Previews (Opening this Weekend):

 

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox

 

Back in 1986, animators were working overtime to bring audiences Transformers: The Movie, an animated big-screen adventure of the TV cartoon series and children’s toy starring no less than the voice of Citizen Kane impresario Orson Welles. Then, some 21 years and innumerous pimply faced virgins later, computer animators worked overtime to bring director Michael Bay and executive producer Steven Spielberg’s vision of the popular plaything to the screen…to the outstanding tune of $319 million at the American box office. Now, in this PG-13-rated sequel, Transformers stars LaBeouf and Fox re-team with friendly robots-in-disguise for an action-packed globetrotting battle against a gi-normous baddie from their home planet. The Plus: The potential franchise. Transformers decimated the international box office as well and put toymaker Hasbro in the good graces of their stockholders. Also, actors Josh Duhamel (Turistas), Tyrese Gibson (Death Race), John Turturro (The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3), and Rainn Wilson (TV’s The Office) are joining LaBeouf and Fox in a non-computer-generated capacity. The Minus: The expectation. The film reportedly has a budget of $200 million, which is quite a nut to make back. And then, there is the 2 and 1/2 hour running time, so…hello, is anybody still there? Oh drat, you’re already lining up for tickets, aren’t you?

 

My Sister’s Keeper

Cameron Diaz, Abigail Breslin

 

Since his breakout role in ‘80s cult classic The Lost Boys, actor Jason Patric (son of Scranton native and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Jason Miller) has carved an interesting niche for himself in the film biz. Some high profile H’Wood turns garnered him acclaim (Rush, Sleepers) while others generated disdain (Speed 2: Cruise Control, Alamo). All throughout, however, he has maintained his acting cred with some winning performances in some highly regarded independent films (Your Friends and Neighbors, Narc). His latest high profile project, My Sister’s Keeper, is based on the best-selling novel of the same name. In this PG-13-rated drama, a young girl (Breslin) conceived to provide a donor match for her leukemia-stricken sister seeks to earn medical emancipation from her parents (Diaz, Patric). The Plus: The players. Director Nick Cassavetes has given audiences 3-hanky dramas with acclaimed casts before (The Notebook). Even though she is playing against type (a mother in a cancer courtroom drama), Diaz is still a bona fide movie star with a number of hits under her belt (Charlie’s Angels, Shrek, What Happens in Vegas). Breslin’s star is still burning bright from Little Miss Sunshine and her well-reviewed follow-up (Definitely, Maybe). Stacking the deck with Patric, Alec Baldwin (TV’s 30 Rock), and Joan Cusack (School of Rock) should only help matters. The Minus: The competition. Clearly, the movie’s release is counter-programmed to scoop up the demographics not interested in seeing Transformers…but My Sister’s Keeper also has to contend with the numerous pictures already in release.

 

Away We Go

John Krasinski, Maya Rudolph

 

Director Sam Mendes (American Beauty, The Road to Perdition) teams with acclaimed novelists Dave Eggers and Vendela Vida in this R-rated dramedy. In Away We Go, a 30-something couple with a child on the way (Krasinski, Rudolph) travel the U.S. in search of the perfect place to put down roots and raise a family. The Plus: The Players. Though Krasinski and Rudolph may only be familiar to TV viewers (The Office and Saturday Night Live, respectively), their supporting cast features the likes of film vets Maggie Gyllenhaal (The Dark Knight), Jeff Daniels (The Squid and the Whale), Catherine O’Hara (Best in Show), and Allison Janney (Juno). The Minus: The odds. Mendes’s work has not exactly been the toast of critics or film fans as of late. Both Jarhead and Revolutionary Road fared less than favorably in reviews and at the box office.

 

Reviews (Now in Theaters):

 

The Proposal

Sandra Bullock, Ryan Reynolds

 

If John Q. Filmgoer ever stopped to examine a shrink-wrapped snack cake and wondered how something so bad (loaded with enough fat to stop Blue the Ox’s heart and treated with enough chemicals to withstand a nuclear war) could, adversely, seem so pleasing to the palette, than The Proposal might very well be up their alley. Pre-packaged on a factory line, the movie checks off every box on the romantic comedy list—including two affable players who ultimately make the trip worthwhile. It begins as predictable fluff and ends up as predictable fluff, but this fatty snack staves off hunger for as long as it takes Mr. Filmgoer to stuff it into his craw.

 

In the PG-13-rated romantic-comedy The Proposal, Bullock plays a high-powered executive who fakes an engagement to her assistant (Reynolds) at the threat of being deported back to her native Canada.

 

God bless, Betty White. The producers whisk her out as weapons-grade comic relief and – not surprisingly - she steals a number of scenes out from under the rest of the cast. This is not to say that the rest of the cast hits the skids. In fact, Bullock and Reynolds make a perfect rom-com team. Together, they hit all of the right notes…only the audience has heard this tune before, ad naseum. The movie proposes nothing new or blue—only something borrowed. But the comedy – though never outright hilarious – proves a pleasantly harmless romp that is better than most of its recent ilk (27 Dresses, Ghosts of Girlfriends Past). 

 

Down-to-the-Wire: Cake walk.

 

Year One

Jack Black, Michael Cera

 

To say that Year One really rolls back the clock on comedy would be mildly insulting to our forebears—and this does not refer to primitive hunter-gatherers (surely, the Old Testament had funnier material than this!). Rather, it refers to Mel Brooks (who very well could have written for God) and the Monty Python troupe (who are probably still running from God), both comic deities who have mined this subject matter before and to better effect. Though it sounds like a caveman comedy (wouldn’t Year One be a more appropriate title for an A.D.-set movie?), the few chuckles that result come from the comic pairing of Black and Cera—two actors who have their respective – albeit limited – shticks down pat.

 

In this PG-13-rated comedy, a pair of village idiots (Black, Cera) embarks on the first road-trip ever, wandering through many Biblical misadventures.

 

Writer/director Harold Ramis (Caddyshack, Groundhog Day) made his bones in the comedy world over 25 years ago…and damn, does it show. The jokes are somewhat humorous (Arrested Development’s David Cross as Abel—C’mon!), but never fall-down hilarious. Many of the tired jokes simply feel like cast-offs from decades-old comedies like Monty Python’s Life of Brian and The History of the World, Part I. It seems amazing that, in an age when shock laugh-riots like Superbad rue the box office, this movie (amazingly produced by Superbad’s Apatow) lacks the bite of much older comedies. Couldn’t screenwriters Ramis, Gene Stupnitsky, and Lee Eisneberg come up with wittier bits than the fact that they condoned sodomy in Sodom…really?!

 

Down-to-the-Wire: Bible-thumped.

 

Angels & Demons

Tom Hanks, Ewan McGregor

 

In this PG-13-rated thriller, a symbologist (Hanks) is called in to investigate a nefarious plot to blow up the Vatican after a mysterious group known as Illuminati steals an anti-matter container. All involved work overtime to make this dull actioner as exciting and intelligent as Raiders of the Lost Ark, but the result comes off more like Opie’s Sahara. With its operatic puzzlers and easy-to-surmise ending, Angels is every bit as silly as the National Treasure franchise…moreso, in fact, because filmgoers have come to expect more from the high-stakes players. Hanks is relegated to reciting basic Vatican history lectures to the Swiss Guard. It reminded your reviewer of when the doctors on ‘70s TV staple Emergency scarily had to explain routine medical procedures to their nursing staff.

 

Down-to-the-Wire: Fallen Angels.

 

The Hangover

Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms

 

In this R-rated comedy, four friends (Cooper, Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Justin Bartha) head to Las Vegas for a raucous bachelor party only to wake up the next morning with a baby, a tiger, and Mike Tyson in their hotel room…but no groom. Chock full of brilliantly played bits, laugh-riot The Hangover hammers home the point that it takes a good degree of intelligence to make (and enjoy) a great low comedy. The set-up is simple, but what results is classic ‘boys will be boys’ monkey business. The movie begins to feel long as it winds into the home stretch, but viewers will be too busy mopping up the embarrassing damp spot where they wet themselves laughing to take proper notice.

 

Down-to-the-Wire: Hang’s 10.

 

Imagine That

Eddie Murphy, Thomas Haden Church

 

In the PG-rated Imagine That, Murphy plays a financial investor who normally has no time for his daughter until her make-believe friends start to spot profitable trends in the stock market with alarming regularity. The doe-eyed tot is cute, Murphy goes about his knockabout Daddy Day Care man-against-kid routine, and the audience is just supposed to buy it hook, line, and stinker. Though the concept holds promise, the follow-through is just too pre-packaged and cloying to feel genuine. For a film called Imagine That, however, it is amazing how unimaginative this property ends up even with the comedic greatness of Murphy. For over 100 minutes, he mugs, sings, dances, pratfalls, and mugs some more—for what reason, your reviewer hasn’t a clue.

 

Down-to-the-Wire: Little imagination.

 

Land of the Lost 

Will Ferrell, Danny R. McBride

In the agonizingly bad PG-13-rated family adventure Land of the Lost, three explorers (Ferrell, McBride, Anna Friel) find themselves thrust into a strange world of dinosaurs, monkey people, and reptilian Sleestaks. Frankly, your reviewer does not exactly know for whom this big budget craptacular was intended. As family entertainment, the film fails miserably (boob-grabbing by cavemen, getting doused with dinosaur urine, and Sleestak-screwing all play prominent roles). As a comedy, the film fails even MORE miserably (boob-grabbing by monkey men, getting doused…oh, you get the idea). As a vehicle for perennial frat boy Will Ferrell, the film fails MOST miserably. The original was so bad, it was good…this re-imagining is so bad, it’s painful.

 

Down-to-the-Wire: Lost cause.

 

Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian

Ben Stiller, Amy Adams

 

In this PG-rated family adventure, a former museum security guard (Stiller) goes into action when his exhibit friends (Adams, Owen Wilson, Robin Williams) are accidentally shipped to the Smithsonian Institute for storage in order to make way for new-age interactive displays…which is remarkable given the fact that the movie is a 105-minute computer-driven display devoid of much substance. Oh, don’t get your reviewer wrong — there is a lot going on with which to engage viewers … too much in fact. This shallow adventure simply tries to cram too many fine art references into its pop culture craw. The result proves dizzying and, in as much as its predecessor piqued kids’ interest in museums, this sequel will send them away screaming like they were in an Edvard Munch painting.

Down-to-the-Wire: Embattled.

 

The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3

Denzel Washington, John Travolta

 

In this R-rated actioner, a New York City subway dispatcher (Washington) becomes the unwitting pawn of a criminal mastermind (Travolta) out to hijack a subway car full of civilians. Amazingly, director Tony Scott’s frenetic headache-inducing style does not derail this remake of a little-remembered 1974 Walter Matthau/Robert Shaw thriller. It certainly does not help matters either, but top honors for said derailment falls on a half-baked script with about as much punch as a comatose boxer. Scribe Brian Helgeland has given audiences great screenplays before…this, however, is not one of them. Washington and Travolta are fully capable of selling through the wares, but struggle to find the actual substance. Travolta’s villain seems remorseful one minute and full-tilt psychotic the next while Washington’s conflicted everyman gets the high hat.

 

Down-to-the-Wire: Chattanooga doo doo.

 

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From the pages of Electric City and Diamond City, two of Northeastern Pennsylvania’s premier arts and entertainment publications, comes Richlier founder Jeff Boam’s weekly column:  

 

Previews (Opening this Weekend): 

Imagine That

Eddie Murphy, Thomas Haden Church

 

What a difference 25 years make. When notoriously foul-mouthed (but undeniably hilarious) comedian Eddie Murphy left Saturday Night Live to become a serious actor (Trading Places, 48 Hours), few probably thought that he would one day hold court over H’Wood family comedies (Daddy Day Care, The Haunted Mansion). Very soon, however, older filmgoers may get to see Murphy revisit the role that made him an R-rated movie star: Axel Foley. For better or worse, Beverly Hills Cop IV is currently in development. In the meantime, they will just have to settle for Murphy’s latest PG-rated family comedy. In Imagine That, Murphy plays a troubled financial exec who finds the solutions to his work problems in his daughter’s fantasy world. The Plus: The players. Though critics scoffed, Norbit brought in an impressive chunk of change—over $95 million in the U.S. alone. Bookending this with voice work in the uber-successful Shrek series certainly didn’t hurt…nor did an Oscar nomination for Dreamgirls. The Minus: The odds. Murphy is also responsible for two of the biggest commercial and critical flops of all time—The Adventures of Pluto Nash and Meet Dave. Perhaps, Murphy’s fickle fans will have lil’ imagination this weekend.

 

The Taking of Pelham 123 

Denzel Washington, John Travolta

 

As a rule, classic films should not be remade. If the original was somewhat lacking in quality, however, there have been some select times when a fresh set of eyes did wonders with the material. Take Ocean’s Eleven, for example. Though the original boasted the likes of The Rat Pack in all of their booze-swilled glory, the end result surprisingly lacked a lot of punch. Steven Soderbergh’s inspired remake, however, proved to be one of the smartest and cleverest heist capers in years. Sony is hoping for an Ocean-sized payday with a new take on the little remembered 1974 Walter Matthau/Robert Shaw thriller The Taking of Pelham 123. In this R-rated remake, a New York City subway dispatcher (Washington) becomes the unwitting pawn of a criminal mastermind (Travolta) out to hijack a subway car full of civilians. The Plus: The players. Washington (Inside Man, American Gangster) and Travolta (Hairspray, Wild Hogs) have enough star wattage between them to open a dog food commercial at number one. Also, director Tony Scott is certainly no slouch in this department either (Spy Game, Man on Fire). The Minus: The competition. This film has exactly one week to clean up before Transformers swoops in and wipes out the box office.

 

Reviews (Now in Theaters):

 

The Hangover

Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms

 

Your reviewer remembers reading a biography of Abraham Lincoln and being bowled over by the fact that ‘The Great Emancipator’ enjoyed a dirty joke from time to time. Chock full of brilliantly played bits, laugh-riot The Hangover hammers home the point that it takes a good degree of intelligence to make (and enjoy) a great low comedy. The perfect cast hits every mark, the funny jokes hit every target, and the captive audience hits the heights of hilarity. No one is pretending that such a spectacle is rocket science, but it could certainly be construed as model rocket science…and doesn’t that sound like it would be much more fun anyway?

 

In this R-rated comedy, four friends (Cooper, Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Justin Bartha) head to Las Vegas for a raucous bachelor party only to wake up the next morning with a baby, a tiger, and Mike Tyson in their hotel room…but no groom.

 

The set-up is simple, but what results is classic ‘boys will be boys’ monkey business. As with the greatest vaudeville teams and their routines, timing is everything. Director Todd Phillips has assembled a cast of relative unknowns who look believably common yet act unbelievably asinine. When Galifianakis (playing an odd duck brother-in-law-to-be) awkwardly stumbles his way through reading a prepared ‘Wolf Pack’ speech, even the snootiest of filmgoers will bust a gut. The movie begins to feel long as it winds into the home stretch…but viewers will be too busy covering up the embarrassing damp spot where they wet themselves laughing to take proper notice.

 

Down-to-the-Wire: Hang ten.

 

Land of the Lost 

Will Ferrell, Danny R. McBride

Rife with colorful puppets, psychedelic imagery, and gloriously low budgets, Sid and Marty Krofft’s roster of ‘70s children’s TV programming translates to the modern Cineplex about as well would a big-screen realization of The Lawrence Welk Show. But your reviewer would have given Universal credit had they saved their stockholders and filmgoers the aggravation of sitting through the agonizingly bad Land of the Lost and just incorporated any or all three of these Krofft hallmarks—puppets, psychedelia, and/or a purposely low budget. Instead, the studio just seems to have thrown a loose treatment, a miscast lead, and a lot of lucre into a pot and stirred the living hell out of it…to the delight of no one. The original was so bad, it was good…this re-imagining is so bad, it is painful.

 

In this PG-13-rated re-imagining, three explorers (Ferrell, McBride, Anna Friel) find themselves thrust into a strange world of dinosaurs, monkey people, and reptilian Sleestaks.

 

Frankly, your reviewer does not exactly know for whom this big budget craptacular was intended. As family entertainment, the film fails miserably (boob-grabbing by cavemen, getting doused with dinosaur urine, and Sleestak-screwing all play prominent roles). As a comedy, the film fails even MORE miserably (boob-grabbing by monkey men, getting doused…oh, you get the idea). As a vehicle for perennial frat boy Will Ferrell, the film fails MOST miserably. His man-child shtick may work in the character-driven worlds of sophomoric dunderheads Ron Burgundy and Ricky Bobby—but not as a sometimes-brainy scientist who takes filmgoers on the road to nowhere.

 

Down-to-the-Wire: Lost cause.

 

Angels & Demons

Tom Hanks, Ewan McGregor

 

In this PG-13-rated thriller, a symbologist (Hanks) is called in to investigate a nefarious plot to blow up the Vatican after a mysterious group known as Illuminati steals an anti-matter container. All involved work overtime to make this dull actioner as exciting and intelligent as Raiders of the Lost Ark, but the result comes off more like Opie’s Sahara. With its operatic puzzlers and easy-to-surmise ending, Angels is every bit as silly as the National Treasure franchise…moreso, in fact, because filmgoers have come to expect more from the high-stakes players. Hanks is relegated to reciting basic Vatican history lectures to the Swiss Guard. It reminded your reviewer of when the doctors on ‘70s TV staple Emergency scarily had to explain routine medical procedures to their nursing staff.

 

Down-to-the-Wire: Fallen Angels.

 

Drag Me to Hell

Alison Lohman, Justin Long

 

In this PG-13-rated horror flick, an ambitious loan officer (Lohman) shames a mysterious old woman and becomes cursed. While the film shows many of the telltale signs indicative of studio blockbusters, director Sam Raimi never forsakes fun for formula. It helps that he does not curse the project with the distraction of superstar talent. Also, the film is as humorous as it is intentionally sickening. If it veers into silliness, it is with the same playful abandon that made Raimi’s Evil Dead such a howling success. However, in an age when a high-profile helmer like Jonathan Demme (Silence of the Lambs) can get back to basics and use low-grade hand-held to make a project more organic (Rachel Getting Married), it is disconcerting that Raimi cannot channel his younger riskier self.

 

Down-to-the-Wire: Hella good—not great.

 

Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian

Ben Stiller, Amy Adams

 

In this PG-rated family adventure, a former museum security guard (Stiller) goes into action when his exhibit friends (Adams, Owen Wilson, Robin Williams) are accidentally shipped to the Smithsonian Institute for storage in order to make way for new-age interactive displays…which is remarkable given the fact that the movie is a 105-minute computer-driven display devoid of much substance. Oh, don’t get your reviewer wrong — there is a lot going on with which to engage viewers … too much in fact. This shallow adventure simply tries to cram too many fine art references into its pop culture craw. The result proves dizzying and, in as much as its predecessor piqued kids’ interest in museums, this sequel will send them away screaming like they were in an Edvard Munch painting.

Down-to-the-Wire: Embattled.

 

Star Trek

Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto

 

In this spot-on PG-13-rated reboot, the origins of the young U.S.S. Enterprise crew (Pine, Quinto) are explored amid a vicious Romulan attack. During Star Trek, there are many awe-inspiring moments when filmgoers will think that they are watching one of the greatest sci-fi flicks of all time. This assessment does not completely hold up upon reflection…though it is not light years off. The movie gives both Trekkers and the decidedly ungeeky John Q. Filmgoer everything they would want in a ‘first’ Star Trek film—phaser shootouts, alien sex, a scenery-chewing villain, and space battles galore. A head-scratching wibbly-wobbly plotline that allows deviations from the canon – and, possibly, everything that preceded this chapter - leaves much to be desired. Still…

 

Down-to-the-Wire: Boldly go.

 

Terminator Salvation

Christian Bale, Sam Worthington

 

In the PG-13-rated Salvation, John Connor (Bale) is leading mankind’s war against the machines just as the arrival of a stranger (Worthington) threatens to alter the future of humanity. Your reviewer sees great irony in Salvation coming down to a scene involving a heart transplant. This franchise about tin-can killers from the future has always managed to find its compassionate center—even Rise of the Machines. The entertaining but robotic Salvation seems more concerned with aesthetics and pyrotechnics than such lowly human bents as soul-searching. Insomuch as the film looks gritty and real, the story pulls focus from the main character, John Connor. Worthington’s Marcus Wright suddenly becomes the focus of the film during the second act, leaving filmgoers with as much emotional investment as the action-driven screenplay.

 

Down-to-the-Wire: Terminated.

 

Up

Voices of Ed Asner, Christopher Plummer

 

In the latest G-rated Pixar film, a grumpy old man (Asner) and a stowaway (Jordan Nagal) head to a tropical paradise in a balloon-powered house. Building upon Pixar’s already amazing catalogue, the rollickingly fun Up indulges nostalgia and takes chances to boot. Perhaps, it could have been one of this studio’s very best were it not for some minor missteps. As much as director Pete Docter takes ample time to set up the plot’s intricate backstory, some other points escape their attention. Some supporting characters are underdeveloped (a friendly bird comes off like a cartoonish cliché) while others strain credibility even for a cartoon (some well-trained dogs speak with an electronic collar and even fly planes). Still, the adventure soars more than sours.

 

Down-to-the-Wire: Make Up yours.

No comments

From the pages of Electric City and Diamond City, two of Northeastern Pennsylvania’s premier arts and entertainment publications, comes Richlier founder Jeff Boam’s weekly column:  

Previews (Opening this Weekend):

 

The Hangover

Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms

 

In the words of the immortal bard LL Kool J: “Don’t call it a comeback.” Well, in terms of boxing, this sentiment certainly does not apply to former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson (he retired from the sport in 2005). In terms of his place in pop culture, however, ‘comeback’ may very well be dead-on. Not only does Tyson have a cameo in The Hangover, he is also the subject of James Toback’s documentary Tyson, which is currently in limited release. In the R-rated comedy The Hangover, four friends (Cooper, Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Justin Bartha) head to Las Vegas for a raucous bachelor party only to wake up the next morning with a baby, a tiger, and Mike Tyson in their hotel room…but no groom. The Plus: The players. Todd Phillips may not have a household name, but there are certainly copies of his hit comedies in many households. Phillips wrote and directed back (Road Trip) to back (Old School) to back (Starsky & Hutch) laugh-riots, which should have John Q. Filmgoer coming back to the theater for more. And though they do not have marquee names, Cooper and Helms have two hit factors going for them (He’s Just Not that Into You and TV’s The Office, respectively). The Minus: The competition. Phillips also gave audiences the god-awful School for Scoundrels. Also, this weekend boasts three new releases – not to mention the films already in release - which skewers The Hangover’s chances of becoming an out-and-out hit.

 Land of the Lost

Will Ferrell, Danny R. McBride

Brothers Sid and Marty Krofft may not have household names, but their offbeat family television programs surely made a mark on any child of the ’70s. Rife with colorful puppets and psychedelic imagery, their prolific roster of Saturday morning programs (Sigmund and the Sea Monster, H.R. Pufnstuf) was capped by their most memorable success, ABC’s 1974-76 hit Land of the Lost. In this PG-13-rated re-imagining of that low-budget program, three explorers (Ferrell, McBride, Anna Friel) find themselves thrust into a strange world of dinosaurs, monkey people and reptilian Sleestaks. The Plus: The players. Again (Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy) and again (Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby) and again (Step Brothers), Ferrell has proven to be a box office piped piper, luring comedy-craving filmgoers to the theaters in droves. Also, director Brad Silberling has done big-budget family entertainment before and done it well (Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events). The Minus: The material. Filmgoers approaching middle age — possibly even with their own tykes in tow — are not exactly clamoring to revisit EVERY facet of their childhood (Underdog, anyone?). Fortunately or unfortunately, the Krofft brothers are back to acting as producers on a project that may have lost its viability in 1976.

 

My Life in Ruins

Nia Vardalos, Richard Dreyfuss

 

Nia Vardalos sure has a friend in actress Rita Wilson. It was Wilson, after all, who attended Vardalos’s one-woman show My Big Fat Greek Wedding in Los Angeles one evening and decided that the comedy would make a great movie for her and her husband to produce…and it certainly helped all involved that her husband was Tom Hanks. Wilson, Hanks, and their production company Playtone are back for Vardalos’s latest Greek comedy, My Life in Ruins. In this PG-13-rated comedy, a lonely tour guide (Vardalos) gets her groove back while hosting a wild sightseeing trip in Greece. The Plus: The players. As writer and star, Vardalos helped to make the film My Big Fat Greek Wedding into a smash hit. Not only did the film rake in over $241 million in the U.S. alone—it also garnered Vardalos a Golden Globe nomination. The Minus: The odds. When filmgoers last saw Vardalos, it was in the lukewarm comedy Connie and Carla…which she also scripted. And this was after the dismal failure of TV’s My Big Fat Greek Life, a spin-off of the film. Perhaps, like the characters in Hanks’s That Thing You Do, Vardalos may just be a one-hit wonder.

 

Reviews (Now in Theaters):

 

Up

Voices of Ed Asner, Christopher Plummer

 

Even the grumpiest of fussbucket filmgoers has to work overtime to dislike a Pixar film. The A-level animation studio seems to have gotten rid of the saccharine nostalgia that was so endearing at first (Toy Story, Toy Story 2), but then became cloyingly oversweet and formulaic (Cars). The studio also now takes baby-step gambles on their material, which is best exemplified by WALL*E’s utilizing very little dialogue to tell its perfectly heartfelt tale. Building upon Pixar’s already amazing catalogue, the rollickingly fun Up also indulges nostalgia (though not overly so) and takes chances to boot. Perhaps, it could have been one of this studio’s very best were it not for some minor missteps.

 

In the latest G-rated Pixar film, a grumpy old man (Asner) heads to a tropical paradise in a balloon-powered house only to find a stowaway (Jordan Nagal) aboard.

 

Floating a house with balloons is no more ambitious a disbelief suspension than a rat directing a chef to cook (Ratatouille)—especially when it is tied together with a winning character study of a lonely widower. With Pixar, however, it has always been about detail. As much as director Pete Docter (Monsters, Inc.) and all involved take ample time to set up the plot’s intricate backstory, some other points escape their attention. Some supporting characters are underdeveloped (a friendly bird gets a lot of screen time but comes off like a cartoonish cliché) while others strain credibility (some well-trained dogs speak with an electronic collar and even fly planes). Still, the adventure soars more than sours.

 

Down-to-the-Wire: Make Up yours.

 

Drag Me to Hell

Alison Lohman, Justin Long

 

A simple horror tale that is mostly well played, Drag Me to Hell brings back memories of Evil Deads past—for better and worse. The gloriously low-budget blood-n-gutsy Evil Dead series put director Sam Raimi on the H’Wood map, giving him reign to rein in such mega-budgeted popcorn fare as the Spider-Man franchise. Flourishes of old Raimi (gross-out thrills, straightforward storytelling) and new Raimi (slickly-produced titles, overly polished camerawork) mark his return to this genre…but the laughs ultimately make this trip to Hell worthwhile. 

 

In this PG-13-rated horror flick, an ambitious loan officer (Lohman) shames a mysterious old woman and becomes the recipient of an otherworldly curse.

 

While the film shows many of the telltale signs indicative of studio blockbusters, Raimi never forsakes fun for formula. It helps that he does not curse the project with superstar talent. Lohman and Justin Long (as her boyfriend) fit their roles like gloves without having the distraction of marquee faces (using overexposed stars like, say, Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox would have divided too much of the audience’s attention). Also to Raimi’s credit, the film ends up to be as humorous as it is intentionally sickening. If it veers into silliness, it is with the same playful abandon that made Evil Dead such a howling success. However, in an age when a high-profile helmer like Jonathan Demme (Silence of the Lambs, Philadelphia) can get back to basics and use low-grade hand-held to make a project more organic (Rachel Getting Married), it is disconcerting that Raimi cannot channel his younger riskier self.

 

Down-to-the-Wire: Hella good—not great.

 

Angels & Demons

Tom Hanks, Ewan McGregor

 

In this PG-13-rated thriller, a symbologist (Hanks) is called in to investigate a nefarious plot to blow up the Vatican after a mysterious group known as Illuminati steals an anti-matter container. All involved work overtime to make this dull actioner as exciting and intelligent as Raiders of the Lost Ark, but the result comes off more like Opie’s Sahara. With its operatic puzzlers and easy-to-surmise ending, Angels is every bit as silly as the National Treasure franchise…moreso, in fact, because filmgoers have come to expect more from the high-stakes players. Hanks is relegated to reciting basic Vatican history lectures to the Swiss Guard. It reminded your reviewer of when the doctors on ‘70s TV staple Emergency scarily had to explain routine medical procedures to their nursing staff.

 

Down-to-the-Wire: Fallen Angels.

 

The Man Who Would be Polka King 

Greg Korin

 

In this unrated documentary, the unbelievable life and crimes of Grammy-nominated Polka star Jan Lewan are profiled. The astonishing story of a Northeastern PA Polka star convicted of a pre-Madoff Ponzi scheme seems like it was drawn from a Christopher Guest mockumentary …but – save for being captivating cinema - this is no Spinal Tap. Filmmakers John Mikulak and Joshua von Brown, who smartly paint a wholly honest and tragic portrait that never forsakes humorousness, afford filmgoers an amazing breadth and scope that draws an undeniable sympathy for all involved—including Lewan. If life is a tragic-comedy, this doc hammers the point home, using American Legion-bound ‘Polka expert’ Stan Tadrowski (Korin) to tie together the many fascinating interviews (see Clarks Summit resident Mikulak’s doc at the Brooklyn International Film Festival, Saturday, June 6th at 6PM).

 

Down-to-the-Wire: Oompah-rific.

 

Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian

Ben Stiller, Amy Adams

 

In this PG-rated family adventure, a former museum security guard (Stiller) goes into action when his exhibit friends (Adams, Owen Wilson, Robin Williams) are accidentally shipped to the Smithsonian Institute for storage in order to make way for new-age interactive displays…which is remarkable given the fact that the movie is a 105-minute computer-driven display devoid of much substance. Oh, don’t get your reviewer wrong — there is a lot going on with which to engage viewers … too much in fact. This shallow adventure simply tries to cram too many fine art references into its pop culture craw. The result proves dizzying and, in as much as its predecessor piqued kids’ interest in museums, this sequel will send them away screaming like they were in an Edvard Munch painting.

Down-to-the-Wire: Embattled.

 

Star Trek

Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto

 

In this spot-on PG-13-rated reboot, the origins of the young U.S.S. Enterprise crew (Pine, Quinto) are explored amid a vicious Romulan attack. During Star Trek, there are many awe-inspiring moments when filmgoers will think that they are watching one of the greatest sci-fi flicks of all time. This assessment does not completely hold up upon reflection…though it is not light years off. The movie gives both Trekkers and the decidedly ungeeky John Q. Filmgoer everything they would want in a ‘first’ Star Trek film—phaser shootouts, alien sex, a scenery-chewing villain, and space battles galore. A head-scratching wibbly-wobbly plotline that allows deviations from the canon – and, possibly, everything that preceded this chapter - leaves much to be desired. Still…

 

Down-to-the-Wire: Boldly go.

 

Terminator Salvation

Christian Bale, Sam Worthington

 

In the PG-13-rated Salvation, John Connor (Bale) is leading mankind’s war against the machines just as the arrival of a stranger (Worthington) threatens to alter the future of humanity. Your reviewer sees great irony in Salvation coming down to a scene involving a heart transplant. This franchise about tin-can killers from the future has always managed to find its compassionate center—even Rise of the Machines. The entertaining but robotic Salvation seems more concerned with aesthetics and pyrotechnics than such lowly human bents as soul-searching. Insomuch as the film looks gritty and real, the story pulls focus from the main character, John Connor. Worthington’s Marcus Wright suddenly becomes the focus of the film during the second act, leaving filmgoers with as much emotional investment as the action-driven screenplay.

 

Down-to-the-Wire: Terminated.

 

X-Men Origins: Wolverine 

Hugh Jackman, Liev Schreiber

 

In this PG-13-rated prequel to the X-Men series, the violent and romantic past of Wolverine (Jackman) – including his transformation into a metal-clawed mutant – is explored. Excelsior! This entry serves to tell an ambitious tale so rife with ridiculous rock-‘em-sock-‘em action and little character development that the comic books begin to look like Pulitzer Prize winning non-fiction.  But that, of course, is what True Believers paid nine dollars for and the movie surely delivers on its bone-crunching promise…only filmgoers begin to care more for mutant renegades Gambit, Deadpool, and Sabretooth than their simpleton titular hero simply because of his personality deficit. The ride is well worth it but, perhaps, should have just been called X-Men Origins—‘nuff said.

 

Down-to-the-Wire: Not X-ceptional.

 

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