Story
Frank Beardsley (Dennis Quaid) is a widowed Admiral from the U.S. Coast Guard with eight kids and one hell of a regiment. In fact, you could call him downright anal retentive when it comes to raising his children. Meanwhile, his poor kids ardently hope that someday they’ll land somewhere permanently. They get their wish when Frank runs into Helen North (Renee Russo), his former high school sweetheart. Helen is also widowed, a free-spirited handbag designer with 10 kids who takes a more relaxed approach to parenting. Deciding its fate they’ve been reunited, the two get married without their combined 18 children knowing about it. When the kids find out that their lives are about to drastically change, all 18 of them band together to break up their parents--but learn a few life lessons instead. Sweet, isn’t it?
Acting
Watching Russo is always such a treat. Even grappling with a script like Yours, Mine and Ours, she manages to make the most of her eccentric, flustered character. Quaid, on the other hand, deviates little from the character he played in The Parent Trap, or The Rookie or any other movie he’s been in lately. If you have seen one of his movies, you’ve seen them all. Thankfully, the kids are the best part of the movie, each of them finding a way to endear themselves. The youngest two kids--Ethan Beardsley (Ty Panitz) and Aldo North (Nicholas Roget-King)--are the most entertaining to watch because they are so young and naïve. Whether they are getting in trouble for something their older siblings put them up to, or fearing the “hammer” (aka the Admiral’s discipline plan), they bring some welcomed relief in the otherwise stale comedy.
Direction
Director Raja Gosnell, best known for helming comedies such as Scooby Doo, Big Momma's House and Never Been Kissed, should know have known better than to try to resurrect and remold the Lucille Ball/Henry Fonda1968 original. It just isn’t necessary. To start with, the story, which is based on the real Helen North Beardsley’s book Who Gets the Last Drumstick?, isn’t all that entertaining. It’s also a little dated for these modern times, especially when we’ve seen the same material covered in far better films such as Parenthood. But at least Gosnell knows how to highlight the calamity of having 20 people together in one house--a house which also includes two large dogs and a pot-bellied pig. Yeah, a pig. Whether it’s a paint fight among the family, or a party among the older kids, Gosnell puts you inside this zoo the Beardsley-Norths call home. Just be glad you don’t live in it yourself.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Zack and Miri Make a Porno
Story
On the surface, Kevin Smith has crafted a clever concept, a ragtag group attempts to make a porno film in order to get some quick cash. The underlying story is the platonic relationship between roommates Zack (Seth Rogen) and Miri (Elizabeth Banks), whose friendship goes to a whole new level once they find themselves out of cash and decide to cast themselves in their own triple XXX film. After meeting a gay adult film actor at a party, Zack comes up with the get-rich quick idea to make a porn movie, enlisting Miri’s help and convincing her that it will not affect their friendship. They set about casting the rest of the film with a disparate group of participants, including the very self confident sex maniac Lester (Jason Mewes), superstud Barry (Ricky Mabe), gorgeous blonde bombshell Stacey (adult film icon Katie Morgan), and daring, kinky Bubbles (legendary Traci Lords). What seemed like a simple proposition turns complicated when Zack and Miri, in the heat of simulated lovemaking and in front of the whole crew, discover they may be more than just friends.
Acting
Even considering his great work in Knocked Up, Zack is Rogen’s most accomplished character to date, a lovable loser who uses last-ditch initiative to turn his life around and in the process discovers more than he ever bargained for. Chemistry is a tricky thing, but Rogen certainly has it in spades with co-star Banks, who takes what could have been a broadly sketched role and turns Miri into a three-dimensional woman who doesn’t even realize her true soul mate may be right under her nose --literally. You root for these two all the way. The wonderful supporting cast is unique, to say the least, including adult film star Katie Morgan, making her mainstream debut as the ditzy Stacey. After some 200 “real” XXX films, she graduates to the big leagues in style and shows she may have a future outside of her niche. Lords, who made that leap some time ago, niftily sends up her own former image and shows fine comic chops and a willingness to dress deliciously inappropriately. As for the guys, Mabe is very funny, but Jason Mewes (Jay of Jay and Silent Bob), lets loose with a hilarious and totally uninhibited portrayal of a sex addicted tattooed dude willing and able to do anything on camera. Also nearly stealing the show is The Office’s Craig Robinson, a married crew member who is excited to help out buddy Zack because he wants to see “titties.” And in extended cameos, Justin Long, as a gay porn star, and Superman Brandon Routh have a great time sending up their straight movie images, playing bickering boyfriends.
Direction
Kevin Smith has always gone for the jugular, challenging the ratings boards and pushing the envelope in his films ever since the classic “dirty movie” Clerks made him famous. But not since his early films, such as Chasing Amy, has he showed such style and maturity as a filmmaker as he does in Zack and Miri, his most outrageously hilarious and accomplished movie to date. Yes, he does continue going for shock value (there’s a laugh-out-loud moment involving a certain bodily function, natch), but his story is grounded in reality, recognizably human and engaging. He milks this genius comic premise for all its worth but gives it an extra dimension that makes it different, unexpected and finally memorable. Mostly though, it’s just plain fun.
On the surface, Kevin Smith has crafted a clever concept, a ragtag group attempts to make a porno film in order to get some quick cash. The underlying story is the platonic relationship between roommates Zack (Seth Rogen) and Miri (Elizabeth Banks), whose friendship goes to a whole new level once they find themselves out of cash and decide to cast themselves in their own triple XXX film. After meeting a gay adult film actor at a party, Zack comes up with the get-rich quick idea to make a porn movie, enlisting Miri’s help and convincing her that it will not affect their friendship. They set about casting the rest of the film with a disparate group of participants, including the very self confident sex maniac Lester (Jason Mewes), superstud Barry (Ricky Mabe), gorgeous blonde bombshell Stacey (adult film icon Katie Morgan), and daring, kinky Bubbles (legendary Traci Lords). What seemed like a simple proposition turns complicated when Zack and Miri, in the heat of simulated lovemaking and in front of the whole crew, discover they may be more than just friends.
Acting
Even considering his great work in Knocked Up, Zack is Rogen’s most accomplished character to date, a lovable loser who uses last-ditch initiative to turn his life around and in the process discovers more than he ever bargained for. Chemistry is a tricky thing, but Rogen certainly has it in spades with co-star Banks, who takes what could have been a broadly sketched role and turns Miri into a three-dimensional woman who doesn’t even realize her true soul mate may be right under her nose --literally. You root for these two all the way. The wonderful supporting cast is unique, to say the least, including adult film star Katie Morgan, making her mainstream debut as the ditzy Stacey. After some 200 “real” XXX films, she graduates to the big leagues in style and shows she may have a future outside of her niche. Lords, who made that leap some time ago, niftily sends up her own former image and shows fine comic chops and a willingness to dress deliciously inappropriately. As for the guys, Mabe is very funny, but Jason Mewes (Jay of Jay and Silent Bob), lets loose with a hilarious and totally uninhibited portrayal of a sex addicted tattooed dude willing and able to do anything on camera. Also nearly stealing the show is The Office’s Craig Robinson, a married crew member who is excited to help out buddy Zack because he wants to see “titties.” And in extended cameos, Justin Long, as a gay porn star, and Superman Brandon Routh have a great time sending up their straight movie images, playing bickering boyfriends.
Direction
Kevin Smith has always gone for the jugular, challenging the ratings boards and pushing the envelope in his films ever since the classic “dirty movie” Clerks made him famous. But not since his early films, such as Chasing Amy, has he showed such style and maturity as a filmmaker as he does in Zack and Miri, his most outrageously hilarious and accomplished movie to date. Yes, he does continue going for shock value (there’s a laugh-out-loud moment involving a certain bodily function, natch), but his story is grounded in reality, recognizably human and engaging. He milks this genius comic premise for all its worth but gives it an extra dimension that makes it different, unexpected and finally memorable. Mostly though, it’s just plain fun.
Zoolander
Story
Once the world's most famous male model, Derek Zoolander (Ben Stiller) finds his star waning when he's edged out of the VH-1 Male Model of the Year award by his arch rival, the kooky, new-age, hippie model Hansel (Owen Wilson). Rejected and dejected, Zoolander embarks on a quest to find himself and finds an unlikely companion in the brainy reporter (Christine Taylor) who helped bring about his downfall with her Time expose. But others have their own diabolical plan for Zoolander in the works--namely, the evil fashion designer Mugatu (Will Ferrell) and Zoolander's own agent, Maury Ballstein of Balls Models (Jerry Stiller). Mugatu, fearing the Malaysian prime minister will raise the minimum wage and thus drive up costs in the fashion industry, is scheming to have Zoolander hypnotized into killing the prime minister.
Acting
Zoolander and Hansel are about as deep as a lake on the moon, but Stiller and Wilson ham up their dumb-himbo roles without being too in on the joke as the modeling industry is spoofed mercilessly. Somehow it's not so far-fetched to imagine Mugatu's haute couture "Derelicte" line, the "look of the homeless," being sold at a Saks near you this fall. Blonde, corseted, and bearing a frightening resemblance to Prodigy's lead singer, Ferrell manages (for once) to be both over-the-top and funny as the villainous über designer who became a fashion prodigy after creating the piano-key necktie. Taylor (a dead ringer for a grown-up Marcia Brady) as diligent journo Matilda is the film's straight man, but keeps up with the boys' pace and pulls off some great reaction shots--watch as she incredulously rebuffs Zoolander after he makes the assumption she wants to sleep with him.
Direction
In addition to co-writing and starring, Stiller also directed this piece of slapstick fluff that he and writing partner Drake Sather created out of their 1996 VH1 Fashion Awards sketch. The very idea that Stiller and Wilson could be two of the world's top supermodels is a funny enough premise on its own (although it leads to one rather frightening thought: are male models such cultural centerpieces that spoofing them warrants an entire movie?). Well, whatever; its all in silly fun, anyway. Some of the jokes don't stick and a few are overlong, but most work--the Thriller style showdown, a "walk-off" between the two to determine once and for all who's tops, is a belly-busting bit of comic genius. When Stiller's on, he's on. Just try to refrain from looking for the World Trade Center in the shots of New York City.
Once the world's most famous male model, Derek Zoolander (Ben Stiller) finds his star waning when he's edged out of the VH-1 Male Model of the Year award by his arch rival, the kooky, new-age, hippie model Hansel (Owen Wilson). Rejected and dejected, Zoolander embarks on a quest to find himself and finds an unlikely companion in the brainy reporter (Christine Taylor) who helped bring about his downfall with her Time expose. But others have their own diabolical plan for Zoolander in the works--namely, the evil fashion designer Mugatu (Will Ferrell) and Zoolander's own agent, Maury Ballstein of Balls Models (Jerry Stiller). Mugatu, fearing the Malaysian prime minister will raise the minimum wage and thus drive up costs in the fashion industry, is scheming to have Zoolander hypnotized into killing the prime minister.
Acting
Zoolander and Hansel are about as deep as a lake on the moon, but Stiller and Wilson ham up their dumb-himbo roles without being too in on the joke as the modeling industry is spoofed mercilessly. Somehow it's not so far-fetched to imagine Mugatu's haute couture "Derelicte" line, the "look of the homeless," being sold at a Saks near you this fall. Blonde, corseted, and bearing a frightening resemblance to Prodigy's lead singer, Ferrell manages (for once) to be both over-the-top and funny as the villainous über designer who became a fashion prodigy after creating the piano-key necktie. Taylor (a dead ringer for a grown-up Marcia Brady) as diligent journo Matilda is the film's straight man, but keeps up with the boys' pace and pulls off some great reaction shots--watch as she incredulously rebuffs Zoolander after he makes the assumption she wants to sleep with him.
Direction
In addition to co-writing and starring, Stiller also directed this piece of slapstick fluff that he and writing partner Drake Sather created out of their 1996 VH1 Fashion Awards sketch. The very idea that Stiller and Wilson could be two of the world's top supermodels is a funny enough premise on its own (although it leads to one rather frightening thought: are male models such cultural centerpieces that spoofing them warrants an entire movie?). Well, whatever; its all in silly fun, anyway. Some of the jokes don't stick and a few are overlong, but most work--the Thriller style showdown, a "walk-off" between the two to determine once and for all who's tops, is a belly-busting bit of comic genius. When Stiller's on, he's on. Just try to refrain from looking for the World Trade Center in the shots of New York City.
Bee Movie
Story
Unlike a certain star/co-writer/producer’s namesake sitcom, Bee Movie is not about nothing. When we first meet Barry B. Benson (voice of Jerry Seinfeld), he is about to graduate to a full-blown honey-making bumblebee—class of 9:15! But he soon learns that the nectar of bees’ labor isn’t doing all the good he’d always imagined. For his first venture out of the hive, Barry hitches a ride with the “pollen jocks” to do some work on a sunflower. Entranced by what he thinks is a flower, Barry buzzes his way down and grabs hold—only to discover that it is a tennis ball, to which he is now stuck. After being catapulted to freedom from the ball’s fuzz and ricocheting throughout all of Manhattan, he winds up in an apartment belonging to Vanessa (voice of Renee Zellweger) and her boyfriend Ken (voice of Patrick Warburton). Vanessa saves Barry from Ken’s wrath, which leads to a long-lasting friendship between them, even though Barry committed the sin of talking to a human. However, Barry’s eyes become wide open to her fellow humans’ frivolous extraction and usage of honey and vows to sue humankind—and he wins. But the victory becomes bittersweet and a hard-learned lesson for Barry on how honey, in a way, makes the world go ‘round.
Acting
Man, this Seinfeld guy really has some friends in high places! Seemingly his whole Hollywood Rolodex laid down some vocals for Bee Movie, even though you’ll only recognize the ones who "play" themselves—and, of course, Chris Rock. The comic and Seinfeld crony, whose high voice and energy are perfect for animation, is probably the best of the bunch, playing a mosquito in peril named Mooseblood. But the A-list voices don’t end there: Matthew Broderick, Oprah, Larry Miller, Megan Mullally, Rip Torn and Michael Richards are among the heard but not seen, while Sting, Ray Liotta and Larry King hilariously poke fun at their flesh-and-blood selves. Seinfeld himself, however, is often hit-or-miss as the animated protagonist. He’s funniest when going on a somewhat tangential rant, as Barry tends to do, but delivering straight lines and tangibility his target audience can relate to are a bit of a stretch. Zellweger’s acting style, while great in live action, is even less fit for animation. As Barry’s friend with hints of bee-human romance, she is rather bland and even seems out of sync at times with her character’s expressions.
Direction
Perhaps we’ve just been spoiled by the Ratatouilles of the animated-film world, but Bee Movie has nothing on the field’s leaders. You’d expect a little something more from Seinfeld, who co-wrote (with Spike Feresten, Barry Marder and Andy Robin), produced and altogether shepherded Bee—maybe a “What’s the deal with…?” nod to his stand-up faithful, or more making-a-fuss-over-nothing rants, or just overall edgier comedy—but he goes straight for the tyke demographic and his style doesn’t quite seem to be on children’s wavelength. It’s often funny, with occasionally sharp jibes on the animal kingdom (is there any other kind of premise for an animated movie these days?), but rarely witty. And when the movie takes a Happy Feet-like preachy twist towards the end, it’ll be too sappy-sweet for even the ones in your lap. Visually, directors Steve Hickner and Simon Smith’s movie doesn’t really approach Pixar’s work, but they make up for it with fun rollercoaster routes through the skies and skyscrapers of Manhattan. All in all, Bee Movie’s large team of writers and directors scrape together enough for kids to enjoy, but kids these days have come to expect more than just “enough” from their animated movies.
Unlike a certain star/co-writer/producer’s namesake sitcom, Bee Movie is not about nothing. When we first meet Barry B. Benson (voice of Jerry Seinfeld), he is about to graduate to a full-blown honey-making bumblebee—class of 9:15! But he soon learns that the nectar of bees’ labor isn’t doing all the good he’d always imagined. For his first venture out of the hive, Barry hitches a ride with the “pollen jocks” to do some work on a sunflower. Entranced by what he thinks is a flower, Barry buzzes his way down and grabs hold—only to discover that it is a tennis ball, to which he is now stuck. After being catapulted to freedom from the ball’s fuzz and ricocheting throughout all of Manhattan, he winds up in an apartment belonging to Vanessa (voice of Renee Zellweger) and her boyfriend Ken (voice of Patrick Warburton). Vanessa saves Barry from Ken’s wrath, which leads to a long-lasting friendship between them, even though Barry committed the sin of talking to a human. However, Barry’s eyes become wide open to her fellow humans’ frivolous extraction and usage of honey and vows to sue humankind—and he wins. But the victory becomes bittersweet and a hard-learned lesson for Barry on how honey, in a way, makes the world go ‘round.
Acting
Man, this Seinfeld guy really has some friends in high places! Seemingly his whole Hollywood Rolodex laid down some vocals for Bee Movie, even though you’ll only recognize the ones who "play" themselves—and, of course, Chris Rock. The comic and Seinfeld crony, whose high voice and energy are perfect for animation, is probably the best of the bunch, playing a mosquito in peril named Mooseblood. But the A-list voices don’t end there: Matthew Broderick, Oprah, Larry Miller, Megan Mullally, Rip Torn and Michael Richards are among the heard but not seen, while Sting, Ray Liotta and Larry King hilariously poke fun at their flesh-and-blood selves. Seinfeld himself, however, is often hit-or-miss as the animated protagonist. He’s funniest when going on a somewhat tangential rant, as Barry tends to do, but delivering straight lines and tangibility his target audience can relate to are a bit of a stretch. Zellweger’s acting style, while great in live action, is even less fit for animation. As Barry’s friend with hints of bee-human romance, she is rather bland and even seems out of sync at times with her character’s expressions.
Direction
Perhaps we’ve just been spoiled by the Ratatouilles of the animated-film world, but Bee Movie has nothing on the field’s leaders. You’d expect a little something more from Seinfeld, who co-wrote (with Spike Feresten, Barry Marder and Andy Robin), produced and altogether shepherded Bee—maybe a “What’s the deal with…?” nod to his stand-up faithful, or more making-a-fuss-over-nothing rants, or just overall edgier comedy—but he goes straight for the tyke demographic and his style doesn’t quite seem to be on children’s wavelength. It’s often funny, with occasionally sharp jibes on the animal kingdom (is there any other kind of premise for an animated movie these days?), but rarely witty. And when the movie takes a Happy Feet-like preachy twist towards the end, it’ll be too sappy-sweet for even the ones in your lap. Visually, directors Steve Hickner and Simon Smith’s movie doesn’t really approach Pixar’s work, but they make up for it with fun rollercoaster routes through the skies and skyscrapers of Manhattan. All in all, Bee Movie’s large team of writers and directors scrape together enough for kids to enjoy, but kids these days have come to expect more than just “enough” from their animated movies.
Alien: The Director's Cut
Story
When Alien was released almost a quarter of a century ago, moviegoers lapped it up to the tune of $78.9 million--enough to make it the second highest grossing film of that year. Renowned film critic Pauline Kael, who wrote about the Alien phenomenon in The New Yorker, noted: "It was more gripping than entertaining, but a lot of people didn't mind. They thought it was terrific, because at least they'd felt something; they'd been brutalized." Now, in an era utterly saturated with the genre, the film still assaults audiences on a level that has yet to be matched. The story in Alien: The Director's Cut remains the same: seven crewmembers of the commercial ship Nostromo are awakened from their cryo-sleep capsules halfway through their journey home to investigate an S.O.S. distress call from an alien vessel. Unbeknownst to crew, the distress call is actually a warning. When three crewmembers leave to investigate the abandoned ship, they unsuspectingly allow an alien life to board the Nostromo, a galactic horror that begins to kill the crew one by one--leaving only one exceptionally tough woman.
Acting
Ellen Ripley (a very young Sigourney Weaver), who leads the fight for survival against the alien, has to date returned for three sequels: James Cameron's 1986 Aliens, which earned Weaver an Oscar nomination for Best Actress, David Fincher's 1992 Alien3, and Jean-Pierre Jeunet's 1997 Alien Resurrection. For fans who have followed Ripley's evolution from a by-the-book crewmember to a hybrid, half-alien, half-human clone, it's exciting to revisit the roots of her character and understand what fuels her revenge. The rest of the ensemble, including Tom Skerritt as Captain Dallas, Veronica Cartwright as Lambert, Harry Dean Stanton as Brett, John Hurt as Kane, Ian Holm as Ash and Yaphet Kotto as Parker, seems just as appropriately cast today as it probably did then, and even 25 years later the crew of the Nostromo doesn't look like a '70s interpretation of futuristic space workers.
Direction
To revisit the set of Alien's Nostromo, director Ridley Scott (Matchstick Men) and his team of archivists sifted through hundreds of boxes of film footage discovered in a London vault. From this material, unseen in almost 25 years, Scott selected new footage, which then underwent digital restoration, matching it to Alien's newly polished negative. The result is six minutes of additional footage, which goes to show how little improving the original film needed. The most palpable addition is a scene in which Ripley stumbles upon "the nest," where she discovers that her crewmates have been cocooned by the alien. But the rest of Scott's additional footage is so subtle that even diehard Alien fans will have a difficult time pinpointing the new material, which consists mainly of new shots of the slimy and metallic alien. The Director's Cut also features a brand-new six-track digital stereo mix, which strengthens the film's slow but intense cadence with its pulsating beats. But remastered or not, the film remains as gripping today as it was when it was first released in 1979.
When Alien was released almost a quarter of a century ago, moviegoers lapped it up to the tune of $78.9 million--enough to make it the second highest grossing film of that year. Renowned film critic Pauline Kael, who wrote about the Alien phenomenon in The New Yorker, noted: "It was more gripping than entertaining, but a lot of people didn't mind. They thought it was terrific, because at least they'd felt something; they'd been brutalized." Now, in an era utterly saturated with the genre, the film still assaults audiences on a level that has yet to be matched. The story in Alien: The Director's Cut remains the same: seven crewmembers of the commercial ship Nostromo are awakened from their cryo-sleep capsules halfway through their journey home to investigate an S.O.S. distress call from an alien vessel. Unbeknownst to crew, the distress call is actually a warning. When three crewmembers leave to investigate the abandoned ship, they unsuspectingly allow an alien life to board the Nostromo, a galactic horror that begins to kill the crew one by one--leaving only one exceptionally tough woman.
Acting
Ellen Ripley (a very young Sigourney Weaver), who leads the fight for survival against the alien, has to date returned for three sequels: James Cameron's 1986 Aliens, which earned Weaver an Oscar nomination for Best Actress, David Fincher's 1992 Alien3, and Jean-Pierre Jeunet's 1997 Alien Resurrection. For fans who have followed Ripley's evolution from a by-the-book crewmember to a hybrid, half-alien, half-human clone, it's exciting to revisit the roots of her character and understand what fuels her revenge. The rest of the ensemble, including Tom Skerritt as Captain Dallas, Veronica Cartwright as Lambert, Harry Dean Stanton as Brett, John Hurt as Kane, Ian Holm as Ash and Yaphet Kotto as Parker, seems just as appropriately cast today as it probably did then, and even 25 years later the crew of the Nostromo doesn't look like a '70s interpretation of futuristic space workers.
Direction
To revisit the set of Alien's Nostromo, director Ridley Scott (Matchstick Men) and his team of archivists sifted through hundreds of boxes of film footage discovered in a London vault. From this material, unseen in almost 25 years, Scott selected new footage, which then underwent digital restoration, matching it to Alien's newly polished negative. The result is six minutes of additional footage, which goes to show how little improving the original film needed. The most palpable addition is a scene in which Ripley stumbles upon "the nest," where she discovers that her crewmates have been cocooned by the alien. But the rest of Scott's additional footage is so subtle that even diehard Alien fans will have a difficult time pinpointing the new material, which consists mainly of new shots of the slimy and metallic alien. The Director's Cut also features a brand-new six-track digital stereo mix, which strengthens the film's slow but intense cadence with its pulsating beats. But remastered or not, the film remains as gripping today as it was when it was first released in 1979.
Taken
Story
Move over Jason, Taken is the best action movie since The Bourne Ultimatum and, in fact, seems to be inspired by the frenetic nonstop pacing of that huge international franchise. Neeson plays a tough-as-nails former government operative who now helps out doing special security gigs, such as protecting a Madonna-like rock star (Holly Valance). His whole life now revolves around his teenage daughter (Maggie Grace), who enlists her mother and Dad’s ex-wife (Famke Janssen) to get his permission to let her go on an unsupervised European holiday with her best friend (Katie Cassidy). All hell breaks loose when the two are kidnapped in Paris and sold into a sexual slavery ring, and Dad flies off to get her back.
Acting
Although great action stars are few and far between these days, Neeson proves he’s got what it takes to put both Daniel Craig and Matt Damon to shame. If anything. his character here is too good. He’s a kick-ass guy who uses the latest technologies and good old fashioned smarts to track down anyone who gets in his way. Like the Bourne movies, it’s essentially a two-hour chase through Europe -- and it works because Neeson not only can dispatch bad guys in style, there’s also a Death Wish-like emotional underpinning to the role of a father who works desperately against the clock to save his daughter from unspeakable terror. And while it’s Neeson’s show, the ladies in his life -- including Grace and Janssen -- are fine, too. The villains are mainly stock characters but fun to watch as they meet their match -- and then some.
Direction
From a script co-written by producer Luc Besson, an action director in his own right, French director Pierre Morel more than meets the promise he showed in the widely acclaimed thriller, District B13. After a brief set-up, he never lets the action wane for even a minute. If someone is looking for a director for the next Bond or Bourne films, this is your guy.
Move over Jason, Taken is the best action movie since The Bourne Ultimatum and, in fact, seems to be inspired by the frenetic nonstop pacing of that huge international franchise. Neeson plays a tough-as-nails former government operative who now helps out doing special security gigs, such as protecting a Madonna-like rock star (Holly Valance). His whole life now revolves around his teenage daughter (Maggie Grace), who enlists her mother and Dad’s ex-wife (Famke Janssen) to get his permission to let her go on an unsupervised European holiday with her best friend (Katie Cassidy). All hell breaks loose when the two are kidnapped in Paris and sold into a sexual slavery ring, and Dad flies off to get her back.
Acting
Although great action stars are few and far between these days, Neeson proves he’s got what it takes to put both Daniel Craig and Matt Damon to shame. If anything. his character here is too good. He’s a kick-ass guy who uses the latest technologies and good old fashioned smarts to track down anyone who gets in his way. Like the Bourne movies, it’s essentially a two-hour chase through Europe -- and it works because Neeson not only can dispatch bad guys in style, there’s also a Death Wish-like emotional underpinning to the role of a father who works desperately against the clock to save his daughter from unspeakable terror. And while it’s Neeson’s show, the ladies in his life -- including Grace and Janssen -- are fine, too. The villains are mainly stock characters but fun to watch as they meet their match -- and then some.
Direction
From a script co-written by producer Luc Besson, an action director in his own right, French director Pierre Morel more than meets the promise he showed in the widely acclaimed thriller, District B13. After a brief set-up, he never lets the action wane for even a minute. If someone is looking for a director for the next Bond or Bourne films, this is your guy.
Underworld: The Rise of the Lycans
Story
Taking the bare bones of The Ten Commandments and Romeo and Juliet, this pedestrian tale explains the origins of Lucian (Michael Sheen), a “Lycan” (read: lycanthrope), who served the vicious vampire king Viktor (Bill Nighy) but would eventually lead a revolt of his fellow Lycans (read: slaves) after his illicit affair with Viktor’s daughter Sonja (Rhona Mitra) was revealed. From this, the war between vampires and werewolves would be waged for generations to come, depicted in Underworld and Underworld: Evolution. Those unfamiliar with the previous films might be a little lost here, and it’s highly unlikely that Rise of the Lycans will win many new fans to the franchise.
Acting
With his glow-in-the-dark eyes and penchant for delivering every syllable with relish, Nighy does his best to enliven things, but there’s not much to work with -- and hamminess only goes so far. Sheen’s female fans may enjoy seeing him shaggy and occasionally shirtless, but if The Queen and Frost/Nixon proved he’s capable of doing good work with good material, this proves that, at least, he can cash in with bad material. Mitra, who survived the rigors of Doomsday, is fit and fetching here. But performances are not this movie’s strong suit. Very little is.
Direction
This marks the directorial debut of award-winning production designer Patrick Tatopoulos (who also supervised the creature design), so it’s no surprise that the film is steeped in medieval atmosphere and loaded with CGI effects. Beyond that, it’s a crashing bore -- even with the gore.
Taking the bare bones of The Ten Commandments and Romeo and Juliet, this pedestrian tale explains the origins of Lucian (Michael Sheen), a “Lycan” (read: lycanthrope), who served the vicious vampire king Viktor (Bill Nighy) but would eventually lead a revolt of his fellow Lycans (read: slaves) after his illicit affair with Viktor’s daughter Sonja (Rhona Mitra) was revealed. From this, the war between vampires and werewolves would be waged for generations to come, depicted in Underworld and Underworld: Evolution. Those unfamiliar with the previous films might be a little lost here, and it’s highly unlikely that Rise of the Lycans will win many new fans to the franchise.
Acting
With his glow-in-the-dark eyes and penchant for delivering every syllable with relish, Nighy does his best to enliven things, but there’s not much to work with -- and hamminess only goes so far. Sheen’s female fans may enjoy seeing him shaggy and occasionally shirtless, but if The Queen and Frost/Nixon proved he’s capable of doing good work with good material, this proves that, at least, he can cash in with bad material. Mitra, who survived the rigors of Doomsday, is fit and fetching here. But performances are not this movie’s strong suit. Very little is.
Direction
This marks the directorial debut of award-winning production designer Patrick Tatopoulos (who also supervised the creature design), so it’s no surprise that the film is steeped in medieval atmosphere and loaded with CGI effects. Beyond that, it’s a crashing bore -- even with the gore.
The Uninvited
Story
It may sound familiar and indeed is a remake of the Korean hit Changhwa, Hongryon, but The Uninvited still manages to be a truly frightening experience with a 100 percent certified shocker of an ending. It all starts when Anna (Emily Browning), home from a stint in a psycho ward, begins investigating her mother’s unexpected death. Adding to her woes is her clueless father’s (David Strathairn) engagement to a not-so-nice nurse (Elizabeth Banks), who arouses the suspicions of both Anna and her sister Alex (Arielle Kebbel) – and all hell breaks loose.
Acting
Young Australian Browning (Lemony Snicket) has just the right creep factor to make her troubled Anna properly perplexing and intriguing to watch. We’re with her all the way as she becomes haunted by her mother’s ghost -- and that’s crucial to a roller-coaster ride like this one. Banks’ seemingly evil nurse turned soon-to-be stepmother is perfectly pitched, even if the cards are clearly stacked against her.Usually a fine actor, Strathairn could do this one dimensional role in his sleep – and he does.
Direction
English directing duo the Guard Brothers make a promising feature debut by keeping the slowly developing events plausible and measured in order to really pack a wallop in the final reel. Clues from the well-crafted , if comfortably familiar screenplay are dropped at opportune moments, but the movie keeps its share of surprising turns all under its hat until the big reveal.
It may sound familiar and indeed is a remake of the Korean hit Changhwa, Hongryon, but The Uninvited still manages to be a truly frightening experience with a 100 percent certified shocker of an ending. It all starts when Anna (Emily Browning), home from a stint in a psycho ward, begins investigating her mother’s unexpected death. Adding to her woes is her clueless father’s (David Strathairn) engagement to a not-so-nice nurse (Elizabeth Banks), who arouses the suspicions of both Anna and her sister Alex (Arielle Kebbel) – and all hell breaks loose.
Acting
Young Australian Browning (Lemony Snicket) has just the right creep factor to make her troubled Anna properly perplexing and intriguing to watch. We’re with her all the way as she becomes haunted by her mother’s ghost -- and that’s crucial to a roller-coaster ride like this one. Banks’ seemingly evil nurse turned soon-to-be stepmother is perfectly pitched, even if the cards are clearly stacked against her.Usually a fine actor, Strathairn could do this one dimensional role in his sleep – and he does.
Direction
English directing duo the Guard Brothers make a promising feature debut by keeping the slowly developing events plausible and measured in order to really pack a wallop in the final reel. Clues from the well-crafted , if comfortably familiar screenplay are dropped at opportune moments, but the movie keeps its share of surprising turns all under its hat until the big reveal.
New in Town
Story
Looking like something that might have been made 50 years ago, there is nothing even remotely “new” about New in Town. Lucy (Renee Zellweger) is a big-city Miami career woman sent by her company to check out a small town Minnesota plant and devise a plan to downsize it. Almost immediately she locks heads with the local Union rep, Ted (Harry Connick Jr, ) and further alienates the folksy employees who “all tawk like theeese doncha know” by instituting firings and a new streamlined work ethic. Things get dicey when initial conflict turns into romance (surprise!) between Ted and Lucy, and her bosses inform her she must shut down the entire plant, putting everyone out of work.
Acting
In the right role, Zellweger can be compellingly offbeat. Not here. She’s not miscast but woefully lacking any kind of chemistry with Connick Jr., who played the same kind of role on Broadway in The Pajama Game and seems to be going through the motions this time, and without the songs. Particularly painful are moments when Zellweger tries way too hard to be funny, giving us the “ick” factor instead. The banter between the pair could have come out of any ‘30s screwball comedy updated with all the comic panache of a low-rent sitcom.
Direction
Considering the film represents Danish director Jonas Elmer’s American debut, and because we think of ourselves as a kind and understanding critic we can chalk up its shortcomings to translation problems. Oh … plus a total and complete lack of invention and originality. What is supposed to be a light, fluffy comedy is shot in such a dark and dreary style that it’s downright depressing. Minnesota’s tourism office should sue.
Looking like something that might have been made 50 years ago, there is nothing even remotely “new” about New in Town. Lucy (Renee Zellweger) is a big-city Miami career woman sent by her company to check out a small town Minnesota plant and devise a plan to downsize it. Almost immediately she locks heads with the local Union rep, Ted (Harry Connick Jr, ) and further alienates the folksy employees who “all tawk like theeese doncha know” by instituting firings and a new streamlined work ethic. Things get dicey when initial conflict turns into romance (surprise!) between Ted and Lucy, and her bosses inform her she must shut down the entire plant, putting everyone out of work.
Acting
In the right role, Zellweger can be compellingly offbeat. Not here. She’s not miscast but woefully lacking any kind of chemistry with Connick Jr., who played the same kind of role on Broadway in The Pajama Game and seems to be going through the motions this time, and without the songs. Particularly painful are moments when Zellweger tries way too hard to be funny, giving us the “ick” factor instead. The banter between the pair could have come out of any ‘30s screwball comedy updated with all the comic panache of a low-rent sitcom.
Direction
Considering the film represents Danish director Jonas Elmer’s American debut, and because we think of ourselves as a kind and understanding critic we can chalk up its shortcomings to translation problems. Oh … plus a total and complete lack of invention and originality. What is supposed to be a light, fluffy comedy is shot in such a dark and dreary style that it’s downright depressing. Minnesota’s tourism office should sue.
Four Christmases
Story
Four Christmases sort of follows along the same lines as any holiday movie these days -- dysfunctional families being dysfunctional until they realize how warm and fuzzy it is being dysfunctional. Yawn. In this case, unmarried, yuppie couple Brad (Vaughn) and Kate (Reese Witherspoon) have successfully avoided their crazy families during the holidays for a few years now, concocting some cockamamie goodwill story about saving babies in a third-world country, while they really go on an island adventure. But uh-oh, plans go awry this Christmas, and they are forced to indulge in a little family good cheer. Guess what, though? Brad and Kate learn something from their ordeal. They realize a) they love each other and might want a family of their own, but they need to get to know each other better and b) they still don’t want to spend the holidays with their families. Ever again.
Acting
While Witherspoon is no slouch in the comedy department and definitely holds her own with her co-star -- even though he looks freakishly tall next to her tiny frame -- Vaughn is the one who keeps things afloat for the most part. Honestly, he could read from the phone book in that quick-paced, stream of consciousness way he’s perfected and we’d still laugh. It’s Four Christmases long list of supporting players, however, that is rather alarming, starting with Robert Duvall as Brad’s no-nonsense dad to Sissy Spacek as Brad’s hippie mom. Sure, Mary Steenburgen and Jon Voight, who play Kate’s divorced parents, would do a movie like this, but Duvall and Spacek? They must have needed a paycheck. The one standout is Jon Favreau as Brad’s brother, a buffed out, Mohawk-ed extreme fighter. Old buddies Favreau and Vaughn may have needed to work out a little aggression.
Direction
Newbie director Seth Gordon, whose claim to fame is the little-seen but hilarious documentary King of Kong, unfortunately shows his lack of experience with Four Christmases. But maybe it isn’t Gordon’s fault -- not completely. The real culprit may be the way this film follows the same, tired Christmas cookie cutter plot holiday movies seem to be about these days -- in which the families are SO dysfunctional, the antics SO over the top, it makes you want to run out of the theater so you can get to your own defective family for a little normalcy. I’m not saying we can return to the It's a Wonderful Life-type sugary fare, but it would be nice to see a holiday comedy about familial ties that isn’t always so mean spirited.
Four Christmases sort of follows along the same lines as any holiday movie these days -- dysfunctional families being dysfunctional until they realize how warm and fuzzy it is being dysfunctional. Yawn. In this case, unmarried, yuppie couple Brad (Vaughn) and Kate (Reese Witherspoon) have successfully avoided their crazy families during the holidays for a few years now, concocting some cockamamie goodwill story about saving babies in a third-world country, while they really go on an island adventure. But uh-oh, plans go awry this Christmas, and they are forced to indulge in a little family good cheer. Guess what, though? Brad and Kate learn something from their ordeal. They realize a) they love each other and might want a family of their own, but they need to get to know each other better and b) they still don’t want to spend the holidays with their families. Ever again.
Acting
While Witherspoon is no slouch in the comedy department and definitely holds her own with her co-star -- even though he looks freakishly tall next to her tiny frame -- Vaughn is the one who keeps things afloat for the most part. Honestly, he could read from the phone book in that quick-paced, stream of consciousness way he’s perfected and we’d still laugh. It’s Four Christmases long list of supporting players, however, that is rather alarming, starting with Robert Duvall as Brad’s no-nonsense dad to Sissy Spacek as Brad’s hippie mom. Sure, Mary Steenburgen and Jon Voight, who play Kate’s divorced parents, would do a movie like this, but Duvall and Spacek? They must have needed a paycheck. The one standout is Jon Favreau as Brad’s brother, a buffed out, Mohawk-ed extreme fighter. Old buddies Favreau and Vaughn may have needed to work out a little aggression.
Direction
Newbie director Seth Gordon, whose claim to fame is the little-seen but hilarious documentary King of Kong, unfortunately shows his lack of experience with Four Christmases. But maybe it isn’t Gordon’s fault -- not completely. The real culprit may be the way this film follows the same, tired Christmas cookie cutter plot holiday movies seem to be about these days -- in which the families are SO dysfunctional, the antics SO over the top, it makes you want to run out of the theater so you can get to your own defective family for a little normalcy. I’m not saying we can return to the It's a Wonderful Life-type sugary fare, but it would be nice to see a holiday comedy about familial ties that isn’t always so mean spirited.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
My Blog List
