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The
Ant Bully
Reviewed by Russ Simmons
No, you’re not experiencing déjà vu when watching
The Ant Bully. You’re probably just recalling that computer-animated
films have explored this territory before. (Remember A Bug’s
Life or Antz?)
The Ant Bully is the latest entry into the CGI field from Warner
Brothers. (When they saw the box office performances that their rival
studios have enjoyed with this genre, they jumped on board along with
everyone else.)
Complete with the requisite eye candy and celebrity voice talent, The
Ant Bully is a pleasant addition to a crowded slate of family features
this summer.
As we learn at the outset, Lucas (voiced by young Zach Tyler) is a smallish
kid who is often picked on by a neighborhood bully. Why torment Lucas?
As the thuggish goon explains, “Because I’m big and you’re
small.”
Frustrated by his inability to fend off the bully’s aggression,
Lucas takes out his anger on an anthill in his yard. He stops the ants,
knocks down their mounds and floods their domain with the water hose.
From the ants’ perspective, this gigantic killer is called “The
Destroyer”. Constantly in fear of their lives, the ants search vainly
for a way to deal with this disaster.
One of the colony members, a sorcerer named Zoc (Nicholas Cage), comes
up with a plan. He develops a potion that shrinks Lucas down to ant size.
Now at a manageable size, they must come up with a suitable punishment
for this aggressor.
The kindly Queen Ant (Meryl Streep) takes pity on Lucas and decides that
he must learn what it is like to be an ant. She requires that he learn
to forage and scout and pull his own weight around the mound. Otherwise,
he’ll be eaten.
Zoc’s girlfriend, Hova (Julia Roberts), befriends Lucas and helps
him learn the ropes. As he reluctantly assimilates, Lucas realizes that
he must help the ants fend off an even greater threat. You see he had
previously hired an exterminator (Paul Giamatti) to fumigate the entire
lawn.
Of course, Lucas learns the importance of friendship, cooperation and
civility from his experiences. (Adults may also see a not-so-subtle message
about the dangers of militant aggression that is sadly pertinent in today’s
world.)
The animation is imaginative and eye-catching. The voice talent (especially
Giamatti) is strong, and also includes memorable work from Bruce Campbell,
Lily Tomlin, Regina King and Ricardo Montalban.
While not quite in the same league as Cars and Monster House,
The Ant Bully is a beautifully produced family flick with a painless
message about tolerance. That’s no small thing. (PG) Rating: 3
(Posted 7/28/06)
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Miami
Vice
Reviewed by Russ Simmons
You can’t blame director Michael Mann for wanting to go back to
the well. Although he’s gained a solid reputation as a filmmaker
(Heat, Collateral, The Insider), he’s
best known as the creator of the hit 1980s TV show Miami Vice.
Along with popularizing pastel colors, fast boats and an alligator named
Elvis, Miami Vice made stars of Don Johnson and Philip Michael
Thomas as slick detectives Crockett and Tubbs.
For the big screen version, those roles are played by Colin Farrell (The
New World) and Jamie Foxx (Ray). As always, they’re
up to their neck in criminal intrigue.
Mann changes the style for his film adaptation, going for the more “realistic”
look of digital, hand-held cinematography. This approach gives the action
a gritty, natural appearance…but the screenplay takes it in a different
direction altogether.
The plot involves international intrigue involving high-level drug smuggling.
After the FBI botches an undercover operation and the identities of their
operatives are blown, Crockett (Farrell) approaches the Feds and proposes
that he and partner Tubbs (Foxx) take over. After all, the bad guys don’t
know them. They’re city cops, after all.
Reluctantly, they’re given permission to approach these shadowy
international underworld figures by posing as transport experts. Traveling
to various Central and South American locations, they eventually win the
confidence of the drug lords and become their conduits into Florida.
Things go along swimmingly until Crockett falls for the beautiful Isabella
(Chinese superstar Gong Li), a kingpin’s mistress. This complication
leads our heroes into deep water that threatens not only them, but also
all of their co-workers.
The dialogue is a jumble of nearly indecipherable cop-speak. Add in a
lot of foreign accents, and Miami Vice becomes very hard to follow.
But as the plot begins to make sense, other aspects of the story don’t.
One could easily wonder how a couple of city cops could assemble the
souped-up boats, private jets and military ops that they utilize in their
endeavors. Plus, their expertise in any number of areas gives them a skill
set that James Bond would envy.
But, in fairness, there are some excellent scenes in Miami Vice.
Unfortunately, they take WAY to long to get there. (At two hours and ten
minutes, it could use a good pruning.) Plus the best actor in the movie,
Foxx, is utterly wasted.
In a nutshell, Miami Vice could have been an excellent action
flick. Due to its flaws, it’s merely a good one. (R) Rating: 3
(Posted 7/28/06)
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Scoop
Reviewed by Russ Simmons
After is latest trip to the dark side (the murky and morally ambiguous
Match Point), Woody Allen stays in London but reverts to his
old ways.
Apparently reinvigorated by his new shooting locale, Allen covers some
of the same territory as Match Point, but does so in comic fashion.
Fans who’ve become bored with Allen’s “serious”
fare should find some amusement in this typical Allen farce.
Scoop stars Allen, his new favorite leading lady Scarlett Johansson
(The Island) and Hugh Jackman (X-Men) in a murder mystery
with a supernatural twist.
Johansson plays Sondra Pransky, a student journalist visiting friends
in London. While attending a magic show staged by The Great Splendini,
nee Sid Waterman (Allen), Sondra is asked to come on stage to aid in a
trick. While in Sid’s vanishing box, Sondra encounters the spirit
of Joe Strombel a recently deceased journalist (Ian McShane from TV’s
Deadwood).
The clever Strombol temporarily slips away from the Grim Reaper and manages
to pick up the “vibrations” of a journalist to share the scoop
he received from another recently departed soul, a murdered secretary.
Strombol informs Sondra that an aristocrat named Peter Lyman (Jackman)
may well be the infamous “Tarot Card Killer” who has been
terrorizing London prostitutes.
Sondra takes it upon herself to see if she can uncover enough evidence
to link Lyman with the murders. In spite of his initial reluctance, she
manages to recruit Sid’s help in her investigation. They pose as
father and daughter to see just how much they can find out.
Naturally, Sondra and Peter become romantically linked. While she still
has her suspicions about him, she ultimately succumbs to the charms of
this handsome blueblood.
Allen is his usual, anxiety-ridden self, spouting some memorable, off-the-cuff
one-liners. (When asked his religion, he replies, “I was born into
the Jewish persuasion but I later converted to narcissism.”)
Johansson is an attractive lead, but her character isn’t always
consistent as written. In the early scenes, she seems to be a ditzy, naive
college kid. Later in the film, she seems downright sophisticated. Allen
writes her character as a foil to himself, giving her lines that are often
funny, but not necessarily believable.
Jackman, on the other hand, has little to do but pose and look handsome.
(His character is nearly interchangeable with the one played by Jonathan
Rhys Meyers in Match Point.)
Although Scoop can’t be included among the best of Allen’s
work, it is an amusing trifle that should please his increasingly restless
fan base. (PG-13) Rating: 3(Posted 7/28/06)
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Lady
in the Water
Reviewed by Russ Simmons
Filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan is as much an enigma as his movies.
While he insists that he doesn’t make horror films, his biggest
box office hits like The Sixth Sense, Signs and The
Village are straight out of the Twilight Zone.
His latest cinematic curiosity is Lady in the Water, a flick
that was inspired by a bedtime story he made up for his kids. One may
well wonder whether or not these youngsters will grow up to be well-adjusted
adults.
Shyamalan’s bizarre concoction is hard to peg. It’s even
harder to come up with an idea of just what demographic group he might
be aiming for. It isn’t scary enough for horror fans or absorbing
enough for lovers of fantasy. Plus, it’s too intense and convoluted
for kids.
Paul Giamatti (Sideways) plays Cleveland Heep, the superintendent
of a very modest apartment complex in a suburb of Philadelphia. One day,
he happens to spot a strange creature living beneath the swimming pool!
It turns out that the creature is a “narf” named Story (Brice
Dallas Howard from The Village). This mermaid-like entity is
part of a race of water people from the “Blue World” who’ve
been separated from humans for centuries. (Some of the rambling background
on “narfs” is explained in an animated prologue.)
For reasons the film only touches on, Story is trying to break through
to humans, but some scary beasties called “scrunts” are trying
to stop her. These wolf-like killers live in our lawns and have grass
for backs, explaining why we never see them. (No, I’m not making
this up.)
Cleveland galvanizes the residents in an all-out attempt to protect Story
from the malevolent scrunts and help her return to the Blue World. When
he explains why he needs their help, not a soul questions his sanity or
expresses the slightest hint of disbelief.
You can’t blame the terrific cast for this debacle. Giamatti actually
manages to give a terrific performance and Howard has an ethereal quality
that works will for her role. The supporting players include such noteworthy
performers as Jeffrey Wright, Bill Irwin, Mary Beth Hurt and (hilariously)
Bob Balaban as a petulant, know-it-all film critic. (Spoiler: Balaban’s
critic meets an ugly end in what is undoubtedly Shyamalan’s vicarious
revenge.)
While Shyamalan has a knack for creating suspenseful scenes, his screenplay
for Lady in the Water has some of the wackiest, most unintentionally
funny dialogue in recent memory. There are moments where even Shyamalan’s
biggest fans will be rolling their eyes.
Film buffs may be aware of some background intrigue that plagues the
movie. Shyamalan, whose previous work was produced by Disney, felt slighted
when executives at the Mouse House dared to question some elements of
the script. He ran to Warner Brothers and, given his box office track
record, they jumped on board. The Disney folks are looking awfully smart
right now.
While he may never accept it (and blame others for not understanding
his vision), Lady in the Water is, in fact, Shyamalan’s
utterly fascinating miscalculation. (PG-13) Rating: 2 (Posted 7/21/06) |
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Monster
House
Reviewed by Russ Simmons
The works of Aardman Animations, the folks that gave us Wallace &
Gromit, have proven that there is still some life in stop-motion
clay animation in our computer-generated world.
The makers of the new feature Monster House like the look of
clay, too. Although their movie was created in the computer, they went
to great lengths to capture the same tactile, three-dimensional quality
that gave everyone from Gumby to Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer their
unique appearance.
This style works well for this strange and entertaining tale about an
old creepy house that the neighborhood kids discover is actually alive!
The story involves a youngster named DJ (voiced by Mitchel Musso) who
lives across the street from a dilapidated old house occupied by a cranky
old geezer named Mr. Nebbercracker (Steve Buscemi). He’s always
chasing the neighborhood kids away and stealing any toys that may have
accidentally ended up in his yard.
It just so happens that it is Halloween and DJ’s folks (Catherine
O’Hara and Fred Willard) are going away for a few days. DJ is left
in the care of a neglectful babysitter named Zee (Maggie Gyllenhaal) and
her slacker boyfriend, Bones (Jason Lee). (Other guest voices include
Kevin James, Nick Cannon, Jon Heder and Kathleen Turner.)
When DJ and his chubby pal Chowder (Sam Lerner) dare to go into Nebbercracker’s
yard to retrieve an errant basketball, the old coot comes outside and
has a heart attack when scuffling with DJ. After he’s courted off
in an ambulance, DJ begins to believe that Nebbercracker has died and
that his malevolent spirit has possessed the house itself.
DJ, Chowder and a preppie candy seller named Jenny (Spencer Locke) take
it upon themselves to explore the old edifice to see if their suspicions
are accurate.
Director Gil Kenan and his animators have a field day bringing the creepy
old house to vivid life. Windows become eyes; a rug becomes a tongue and
shattered boards form jagged teeth as the haunted habitat seeks its revenge.
The technicians use a technique called “motion capture” to
translate facial expressions into animated performances. The cast acts
out the script with tiny dots on their faces that can then be interpolated
onto the visage of the computer-generated characters. (This is the same
technique pioneered by Monster House producer Robert Zemeckis
for his 2004 effort, The Polar Express.)
But all of the whiz-bang gimmickry would fall flat without a decent story.
Thankfully, Monster House has a script with enough wit to fill
the bill.
Monster House is a welcome return to the netherworld of clay.
(PG) Rating: 3.5 (Posted 7/21/06) |
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My
Super Ex-Girlfriend
Reviewed by Russ Simmons
Ever think twice about breaking up with your mate because you feared
that they might engage in some nasty retaliation? What if that mate had
super powers?
That’s the dilemma faced by Luke Wilson (The Family Stone)
in the new comedy, My Super Ex-Girlfriend.
Uma Thurman (Kill Bill) stars as mild-mannered Jenny Johnson
who, due to an encounter with a radioactive meteorite earlier in life,
has many superhuman abilities. She lives a double life as G-Girl, a caped
crime fighter in New York City.
Wilson plays Matt Saunders, an average Joe who meets the sexy Jenny on
the subway. After dating for a while, he comes to realize that she is
needy, possessive and mildly psychopathic. When he decides to cut her
off, she turns on him and makes his life a living hell.
Wilson has an easy-going appeal and Thurman is appropriately unnerving
as the anxiety-ridden caped crusader. Anna Faris (Scary Movie 4)
is fetching as one of Matt’s co-workers on whom he’s got a
major crush, and comic Eddie Izzard has a nice turn as the villain, Professor
Bedlam.
But it’s Rainn Wilson (TV’s The Office) who gives
the film’s funniest performance as Vaughn, Matt’s oafish best
friend. He spends most of his time hitting on a disinterested bartender
and giving Matt bad advice on lovemaking.
The script by The Simpsons’ Don Payne is something of
a head-scratcher. It’s certainly clever and has some genuinely funny
sequences, but one might well wonder what target audience he had in mind.
The film gets most of its laughs from sexual innuendo, racy dialogue
and mildly erotic slapstick. (When Jenny and Matt have sex, their bed
crashes through the wall into the neighbor’s apartment.)
It wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to presume that a movie about
superheroes, even a send-up like this one, would appeal mainly to grade
school kids and adolescents. The movie’s content makes it inappropriate
for that crowd. Yes, the raunchy content is fairly mild by today’s
relaxed standards (the film scrapes by with a PG-13 rating), but how many
parents want to explain the birds and the bees to youngsters after seeing
a comic book movie?
Veteran director Ivan Reitman (Ghostbusters, Stripes,
Meatballs, etc.) does a workmanlike job with the material, establishing
a familiar old school feel.
For older teens and adults, My Super Ex-Girlfriend is a mildly
amusing piffle. It falls short, however, of super. (PG-13) Rating: 2.5
(Posted 7/21/06) |
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Strangers
With Candy
Reviewed by Russ Simmons
Strangers With Candy has one big thing working against it. Its
lead character is annoying, repulsive and thoroughly unlikable.
But those same qualities helped make Comedy Central’s sitcom of
the same name a minor cult favorite, and that elite group will find the
movie version to be a sarcastic treat.
The collaborative effort of actress Amy Sedaris and fellow comics Stephen
Colbert and Paul Dinello, the series Strangers With Candy focused
on the bizarre behavior of Jerry Blank (Sedaris), a drug-addled ex-con
who decides to go back to high school…at the age of 46. (Reportedly,
this was inspired by an actual incident!)
Jerri is a homely bisexual who has no “stop” button in her
brain. She can be annoying, sexist, racist and (to put it mildly) politically
incorrect. But she has no clue as to her own repulsiveness. In fact, when
she says or does something absurdly depraved or censurable and people
around her react with dismay, her attitude seems to be, “What’s
the big deal?”
As played with over-the-top abandon by Sedaris, Jerri is a totally unique
and oddly impressive comic invention. She seems to be daring us to hate
her, distancing ourselves enough from her absurd behavior so that we can
laugh at her from afar.
But this approach is as dangerous walking a tightrope. When you push
an unlikable character on people long enough, they can stop laughing and
transfer their displeasure to the movie itself. In a twenty-two minute
sitcom, the character doesn’t wear out her welcome. A feature-length
film is another story.
That’s part of the problem with Strangers With Candy.
The other is that its absurd, off-color humor is very much a matter of
taste. Some will find it hilarious while others will be simply irritated.
But that’s not to say that there aren’t pleasures to be had
in this nasty concoction. It has, in fact, many funny moments for those
who are inclined to tune in to its gleeful mean-spiritedness.
Colbert (The Colbert Report), who co-wrote the script with Sedaris
and director Dinello, turns in a droll performance the frustrated science
teacher who does his best to ignore Jerri’s distressing presence.
(The movie also has some amusing cameos by Philip Seymour Hoffman, Sarah
Jessica Parker, Matthew Broderick, Allison Janney, Ian Holm and Todd Oldham,
whose pictures are featured in the lunchroom.)
While Jerri Blank is definitely laugh-worthy, she can really wear out
her welcome. (R) Rating: 2.5
(Posted 7/14/06) |
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A
Scanner Darkly
Reviewed by Russ Simmons
Watching the sometimes-disorienting images of A Scanner Darkly,
one occasionally gets the sense of being high.
Perhaps that was intentional, given the fact that this science fiction
story is all about the nebulous world of drug addiction. Perhaps it’s
an accident. In either case, it is very disquieting.
Based upon a 1977 novel by acclaimed writer Philip K. Dick, A Scanner
Darkly is the second animated feature from filmmaker Richard Linklater
(School of Rock). His initial effort in this genre was his 2001
mind-bender, Waking Life. But purists may not consider his technique
to be “animation” at all.
What Linklater is doing is actually a high tech example of “rotoscoping”.
That’s where the actors are filmed and then their performances are,
basically, painted over. Back in the day, this was done by hand, frame-by-frame.
Linklater and his crew utilize computer technology. Sometimes the effect
is startling and, at others moments, simply annoying.
Indeed, the visual style of A Scanner Darkly may be the litmus
test for audience members. If it gives you a headache, your reaction to
Dick’s story of drug-induced paranoia may not matter.
Keanu Reeves plays Bob Arctor, an undercover policeman living in a fascist
state in the near future. (Hey, this is one of the few times that Keanu
actually comes off as animated.)
After years of drug busts, he has himself become addicted to Substance
D, a nefarious narcotic that’s use eventually leads to madness.
Among Arctor’s “friends” are a fast-talking but inept
drug dealer named Barris (Robert Downey, Jr.) and a goofball slacker known
as Luckman (Woody Harrelson). The dialogue between these amusing supporting
characters provides the movie with its most memorable moments.
Winona Ryder plays Donna Hawthore, a woman who Arctor dates and occasionally
gets high with. While she seems more level headed that his other acquaintances,
she is something of an enigma.
As the story progresses, Arctor’s grip on reality loosens. He begins
to believe that he has unwittingly been a part of some infernal conspiracy.
Is he paranoid, or is he on to something?
In Waking Life, Linklater imaginatively employed animation to
embellish the stories, but misses the opportunity, here. (The exception
is when Arctor dons a high tech cloak to disguise himself, and the resulting
collage of facial images is visually intriguing.)
The strength of A Scanner Darkly lies in its sharp dialogue,
but you’ve got to get past the mostly blurry imagery in order to
take it all in. If you’re not prone to headaches, it may be worth
the effort. (R) Rating: 3
(Posted 7/14/06) |
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Little
Man
Reviewed by Russ Simmons
Let’s face it. The Wayans brothers aren’t afraid to go there.
Where, you ask? Why anywhere a cheap laugh can be mined.
As they demonstrated with Scary Movie and White Chicks,
the comedic siblings are ready and willing to explore scatological, sexual
and racial avenues…any place where others fear to tread. Their fearlessness
has paid of in box office gold.
With their latest effort, Little Man, writer/director Keenan
Ivory Wayans and writer/actors Marlon and Shawn alter their path only
slightly, attempting a bit of sentiment along with the lowbrow humor.
Marlon stars as Calvin, a hardcore criminal, recently released from a
federal penitentiary. While he’s as hard and ruthless as they come,
Calvin is different in one respect. He’s only about two feet tall.
A criminal accomplice named Percy (Saturday Night Live’s
Tracey Morgan) picks up Calvin from the pen and they immediately rob a
jewelry store, nabbing a plumb-sized diamond.
On the run from the cops and from a nasty gangster who wants the rock
(Chazz Palminteri), the duo stumbles upon a nice, middle-class couple,
Darryl (Shawn Wayans) and wife, Vanessa (Kerry Washington). Darryl desperately
wants a child, but Vanessa is hesitant. Calvin comes up with the idea
to pose as a baby and be placed on their doorstep.
Darryl and Vanessa decide to keep the baby for the weekend, just until
they can contact Child Services. The rest of the movie deals with gags
derived from a grown man posing as a baby.
Much of the humor in Little Man is derived from slapstick, especially
of the painful variety. Characters are hit in the crotch so often that
the movie may well have set a new record in this category. Once is funny,
twice is amusing. All of the additional examples (and there are many)
are simply gratuitous and annoying.
But there are a lot of laughs here, mostly courtesy of Marlon. His rubbery
face has been skillfully superimposed on the bodies of a child and a dwarf
through masterful digital manipulation. His facial expressions add a lot
of subtext, giving us something to laugh about when the script lets us
down.
While rated PG-13, Little Man flirts with the more restrictive
R designation. A few years ago, a movie with this much sexual innuendo
would have easily been categorized for the “17 and above”
crowd. Relaxed standards on cable and broadcast TV have changed all that.
Silly, obvious and labored, Little Man is a mixed bag at best.
But it’s got Marlon’s expressive visage to carry the day.
Once again, the Wayans’ have hit pay dirt. (PG-13) Rating: 2.5
(Posted 7/14/06) |
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Somersault
Reviewed by Russ Simmons
Sexual awakening can be either a joy or a nightmare. How one handles
this delicate right of passage can have a lifelong effect.
Filmmaker Cate Shortland takes on the challenge of depicting this awkward
time for a confused 16-year-old girl in the film, Somersault.
Her movie is alternately frustrating, absorbing, frightening and moving.
Somersault is the first film to ever sweep the Australian Academy
Awards. It won in all thirteen categories in which it was nominated, including
Best Film, Actor, Actress and Director. Not bad for a low budget effort
that took seven years to get made.
Abbie Cornish stars as Heidi, an extremely pretty and equally naive 16-year-old
girl living with her mother in a lower middle-class neighborhood in Canberra,
Australia. All hormones and heartache, Heidi compulsively edits her elaborate
scrapbook and yearns to find a meaningful emotional connection.
Heidi’s life changes after she comes on to her mother’s hunky
boyfriend. When Mom comes home unexpectedly, she finds the two kissing.
Wracked with shame, Heidi runs away from home.
She takes a bus to the ski resort town of Jindabyne in Southeast Australia.
Her plan is to hook up with an old acquaintance, but he hangs up on her.
Without a place to stay, Heidi goes home with a guy she meets in a bar
and, for his trouble, has sex with him.
Of course, it’s only a one-night stand. Heidi catches the eye of
a young farmer named Joe (Sam Worthington), and they wind up at a local
motel. Joe, Heidi hopes, will provide her with an actual relationship.
But Joe has big problems of his own.
Heidi manages to talk Irene (Lynette Curran), the owner of the motel,
into allowing her to rent an apartment there. She then takes a job at
the local convenience store and hopes that Joe will help her sort out
her life.
Shortland’s film is painstakingly slow as it deliberately tells
Heidi’s story. But viewers’ patience is paid off as this extremely
realistic story builds to a moving climax.
Cornish is sensational as Heidi, capturing that awkward stage where gullibility
and innate intelligence often collide. (Viewers will be relieved to know
that Cornish was actually 22 when this explicit movie was filmed.) She
is memorable as a manipulative Lolita who learns the difference between
love and sex the hard way.
Although it sometimes seems unfocused and a bit protracted, Somersault
is a heart-wrenching movie that makes its points about adolescent angst
with little trace of moralizing. (No MPAA rating) Rating: 3.5
(Posted 7/07/06) |
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Pirates
of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Reviewed by Deborah Young
Johnny Depp has played some zany characters. Some have been annoyingly
odd, such as the incessantly stoned Raoul Duke in Fear and Loathing
in Las Vegas (1998). Others have been creepy but benign, such as
Willy Wonka of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. But his
latest zany role is a return to a character that earned him an Academy
Award nomination in 2004 (for Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the
Black Pearl).
If only a well-acted character or two were enough to sustain an entire
movie.
Depp’s whimsical portrayal of Captain Jack Sparrow enlivens the
Pirates enterprise. It’s not difficult to imagine Sparrow’s
tipsy, effeminate demeanor getting annoying. But in a world of barnacled
and worm-faced characters, Sparrow doesn’t seem quite so weird.
Depp imbues Sparrow with a sort of otherworldly everyman quality. He
performs the gigantic task of making the character both slippery and likeable.
The movie has other notable characters as well, such as the crafty Davy
Jones (played by Bill Nighy) and the tomboyish Elizabeth Swann (Keira
Knightley). These actors create a few entertaining moments in a film with
an exhaustingly circuitous plot.
This tangled yarn starts with Elizabeth and her beau Will Turner (Orlando
Bloom) trying to save their own necks by searching for Sparrow to convince
him to turn himself over to the law. The plot never again addresses Sparrow
turning himself in.
We’re immediately thrust into a story that isn’t a story
at all but a series of action-filled events punctuated by colorful characters.
At times these events thrill the senses but strung together they become
a tiring affair — 150 minutes of disconnected actions and reactions
that would drain the heartiest of souls. PG-13 Rating: 2. (Posted
7/07/06) |
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The
Devil Wears Prada
Reviewed by Deborah Young
Implausible situations and a preachy tone permeate The Devil Wears
Prada. Yet the movie has two elements that render it immensely enjoyable:
Meryl Streep and her young co-star, Anne Hathaway.
Streep plays Miranda Priestly, the uptight and demanding editor of an
influential fashion magazine, “Runway.” Priestly is not only
self-centered and mean, but she is very predictable.
Miranda can be counted upon to toss her coat and purse on her assistant’s
desk every time she enters the office. She can be counted upon to call
her second assistant by the wrong name at every encounter. She can be
counted upon to make unreasonable demands upon her staff.
Such a predictable, seemingly flat character should become an annoyance
before long, but Miranda doesn’t. She won’t totally turn off
viewers because Streep is a consummate pro that is accustomed to playing
women who’ve slid just beyond the edge of insanity (Streep did this
brilliantly in her Postcards from the Edge role).
With Streep there always seems to be some paradoxically sane and gentle
character trait just beneath a rough and nutty exterior. Also, Miranda
has the boon of some pretty witty dialogue from screenwriter Aline Brosh
McKenna (Laws of Attraction). Just when the idea of someone wanting
to work for such a jerk starts to seem impossible, Miranda lets fly a
stinging but hilarious zinger, and it’s impossible not to admire
her relentless audacity.
Andy Sachs (Anne Hathaway of Princess Diaries) turns out to
be the perfect protagonist to endure Miranda’s antagonism. Andy
is an aspiring journalist who recently graduated. She has a great deal
of disdain for the fashion industry, but winds up at a fashion magazine
because every other magazine and newspaper in the city has turned her
down.
Before long, this simple girl starts to change, because she wants to
prove to her boss that she’s good. She begins to think that if she
pleases Miranda, doors to editorial suites will open for her. Then she
faces a crossroad. Who will she become, a loyal friend and girlfriend
or a self-centered, cutthroat workaholic?
The whole enterprise rings false and trite at times, but these two actors
are fun to watch. Plus young Hathaway has an air of hopeful naiveté
that makes her easy to root for.
Though far from deep, The Devil Wears Prada has enough truth
about the slipperiness of ambition and enough wit to recommend it. (PG-13)
Rating: 3 (Posted 6/30/06) |
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Superman
Returns
Reviewed by Russ Simmons
It’s quite obvious that writer/director Brian Singer (The X-Men)
was a big fan of the Superman movies that starred Christopher Reeve. The
film is dedicated to the memory of Reeve and his late wife, Dana.
But there is a lot more than that dedication to demonstrate Singer’s
affection for those films. His new opus, Superman Returns truly
plays like a sequel, staying very close to the tone, look and feel of
director Richard Donner’s flicks from the late 1970s.
Singer’s story has our hero, now played by newcomer Brandon Routh,
returning to Earth after a five year journey to the ruins of his home
planet, Krypton. A lot has happened since the Man of Steel has been gone.
His former paramour, Lois Lane (now played by Kate Bosworth from Beyond
the Sea) has moved on. She has a fiancée named Richard White,
played by James Marsden (The X-Men) as well as a 5-year-old son,
Jason (Tristan Lake Leabu).
Lois also harbors ill will towards Superman for leaving her without explanation.
She even wrote an angry article called “Why the World Doesn’t
Need Superman” and won a Pulitzer Prize for her efforts. Even though
he saves her life when an airplane ride goes terribly wrong, she still
isn’t too happy to see him.
While Superman/Clark Kent still has his eye on Lois, he’s got other
fish to fry. It seems that his old nemesis, Lex Luthor is back. Kevin
Spacey, who won an Oscar for his last collaboration with Singer, The
Usual Suspects, takes the role of the dome-headed villain.
Luthor travels to the Artic to explore Superman’s “Fortress
of Solitude” in order to take advantage of the advanced technology
stored there. (This set is not only an exact recreation of the set used
in the Reeve movies, but archive footage of Marlon Brando as Superman’s
father, Jor-El, is used as well.)
When Luthor gets his hands on some creepy Krypton crystals, you know
that things are not going to go well for our caped hero.
Superman Returns has tremendous production values and some riveting
scenes. (Superman’s rescue of a doomed 777 flight is an amazing
set piece.) But the movie is also overlong, somewhat rambling and occasionally
loses focus.
Still, Routh wears the tights with flair and captures the nerdiness of
Clark Kent with the same humor that Reeve skillfully achieved. Plus, the
story opens up some intriguing new emotional and ethical avenues for Superman
to explore.
Thanks to Singer and the magicians at Warner Brothers, Superman’s
return is heartily welcome. (PG-13) Rating: 4 (Posted 6/30/06) |
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Wordplay
Reviewed by Russ Simmons
On the surface, a documentary about crossword puzzles wouldn’t
seem like such a barnburner. After all, who wants to see a bunch of geeks
huddled over their newspapers solving puzzles? Bor-ing! It just isn’t
cinematic.
Well, anyone who presumes that to be the case hasn’t seen Wordplay,
an endearing and involving documentary that is much better than it has
any business being. In the opinion of your humble critic, it was the best
film to play at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.
Director Patrick Creadon and co-writer Christine O'Malley take a lighthearted
look at the fanatics who spend endless hours deciphering the word games
concocted by folks like Will Shortz, editor of the phenomenally popular
New York Times crossword puzzles and regular National Public
Radio contributor.
The filmmakers take a cue from the popular 2002 spelling bee movie, Spellbound,
focusing on a handful of competitors as they prepare for the 2005 national
championship that takes place yearly at the Marriott Hotel in Stamford,
CT. Shortz founded this august tournament in 1978.
Literally hundreds of puzzlers from around the world gather in a cutthroat
contest where they match wits for the modest prize money and the adulation
of their peers.
But as they give us some background on these word wonks, the filmmakers
also provide face time with an eclectic group of brainy celebrities who
also enjoy the mind-bending word game.
Among the puzzle enthusiasts who are featured are former President Bill
Clinton, his one-time adversary, Bob Dole, the host of TV’s The
Daily Show, Jon Stewart, popular singing duo The Indigo Girls, New
York Yankee pitcher Mike Mussina and filmmaker Ken Burns.
The amusing moments with these dignitaries are juxtaposed with those
of the contest participants as the gird their intellectual loins for the
tournament challenge.
Perhaps the most surprising thing about Wordplay is that it
manages to build some palpable tension. While the puzzling is supposed
to be all fun and games, it takes on tremendous consequence for those
involved.
Like Spellbound, viewers will find themselves caught up in the
excitement and choosing whom to root for. The final moments are as nail
biting as anything that Hollywood flicks like Rocky have to offer.
While much of the success of the film relies on the power of the personalities
involved, credit must be given to Creadon and O’Malley who, with
their first feature film, have demonstrated a keen understanding of what
it takes to make a successful documentary.
Like the puzzles themselves, Wordplay is a smart and amusing
diversion. (PG) Rating: 4
(Posted 6/30/06) |
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The
Devil and Daniel Johnston
Reviewed by Russ Simmons
The world of creative genius (and its link to madness) is the focus of
this fascinating documentary about a singer/songwriter who is held in
high acclaim in many circles.
For years, Daniel Johnston recorded scores of songs on a tape recorder
in his hometown of Chester, West Virginia. Some of his work caught on,
recorded by folks like Pearl Jam and Tom Waits.
But Johnston has battled mental illness his entire life and managed to
wreck his own career on a number of occasions. The lines between creativity
and insanity are often blurred.
Filmmaker Jeff Feuerzeig utilizes a lot of Johnston’s home movies
as well as his own handheld footage to chronicle the life of this musical
oddball. He also incorporates talking head interviews with family members
and friends who have all experienced the joy and the suffering of their
association with the troubled Johnston.
Feurzeig also makes copious use of Johnston’s disturbing artworks,
many of which have been featured in chic art galleries.
Born into a Christian fundamentalist family, Johnston became enamored
with the Beatles as a kid and fancied himself as a troubadour. He filmed
and recorded himself obsessively and self-promoted a cassette of some
of his basement recordings. People took notice when Nirvana front man
Kurt Cobain wore a tee shirt hyping Johnston’s tape, “Hi,
How Are You?”
Johnston first gained some minor notoriety when he was featured as a
street musician when MTV was visiting Austin, Texas. Out of that exposure,
he got a big-time record deal, but nothing sold and his erratic behavior
ruined his relationship with many of those who tried to help him. He became
schizophrenic and, in a particularly unwise move, abused LSD. He spent
years in a mental institution.
Perhaps Johnston’s most ardent admirer and supporter was Jeff Tartakov,
a one-time manager who strived diligently and tirelessly to promote Johnston’s
music. For his trouble, he was unceremoniously sued.
While the movie doesn’t seem to purposefully set out to prove a
link between mental illness and musical ingenuity, it does seem to imply
that a lot of people think the link exists. In truth, Johnston’s
output may not be, as some claim, on a par with Bob Dylan. But much of
Johnston’s cult appeal has to do with the fact that he’s obviously
unbalanced. Many then assume him to also be a great artist.
In any event, the film is a chronicle of madness. It’s sad, creepy
and uplifting, all at the same time. (PG-13) Rating: 3.5 (Posted 6/30/06) |
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