Superbad

At the heart of this raucous, silly, juvenile comedy is a warm story of friendship. "Superbad" deserves to take it's place among classic coming of age films like "Dazed And Confused", "American Pie", and "Fast Times At Ridgemont High".

It's the ultimate buddy comedy centered around Seth and Evan's attempt to buy liquor and have sex at an end of high school party. The story is simple but the visual gags and very funny dialog will keep you laughing throughout the film. Jonah Hill plays Seth and Michael Cera (from Arrested Development) plays Evan. They are perfectly cast. Mr. Cera, in particular, has such great deadpan humor, timing and delivery that he makes every scene priceless. Their friendship is tested throughout the film and it really is the soul of the story.

Seth Rogan, so funny in "Knocked Up" co-wrote the film and plays a very unorthodox policeman. Bill Hader (from Saturday Night Live) plays his partner. It seems pretty clear that the character of Seth is based on Mr. Rogan. Also co-starring in his first film, is Christopher Mintz- Plasse as Fogell, who almost single-handedly steals the film.

Produced by Judd Apatow (who has a terrific winning streak with similar films), "Superbad" is raunchy but real and very funny.

Rescue Dawn

Werner Herzog's most commercial film to date is a drama inspired by true events. This is the story of Dieter Dengler, a German American pilot shot down in Laos in the early stages of the Vietnam War.

Christian Bale is simply remarkable in the role of Dengler. His dedication to his craft knows no bounds. The hardships he endures are horrible and heartbreaking. Suffering with him as fellow prisoners of war are Jeremy Davies and Steve Zahn. Mr. Zahn, in particular, is outstanding in a role very different from his usual movie characters.

The story is riveting and will have you on the edge of your seat. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, it has not lasted long at theaters and may be hard to find. If you miss it on the big screen, make it a must rental on DVD.

The upbeat ending seems tacked on and a little rushed but otherwise, Mr. Herzog has written and directed an inspiring tale of survival and the human spirit.

The Bourne Ultimatum

Picking up where the last film ended, Matt Damon is still on the run trying to figure out how it all started. Director Paul Greengrass does an excellent job of putting the viewer right into the action and maintains a solid pace throughout.

From the intense camera angles to the live action stuntwork, the film pulls you in and never lets go. The character of Jason Bourne is the ultimate escape artist as he continually finds clever ways to elude the CIA. The film tries hard to bring you up to speed if you haven't seen the first two Bourne adventures but the new film makes more sense taken in context of the full Bourne saga.

Joan Allen and Julia Stiles are back reprising their earlier roles and playing the CIA chief, with nasty secrets to protect, is the always excellent, David Strathairn. As for the role of Jason Bourne, Matt Damon has found a defining character. Given little dialog, Bourne is a man of action and Damon slips back into the character with ease and maturity.

The film travels the globe with fantastic action sequences at every turn. If you're a fan of the series, this is a threequel that delivers the goods.

The Simpson's Movie

To quote Homer Simpson, "Why pay to watch something you can see for free on TV?"
Well, for starters, it's 90 minutes of commercial free classic Simpson humor. Need I say more?

If you are a fan of the show, it is a must see. A few liberties are taken with the film that can't be show on TV and for the most part, it's more of what you already love on a bigger screen. One can argue that the story could have been better developed for the film. It's full of elements we've seen before on the show. But the bottom line is that this show is currently one of the longest running shows on TV and there is only so much you can add to it's brilliant humor and satire. The writers do their best to give almost every character, we've encountered through the years, choice bits of dialog but it's hard to do without making them seem like throwaway lines. Still, even throwaway lines from The Simpson's are better than plot points in many other comedies.

If you are not a fan of the show, don't waste your time. You won't "get it". But if you've ever laughed at even one episode, make the effort to see the film. It's a lot of fun.

Talk To Me

  Don Cheadle gives a tour de force performance in this "based on a true story" film. This is the story of Petey Greene Jr, an ex-con who ends up as a radio DJ for WOL-AM in Washington D.C. in the late '60's. The film tries hard to cover a capsule view of late '60's America before and after the death of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and for the most part works well enough to propel the story.
 
     Co-starring Chiwetel Ejiofor (so good in "Dirty Pretty Things") as Dewy Hughes,  "Talk To Me" is a very entertaining film about dark times in America and the complicated relationship of two men who desperately need each other. Not only is Mr. Cheadle terrific as Petey Greene Jr but Mr. Ejiofor matches him scene for scene as the station employee who "discovers" him and later becomes his manager. The acting is outstanding and both deserve Oscar Nominations come next year.
 
      Taraji Henson also does a great job as Vernell Watson, Petey's long time girlfriend, bringing both laughter and pathos to the role. Rounding out the cast is Cedric The Entertainer and Vondie Curtis Hall as other DJ's at the station along with Martin Sheen as the station owner and general manager.
 
      It is pleasure to watch Mr. Cheadle in any of his films. He continues to astound with his range and chameleon ability to disappear into roles. And as for Mr. Ejiofor, this film should be springboard for bigger and better roles.

Hairspray

Recent movie versions of Broadway shows have not really translated well to the screen with the exception of "Chicago". "Hairspray" does a terrific job of migrating from stage to screen, bursting off Broadway and into the streets of 1960's Baltimore. The songs and the choreography are first rate and the casting is absolutely perfect.

John Travolta, at first seemed an odd choice as Edna Turnblad but he makes the role his own and quickly disappears into the character. His singing and dancing skills still come through, even under tons of latex. Christopher Walken, Michele Pfeiffer, Queen Latifah, James Marstan, and Allison Janney are all just wonderful in their respective roles.

As the teenagers, Zac Efron, Amanda Bynes, Elijah Kelly, and Brittany Snow are all excellent. Stealing the film out from all these established stars, however, is Nicole Blonsky as Tracy Turnblad, the teenager who helps bring integration to Baltimore. Ms. Blonsky is a singing and dancing wonder who shows great promise for a long career in film or on stage.

"Hairspray" will have you smiling and tapping your feet from it's opening moments. It's a very enjoyable time at the movies and a lot cheaper than the Broadway show.

Harry Potter & The Order of The Phoenix

Film five in the series continues a trend set in the last film...the darker the better. "Phoenix" is very dark and very heavy on dialog. The action is exciting but doesn't occur very often. This is strictly a transitional film that continues a bridge toward the inevitable conclusion with film seven.

The visuals are very good and the acting continues to improve for our three central leads, Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint. The remaining friends and foes are played convincingly by what appears to be, every British actor living today. Imelda Staunton is a standout as Delores Umbridge.

What falters here is the direction. Besides a lack of action, the film suffers from a lack of levity as well. A few jokes at Ron Wesley's expense don't really count as comic relief. The sub-plots of the book suffer here as well. Minor plot points come and go without much explanation making this a film just for the hard core fan base. Casual fans who may not be familiar with the book will soon be lost.

You Kill Me

Looking for something different? How about a dark comedy concerning itself with an alcoholic hitman in Buffalo NY? Ben Kingsley stars as Frank, a hitman for the Polish mob in Buffalo who's drinking is interfering with his work. When he screws up on an important hit, he's sent to San Francisco to clean up his act.

The film co-stars Tea Leoni, Luke Wilson, Bill Pullman, Dennis Farina and Phillip Baker Hall. It's a great cast in a twisted tale directed by John Dahl. Much of the story involves Frank's attempts at getting sober with the help of Tom (Mr. Wilson) and Laurel (Ms. Leoni). It's an unusual script but it works on multiple levels. We are in on the joke and laugh at the situation, rather than at the expense of Frank's drinking problem. Sir Kingsley is a treat here, playing a sympathetic man with an addiction and a very bad job. The rest of the cast are very good in their respective roles, especially Leoni as Frank's love interest.

"You Kill Me" is a good alternative from the overload of sequels and kid friendly fare at the movies these days. If you are a fan of Grosse Point Blank, you'll enjoy this one.

1408

In this age of torture porn that passes for horror movies and slick remakes of marginal horror films, it's refreshing to watch a good old fashioned effective ghost story.

Starring John Cusack with a cameo from Samuel L. Jackson, "1408" is a distant cousin to "The Shining". Both come from the mind of Stephen King and both feature writers trapped in haunted hotels. While "The Shining" was a masterwork from Stanley Kubrick, "1408" works in a much smaller but effective way to send shivers up your spine.

Mr. Jackson is the hotel manager who warns Mr. Cusack to stay out of 1408. His role is short but memorable as he delivers the best line in the film as only Samuel L. Jackson can. The rest of the film belongs to Mr. Cusack as he slowly begins to unravel locked in a very scary hotel room.

As the story progresses, the film turns into a special effects roller coaster ride that plays tricks on the audience as well as Mr. Cusack. The film delivers the scares it promises and is one of the best adaptations of a Stephen King story in a long time.

Joshua

Opening this Friday in select theaters, "Joshua" is a creepy little drama that finds the horror in one family's seemingly normal life. Starring Sam Rockwell and Vera Farmiga as the parents of 9 year old Joshua and his newborn sister, Lilia, "Joshua" gets creepier and more disturbing as it goes along.

Mr. Rockwell is terrific as the average hard working dad (a big departure from his usual left of center roles) faced with an unthinkable reality and Ms. Faminga is equally good as a mother becoming unhinged by ordinary family problems complicated by something out of her control.

As the cracks begin to widen in this nuclear family, you begin to realize you are watching a very intelligent horror film, minus the gore and violence. There is nothing supernatural about the horror at work here and that reason alone makes the film even more disturbing.

"Joshua" pulls you in and keeps you on the edge as it builds to a surprising third act. It may raise more questions than it answers when it's over but it's a pretty intense ride along the way.

Live Free or Die Hard

20 Years ago, Bruce Willis redefined the action hero in "Die Hard". Now, in the age of "24" and "Jack Bauer" type heroes, Mr. Willis does his best to show these wannabes how it's really done, as Detective John McClaine.

This is a perfect summer popcorn movie. Suspend your belief at the door, sit back and enjoy the great action sequences and witty banter between Mr. Willis and his co-star, Justin Long. This is far superior to "Die Hard With a Vengeance" but still pales to the original or even "Die Hard 2".

Using cyber terrorists as a plot line and giving Mr. Willis a young hacker "partner" works perfectly here to bridge the gap between generations viewing the film. Casting Kevin Smith in a small but critical role was a clever idea but you never buy him as a character named "Warlock". He's just Kevin Smith doing a cameo. The CGI work, for the most part, is pretty good and except for a few obvious spots, makes the film a visual thrill ride.

To quote villain, Timothy Olyphant, (who's good but no Alan Rickman) Detective McClaine may be "a Timex watch in a digital world" but he takes a licking and keeps on ticking.

Nancy Drew

Emma Roberts is one spunky teenage detective, in this modern, movie version of the well known series of books. The film is perfect for 12 year old girls. It's got mystery, action, comic relief, and PG romance.

For anyone else, I would say, skip it unless you have a 12 year old daughter or a tweener niece.

Knocked Up

I wasn't expecting much when I heard about this film but I was pleasantly surprised when "Knocked Up" turned out to actually be a sweet romantic comedy that contains many "laugh out loud" moments. As with his earlier film, "40 Year Old Virgin", writer-director Judd Apatow has a great ability to mix sophomoric humor with tender moments to create an engaging comedy.

The premise of the stoned slacker winning the love of the beautiful, successful girl strains credibility but Seth Rogan's "Ben Stone" is such a lovable loser that you begin to really root for him. Katherine Heigl doesn't stray that far from her TV character, "Izzy Stevens", but does show she can hold her own on the "big" screen too.

Leslie Mann and Paul Rudd co-star as Ms. Heigl's sister and her husband and they almost steal the film. Mr. Rogan's slacker buddies are all humorous in their own way but a bit underdeveloped as full characters themselves.

"Knocked Up" ends up a pleasant surprise. Much like the results of the title. Be warned, however, there is some strong language and a graphic birthing scene.

Once

  An Indy film in the truest sense of the word, "Once" features non-actors in a simple but effective story filmed on a shoestring budget. Starring Glen Hansard (lead singer of The Frames) and Marketa Irglova as struggling musicians carving out a life on the streets of Dublin, "Once" doesn't compromise for a Hollywood audience. 
 
     As a relationship develops between the two leads, the music they produce propels the story. At times the film feels like one long music video, but overall, it's vibrant and charming. A number of scenes are very effective and Mr. Hansard and Ms. Irglova are honest and true to their characters.
 
      Music is integral to the story and many of the songs are heard repeatedly throughout the film with varying arrangements. You will probably find yourself seeking out the soundtrack after you've left the theater. "Once" is a little film with a big heart.

Pirates of The Caribbean 3: At World's End

Did you hear about the new Pirate movie? It's rated....AAARGGGH
Bloated doesn't begin to describe this almost 3 hour soulless spectacle. The few action sequences scattered throughout the convoluted plot are overdone and seemingly go on forever. I wish the film editor had walked the plank. Most of this mess is just confusing dialog with double and triple crosses that ultimately go nowhere.

Johnny Depp's "Jack Sparrow" is little more than a cameo in this story and all his charm from the other films has been reduced to ham in this one. The last few minutes of the film belong to Depp as if someone remembered he was the central character. Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightly have lost all their chemistry and Knightly has become outright annoying.Chow Yun-Fat is wasted as a Chinese pirate with very little to do and little time to do it.The best acting in the film belongs to Bill Nighy as "Davy Jones" and Geoffrey Rush as "Captain Barbossa". Nighy manages to convey a great deal of emotion under many layers of octopus makeup and Rush looks like he's actually having fun.

More is not necessarily better and there was probably an excellent 90 minute movie buried in this mess. On a positive note, the visuals are excellent and look great on a big screen but if you can wait for the DVD, do yourself a favor so you can watch it with your finger on the fast forward button.

Shrek The Third

Inevitably by the time you get to the 3rd film in a series, much of the magic and originality wears off. The return of Shrek and all the other familiar characters though, is like visiting old friends and there is certainly still a large amount of enjoyment to be found in their company.

Donkey and Puss make a terrific comic duo and the banter between Eddie Murphy and Antonio Banderas is priceless. Fiona and the other fairy tale women steal the movie as they give new meaning to girl power. Justin Timberlake joins the cast as "Artie", a young pre- King Arthur but his character doesn't really make the impact he should considering the storyline.

There is plenty of mushy sentiment this time around, much of which has to do with babies and becoming a good father and/or king. The sight gags are plenty and the animation continues to astound but like other "Part 3" films out now, the studios should give the characters a rest for a while and we'll appreciate them more for it.

28 Weeks Later

If you enjoyed the first film, "28 Days Later", you will probably want to see this sequel. Cillian Murphy decided not to participate in this one but Robert Carlyle kick starts the action as a surviving father of "the virus", reunited with his teenage daughter and 12 year old son.

From the opening moments, there are unexpected twists in the story and no one is safe which keeps the suspense level high. The camera work is frenetic and the various scenes of a deserted England are very convincing. There is plenty of violence and bloodshed as you would expect when fighting off blood thirsty zombies but there is also an underlying social commentary on the government's actions to contain the virus.

The ending leaves the door open for a third installment, probably to be known as "28 Months Later". And in this day and age of endless sequels, we'll probably have "28 Years Later" to look forward to at some point. There's always an audience for a good "zombie" movie.

Year of The Dog

From the mind of Mike White, who has given us "Chuck & Buck" and "The Good Girl" comes this very quirky comedy/drama about how just far our love for animals can take us.

Molly Shannon stars as Peggy, a woman crazy about her beagle "Pencil". When Pencil accidentally dies, Peggy's world crumbles until she meets Newt (a very good Peter Sarsgaard), a animal shelter worker and dog trainer. Newt introduces her to "Valentine", a German Shepherd with some behavior issues. Peggy adopts him and begins to spend more and more time with Newt as well. Animals take center stage in their relationship and Peggy's passion begins to overwhelm all aspects of her life.

The film also stars John C. Reilly as Peggy's neighbor, Laura Dern as her sister-in-law, and Regina King as her boy crazy girlfriend. Peggy's obsession with dogs leads to various odd scenes with all these characters as well as her boss, played by Josh Pais.

The dogs in the film are terrific and adorable. The story starts out light and fun but takes a more dramatic turn as the film goes on. Ultimately, it tells us that our happiness in life can sometimes be found in very unlikely places but we go where our heart takes us.

Spiderman 3

Well, the bloom is off the rose. If you have invested the time in the first 2 films, of course you will want to see how it all turns out but...the magic is gone. The film deserves an A for action but it also gets a B for bloated.

The seduction of Spiderman to the dark side takes too long to get going and Venom's appearance is too little and too late, showing up for the climatic battle (where Mary Jane is menaced by...a taxi cab and a dump truck...Yikes!! The dialog is sappy and many of the secondary characters have lost their zip (Jonah Jameson, for one). Toby Macguire's attempts to be dark and evil are just silly and a scene where he tries to make Mary Jane jealous with Gwen Stacy is just ridiculous.

The action sequences, however, are terrific and Thomas Hayden Church steals the film as The Sandman. His CGI is fantastic and in his human form, his acting is fresh and believable. Too bad, the screenplay messes with the original facts about the character's backstory and motivation to suit the plot. Devotees of the comic will be annoyed with that as well as the introduction of Gwen Stacy as a rival for Peter Parker's affection. Gwen's backstory is also tweaked to suit the plot and Bryce Howard is wasted in a poorly written character. Credit though, must also be given to Topher Grace who adds a breath of life to the role of Eddie Brock.

We are being teased with the prospect of Spiderman 4 (after all, Doc Connors has appeared in all 3 films so far and fans know what happens to him) but this film should make enough money to put the franchise to rest. Let's see what Robert Downy Jr. can do with next year's "Iron Man" movie.

The Air I Breathe

Another screening at the Tribeca Film Festival, "The Air I Breathe" features a great cast entwined in 4 overlapping stories. Forest Whitaker is a quiet businessman who bets his life on a horse race, a gangster's enforcer (an excellent Brendan Fraiser) sees the future, a pop star (a better than expected Sarah Michelle Gellar) gets involved with a crime boss ( a typical Andy Garcia), and a doctor ( always reliable, Kevin Bacon) must try to save the love of his life.

The director, Jieho Lee, uses the overlapping technique we've seen before in films like "Pulp Fiction" and "Amores Perros" and for the most part makes it work (although just a little too neatly).

The stories are based on a Chinese proverb focusing on the four cornerstones of life: happiness, pleasure, sorrow and love. It is a strong drama with some harrowing scenes but it does reward in little ways throughout the film.