Movie Review: Rush Hour 3 by ME

Title: Rush Hour 3
Starring: Jackie Chan, Chris Tucker, Max von Sydow, Noemie Lenoir, Hiroyuki Sanada
Directed By: Brett Ratner
Produced By: Toby Emmerich, Arthur Sarkissian, Roger Birnbaum
Genre: Action/Adventure, Comedy, Crime/Gangster and Sequel
Release Date: August 10th 2007 (wide)
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for sequences of action violence, sexual content, nudity and language.
Distributors: New Line Cinema

After an attempted assassination on Ambassador Han (Tzi Ma), Lee (Jackie Chan) and Carter (Chris Tucker) head to Paris to protect a French woman (Noémie Lenoir) with knowledge of the Triads' secret leaders.

Even though Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan still work well together, it doesn't hide the fact that Rush Hour 3 looks like it was a film done just for the paychecks. Brett Ratner, who I still defend for X3, (It may not have been perfect, but he didn't have much time to pick up the pieces) has finally tipped that balance in my eyes. Full of unnecessary and unfunny bits, Rush Hour 3 is a blight on everyones resume. Sure Jackie Chan can move, and there are some good ones here: the man is amazing. Sure, Chris Tucker can be funny, just not this time. Brett Ratner really needs to do something different instead of rehashing old jokes. Not even Abbot and Costello are sacred anymore.

Chris Tucker's character, Detective James Carter, has gone way beyond over the top here. The opening sequence of him directing traffic while dancing is so ludicrous, he doesn't even notice how stupid he looks. While Jackie Chan's Chief Inspector Lee is supposed to be ashamed of Carter's antics, I don't think Jackie is acting half the time. The only bright spot is George, the American hating taxi driver who decides that he wants to be an American spy, played by Yvan Attal, who reminds me of Hank Azaria in some ways. Last we have Max Von Sydow, who should add some credibility but only serves to show just how predictable a movie can be.

I think I have already said enough about this waste of time. C'mon Jackie, make Drunken Master 3 already!

Keep reading,

Mitch E
mitchemerson@hotmail.com

DVD Review: An American Werewolf in London by JR

An American Werewolf in London (1981)
Writer/Director: John Landis
Starring: David Naughton, Jenny Agutter, Griffin Dunne, John Woodvine
Produced by: George Folsey, Peter Guber, Jon Peters
Genre: Horror/Comedy/Thriller/Werewolf

Two American tourists, Jack and David, are backpacking through England when they stop for rest at a pub in the country, the Slaughtered Lamb. The strange people at the pub are less than welcoming, and let the two young men venture back out on their own with the warning to “Stay on the road. Keep clear of the moors.” Jack and David take this as normal weird behavior and take a shortcut through the moors, only to be attacked. Jack is killed and David awakens in a hospital with a few scratches. Judging by the title, I’m sure you know by now: they were attacked by a werewolf. David, since he has survived the attack, is now a werewolf himself, and will transform into the beast during the next full moon.

It’s a story we’ve all heard a thousand times, right? Especially lately with terrible renditions of the story such as “Blood and Chocolate” and “the Skinwalkers”. “An American Werewolf in London” is, in my opinion, the definitive werewolf film. I had dismissed it previously due to the poor reception of “An American Werewolf in Paris”. I’ve always associated the two and thought that if “Paris” wasn’t any good, then “London” couldn’t be good either. Ever since I had heard that “London” was the reason that the Academy Award for Best Makeup was created, I’ve wanted to see it. How could a werewolf movie possibly be this good?

The make up award is absolutely ascertained in this case. The werewolf is amazing! If they were to make this movie now, I’m sure most of the werewolf would be CGI. If not the werewolf, then for sure most of the transformation. But back in the early 80’s, this wasn’t possible. I mean, just look at the TV in Nurse Price’s apartment! And the metal box above David’s bed in the hospital with all of the little switches and lights! The entire transformation in this film is real, and it makes it that much more scary and amazing. David’s hands grow before our eyes, his sharp nails poking out from under his regular nails, the hair appearing on his back, chest and feet. And then, just when you thought that it couldn’t get any better, his face grows too. He grows a snout, just like a wolf. It’s really an awesome sight. The first transformation occurs about an hour into the movie and by this time the audience is ready for it. When it happens, it happens right before our eyes. Nothing is hidden. The werewolf is one makeup achievement in the film, the other is Jack’s makeup. Jack has been killed by the werewolf in the beginning, but he returns to David throughout the film to give him advice. He’s also dead and in “limbo” so he progressively decays. David even refers to him as a “walking meat loaf”.

Oh and the soundtrack makes the transformation scene. During this hideous transformation, the song “Blue Moon” is playing. The soundtrack is perfect for this film. Director/Writer John Landis picked the songs for the film: every one of them has the word “Moon” in the title.

“An American Werewolf In London” would be a great film without the astonishing make up effects. The dialogue is brilliant and hilarious. The banter in the opening scene with Jack and David is real and establishes a great chemistry between the two. Some of their quotes:

Jack: Do you think she'll meet me in Rome?
David: I think Debbie Klein is a mediocre person with a good body.
Jack: Debbie is not mediocre and she has one of the great bodies of all time.
David: She's a jerk.
Jack: You're talking about the woman I love.
David: I'm talking about a girl you want to fuck, so give me a break.
Jack: Well, anyway, do you think she'll be there?
David: I don't know.
Jack: [like an announcer] Rendezvous in Rome starring Jack Goodman and Debbie Klein. The love affair that shocked Europe! See torrid lovemaking at its most explicit! See Jack and Debbie expose their lust in the sacred halls of the Vatican! Never has the screen dared....
David: If you don't stop, I'm going to kill you.
Jack: I have to make love to her. It's very simple. She has no choice really.
David: It just fascinates me that you can spend so much energy on someone so dull.
Jack: There is nothing dull about that body.
David: We've known Debbie what, since the eighth grade? How many years of foreplay is that?
Jack: She says she "likes me too much".

This is just in the very beginning of the movie, there are tons more! This is truly a comedy/horror, and one of the best. If you haven’t seen it yet, you’re missing out on a classic that is still holding its own over 20 years later.

4.5 out of 5 stars

Jenny Rushing
beccajane67@yahoo.com

DVD Review: The Chumscrubber by JR

Director: Arie Posin
Starring: Glenn Close, Ralph Fiennes, Allison Janney, Camilla Belle, Rita Wilson, Carrie-Anne Moss, Lauren Holly, Rory Culkin, Jamie Bell, Justin Chatwin

Release Date: January 25, 2005
MPAA rating: R for language, violent content, drug material and some sexuality

"I live in a city, but in an apartment high above the cloud left by the blast. I'm one of the lucky ones. One morning, I awoke to find my head was no longer attached to my body. I'm not dead, but who could call this a life? So I do what I can, in this city of freaks and subhuman creatures. I became…the Chumscrubber."

This is one of those movies that I wanted to see when it came out, but it just kept getting passed by. It came out around the same time as "Thumbsucker" and I will always associate the two, even though I still have not seen "Thumbsucker". I had no idea what I was getting into with "The Chumscrubber". No idea. I had heard that the word means something along the lines of a person who cleans up fish parts after fishermen clean them, but this has nothing to do with that. According to urbandictionary.com, the word means:
1. For parents: The Chumscrubber is everything we ignore - all those subjects and conversations that parents and teens should be having but aren't-- the physical embodiment of everything we'd rather not deal with, everything that causes pain, or discomfort.
2. To teenagers: The Chumscrubber is a hero, a survivor, a fellow teenager who arrives into the real world to protect and keep his or her friends clean.

Apparantly the definition was created following the release and popularity of the movie.

"The Chumscrubber" is a very dark comedy about life in suburbia. It's so dark, I wouldn't likely call it a comedy, but that's what the movie claims to be. A bunch of high school kids who are bored out of their minds despite having just about every material possession they could possibly want, are doped up on every drug possible to make themselves happy. Their parents don't pay any attention to anything these kids do, unless it's in front of the other parents; for show. The parents are busy drinking away their problems and attending various social gatherings to keep up with what their kids are doing. And their kids are doing some really terrible things.

Sound familiar? The tone and look of this movie shares many similarities with "American Beauty", although where I felt "American Beauty"'s characters learned something from the situations they were in, I didn't feel like anyone in "The Chumscrubber" learned anything. I suppose in that way it would be more like reality: kids and parents don't always learn a lesson after something bad happens. But in this case, I really would have liked to see some sort of revolution. It's so sad when you see the destruction of youth. It's a very real movie. The plot also reminds me a lot of "Alpha Dog". I know "Alpha Dog" came out after this movie and was based on a true story, but there are definitely similarities.

The subject matter in "The Chumbscrubber" is rough. We've got teen suicide, kidnapping, violence, drug use that Bret Easton Ellis would be ashamed of, and then there are things like loneliness and depression. This is a very rough movie to watch. That being said, the movie is very funny too. I caught myself several times laughing out loud at some of the lines in this movie. Several parts in this movie rang true to me from my high school years. And made me, once again, never ever ever want to go back.

The cast cannot go unmentioned. I listed just about everyone in the cast above because while I was watching this, I kept getting excited seeing all these people on screen together. The last movie I saw Ralph Fiennes in was "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" as Voldemort. This is quite a different role. He plays the romantic mayor of the city engaged to be married to Rita Wilson's character. She's fantastic as well, playing an egotistical interior designer. Glenn Close knocks my socks off every time and doesn't disappoint here either. She plays the mother of the teen suicide victim and her repeated line, "I just thought you should know that, in no way whatsoever, do I blame you for Tony's death," delivered with such phony happiness, made me smile and feel sad for her all at the same time. She's none short of amazing. Allison Janney. Allison Janney is once again perfect doing what she usually does: playing a housewife. But she's got such passion. If only she could be in every movie. Everyone in the cast is spectacular. Everyone.

I guess I really don't have any complaints about this movie. It's not one just to throw on at a moment's notice, you have to be in the mood for this one. You almost have to prepare yourself for it. You're going to get emotionally involved in "The Chumscrubber". You're going to feel for these characters. The subject matter is going to mean something to you. If you're OK with all of that, put it in and give it a go.

4 out of 5 stars.
Jenny Rushing
beccajane67@yahoo.com

Movie Review: Mr. Bean's Holiday by ME

Title: Mr. Bean's Holiday
Starring: Rowan Atkinson, Willem Dafoe, Emma De Caunes, Jean Rochefort, Karel Roden
Directed By: Steve Bendelack
Produced By: Richard Curtis, Simon McBurney, Tim Bevan
Genre: Comedy, Adaptation and Sequel
Release Date: August 24th 2007 (wide)
MPAA Rating: G
Distributors: Universal Pictures Distribution

Rowan Atkinson returns as Mr. Bean in yet another unnecessary Bean movie, Mr. Bean's Holiday. After 1997's feature Bean, I thought we had seen the end of our favorite British blunderer. I was wrong. In Mr. Bean's Holiday, Bean wins a vacation to Cannes and on the way there, he inadvertently splits up a father and son. Taking it upon himself to return the boy to his father, Bean and Stepan (Max Baldry) cross the country, causing one absurd mishap after another along the way.

I firmly believe that Rowan Atkinson's Mr. Bean is a comedic genius, in small doses. I remember watching Mr. Bean on HBO as a child and was really excited when Bean came out in 1997. I was disappointed in that film, so my expectations for Mr. Bean's Holiday were rather low. Sadly, it lived up to those expectations. I don't mean to slam the film as it does have it's moments. Most notably, a scene where Bean and Stepan lip sync to a variety of music at a street fair to raise money for their trip.

Rowan Atkinson is Mr. Bean, plain and simple. With a rubber face that rivals Jim Carrey, Atkinson is the only actor that can pull off this character. Max Baldry is a cute eleven year old boy that plays Stepan with a wonderful enthusiasm. This kid is having a grand old time and it shows. French actress Emma de Caunes plays Sabine, an actress on her way to the Cannes Film Festival for the premiere of her movie who helps Bean and Stepan track down his father. She brings a lightness to the film that also helps ground it. Did I really say 'ground it” in regards to a Mr. Bean film? In a semi surprising turn, Willem Defoe is Clay Carter, the pompous director of the film that Sabine is in. Can't really say much about him except that his presence adds a bit of credibility to the film for American audiences.

Rowan Atkinson has said that this will be the last adventure for Mr. Bean, and that saddens me as well as makes me happy. I feel that the world has had enough of Mr. Bean, but he will forever remain a fixture in the hearts of his fans. If you want to see Mr. Bean in his prime, rent the series on DVD. If you must have your Bean fix, then this movie may be for you. Otherwise it would make a good rental on a rainy day.

Until Sprout: Son of a Bean,
keep reading,

Mitch E
mitchemerson@hotmail.com

Movie Review: Rush Hour 3 by JW

Title: Rush Hour 3
Starring: Jackie Chan, Chris Tucker,
Director: Brett Ratner
Producer: Robert Birnbaum, Andrew Z. Davis, Jonathan Glickman, Athur M. Sarkissian, Jay Stern
Genre: Comedy, Action
Release Date: August 10, 2007
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Distributors: New Line Cinema


I almost made it. I made it all the way through the summer but now the weight has become just too much to bear. Here we are with the umpteenth sequel/threequel and I have but one thought pulsing through my head: For the love of all that is holy, haven’t we had enough already? Tired, unnecessary rehashes of stories we barely cared about the last time around. I don’t mind sequels if they can bring something new to the table but to have the audacity to do pretty much the exact same thing as the previous film is contemptuous and insulting.

In the Socratic dialogue, The Republic, Plato famously tells us that “necessity is the mother of invention.” If that is true, then the counterbalance to that argument must be an exercise in nonessential free will, and Rush Hour 3 must’ve been exactly what they had in mind.

A few years after Rush Hour 2, we rejoin the two main leads in their current jobs. James Carter (Chris Tucker) is directing traffic on the streets of Los Angeles. Chief Inspector Lee (Jackie Chan) is now the bodyguard for Ambassador Han, the former Consul from the original Rush Hour. At the World Criminal Court discussions, Ambassador Han addresses the importance of the fight with the Triad, a society of underground Chinese organized crime. During his announcement that he knows the identity of the Triad leadership, an assassination attempt is made on Han’s life when he is shot by a sniper. Later in the hospital, Lee and Carter make a promise to Soo Yung (Han’s now grown daughter) to find and capture the person behind the attack to ensure her fathers safety.

There is nothing in this movie that feels fresh to me. It is essentially one clumsy setup after another to a car chase/fight scene. Lee has a cause that he just “has to go at alone this time” and Carter disrupts any action with smart-ass, unfunny commentary for the sake of hearing his own high-pitched, whiney voice (“Lee this guys on steroids! His head is bigger than Barry Bonds”). We are also treated to the same tired, clichéd jokes. Aww look, Carter and Lee get into another lovers quarrel and go their separate ways. Lee orders fried chicken and sweet potato pie from room service and Carter orders Mu Shu Pork from around the corner, unbeknownst to each other. Listen guys, it took me a minute but I get it - you two can be friends despite your cultural differences. I think that after three movies, I have earned the right not to have my nose rubbed in it. Again. We get the same over-choreographed fight scenes that I would describe as more B-grade Three Stooges antics if that didn’t qualify as a compliment. I half-expected Carter or Lee to put a hand straight up on their nose to stop the Triad from poking out their eyes.

For the most part, Jackie Chan movies seem like nothing more than a vehicle for showcasing his martial arts ability. They can be funny and entertaining, but if you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all. And it seems like Tucker is just wasting his prime. He hasn’t made a single movie in the last decade except Rush Hour movies. Wow. For someone with such a promising career after Friday, I can’t for the life of me figure out why he has decided to wallow in mediocrity like this. Seriously, how long are we going to milk this cow? Seeing Tucker go on Letterman and tell everyone he can “kick Jackie’s ass”, or Chan on Leno telling everyone he can “sing and dance better than Chris” leaves me feeling exasperated thinking what else they could’ve been doing besides this. The final scene in the movie sums up the whole experience for me. The two stars go dancing into the Paris night and the song “War” pours over the speakers and in one fail swoop, the filmmakers inadvertently but perfectly summarize the whole experience through the lyrics of the song, and no truer words have ever been spoken about the movie: “… what is it good for? Absolutely nothing, say it again, y’all.”

This is a pointless, nonessential, unnecessary, forced, boring slapped together movie from start to finish. A complete waste of Tucker and Chan’s comedic abilities that I can only hope is the cold water in the face that Tucker needs to motivate him to do something different with his potentially excellent career.

And there’s the rub.

1 out of 5 stars

http://www.rushhourmovie.com/

Jeremy Welsch
jndubbs@gmail.com

Movie Review: Superbad by ME

Title: Superbad
Starring: Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, Michael Cera, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Bill Hader
Directed By: Greg Mottola
Produced By: Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, Judd Apatow
Genre: Comedy
Release Date: August 17^th, 2007
MPAA Rating: R for pervasive crude and sexual content, strong language, drinking, some drug use and a fantasy/comic violent image.
Distributors: Sony Pictures Releasing

Superbad revolves around two co-dependent high school seniors (Hill and Cera) who set out to score alcohol for a party, believing that girls will then hook up with them and they will be ready for college. But as the night grows more chaotic, overcoming their separation anxiety becomes a greater challenge than getting the girls. -Official Site

I think Judd Apatow is the modern recreation of Midas. Everything he touches is comedic gold. Breaking out with The 40 Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up, Apatow has proven that he knows comedy. Lending a hand as a producer for Superbad, Apatow lets veteran TV director Gregg Matolla helm this one. Add Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg as writers to the mix, a few well placed cameos, and you have the recipe for one of the summers funniest, if not crassest, comedies. Even I, as a 30-ish male, can see parts of myself in each and everyone of these characters. While not having had quite this outrageous of an adventure, I have had nights that resemble this in my younger days.

First and foremost, I have got to talk about Jonah Hill. The boy is a rising star and steals almost every single scene that he is in. Next up is Christopher Mintz-Plasse's McLovin, er, Fogel. This kid is the epitome of dorkiness and yet seems to have the best time out of all the kids. Who wouldn't have fun hanging out with cops, drinking and shooting guns all night long? Out of the three main characters, Michael Cera seems to be the weakest link. For most of the movie he comes off as an effeminate little boy who needs to show some courage, and while that is what the movie is about, he never really does it. Things just kind of end up working out for him by the end of the film. How can I review this film without mentioning Seth Rogen and Bill Hader as two cops who just want to be cool. Well, they are extremely funny, but all of their antics took me out of the movie for a bit. Extremely un-policemenlike behavior that would never fly in the real world.

Superbad is a twisted coming of age tale that just may be the comedy of the summer. If you enjoyed The 40 Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up, you will most likely enjoy Superbad. Films like these truly speak for themselves and Superbad sure says it loudly between brays of laughter.

www.areyousuperbad.com

I'd give my middle nut for a sequel,
until then,
keep reading.

Mitch E
mitchemerson@hotmail.com
mitch@comicbookbin.com

Movie Review: Death At A Funeral by ME

Title: Death at a Funeral
Starring: Matthew MacFadyen, Peter Dinklage, Ewen Bremner, Rupert Graves, Alan Tudyk
Directed By: Frank Oz
Produced By: William Horberg, Bruce Toll, Andreas Grosch
Genre: Comedy
Release Date: August 17th, 2007
MPAA Rating: R for language and drug content.
Distributors: MGM Distribution Company

A dysfunctional British family gathers for the patriarch's funeral. Tensions rise, old conflicts are uncovered and, when a man arrives saying he's the dead man's gay lover and threatens blackmail, drastic measures are taken. -Yahoo! Movies

Frank Oz should stick to voice acting and working with puppets. There, I've said it. If you can't tell, I didn't like Death at a Funeral. The only Frank Oz film that I really enjoyed was Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, and that one was a loooong time ago. What could have been an originally funny movie relies on cliched gags such as a body falling out of a coffin, people taking the wrong kind of pills (which happens to be the funniest thing in the movie, more about it in a minute), misplacement of said pills and yet two more people taking said pills! Death at a Funeral also suffers from stereotypical characters with hardly any character development. You have the average lead character Daniel who is overshadowed by his successful writer sibling Robert, the crotchety old uncle in a wheelchair, the creepy guy who is there just to hit on a family member after becoming obsessed with her after a drunken one night stand, I think you get it.

Given that this is an ensemble cast of actors and actresses that I have never heard of, I will just mention the two stand outs. Alan Tudyk plays Simon, the victim of the old pill swap gimmick. He is on a hallucinogenic trip that provides most of the laughs of the film. From seeing the coffin move to sitting on the roof naked, Tudyk steals every scene that he is in. The other member worth mentioning is Peter Dinklage, who I cannot say much about as it may give away some plot points but will say that he gives a stand out performance. The rest of the cast seems extremely mediocre when compared to these two.

Maybe I just don't get that dry British humor, but I truly can't recommend this film unless you have absolutely noting to do and have already seen Knocked Up two or more times.

Visit the website here.

Until I can get my hands on those pills,
keep reading

Mitch E
mitchemerson@hotmail.com

Movie Review: Stardust by JR

Title: Stardust
Starring: Claire Danes, Charlie Cox, Michelle Pfeiffer, Robert DeNiro
Directed By: Matthew Vaughn
Produced By: Stephen Marks, Peter Morton, David Womark
Genre: Fantasy/Action/Adventure/Comedy
Release Date: August 10, 2007
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for fantasy violence and some risqué humor
Distributors: Paramount Pictures

Synopsis: A fallen star catches the eye of several people who want it for their own purposes.

Neil Gaiman. I started reading the first part of the infamous “Sandman” books a few years ago and it never really stuck with me. I ended up quitting before I finished the first one. Perhaps I should give it a second chance. Then when “Mirrormask” came out I decided to give him another try. I didn’t know what to expect with that one, and got bored with it, stopping the DVD about halfway through. Perhaps I should give it a second chance. So when “Stardust” was first announced and Gaiman fans everywhere were rejoicing, I was mulled by a feeling of “meh”. By this time, I’m pretty much indifferent to the man whom so many proclaim as godlike in his writing abilities. Then the movie got good reviews by darn near everyone and my interest was piqued. Gaiman can’t possibly appeal to everyone can he?

Apparently he can.

“Stardust” is a whimsical, hysterical fairy tale that had perfect box office timing. In a summer overcome by blockbusters and sequels, “Stardust” is that refreshing breath of fresh air. Yes it looks like a blockbuster with its stellar cast and huge sets, but the story is so well-written, I don’t think it will be quickly forgotten like a normal blockbuster.

As the movie opens, we are given a quick tour of the land. The small village in England of Wall is named for its literal stone wall that borders England with the magical world of Stormhold. Nobody can venture past the wall and there is a very old guard always sitting at the wall to make sure none passes through. Then the story begins with a background of all of our main characters: A king on his deathbed and his sons vying for the crown, three old and ugly witches, and the father of Tristan, the main character. We get to see the history of his mother and father: how they met, how he was conceived, and a little bit about how he was raised. Then we get to see Tristan as a young man: where he works, where he lives, and the girl with whom he is desperately in love, Victoria. Suddenly, a star falls from the sky and all of these main characters want it for their own purposes.

The cast in this film is superb. Tristan is played by an relatively unknown Charlie Cox. I like that this character is played by someone I haven’t heard of. There are no preconceived notions about him at all. I look forward to seeing him in many more films in the future. His chemistry with Claire Danes, who plays the fallen star, is shining. They are so much fun to watch. Michelle Pfeiffer is on top of her game for the second time this summer. With her Velma von Tussle from “Hairspray” and her evil witch Lamia, she’s definitely the comeback of the year. She does evil so well! Even with the wonderful performances already mentioned, my absolute favorite in the movie was Robert de Niro as the pirate captain. I’m not going to give it away since nobody gave it away for me, but he is fabulous!

The supporting characters in the movie are fantastic: There’s a witch who has a servant girl chained up for eternity with a magical chain that cannot be broken. There are a slew of very funny ghosts. There’s a goat that gets turned into a man who retains his goat-like appearance and characteristics. The magical world of Stormhold is brimming with wonderfully well-written characters.

As a lover of fantasy, I was in my element with “Stardust”. While I understand that it's not going to be everyone’s cup of tea, I really believe that there is something in “Stardust” for every movie-goer.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 falling stars

www.stardustmovie.com

Jenny Rushing
beccajane67@yahoo.com

Movie Review: Hot Rod by JW

Starring: Andy Samberg, Isla Fisher, Jorma Taccone, Bill Hader, Danny R. McBride, Sissy Spacek, Ian McShane
Director: Akiva Shaffer
Producer: John Goldwyn, Lorne Michaels
Genre: Comedy
Release Date: August 3, 2007
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Distributors: Paramount Pictures

A (very) amateur stuntman attempts a stunt where he jumps 15 buses on his moped. He hopes to raise enough money to get his step-father a heart transplant, so he can be health enough again to “uncork the ass-beating of a lifetime” on him and finally gain his respect.

Saturday Night Live is a machine. Like any machine that has been running for 32 years, it doesn’t always work, and the quality can be inconsistent, but for better or worse, it has become quite the institution. I stopped watching ages ago, but they sure keep grinding it out don’t they? We’ve seen sketches turned into feature-length movies; from the good (Blues Brothers, Wayne’s World), to the bad (Night at the Roxbury, Superstar) to the utterly atrocious (It’s Pat, Ladies Man). In the infancy of their careers, we’ve had the pleasure of seeing some real talent come from the halls of 30 Rock, and on to more fruitful ventures. On the other side of that coin, we’ve also seen some of the most inexplicable displays of ‘talent’ attempt to cash in on their resume and fail miserably. So when movies like this come along, I typically take them with a grain of salt. In this case, I think my tepid expectation may have actually added to my enjoyment of the movie.

The premise sounds like yet another SNL sketch forced to feature length. The movie opens with Rod Kimble (Andy Samberg), an amateur stuntman who believes his real father to have been a famous stuntman who worked with Evil Knievel, and his crew spending their days setting up a series of jumps for Rod to attempt on his moped. His crew consists of Dave (Bill Hader), the mechanic, Rico (Danny R. McBride), the ramp builder, and Kevin (Jorma Taccone), the step-brother and videographer. In the beginning, Rod attempts to jump a mail truck positioned between two makeshift wooden ramps. Before he starts, he asks his crew if they had time to reinforce the ramp. They respond, obviously, that no, they didn’t have time. He tries it anyway and flies smack into the top of the truck and the landing ramp. Undeterred by this failure, he promotes a stunt the very next day where he plans to jump the local pool. This also fails. Spectacularly.

On the home front, Rod arrives home daily to suit up for a series of gladiator-type battles with his step-father Frank (Ian McShane) in an attempt to win his respect. His step-brother Kevin tries to stop him but Rod says, “You’re his real son, so he automatically loves you. I have to earn it.” So off he goes to get his ass handed to him again. After the failed pool jump, Rod returns home to learn that Frank is in need of a heart transplant that will cost $50,000 out of pocket. This angers Rod. Not so much because of the severity of the situation, but that he will never get the chance to beat Frank in hand-to-hand combat. After going to his “happy place” (a very hilarious scene with Rod in the forest apparently training and “air punching out his aggression”) he decides that he will set up a stunt wherein he will attempt to jump 15 buses and promote the event with all the proceeds going to pay for Frank’s operation. So he can keep him alive, bring him back to full strength, and try his hand at, well, beating him to death.

Let me go on record as saying with the right projects, Andy Samberg has the potential to have a long and prosperous film career. In lesser hands, this movie could have been a disaster, but what makes it work is the honesty of Rod’s character. Rod is a man happy with simple pleasures, but he is not stupid. Samberg wisely chose not to play it up for cheesiness or cheap laughs. Yes, there are cheesy moments and cheap laughs abound, but there is sincerity in the character that makes it work. The supporting cast is also played to just the right tone as well. There isn’t a Stifler-type character that is trying to break out and be noticed. Everyone just does their part, and does it well while staying mindful of the structure of the film. My favorite parts of the movie are between Rod and Frank. Whether they are fighting or Rod is trying to talk to him to get a glimpse of the respect he almost painfully desires, it always turns into Rod finding various ways to threaten Frank’s life. Even as he lies on his death bed. Another wise move by the filmmakers was not to overdo the emotion and weigh down the picture with sappy sentiment. Again, it plays to just the right tone. And the 80’s-style soundtrack that fills the movie is just icing on the cake.

This movie is much funnier than I expected. A fairly textbook comedy that works because it cares about the characters. It is cheesy but sincere, over-the-top, but not overplayed, and a great vehicle to, what hopes to be, a promising career from star Andy Samberg.

And there’s the rub.

3 1/2 out of 5 stars

Jeremy Welsch
jndubbs@gmail.com

Movie Review: Underdog by JR

Title: Underdog

Starring: Jason Lee, Peter Dinklage, Jim Belushi, Patrick Warburton, Alex Neuberger

Directed by: Frederik Du Chau
Genre: Action/Adventure/Family/Comedy

Release Date: August 3, 2007

MPAA Rating: PG for crude humor, mild language and action

A beagle who just can’t seem to do anything right, is kidnapped and given superpowers by a mad scientist, Dr. Barsinister. He escapes and makes friends with a boy who helps him discover how to use his new powers for good.

After first seeing the previews earlier this year, I have been excited about Underdog. As a parent of two children ages 7 and 5, it’s hard to find movies that everyone in the family will enjoy. My kids were as equally excited to see it as I was. Usually it’s them wanting to drag me to a movie (Happily N’ever After), or it’s me wanting to drag them to a movie (Narnia).

The story line in Underdog was very simple: Mad scientist and his bumbling sidekick want to do bad things, and the superhero must save the day. The big “twist” on this is that the superhero is a dog. Not so big of a twist, right? Yeah, I know. But it’s still a really cute gimmick and it worked for me. Underdog, whose alter-ego’s name is Shoeshine, is a great character for kids. He has trouble succeeding in what he does because something always goes wrong, and he feels like he can’t do anything. He’s funny and very relatable, even if he is a talking dog. His owner, Jack, is having some problems of his own and has to overcome them to help Underdog succeed. It’s nothing we haven’t seen before, but coupled with the action and the comedy, it really works here. All of the kids in the theater were captivated.

The performances were fantastic as well. Dr. Barsinister is played by Peter Dinklage (you might know him from Nip/Tuck) and he’s a perfect kiddie villain. He’s just sinister enough, yet he does physical comedy very well. His bumbling sidekick is played masterfully by Patrick Warburton. Underdog’s owner Jack is played by newcomer Alex Neuberger. According to imdb.com, he’s only been in one other movie: Running Scared, which I hated. He’s a great little actor. I expect to see him in many other movies in the future.

Underdog is the latest in the old-cartoon-turned-into-a-movie, and I have to tell you, I never watched the old cartoon. I remember seeing pieces of it here and there in my childhood, but it wasn’t one that I would carve out a slice of that special Saturday morning time for. One of the things I do remember about the cartoon is Underdog speaking in rhyme a lot, and he does that in the new movie as well. Sounds like it would get old? Nah, it doesn’t. Not in the short run-time. It’s endearing actually, like a part of his new persona that isn’t developed yet. I hate to compare, but it’s kinda like in Spiderman, when Peter Parker is trying to figure out how to use his webbing and shouts out things like “Go web!”.

My only complaint about the movie is that it dragged a bit in the second half. My kids were thoroughly engaged in it, but I took a quick 10 minute nap. Overall though, the movie was entertaining, funny, full of action, and completely appropriate for the entire family. Which I love.

4 out of 5 stars

Jenny Rushing
Beccajane67@yahoo.com

Movie Revbiew: The Bourne Ultimatum by JW

Ed. note – We have a guest reviewer this time around, Jeremy Welsch of www.moviebuffs.com/ Hopefully he will stick around for a while. You guys can email him and beg him to stay at jndubbs@gmail.com.

Title: The Bourne Ultimatum
Starring: Matt Damon, Julia Stiles, David Strathairn, Scott Glenn, Albert Finney, Joan Allen
Director : Paul Greengrass
Producer: Patrick Crowley, Frank Marshall, Paul L. Sandberg, Doug Liman
Genre: Action
Release Date: August 3, 2007
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Distributors: Universal Pictures

Paul Greengrass directs the final chapter in the Bourne trilogy. Jason Bourne is still trying to find out the secrets of his identity while being hunted by the very people who trained him.

Every now and then I have this dream. In it, I am my current age and I wake up and find myself in the halls of my high school (of which I am 13 years removed). I continue to make my way through the hallways making my way towards my locker. Everyone around me is how I remember them in high school and they don't even notice that I am in my early thirties. The only thing running through my mind is an increasing feeling of anxiety as I get closer to my locker because I can't remember my combination. For some reason I think that if I can't figure it out or have to go to the principals office to get it, they'll figure out how old I am and that I am not supposed to be there. But every time I get to the locker, I get the combination right. It doesn't seem familiar to me as I am trying the lock, but I get it open first try - every time. Weird, but true. I have no clue what it means, if anything, but as I sat down to write this review that dream popped into my head and ended up being the best way to summarize how I felt watching the movie.

The movie picks up right where the last one left off. Literally. After the car crash in Moscow at the end of The Bourne Supremacy, we rejoin Bourne as he evades police then goes to Paris to tell Marie's brother that she is dead. During this time, he reads an article about himself in the Guardian Newspaper and heads to London to track down the writer, Rimon Ross, and find out who his source is. He meets up with Ross at Waterloo station and learns of 'Blackbriar', formerly Treadstone (the top-secret CIA program that basically 'created' Jason Bourne). During this meeting, Bourne gives a clinic on surveillance evasion by guiding Ross via cell phone through/around numerous cameras and CIA converging on the station. He finds out the source, gets away from an asset (Blackbriar assassin) sent to kill him and Ross, and he's off to Madrid to track down his source. And so on and so forth.

This movie is essentially two hours of Bourne running away from the CIA, which is trying to kill him, and towards what he hopes are answers about his identity. In the end, that is pretty much what the whole trilogy is about - Bourne trying to find out who he is and kicking everyone's ass that gets in his way. The action in this movie doesn't disappoint. There are two scenes in particular that stick out in my mind. There is a car chase scene is pretty intense. I haven't seen many that look this seamless or exciting, even if it was a bit long and overdone. I had the same complaint about the chase scenes in The Bourne Supremacy. How many shots do we need from inside the car where we see an incoming car smash into Bourne's vehicle and watch his head shake back and forth? Impressive the first few times I saw it, but overused. Like that friend of yours that still quotes Old School - it was funny the first hundred times we heard it, but, we get it, let's move on. The real tour de force of the movie was the sequence in Tangier where Bourne is tracking Desh, an asset sent to kill his source, then him and Nicky (a CIA agent and former Treadstone contact who offers to help Bourne). There is about a 10-15 minute stretch where there is virtually no dialogue; just straight action and a chase on foot. We see Bourne hopping from building to building tracking Desh before he has a chance to kill Nicky with intermittent cuts back and forth between Bourne, Nicky, and Desh. The climax of the sequence is the confrontation between Desh and Bourne that is hands down, the best fight sequence of the trilogy. The most impressive part is, like I said, there is no dialogue at all and the suspense is basically created out of thin air through the editing and camera work. It works on all levels and I wished there had been more direction like this in the movie. I would recommend the movie solely on the integrity of this sequence alone. Absolutely amazing filmmaking.

I liked Identity, and loved The Bourne Supremacy but The Bourne Ultimatum, sadly, sort of let me down. I wouldn't go so far as to say this is a bad movie, by any stretch of the imagination.

The Bourne Supremacy was so far and above Identity that I guess I was spoiled into thinking this would be an improvement to the same degree. Instead it felt more like The Bourne Supremacy, Part II. There is a scene in the movie that is directly taken from the end of The Bourne Supremacy (where Bourne is calling Landy and tells her to "Get some sleep. You look tired"). Wait, what? Didn't we already see that once? If it was an attempt to be clever by tying the two films together, it didn't work. Clever for the sake of clever is weak, tired writing. And if that last scene in The Bourne Supremacy was supposed to prelude to The Bourne Ultimatum, the jump into the middle of its sequel didn't make any sense to me. Again, clever for the sake of clever kind of feels like cheating. The ultimate answer to the question of the series, 'Who is Jason Bourne?' was, well, sufficient, if not a little awkward and a bit forced. I don't know what ending I would have accepted more, but the solution presented didn't work all that much for me, but it'll do.

I really wanted to like this movie more - I really did. By no means is it a bad movie; it just feels too much like we've been down this road before. A tidy 'end' to a very good trilogy that I didn't expect much from when it first started.

And there's the rub.

Jeremy Welsch
jndubbs@gmail.com