Released: June 27, 2008
Director: Andrew Stanton
*****
The latest production from the Pixar factory is the most socially
conscious animated film we´ve seen since "The Iron Giant." At times
saccharine sweet, romantic and sarcastic, it contains a heavy dose of
eco-friendliness to boot. While it is a worthwhile message-human beings
are destroying the planet and only human beings can save it-the script
needed to be toned down one more notch. As is, the story knocks the
audience over the head with its (depending on your viewpoint) left wing
"green" theme to a point of nearly becoming overkill.
*****
Wall-E Review
Released: July 2, 2008
Director: Peter Berg
*****
I am going to make a prediction. When Will Smith´s "Hancock" opens on
July 2, it will make close to $100 million during the July 4th holiday,
thus further cementing Smith´s reputation as Mr. Independence Day. It
is nowhere near as imaginative as "Men in Black" or as wildly
entertaining as "Independence Day." Forget about being a tour de force
like "Ali" or even as emotionally gripping (as some people found it) as
"The Pursuit of Happyness." So what is it? Stale. Vapid. Hollow.
Offensive. Fluff.
*****
Hancock Theatrical Review
Released: June 20, 2008
Director: Peter Segal
*****
From its opening moments, it´s quite obvious "Get Smart" is intent on
doing on thing: making us laugh. Everything else is secondary. As the
credits roll over Smart preparing for his day, we see post it notes
reminding him to carry out certain tasks. The best one? A reminder, on
an empty goldfish bowl, to buy a new goldfish. Those are the kind of
jokes littering the film and, quite honestly, the production is better
for it. There´s no need to sully the good name of the original series
with poop jokes or double entendres.
*****
Get Smart Review
Released: June 13, 2008
Director: Louis Leterrier
*****
For a good 20 minutes, Louis Leterrier´s "The Incredible Hulk" is a
masterful work of a man struggling with his nature. We watch as Doctor
Bruce Banner (Edward Norton) lives "off the grid" in South America in
an effort to remain faceless and nameless to General Thaddeus Ross
(William Hurt). Ross wants to harness the power in Banner-the ability
to turn his anger into a green monster-for the military. It isn´t until
fairly late in the movie, when Tim Blake Nelson´s Doctor Samuel Sterns
enters the equation, does the story face plant into standard, boring
action fluff. Until that point, this reinvention of the big green guy
is firing on nearly all cylinders.
*****
The Incredible Hulk Review
Released: June 6, 2008
Directors: Mark Osborne, John Stevenson
*****
Armed with an A-list voice talent cast headed by Jack Black, Dustin
Hoffman and Angelina Jolie, "Kung Fu Panda" is the first true family
movie of the summer. And it will hold that distinction until the July
release of Disney Pixar´s "Wall*E," at which time this film will become
an afterthought. It´s not because Black and company don´t have a
serviceable enough script to work with. It´s not even due to an, at
times, obtuse message. It comes down to being a DreamWorks film and not
a Pixar film.
*****
Kung Fu Panda Review
Released: May 30, 2008
Director: Bryan Bertino
*****
"The Strangers" is a perfect example of the current problem with horror
movies: the need to humanize the "bad guys." With the recent
reimagining of "Halloween," not to mention the latest installment in
the "Saw" series…and the latter "Nightmare on Elm Street" flicks and a
dozen other recent and classic horror films, writers tend to give our
masked killers a backstory, a reason for being the way they are. It is
to the film´s great advantage, then, when the end credits begin to
roll, we´re not left with antagonists abused as children, born into
backwoods families or having experienced any other type of trauma.
*****
The Strangers Review
Released: May 22, 2008
Director: Steven Spielberg
*****
"Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" is a movie out of
its time. Others have taken the same concept, notably the "National
Treasure" films, and recreated the fun attitude of "Raiders of the Lost
Ark." In a word, the film is flat relying on brief comedic moments
pilfered from the rest of the series instead of creating new gags or
memories. After an entire film of batting away references to his
lineage, is their any reason for Jones to call Mutt (LaBeouf) "Junior"
other than to invoke Sean Connery in "The Last Crusade?" Why, in the
opening action sequence, does the script bother to drop references-and
a brief glimpse-of the Ark of the Covenant? And why does Ford get the
ubiquitous line,"I have a bad feeling about this"?
*****
Indiana Jones and Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Full Review
Released: April 18, 2008
Director: Nathan Frankowski
*****
As hosted by Ben Stein, "Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed" purports to
tell the story of why the creationism theory is "under attack." Quite
simply, as we´re told in the film, the upper levels of scientific
academia are slavishly attached to evolution and Darwin, rejecting any
and all contrary opinions. Several professors and scientists recount
their excommunication from the scientific community after merely
mentioning intelligent design.
*****
Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed Review
Released: May 2, 2008
Director: Jon Favreau
*****
Tobey Maguire may be the quintessential Peter Parker while Patrick
Stewart was a shoe-in for the role of Professor X. Jennifer Garner
looked like Elektra and Hugh Jackman became a star based on Wolverine.
But none of those casting choices holds a candle to Robert Downey, Jr.
as Tony Stark. From the first moment we see him, in an armored Humvee
crossing the Afghan desert, he exemplifies the hard drinking,
womanizing playboy the script demands him to be. There is a snark to
him, an easy repartee with the entire cast. Even as the most sexist
Marvel movie character, he ingratiates himself to the audience, making
us fully aware of the words coming out of his mouth as well as the
undeniable charm exuding from every pore of his being.
*****
The full Iron Man review
Released: April 25, 2008
Director: Michael McCullers
*****
It´s kind of sad, honestly, how much I was looking forward to "Baby
Mama." Oh, I knew it would be a low-brow comedy, but with Tina Fey, Amy
Poehler and a cast of enjoyable actors, it couldn´t be any worse than
the Judd Apatow productions from last summer. Besides, I personally
find Fey to be a top notch comedian capable to rescuing just about any
material from the gutter. Maybe my expectations were just too high.
It´s not that "Baby Mama" isn´t funny-it is. It´s not that the story
isn´t grounded in reality-it is. The narrative takes one turn too many,
opting to introduce a character for no reason other than to give Fey´s
Kate Holbrook a romantic interest. (Yeah, I know he has one other purpose, but that would be a spoiler.)
*****
Baby Mama Review