Black Sheep's Blu-Tuesday

For the last I don't know how long, I have been bored out of my mind with very little to do.  Today, when all I thought I had to do was write this little piece has gotten way busier than expected.  It has gotten so busy in fact that I must rush through this because I have to be somewhere in about an hour and have yet to prepare dinner, let alone eat it.  Shall we ...

FAMILY GUY VOLUME 8

The eighth volume of this long running Fox comedy series is surprisingly sharp.  I say surprisingly because I found that Seth MacFarlane and friends have been relying too much on tested jokes and formula in more recent years, that they were getting somewhat lazy.  This latest volume though, which spans the later part of the season before last and a good chunk of the most recent season, steps it up though with episodes like "420", in which Brian and Stewie put on the most darling little number about how everything is better with a bag of weed.  And of course, how can you miss the reveal of the evil monkey?!  The DVD comes with commentary, deleted scenes and Family Guy karaoke!  Freakin' sweet.

THE WHITE RIBBON

On a completely different note, I cannot recommend this 2-hour plus, black and white, incredibly  bleak German film any more.  I know; it doesn't sound like anything you would ever want to do but Michael Haneke's THE WHITE RIBBON is practically a masterpiece.  Nominated for the Best Foreign Language and Best Cinematography Oscars this past year (both of which it lost), this film explores the bizarre happenings in a small  Northern German town just before World War I and the uprise of the growing social change.  It is a fascinating exploration of humanity as well and I assure you, when it is this beautifully executed, you won't notice the time at 20all.  You may even wish it keeps going.

HOT TUB TIME MACHINE

This spring comedy failed to connect in theatres but will hopefully find new life on home video.  Three middle-aged men (John Cusack, Rob Corddry and Craig Robinson) head back to the ski resort they frequented in college in an attempt to distract Corddry's character from his suidical depression.  Through some random chain of events, they end up traveling back in time while getting wasted in a hot tub and have a second chance on life.  The laughs are plenty if you can forego the ridiculous premise and validation of materialism as happiness.  Get a few buddies together, get some beer and enjoy the trip!

Source: Blu-ray.com

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Walk the Line (2005)

Genre: Drama/Musical/Romance/Biography

Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Reese Witherspoon, Ginnifer Goodwin

Johnny Cash (Phoenix) was one of the most influential American musicians of the 20th century. He took up music much to the objection of his father and married his childhood sweetheart, Vivian (Goodwin). His creative lyrics and voice soon saw him soar to new heights. He met June Carter (Witherspoon) a fellow country musician and they both instantly became good friends. His fame and fortune got him addicted to drugs for which he was convicted on multiple occasions. This also led to him to break off his marriage with Vivian. Most of the movie revolves around Cash's rise to fame and his notorious drug addiction. The music is foot-tapping and makes the music lover want to explore Cash's genre of music. Performances are brilliant and Joaquin Phoenix is exceptional. Reese Witherspoon looks stunning throughout the movie and the duo make a great on-screen pair. The movie stretches Cash's drug addiction story due to which it is not able to explore other sides of his life, like the huge forest fire that his tour bus had initiated. 

Thumbs up: Great music and great performances

Thumbs down: Could have explored more aspects of Johnny Cash's life

Rating: 7.0/10

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Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment (1985)

Genre: Crime/Drama/Comedy

Starring: Steve Gunttenberg, Bubba Smith, David Graf, Michael Winslow, Howard Hesseman, Art Metrano, Marion Ramsey, Bruce Mahler, Colleen Camp, Peter Van Norden, Bobcat Goldthwait

Crime in the city is steadily increasing, especially in the 16th precinct which has been names as the worst precinct in the county. The local gang leader, Zed (Goldthwait) has created a ruckus in the neighbourhood, ransacking anything that he comes across. The precinct captain, Pete Lassard (Hesseman) has been given 30 days to improve things else he gets fired. 6 new recruits from the police academy are sent in order to assist the precinct. The officers are our friends from the previous movie, Carey Mahoney (Guttenberg), Moses High Tower (Smith), Eugene Tackleberry (Graf), Larvell Jones (Winslow), Douglar Fackler (Mahler) and Laverne Hooks (Ramsey). Captain Lassard's assistant, Lt. Mauser (Metrano) wishes to overthrow Lassard and become precinct chief. He tries to downplay each of Lassards moves in a bid to show him in a negative context. The movie is definitely less enjoyable than the first one, with jokes sounding slightly repetitive and not as funny as its predecessor. Its a good and light watch nonetheless and it would be criminally insane to expect anything more out of it. Watch, enjoy and forget.

Thumbs up: Light and fun watch

Thumbs down: Bland and uninspiring

Rating: 6.5/10

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Black Sheep @ The Box Office

It is of no surprise to me or no one else I'm sure that TOY STORY 3 held on to the top spot at the Box Office with nothing but mediocre challengers for the crown.  The $59 million haul is a reasonable 46.5% drop off considering sequels tend to drop steeply in their second weeks.  At $226.5 million, it has amassed almost as much in two weeks as SHREK FOREVER AFTER has in its entire six week run.  The Adam Sandler ensemble comedy, GROWN UPS, did solid business in second place.  This opening is on par with previous Sandler summer comedies like CLICK or YOU DON'T MESS WITH THE ZOHAN and $10 million shy of the entire domestic take of his last film, FUNNY PEOPLE.  Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz managed some mild returns for the action-comedy, KNIGHT AND DAY.  The response is certainly not overwhelming and could throw the MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE franchise into serious question going forward.

Outside the Top 10, two Black Sheep favorites continue to perform well.  The $2 million drama, WINTER'S BONE, has now hauled in over half its budget with another solid week of expansion.  The week's big indie success again though is CYRUS, from the Duplass brothers.  It pulled in over $17K per screen on just 17 screens for a 65% increase over last week.  This weekend I caught COCO CHANEL AND IGOR STRAVINSKY.  The review is coming later this week but the film itself may not make it there, pulling in only modest returns, $4K per screen on 20 screens.  Another review coming later this week is for Alain Resnais's festival hit, WILD GRASS.  The French film, which drove me insane while I watched it, only earned about $7K on five screens limiting its expansion plans.

NEXT WEEK: Those pouty little vampires are back as THE TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE roars into 4000+ screens on Wednesday for what will certainly be one of the biggest hauls of the year.  M. Night Shyamalan's THE LAST AIRBENDER opens on 3000+ screens, including some 3D screens to help boost what I think will be a pretty mild gross.  And Taylor Hackford, LOVE RANCH opens on the art house front.

Source: Box Office Mojo

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American Beauty (1999)

Genre: Drama/Romance/Crime

Starring: Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening, Thora Birch, Wes Bentley, Mena Suvari, Chris Cooper

The story of the typical American life. A dad who is fed up with work, an over-enthusiastic wife trying to build a career and a teenage daughter who is forever fed up with her parents. Lester Burham (Spacey) is tired of leading a repetitive life and realises that he might be thrown out of his company very soon. His wife, Carolyn (Bening) is a failing real-estate agent who is unable to make any sale and prefers doing things her way. Their daughter Jane (Birch) is irritated with her parents who try to be over-friendly with her in order to make her comfortable. Her best friend Angela (Suvari) thinks she is something else and tries to seduce Lester, much to the resentment of Jane. Ricky Fitts (Bentley) has newly moved into the neighbour hood and has a mentally unstable past. Jane and Ricky take a fonding for each other in spite of repeated warnings from Angela. Everyone here is trying to straighten out their lives by doing what they always wanted. The story, needless to say, is slow and the plot gets a bit too long. A cut-short and a more engaging storyline would have improved the movie to a great extent. That said, the movie is definitely watchable and selective performances are fabulous. A nice family drama, which probably needs a few more fireworks.

Thumbs up: Nice performances, good attempt with the plot

Thumbs down: Long and slow

Rating: 7.5/10

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Shutter Island (2010)

Genre: Crime/Mystery/Drama/Thriller

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Ben Kingsley, Mark Ruffalo, Michelle Williams

Boston Harbour Islands, 1954. A war fort on Shutter Island is converted into the Ashcliffe Hospital for the criminally insane. A dangerous criminal inmate, Rachel Solando, has mysteriously escaped from the island without a trace. US Marshal Teddy Daniels (DiCaprio) and his partner Chuck (Ruffalo) are sent to investigate the escape. Teddy does not get a very good feeling about the hospital and suspects that there is something happening here that is unacceptable. Dr. Cawley (Kingsley) the head psychiatrist refuses to comply with Ted's demands to interrogate patients and doctors and go through medical files and history, which only cements Ted's belief that Dr. Cawley has something to hide. His investigations reveal that Rachel Solando might have been purposely set free or had never existed. The move gives out an amazing feel and the story grips you right when it starts. The only downside was Ted's over-dramatic flashbacks into the past which does seem inconsistent with the story but only start making sense towards the end. Leonardo DiCaprio has put on one of the most fantastic performances of this year. The movie sends down the right chills and thrills without being too scary, which put together make it an amazing watch.

Thumbs up: Leonardi DiCaprio, plot execution

Thumbs down: Some over-dramatic bits, the very end part

Rating: 8.2/10

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CYRUS

Written and Directed by Mark Duplass and Jay Duplass

Starring John C. Reilly, Jonah Hill, Marisa Tomei and Catherine Keener

John: I know you’re not supposed to say this but I really like you.  Is it crazy for me to say I want it to work out?

Love is tricky to figure out, to piece together so that it actually works out for all parties involved.  Love is particularly tricky when you’re middle-aged, have been single for seven years, you’re not really so impressive on paper or in person and the object of your affections is in something of an unhealthy relationship with her 22-year-old-son.  Yes, this is what makes love tricky in our modern existence but it is also what makes love oh so rewarding if you manage to get through it.  Furthermore, in this particular case, it makes for the perfect comedic setup for the new Duplass brothers comedy, CYRUS, the summer’s first great indie-comedy.

John C. Reilly makes a fine return to the screen in a more complex, character-based role than he has played in recent memory.  John, which is his name in the film and not a casual form of address for the actor, is seven years divorced and still hanging on to that relationship.  As a result, he doesn’t do much outside of the house and dating is about as foreign a concept to him as a single sit-up must be given the state of his physique.  Without wasting any time on showing us scene after scene to prove what a lonely loser John really is, writers/directors, Mark Duplass and Jay Duplass, introduce John to Molly (Marisa Tomei) at a party his soon-to-be-remarried ex-wife (Catherine Keener) drags him to.  They hit it off instantly which begs the question, what’s wrong with this girl?

As it turns out, she is quite lovely and she and John fall for each just like that.  Just because she’s lovely though doesn’t mean she isn’t hiding plenty of ugly behind your back.  The ugly I’m talking about here is Jonah Hill.  I’m kidding; the actual ugly is the unhealthily close relationship she has with her son, Cyrus, played by the also lovely, Hill.  Seriously, I actually think he’s hilarious.  I’m not sure I wanted to see Hill or Reilly in so many high definition close-ups but it does help you see that they are not so dissimilar.  This might be one good explanation why Cyrus makes it his personal mission to ensure John and Molly do not succeed as a couple despite the fact that they are both so much happier now that they’ve met.

The beauty of CYRUS, and there is a lot of it, is the natural way in which the Duplass brothers bring everything together perfectly.  A sharp, subtle script, in which Cyrus and John battle intelligently instead of declaring war on each other in some farcical sense, is embodied seamlessly by a pitch perfect cast.  Safe for a fairly conventional conclusion, the Dulplass brothers prove that real situations can be shown for the difficult messes they are and still be incredibly funny at the same time.

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Eagle Eye (2008)

Genre: Science-fiction/Action/Mystery

Starring: Shia LaBeouf, Michelle Monaghan, Rosario Dawson, Billy Bob Thornton

The US government has developed a new super-computer which will record and collect data from every microphone and every camera in the country. It gauges human behaviour and emotions and by using a complex algorithm, can predict the outcome of events. The project is known as Eagle Eye and the computer is called ARIIA. Jerry Shaw (LaBeouf) a good for nothing college dropout, starts getting anonymous calls from a woman who asks him to do bizzare things. She manages to break him out of FBI custody and seems to know exactly where he is and what he is doing. Rachel Halloman (Monaghan) too faces a similar situation such as Jerry's and they soon realise that ARIIA is behind all of this but they are not sure why. They both get a very bad feeling that this has something to do with the recent death of Ethan Shaw (LaBeouf) Jerry's twin brother who worked in the US Air Force. Loads of movies have come and gone where super-computers were the backbone of national security and their complex algorithms have left loopholes which have put the entire country in a jeopardy. Its a genre where you expect destructive entertainment and nothing more. The movie has a good plot which was well explored and leaves a good twist towards the end. Sit back, relax, watch some cars and buildings exploding and go home. That's what it is all about.

Thumbs up: Decent plot for a movie of its kind.

Thumbs down: Needs a highly-destructive action sequence

Rating: 7.2/10

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WINTER'S BONE

Written by Debra Granik and Anne Rosellini

Directed by Debra Granik

Starring Jennifer Lawrence and John Hawkes

Ree Dolly: Never ask for ought to be offered.

WINTER’S BONE tells you immediately what tone to expect for the duration of your journey.  Two young children bounce up and down on a trampoline that sits outside a dilapidated wood cottage that is surrounded by discarded playthings and car parts.  A folk waltz about Missouri plays over the soundtrack and, as a teenage girl takes down the laundry and plays with the kids she so clearly looks after, it seems to me that Missouri might as well be misery.  These are the Ozark Mountains.  This is an America that is not often seen in film – an America that has nothing, trusts no one and doesn’t stand a chance.  This is the America that America would rather forget.

The girl is Ree Dolly (relative unknown and inevitable awards season breakout, Jennifer Lawrence).  She is sixteen years old and she cannot join the army like she wants because she must take care of her two younger siblings and her mentally unstable mother.  At an age when the concept of responsibility is only freshly coming into existence for most, Ree must embody it so that her family doesn’t fall apart.  And as if chopping the firewood, preparing dinner and making sure the children know both their math lessons and firearm safety weren’t enough for her to shoulder, she must now also find her estranged father.  His latest battle with the law over his career as a meth manufacturer has put her home in jeopardy.  Her father owns the home and he needed something to put up for bail so if he misses his court date, her family loses everything they have.  Their only hope is this young girl.

Lawrence fought hard for this role.  It was thought that she was too pretty for the part and, while she is definitely a pretty girl, her performance is about as raw and ugly as they come.  Each character she meets greets her with trepidation and aggression and yet each of these people is somehow related to her in some distant fashion.  They know her plight and you can see that most yearn to help but that it always stops there because no one dares get involved out of fear for their own person.  Lawrence is fearless in the face of these challenges.  She relentlessly hunts down her father to secure her family’s basic need for shelter.  This is strife; this is suffering.  This is survival in the truest sense of the word.

An American flag still hangs outside the Dolly home.  It does not fly proudly but rather it just droops, defeated and tired.  WINTER’S BONE, directed with grace and respect by Debra Granik, and based on a brilliantly bare screenplay by Granik and Anne Rosellini, is a visceral experience that makes its points frankly and strongly.  It speaks sharply to the dated gender roles, commonplace drug usage and extreme poverty that flood these parts without anyone knowing or caring and it does so in a soft voice that allows the audience to see how dire it is with their own eyes.  Even this America will not go down without a fight.

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Per qualche dollaro in più (1965)

Genre: Action/Adventure/Western/Crime

Starring: Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, Gian Maria Volonte

English Title: For a Few Dollars More. It was a time when 'wanted' posters adorned every corner of the streets and the sheriffs office was too scared to run behind them. That was when bouty killers came and hunted down wanted criminals for the reward money. Monco (Eastwood) was one such bounty killer and his eyes were set on hunting down El Indio (Volonte) who had $10,000 reward on his head. Col. Douglas Mortimer (Cleef) has an old score to settle with El Indio and he too is hunting for him. Monco and Mortimer realise that both of them are behind the same target and also realise that if they want El Indio, they cant do it alone. They get into a partnership and Monco joins hands with El Indio in a bid to get inside information on what he is up to. El Indio is all set to rob the most secure bank in the territory and Monco and Mortimer realise they have a huge sum of money waiting for them. One inadvertently compares this movie to The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, considering it came from the same director, similar cast, same backdrop but just a few years earlier. The movie has the same classic charm of gun-wielding and the ultimate western attitude. The music plays a huge role in the movies appeal and a broad grin gets smacked on your face the moment you hear that western jingle. The movie, however, doesn't have the musical appeal that The Good, The Bad and The Ugly had which went on to become the classic sound clip for every western movie (remember the 'Aah-Aah-Aaaaaah?). If you love Mr. Eastwood then there is no denying this.

Thumbs up: The classic western attitude

Thumbs down: Plot could have been spruced up

Rating: 8.2/10

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Black Sheep's Blu-Tuesday

I apologize in advance if I come across as some what scattered today.  There is a lot to get to and, to my detriment, I can't seem to find my focus.  I can however find my enthusiasm for the now tentative September release of Sam Mendes's 1999 Best Picture winner, AMERICAN BEAUTY, on Blu-ray.  This is one of my all-time favorite films and I cannot wait to see it restored to its original magnificence.  With it's 10-year anniversary behind us, I thought I was going to have to wait until 2014 for a 15-year release.  Other Blu-ray announcements this past week include the movie that kept me up for two nights straight when I saw it ... in college!  THE EXORCIST spiderwalks on to Blu-ray on October 5.  And another huge release for me - the movie that got me initially interested in the French Nouvelle Vague, BREATHLESS (AU BOUT DE SOUFFLE) has been restored and is being released by Criterion on September 14.  And for all you geeks out there, the BACK TO THE FUTURE series is circling on October 27 release.

There are also a lot of releases this week and I will start by warning you ...

GREEN ZONE

Matt Damon and director, Paul Greengrass, worked so well together on the latter two Bourne movies, Damon has said that he won't return to the series without Greengrass.  After watching their latest collaboration, GREEN ZONE, I wish he would seriously reconsider this statement.  Ordinarily, my esteem for these two individuals is pretty high but this project is a disaster.  Greengrass's now trademark hand held camera is pushed to to the point where the action is practically impossible to follow.  When you can follow, you realize that you're watching a bunch of soldiers rebel against the controlling American government to find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq when there aren't any to be found.  GREEN ZONE takes itself so seriously but doesn't realize how ridiculous it comes across.

A STAR IS BORN

I had never seen any of the three different incarnations this rags to riches tale has seen in its day.  This one dates back to 1954 and since that time, some of the footage has gone missing or been destroyed.  This restored version dates back to 1983 when film historian, Ronald Haver, reconstructed the film to its original length.  The Blu-ray quality is sometimes unbelievable, which makes it all the more jarring when the picture drops out and still images sub for the missing footage.  The soundtrack is entirely intact, which is great as it allows us to devour Judy Garland's impeccable vocals.  When she sings "The Man that Got Away" in the first act, I marveled at both how powerful and frail she comes across on screen.  This Gershwin musical is perfect for a rainy afternoon like the one I'm having now.

THE LAST STATION

This last 2009 entry garnered two Academy Award nominations by sneaking in with a limited two-week qualifying run on a couple of screens in December.  It was then pulled from theatres and rereleased in January to capitalize on what it hoped would be the two nominations it actually received.  Christopher Plummer and Helen Mirren both earned nods for their work as Russian author, Leo Tolstoy and his high strung wife, Sofya.  The film itself did not receive any other recognition, primarily because it plays out exactly as you would expect it to and there are very little surprises.  Still, the lead performances are so strong and their story itself so moving that it makes for a light but yes still effective experience.  Plus, I will pretty much watch anything to get the chance to stare into James McAvoy's beautiful, blue eyes.

ALSO AVAILABLE: Music fans rejoice as both U2 and Bruce Springsteen release their latest concerts for all those who could not afford their hefty ticket prices and for everyone else who actually wants to lay down a little more to relive the experience.  Minor spring titles, REMEMBER ME (with the pasty Robert Pattinson) and SHE'S OUTTA MY LEAGUE (with the plucky Jay Baruchel) look for more forgiving home audiences.  And Criterion releases Michelangelo Antonioni's 1965 film, RED DESERT.

Source: Blu-ray.com

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Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983)

Genre: Action/Adventure/Science-fiction/Fantasy

Starring: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrise Fisher, Billy Dee Williams, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, Ian McDiarmid, James Earl Jones (voice), David Prowse, Kenniny Baker

The final chapter of the Star Wars Series shows Luke Skywalker (Hamill) completing his training to become a Jedi Knight. The last step for him to become what he had always dreamed of becoming is to confront his own father, Darth Vader (voice by Jones, acting by Prowse). The Emperor of the Dark Side (McDiarmid) is building another Death Star, more dangerous and more strong than the previous one. Luke and Leah (Fisher) rescue Captain Han Solo (Ford) and bring him back to life before finally planning an attack on the Death Star. Meanwhile, The Emperor and Darth Vader and laying a cunning trap for Luke and secretly plan to bring him to the dark side. Being the ultimate battle of good over evil, the movie has a highly predictable plot and nothing really amazes you. Everything else seems very familiar and the movie fails in creating an identity of its own. However, it manages to carry forward the plot from the previous movies well and you don't feel as if you have lost touch. A great watch for the Star Wars fan but may seem to familiar to everyone else.

Thumbs up: Special effects for a movie of its era

Thumbs down: Predictable plot

Rating: 7.9/10

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Three Kings (1999)

Genre: War/Action/Biography/History/Adventure/Comedy/Crime

Starring: George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, Ice Cube, Spike Jonze, Cliff Curtis, Nora Dunn

The Persian Gulf War in 1991 saw Iraq invading Kuwait and the United States of America condemning the invasion and pushing Iraqi trips out of Kuwait. Four US Soldiers, Seargent First Class Troy Barlow (Wahlberg), Private First Class Conrad Vig (Jonze), Staff Seargent Chief Elgin and Major Archie Gates (Clooney) forge a plan to steal Kuwaiti gold held in Iraqi bunkers. Their plans go for a toss when Saddam loyalist soldiers reach the site and break the ceasefire agreement by opening fire on local villagers and the American soldiers. Seargent Troy is taken prisoner by the Iraqi soldiers and the remaining are saved by Saddam rebels. Major Gates makes an agreement with the rebel leader Amir Abdulah (Curtis) that he would take them across the Iranian border and give them a share of the gold provided they help them find Troy. The movie has a very interesting plot and manages to bring out the story in a fine manner. Light humour comes across once in a while but nothing to make you fall of your seat. The movie should have either indulged in more humour or made the movie more thrilling and intense. The lack of these two elements make the movie slightly less entertaining as compared to what it could have been.

Thumbs up: Nice plot, George Clooney

Thumbs down: Needs more of either thrills or humour

Rating: 7.7/10

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Black Sheep @ The Box Office

Naturally, there was never any doubt that Pixar's TOY STORY 3 would open at number one.  Pixar's track record speaks for itself.  The question was always by how much it would open past their previous benchmark, THE INCREDIBLES, which opened to $70.4 million (and to be fair, FINDING NEMO is right behind with a $70.2 million opening).  When Woody and the gang opened to double what last year's UP opened to on its opening day, it became pretty clear, the lead would not be a narrow one.  Although not as high as the $120 million some were predicting, $109 million easily gives Pixar it's best opening weekend to date and also almost doubles the $57 million opening of 1999's TOY STORY 2.  If the total holds, TOY STORY 3 will also hold the record for the best June opening weekend of all time, scantily surpassing TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN, which opened to $108.97 million in 2009.  I wasn't kidding when I said scant.

And while the people at Disney / Pixar are partying it up, the people at Warner Brothers are crying in their beers over the disastrous opening of JONAH HEX.  The Josh Brolin / Megan Fox graphic novel western hybrid pulled in a pathetic $5 million.  Following the disappointment of SPLICE, WB's last release, this summer has not been too kind.  May had MACGRUBER; now June has JONAH HEX.

The only title to pull in a higher average than the $27K TOY STORY 3 amassed is indie comedy, CYRUS, starring John C. Reilly and Jonah Hill.  At $45K per screen on just four screens, the film should easily generate some strong buzz for its expansion.  Expanding by 30+ screens helped WINTER'S BONE improve about 300% over last week.  I caught the film this weekend and will be reviewing it later this week.  If it can continue to get people talking, it could find its way into an awards season push.  The Italian film, I AM LOVE, starring Tilda Swinton also preemed on 8 screens this week and earned a healthy $15K per screen start.

NEXT WEEK: TOY STORY 3 should have no trouble fending off the big budget has been releases, KNIGHT AND DAY, with Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz on Wednesday and 3000+ screens and GROWN UPS, with Adam Sandler et al, following of Friday on 3200+ screens.  I will be avoiding both and catching Alain Resnais's WILD GRASS.  Yes, I'll take French existentialism any day over those two jokes.

Source: Box Office Mojo

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Kill Kill Faster Faster (2008)

Genre: Drama/Thriller/Romance/Crime

Starring: Gil Bellows, Lisa Ray, Esai Morales, Monica Delain, Shaun Parkes

A drug-addict, Joey One-Way (Bellows) gets bailed out of jail by his good friend Markie (Morales) who wants Joey to write a movie for him. Markie's girlfriend Fleur (Ray) and Joey start having a sexual relationship without Markie knowing about it. However, life is not easy for Joey because his past is always haunting him. He feels guilty for what happened to his wife and two daughters because of his drug addiction and cant seem to get over it. No matter how hard he tries his life is just too miserable for him to tolerate anymore. The movie is a big fail when it comes to the plot and performances. The story is just too messed up and goes around aimlessly without making too much sense. It tries to be profound and deep but rather than making it a good watch, it just turns out to make it hopeless. Die, but don't dare watch it.

Thumbs up: Joke!

Thumbs down: Everything

Rating: 4.4/10

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The Toys of TOY STORY 3

People are so excited about the release of TOY STORY 3 this weekend, myself very much included, and I thought why not take a look at the actual toys that have stemmed from the film franchise.  If you hit up Amazon.com and search for the film in the toy section, 935 items will be found.  I stopped scrolling through them after about page 20 but the following are a few of the toys that I might write Santa Clause for come the end of the year.

Granted, this little guy, Bullseye, doesn't have a big part in the new movie but look at him!  How cute is that face?  I would definitely take him everywhere I go.  How cool would he be just dangling adorably off my backpack?!

Oh Mr. Potato Head - always trying to show up the other guys.  Albeit these costumes are nowhere near as hysterical as the one's he finds in the film itself, I love how in your face he is!

It's not like our man Buzz ever ends up on an operating table in TOY STORY 3 but yet here he is just waiting for those little green alien dudes to carefully remove his funny bone.  Good luck, Buzz.

Here are a few of the new friends you will find in TOY STORY 3.  The bear is the bad guy; Ken and Barbie, you must know already (that is the "Made for Each Other" set, by the way); and that last guy is Big Baby.  I'm not so sure why anyone would want to go near Big Baby but at least he didn't completely get the shaft.

And finally, who could forget this little guy?  I spent hours talking about nothing at all on this little telephone when I was young.  Fortunately, this telephone won't give you a tumor.

Don't forget to see TOY STORY 3 this weekend!

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Outsourced (2006)

Genre: Comedy/Drama/Romance

Starring: Josh Hamilton, Asif Basra, Ayesha Dharker, Sudha Shivpuri, Matt Smith

An American e-commerce company is looking to outsourcing all its sales calls to India in order to make larger profits. Todd Anderson (Hamilton) has been assigned the task to go to India and set-up the new call centre and to train the man who will now do his job. For most Americans, India is a nightmare and for Todd it wasn't any better. Purohit N. Virajnarianan (Basra) his Indian replacement keeps calling him 'Toad' and it isn't too long before he starts missing his country and wants to go back home. Slowly and steadily, like most people, he learns to adapt himself and doesn't get freaked out if he sees a stray cow entering his office. He falls in love with Asha (Dhareker) the assistant manager of the call centre and very soon falls in love with India. The movie plot sounds and feels very conventional but has some amusing bits and pieces thrown across the board. An Indian or someone from a different country who has been in a situation like Todd's, would probably relate better to the movie.

Thumbs up: A light and fun movie

Thumbs down: Conventional plot, could have some more laughs

Rating: 7.0/10

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TOY STORY 3

Written by Michael Arndt

Directed by Lee Unkrich

Voices by Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Ned Beatty and Michael Keaton

Hamm: C’mon, let’s go see how much we’re going for on EBay. 

There comes a point in every boy’s life when he has to grow up.  Ok, fine.  There are many points in a boy’s life when he must do this but going off to college is certainly an undeniable turning point.  You leave behind your family, your friends and the only home you know, including a chunk of everything you own.  For young Andy, a boy we first met when he was just eight years old, leaving for college means putting away all the toys that brought him so many hours of enjoyment back in his day.  And so he throws Buzz, Rex, Slink and the rest of them in a bag destined for the attic.  Some have said that after sitting in their own attic, the people at Pixar should have left their very first success, TOY STORY, exactly where they left it eleven years ago.  Fortunately for all of us though, the people at Pixar will never fully grow up.  The toys are out of the attic and they’re better than ever!

Letting go, dealing with new realities, distancing yourself so as to avoid ever getting hurt – these are just a few of the touching themes that are subtly told in TOY STORY 3.  The Academy Award winning writer of LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE, Michael Arndt, follows up his first success with what could very likely net him another trophy.  Arndt understands that adventure can be subjective – that what might seem small and unimportant to some is the biggest challenge others will ever face.  He also understands that adventure is made perilous when those involved have much to lose.  For our favourite toys, the loss is particularly significant – they are about to lose their reason for being.  Being relegated to the attic means that these toys will no longer be played with, that they will no longer be able to bring joy to their favourite guy, Andy.  So as Andy lets go of them, they must learn to let go of him as well.

Toys passing the time in the attic might not make for a very exciting film though.  (Mind you, if anyone could make it exciting, it would be these guys.)  Instead, the toys find themselves donated to a nursery school.  Well, most of them anyway; our man Woody (Tom Hanks) was selected to go off to college with Andy but, as luck would have it, Woody seems to have found himself lost and on the loose once again.  While Woody tries to make his way home alone, his pals are stuck in nursery hell, where kids play with you for hours, sure, but they also have no regard for these toys because they just aren’t their own.  First time full-fledged Pixar director, Lee Unkrich (Unkrich previously co-directed FINDING NEMO, MONSTERS INC., and the second TOY STORY film), ties these two storylines together seamlessly and charges the entire picture with an intensity that never lets up and culminates in a climax so dire that it catches the viewer off guard and triggers an emotional response that cannot be contained.  Just ask the guy sitting next to me.

TOY STORY 3 is triumphant!  It carries the depth and hilarity that one has come to expect from Pixar and then carries it even further still.  Even though I say it again and again when I review their films, they are constantly outdoing themselves.  Here, they’ve achieved the extremely rare feat of making threequel a decade after the last installment that actually surpasses both films that came before it.  Even though they’re playing with toys, their maturity continues to expand and their visual mastery continues to break their own barriers.  Their films work because they have soul.  The spirit of TOY STORY lives in that special bond between a boy and his toys.  Back when life was simple, they were all we needed and, according to Pixar, we were all they needed too.  And by taking these toys out of the attic and doing right by them one more time, Pixar incites that rare and wonderful feeling of nostalgic warmth that one gets all over their body when find themselves unexpectedly playing again with their favourite toys.

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The Forbidden Kingdom (2008)

Genre: Action/Adventure/Fantasy

Starring: Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Michael Angarano, Yifie Liu, Collin Chou, Bingbing Li

An American teenager, Jason (Angarano) is a close follewer of Chinese traditions and values. He finds an ancient staff in a Chinese pawn shop and learns of its prophesy. The staff once belonged to the Monkey King (Jet Li) who was cheated by the Jade Warlord (Chou) during battle and was turned to stone forever. Being immortal, he cannot die and if this staff is returned to him, he will rise once more. Jason mysteriously goes back in time to ancient China with staff in hand and meets Lu Yan (Chan) a drunk Kung-Fu master. He tells him that there is a tale where a 'Seeker' would come who would find the staff and bring the Monkey King back to life and that Jason is the Seeker. He embarks on a perilous journey to reach to the Five Elements Mountain and meets The Silent Monk (Jet Li) who agrees to help them and Golden Sparrow (Liu) who seeks revenge from the Jade Warlord for killing her parents. As you might realise by now, the movie is a lame Chinese adaptation of Lord of the Rings. Innocent boy lands himself with a treasured weapon and must venture into the realms of the Earth to destroy it, been there, done that. The only thing the movie is worth looking out for is the kung-fu, which too after a point gets a bit too much. In spite of having two very good Chinese actors, the movie does not shine the way one expects it to and performances are quite weak overall. The story has a lot of lose and unexplained bits which it just tries to force upon you without any reason.

Thumbs up: The kung-fu

Thumbs down: Bad plot, hopeless performances

Rating: 5.5/10

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