that he is maturing. Heder holds the screen well opposite the imposing presence of Thornton and he does seem a good match for Barrett. If her character would have had more depth there might have been more chemistry.

Billy Bob Thornton has a wonderful dark comic presence. His Dr. P is like a twisted version of Will Smith's Hitch and R. Lee Ermey's malevolent drill sergeant from Full Metal Jacket. Thornton can play intimidating or charming in just a few beats and make you believe both. In School For Scoundrels his snake like charm and savage temper combine for more than a few big laughs.

School For Scoundrels is meanspirited and often quite juvenile but it is funny. I especially loved the tennis scene which was rightfully featured in the film's marketing. Heder and Thornton really connect in these scenes and the awkward violence is played for some of the film's biggest laughs. The paintball scene, also in the trailer, is the film's low point in violent slapstick. The scene exists simply to fire shots to the groin, it adds nothing to the plot of the film. Is it funny? I laughed at the first shot, by the fifth I was waiting for the plot to kick in again.

Ben Stiller drops into School For Scoundrels late in the picture and though his role is more than a little eccentric, I did love the way he played it. Driven slightly mad after serving in Grenada in the 80's and surviving Dr. P's class soon after, Stiller finds just the right odd note for this truly bizarre character, easily the broadest and least believable in the film.

School For Scoundrels suffers from something that each of Todd Phillips and Scot Armstrong's previous films suffered from, a lack of a consistent tone. At times very broad, at times played for believability, the tone of the comedy is at odds with the tone of the film's romantic triangle. There are big laughs in the film that are followed by long periods of setups and payoffs that are mean spirited to the point of cruelty but more importantly, are often not funny enough to justify the cruelty.

Meanwhile the romance sputters because Barrett isn't given any time in between the evil pranks and pratfalls of Heder and Thornton, to connect with either actor. Amanda's first date with Roger is an alright scene, but Heder and Barrett are on two completely different wavelengths in most scenes, he's broad and gangly, she's square and earnest.

A little more effort and time and I think these two actors could have established a strong romantic rapport. However, this is not a romantic comedy. School For Scoundrels is a film about nasty pranks and shots to the groin. That too much of the plot hinges on Heder and Thornton's relationship with Barrett is a problem that the filmmakers don't seem all that concerned with.

Still, though I sound quite negative about School For Scoundrels; I enjoyed it. The film achieves a number of big laughs inside and outside the plot. The film would be much better if the laughs came seamlessly from one scene to the next instead of stopping and starting, but the laughs are big laughs and that makes up for many of the film's major structural problems.

School For Scoundrels is meanspirited, often cruel and highly immature. It's also undeniably funny. Jon Heder may still remain in the shadow of his Napoleon character but he shows in School For Scoundrels that he has the comedic chops to one day escape that film's shadow. Billy Bob Thornton will never be a great leading man but as a supporting player or villain, he is one of the best in the business.

Todd Phillips and Scot Armstrong know how to craft some big laughs but they are, for now, just getting by on those few big laughs. I hope one day to see them mature into making films that flow seamlessly from one joke to the next, but for now; their big laughs are big enough for me to recommend School For Scoundrels.

Movie Review: Daredevil

Daredevil (2003) 

Directed by Mark Steven Johnson

Written by Mark Steven Johnson 

Starring Ben Affleck, Jon Favreau, Colin Farrell, Jennifer Garner, Michael Clark Duncan 

Release Date February 14th, 2003 

Published February 13th, 2002 

Ben Affleck has this amazing quality that very few actors have, he feels like an old friend. His participation in the commentary tracks for Kevin Smith's Mallrats, Chasing Amy and Dogma, where his self -deprecating wit and frat boy charm remind you of someone you know. It is those same qualities that he has brought to every role he has played and it is endearing to those in the Kevin Smith fandom, maddening to those outside that cultish group.

This may explain the mixed reviews of Daredevil, where people like myself are willing to cut Affleck a lot of slack artistically, and allow the film to skate on his charm and the unreal beauty of co-star Jennifer Garner. Daredevil is yet another Affleck guilty pleasure.

When Matt Murdock (Affleck) was a kid, he was a nerd who was picked on by neighborhood bullies and never fought back because of his father's advice. One day Matt was taking a shortcut home when an accidental toxic waste spill cost him his sight but enhanced his other senses to superhero proportions. Young Matt's tribulations don't end with losing his sight however, as Matt witnesses his father's murder. Of course, he never actually saw the killer, only sensed the killer's calling card, one red rose.

Years later Matt is a lawyer who, by using his uniquely enhanced senses, defends only clients he knows are innocent. When things don't go well for Matt in court and it seems a bad guy got away with a crime, he uses his alter ego to deliver the justice the courts did not. Matt's alter ego is the urban legend Daredevil, a red leather-wearing hero who the police refuse to believe exists.

The difference between Daredevil and most other superheroes is his willingness to cross that line between good and evil and actually kill the bad guys that most superheroes are content to leave for the police. Though Matt/Daredevil has been able to convince himself that his quest is just, his skirting the line between justice and vengeance is exposed when he is confronted with real good in the form of Elektra Natchios (Jennifer Garner). Though she isn't pure as snow, her fighting skills are lethal as shown in a killer fight sequence set in a park. Her father is a partner of the evil Kingpin, whether she knows that or not is in question. Elektra is a good person and Matt falls for her immediately.

The relationship is put to the test however when Elektra's father is killed and she blames Daredevil, though the real killer is Kingpin's number one henchman Bullseye (Colin Farrell). This leads to another sensationally choreographed fight sequence between Affleck and Garner and leads into a shocking climax, which sets up the film's final battle inside of a church. Director Mark Steven Johnson is a perfect technician, he knows how to film the action and step back and allow his actors to do their jobs.

Johnson rightly keeps the film faithful to the comic's noirish antihero roots. How odd is it to see a superhero kill a villain intentionally.

The films supporting cast is excellent, including Michael Clarke Duncan as Kingpin, Joe Pantoliano in a rare good guy role as journalist Ben Urich and Jon Favreau rounding out the cast as Affleck's oafish law partner. Colin Farrell as Bullseye shows he learned something from Al Pacino in The Recruit and that is how to unapologetically chew scenery. Bullseye is a terrible villain, but Farrell is so terrifically over the top you can't help but enjoy his performance and revel in the character's fate. Daredevil gets extra points for Kevin Smith's giddy cameo as a morgue worker.

What Daredevil relies on in the end is it's two leads, Affleck and Garner, and they work perfectly. Though Affleck's overly earnest voiceover threatens to push the film over into self-parody, his humor and charm carries the film over the rough spots. As for Garner, words have not yet been created to describe how beautiful she is.

The films CGI effects don't always work and the editing is choppy and at times, but I liked enough of the effects and stunts to give them a pass. I also liked the film's soundtrack of rock ballads that while somewhat lame in their MTV style editing still are kind of cool because they are well placed throughout the film.

As much as I liked Daredevil, it pales in comparison to it's superhero brethren like Superman, Batman and Spiderman. However, in the same way Blade is cool, so is Daredevil. It's moody and atmospheric, has it's share of shocks and surprises and some well-timed humor.

In the end what it all boils down to is, Affleck is da bomb in Daredevil, Yo!

Movie Review The Last Mimzy

The Last Mimzy (2007) 

Directed by Robert Shaye 

Written by Bruce Joel Rubin, Toby Emmerich, James V Hart 

Starring Joely Richardson, Timothy Hutton, Michael Clarke Duncan, Rainn Wilson 

Release Date March 23rd, 2007 

Published March 22nd, 2007 

Robert Shaye is a behind the scenes legend in Hollywood. As President of New Line Cinema Shaye turned the boutique label into a major Hollywood player. Shaye shepherded such projects as Nightmare on Elm Street, the live action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and The Lord of the Rings trilogy. With so much success it would be very easy for Shaye to rest and count his cash.

Resting may be on the agenda some time in the future for Robert Shaye; but for now he is ready for a new challenge. After years as the money man, Shaye went and got his hands dirty on the set of his very own movie. Shaye is behind the camera, for the second time in his long Hollywood career, on the kiddie sci fi flick The Last Mimzy.

In The Last Mimzy a brother and sister, 10 year old Noah (Chris O'Neil) and 5 year old Emma (Rhiannon Leigh Wryn), vacationing at their beach house on the Washington state coast, uncover a unique box. Inside is a magical stuffed animal named Mimzy who Emma adopts as her favorite new toy. Also inside are some strange looking rocks that seem to have some kind of mystical power but only in Noah's hands.

Soon the rocks and the toy bunny begin to help the kids make some unique discoveries. Both kids have amazing brain power and together with their new toys they may be able to create a bridge through time. Naturally, the changes in the kids behavior do not go unnoticed by mom (Joely Richardson) and dad (Timothy Hutton). And at school; Noah's science teacher also notices a change when he goes from apathetic C student to science fair champion.

Eventually, the power of their new toys gets beyond the walls of their own home and when it does it causes an incident with homeland security. Can the kids help Mimzy build his time travel bridge before the federal government steps in? Or is the future doomed by government scientists who can't wait to dissect the little child's toy.

The Last Mimzy is loosely based on a 60's sci fi short story called Mimsy Were The Borogoves. Director Robert Shaye read and fell in love with the story years ago but only now found the opportunity to bring it to the big screen. Shaye's direction conveys how much he loves this story. The Last Mimzy is energetic and fun with a terrifically childlike imagination.

The secret weapon of The Last Mimzy was the casting of two terrific young leads. Chris O'Neill and Rhiannon Leigh Wryn capture perfectly the innocence and childish wonder of The Last Mimzy. This is a whimsical, sweet natured little movie that could have crumbled under the weight over overly precocious child actors. O'Neill and Wryn deliver performances of great sweetness and lightheartedness that  perfectly match the tone of this story.

The supporting cast of The Last Mimzy is as strong as the two young leads. I especially enjoyed Rainn Wilson as Noah's science teacher who has psychic dreams and Katherine Hahn as his girlfriend who can't get over the time he dreamed of winning lottery numbers but neglected to play them. These two quirky funny actors really play well together and like their co-stars, match the good natured whimsy of the story being told.

The Last Mimzy has nothing deep to say. It's not a movie that is going to stick with you long after you leave the theater. But, for a kiddie flick; it has a big heart, a few laughs and is just too darn fun not to be enjoyed by anyone willing to give it some time. See The Last Mimzy with your kids. They will love it and maybe you will too.