Movie Review Spy Kids All the Time in the World

Spy Kids All The Time in the World (2011)

Directed by Robert Rodriguez

Written by Robert Rodriguez

Starring Jessica Alba, Joel McHale, Alexa Vega, Daryl Sabara, Rowan Blanchard, Mason Cook, Ricky Gervais

Release Date August 19th, 2011

Published August 21st, 2011 

When it comes to the fourth film in any franchise critical expectations are low and, generally, the movie lives down to those low expectations. Then, on occasion, there are movies like "Spy Kids: All the Time in the World" which exceeds expectations beyond all measure and becomes the most pleasant of surprises.

"Spy Kids: All the Time in the World," presented in 4D Aroma-Scope, more on that later, picks up eight years after the action of "Spy Kids 3D: Game Over." The Spy Kids program has been shuttered but the Organization of Super Spies is still in action with Agent Marissa Wilson (Jessica Alba) as the world's top super spy.

Though nine months pregnant and going into labor, Marissa still manages to chase down the evil mastermind Tick Tock (Jeremy Piven) before meeting her husband Wilbur (Joel McHale) and her step kids, Rebecca (Rowan Blanchard) and Cecil (Mason Cook) at the hospital for the birth of a baby girl. Cut to one year later, Marissa is retired and raising the baby while trying hard to connect with the resistant Rebecca and the more welcoming Cecil. Wilbur is now a TV star, host of "Wilbur Wilson: Spy Hunter," though he's never caught a spy and doesn't know that he's married to one.

Tick Tock has escaped with the help of a new mad baddie, The Timekeeper, who has set in motion a plan to speed up time. Soon, Marissa is reactivated to save the world and her step-kids are accidentally activated as the newest Spy Kids. With the help of their mechanical Spy Dog, Argonaut (voice of Ricky Gervais), and some gadgets courtesy of the original Spy Kid, Carmen Cortez (Alex Vega, all grown up), the kids soon become the only kids capable of saving the world.

Just when you think that Robert Rodriguez is cynically cashing in on the known property that is the "Spy Kids" franchise, he surprises you with a brand new, highly inventive, and completely fun new addition to the franchise. "Spy Kids 4" is surprisingly delightful with two terrific new Spy Kids and a game adult cast that both get the joke but go along for the ride just the same.

Ricky Gervais steals the movie as the voice of Argonaut, the Spy Dog. Gervais's constant quipping deflates any sense of importance that the world saving adventure might have and helps keep the light, airy, funny vibe from receding into perfunctory, childish action adventure and 3D explosions.

Gervais is matched scene for stolen scene by Mason Cook as Cecil. This kid is a real find, a terrific young physical comic with the deadpan timing of an old time comedian. Rowan Blanchard has the more complex and far less fun role of the more serious Spy Kid but she doesn't lack for fun, especially with her ingenious love of practical jokes that also happens to be a great asset as a Spy Kid.

So, what of the fourth dimension? Aroma-Scope is the gimmick du jour of "Spy Kids: All the Time in the World" and it is kind of fun. Fans attending "Spy Kids 4" will receive a card with eight numbers on it. Throughout the movie an onscreen prompt instructs when to scratch and sniff the numbers on the card. More often than not I smelled nothing but the cardboard card though there was the strong hint of what I believe was Lucky Charms on one of the numbers and, no surprise, a slightly foul scent on another.

Aroma-Scope is not going to catch on in a big way but for "Spy Kids: All the Time in the World" it is a cute gimmick in keeping with the overall cuteness of the movie. But, ``Spy Kids: All the Time in the World" is even more than merely cute; Robert Rodriguez also includes a healthy message in the movie about time spent with family.

"Spy Kids: All the Time in the World" is a cute, sweet, smart and very funny kid adventure that gives new and clever life to a franchise that had seemed to have run its course. In fact, "Spy Kids: All the Time in the World" is so good, I am ready for the Spy Kids' next adventure.

Movie Review Spongebob Squarepants Sponge Out of Water

Spongebob Squarepants Sponge Out of Water (2015) 

Directed by Paul Tibbitt 

Written by Jonathan Aibel, Glenn Berger 

Starring Tom Kenny, Antonio Banderas, Matt Berry 

Release Date February 6th, 2015

Published February 5th, 2015 

How does a film so shamelessly appeal to the tastes of tots and stoners alike and not wind up doomed to be assailed by the culture warriors? By becoming a capitalist commodity first and an anarchic, tripped out, cartoon second. That is the journey of "Spongebob Squarepants" which innocently invaded popular kids culture in the early 2000's and became an unassailable pop titan. 

The freedom of success has allowed this Nickelodeon product to evolve in ways that no one likely imagined. From what was a minor distraction for kiddies a strange cult classic of stoner nostalgia has emerged. Over time the tots who loved Spongebob's seemingly innocent shenanigans were joined in front of the television by their cereal slurping, red-eyed older brother who laughed at the jokes that the little ones just missed. 

Sure, the creators of the series maintain the innocence at the show's heart but their claims to innocence are certainly challenged by a product that has grown increasingly weird in most recent and slightly controversial incarnations. It's a strange evolution that today culminates in the ultimate evidence of the show's sneaky stoner appeal, "The Spongebob Movie: Sponge Out of Water." 

Sure, on the surface this is merely an attempt to return Spongebob Squarepants to the pop ether and make gobs of money while doing it. But, watch the film and the Dali-esque, dizzying imagery comes roaring out at the audience in ways only those on psychotropic stimulants can truly understand. As someone who's never experienced a drug induced freak out, I can only imagine it is something akin to the time travel trip taken in "Sponge Out of Water" by our hero Spongebob and his unlikely pal and former enemy Plankton. 

If you thought Peter Fonda's swirling, twisting vortex freak out in 1969's "The Trip" was trip inducing, wait till you get a load of the wall of sight and sound that takes Spongebob and Plankton through time and space. Only a true stoner, wacked out on the best Maui-Wowie and grooving to Kubrick's "2001" could truly appreciate the sites created herein. I'm not kidding, these scenes are really messed up. 

Things really get tripped out when Spongebob and Plankton, on the run through time and space to escape having been accused of stealing the secret recipe for Krabby Patties, find themselves in a future world run by a talking Dolphin named Bubbles. Bubbles is voiced by the brilliant British comic Matt Berry in full Douglas Reynholm bluster. Throwing Berry into a mix that also includes Antonio Banderas as a pirate named Burger Beard, is really the last piece of evidence needed to prove that the makers of Spongebob are indeed attempting to bridge the gap between Nickelodeon comedy and Cheech and Chong. 

Looking back I realize I am making this sound like a bad thing. In reality, it's more innocuous than anything. Despite the bleating of many conservatives, there isn't anything truly dangerous about stoners. The fact that they can be as entertained as little children by the same form of entertainment is only subversive in the eyes of those who see smoking marijuana as some sort of societal ill. 

There are many more damning things that people could be doing aside from getting baked and watching "The Spongebob Movie: Sponge Out of Water." Things like Sub-Prime Mortgages or murder for hire schemes against their employers or ironically attending WNBA Games are certainly less worthy efforts than getting stoned and laughing hysterically as a talking sponge battles Antonio Banderas as pirate named Burger Beard. 

I guess my main point is that we should just be honest about the appeal of "The Spongebob Movie: Sponge Out of Water" and stop acting like it's just a kids movie. The fact is, Spongebob has a foot firmly planted in two separate but equal satirical worlds that appeal equally and differently to two very specific sets of audiences and there is nothing wrong with that. 

Let's let Spongebob's freak flag fly free and not be so uptight and silly as to believe that just because stoners enjoy a kids show that kids will automatically grow up to be stoners. This isn't a nature or nurture argument over the future of our children, it's just a silly cartoon that happens to be tripping balls and delighting children all at once.

Movie Review: Wanted

Wanted (2008) 

Directed by Timur Bekmambetov

Written by Michael Brandt, Derek Haas, Chris Morgan

Starring Angelina Jolie, James McAvoy, Morgan Freeman, Terrence Stamp, Common, Chris Pratt

Release Date June 27th, 2008

Published June 27th, 2008 

For years Angelina Jolie has been a lot of flash and little cash at the box office. It seemed she was a bigger draw in the gossip columns than she was at the box office, her star power better suited to selling People and Us Weekly than her movies. With the release of the new ultra-violent action flick Wanted however, things have definitely changed.

Though Wanted is ostensibly about James McAvoy's rookie assassin, the ad campaign made quite clear that Ms. Jolie's killer pout and outstanding derriere were the real draws of this summer mind melter.

Wanted stars James McAvoy as a sadsack cubicle drone who finds himself the target of the world's greatest assassin. It seems that McAvoy's Wesley Gibson just happens to be the progeny of another of the world's greatest assassins and that the ability to kill with precision is a genetic trait that doesn't skip a generation.

Helping to hone Wesley's heretofore unknown talents is an elite group of assassins known as The Fraternity. Lead by Sloan (Morgan Freeman), The Fraternity of assassins dedicated to meting out fate as delivered to them by an ancient loom that can see the future. No, I'm NOT KIDDING! With the help of his trainer, Fox (Jolie), Wesley is to be trained to track down the man who killed his father, Mr X (David O'Hara).

Russian born director Timur Bekmambetov became a world wide sensation everywhere except in America with his series of Russian vampire series Nightwatch, Daywatch and the upcoming Twilight Watch. These stylish, high impact action flicks are on the cutting edge of special effects and likely would have been major hits were it not for the subtitles.

Taking elements of The Matrix and creating a killer trilogy mythology, BekMambetov has set box office records in his home country. For his American debut Bekmambetov brought along his talent for bombast and left behind his talent for mythology and grand storytelling. That may be due to him having left the screenplay duties to Americans Derek Haas and Michael Brandt.

These junk food junkie Americans cram a candy bar full of action and effects into Wanted and neglect anything close to a meal in terms of storytelling. This is brain free American entertainment of the most outrageous level and that it works is a testament for our love of true junk. As bad romantic comedies can be well equated with chocolate, Wanted is the Red Bull of movies, all caffeine.

Angelina Jolie has always dripped with sexuality but few films have played that aspect of Ms. Jolie as well as Wanted. Rather than be merely offensive with it's obvious objectification of Ms. Jolie, Wanted makes it the central preoccupation of Wesley, our hero. With Wesley focused on Ms. Jolie's assets (ahem) so are we. The forced perspective has a way of turning the objectification into a form of worship rather than something entirely sleezy.

So what of Mr. McAvoy? He is actually the perfect choice for a role such as this. A bigger star would be less 'believable', in terms of this movie, not believable in any real sense of the word, (CONTEXT PEOPLE!). Because McAvoy has never played a role such as this we have few expectations of him. He exceeds any and all expectations  by miles and we can't help but be roped into his world and his experiences as he seems to react as an average person might and not just a movie character.

That said, as good as Ms. Jolie and Mr. McAvoy are, Wanted is a relatively dull witted picture. Bouncing as it does from one overly loud set piece to the next, Wanted is not a film to attend if one is searching for the deep and meaningful. Like last year's Shoot'Em Up, a slightly more entertaining version of the same Red Bull style action movie, Wanted is all about the quick shot of adrenaline and little else.

This style is entertaining while your watching it but unless you take notes as I do, it's forgotten by the time you get to your car. Wanted is pure brain free entertainment for the videogame and energy drink crowd. Skip it if you like your movies with a little more meat on their  bones. If however, you are searching for a movie that will be in and out of your consciousness like a freight train, Wanted is the movie for you.

Movie Review: You Don't Mess with the Zohan

You Don't Mess with the Zohan (2008) 

Directed by Dennis Dugan

Written by Adam Sandler, Judd Apatow, Robert Smigel

Starring Adam Sandler, Emmanuel Chriqui, Rob Schneider, Lainie Kazan

Release Date June 6th, 2008

Published June 6th, 2008

It's strange to think of Adam Sandler and societal relevance. And yet, when you look back on his recent career it's difficult to miss a sort of ripped from the headlines quality to his resume. In Reign Over Me Sandler tackled post 9/11 grieving. In I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry it was gay marriage. Now with his latest Summer blockbuster Sandler takes on the middle east, specifically the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and does so with the kind of irreverence and all encompassing bad taste that leaves everyone offended and everyone laughing all at once.

In You Don't Mess With the Zohan Sandler plays 'The Zohan' an ex-Israeli secret police agent who gives up war with Palestine in favor of New York City and the opportunity to become a hairdresser. Taking a job in a neighborhood where Jews and Palestinians live in peace with one another, the Zohan finds himself not just working for a Palestinian, Deliah (Emanuel Chiriqi), but falling in love with her.

Things get dangerous for the Zohan however when a former Palestinian foe, now a cabdriver (Rob Schneider) recognizes him and decides to kill him. The cabby eventually calls on the Zohan's former enemy 'The Phantom' to do the job. The real enemy however is a developer (Michael 'Are You Ready to Rumble' Buffer) who wants the property occupied by Israelis and Palestinians and hires a group of rednecks, lead by James (rocker Dave Matthews), to burn the community to ground and get the two sides to blame each other for the fire.

The plot is more cohesive than the usual Sandler collection of gags, likely due to the influence of current comedy top dog Judd Apatow who joins forces with Sandler and director Dennis Dugan on a script that does slightly more than exist to allow for Sandler's many physical gags and gay jokes. There is an earnest and honest attempt at a message of peace and love for Israelis and Palestinians even as the film offers stunningly offensive caricatures of each. The filmmakers take the perspective that as long as everyone is offended no one is offended and the approach kinda works.

As resistant as I was for much of the Zohan's antics I did find myself laughing loudly more than I ever imagined. Yes, the gay jokes get old and offensive real fast. Yes, watching the Zohan make his name early on in the New York scenes by banging old ladies is utterly horrifying. Nevertheless, you laugh and in a comedy can you really ask much more? And with the Zohan striving for uplift in such an honest fashion, it's hard to dislike and indeed not admire the efforts of the Zohan.

Adam Sandler isn't about to solve the middle east crisis but he seems to care and that is something from the man who was The Waterboy and Little Nicky.

Movie Review: The Strangers

The Strangers (2008) 

Directed by Bryan Bertino 

Written by Bryan Bertino

Starring Scott Speedman, Liv Tyler

Release Date May 30th, 2008

Published June 4th, 2008

Sociopathic thrill killing is a real thing. Real sociopaths have stalked complete strangers and taken their lives simply for the thrill of exercising the power of life and death. It's incomprehensible to anyone with a moral compass but some people have the ability to look at another person and take their life without so much as a scruple. That is the basic premise of the new horror flick The Strangers. A young couple returns home to their cabin on the outskirts of some nameless town and are then terrorized by three people in Halloween masks. The harassment goes from merely irritating to terrifyingly violent in short order, whether the young couple survives remains a mystery to the very end.

Kristen and James have just arrived home after attending a friends wedding. James had thought it was a good opportunity to ask Kristen to marry him but as we can tell from his hangdog expression and the tears in her eyes, it didn't go down as he had hoped. Nevertheless, they are together for the weekend, out of town guests at James's father's cabin. There is tension but mostly sadness between them as the love they thought they shared is reflected throughout the cabin where James had planned romance to follow his popping the question.

The sadness is broken up by a 4 Am knock on the door. An odd young woman asks if Tammy is home. Assured that no one named Tammy had ever lived in the cabin the girl leaves. However, she isn't gone long and as James makes a cigarrette run, the girl returns, again searching for Tammy. Here is where my feelings about The Strangers diverge from my appreciation for the craftsmanship of The Strangers. I did not believe the reaction of Liv Tyler or Scott Speedman's characters to this intrusion. They are far too polite to someone who visits at 4 IN THE MORNING!

Find my full length review in the Horror Community on Vocal.

Movie Review: War Inc

War Inc (2008) 

Directed by Joshua Seftel

Written by John Cusack, Mark Leyner, Jeremy Pikser

Starring John Cusack, Hillary Duff, Marisa Tomei, Dan Akroyd

Release Date May 23rd, 2008

Published November 12th, 2008

Mention the plot of War, Inc. and inevitably people flash back to the cult classic Grosse Point Blank. That was the last time that John Cusack played a black clad hetmans who is re-humanized by falling in love. War, Inc. finds Cusack once again as a black clad hit man, cold blooded when we meet him but neurotic enough that a good woman could straighten him out and make him  a better man. So why does Grosse Point Blank work so very well and War, Inc. fail? Read on dear reader.

In War, Inc. John Cusack plays Brand Hauser, a hit man on hire by corporations for military assassinations. You see, in this future world there are no more countries or states of power, only corporations with their own agendas and military arms. One of these unnamed corporations is run by a former Vice President (Dan Akroyd) who looks strangely familiar with his thinning white hair and sailor talk.

The former VP has hired Brand to go to one of the -Istan countries where war has brought peace and hardcore capitalism, at least within the safety of the countries largest city. Outside that safe zone the strife and death is rather horrifying. Brand is sent in to kill a leader of a different country who wants to build an oil pipeline without the aid of the corporation.

Brand's cover is that he is a producer behind a huge international trade show meant to show the world the importance of capitalism and corporate branding. The signature event of the show will be a western style marriage for the countries top pop star Yonica Babyyeah (Hillary Duff). Hauser is to kill his target and make sure the wedding comes off without a hitch, but why does the pop star freak him out so much?

Meanwhile, Hauser becomes infatuated with a crusading journalist who wants to expose what is happening beyond the safety of the so called Emerald Zone. She is Natalie (Marisa Tomei) and though she suspects Hauser is just playing her off to keep her from writing what she wants she eventually see's the wounded man-child he truly is, as well as his darker side.

War, Inc. is the brainchild of writers Mark Leyner and Jeremy Pikser and director Joshua Seftel who envision a future not entirely unlike the imaginings of a William Gibson or Phillip K. Dick. The movie has all of the paranoia and subtext of classic sci fi without the actual sci-fi. It's a deeply cynical, dyspeptic take on our current government and it's approach to the middle east without the subtlety that made Gibson or Dick so brilliant.

All of the punches thrown by War, Inc. in the direction of the Bush Administration foreign policy are obvious and relatively unfunny. Even if you agree that corporate greed and our current foreign policy are scary, the shots taken at them in War, Inc. are too obvious and heavy handed to draw anything more than a smile of recognition. 

John Cusack is both a clear choice for this role and a strange one. He fits the role like a glove but it's because he's played it before and far better than this. What is there to differentiate this hit man from his Grosse Point Blank hit man? A name? They have the same philosophy, killing without the interference of state or ideology.

They have the same neuroses as well, Martin deals with his in therapy, Brand with long talks with his On Star rep in his Humvee. Brand does have the quirk of drinking hot sauce but most of the major differences don't work in this movies favor. Where Grosse Point Blank was sly and stylish with a kickass soundtrack, War, Inc. is lumbering, predictable and heavy-handed.

War, Inc. wants to be edgy, violent satire. Instead we get a cynical, predictable trip through the muck of a muddy satire taking obvious shots at broad as a barn topics and missing as often as it hits. John Cusack remains a charismatic presence and Hillary Duff has never been this good but they are lost and adrift in this smug, wannabe satire.

Why rent this John Cusack hit man movie when you could get Grosse Point Blank?

Movie Review The Chronicles of Narnia Prince Caspian

The Chronicles of Narnia Prince Caspian (2008)

Directed by Andrew Adamson

Written by Andrew Adamson

Starring Ben Barnes, Sergio Castellito, Skandar Keynes, Georgie Hensley, Anna Popplewell, William Moseley 

Release Date May 16th, 2008

Published May 15th, 2008

With allusions to christian legend and shakespearean drama, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian is a deeper, more soulful take on the work of C.S Lewis even as it manages to be less talky and more action packed than its predecessor The Lion The Witch and the Wardrobe. Ben Barnes, a young English theater actor, takes on the role of Prince Caspian, a Hamlet-esque character, heir to the throne of the Telmarines. Early on we see that men are conspiring to kill Caspian and the crafty Prince makes a deft escape. 

Caspian's uncle Miraz (Sergio Castellito) has chosen now to seek to take his nephew's throne. Having just had a son, Miraz can set a new royal bloodline should Prince Caspian meet his end. What Caspian does not yet know is that Miraz was also responsible for the death of his father. Escaping into the forest, Caspian finds something unexpected: Narnians. Meanwhile in England, Peter, Edmund, Susan and Lucy have waited a year to hear from Aslan about when they can return to Narnia. 

Returned to their youthful teenage present, each misses the days when they were kings of the paradise of Narnia after the defeat of the White Witch. When the call comes and our four heroes are returned they find a Narnia entirely unlike the one they left behind. Aslan is nowhere to be found and Narnians are scarce in number. The Telmarines are set to crush what few Narnians remain. Peter, Edmund, Susan and Lucy now must team with Prince Caspian to fight against overwhelming odds to once again bring peace to the former paradise.

Written and directed once again by Andrew Adamson, The Chronicles of Narnia has become a richer, more thoughtful epic. Where Lord of the Rings became bogged down by a slavish devotion to technology, Andrew Adamson's Narnia is a near perfect balance of CGI and humanity. Adamson takes great care to bring a human, emotional connection to every aspect of his production. Though still a relatively young director, Adamson shows the control and confidence of a veteran. His confidence is well displayed in how quickly Adamson thrusts his audience back into the story of Narnia without getting detoured by reintroductions.

With delicate balance Adamson initiates new audiences without boring the returnees with information we already have. Adamson seamlessly integrates new characters without causing too much confusion for fans seeking the familiar, most of which is lost in the story's shift in time. 

That said, the production is not without issues. As much skill as Adamson shows as a storyteller, his visual style can be a tad hectic and confusing. Early scenes feature unnecessarily shaky camera work and too quick edits. The technique improves throughout, the early clumsiness the only betrayal of the fact that Prince Caspian is only Adamson's second live action feature.

Our terrific heroes return with newfound confidence and star presence. The standout remains Georgie Henley's Lucy who remains impishly cute and yet brings layers of new experience to 11 year old Lucy. William Mosely strikes a kingly pose as Peter the oldest and the leader.

Anna Popplewell is a young actress who can do more with a tilt of her head than many of her contemporaries can with pages of dialogue. Finally Skandar Keynes as Edmund, who struggled through a whiny, weakling performance in Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe, shows great improvement in Prince Caspian. Edmund takes a more prominent role in the next Narnia chapter and Keynes looks ready for a breakthrough.

Finally there is Ben Barnes. Saddled with the title role this young actor begins at a disadvantage with all eyes on him but it does not take long for the young stage veteran to show why producers felt so much confidence in this film novice. Barnes is a handsome young man but more than that, he has a strong conflicted presence that fits a character so heavily based on Shakespeare's Hamlet.

An epic work of adventure and excitement, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian is a tremendous piece of work, the rare sequel to surpass the creative heights of the original. It helps that the source material is stronger. What helps more is a talented returning team of behind the scenes pros and rising before the camera stars.

Movie Review Harold and Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay

Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay (2008) 

Directed Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg

Written by Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg

Starring John Cho, Kal Penn, Rob Corddry, Neil Patrick Harris

Release Date April 25th, 2008

Published April 25th, 2008

Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle was a harmless little stoner comedy with two likable if not all that well known stars. That same description still fits as Harold and Kumar get sequelized in Harold and Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay. John Cho and Kal Penn are becoming better known and they have a lovable chemistry but saddled with gags that likely will not age well in the years to come, they come up short in Escape from Guantanamo Bay. 

Picking up where the original film left off, Harold and Kumar are just an hour away from boarding a flight to Amsterdam where Harold (John Cho) hopes to win the heart of Maria (Paula Garces). Kumar is supporting his buddy but the opportunity for some legalized weed smoking in the sin capital of Europe holds just as much appeal for him.

Unfortunately for Harold, Kumar cannot wait to get to Amsterdam before he gets high again. Fashioning a device he claims is a smokeless bong, Kumar intends to get high in the airplane bathroom when his bong is glimpsed by another passenger and he is mistaken as a terrorist with a bomb. Coming to his aid, Harold too is called a terrorist and the plane is sent home so our heroes can be arrested.

Confronted by an overzealous homeland security agent (Rob Corddry), Harold and Kumar wind up at the terrorist holding facility at Guantanamo Bay desperate to escape. They hope to reach Texas where a well connected friend might get them out of trouble. That friend happens to be marrying Kumar's ex Vanessa (Daneel Harris) adding some tension to the situation.

That plot gives Harold and Kumar a little motivation. The crux of Harold and Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay however is lowbrow gross out humor (two characters get peed on, amongst other gross out gags), a whole lot of drug humor, and some daring if clumsy racial humor. Race played a small but pivotal role in the original film as H & K faced off with a number of racists and stereotypes.

In Escape From Guantanamo Bay the racial component of the story becomes far more prominent. Kumar's skin color gets him pulled out line for extra security checks at the airport. On the plane an old woman is horrified to be on the flight with Kumar, imagining him as a terrorist. Finally, Rob Corddry's Homeland Security agent engages in every imaginable stereotype as he investigates Harold and Kumar's escape.

Equal opportunity offenders, Harold and Kumar themselves judge books by their cover especially in a detour through Alabama and an encounter with a backwoods resident with a number of surprises in store. As I said, the racial humor of Harold and Kumar is clumsy at best. It has the wit of one of those drunken college parties meant to protest political correctness but is really just mildly racist.

Most damaging however is that Harold and Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay is not nearly as funny as it thinks it is. Many scenes show Harold and Kumar and their supporting cast delighting in their antics to a degree of joy and humor well beyond anything the audience is feeling. I'm glad they had a good time, I just wish I had had a better time watching.

Movie Review: Baby Mama

Baby Mama (2008) 

Directed by Michael McCullers

Written by Michael McCullers

Starring Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Greg Kinnear, Dax Shepard, Romany Malco, Maura Tierney, Sigourney Weaver

Release Date April 25th, 2008

Published April 24th, 2008

When Kate (Tina Fey) is told she has a one in a million chance of having a baby she first considers adoption. Unfortunately, being single her wait for a baby could be five or six years. Her only other option is a surrogate mom. A high end company, run by the glorious Sigourney Weaver, sets Kate up with Angie (Amy Poehler).

Kate and Angie could not be more different. Where Kate is successful, smart and focused, Angie is dull witted, messy and hooked up with a loser boyfriend/common law husband Carl (Dax Shepard). Nevertheless, Kate needs a baby mama and Angie is willing so the two strike a deal. Later, when Angie breaks up with Carl she ends up living with Kate while Kate finds herself romanced by Rob (Greg Kinnear) who knows noting of her baby ambitions.

Baby Mama was written and directed by Michael McCullers whose most high profile credit is the script for the most recent Austin Powers outing. He has a talent for outsized, broad comedy and he brings some of that to Baby Mama. Unfortunately, the mixture of McCullers broad comedy clashes with the straight laced character based comedy of Tina Fey and the two fail to mix.

Where Poehler is playing a very broad character, married for seven years, never having gotten pregnant yet hired as a surrogate? Fey plays Kate as straight as an arrow. Given a romance with Greg Kinnear, Fey shines and we see a glimpse of the movie that Baby Mama might have been with a different comic vision.

The odd couple bits between Fey and Poehler feels more like the forced concoction of marketers rather than the organic growth of a comic idea. Reteaming the SNL gal pals holds some appeal with younger audiences, there is no doubt of that, but in Baby Mama the reteaming happens at the expense of a story that had great potential as a romantic comedy.

Greg Kinnear, hidden entirely in the films commercials and trailers, drops in to show exactly what kind of movie Baby Mama might have been. As a juice bar owner who flirts up a storm with Fey before falling for her, without knowing of her baby fever, Kinnear shines with an easy smile and quick witted charm. When he and Tina Fey are together onscreen you want more of them and less of the broader, less believable antics of Poehler.

In essence Baby Mama wants to be a smart, funny romantic comedy but the distraction of Fey reteaming with Poehler prevented that and lead to this lame odd couple knock off despite numerous, obvious, pitfalls. Tina Fey remains somehow above even the lowest of the low moments of Baby Mama and thus the film isn't so bad as to be unwatchable but not quite good enough for me to recommend Baby Mama,.

What Happens in Vegas (2008) Movie Review: Predictable Rom-Com Wastes Kutcher and Diaz Chemistry

Directed by Tom Vaughan | Written by Dana Fox
Starring: Ashton Kutcher, Cameron Diaz, Lake Bell, Rob Corddry
Release Date: May 9, 2008

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Jump to: The Vegas Premise · The Courtroom Twist · The Rom-Com Trap · Final Verdict

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The Vegas Premise

Only in Vegas can two New York strangers get drunk, married, and $3 million richer in under 24 hours—or so the tourism board wants you to believe.

That’s the hook for What Happens in Vegas, a rom-com starring Ashton Kutcher as Jack and Cameron Diaz as Joy. A hotel mix-up throws them together; tequila does the rest. They wake up hitched.

The Courtroom Twist

Jack then “borrows” Joy’s quarter, hits a jackpot, and suddenly they’re fighting over three million bucks in court.

Enter eccentric judge Dennis Miller, who sentences them to six months of “hard marriage.” Quit early, and you forfeit the cash. Cue a War of the Roses–style sabotage fest as each tries to make the other crack.

The Rom-Com Trap

The film isn’t terrible; it’s just relentlessly predictable.

Kutcher and Diaz spark real chemistry—enough to make you wish the script trusted them with sharper material. Instead, every promising moment is steamrolled by slapstick and rom-com checklist beats: fake crisis, fake dawn, real crisis, real dawn. It’s as if Robert McKee ghost-wrote the third act.

Glimpses of something smarter keep peeking through—raw emotion, witty banter—but the movie races past them to the next pratfall or cliché. Kutcher and Diaz prove they can do more; the filmmakers just won’t let them.

Final Verdict

★★½☆☆
Chemistry can’t save a script on autopilot.

What a shame.

Check out more Rom-Com Reviews 
Made of Honor (2008)
Marry Me (2022) 
Oh Hi! (2025) 
Roxanne (1987) 

Movie Review Speed Racer

Speed Racer (2008) 

Directed by Lilly and Lana Wachowski

Written by Lilly and Lana Wachowski 

Starring Emile Hirsch, Matthew Fox, John Goodman, Susan Sarandon, Roger Allam

Release Date May 9th, 2008 

Published April 3rd, 2025 

YouTube video essayest Patrick H. Willems is dropping a new video, an epic defense of the remarkably underrated 2008 flop, Speed Racer. This visionary effort from Lana and Lily Wachowski was too far ahead of its time when it was released in 2008. It's no wonder that people who are revisiting Speed Racer today are finding that the film was, indeed a masterpiece far ahead of it's time. I watched and loved Patrick's essay on the creator owned streaming service, Nebula. It will be on YouTube soon as well. Subscribe to Patrick H. Willems on YouTube or subscribe to Nebula to watch this epic. Meanwhile, I decided to revisit my love for Speed Racer. 

The team behind The Matrix, Lana and Lilly Wachowski, had been away from the big screen for four years before they returned with Speed Racer. The film was their follow-up to what some saw as a disappointing pair of Matrix sequels. Regardless of the critics, those sequels were wildly successful, enough so that WB gave the Wachowski's a massive budget for Speed Racer while also taking a hands off approach to allowing the Wachowski's to make the movie they wanted to make, a big budget, wildly inventive adaptation of the boomer anime retro strip Speed Racer. They then turned that I.P into an eye popping effects extravaganza. This candy colored action-racing smorgasbord was a feast for the eyes and a triumph for modern special effects, that bombed at the box office.

Find my full length review at Geeks.Media, linked here. 

Movie Review Soul Surfer

Soul Surfer (2011) 

Directed by Sean McNamara

Written by Sean McNamara, Douglas Schwartz, Michael Berk

Starring AnnaSophia Robb, Carrie Underwood, Helen Hunt, Dennis Quaid

Release Date April 8th, 2011

Published April 8th, 2011

Bethany Hamilton's story is one of courage and perseverance deeply rooted in faith. Bethany's story of becoming a teenage surf champion, losing her arm in a shark attack and coming back to be a surf champion again is remarkable and with so many compelling elements in place it should have easily translated to a moving big screen experience.

Yet, we have "Soul Surfer" , a facile, dull witted take on Bethany's remarkable story. Terrific actors like AnnaSophia Robb, Academy Award winner Helen Hunt and leading man Dennis Quaid wilting in the face of a script so wildly simpleminded that only an amateur actor could have made any of it seem remotely real.

Underwood succeeds where the real actors fail

In fact, one amateur actress in the cast of "Soul Surfer," country music superstar Carrie Underwood, actually makes my point perfectly. Underwood succeeds where the real actors fail by blithely delivering her homily choked dialogue without affect and without the glaring obviousness of discomfort that the real actors are choking on.

AnnaSophia Robb is Bethany Hamilton. At 16 years old Bethany is a champion surfer in a family of surfers. Her father, Tom (Dennis Quaid) is her coach, her brother Noah (Ross Thomas) is her videographer and her mom Cheri is her biggest cheerleader. Bethany's best friend Alana (Lorraine Nicholson) is also her top surfing competitor.

Better as a documentary

Bethany was surfing with Alana, her brother and Alana's dad Holt (Kevin Sorbo) when a shark attacked and tore Bethany's arm off. This sequence of Soul Surfer is moving but once it ends we are thrust back into a story populated by stick figure versions of what we can only imagine are far more complex and interesting real people.

I have no doubt that a documentary about Bethany Hamilton would be thousands of times more interesting than anything in the shallow "Soul Surfer." This simplistic version of Bethany's story insults the audience and the real Bethany by delivering a superficial version of Bethany's extraordinary story.

Sticky, syrupy platitudes

Barely a moment of "Soul Surfer" rings true emotionally. Director Sean McNamara, who also wrote the script with the aid of several other writers, presents Bethany's story with such thick layers of sticky, syrupy platitude that it's a wonder any real emotion escapes the screen.

You could wait for "Soul Surfer" to come out on DVD but a more productive employment of your patience would have you wait for someone to license the footage of the real Bethany used over the closing credits of "Soul Surfer" for a documentary that might give her story the kind of telling it deserves.

Movie Review Sorry to Bother You

Sorry to Bother You (2018) 

Directed by Boots Riley

Written by Boots Riley 

Starring LaKeith Stanfield, Tessa Thompson, Danny Glover, Terry Crews, Patton Oswalt, Armie Hammer, David Cross, Steven Yuen, Omari Hardwick, Jermaine Fowler

Release Date July 6th, 2018

Published July 6th, 2018

Sorry to Bother You is among the most bracing and stupefying movies of this century. Directed by Boots Riley, no film aside from perhaps Get Out, has felt this alive in this moment of our shared American history. This absurdist masterpiece about identity politics, corporate greed, liberal guilt and moral licensing, works on so many unique levels of satire it can be hard to keep up with but it’s damn sure worth trying to keep up with.

Sorry to Bother You stars LaKeith Stanfield, a star of the aforementioned Get Out along with equally of the moment series Atlanta on FX. Stanfield plays Cassius Green, a lean and hungry young man, quite literally hungry, he has almost no money, who we meet as he attempts to lie himself into a new job. Cassius is applying to work at a telemarketing firm and once hired he finds himself struggling to make sales.

Then, an older telemarketer, Langston (Danny Glover), gives Cash some very important advice, use your white voice. Here’s where the transgressive kick of Sorry to Bother You kicks in. Immediately, Langston gets on the phone and the surreal voice of Steve Buscemi is coming out of the mouth of Danny Glover. Soon, Cash gives his white voice a shot and he’s a natural with the voice of David Cross laying over that of LaKeith Stanfield.

This is the first layer of the identity politics satire at play in Sorry to Bother You. It gets a great deal more intense after that, after Cash realizes how powerful he can be with his ultra-confident white voice. Soon, Cash is promoted to Power Caller and is working in a pampered office with a six figure salary while his friends, including Union organizer, Squeeze (Steven Yuen) and girlfriend, Detroit (Tessa Thompson) are left behind to try and fight for more pay without the power of Cash’s earning power to help their position.

Cash’s rise through the ranks is rapid and he soon catches the attention of the company’s biggest client, a slave labor corporation known as WorryFree. WorryFree CEO Steve Lift (Armie Hammer) is a psychotic mashup of Martin Shkrelli and Elon Musk, with just a dash of Jeff Bezos’ union busting egotism. Whether intentional or not, the notion of Worryfree signing workers to lifetime contracts that offer them room and board in exchange for permanent employment feels like a shot at Bezos and the conditions he’s rumored to have created for Amazon warehouse workers.

Then again, the way it is framed, the corporate satire could play off of any number of modern, soulless, labor busting CEOs. Where this satire winds up is a stunner of transgressive ideas that are terrifyingly and yet hilariously staged. Sorry to Bother You is wildly unpredictable  and boldly weird, a refreshingly artful and funny mix. A scene featuring a party at Lift’s house features one of the most explosive and uncomfortably real scenes I have ever witnessed.

The scene is textbook moral licensing, a concept wherein people, or a group of people, excuse their worst behaviors by doing something they feel is moral or selfless. In this case, allowing Cash into their world gives the white people at Lift’s party, in their minds, the moral license to ask him to demean himself and his race for their amusement and it's okay because they claim he is now one of their peers.

We aren’t finished though with the multiple levels of transgressive satire in Sorry to Bother You. Boots Riley turns social science into a gorgeous work of art. With an incredible cast that also includes a stellar performance by Tessa Thompson and a horrifyingly pitch perfect villain turn from Armie Hammer who combines the worst qualities of the billionaire class and amps them with eye-bulging energy.

President Calvin Coolidge famously said of D.W Griffith’s Birth of a Nation that it was “History written with lightning.” I’m taking that statement away from Griffith’s racist screed and giving it here to Boots Riley Sorry to Bother You. THIS is history written with lightning, just history that is in progress, as we speak. This film is a bolt of lightning to our collective soul, an electrifying and vital work of art.

The more we allow corporate greed to separate itself from moral guidance, the closer we get to Sorry to Bother You. The more we condone or fail to recognize moral licensing, the closer we get to the vision of Sorry to Bother You. We need to recognize these things and Sorry to Bother You is a clarion call to recognize these vital issues and its artfulness is a hilarious and horrifying guide to the kind of moral rot that could be our future if we fail to change.

Identity and politics and satire all in one package, Sorry to Bother You deserves Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor for Lakeith Stanfield, Best Supporting Actress for Tessa Thompson, Best Supporting Actor for Armie Hammer, Best Director for Boots Riley and Best Screenplay, among other awards. That’s how incredibly brilliant Sorry to Bother You is. I haven’t seen a movie this excitingly, scathingly, bravely, transgressive as this in my life and I am excited this exists.

Movie Review Sorority Row

Sorority Row (2009) 

Directed by Stewart Hendler 

Written by Josh Stolberg, Pete Goldfinger

Starring Briana Evigan, Leah Pipes, Rumer Willis, Jamie Chung, Audrina Partridge

Release Date September 11th, 2009 

Published September 12th, 2009

If you have seen the 90's horror flick I Know What You Did Last Summer then you have no reason to see Sorority Row. Aside from the more risque R-rating for Sorority Row the plots are basically the same: A group of attractive young people commit an accidental murder and attempt to cover it up and are subsequently stalked and murdered themselves. Choose the prettiest ones to survive and boom, same movie.

The girls of Theta Pi are the meanest mean girls on campus. Their parties are as legendary as their bitchiness and it is during a party that the bitchfest goes haywire. The boyfriend of one Theta gal has cheated. His punishment? His girlfriend and her sisters plan to fake her death right down to dumping her body down a mine shaft to cover it up. The joke goes too far when at the mine they talk of cutting up the body and the boyfriend goes first.

He stabs her in the chest with a tie iron and this time she's really dead. Rather than risk their futures as trophy brides and the best friend's of trophy brides; they decide to go ahead with the fake plan from before, the old' mine shaft drop. One sister is against it but when the remaining sisters frame her for the murder, she has no choice but to go along.

Cut to 8 months later, graduation night. The sister blamed has left the house but returns for the final night. As soon as she is reunited with her former friends bad things begin to happen. A texted photo of the tossed away tire iron, the appearance of the dead girl's jacket, oh and a series of murders in the sorority house, lead to the conclusion that either their late friend has risen from the grave (or shaft if you prefer) or somebody knows what they did last sorority mixer.

Not one surprise or twist lands in Sorority Row. If you can't see every telegraphed scare coming, you just aren't trying. Reading ahead in an actual copy of the script would be less obvious than the lame set ups of Sorority Row. Each character is dispatched in less and less interesting ways until we accrue just the right number of survivors appropriate for a sequel.

The is a less than stellar assemblage of beauties. Yes, all are attractive and in various states of undress from beginning to end but you can get that on any late night cable movie. The only thing notable about the cast is that Rumer Willis is the daughter of Bruce Willis and Demi Moore, Ashton's step-daughter. And, Audrina Partridge of the MTV un-reality series is the gal on the wrong end of the tire iron prank.

Otherwise, there isn't much to remember or give a damn about in Sorority Row. If you are in the mood for lame horror, rent I Know What You Did Last Summer. It's basically the same plot and that one, at the very least, is lifted by the talents of Jennifer Love Hewitt, Ryan Phillippe and Sarah Michele Gellar.

You can always catch Sorority Row at 3 Am on late night cable in a few months, a milieu appropriate for the film's tired attempts at sleaze horror. 

Movie Review Something Borrowed

Something Borrowed (2011) 

Directed by Luke Greenfield 

Written by Jennie Snyder Urman

Starring Ginnifer Goodwin, Kate Hudson, John Krasinski, Colin Egglesfield

Release Date May 6th, 2011 

Published May 6th, 2011

Ginnifer Goodwin stars in the new romantic comedy "Something Borrowed" as Rachel, a mousy gal who has long been bossed around by her best friend from childhood, Darcy (Kate Hudson). Despite being best friends Darcy unknowingly stole the love of Rachel's life Dex (Colin Egglesfield) and is going to marry him soon.

Cheaters

The marriage plans hit a bit of a speed bump when everyone has a little too much to drink and Rachel and Dex end up sleeping together. While they at first agree to keep things quiet, Dex eventually tells Rachel that he's in love with her while Rachel confesses the affair to her other best friend Ethan (John Krasinski.)

Weekends in the Hamptons

As all of this drama is happening oblivious Darcy invites everyone for weekend's in the Hamptons throughout the summer where Rachel is treated to listening to the soon to married couple have sex while she fights off the advances of Dex's skeevy cousin Marcus (Steve Howey). Will Dex tell Darcy he wants to leave her? Will Rachel tell her? Will Ethan tell her? Do you really care?

Secret revealed

By the time the secret was revealed in "Something Borrowed" I certainly didn't care. Director Luke Greenfield and writer Jennie Snyder's ingenious plan for trying to make us not hate Rachel for sleeping with her best friend's fiance is to make D'arcy so unbelievably self centered and obnoxious that we won't mind so much that she gets hurt.

Impossible to endure

The writing and direction however, only serve to make Ms. Hudson's performance almost impossible to endure and relieves the movie of anything emotional at stake. Darcy is so amazingly awful that we really don't mind so much when the two closest people in her life conspire against her. Who thought that was a good premise for a movie?

Prolonged agony

John Krasinski is the only modestly entertaining character in "Something Borrowed;" an island of reason and humor in a movie mostly devoid of both. Unfortunately, Krasinsky gets played off early in the final act and we are left with the three awful characters who prolong our agony for several long and irritating scenes.

"Something Borrowed" is one of the worst movies of 2011.

Movie Review Gulliver's Travels

Gulliver's Travels (2010) 

Directed by Rob Letterman

Written by Joe Stillman, Nicholas Stoller

Starring Jack Black, Jason Segal, Emily Blunt, Amanda Peet, Chris O'Dowd, Catherine Tate

Release Date December 25th, 2010 

Published Deember 25th, 2010

The thing about "Gulliver's Travels" is that there isn't all that much wrong with it and I still can't recommend it. The cast headed up by Jack Black is uniformly game and hard working. The story is a classic hence why Jonathan Swift's story has lingered for more than 200 years. So, what really kept me from liking this harmless, desperately wanting to be loved movie? I'm still working on that.

Gulliver (Jack Black) is the head of the mailroom at one of New York's largest newspapers. He's been at this job for a while, something that would not satisfy most adults. When Gulliver finds out that the new guy, Dan (T.J Miller), that he has trained for a single day is now his new boss, Gulliver vows to do something with his life.

That something is finally asking out the paper's travel editor Darcy (Amanda Peet) who Gulliver has had a crush on for years. Unfortunately, Gulliver chickens out on the asking out part and in his haste to escape social mortification accidentally backs into a writing assignment. After faking a writing sample Gulliver is off to Bermuda where the infamous triangle awaits.

Of course we know that soon after Gulliver boards his boat he will be arriving in Lilliput, the island home of the miniscule Lilliputians lead by King Benjamin (Billy Connelly), his daughter, Princess Mary (Emily Blunt) and her betrothed, General Edward (I.T Crowd genius Chris O'Dowd). After being captured by the General and imprisoned, Gulliver makes a friend, Horatio (Jason Segal) who happens to be Princess Mary's true love, imprisoned by the jealous General.

From that set up we get Gulliver becoming a hero defending Lilliput against other mini invaders, Horatio released from prison and wooing Mary with Gulliver's modern diffidence and the surprise arrival of Darcy in search of Gulliver after discovering his faked writing samples lifted from Fodor's among other sources.

There is a battle against a giant robot and an island where Gulliver is dwarfed by even larger beings. These ideas are introduced by director Rob Letterman and just sort of happen and are discarded. There is no lingering effect. Some of this stuff is funny, most of it might bring about a smile or a chuckle but mostly the humor of "Gulliver's Travels" evaporates as quickly as it appeared.

The thing is though; there is nothing really wrong with that. Chuckles and half smiles aren't bad when you want a minor distraction. A movie should aspire to a great deal more but when so many other movies rob audiences of life force, I'm looking at you Fockers, one is tempted to grab a giggle wherever you can find them.

Also, it's fair to say that "Gulliver's Travels" meets every expectation of its underwhelming trailer. Jack Black tumbles and riffs, Emily Blunt and Amanda Peet are pretty and the 3D is completely meaningless and unnecessary. Jack Black gets the same laughs in the movie that he does in the trailer and a few more half smiles and giggles here and there. It's everything the marketing promises.

I am hesitant to give even a half hearted recommendation to "Gulliver's Travels" in part because of a quote from the legendary, and greatly missed, Gene Siskel who once asked "Is this movie as good as a documentary about these same actors having lunch together?" Gulliver's Travels fails that test miserably. Listening into the lunch conversation of Jack Black, Jason Segal, Chris O'Dowd, Billy Connelly and Oscar nominee Emily Blunt would be infinitely more entertaining than "Gulliver's Travels."

Movie Review Somewhere

Somewhere (2010) 

Directed by Sophia Coppola 

Written by Sophia Coppola 

Starring Stephen Dorff, Elle Fanning

Release Date December 22nd, 2010 

Published December 18th, 2010 

A dejected movie star drives his car in circles for a 2 or 3 minutes to begin Sophia Coppola's “Somewhere” and things only grow more elegiac and confounding from there. Stephen Dorff stars in “Somewhere” as movie star Johnny Marco and for the first 20 minutes of the film he is a most irritating and off-putting presence. After the driving in circles we are treated to a scene of the despondent star in his posh Chateau Marmont apartment being entertained by twin strippers before he simply falls asleep watching them.

The scene is noisy and goes on and on and on with Marco never leaving the bed and the girls never leaving their poles until the end and only then to offer a kiss goodbye to the sleeping star. These scenes will test the patience of even the most forgiving fan of writer-director Sophia Coppola and yet as you stick with “Somewhere” something strange begins to happen. A strange fascination arises even as Johnny Marco barely rouses from his stupor.

Conventionally, the story kicks in when Johnny's pre-teen daughter Cleo (Elle Fanning) arrives for a visit. At first she is just a visitor and Johnny is welcoming but with an eye on the clock. After another interlude with the twins, Cleo returns, this time with plans to stay for a while longer. In a more typical story Johnny would be the diva father who learns how to be a better dad through the course of an adventure with his daughter. That however, is not this movie.

Sophia Coppola takes this story in a unique and fascinating direction by seeming to give it no direction at all. Somewhere has a hazy, dreamy feel and it builds fascination by avoiding the typical movie narrative expectations and instead allowing “Somewhere” to unfold in a mercurial fashion that feels natural even as nothing seems to be happening.

It's a daring approach as scenes begin with the chance that something might happen to break the dreamy monotony of this story and then the scene plays out and the dream continues. The ending is near perfection as it plays out in a way that fits the shapeless, prosaic nature of all that came before it. The ending is ambiguous and unusual and leaves the viewer wanting to know more and yet ready to leave Johnny Marco be.

”Somewhere” is one of the most divisive films of 2010. Many will walk out in the first 20 minutes; many will make it to the end and be left agape. But for those who find this film's groove and feel its vibe, “Somewhere” is a real trip, a memorable unendingly fascinating mind wipe that drifts away like fog lifting from your psyche. I hated “Somewhere” for a solid 20 minutes and by the end I loved it. If you can find the groove, you will love this movie too.

Movie Review: True Grit

True Grit (2010) 

Directed by The Coen Brothers

Written by The Coen Brothers 

Starring Matt Damon, Jeff Bridges, Hailee Steinfeld

Release Date December 22nd, 2010 

Published December 18th, 2010 

A strange thing has happened near the end of 2010. Some of the most daring and different directors are being tamed by the Hollywood system. Whether it's a moderation toward the notion crafted by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon years ago; 'One for them, one for me,' or merely an acceptance of the terms that Hollywood dictates to all filmmakers in these tough economic times, directors like David O. Russell (The Fighter) and John Cameron Mitchell (Rabbit Hole) have crafted their most conventional and studio friendly films in their esoteric careers.

The same could be said of the Coen Brothers whose latest film is a straight as an arrow adaptation of the Charles Portis novel “True Grit.” Though artful and entertaining, “True Grit” is easily the most straight-forward, audience friendly film in the otherwise odd and fascinating careers of Joel and Ethan Coen. There is nothing wrong with convention, especially when it is as moving and amusing as “True Grit.”

John Wayne won his only Oscar for Best Actor for his take on the role of Rooster Cogburn in 1969. 41 years later Jeff Bridges brings new energy and life to the role of the reprobate US Marshall Rooster Cogburn. Hired by 14 year old Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld) to track down the villain Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin) who killed her father, Cogburn never ceases being a debauched yet heroic man with strong wit and as Mattie recalls in voiceover, True Grit.

Joining Marshall Cogburn and Mattie on the trail of Chaney is Texas Ranger Lebeouf (Matt Damon). Having been on the trail of Chaney longer than Mattie, he intends to return Chaney to Texas for a reward a move that runs counter to Mattie's intent to have Chaney hanged in Arkansas. Lebeouf is also intent on convincing Mattie to return home something she refuses to her detriment as danger lurks around every turn of the bend.

True Grit is not the movie many may think it is. From the dark and foreboding trailer with its ominous Johnny Cash tune, "God's Gonna Cut You Down," that has been playing for the past six months, one would miss the fact that “True Grit” is witty and entertaining as it is violent. The PG-13 rating is far less misleading than the trailer, indeed “True Grit” is as safe and conventional as the John Wayne original.

Again, I know this reads like harsh criticism but it's more of an observation; it's surprising to see director's like the Coens make a movie as standard and practiced “True Grit.” The film has the skill of the typical Coen brand, the fabulous cinematography of Roger Deakins as well as the music of Carter Burwell, two regular Coen's contributors, but it does lack the Coen Brothers brand of quirk that has highlighted their best work from the beginning. 

Just as surprising however is how effective this standard approach is. Jeff Bridges delivers a Rooster Cogburn every bit as iconic as John Wayne's while young Hailee Steinfeld steals the film with her steely, thoughtful and sensitive performance. Matt Damon is highly effective in the role essayed by singer Glen Campbell. I could see Oscar nominations for each as well as for the directors, cinematographer and, if it hadn't been ruled ineligible, Carter Burwell's exceptional score. 

”True Grit” may be shockingly conventional as a film by the Coen Brothers but it is still a highly entertaining and in the end moving film populated by excellent performances. In a career that has spanned nearly the length of time since the original “True Grit,” Jeff Bridges has evolved from handsome charmer to leading man and now to elder statesman and perennial Oscar contender. “True Grit” may give Bridges back to back Oscars following last year's “Crazy Heart” as a deserving Best Actor winner. 

14 year old Hailee Steinfeld was found in a nationwide search, a remarkable find. Steinfeld stands toe to toe with Jeff Bridges and Matt Damon and more than holds her own even as she chews over ancient dialogue in a rhythm that even long time trained actors would struggle with. Steinfeld's performance alone would be enough to recommend “True Grit” but with Bridges, Damon and highly effective direction of the Coen Brothers, True Grit is more than merely recommended, it is a must see film.

Movie Review How Do You Know?

How Do You Know? (2010) 

Directed by James L. Brooks

Written by James L. Brooks 

Starring Paul Rudd, Reese Witherspoon, Owen Wilson, JackNicholson

Release Date December 17th, 2010 

Published December 17th, 2010

George (Paul Rudd) is an honest guy, he prides himself on that; too bad for George that his father Charles (Jack Nicholson) is not an honest guy. Worse yet for George, his dad is also his boss and his dishonesty now has George facing the prospect of a healthy prison stay. The how and the why are not well spelled out but we do know George is very likely to be indicted soon.

Lisa (Reese Witherspoon has just gotten some bad news of her own. She's just been cut from the US Women's Softball team and now must enter the real world of jobs and other such things. Cushioning the blow is a frivolous relationship with Matty (Owen Wilson) a multi-millionaire major league ballplayer with monogamy issues. Sure, Matty is no good cheat but he is sweet and surprisingly honest about his proclivities.

These two downtrodden people, George and Lisa stumble over one another amidst the chaos of their lives and after an awful sort of date, she's seeing Matty still, they seem to part ways for good. Ah but this being a romantic comedy we know a chance encounter will reunite them and when that chance comes indeed the romance begins.

Where is all of this going you might wonder, I know I did. Well, keep wondering; veteran writer-director James L. Brooks has a lot of ideas going into the romantic comedy “How Do You Know” but not much of an idea where any of it should go. We know he likes these characters and he and this terrific cast are good at getting us to like these characters but there really isn’t much beyond that likeability.

The trouble comes with Nicholson and Wilson's supporting characters. Both are more colorful and humorous than the two leads. They are the one's driving the story for the two leads who seem only to react to what they do instead of reacting to each other. It's not that Rudd and Witherspoon lack chemistry, they are cute together, rather it's that they aren't as interesting as Nicholson and Wilson who have more to play with in the colorful 'bad guy' roles.

Bad guys are a stretch, they are merely less restrained by the morality of right and wrong. They are roguish and their willingness to ignore the rules is more interesting than Rudd's scrupulous good guy and Witherspoon's needy mess. Unfortunately, even as they are more interesting they also lack emotional heft because their bad deeds are portrayed as charming and carry no real stakes.

”How Do You Know” could use some stakes. There seems to be nothing really on the line for these characters. Sure, George could be going to jail but it never really seems likely that will happen. The payoff of George’s possible indictment is handled in a most unbelievable fashion but it does lead to one of Jack Nicholson’s biggest laughs ever, one he earns with just a flicker of his face.

It’s not that “How Do You Know” is a bad movie, the actor’s involved are far too enjoyable for this to be a bad movie. It’s just that it’s not a very good movie. The story carries no stakes and the narrative is flabby, carrying a lot of unnecessary supporting players who, though almost as charming as the leads, add little to the story. Katherine Hahn is wonderful as Rudd’s assistant/best friend and Mark Linn Baker is funny in an odd way as one of Nicholson’s cronies but the film pauses to give both time that could have been better spent tightening up the main story.

My guess is James L. Brooks fell in love with a lot of the superfluous laughs these characters earn in “How Do You Know” and lost track of the fact that the overall story was weak. Sure, he finds the laughs, he finds the heartfelt moments but they are all just pieces that fail to create a complete puzzle.

I can recommend “How Do You Know” for the less discerning fans of romantic comedies and of these charming actors but you have to keep the expectations low. “How Do You Know” is not as sharp as James L. Brooks’ “Broadcast News” or as endearing as “As Good As It Gets” but it has a number of strong moments, a few big laughs and a cast filled with charmers.

I wanted more from “How Do You Know,” a more satisfying emotional payoff would have been nice, but on deftness alone it gets by for a partial recommendation.

Movie Review: Yogi Bear

Yogi Bear (2010) 

Directed by Eric Brevig

Written by Brad Copeland, Joshua Sternin, Jeffrey Ventimilia 

Starring Dan Akroyd, Justin Timberlake, Anna Faris, Tom Cavanaugh, T.J Miller

Release Date December 17th, 2010 

Published December 19th, 2010

Straight to the point, Yogi is a talking bear living in Jellystone Park with his pal Boo Boo. Together, they execute radical schemes to steal picnic baskets, or in Yogi's parlance 'pic a nik' baskets, from park patrons. Attempting to stop them is Ranger Smith (Tom Cavanaugh) and his doofusy second in command Ranger Jones (T.J Smith). Along for the ride is a nature documentarian named Rachel (Anna Faris) with whom Ranger Smith has puppy dog crush.

Those are the good guys just having fun with Yogi's shenanigans while keeping the park open. The bad guys are Mayor Brown (Andrew Daly) and his sycophant Chief of Staff (Nate Corddry). They plan to plug the holes they created in the budget with their extravagant spending by closing Jellystone Park and selling the forest to logging interests.

Naturally, the good guys will have to try and stop the bad guys and along the way many more shenanigans will occur, people and bears will fall down and big laughs will be had by all. Give credit to director Eric Brevig, his narrative is clean, concise and to the point. That's better than a lot of other kid’s movies that waste a lot of time just to fill feature length.

So, is “Yogi Bear” funny? Yes, at times all of the goofy effects come together to create moments that you cannot help but laugh at. Also, Tom Cavanaugh is an actor that, for me anyway, has an endless amount of charm even when saddled with a CGI talking bear and T.J Miller. Anna Faris is sweet and cute and can pull off a pretty good flying tackle while pretending to be a snow leopard, I'm not kidding.

There are minor pleasures to be found in “Yogi Bear,” not the least of which is in the special effects which have become so commonplace that even an effect as ridiculous as Yogi and Boo Boo melts into the background and becomes unquestionably part of the action. I'm not saying the effects are great but merely that you can accept them with ease and that's rather something isn't it.

In the end, you could take your kids to something far worse than “Yogi Bear” a goofy but inoffensive little movie with an appealing cast, a few minor laughs and best of all, a throwback cartoon short at the beginning. Right in front of Yogi is a terrific little Roadrunner and Wile E. Coyote cartoon that puts you in just the right mood for the low watt loopiness of “Yogi Bear.”