What Did You Watch Today?

[Ananas]

Click - 8/10

You know, I've always wondered how some of the classic films of the 40's and 50's would do if they were released today. Click, directed by Frank Coraci and starring Adam Sandler, Kate Beckinsale and Christopher Walken, might be a good gauge. If Frank Capra's It's A Wonderful Life were to be mixed with Back To The Future and The Twilight Zone, this might have been the result. It is a mix of sci-fi intrigue, comedy and life affirming drama that comes close to matching the magic known as "Capracorn". Whereas the film it clearly takes liberties from originally had the great James Stewart, this one has Adam Sandler and although there's no comparing the two talent wise, Sandler is not without his charm. It takes him about 20 minutes, but he eventually ditches the stupid nice guy schtick for this one, and by the end is giving a performance even better than the one he gave in Punch Drunk Love. Of course, like It's A Wonderful Life before it, the film has been met with mixed reactions from film critics, who find its mix of sentimentality and humour to be unconsistent and corny. Well folks, that was Frank Capra in a nutshell. I love him then, and I love this now. Happy Madison really struck out with their first two films of the year, but at least they're honing it in well for the Sandler picture. This may be his best work yet.

[Ananas]

She's The Man - 4/10

Sort of like Bend It Like Beckham for those who don't actually know who Beckham is. Amanda Bynes actually isn't bad as far as young actresses go, although the same can't be said for the rest of the cast. Even David Cross is annoying in his small role. Bad logic, juvenile humour and too much generic chick flick fare make what was an average comedy into a bad comedy that's hard to enjoy. Unless you're 12 year's old and without a Y chomosome.

[Ananas]

X-Men: The Last Stand - 6/10

Everyone's favorite comic movie franchise reaches its third installment in this film, and with it comes a directorial change. Bryan Singer dropped out to do Superman Returns, and with him went the writing staff that was behind the first two films. As it is, The Last Stand is not on a level with the first two features, but with all the payoff they had for this one, it would have been a near impossibility to not come out with something that is at least watchable. Brett Ratner is nothing if not a blockbuster director, and he delivers the goods with big fights, big explosions and little talking, which for him is probably the right direction to go in. X3 doesn't have the heart of its predecessors, but the shear impressiveness of the special effects as well as the strength of the source material make this one worth checking out. But please, for the fourth can we get either Joss Whedon or Bryan Singer?

[Ananas]

Cars - 7/10

Insert review of any Pixar film here. They're all good, they all combine juvenile humour with more interesting material for the parents. Only this one has music from John Mayer and James Taylor. That's awesome enough on its own.

[BlackFlagg]

Dead Alive - 8/10

[punky]

Pirates of the Carribbean 2: Dead Man's Chest - 7/10

Not as good as the original but it surprised me a lot by not being a bad movie, like the previews made it seem.

[MalaCloudy Black]

ROC, Soul Survivors, the movie based off Dean Koontz's book?

Shawshawnk Redemption

12/10

I LOVE THAT MOVIE.

[Ananas]

Over The Hedge - 6/10

I suppose this is "The Lion King" for suburbia, with rats, hamsters and turtles substituted for the wild animals of the African jungle. It doesn't have the heart of some of the other animation releases of 2006, nor does it have a very well crafted storyline. What it does have is fantastic voice work by the cast, characters created really well for those performers and a soundtrack provided by Ben Folds. It won't set the movie world on fire, but it's another example of why animation films are really having a great year.

[BlackFlagg]

Day of the Dead - 9/10

[Ananas]

Mission Impossible III - 6/10

With J.J. Abrams at the helm, M:I:III is less a Tom Cruise/John Woo vanity piece and more of an action film, imagine that. It captures the same sort of energy that the Bourne series has had through two films, with a reasonably plausible storyline and energetic performances. Sure Abrams lifts from other action movies/series (the third act plot twist is eerily similar to one that has been used several times on 24) as well has his own works (Alias obviously, but a bit of Lost as well), but in the context of these characters and in this series it works. And on the bright side, Tom Cruise wasn't a dick at any point during the promotion of this film, so that's one in a row.

[BlackFlagg]

The Thing - 9/10

[ROC]

ROC, Soul Survivors, the movie based off Dean Koontz's book?

[Guest Bosstown Boy]

Vince Vaughn is such a good man. (Y)

7/10

A little RunningMan before I mow the lawn.

Hell yeah. 9/10.

Edited July 8, 2006 by Bosstown Boy

[Ananas]

Superman Returns - 7/10

Bryan Singer was in many ways the perfect choice to helm Superman Returns, the return after 19 years of America's favorite superhero to the big screen. His emphasis on character development and storyline over gaudy action sequences and action movie cliches hide the limitations inherent in making a movie about a guy who can only be harmed by a green rock. He also stays true to the spirit of the comics and attaches to the characters a dream cast, some of which drawn to the project by the prospect of working with Singer again. Superman Returns is a scrappy sort of film, not one that is going to be remembered as one of the best films of the year, but like the first X-Men film it's a great introduction (or in this case re-introduction) to the story for film audiences. And if Singer is at the helm next time around, the odds are good that it'll be even better.

[Guest Bosstown Boy]

"I wasn't like every other kid, you know, who dreams about being an astronaut, I was always more interested in what bark was made out of on a tree. Richard Gere's a real hero of mine. Sting. Sting would be another person who's a hero. The music he's created over the years, I don't really listen to it, but the fact that he's making it, I respect that. I care desperately about what I do. Do I know what product I'm selling? No. Do I know what I'm doing today? No. But I'm here, and I'm gonna give it my best shot."

7/10

[Ananas]

Inside Man - 7.5/10

Spike Lee's films are generally intelligent, and this film has an added psychological bonus. Not packed with over the top swerves but rather a consistent plot with a few big reveals towards the end, Inside Man is the director's most focused effort in years. It features a great cast, including Jodie Foster in her most original performance since Contact, as well as both Clive Owen and Denzel Washington, two of the most reliable performers in the industry. Although Lee does occasionally drift off into some of his unnecessary pretentious camera work, he is otherwise good and the source material is so good that I couldn't possibly dislike it.

[Ananas]

Eight Below - 6/10

One might take this rating to mean that I think this film proves Paul Walker is maturing and improving as an actor. He isn't. The dogs emote better than he does. What it does prove is that everything has NOT been done under the sun, and there still can be interesting spins on the "man vs. environment" storyline. This one starts out in pretty typical fashion, with Arctic explorer Jerry Shepherd (Walker) and the scientist he is escorting (Bruce Greenwood) getting caught in a storm. The story changes however when the two get home, and the crew is forced to pull out quickly, leaving the dogs behind. This story isn't so much "man vs. environment" as it is "dog vs environment". And, as I've already said, this is for the better, because I can actually find sympathy with the dogs. It's a new spin on a familiar story, speaking volumes this time about the courage of animal over man. And in the end, it's a nice change of pace. Not a perfect movie by any means (it runs on a little long), but it is worth checking out for the simple astonishment of being entertained by a Paul Walker movie.

[Chris the Human]

Saw

Can't believe it's taken me this long to see it: where is my sense of patriotism? Bloody loved the movie and the way it managed to avoid the more prominent cliches. I honestly didn't see the end coming, which is always good. Will have to go out and rent Saw 2 tomorrow.

RATING: 8/10

Ghost Ship

Saw it back when it came out and hated it, but it was a little more enjoyable on the replay. Still a lot of cheese and atmosphere (and stupid gore), but it's a decent enough popcorn flick.

RATING: 6/10

Faust

Fucking awful, seriously, I could write a better script drunk. Shoddy acting across the board, and its only real redeeming feature is copious amounts of frontal nudity from the foreign chick in it.

RATING: 1/10

[Numbahs]

This weekend...

Pirates of The Caribbean: The Curse of The Black Pearl - *** out of *****

Pirates of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest - ** out of *****

She's The Man - ** out of *****

Along Came Polly - ** out of *****

[zero]

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest - Great movie, well worth my $7. Can't wait for part III