TheMovieRambler’s blog

Wall-E (2008)

nobody@vox.com(TheMovieRambler) — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 19:29:37 -0700

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

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Hancock (2008)

nobody@vox.com(TheMovieRambler) — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 06:58:51 -0700

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

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Get Smart (2008)

nobody@vox.com(TheMovieRambler) — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 18:51:36 -0700

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

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The Incredible Hulk (2008)

nobody@vox.com(TheMovieRambler) — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 19:08:59 -0700

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

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Kung Fu Panda (2008)

nobody@vox.com(TheMovieRambler) — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 05:39:54 -0700

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

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The Strangers (2008)

nobody@vox.com(TheMovieRambler) — Fri, 30 May 2008 05:59:35 -0700

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

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Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)

nobody@vox.com(TheMovieRambler) — Sun, 25 May 2008 16:29:07 -0700

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

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Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed (2008)

nobody@vox.com(TheMovieRambler) — Sun, 11 May 2008 12:34:01 -0700

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

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Iron Man (2008)

nobody@vox.com(TheMovieRambler) — Mon, 05 May 2008 11:50:59 -0700

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

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Baby Mama (2008)

nobody@vox.com(TheMovieRambler) — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 12:23:07 -0700

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

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