Movie Review: Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs

Based on the children's book by Judi and Ron Barrett, Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs gleefully takes the simple idea of food raining from the sky to ridiculous, over-the-top proportions. What could've been a flashy but uninteresting movie is instead filled with humor, heart, and action. An amazing voice cast, wonderful animation, and a nice 3D presentation all help make this movie a lot of fun.

The story revolves around Flint Lockwood (Bill Hader), an inventor whose creations always seem to wreak havoc in his hometown of Swallow Falls. The town, housed on a small island “under the 'A' in the Atlantic” Ocean, has fallen on hard times. The town's sardine canning plant has closed down and now the residents live only on the leftover sardines.

Hoping to save the town, Flint invents a machine that turns water into food. In an attempt to get the machine working, he launches it into the stratosphere. This destroys the theme park the town banked on to draw tourists. Suddenly, cheeseburgers rain from the sky and everything changes. No one has to eat sardines any longer and the town has something to put it on the map. However, when the machine starts to get overworked, even stranger things start to happen.

When a movie features the credit “A Film By A Lot of People,” you know that it doesn't take itself seriously. Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs has a hip, fresh feel without seeming forced or edgy. There are a lot of great gags throughout the film, including many background gags that callback to things seen earlier in the movie. The movie also pokes fun at Jerry Bruckheimer-esque blockbusters, especially in its action scenes.

The proceedings are also helped by an all-star cast of supporting characters. Anna Faris voices the female lead, Sam Sparks. She is an intern at Weather News Network who gets her big chance covering the food weather of Swallow Falls. There is more to Sam than meets the eye as she and Flint have more in common than you'd expect.

James Caan voices Flint's father Tim, a gruff widower who doesn't really know how to communicate with his son. Mr. T voices the energetic and ultra-athletic cop Earl and Bill Hader's SNL castmate Andy Samberg voices Brent, the town's local celebrity. Other voices include Neil Patrick Harris, Al Roker, Bruce Campbell, Will Forte, Lauren Graham, and Benjamin Bratt, who is hilarious (and unrecognizable) in his small role.

The animation in this film is top-notch. The movie has a cartoony style that fits the material. The animators do a great job with everything thrown at them whether it's a tornado made of spaghetti or a flying car evading slices of pizza. The digital 3D presentation is very nice as well. The whole “objects flying out the screen” cliché is thankfully not overused. The 3D isn't a must but it certainly makes the movie a little more fun to watch.

First-time feature directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller (best known for the animated series Clone High) have crafted a really fun and delightful film in Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs. They packed a lot into the movie's short running time but it all works. This is another winner for Sony Pictures Animation after the supremely underrated Surf's Up. More movies like this and they'll provide some real competition for the Disney/Pixar, Dreamworks, and Blue Sky trifecta.

Brief Thoughts on Dragonball Evolution

Last weekend, my sister and I went to see Dragonball Evolution. This movie was about 10 years too late to be a success but I enjoyed it. There were some changes to the original story (the word "saiyan" is never uttered once, for example) but a lot of things were kept in. I really thought they were going to change Bulma's last name but, no, they didn't. It was funny to hear Emmy Rossum introduce herself as Bulma Briefs.

The fight sequences were pretty decent. I enjoyed the opening "fight" between Goku and Grandpa Gohan. There's also a nice one which consists entirely of Goku avoiding attacks by a group of bullies. Also, the fight between Piccolo and Goku featured DBZ's trademark "punching at high speed at close range."

Overall, it's a nice PG-rated action flick that took me back to the days when I was a DBZ fan.

A Short Review of Coraline

I saw Coraline last Sunday with my sister. Although it wasn't the best animated film, I really enjoyed it. The artistry on display in this film is amazing. There are some really beautiful and creepy sequences. The climactic sequence with the villainess is just amazing to look at.

Although this movie is PG-rated, it's not a film I'd take a little kid to see. However, I think older kids would enjoy it. I saw the movie in 2D and I can imagine that this movie is fantastic in 3D.

I definitely recommend checking this movie out before it leaves theaters.

Movie Review: High School Musical 3

After grabbing huge television ratings for the Disney Channel and becoming a powerful brand that also includes books, theater, and music, High School Musical makes the jump to the big screen with High School Musical 3: Senior Year. The final film in the series with all the original cast members, HSM3 is just as much fun as the previous two films if not more so.

After finishing up their final basketball season at East High (in the state championship game that begins the film), Troy (Zac Efron), Chad (Corbin Bleu), and the rest of the Wildcats turn their focus to college prospects and enjoying the rest of their Senior year. Their homeroom teacher and Drama Club advisor Ms. Darbus (Alison Reed) announces the Spring Musical and its theme of “Senior Year” where the participants would play themselves. Everyone, including Gabriella (Vanessa Hudgens), Taylor (Monique Coleman), and twins Ryan Evans (Lucas Grabeel) and Sharpay Evans (Ashley Tisdale) joins in as a way to do one last thing together before they go their separate ways.

The first thing that you'll notice about High School Musical 3 is that it feels like a real movie. This is not a case of a TV product being slapped up on the big screen haphazardly. The colors pop, the musical numbers are more elaborate, and there are more location shots than the other films. With a high school musical actually taking place in the films for the first time, director Kenny Ortega and the choreographers up the ante.

Many of the musical numbers have a very theatrical feel right down to the staging. “I Want It All,” is a big tribute to Broadway from the Fosse-esque dancers to the brightly lit signs in the background. “The Boys Are Back,” a number featuring great dancing by Zac Efon and Corbin Bleu in a junkyard, is also a highlight. Even the smaller numbers get an upgrade. Zac Efron's solo song, “Scream,” is a visual delight filled with bouncing basketballs, lightning flashes, and a rotating hallway set.

If there's really anything to fault with HSM3, it is at the script level. While there's interesting dialogue throughout, the plot for this film is the thinnest of the three movies. The film is really a showcase for Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens. This means that many of the characters who got such great development in High School Musical 2 (especially Ryan and Sharpay) are downgraded here. Sharpay would barely be in the movie at all if not for her subplots involving the new characters destined to appear in the next film. A subplot involving Ryan and Kelsi is brought up a couple of times and then never addressed for the rest of the movie. Given that HSM2 got an extended edition when it came to DVD, I would not be surprised if the same thing happened for this movie too.

High School Musical 3: Senior Year is a fitting end for the original set of characters. Although a fourth movie is already in the works, this is the last time we'll see the full cast of characters together. The power of theater and performance has always been an overarching theme of these films. This movie celebrates and acknowledges this right down to the ending where the principal cast of the films are given their final curtain call. High School Musical 3 is an enjoyable experience and worth it for fans and open-minded nonfans alike.

Movie Review: Eagle Eye

What if you were accused of being a terrorist and suddenly had your every move tracked and manipulated by a mysterious force? That's the premise behind the new film Eagle Eye which reunites star Shia LeBeouf with his Disturbia director D. J. Caruso. With a strong cast and tons of action, Eagle Eye is a fun, high-octane thriller...just don't think too much as you watch it.

Shia LeBeouf plays Jerry Shaw, a Chicagoan living a mundane life as a copy associate. After his twin brother Ethan (also played by LeBeouf in an uncredited role) suddenly dies, weird things start happening to him. When he goes to the ATM, more than $700,000 appears in his account. Suspicious packages arrive at his apartment including weapons, military plans, and explosives. He gets a phone call from an unknown woman telling him that the FBI is about to arrive. After he's arrested, the same mysterious voice tells him to duck a seemingly freak crane accident...one that allows him to escape.

From here, things get crazy as Jerry is guided by this voice which has the ability to use any and all forms of communication to contact and track him. However, Jerry's not the only one that this voice is instructing. Michelle Monaghan plays Rachel, a single mother who is also thrust into this situation after the voice calls her and threatens to kill her son. Jerry and Rachel meet when Rachel is unknowingly sent to pick Jerry up in a tense (and somewhat funny) scene. From there on, the two of them are at the mercy of the voice as they trek cross-country and try to avoid the FBI and other law enforcement agencies after them.

The supporting cast for this film is pretty good. Billy Bob Thornton plays Tom Morgan, the FBI agent assigned to Jerry Shaw's case. Rosario Dawson plays Agent Zoe Perez, an Air Force investigator who suspects that Jerry's brother Ethan (a member of the Air Force) may be connected to what's happening. Michael Chiklis plays the Secretary of Defense whose department may also have a role.

A lot of movies claim to have “nonstop action” but Eagle Eye can confidently make that claim. Once the action gets going, there is little room to breathe. Most of the action is pretty good such as a chase scene in the cargo handling area of an airport and a great (if not ridiculous) sequence involving cranes at a junkyard. There are times when the action is a bit exhausting and hard to follow but the pacing is pretty good.

The one major flaw of Eagle Eye is the actual plot. Once you realize who/what the voice actually is, you'll immediately be reminded of other high-tech thrillers. The reason why the voice needs Jerry specifically is pretty interesting. However, the more you think about the plot, the more it falls apart. In that respect, it's comparable to a traditional Jerry Bruckheimer movie where you just enjoy the ride.

Eagle Eye is a fun action flick, pure and simple. Shia LeBeouf and Michelle Monaghan have good chemistry and anchor the movie quite well. The performances from the supporting cast are solid across the board and the action and effects are very good. The plot may be a bit thin, but everything else makes up for it.

Movie Review: Premium

The film Premium tries to combine two seemingly incompatible types of films into one. It's part Hollywood satire in the vein of Hollywood Shuffle and part romantic drama about a man who's forced to grow up if he wants to get anywhere in life.

The main character of Premium is Reggie “Cool” Coolidge (Dorian Missick). Cool is a struggling actor who lives with his mother (Tonya Pinkins) and her boyfriend Phil (Frankie Faison). While auditions for parts, hoping they'll be something other than stereotypes, he works at Phil's gas station as an attendant. It's here that he encounters his childhood friend (and ex-fiancee) Charli (Zoe Saldana). Charli's in town because she's about to get married. Cool escorts Charli home after a freak hit-and-run accident involving her car and meets Ed (Hill Harper), her new fiancee. Things go downhill for Cool before they get better as he tries to deal with his feelings for Charli, more bad auditions, and other changes in his life.

Given the ambitious mix of satire and romantic drama, it makes sense that Premium has a lot working for it and and a lot working against it. The cast is pretty strong. Dorian Missick anchors the movie as Cool and does a great job. Rising star Zoe Saldana, recently cast as Uhura in the next Star Trek movie, also puts in nice work in her role as a woman torn between her former love and her current one. The supporting cast also does fine work here as well.

The actual storyline and structure of the film is hit-and-miss. The early scenes, focusing on Cool's failed auditions, are pretty good. One scene, where Cool is told that he isn't “black enough” (by a black director no less), is great. Cool's off-the-cuff monologue is genuinely compelling and is capped off by a shocking, bitterly hilarious twist. Once these early sequences end (and the main romantic plot begins), the film starts to drag a bit.

There are some excellent individual scenes in the romantic portion of the film. A flashback where Charli is reading lines with Cool to help his acting is clever and sweet. Another scene, where Cool, Ed, and Charli are all at the dinner table, is uncomfortable (in a good way) as Cool and Charli talk about their relationship in a way that keeps Ed in the dark. The rest of these scenes, although peppered with pretty realistic dialogue, feel slow-moving.

Despite its flaws, Premium is a hard movie not to like. The actors are engaging and I like the way it tries to combine two different styles of film even if it's not entirely successful. Frankly, it's nice to see a movie about African-American adults that doesn't resort to buffoonery, stereotypes, or a man in drag. Hopefully, we'll continue to see more movies like this in the future.

TV Movie Review: High School Musical 2

One of the most anticipated sequels of the summer is something made for the small screen. High School Musical 2 premiered on August 17, 2007 and is the follow-up to High School Musical, the blockbuster 2006 Disney Channel Original Movie that became a phenomenon.

The original film became the bestselling TV movie DVD ever and spawned not only the bestselling album of 2006 but a concert tour, tons of merchandise, and many, many theatrical productions. The movie put its stars on the map with three cast members releasing albums, one starring in his very own “DCOM,” one appearing in the big screen remake of Hairspray, and one strutting her stuff on Dancing With The Stars.

With months and months of hype and the future of a multi-million dollar franchise at stake, High School Musical 2 had a lot to live up to. Fortunately, the movie delivers with flying colors. High School Musical 2 is just as much fun as the original and should delight its target audience and beyond.

Everyone behind the original film is back including director/choreographer Kenny Ortega and writer Peter Barsocchini. The film picks up a few months after the conclusion of the original as the students of East High await summer vacation. Basketball player Troy (Zac Efron) and brainy Gabriella (Vanessa Hudgens) are a couple and look forward to spending time together. It's especially important to Gabriella, who is experiencing her first summer without moving. Troy and Gabriella, along with Chad (Corbin Bleu), Taylor (Monique Coleman), Zeke (Chris Warren Jr.), Martha (Kaycee Stroh), Kelsi (Olesya Rulin), and Jason (Ryne Sanborn), are having trouble finding summer jobs.

The antagonists of the original film are also back for more. Sharpay (Ashley Tisdale) and her brother Ryan (Lucas Grabeel) are members of the exclusive Lava Springs Country Club. Sharpay is looking to win the country club's annual Talent Show and cement her dominance there. Her plot to win involves getting Troy to sing with her. She gets the club's manager to offer Troy a job at the club. Troy won't take the job unless his friends get jobs and thus, all the Wildcats end up working at the country club.

Where the first film dealt with the issue of cliques, this one deals with the issue of class. Sharpay and Ryan's family is very, very rich (they own the country club) and Sharpay wields the power her status provides like a knife. Far from the stuck-up girl in the original film, Sharpay is a mean, Paris Hilton-in-training here as she gradually turns Troy away from his friends and dangles the potential of a college scholarship as bait. At the same time, Ryan is depressed as Sharpay and even his parents take a liking to Troy and start to forget about him. While Troy moves up in status thanks to Sharpay (and becomes a jerk in the process), Ryan finds friendship in the very same people he looked down upon in the first film.

The performances in High School Musical 2 are pretty good. A couple in real life (at the moment), Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens have real chemistry as Troy and Gabriella. The other actors also do a good job and it's nice to see minor characters from the first film (especially Ryan) get beefed up parts. However, Ashley Tisdale steals the show. Her Sharpay is not only vicious and self-absorbed, but also hilarious. Tisdale's performance is over-the-top, but she gives the character enough depth that you can almost understand her actions by the end of the movie.

The choreography in the film is top-notch. The musical numbers are bigger, bolder, and full of energy. The opener, “What Time Is It?” is massive as it combines elements of dances from the earlier films (there is a portion with basketballs) and new twists of its own (the seemingly neverending wave). “Work It Out” takes place in a kitchen and features a Stomp-esque portion with pots and pans. “I Don't Dance” is this film's “Get'cha Head In The Game” replacing basketball with baseball.

The music in the film is comparable to (and sometimes better than) the music of the first film. Unlike the first film, Zac Efron does all his own singing here. Two tracks stand out from the rest. “Fabulous,” a song for Ashley Tisdale's Sharpay is great fun with a sophistication that almost equals the ironic “Stick To The Status Quo” from the first film. However, “You Are The Music In Me” (performed by Efron and Vanessa Hudgens) is arguably the best song that's appeared in either movie. The ballad version (as opposed to the hilariously bad version performed by Ashley Tisdale) is a surprisingly good pop song. This is a song that, remade by the right artist, could possibly crossover beyond the tween demographic of the movie.

Overall, High School Musical 2 is a blast, a perfect capper to the summer of 2007. Although it's not better than the original, it's not worse either. Even though it's technically a “bigger” film than the previous one, it's also more focused on relationships. The relationships between Troy and Gabriella, Troy and his friends, Ryan and the Wildcats, and Sharpay and Troy are what ultimately drive the film. It goes for heavier issues than the last film such as the uncertainty of the future and the pressure to choose between friends/family and individual success.

It's going to be a treat to watch this film again during one of its many airings on Disney Channel. If the next frontier for the High School Musical franchise is the big screen (as long rumored), then I can't wait to see what the people behind these films can do with a bigger canvas and a bigger budget.

A Brief Review Of Hairspray

I saw the new musical movie remake of Hairspray on Friday and I’ve decided to share some brief thoughts.

Go see this movie. The End.

...

Okay, I’ll go into a little more detail.

There aren’t many movies that you could genuinely call “crowdpleasing” but Hairspray is one of them. It’s happy, brightly, peppy, and a hell of a lot of fun to watch.

The movie rests on the shoulders of newcomer Nikki Blonsky as Tracy Turnblad and she hits it out of the park. She has a nice voice and her dancing is top-notch.

The rest of the cast is great too. All of them did a great job but two stuck out for me. Elijah Kelley is damn near a mini-James Brown as Seaweed Stubbs. Also, I can say that after all that hype, John Travolta puts in a really good performances as Edna Turnblad. He makes it work by not overdoing it.

Oh, and I can’t forget about the music. I hadn’t seen the musical play of Hairspray, so I was blown away by the music. Songs like opener “Good Morning Baltimore” and “Welcome To The 60’s” were great.

One of the best things about Hairspray, though, is that it avoids the major pitfall of movie musicals: length. It's under two hours long and because there are few scenes without songs, it moves at a brisk pace.

Overall, this is a summer movie that’s worth your money. Fans of John Waters’ original movie will like the cameos by Waters and members of the original Hairspray cast. It’s family-friendly but still remains a bit edgy in the form of subtle wit.

Go see this movie. The End.

A Fourth Third: Ocean's Thirteen

Every movie I've seen so far this summer has been a third: Shrek The Third, Spider-Man 3 and the third Pirates Of The Caribbean movie. Now, I've seen Ocean's Thirteen and it just might be the best third of the four.

The movie begins with Ocean associate Reuben (Elliott Gould) lying sick in a hospital bed. He got sick after getting shafted on a new casino deal with Willie Bank (Al Pacino). Danny Ocean (George Clooney) and the rest of the gang decide to exact revenge on Bank. Their plot involves spoiling the grand opening of Banks' casino by making him lose a ton of money.

It's clear that everyone in this movie is enjoying themselves and that feeling passes on to the audience. There are less in-jokes (with the notable exception of the last lines in the movie) and more of the laidback goofiness that made the first movie so enjoyable. It's also a nice touch to have Al Pacino and Ellen Barkin working together. Many people may (or may not) remember that the two of them starred together in the movie Sea Of Love.

However, if there's one thing missing, it's suspense. You know they are going to succeed in their task but there aren't really any parts where you almost think that they won't. The main roadblock they encounter is pretty much an excuse to bring back Andy Garcia as Terry Benedict. Even if there's little suspense, it's just fun to see the events in the movie play out.

Overall, Ocean's Thirteen is a really fun summer flick. It's not too long or too short and you can turn off your brain at the door if you want to. This is a movie that will certainly be watched more than once when it comes to cable.

Three Third Movies: Spider-Man 3

If there's going to be one of the three third movies that has to be a party pooper, Spider-Man 3 is it. This is really the only one of the three I was truly disappointed in.

While I liked the original Spider-Man movie, Spider-Man 2 was a serious leap in quality. The story was better. The villain was multidimensional. The effects were better. It just beat the first movie at everything. I hoped that the third movie would continue the upward trend, especially since I really liked the whole black suit/Venom storyline from the comic book/TV show. However, Spider-Man 3 is a dive from the previous film.

The biggest problem with this film is the villain situation. The more villains in a superhero film, the more it usually sucks. Spider-Man 3 had too many. There's Harry Osborn, Sandman, and Eddie Brock/Venom. If you want to, you also could count the symbiote itself as a villain. That would make it four villains in one movie. In cramming all this stuff into this movie (in addition to the iconic Gwen Stacy character), there are a ton of missed opportunities.

There isn't enough time to really see Peter's gradual transformation thanks to the symbiote. Instead, we see Peter become emo instead of borderline evil. Venom, easily a big enough villain to be the lead, is basically shoehorned in and wasted. Sandman isn't allowed to get the depth that Dr. Octopus got in Spider-Man 2. The storyline with Harry was probably handled the best. However, if the relationship between Gwen Stacy and Peter actually went anywhere, that storyline would've really shined.

Sam Raimi's penchant for the goofy is more of a curse in this movie than in the others. Dark, “emo” Peter is hilarious and the humor drifts from intentional to unintentional quite easily. I doubt that I was supposed to laugh (or want to laugh) when Peter slaps Mary Jane while under the symbiote's influence. Also, a certain villain's demise was, by far, the funniest villain death I've seen in a long time. Again, I'm not sure if that was intentional or not.

With these moments, this movie almost veered into Ghost Rider territory. While I enjoyed Ghost Rider for the way it teetered between goofy good movie and funny bad movie, I didn't really want to see that in Spider-Man. I don't hate Spider-Man 3...I just wish it was better.

Spider-Man 2 > Spider-Man > Spider-Man 3

Three Third Movies: Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World's End

The impromptu Three Third Movies series continues with my take on the third Pirates Of The Caribbean film At World's End.

I think one of the reasons why so many people enjoyed the POTC films is because their expectations were low. I know I didn't know what to expect when I saw Curse Of The Black Pearl and that made the movie so much better. Then, knowing that sequels can suck, I tempered my expectations for Dead Man's Chest and enjoyed that. I did the same thing for At World's End. I didn't even read spoilers and I usually read them for just about every movie.

Fortunately, At World's End turned out to be a good movie. I enjoyed this movie quite a bit and any movie that can make me almost forget that I've been in a movie theater for nearly three hours is good in my book.

All the principals came back this time around, and it's great to see them. Johnny Depp continues his nutty brilliance as Captain Jack Sparrow and gets to show it off even further in this movie. An early scene featuring many versions of Jack interacting (sort of like the “Malkovich Malkovich” scene of Being John Malkovich) is hilarious. I also enjoyed the rest of the cast. However, I was really glad to see Geoffrey Rush back as Captain Barbosa. If Jack Sparrow is a strange sort of pirate, then Barbosa is your traditional pirate with a hint of crazy. You can tell Rush is having a blast playing this role and I enjoyed him so much that I wanted to see more of him.

Much has been said about this movie's labyrinthine plot. Frankly, I didn't think it was all that bad. It's easy enough to follow in the theater (although I lost track of it once) even if you can't exactly describe it after the movie is over. Considering that many summer movies are shallow plotwise, we should probably be happy that there is one out there that actually makes us think and pay attention while we have fun.

If I had to compare At World's End to Dead Man's Chest, I'd say that At World's End narrowly beats out Dead Man's Chest. Dead Man's Chest has more creative action sequences (the sword fight in the wheel, the escape from the natives) but At World's End has more energy and more emotion. There were times where Dead Man's Chest felt a little sluggish while most of At World's End has a nice, brisk pace to it.

Curse Of The Black Pearl > At World's End > Dead Man's Chest

Three Third Movies: Shrek The Third

How funny is it that the three biggest films of the summer so far are all the third installments of popular franchises? In addition to that, I've seen all three films. Considering that I saw all of maybe 3-4 films last summer, I guess that's a good start.

None of the three big third movies, Spider-Man 3, Shrek The Third, and Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World's End, are better than the original films whose success lead to them. However, they are all at least decent.

First up in this mini-series, Shrek The Third.

After the surprisingly good Shrek 2, I kind of wondered if Shrek The Third would be any good at all. The buzz wasn't all that great. Then, I watched the HBO First Look special and it made me want to see it more. Shrek The Third ended up being better than I thought it would be, but not as good as its predecessors. Like the previous films, the voice acting was pretty good. The newcomers to the Shrek series (such as Justin Timberlake as Artie) did a good job too.

One of the things I really liked about this movie was the fact that it relied less on pop culture for gags than Shrek 2 did. There were some really funny subversive gags here, such as a death scene that occurs early in the movie. Also, the supporting cast such as Pinocchio and Gingy, had some very funny scenes. At the same time, there weren't as many gags in this movie as the other two. That probably was because of the slightly more serious storyline which dealt with Shrek's impending fatherhood.

There were some problems with this movie, though. For one thing, the villain and his storyline were pretty weak. Also, there were probably too many characters given the running time. I wanted more of characters such as Merlin and the Princess Squad. I also think that there should've been a little more time used to flesh out Artie's character.

Overall, I liked Shrek The Third. It was funny and entertaining. However, it's not as good as the other two films.

Shrek > Shrek 2 > Shrek The Third

A Review Of 300

I saw 300 over the weekend and apparently...

Frank Miller Graphic Novel + Ballsy Director + Blue/Green Screen = Gold

I really enjoyed this movie. Although I thought this movie looked cool from the moment I saw the first trailer, I wasn't entirely sure it would actually be good. After all, Sin City succeeded in part because Robert Rodriguez is a mad genius. Once I found out Zack Snyder would be directing, it worried me a bit too. I saw his Dawn Of The Dead remake in the theater and while it had its moments (the opening sequence was superb), it was ultimately a bit disappointing. However, Snyder really redeemed himself with 300 and now, I can't wait to see what he does next.

I enjoyed a lot about 300. Even though I have read some who criticized the movie's unnatural look (I've never seen a sky that color), I liked it. It made it stand out from the pack and frankly, I love seeing stuff in movies I have never seen before. I enjoyed Gerard Butler in the lead as King Leonidas. He put in a great performance. That role could have easily been overacted but Butler finds the right note. The other performances were good as well but I have to especially single out Rodrigo Santoro as Xerxes. Having watched him on this season of Lost, I have to say that he pulled off one hell of a transformation.

The battle scenes were pretty good and although the movie was violent, it actually didn't feel as violent as it was. Since most of the blood was CG, some of the visceral feeling you get from seeing violence was lost. However, like Sin City, some of that feeling was restored in the more extreme moments. When I saw a Spartan warrior cut off someone's leg instead of just stabbing them, that sense of “Damn!” came back.

If there is one thing to fault 300 on, it's the way it basically says that white people are “good” and everyone else is “bad.” I'm not going to whine about this the way some have, but it does give me some pause. In one scene, a black person who works for the villain Xerxes literally turns black with only the whites of his eyes easily visible. Although it's a cool visual image that represents how evil the character was supposed to be, I can't help but think about how it also seems to equate being black with being evil. I sort of wish there was a bit more nuance in the way they handled that but 300 wasn't meant to be a serious drama. It was meant to be essentially a historical action movie. So, I can forgive the way good and evil are presented and just have fun.

If you haven't seen 300, I definitely recommend you check it out, preferably on the big screen. It's a movie that benefits from being played in a theater and although it probably look gorgeous on DVD, the theater experience adds a lot to the proceedings.

Norbit: Eddie's Worst?

I saw Norbit recently and I couldn't believe what I saw. I'm not talking about the movie's plot...I'm talking about its lack of quality. Eddie Murphy has made a lot of bad movies in his career but Norbit is one of the few I've watched that made me feel genuinely disappointed.

When I first heard about Norbit's premise, it seemed like a recipe for Nutty Professor-esque gold. Unfortunately, the funny idea of Eddie Murphy playing both a henpecked husband and his overbearing wife gets squandered.

There is a lot wrong with Norbit. For one thing, all of the characters Eddie plays are unlikable. Norbit is a bad, annoying version of the “lovable” nerd we saw in The Nutty Professor and Bowfinger. Mr. Wong is Eddie's failed attempt at playing an Asian. Many have pointed out that the character is a dated stereotype. Even though that's true, I wouldn't have had a problem with Mr. Wong if he actually said something funny. Alas, it didn't happen. Finally, we have Norbit's vicious wife Rasputia. She is, quite simply, one of the most grating, annoying characters Eddie has ever played. She's a female Buddy Love without an ounce of goodness anywhere to be found. This is why she fails as a villainess. The best villains have some sort of redeeming quality hidden deep down (or even a desirable quality like wittiness) but Rasputia has nothing.

Usually, Eddie is the bright spot of his movies...even his bad ones. However, the funniest people in Norbit are actually Eddie Griffin and Katt Williams. I guess this makes sense since Eddie Griffin has appeared in enough bad movies to know how to steal the spotlight and Katt Williams could read the phone book and make me laugh. What's sad, though, is how the other actors in this film are utterly wasted. Thandie Newton, Terry Crews (of Everybody Hates Chris) and even Cuba Gooding Jr. all deserve better.

There was a point when Eddie Murphy + makeup = instant comedy. Vampire In Brooklyn tested the limits of that (sort of...I like that movie) but Norbit really proves that Eddie in makeup does not a good movie make.

After Eddie lost the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor to Alan Arkin, I read that some people felt that Norbit's release hurt his chances. After seeing it, I don't believe that. Why? Because Norbit will make you appreciate Eddie's work in Dreamgirls (and in Coming To America, The Nutty Professor and so on) so much more. I hope that Eddie can bounce back artistically in his next non-Shrek movie. We all know he can do better.

Three Mini Movie Reviews

Borat: I finally saw this movie and frankly, I'm just a little disappointed. Much of this movie was pretty funny. The first half of the movie is really funny. However, after the halfway point, things get a little tired. It feels like you're watching the same thing over and over. Some scenes just fall flat. Once you get past the “OMG! Two naked dudes fighting!” shock of the fight scene, it just seems to go on. The sequence at the revival was not nearly as funny as it should have been. Ultimately, Borat was a funny movie but not as great as many made it out to be. I will give Sasha Baron Cohen credit for being one of the most fearless comedians the world has ever seen. He is great and I want to see him in more stuff. Even though I'm not as high on Borat as others are, I am looking forward to seeing Bruno. Given the polarizing nature of gay issues in America, that movie could be what Borat wanted to be.

Stranger Than Fiction: I really enjoyed this movie. It was great to see Will Ferrell be a normal character in a movie. As good as he is playing self-absorbed, over-the-top characters, he also shined playing the relatively normal, mundane character he played in this movie. I'd like to see him balance his career out with more stuff like this. In addition to Ferrell, I enjoyed Emma Thompson as the author and I appreciated the film's low-key style. I have heard this film referred to as “Charlie Kaufman-lite” and to me, that's not an insult. Sometimes, I want quirky without all the complexity, dammit.

The Prestige: This was a surprise. I thought it would be good, but I didn't think it would be as good as it was. This film reteamed Batman Begins director Christopher Nolan with Christian Bale along with Hugh Jackman, and Michael Caine. Quite simply, this was just a solidly made drama through and through. It was immensely interesting to watch and even though it had a complex narrative structure, things never get too confusing. After watching it, I firmly believe that Christopher Nolan could make a film where the scenes are shown in random order and still make it entertaining and understandable. Also, I have to wonder why it didn't get more love at Oscar time. As much as I enjoyed Little Miss Sunshine, this could've taken its place in the Best Picture category and I would not have complained.

My 2007 Oscar Predictions...In Three Sentences Or Less

Every year, awards show analysis hits its peak with the Academy Awards, which air this Sunday on ABC. Articles in various magazines and on various websites tend to be long and detailed when it comes to Oscar predictions. This year, I have decided to take the opposite route.

My goal is to not only give my Oscar predictions but to also give my comments on each category as concisely as possible...in three sentences or less. I'll even try not to resort to those long, complicated sentences that contain every punctuation mark ever made. Can this normally long-winded blogger do it? Let's find out...

Best Picture

Babel
The Departed
Letters From Iwo Jima
Little Miss Sunshine
The Queen

My Prediction: Babel
Comments: This race is wide open so it's anybody's guess. Babel won the Golden Globe for Best Drama and has an ensemble cast. It will win even though people debate its quality just like Crash did last year.

Best Director

Clint Eastwood - Letters From Iwo Jima
Stephan Frears - The Queen
Alejandro González Iñárritu - Babel
Paul Greengrass - United 93
Martin Scorsese - The Departed

My Prediction: Martin Scorsese
Comments: Everyone says that it's Scorsese's year to win and I agree. However, Clint spoiled his chances last time and it could happen again.

Best Actor

Leonardo DiCaprio - Blood Diamond
Ryan Gosling - Half Nelson
Peter O'Toole - Venus
Will Smith - The Pursuit Of Happyness
Forest Whitaker - The Last King Of Scotland

My Prediction: Forest Whitaker
Comments: When the right actor gets the right role at the right time, he usually gets honored. That is the role that Forest Whitaker got in playing Idi Amin. This is his chance at Oscar greatness.

Best Actress

Penélope Cruz - Volver
Judi Dench - Notes On A Scandal
Helen Mirren - The Queen
Meryl Streep - The Devil Wears Prada
Kate Winslet - Little Children

My Prediction: Helen Mirren
Comments: Helen Mirren has won virtually every other award for her role, so let's just give her the Oscar already.

Best Supporting Actor

Alan Arkin - Little Miss Sunshine
Jackie Earle Haley - Little Children
Djimon Hounsou - Blood Diamond
Eddie Murphy - Dreamgirls
Mark Wahlberg - The Departed

My Prediction: Eddie Murphy
Comments: Great comedians only get honored if they go dramatic. Eddie put in a great performance without any latex makeup and he will get the Oscar because of it.

Best Supporting Actress

Adriana Barraza - Babel
Cate Blanchett - Notes On A Scandal
Abigail Breslin - Little Miss Sunshine
Jennifer Hudson - Dreamgirls
Rinko Kikuchi - Babel

My Prediction: Jennifer Hudson
Comments: Even before anyone saw Dreamgirls, people talked up Jennifer Hudson's performance. After all the (warranted) hype, she will get the big prize.

Best Animated Feature

Cars
Happy Feet
Monster House

My Prediction: Cars
Comments: Pixar's only loss in this category was to the original Shrek so it's best not to bet against them. This would be a more interesting category if Arthur And The Invisibles had more animation in it. Its disqualification meant that there could only be three nominees in this category instead of five.

Best Documentary Feature

Deliver Us From Evil
An Inconvenient Truth
Iraq In Fragments
Jesus Camp
My Country, My Country

My Prediction: An Inconvenient Truth
Comments: An Inconvenient Truth made Al Gore hip, something no one could have ever expected. It's also the most well-known film of the nominees. However, I see Jesus Camp being a possible spoiler.

Best Visual Effects

Pirates Of The Carribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Poseidon
Superman Returns

My Prediction: Pirates Of The Carribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Comments: POTC's special effects blew me away. For a while, I thought Davy Jones was an actor in heavy makeup. It should win the award.

Best Original Screenplay

Guillermo Arriaga - Babel
Iris Yamashita; story by Iris Yamashita and Paul Haggis - Letters From Iwo Jima
Michael Arndt - Little Miss Sunshine
Guillermo del Toro - Pan's Labyrinth
Peter Morgan - The Queen

My Prediction: Michael Arndt
Comments: The Academy will want to honor Little Miss Sunshine somehow and this is the way they'll do it. I wouldn't be surprised if The Queen won due to the way it mixed fact and fiction.

Best Adapted Screenplay

Sacha Baron Cohen, Anthony Hines, Peter Bayham, Dan Mazer; story by Sasha Baron Cohen, Peter Baynham, Anthony Hines, and Todd Phillips - Borat
Alfonso Cuarón, Timothy J. Sexton, David Arata, Mark Fergus, Hawk Otsby - Children Of Men
William Monahan - The Departed
Todd Field, Tom Perrotta - Little Children
Patrick Maher - Notes On A Scandal

My Prediction: William Monahan
Comments: Monahan actually wrote a good adaptation of a Hong Kong film. Since large groups of screenwriters never win, Monahan's achievement will probably win him the Oscar.

Best Original Song

"I Need To Wake Up" music and lyrics by Melissa Etheridge - An Inconvenient Truth
"Listen" music by Henry Krieger and Scott Cutler; lyrics by Anne Preven - Dreamgirls
"Love You I Do" music by Henry Krieger; lyrics by Siedah Garrett - Dreamgirls
"Our Town" music and lyrics by Randy Newman - Cars
"Patience" music by Henry Krieger; lyrics by Willie Reale - Dreamgirls

My Prediction: "Listen"
Comments: Even though three songs are nominated from Dreamgirls, the vote won't be split. “Listen” will win but Beyonce won't win an Oscar. Why are there limits on the amount of songwriters that can be credited but no limits on the amount of screenwriters?

That's it! Did I achieve my goal or was I just shallow? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.

Five Mini Movie Reviews

Not to be confused with five reviews of mini-movies, here are some short reviews of movies I recently saw on DVD.

The Departed: I can now say I've seen two of the five Best Picture nominees (the other being Little Miss Sunshine). I enjoyed this movie. The performances were top-notch. The story was pretty good and even with all the plot twists, it never felt confusing. Another thing I liked about this film was how fun it was to watch. Even as all sorts of terrible things happened, I didn't feel down. Scorsese did a very good job with this film, hands down.

Over The Hedge: When the nominations for Best Animated Feature were announced, I wondered why this movie wasn't on the list. Now, I see why. This isn't a bad movie by any stretch of the imagination. It has good voice performances, cute characters, and some pretty funny moments. However, something just didn't click overall for me. Maybe I am really starting to feel the effects of all the similar CG movies. I mean this movie has a hyperactive squirrel...and so did Hoodwinked. This movie will probably get better with another viewing but as it stands, it's a decent movie.

Clerks II: I was kind of surprised by this movie. This was actually quite good. It has that Kevin Smith combination of raunchy/gross humor, excellent dialogue, and a lot of heart. You have to love a movie that can fit in a critique of the Lord Of The Rings films, a dance number to “ABC,” and an incredibly shocking sequence involving a donkey without batting an eye. This is probably my favorite Kevin Smith movie and one that I may buy on DVD someday.

Barnyard: You know how many animation fans call the current crop of animated movies too talky? This is the movie that they probably were referring to. I swear that there is more dialogue in this movie than Clerks II. Unfortunately, it's not laugh-out-loud hilarious dialogue but rather that “comedian” dialogue that has characters saying a lot of nothing. The plot of Barnyard is a tried-and-true one and it's predictable. While this movie isn't without its funny scenes and moments (why did I laugh at Biggie Cheese?), this is a clear example of some random person saying “Dude, I can make an animated movie!!” and somehow getting the money to do so.

Idlewild: For some reason, black movies are rarely called “quirky.” However, I would use that word to describe Idlewild. At its best, it's a lot of fun to watch and director Bryan Barber has a wonderful visual flair in his first feature. At its worst, it's a little too dark, unusual, and annoying. Although I wished there was more music from the actual Idlewild album in the movie, it was nice seeing the songs from Speakerboxxx/The Love Below put to good use. Big Boi and Andre 3000 do a good job in the film and I think the two of them could have a nice side career taking the right roles. Overall, Idlewild is a movie full of potential. You can see the potential in Bryan Barber as a film director, the potential in Dre and Big Boi as actors, and the potential for it to have been a very good movie.

Movie Review: Ghost Rider

Marvel's Ghost Rider is the latest comic book superhero to come to the big screen. Virtually unknown to those who don't follow comics (unless they're Method Man fans),this movie combines the superhero action and PG-13 horror genres. The result is a fun, silly flick that only appears to take itself seriously.

The movie begins as we learn the legend of the ghost rider. This person makes a deal with the devil and in return must work as his bounty hunter of sorts. We are first introduced to Johnny Blaze as a young man who participates in his father's motorcycle stunt show and loves his soon-to-move girlfriend Roxanne. After finding out that his father's dying of cancer, the devil (Peter Fonda) visit Johnny in his dreams. The devil offers to cure his father's cancer in exchange for eventually calling upon Johnny to do his bidding. When Johnny wakes up, his father is cured but the devil (being a prick and all) kills him anyway.

We flash forward a couple of decades where Johnny (Nicolas Cage) is a big-time motorcycle stunt man. Just before his latest stunt, his past comes back to visit as his childhood girlfriend Roxanne (Eva Mendes) shows up to interview him. Just when he thinks they can reconnect, he gets called upon to become the new ghost rider.

What makes Ghost Rider work is the fact that it doesn't really try to take itself that seriously. Nicolas Cage is in full “Jerry Bruckheimer movie mode” as the title character. He takes his ridiculous role just serious enough to keep the movie from feeling like a self-parody. Cage talks in a digitally deepened, Hulk-esque voice as Ghost Rider which only adds to the fun. While Peter Fonda hams it up a bit as the devil, the performance I really enjoyed was that of Sam Elliott. He plays a mysterious cemetery “caretaker” who helps Johnny Blaze deal with his newfound powers. Elliott spends the whole movie talking in a western drawl and occasionally spitting. You can't help but like him.

The effects in this movie are pretty good and the action scenes are quite funny. Little things will make you laugh whether it's the way a street punk asks for mercy when Ghost Rider goes after him or the way the camera closes up on a man's eyes as Ghost Rider's bike almost lands on him. This movie also finds every conceivable way to have horror without blood in order to get its PG-13 rating. Fans of the current crop of gore films won't be grossed out but there are a couple of times where the movie manages to make you jump.

Ghost Rider is a popcorn movie through and through. It blurs the line between fun flick and hilariously bad movie. This movie is nowhere near the level of recent superhero films like Batman Begins and X-2 but then again, it doesn't try for that level either. If you want something fun and forgettable to take your mind out of the winter doldrums for a little while, this is the movie to see. If you're looking for something more substantial to pass the time in the movie theater, you had best look elsewhere.

Movie Review: Happy Feet

Happy Feet, the new animated film from Warner Bros., has been the number one movie in America for three weeks in a row. In a year where a slew of animated features have been released, it has managed to stand out and even fend off the likes of the new Bond. It's a fun and unconventional family film that takes some chances and succeeds much of the time.

The film revolves around a young penguin named Mumble (Elijah Wood). After being exposed to the elements as an egg, Mumble grows up without the ability to sing. Singing is how penguins find their mates as we're shown at the beginning of the film where Mumble's parents, Norma Jean (Nicole Kidman) and Memphis (Hugh Jackman), get together. Instead of being able to sing, Mumble has the ability to dance. He joyfully tap dances when he's happy (hence the title of the movie) but that makes him an outcast among his fellow penguins.

Several things make this animated movie stand out from so many of the other releases this year. First is the way music is used in the film. Similar to Moulin Rouge, contemporary songs are sung and woven into the film. The opening sequence is the best example of how differently this movie approaches music. Several well-known songs are sung on top of and after each other. Other well-known songs are rendered somewhat unrecognizable. These musical numbers vary drastically from the theatrical style of classic Disney musicals and are the highlights of the film.

Another way this movie stands out from other animated films is the story. This film doesn't progress in ways you expect. In the middle of the movie, it suddenly becomes more of an adventure film. After that, the film takes another turn and I guarantee you that you won't see the ending coming. The movie combines a lot of different elements and while it feels a little choppy at times, it's easy to follow.

The animation in this film is very nice. There are some sequences (such as when the male penguins sing together in a group to keep themselves and their eggs warm) that are just gorgeous to look at. The environments are quite realistic, although the character designs are a tad bit too realistic. Motion-capture was used for the dance sequences (Savion Glover did the dancing for Mumble) and it looks good here.

Overall, Happy Feet is a fun animated film that is unlike the rest of the CG animated movies that came out this year. Some critics and parents have complained about some of the content in this film. What I will say is that this movie is rated PG and not G. All PG-rated films contain stuff that may not be suitable for little kids. At the same time, this is a very tame PG-rated animated film. There is no cursing, no death, and it's not nearly as violent as other PG-rated animated films such as The Incredibles and Lilo & Stitch.

Jaleel White's Comeback?

I sincerely hope that this movie is better than the cover (and the title) makes it seem. Jaleel White hasn't had a decent role since Family Matters ended. However, the presence of Eddie Griffin in a movie is usually (but not always) a bad thing. According to Amazon, Who Made The Potatoe Salad? comes out on DVD on November 7th. That's when we'll find out if this is another terrible direct-to-DVD urban film destined to be a BET Blackbuster premiere or a good movie that didn't get the love it deserved. Here's a link to the movie's IMDb page.