DVD Archives (continued)

RV   (Robin Williams, Cheryl Hines)
RV perfectly captures what it's like to be on a long road trip with a father who thinks he's funny. (Stay Away From)

Red Eye   (Rachel McAdams, Cillian Murphy)
When you're in the confined space of an airplane, your entire life revolves around who's sitting next to you, whatever it is you're reading, when the beverage cart is going to come by and when you have to go to the bathroom.  The great idea behind Red Eye is that one passenger's life doesn't just revolve around those things, it depends on them... Red Eye is directed by horror legend Wes Craven, but this is a thriller that deals more with real life horrors... It's a great concept, but when the action is on the ground, it's a routine thriller.  (See If You Want)

Running With Scissors   (Annette Bening, Joseph Cross)
Unfortunately for young Augusten Burroughs-- and for the movie-- his parents send him away to live with their therapist. It's unfortunate for him for the obvious reasons, and unfortunate for the movie because it means the two best characters aren't on camera for large chunks of time... Everyone in this movie, in fact, is a nutjob, and eventually, I just couldn't take it anymore. It's as if they're in competition to be the best wacko in the film... Running With Scissors is a true story, which means there was an outside world connected to the insanity of these people. It would have helped to see it. (Stay Away From)

Sahara   (Matthew McConaughey, Penelope Cruz)
 I was able to take some people with me to see Sahara.  Two raved about the "non-stop action."  Another fell asleep.  I'm somewhere between them...  The action sequences are very good.  There are clever stunts with fun, hard-driving music cranked up to go along with them.  But there are too many long gaps in between.  What we get then are Matthew McConaughey's pearly whites, as if that's enough to carry a movie.  (See If You Want)

School For Scoundrels   (Billy Bob Thornton, Jon Heder)
It's really just a variation of Rushmore, with Jon Heder as a second-rate Jason Schwartzman and Billy Bob Thornton playing an evil Bill Murray.  It's also not nearly as funny.  (Stay Away From)

Scoop   (Scarlett Johansson, Woody Allen, Hugh Jackman)
Woody Allen is continuing his "Non-Manhattan" tour. He of course performed here in Rochester with his jazz band, and now he's got his second movie in a row set in London... Match Point was a darker, much more serious Woody Allen movie about sex and ultimately, murder.  Scoop is about, well, sex and murder again, but this time Woody's made a charming little whimsical comedy.  (Go See)

Serenity   (Nathan Fillion, Gina Torres)
I think I walked in on the middle of something.  A little while ago, there was a science fiction series called Firefly, which lasted just 11 episodes, but the cult stayed together thanks to DVD and the Sci-Fi Channel. Enough DVDs were sold to convince producers a movie could be successful... I've been a fan of some cult series, so I understand how exciting it must be for fans to see their old favorites return in movie form. But I feel like I crashed their party.   (See If You Want)

The Shaggy Dog   (Tim Allen, Kristen Davis)
 I can't believe in the last year I've seen a new Herbie The Love Bug movie and a new Shaggy Dog movie. I'd feel like a kid again, but I didn't see Dean Jones in either one of them.  I did see some big stars though who were clearly eager for a big paycheck from Disney. Herbie had Matt Dillon, Michael Keaton and Linsday Lohan; The Shaggy Dog has Tim Allen, Robert Downey, Jr. and Danny Glover. They all coast through their performances, but then they know it's not about them: it's about the car or the dog... (See If You Want)

Shooter  (Mark Wahlberg, Michael Pena)
 Why would this paranoid hermit fall for what these guys in suits and black cars tell him?  Why would a smart guy who understands strategy fall for a ploy that sounds like the title of O.J’s aborted book?  I’ll give Shooter credit.  I honestly didn’t think much of those flaws until I sat down to write... my biggest problem with the movie was the ending and the way it threw some real-life politics in.  Now that I look back, I see I got caught up in the shootouts and didn’t realize Shooter didn’t quite hit all its targets.  (See If You Want)

Sicko
Oh, don’t get me wrong:  this is still a Michael Moore movie, but the writer/director/provocateur steps back a bit, not even appearing on camera for about 45 minutes.  He doesn’t have to get in people’s faces to tell these stories of the out-of-control cost of healthcare; they tell themselves.  Is it journalism?  No, of course not.  It’s a Michael Moore movie.  But if you’re happy paying what you do for healthcare, you be sure and let him know.  (Go See)

The Skeleton Key   (Kate Hudson) 
When they wrote this movie, they had to have worked backwards.  The Skeleton Key has a really cool twist ending -- and a lot of dullness leading up to it.  They must have struggled to find ways to fill time before what happens happens.  (Stay Away From)

Snakes On A Plane   (Samuel L. Jackson)
By the time it opened, SOAP had been written about online by tens of thousands before I ever got a chance to use the cool abbreviation SOAP... If the bloggers in their parents' basements hadn't christened it the next big thing, we'd all be talking about how cool the movie is. We would have known there was a film with a great title, a cool star and lots of thrills and laughs. Word of mouth would have been "Have you heard about this Snakes On A Plane thing? You gotta go see it!," instead of "Have you heard about this Snakes On A Plane thing? We must learn every detail before it ever opens."  Without the buzz, we'd have a movie that surpasses expectations... I'll say we instead have a movie that lives up to them.  (Go See)

Star Wars Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith   (Hayden Christensen, Natalie Portman, Yoda)
 Halfway through Revenge Of The Sith, the Sith execute Plan 66.  And then, it becomes a Star Wars movie.  Anakin Skywalker becomes Darth Vader (I’m not giving away anything there).  The Jedi face their last stand.  We learn why Yoda goes into exile.  We learn what happened to Anakin’s kids and why they’re separated.  It’s a thrill to see the real Star Wars characters in an action-adventure movie close to the timeline of the original.  (Go See)

Stardust  (Claire Danes, Michelle Pfeiffer)
What’s nice about Stardust is that’s probably it—it’s a pleasant and inventive self-contained story.  It likely won’t be a Harry Potter/Lord Of The Rings multi-part epic, but a 2 hour experience fans will always remember fondly.  It sounds pretentious, but it’s really a lot of fun.  (Go See)

Stealth   (Josh Lucas, Jamie Foxx, Jessica Biel)
There could be a good movie in Stealth, but they hid it somewhere.   You're not supposed to really see a stealth bomber anyway.  (Stay Away From)

Stranger Than Fiction   (Will Ferrell, Emma Thompson)
...a charming movie about the meaning of life and the power of storytelling.  It sounds heady, and it is if you really think about it, but you should instead think of it as a gentler version of Adaptation or Being John Malkovich.  (Go See)

Superman Returns   (Brandon Routh, Kate Bosworth)
At the beginning of Superman Returns, Lois Lane is about to win a Pulitzer for her essay: "Why The World Doesn't Need Superman."...  Does the world need him? That's up to you. Does the movie world need him? Well, he's certainly very welcome.... Superman was the first superhero, and in the comic book and movie worlds, he set the standard. Sometimes movie superheroes work (Batman, Spider-Man), sometimes they fall short (Daredevil, Fantastic Four), but it wouldn't be summer without them. And Superman can be a refreshing change from some of the darker action heroes we've got out there... If there are going to be more movies, maybe it's a smart investment to have these younger people in place.  Superman 2, Spider-Man 2 and X-2: X-Men United were all better than their predecessors because the stories could leave origins and set-ups behind and get to the super heroics.  I'm anxious to see what Brandon Routh can do without as much super baggage.  (Go See)

Syriana   (George Clooney, Matt Damon)
Yes, the power and influence oil companies have on the world stage are something worth exploring.  Yes, it's important to know just how much the United States can control volatile governments in the Middle East.  And yes, it's fascinating to see what happens to young Arab minds as fundamentalism takes control of them and turns them into dangerous zealots.  Syriana is a convulted, complex movie that intertwines those themes and more. You never know where it's going to go, and it's layered so that it forces you to pay attention or you'll be hopelessly lost.  But man, it's boring.  (See If You Want)

Take The Lead   (Antonio Banderas)
I feel like Antonio Banderas lied to me.  In the middle of Take The Lead, Banderas taught me that ballroom dancing is all about trust.   Then why didn't he tell me upfront that this was a true story? I spent most of the time watching the film with a sourpuss because I found the premise kind of silly.  (Stay Away From)

Talladega Nights: The Legend Of Ricky Bobby   (Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly)
After a run of flops (some of which I admit I liked), Will Ferrell is back doing what we love him for:  creating an infinitely quotable ridiculous character.  The "saying grace" scene alone is worth pausing and memorizing.  (Go See)

This Film Is Not Yet Rated
This documentary exposes truths behind the MPAA rating system, pointing out that the members of the ratings board really have no credentials and that they're more bothered by sex than they are by violence.  Unfortunately, that's all it has to say, and it could be said in a good solid news magazine piece and not a 90 minute film.  (See If You Want)

United 93
United 93 will take you back to where you were physically-- and where you weren't mentally.... On September 11th, my heart and mind were in New York, Washington and Shanksville, Pennsylvania, but in the days that followed, they slowly left Shanksville...  We're not that far removed, so it doesn't take much to bring those vivid memories back. My stomach started doing knots the moment the movie started. We see the hijackers in their hotels praying, and we know what they're going to do. We see the skyline, and we know what's going to happen to the city. The anticipation is excruciating.  Since you know what's going to happen, you want to see the moments of heroism that are to come.  (Go See)

The Upside Of Anger   (Joan Allen, Kevin Costner)
 Normally if I hate a movie but people I know love it, I say:  "There was no plot."  They counter with:  "Well, it was a character study."  The Upside Of Anger is one of those character studies with not a lot of plot, but this time I'll agree with my friends.  The two characters that are central to this character study are good enough to make up for it.    Joan Allen copes with her anger through a lot of booze and through sex with her neighbor, Kevin Costner... She is our focus, and she's terrific.  You feel her anger when she glares at her daughters and you laugh along with her dark humor as she makes life uncomfortable for them.   Costner is even funnier and is the best he's been in forever.   (Go See)

V for Vendetta   (Natalie Portman, Hugo Weaving)
Whose side should you take in V for Vendetta? The government's or the terrorist's?  Watch V, and you'll find the answer isn't as easy as you might think. On one side, we've got a fascist dictatorship willing to torture prisoners, use them for brutal medical tests and control the media with its Orwellian messages. On the other, we've got a guy willing to blow up buildings, slash throats and manipulate innocents into doing his work for him.... Now, keep in mind, we're not talking about 2006 America. We're talking about England in the not-too-distant future... V for Vendetta is part-political thriller, part science fiction and part Phantom Of The Opera...  For me, in a movie with no real heroes, it was sometimes hard to take a side. I'll take the side of entertainment-- which I got.  (Go See)

Waiting...   (Ryan Reynolds, Anna Faris)
...for an explanation as to how this piece of crap was greenlighted... for Clerks or Reality Bites to come on cable so I can see a crude movie about working young people that actually has some wit and charm ...to read the work of other critics as they trash this thing...to see if someone else can produce a worse movie this year (ed. note:  this was written in 1995.  No one made a worse movie)  (Stay Away From)

Walk The Line   (Joaquin Phoenix, Reese Witherspoon) 
The movie starts with Johnny Cash as a child, covers his first recordings and ends with the 1968 recording of Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison.  There's a lot more to cover with Johnny Cash, but moviemakers know audiences love a good love story.  The real focus is Cash's long courtship of June Carter.  It's a passionate story but not a romantic one... This performance is Joaquin Phoenix's best by far... He doesn't pull off a metamorphisis like Jamie Foxx did in Ray, but he puts so much passion into his performance, that you know he's playing Johnny Cash.  No offense to some of the other good performances in Ray, but what that movie lacks compared to Walk The Line is a strong co-lead performance. Reese Witherspoon has never been better.  (Go See)

War Of The Worlds   (Tom Cruise, Dakota Fanning)
Forget Tom Cruise.  The thing that needs to be said  is: Tom Cruise is starring in a Steven Spielberg sci-fi movie.  Remember E.T.? Close Encounters Of The Third Kind? Even Minority Report, also starring Cruise? Spielberg knows his way around sci-fi.  In an odd way, I'm glad that Cruise and his couch-jumping has distracted from the content of the movie.  I'm glad my first look at the "tripods" coming out of the ground or at the carnage they leave behind was on the big screen. The visuals are astounding.  (Go See)

The Weather Man   (Nicolas Cage, Michael Caine)
Nicolas Cage's Dave Spritz is a pretty good weatherman, but he's not nearly as good at forecasting his life as he is the weather.  He's struggling to patch things up with his estranged wife, his daughter lacks motivation, his son is in drug rehab, and he's intimidated by the reputation of his father.  Heavy stuff, but before the audience can get too depressed, Cage gets hit in the face by a Wendy's Frosty.  Then by a taco.  Then by a Big Gulp... If you're not in the mood, you may not laugh.  However, if you're the type who chuckles at life's ironies, even when they're happening to you, you'll identify with the poor guy. (Go See)

Wedding Crashers   (Vince Vaughn, Owen Wilson)
Wedding Crashers is "Old School" comedy.  I don't say that because it stars Vince Vaughn and one of the Wilson brothers.  I say that because 25 years ago, this would have starred Chevy Chase or Tim Matheson.  Ty Webb or Otter would have thought of crashing weddings just for the chicks.  Wedding Crashers owes most of its success to Vaughn and Wilson, who while playing sexist pigs still manage to be very likable... Hopefully the modern grouping has more "old school" hits to come.  (Go See)

The Wedding Date   (Debra Messing, Dermot Mulroney)
It'd be a fairly funny episode of Friends or even Will & Grace.   Imagine the fun watching the wacky in-laws played by some big stars or the confusion as Grace and her date can't get their stories straight.  The family isn't nearly wacky enough.  In fact, they're unnecessarily cruel to her because she didn't get married first.  You end up feeling sorry for Messing instead of laughing along at her problems.   At the movie's end, when we get a wrap-up of "where they are now"-- you really don't care.  (Stay Away From)

When A Stranger Calls (2006 remake)
The question of how a phone stalker was possible created suspense in 1979... This time out, our heroine screams at him: "How do you know what I'm doing?" Duh, he's outside and has a cell phone. Stalkers can't work today without cell phones. He could have sent her a text message.  (Stay Away From)

Wordplay
While it's frustrating to not be given all the answers, it's a lot of fun to see people so gifted at crossword puzzles do their thing.  You may not feel smarter for watching it, but you'll wish you were smarter.  (G_ S_e)

World Trade Center   (Nicolas Cage, Michael Pena)
Some of the heroes of 9/11 get a stirring, emotional, straightforward tribute from Oliver Stone...  Since a Hollywood movie about 9/11 was inevitable, the industry made a good choice having such a lightning rod director take charge. Stone's polar opposites (including the occasional radio talk show host and his or her rabid listeners) think "Hollywood" is not just a place but an organization that meets secretly to tear down the world. But they and Stone agree: on 9/11 it was crystal clear who the bad guys were and who the heroes were... Oliver Stone stays focused right at Ground Zero and on two guys who ran in to help.  (Go See)

X-Men: The Last Stand   (Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Halle Berry)
My reaction to this third X-Men film is in fact, very similar to my reaction to the X-books some years ago: too many mutants and too much clutter. So several years ago, I dropped the X-Men titles from my weekly comics pull list... The Phoenix (storyline) is a great one, the mutant gene (storyline) is a great one... together one overshadows the other.  (See If You Want)

You, Me & Dupree   (Owen Wilson, Matt Dillon, Kate Hudson)
If Vince Vaughn is the new Chevy Chase, his buddy Owen Wilson is the new Bill Murray.  The "you and me" (Matt Dillon and Kate Hudson) in the title are kind of bland, but Wilson's Dupree is a lot of fun and the funniest slacker of the so-called "slacker pack."  (Go See)

Zathura  (Jonah Bobo, Josh Hutcherson)
The movie is kind of like watching a board game. It's fun when it's your turn, it's not that interesting in between turns. The audience's "turn" would be when the action on the cards becomes real, and they are fun parts... When it's not "our" turn, it's the boys' turn, and their arguments go on way too long. Their dad is annoyed by them, and rightly so. The ten year old brother is especially nasty. The movie ultimately is about the importance of families and siblings-- a nice lesson that comes way too late in the film.  (See If You Want)

Zodiac  (Jake Gylenhaal, Robert Downey Jr.)
It was largely pitched as a dark thriller -- and don't get me wrong, this real life story of a serial killer is plenty dark.  But it's largely procedural and way too long.  (See If You Want)