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):

 

Funny People

Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen

 

With former TV staples Star Trek and Land of the Lost having hit movie screens this summer, filmgoers are left to ponder the film prospects of their other favorite programs … like, say, the critically acclaimed but little watched gem Freaks and Geeks? When executive producer Judd Apatow launched the ’80s high school dramedy on NBC back in 2000, he did not have the back-to-back successes of 40-Year-Old Virgin and Knocked Up under his belt yet. But he did help to launch more than a few careers including those of ER’s Linda Cardellini, How I Met Your Mother’s Jason Segel, Spider-Man’s James Franco and one of the stars of his latest, Seth Rogen (Observe and Report). In the R-rated Funny People, writer/director Apatow presents the bittersweet story of a legendary comedian (Sandler) who begins rethinking his life after a brush with death. The Plus: The talent. Apatow is a veritable hit machine. In addition to those projects listed above, the man has also produced Superbad, Step Brothers, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and Pineapple Express. Also, Sandler (Click) and Rogen (Aliens vs. Monsters) can open this film big on their names alone. Just in case, however, Apatow has stacked the deck with more funny people including Eric Bana (Star Trek), Jonah Hill (Dr. Seuss’s Horton Hears a Who), Leslie Mann (17 Again), and Jason Schwartzman (The Darjeeling Limited). The Minus: The odds. Apatow has also produced the coolly received comedies Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story and Drillbit Taylor. Also, Sandler’s last comedy, You Don’t Mess with the Zohan, did not fare as well as expected at the box office. Lastly, marketing this movie’s maudlin material (on top of the funny bits) has proven to be quite a challenge to Universal.

 

Aliens in the Attic

Ashley Tisdale, Doris Roberts

 

Now that Disney has designs on featuring a new generation of talent in their highly successful High School Musical series, the filmic future of its original stars is anyone’s guess. Of these players, Zac Efron has seen the greatest breakout film success with back-to-back hits Hairspray and 17 Again. For her first solo effort, Vanessa Hudgens is sticking to familiar ground with the partial musical Bandslam, which bows in a few weeks. Ashley Tisdale, however, has made an interesting choice in Aliens in the Attic. In this PG-rated sci-fi family adventure, a group of kids (Tisdale, et al) must fight off alien attackers after pint-sized extraterrestrials invade their vacation home. The Plus: The genre. Disney and producer Jerry Bruckheimer surprised everyone (and blew even the most bullish expectations out of the water) with the smash opening weekend of G-Force, which dethroned reigning champ Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. This is proof that kids dragging their parents to the movies can often reap huge dividends. The Minus: The competition. But that was just last week…now, Aliens in the Attic will have to compete with that behemoth AND Harry Potter in its dubious bid for the younger set.

 

The Hurt Locker

Ralph Fiennes, Anthony Mackie

 

Producer/director Kathryn Bigelow is no stranger to action, having given audiences the ‘90s hit Point Break. Though her CV since has never equaled the success of that particular movie (Strange Days, K-19: The Widowmaker), Bigelow’s latest project is racking up the adoration of critics worldwide. In the R-rated war drama The Hurt Locker, the members of an elite Army squad (Mackie, Brian Geraghty, Jeremy Renner, Guy Pearce) battle Iraqi insurgents and each other while disarming roadside bombs in Baghdad. The Plus: The pedigree. Both Renner and Mackie have already been nominated for Independent Spirit Awards for their performances. This film has also taken top prize at the Venice Film Festival, among others. The Minus: The odds. Despite rave reviews, other war-themed films have not fared well at the Multiplex (In the Valley of Elah, Grace is Gone). This could spell a lot of hurt in this film’s first weekend of going into wide release.

 

Reviews (Now in Theaters):

 

G-Force

Voices of Nicolas Cage, Penelope Cruz

 

There are just two words that sum up your reviewer’s thoughts on this over-excitable kid-flick: Easy Peasie. Putting together a decent talking animal movie is not rocket science—nor does it need to be. Believe it or not, there is a simple formula for this sort of thing: overpay movie stars, typewriter chimps, and computer geeks to render a breezy story with likeable characters that prove realistic and, at the same time, pretty G-darn cute. Granted, it is not nearly as smart as the talking animal movies that Pixar has put out (Finding Nemo, Ratatouille) or have nearly the zing of the talking animal movies that DreamWorks has put out (Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda), but – given the fact that this flick is only partially animated – G-Force amzingly ‘toons in a fun-tastic romp.

 

In this energetic PG-rated family film (also available in 3-D), an elite team of highly trained guinea pigs (Cage, Cruz, et al) becomes mankind’s last hope against a fiendish plot to take over the world.

 

From frame one, the fur flies and never once stops. It helps that this harmless hairball of hyperactivity comes in at under 90 minutes. Your reviewer had forgotten that Nicolas Cage provided the voice of a mole and was actually shocked to see his name roll by in the credits. Marketing wise, his inclusion made sense but the role was hardly enhanced by his or any other of the name talent. But who really cares if their beach house was included in the price of your ticket?

 

Down-to-the-Wire: G-darn fun.

 

The Ugly Truth

Katherine Heigl, Gerald Butler

 

The ugly truth about The Ugly Truth is that the movie is so painfully dull that it will alienate men AND women. For a comedy about an envelope-pushing raunchy Howard Stern-esque talk-show host, it is amazing how safely The Ugly Truth plays it. In an age when Judd Apatow has cleaned up with shocking laugh-riots like The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, and Superbad, the humor in this watered-down rom-com actually manages to be as shaky as a $10 whore. Worse, the non-existent chemistry between the leads is nothing short of sexless.

 

In this R-rated supposed romantic comedy, a raunchy TV host (Butler) and his straight-laced producer (Heigl) put their differences aside and team up to help her get a date with her neighbor, a dreamboat doctor (Eric Winter).

 

Your reviewer likes Katherine Heigl in comedies (Knocked Up) and Gerald Butler in just about everything else (300, RocknRolla), but together they fail to ignite a single spark let alone the romantic flame required to make such a vehicle work. Perhaps, the blame falls on a simpleton script as opposed to miscasting. This formulaic fluff is so by-the-book that even the characters in a supermarket checkout Harlequin romance novel would fall asleep while trying to watch it. Filmgoers all know where such color-by-numbers trash is ultimately headed, but the point is to throw in some laugh-getters. There are a few winning bits (vibrating panties accidentally worn at a big TV meeting—‘nuff said), but the rest is as ugly as a Fat Camp formal.

 

Down-to-the-Wire: Truthfully…it’s ugly.

 

Bruno

Sacha Baron Cohen, Gustaf Hammarsten

 

In Cohen’s latest round of R-rated shock theater, he again terrorizes an unsuspecting public—this time as a flamboyant Austrian fashion expert looking for fame in America. Replacing homophobia for racism as the target of this comedy’s vitriolic focus, Bruno sticks so close to Borat’s formula that it occasionally feels a tad redundant. It also ratchets up the confrontation and controversy factors in a game of one-upmanship with the other ‘B’—to middling effect. The movie does capture some of Borat’s lightening in its bottle, but it also again baits discussion as to whether filmgoers are laughing with or at the issues before them. Some laughs rock the house (a TV focus group watching Bruno’s dancing penis) while others rot (the Austria-based opener is a slow starter).

 

Down-to-the-Wire: Always in fashion, never full laughs.

 

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Daniel Radcliffe, Ralph Fiennes

 

In the PG-rated Half-Blood Prince, another year at the Horwarts wizard school convenes under the looming threat of Lord Voldemort’s (Fiennes) return. The worst that can be said of the latest go-round is that this more character-driven chapter lacks the action punch of previous installments…but that, of course, is strictly due to another plaudit: the series’ loyalty to J.K. Rowlings’s novels. Continuing helming duties from Order of the Phoenix, director David Yates has bathed the movie not so much in darkness, but colorlessness. To offset the dark cinematography, however, this chapter imbues the ebb and flow of the narrative with some truly colorful moments (moments largely missing in Phoenix). Humor abounds in this touching flick and the love lives of the principle characters cushion the ending’s crushing blow.

 

Down-to-the-Wire: Princely fun.

 

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs

Voices of Ray Romano, Queen Latifah

 

In this PG-rated kid-flick (also screening in 3-D), Manny (Romano), Diego (Denis Leary), and a pregnant Ellie (Latifah) face off with their Jurassic neighbors. Before this, your reviewer had never feasted on the frostbitten flurry that is Ice Age. He has, however, seen enough wisecracking animal cartoons to choke a mastodon…but some trump cards have evidently allowed this franchise to survive past episode one—namely, the clever pre-historic spin and pitch-perfect celebrity pipes that go beyond simple stunt casting (John Leguizamo remains a hilarious standout). Using these aces to pound home the importance of friendship ad nauseam, however, is more cloying than clever. The film is moderately entertaining and funny, yes, but this series is showing the obvious signs of glacial divide.

 

Down-to-the-Wire: Cracked Ice.

 

I Love You, Beth Cooper

Hayden Panettiere, Paul Rust

 

In this PG-13-rated teen comedy with a fresh hook, a high school valedictorian (Rust) declares his secret love for a cheerleader (Panettiere) during his graduation speech, kicking off a wild night. It is a last-night-of-school comedy in the classic sense, but much of the humor really hits homeroom. Oh, there are pratfalls, stock characters, and hookups galore, but there are also revelations and a laudable degree of unpredictability kicked off by the valedictorian’s brutally honest and confessional address to his classmates. Every filmgoer has seen this story before, but usually as an R-rated sex romp rife with dick and fart jokes. Beth Cooper lacks the witty bite of, say, Mean Girls, but viewers cannot help but like – not love - its simple John Hughes-esque appeal,

 

Down-to-the-Wire: Grade ‘B’ entertainment.

 

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox

 

In this overly long, surprisingly offensive, and ultimately irrelevant PG-13-rated sequel, LaBeouf and Fox re-team with friendly Autobots for a battle against a gi-normous Decepticon called The Fallen. Somehow, some way, this film about robots from outer space kicking the ever-living crap out of each other manages to be utterly boring. There are some fetching sequences (one involving a stunning femme-bot played by Isabel Lucas) but – for every winner – there are countless cutting room floor contenders. Worse, effects wizards worked overtime to bring audiences a cavalcade of robots that convincingly transform from ordinary vehicles into Rock-‘Em-Sock-‘Em warriors…and then rush through the shots so that said wizardry gets lost like a machine fart in the wind.

 

Down-to-the-Wire: More than meets the ire.

 

Whatever Works

Larry David, Evan Rachel Wood

 

In this PG-13-rated comedy, a grumpy genius (David) strikes up an unlikely romance with a lovely young New Orleans runaway (Wood) after bungling a marriage, teaching career, and suicide attempt. The ace cast appears game for a classic Allen comedy even if the material does not. Approaching this movie, Larry David would seem to be the perfect doppelganger for Allen on-screen. On HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm, David brings a keen likeability to an LA misanthrope. Here, however, there is little rapport between his entirely unlikable character and filmgoers—somewhat due to a needless narration that breaks the fourth wall. There are a few laughs, but the rest of this stale mish-mash plays out like an Alvy Singer car wreck.

 

Down-to-the-Wire: Sleeper miss.

 

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):

 

G-Force

Voices of Nicolas Cage, Penelope Cruz

 

G-whiz, dear readers, Disney sure knows how lure in the big-name talent. This half-animated half-live action comedy features no less than Nicolas Cage, Penelope Cruz, Sam Rockwell, Jon Favreau, Steve Buscemi, and Tracy Morgan…and that’s just the vocal talent! Bill Nighy, Will Arnett, and Zach Galifianakis (still burning hot from his turn in The Hangover) are also involved—and using more than just their pipes too. It helps, of course, that mega-producer Jerry Bruckheimer (The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise) is behind this G-darn effort. In this PG-rated family film (also available in 3-D), an elite team of highly trained guinea pigs (Cage, Cruz, et al) becomes mankind’s last hope against a fiendish plot to take over the world. The Plus: The genre. Just last year, Disney cashed in to the tune of $94 million with another half-animated talking animal movie, Beverly Hills Chihuahua. Another star-studded talking animal kid-flick could potentially kill with families on a weekend divided by adult horror (Orphan) and adult comedy (The Ugly Truth). The Minus: The gamble. Though actual budget figures were unavailable, it looks as if Disney is spending some serious coin on this project. Even if G-Force opens at number one against the crowded box office, it will have to take in a lot of G’s to make the Mouse House back its investment.

 

Orphan

Peter Sarsgaard, Vera Farmiga

 

Though 20^th Century Fox does not currently have a sequel to 2006’s The Omen in the works (unlike its 1976 predecessor which spawned Damien: The Omen II, Omen III: The Final Conflict and Omen IV: The Awakening), the remake opened at number one at the box office and turned a tidy profit. Perhaps, this similarly themed thriller from Warner Brothers and director Jaume Collet-Sera (2005’s House of Wax) is looking to steal some fire and brimstone away from Damien and company. In this R-rated horror film, a mourning couple (Sarsgaard, Farmiga) adopt a child who turns out to be something other than angelic. The Plus: The genre. Leading back to the days of Rosemary’s Baby, The Exorcist, The Bad Seed, and Children of the Corn, demonic children have made a killing at the box office. The success of The Omen and The Ring stand testament to this. The Minus: The odds. But recent creepy kid thrillers like The Messengers and The Haunting in Connecticut have beat this dead horse well past the point of glue. John Q. Filmgoer may have already rung the death knell on this tired sub-genre.

 

The Ugly Truth

Katherine Heigl, Gerald Butler

 

Compared to most actors, Katherine Heigl has certainly paid her H’Wood dues. After years of supporting movie gigs (My Father the Hero, Under Siege 2: Dark Territory), this former model turned heads in the sci-fi TV series Roswell. From there, she landed a spot on TV’s Grey’s Anatomy, which would eventually earn her an Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actress. And though that program’s season finale hinted that her character may not return, Heigl will indeed continue to juggle Grey’s Anatomy duties (according to the program’s producers, at least) as well as her big screen projects. Her latest movie is a front row seat at the battle of the sexes from the writer/director of Legally Blonde, Robert Luketic. In this R-rated comedy, a raunchy TV host (Butler) and his straight-laced producer (Heigl) team up to find out what makes men and women tick. The Plus: The players. Heigl followed up her starring turn in the blockbuster comedy Knocked Up with a highly successful turn in 27 Dresses. Teaming her with hot property Gerald Butler (300, RocknRolla) could result in box office gold. Also, Luketic struck gold himself last year with the poker drama 21. The Minus: The competition. One weekend, three openings…not everybody’s going to be happy come Monday.

 

Reviews (Now in Theaters):

 

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Daniel Radcliffe, Ralph Fiennes

 

The fact that the highly entertaining Harry Potter franchise has continued to thrive this long with its cast and likeability intact dispels that old cliché “They don’t make them like they used to.” Not only has the series retained a sense of integrity in regards to its nearly seamless quality storytelling and rousing special effects…even the most persnickety of critics has to admit to enjoying each and every film. Even the highest regarded of Golden Age H’Wood franchises lost their luster after awhile (The Thin Man, Universal monster movies), but Potter consistently wows filmgoers. And the worst that can be said of the latest go-round is that this more character-driven chapter lacks the action punch of previous installments…but that, of course, is strictly due to another plaudit: the series’ loyalty to J.K. Rowlings’s brilliant novels.

 

In PG-rated Half-Blood Prince, another year at the Horwarts wizard school convenes under the looming threat of Lord Voldemort’s (Fiennes) return.

 

Continuing helming duties from Order of the Phoenix, director David Yates has bathed the movie not so much in darkness, but colorlessness. To offset the dark cinematography, however, this chapter imbues the ebb and flow of the narrative with some truly colorful moments (moments largely missing in Phoenix). Humor abounds in this touching flick and the love lives of the principle characters cushion the ending’s crushing blow. If this 6^th Potter movie is any indication, than the last novel (split into two separate releases and also directed by Yates) should provide John Q. Filmgoer with a corker of a commencement.

 

Down-to-the-Wire: Princely fun.

 

Whatever Works

Larry David, Evan Rachel Wood

 

Leading up to his fresh, scintillating, London-set thriller Match Point in 2005, legendary writer/director Woody Allen was turning out laugh-deprived albeit high-concept comedies at a clip of one-a-year. The only hallmark of this prolific output was the fact that he was not re-treading old tires from his Gotham glory days—rather, he came up with some clever hooks (blind movie director, Hollywood Ending; a tragic-comedy Sliding Doors, Melinda and Melinda). And in the project that seemed most recycled, he at least had the dignity to step aside and let someone else play the neurotic New York schlub (Jason Biggs, Anything Else), In his latest, tired, NYC-set comedy, he continues to give up the spotlight, but the material seems like vintage Allen…unfortunately, in every dated and worn-through sense of the word.

 

In this PG-13-rated comedy, a grumpy genius (David) strikes up an unlikely romance with a lovely young New Orleans runaway (Wood) after bungling a marriage, teaching career, and suicide attempt.

 

Evan Rachel Wood, Patricia Clarkson, Ed Begley, Jr., and Michael McKean all appear game for a classic Allen comedy even if the material does not. Approaching this movie, Larry David would seem to be the perfect doppelganger for Allen on-screen. On HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm, David brings a keen likeability to an LA misanthrope. Here, however, there is little rapport between his entirely unlikable character and filmgoers—somewhat due to a needless narration that breaks the fourth wall. There are a few laughs, but the rest of this stale mish-mash plays out like an Alvy Singer car wreck.

 

Down-to-the-Wire: Sleeper miss.

 

Bruno

Sacha Baron Cohen, Gustaf Hammarsten

 

In Cohen’s latest round of R-rated shock theater, he again terrorizes an unsuspecting public—this time as a flamboyant Austrian fashion expert looking for fame in America. Replacing homophobia for racism as the target of this comedy’s vitriolic focus, Bruno sticks so close to Borat’s formula that it occasionally feels a tad redundant. It also ratchets up the confrontation and controversy factors in a game of one-upmanship with the other ‘B’—to middling effect. The movie does capture some of Borat’s lightening in its bottle, but it also again baits discussion as to whether filmgoers are laughing with or at the issues before them. Some laughs rock the house (a TV focus group watching Bruno’s dancing penis) while others rot (the Austria-based opener is a slow starter).

 

Down-to-the-Wire: Always in fashion, never full laughs.

 

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs

Voices of Ray Romano, Queen Latifah

 

In this PG-rated kid-flick (also screening in 3-D), Manny (Romano), Diego (Denis Leary), and a pregnant Ellie (Latifah) face off with their Jurassic neighbors. Before this, your reviewer had never feasted on the frostbitten flurry that is Ice Age. He has, however, seen enough wisecracking animal cartoons to choke a mastodon…but some trump cards have evidently allowed this franchise to survive past episode one—namely, the clever pre-historic spin and pitch-perfect celebrity pipes that go beyond simple stunt casting (John Leguizamo remains a hilarious standout). Using these aces to pound home the importance of friendship ad nauseam, however, is more cloying than clever. The film is moderately entertaining and funny, yes, but this series is showing the obvious signs of glacial divide.

 

Down-to-the-Wire: Cracked Ice.

 

I Love You, Beth Cooper

Hayden Panettiere, Paul Rust

 

In this PG-13-rated teen comedy with a fresh hook, a high school valedictorian (Rust) declares his secret love for a cheerleader (Panettiere) during his graduation speech, kicking off a wild night. It is a last-night-of-school comedy in the classic sense, but much of the humor really hits homeroom. Oh, there are pratfalls, stock characters, and hookups galore, but there are also revelations and a laudable degree of unpredictability kicked off by the valedictorian’s brutally honest and confessional address to his classmates. Every filmgoer has seen this story before, but usually as an R-rated sex romp rife with dick and fart jokes. Beth Cooper lacks the witty bite of, say, Mean Girls, but viewers cannot help but like – not love - its simple John Hughes-esque appeal,

 

Down-to-the-Wire: Grade ‘B’ entertainment.

 

My Sister’s Keeper

Cameron Diaz, Abigail Breslin

 

In this PG-13-rated 3,000-hanky drama best left between two book covers, a young girl (Breslin) conceived to provide a donor match for her leukemia-stricken sister seeks to earn medical emancipation from her parents (Diaz, Jason Patric). This film has been genetically engineered to make filmgoers cry like Nancy Kerrigan. While this maudlin pill ultimately succeeds to this end, its genetically engineered H’Wood trappings strain the balance between believability and Hallmark card hokum. Diaz never once convinces filmgoers that she A.) gave birth; or B.) practiced law—two requirements that define her character. On the other hand, Sofia Vassilieva - playing the cancer-stricken sister – gives a remarkably genuine turn that steals filmgoers’ full attention.

 

Down-to-the-Wire: Crying shame.

 

Public Enemies

Johnny Depp, Christian Bale

 

In director Michael Mann’s R-rated true crime drama, Dillinger and his gang blaze a trail through the American heartland with G-Man Melvis Purvis (Bale) hot on his trail. Expertly researched and well scripted, the story gives viewers a romantic but mostly factual account. Keenly cast and well acted, the performances give viewers the most authentic Dillinger film yet. Mann’s brave decision to shoot this nearly epic period piece on digital video as opposed to film, however, nearly undoes all of its other well-wrought strengths. HDDV has many finer points, but tracking fast action is not one of them (car chases and gun battles comprise most of this film). All involved worked overtime to make this movie great and much of it looks like a Dillinger crime dramatization on Unsolved Mysteries.

 

Down-to-the-Wire: A G-Man dirty shame.

 

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox

 

In this overly long, surprisingly offensive, and ultimately irrelevant PG-13-rated sequel, LaBeouf and Fox re-team with friendly Autobots for a battle against a gi-normous Decepticon called The Fallen. Somehow, some way, this film about robots from outer space kicking the ever-living crap out of each other manages to be utterly boring. There are some fetching sequences (one involving a stunning femme-bot played by Isabel Lucas) but – for every winner – there are countless cutting room floor contenders. Worse, effects wizards worked overtime to bring audiences a cavalcade of robots that convincingly transform from ordinary vehicles into Rock-‘Em-Sock-‘Em warriors…and then rush through the shots so that said wizardry gets lost like a machine fart in the wind.

 

Down-to-the-Wire: More than meets the ire.

 

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):

 

Bruno

Sacha Baron Cohen

 

Though he was educated in Israel and ultimately graduated from the upper crust and altogether proper British university known as Cambridge, Sacha Baron Cohen made a name for himself as a controversial, anti-Semitic, and altogether rude television interviewer named Ali G. Cohen’s hip-hop-loving, Albanian, on-air alter-ago connected so well with British viewers that the hysterically over-the-top character was given his own show: Da Ali G Show. From this program (which he would later take across the pond to HBO), Cohen developed other popular characters including over-sexed Kazakhstani reporter Borat and the star of his latest film comedy, Bruno. In his R-rated follow-up to Borat, Cohen again terrorizes an unsuspecting public as a flamboyant Austrian fashion expert. The Plus: The players. Cohen proved a hit with critics and audiences alike when Borat became the comedy hit of summer, 2007 ($128 million). The director, famed comedy writer/director Larry Charles (TV’s Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm), has also returned for Bruno. Based on the trailer, they are serving up more of the same hilarity. The Minus: The expectation. Borat became such an instant classic that it will be hard for this second act to meet filmgoers’ lofty goals…and Bruno’s trailer hints that Cohen’s latest comedy may have more staged bits than hidden camera hilarity.

 

I Love You, Beth Cooper

Hayden Panettiere, Paul Rust

 

Filmgoers love you, Chris Columbus. Though he would on to pen some memorable films for producer Steven Spielberg (Gremlins and Goonies among them), Columbus actually sold his first script while still in college. Scriptwriting for Spielberg, however, eventually led to his directing break with Adventures in Babysitting. Hit (Home Alone) after hit (Mrs. Doubtfire) would follow, but it was for helming the first two Harry Potter films (The Sorcerer’s Stone and The Chamber of Secrets) that Columbus saw his greatest box office triumph. In his latest, the PG-13-rated teen comedy I Love You, Beth Cooper adapted by Larry Doyle from his own novel, a high school valedictorian (Rust) declares his secret love for a cheerleader (Panettiere) during his graduation speech, kicking off a night he will never forget. The Plus: The players. As the success of both Home Alone and Harry Potter demonstrated, Columbus has a knack for both comedy and material aimed at a demographic younger than 18-35. Panettiere (star of TV’s Heroes), on the other hand, has yet to make the transition to the big screen. I Love You, Beth Cooper could provide her with a springboard. The Minus: The competition. Columbus has certainly has his fair share of flops in the past (Nine Months, Bicentennial Man). In an already crowded summer box office, filmgoers are going to have to REALLY love Beth Cooper for it to make its mark.

 

Whatever Works

Larry David, Evan Rachel Wood

 

After filming in England (Match Point, Scoop, Cassandra’s Dream) and Spain (Vicky Cristina Barcelona), legendary writer/director Woody Allen has returned to his native New York City for his latest, Whatever Works—a piece originally written in his ‘70s heyday (Annie Hall, Manhattan). In Allen’s latest PG-13-rated comedy, a grump (David) strikes up an unlikely friendship with a lovely young runaway (Wood) after bungling his marriage, teaching career, and a suicide attempt. The Plus: Allen. After years of flops (Curse of the Jade Scorpion, Hollywood Ending, Anything Else, Melinda and Melinda), he made a return to form with Match Point and garnered great acclaim with Vicky Cristina Barcelona. As always, he has amassed an ensemble to beat the band. David (TV’s Curb Your Enthusiasm) and Wood (The Wrestler) are being joined by Patricia Clarkson (Good Night, and Good Luck), Ed Begley, Jr. (Pineapple Express), and Michael McKean (A Mighty Wind). The Minus: Allen. Cassandra’s Dream and Scoop did not get the same reception as his other overseas work.

 

Reviews (Now in Theaters):

 

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs

Voices of Ray Romano, Queen Latifah

 

Before Dawn of the Dinosaurs, your reviewer had never feasted on the frostbitten flurry that is Ice Age. He has, however, seen enough wisecracking animal cartoons to choke a mastodon, so the tar (as in pit) had already been set. Some trump cards have evidently allowed Ice Age to survive past episode one—namely style and talent. In force-feeding filmgoers with a moral-ridden simplistic plot that harkens back to much better ‘toons, however, this series is showing the obvious signs of glacial divide (so far as journeying to find a lost friend goes, it would take a lot to best Toy Story). The film is moderately entertaining and funny, yes, but Dawn should be the call sign for the talented Blue Sky Studios to wrap it up after this formulaic go-round.

 

In this PG-rated kid-flick (also screening in 3-D), Manny (Romano), Diego (Denis Leary), and a pregnant Ellie (Latifah) travel to face some Jurassic neighbors after Sid (John Leguizamo) is whisked away to a hidden land that defies science and/or logic.

 

In the case of Ice Age’s wisecracking animals, Blue Sky puts a clever pre-historic spin on the story and renders its characters with equal doses of likeability AND uniqueness (viewers have seen animated elephants like Dumbo, but never woolly mammoths). Also, rather than stunt cast big-name talent for their voices, Blue Sky actually banks the perfect celebrity pipes to bring these characters to life (Leguizamo’s Sid remains a hilarious standout). Using these aces to pound home the importance of friendship ad nauseam, however, is more cloying than clever.

 

Down-to-the-Wire: Cracked Ice.

 

Public Enemies

Johnny Depp, Christian Bale

 

Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. Filmgoer and all of the ships at sea. Flash—celebrated writer/director Michael Mann has cast his methodic eye on legendary bank robber and lothario John Dillinger. Expertly researched and well scripted, his story gives viewers a romantic but mostly factual account of this Robin Hood tale. Keenly cast and well acted, the performances help to bring to life cinema’s most authentic take on Dillinger’s life yet. This just in—Mann’s brave decision to shoot this nearly epic period piece on digital video as opposed to film nearly undoes all of its other well-wrought strengths. For the latest, we go to your reviewer in the field.

 

In this R-rated true crime drama, Dillinger and his gang blaze a trail through the American heartland with G-Man Melvis Purvis (Bale) hot on his trail.

 

Speaking as a filmmaker who has used digital video, your reviewer knows the technology’s finer points…and tracking fast action is not one of them (car chases and gun battles comprise the breadth of this film). Mann and all involved worked overtime to make this movie great and much of it ends up looking like a Dillinger crime dramatization on Unsolved Mysteries. For a director known for imbuing his work with a brilliant steely blue look courtesy of film stock (Heat), Mann’s latest ‘style’ just drives the audience to distraction. Some of his contemporaries have already seized the HDDV opportunity on the big screen (Steven Soderbergh’s Bubble), but in an experimental sense—not on a piece of this grand scope and potential. 

 

Down-to-the-Wire: A G-Man dirty shame.

 

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 10.

 

My Sister’s Keeper

Cameron Diaz, Abigail Breslin

 

In this PG-13-rated 3,000-hanky drama best left between two book covers, a young girl (Breslin) conceived to provide a donor match for her leukemia-stricken sister seeks to earn medical emancipation from her parents (Diaz, Jason Patric). This film has been genetically engineered to make filmgoers cry like Nancy Kerrigan. While this maudlin pill ultimately succeeds to this end, its genetically engineered H’Wood trappings strain the balance between believability and Hallmark card hokum. Diaz never once convinces filmgoers that she A.) gave birth; or B.) practiced law—two requirements that define her character. On the other hand, Sofia Vassilieva - playing the cancer-stricken sister – gives a remarkably genuine turn that steals filmgoers’ full attention.

 

Down-to-the-Wire: Crying shame.

 

The Proposal

Sandra Bullock, Ryan Reynolds

 

In this PG-13-rated romantic-comedy, 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. 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 The Proposal staves off comic cravings for as long as it takes Mr. Filmgoer to stuff it into his craw. 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. 

 

Down-to-the-Wire: Cake walk.

 

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox

 

In this overly long, surprisingly offensive, and ultimately irrelevant PG-13-rated sequel, LaBeouf and Fox re-team with friendly Autobots for a battle against a gi-normous Decepticon called The Fallen. Somehow, some way, this film about robots from outer space kicking the ever-living crap out of each other manages to be utterly boring. There are some fetching sequences (one involving a stunning femme-bot played by Isabel Lucas) but – for every winner – there are countless cutting room floor contenders. Worse, effects wizards worked overtime to bring audiences a cavalcade of robots that convincingly transform from ordinary vehicles into Rock-‘Em-Sock-‘Em warriors…and then rush through the shots so that said wizardry gets lost like a machine fart in the wind.

 

Down-to-the-Wire: More than meets the ire.

 

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.

 

Year One

Jack Black, Michael Cera

 

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 made his bones in the comedy world over 25 years ago…and damn, does it show. The jokes are somewhat humorous (especially David Cross as Abel), 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 the screenwriters come up with wittier bits than the fact that they condoned sodomy in Sodom…really?!

 

Down-to-the-Wire: Bible-thumped.

 

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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):

 

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs

Voices of Ray Romano, Queen Latifah

 

In 2002, 20^th Century Fox had a mammoth hit on its hands with the family ‘toon Ice Age. 2006’s Ice Age 2: Meltdown gave audiences more of the same but did even better for its parent studio, nearly breaking the $200 million mark in the U.S. Now, Fox is hoping for a three-peat when Manny the Mammoth and friends step back into theaters this summer—and in 3 dimensions, no less! In this third installment of the animated Ice Age series (available for viewing in 2 or 3-D), Manny (Romano), Sid (John Leguizamo), Diego (Denis Leary), and Ellie (Latifah) return to face their new pre-hysteric neighbors. The Plus: The players. Joining Romano (whose been around since the beginning) and Latifah (a holdover from Meltdown) are Denis Leary (TV’s Rescue Me), John Leguizamo (Righteous Kill), Seann William Scott (Role Models), and Simon Pegg (Star Trek). The Minus: The odds. Both Ice Age and Meltdown opened in the cool days of March when the box office competition was not nearly as hot as in the summer months.

 

Public Enemies

Johnny Depp, Christian Bale

 

Though Bryan Burroughs’s hard-hitting book Public Enemies: America’s Greatest Crime Wave and the Birth of the F.B.I., 1933-34 is cited as this film’s source material, director Michael Mann reportedly first took a stab at scripting the adventures of legendary bank robber and lothario John Dillinger soon after directing his breakout 1981 hit Thief. As with many H’Wood projects, it got pushed to the backburner. In the meantime, however Mann went on to direct Heat, Collateral, and Miami Vice, so there is no doubting his credentials as to crafting crime thrillers like Public Enemies…and just to prove it, he is also credited as one of the screenwriters. In this R-rated true crime drama from Mann, Dillinger and his gang blaze a trail through the American heartland with G-Man Melvis Purvis (Bale) hot on his trail. The Plus: The players. Mann is a tour-de-force filmmaker with a specialty for crime (modern classic Heat ends all arguments). His handpicked cast, however, includes Depp (Pirates of the Caribbean), Bale (The Dark Knight), Oscar-winner Marion Cotillard (En Vie en Rose), and Channing Tatum (Step Up). The Minus: The material. Bio-pics of this ire usually pop up in the fall when H’Wood is rolling out its award-baiting fare—not the popcorn blockbuster months.

 

Reviews (Now in Theaters):

 

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox

 

In the mind of John Q. Filmgoer, the first Transformers was really only obligated to show audiences one thing to be successful: robots from outer space kicking the ever-living crap out of each other…and truthfully, that overblown talky spectacle mostly delivered the goods. Well, the good news is that Fallen upholds the end of the bargain held by its predecessor. The bad news is that this sequel about robots from outer space kicking the ever-living crap out of each other also manages to be utterly boring. While such an accomplishment seems wholly impossible, this overly long, surprisingly offensive, and ultimately irrelevant sequel actually transforms into an abortion before filmgoers’ eyes. As with the first go-round, there is a concentration on character. In Transformers, this concentration was laudable but in Fallen, this concentration results in a lot of needless scenes that should have ended up as deleted scenes on the inevitable DVD release.

 

In this PG-13-rated sequel, Sam Witwicky (LaBeouf) and girlfriend Mikaela (Fox) re-team with friendly Autobots for a battle against the evil Decepticons and a gi-normous baddie called The Fallen.

 

There are some fetching sequences (one involving a stunning femme-bot played by Isabel Lucas) but – for every winner – there are countless cutting room floor contenders (anything involving Witwicky’s college roommate, robot testicles, and minstrel show Autobots—just for starters). Worse, effects wizards worked overtime to bring audiences a cavalcade of robots that convincingly transform from ordinary vehicles into Rock-‘Em-Sock-‘Em warriors…and then rush through the shots so that said wizardry gets lost like a machine fart in the wind.

 

Down-to-the-Wire: More than meets the ire.

 

My Sister’s Keeper

Cameron Diaz, Abigail Breslin

 

My Sister’s Keeper has been genetically engineered to make filmgoers bawl as loudly and uncontrollably as Nancy Kerrigan. While the 3,000-hanky drama succeeds to this end, its many cracks betray the telltale signs of such H’Wood engineering. Some actors expertly fit the bill while others quickly give the audience their fill. Some scenes perfectly hit their mark while others leave the audience in the dark. It proves to be a precarious tightrope walk for director Nick Cassavetes, who strays the balance between believability and Hallmark card hokum with only some success. Saddled with needless narration, his maudlin pill serves as a reminder that this story was probably a lot more interesting between two covers.

 

In this PG-13-rated adaptation of the Jodi Picoult novel, a young girl (Breslin) conceived to provide a donor match for her leukemia-stricken sister seeks to earn medical emancipation from her parents (Diaz, Jason Patric).

 

Diaz might very well be a bona fide movie star with a number of hits under her belt but, during My Sister’s Keeper, never once does the actress convince your reviewer that she A.) gave birth; or B.) practiced law—two requirements that define her character. She keeps close company with Breslin. Though the Little Miss Sunshine moppet goes through all of the expected paces, there is very little about her performance that rings true. On the other hand, Sofia Vassilieva - playing the cancer-stricken sister – gives a remarkably genuine turn that steals filmgoers’ full attention. Patric too manages to shine in a mostly thankless role.

 

Down-to-the-Wire: Crying shame.

 

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 10.

 

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 Proposal

Sandra Bullock, Ryan Reynolds

 

In this PG-13-rated romantic-comedy, 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. 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 The Proposal staves off comic cravings for as long as it takes Mr. Filmgoer to stuff it into his craw. 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. 

 

Down-to-the-Wire: Cake walk.

 

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.

 

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.

 

Year One

Jack Black, Michael Cera

 

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 made his bones in the comedy world over 25 years ago…and damn, does it show. The jokes are somewhat humorous (especially David Cross as Abel), 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 the screenwriters come up with wittier bits than the fact that they condoned sodomy in Sodom…really?!

 

Down-to-the-Wire: Bible-thumped.

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