Saturday, February 23, 2008
Penelope
It’s Cinderella meets Cyrano de Bergerac meets Miss Piggy meets the paparazzi in a delightful fairy tale about inner beauty. A curse on a blue-blood family keeps Penelope (Christina Ricci) hidden away from the world until one day she ventures out to explore beyond her home and find her true love. Is it predictable? Of course, because it is a fairy tale. The story does have a witch, a one-eye dwarf, and a winged Vespa. Ricci is still adorable even with a pig face. Catherine O’Hara is the controlling mother, James McAvoy is a prospective suitor, and Reese Witherspoon has a nice small part as she doubles as the film’s producer. This is a sweet and charming family film.
Alien gives it 3 “I like myself the way I am” stars out of 4.
It’s Cinderella meets Cyrano de Bergerac meets Miss Piggy meets the paparazzi in a delightful fairy tale about inner beauty. A curse on a blue-blood family keeps Penelope (Christina Ricci) hidden away from the world until one day she ventures out to explore beyond her home and find her true love. Is it predictable? Of course, because it is a fairy tale. The story does have a witch, a one-eye dwarf, and a winged Vespa. Ricci is still adorable even with a pig face. Catherine O’Hara is the controlling mother, James McAvoy is a prospective suitor, and Reese Witherspoon has a nice small part as she doubles as the film’s producer. This is a sweet and charming family film.
Alien gives it 3 “I like myself the way I am” stars out of 4.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Vantage Point
It’s “Shooter” meets “The Kingdom” meets “Groundhog Day” meets “The Italian Job” as the U.S. President (William Hurt) visits Spain to declare war on terrorists and then all hell breaks out when the President is attacked. Dennis Quaid and Matthew Fox are secret service agents, Sigourney Weaver is a TV news producer, and Forrest Whitaker is a tourist, but it hardly matters because there are so many characters floating around that all of the roles seem like supporting characters. The plot is somewhat predictable as the pieces of the puzzle start to unfold. The dialogue is cheesy at times. How the plot lines converge at the end is unbelievable. This 90 minute film probably uses only 60 minutes of actual footages because the clock rewinds back to noon about 7 or 8 times giving us another view of sometime we saw before. The highlight is an intense and incredible car chase scene, so buckle up and hang on tight. No steady cam here so load up on the Dramamine.
Alien gives it 2 “Roshomon Effect” stars out of 4.
It’s “Shooter” meets “The Kingdom” meets “Groundhog Day” meets “The Italian Job” as the U.S. President (William Hurt) visits Spain to declare war on terrorists and then all hell breaks out when the President is attacked. Dennis Quaid and Matthew Fox are secret service agents, Sigourney Weaver is a TV news producer, and Forrest Whitaker is a tourist, but it hardly matters because there are so many characters floating around that all of the roles seem like supporting characters. The plot is somewhat predictable as the pieces of the puzzle start to unfold. The dialogue is cheesy at times. How the plot lines converge at the end is unbelievable. This 90 minute film probably uses only 60 minutes of actual footages because the clock rewinds back to noon about 7 or 8 times giving us another view of sometime we saw before. The highlight is an intense and incredible car chase scene, so buckle up and hang on tight. No steady cam here so load up on the Dramamine.
Alien gives it 2 “Roshomon Effect” stars out of 4.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Charlie Bartlett
It’s Ferris Bueller meets Dr. Phil meets “Mean Girls” in a comedy about teenagers with problems that no one listens to, except for Charlie Bartlett (Anton Yelchin). Charlie is a spoiled rich kid that has been kicked out of private prep school and must now try to fit in at public school. He is an odd duck that just wants to be popular. The film gets hilarious as Charlie starts dispensing advice and medication to classmates in his private office. Of course, his main antagonist is the principal (Robert Downey Jr) and his romantic interest is the principal’s daughter (Kat Dennings). Yelchin is terrific as the charming, smart, enterprising, and vulnerable kid who is trying to do the right thing, but manages to get into trouble. Downey is perfect as the authority figure that tries to stop the troublemaker. Hope Davis plays Charlie’s zany mom. This smart comedy is a trip back to that awkward time in high school.
Alien gives it 3 “Ritalin” stars out of 4.
It’s Ferris Bueller meets Dr. Phil meets “Mean Girls” in a comedy about teenagers with problems that no one listens to, except for Charlie Bartlett (Anton Yelchin). Charlie is a spoiled rich kid that has been kicked out of private prep school and must now try to fit in at public school. He is an odd duck that just wants to be popular. The film gets hilarious as Charlie starts dispensing advice and medication to classmates in his private office. Of course, his main antagonist is the principal (Robert Downey Jr) and his romantic interest is the principal’s daughter (Kat Dennings). Yelchin is terrific as the charming, smart, enterprising, and vulnerable kid who is trying to do the right thing, but manages to get into trouble. Downey is perfect as the authority figure that tries to stop the troublemaker. Hope Davis plays Charlie’s zany mom. This smart comedy is a trip back to that awkward time in high school.
Alien gives it 3 “Ritalin” stars out of 4.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Jumper
A young man (Hayden Christensen) develops a special power, hyper jumps through space, and tries to save his beloved. Believing this youth is being seduced by the dark side, a warrior (Samuel L. Jackson) wielding a super charged taser stick tangle in a desperate fight trying to kill off each other. Shades of Star Wars, is this a sequel to Episode III? Nah, it’s the latest sci-fi special effects thriller where Paladins (religious zealots) hunt down Jumpers (teleporters). The premise is great. The script is weak. Christensen still can’t act. Diane Lane is wasted in a bit part. But the special effects are stunning and bring new meaning to global conflict. See Jumpers zip to London, Rome, Egypt, Tokyo, New York City, and Ann Arbor, Michigan in a blink of an eye. Surely, there will be a wormhole opening created to jump these characters into an anticipated sequel.
Alien gives it 2 ½ “jump scar” stars out of 4.
A young man (Hayden Christensen) develops a special power, hyper jumps through space, and tries to save his beloved. Believing this youth is being seduced by the dark side, a warrior (Samuel L. Jackson) wielding a super charged taser stick tangle in a desperate fight trying to kill off each other. Shades of Star Wars, is this a sequel to Episode III? Nah, it’s the latest sci-fi special effects thriller where Paladins (religious zealots) hunt down Jumpers (teleporters). The premise is great. The script is weak. Christensen still can’t act. Diane Lane is wasted in a bit part. But the special effects are stunning and bring new meaning to global conflict. See Jumpers zip to London, Rome, Egypt, Tokyo, New York City, and Ann Arbor, Michigan in a blink of an eye. Surely, there will be a wormhole opening created to jump these characters into an anticipated sequel.
Alien gives it 2 ½ “jump scar” stars out of 4.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Definitely, Maybe
It’s “How I Met Your Mother” meets “The Many Loves of Will Hayes” as a father (Ryan Reynolds) tells his daughter (Abigail Breslin) a bedtime story in his attempt to explain the complexities of love and sex back in his days working on the ’92 Clinton campaign. The film becomes a romance/mystery as the adorable and precocious little girl tries to guess which of the three women (played by Elizabeth Banks, Isla Fisher, and Rachel Weisz) in the heartbreaking story turns out to be her mother and whether the story will have a happy ending. Your heart will go out to Reynolds as he searches for love and gets disappointed. The daddy/daughter relationship is touching. Fisher is fabulous. This charming story and the characters will keep you laughing and entertained.
Alien gives it 3 “Jane Eyre” stars out of 4.
It’s “How I Met Your Mother” meets “The Many Loves of Will Hayes” as a father (Ryan Reynolds) tells his daughter (Abigail Breslin) a bedtime story in his attempt to explain the complexities of love and sex back in his days working on the ’92 Clinton campaign. The film becomes a romance/mystery as the adorable and precocious little girl tries to guess which of the three women (played by Elizabeth Banks, Isla Fisher, and Rachel Weisz) in the heartbreaking story turns out to be her mother and whether the story will have a happy ending. Your heart will go out to Reynolds as he searches for love and gets disappointed. The daddy/daughter relationship is touching. Fisher is fabulous. This charming story and the characters will keep you laughing and entertained.
Alien gives it 3 “Jane Eyre” stars out of 4.
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
Fool’s Gold
It’s “Into the Blue” meets “Romancing the Stone” meets “How To Lose a Guy In 10 Days” meets “Just My Luck” as Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey team up again in a hilarious, sunken treasure seeking adventure. They are an adorable couple with great chemistry and comedic timing as they hope to find treasure and love. One is a lucky, handsome, charming, shirtless idiot and the other is the smart and pretty partner. The terrifically funny supporting cast includes a British billionaire with a yacht, a spoiled bimbo daughter, a gangster rapper with two clumsy henchmen, a treasure hunter competitor, and a couple of darling cooks. It is set in the beautiful Bahamas and it is a race to solve the mystery of the lost 1715 Spanish fortune. Attention guys, this is a great date movie because the ladies will think it is going to be a chick flick, but it is more adventure and laughs.
Alien gives it 3 “Aurelia” stars out of 4.
It’s “Into the Blue” meets “Romancing the Stone” meets “How To Lose a Guy In 10 Days” meets “Just My Luck” as Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey team up again in a hilarious, sunken treasure seeking adventure. They are an adorable couple with great chemistry and comedic timing as they hope to find treasure and love. One is a lucky, handsome, charming, shirtless idiot and the other is the smart and pretty partner. The terrifically funny supporting cast includes a British billionaire with a yacht, a spoiled bimbo daughter, a gangster rapper with two clumsy henchmen, a treasure hunter competitor, and a couple of darling cooks. It is set in the beautiful Bahamas and it is a race to solve the mystery of the lost 1715 Spanish fortune. Attention guys, this is a great date movie because the ladies will think it is going to be a chick flick, but it is more adventure and laughs.
Alien gives it 3 “Aurelia” stars out of 4.
