Volume 124 Issue 108
kansan.com
Thursday, March 1, 2012
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ENTERTAINMENT
Movie Review This Means War
// LANDON MCDONALD
Some films are noble failures; wellmeaning attempts to entertain that simply fall short for any number of reasons: contrived dialogue, miscast performers or the overreaching ambition of an unproven director. Then there are movies whose stunning bouts of ineptitude seem almost deliberate. The aggressively odious anti- comedy "This Means War" is an interminable bore for men, an offensive chore for women and a sleazy, contemptuous affront to the intelligence of audiences everywhere.
Like the satanically begotten hate child of "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" and "Twilight," director McG's newest cinematic boozy prize features Reese Witherspoon as a scheming, vacuous strumpet who decides to break up the world's most bro-mantic pair of super-spies to prove she's not a scheming, vacuous strumpet. The two buddies she's simultaneously dating (Tom
Hardy and Chris Pine) both work for the CIA, and once they find out what's going on, both seem to have zero qualms about illegally tapping her phone and installing cameras around her apartment with the creepy/kinky intention of watching each other score.
Despite the acting talent involved, none of these characters resemble anything other than shallow, self-involved idiots. They all act and talk exactly the same, and their actions only make sense when serving the whims of the vapid-fire screenplay.
The generally likeable Witherspoon trades in her usual sunny demeanor for the ditzy, screeching neurosis of a Katherine Heigl character. Pine, known for 2009's "Star Trek" reboot and not much else, succeeds in crowning himself King Douche in a movie full of hardy contenders. And speaking of Tom Hardy, what
is the future villain of "The Dark Knight Rises" doing slumming in a sloppy subcomic stinker like this?
Let me be clear: I would never hate a film simply because it's a romantic comedy. "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" is one of my all-time favorites. I'll admit to liking "Easy A" better than most of "The King's Speech." But like my beloved horror genre, the rom-com is often home to guttersnipe charlatans who delight in taking your money and leaving you with a cynical septic stain in the place of a quality motion picture. And they'll have no reason to change their ways until movies like "This Means War" quit turning a profit. So do your part and steer clear. Trust me, you'll smell this one coming.
FINAL RATING:
--be in strong condition to win national player of the year honors after losing three of his closest family members is something to admire.
If you think you're going through hard times because you're struggling with class, you broke up with your partner, you're struggling with your relationships with your family and friends or undergoing financial hardship, just take a good, hard look at what Robinson has endured.
He has responded to his misfortune by committing himself, whether it's by taking care of his younger sister Jayla, or being the best basketball player he can possibly be. He doesn't want people to feel sorry for him. He is a symbol of hope, determination, strength and perseverance.
Losing your mother and grandparents at 19 is something nobody should have to go through.
I know senior day is a day to honor the seniors, but Robinson should be honored as well. If you aren't planning to attend Saturday's game against Texas, I strongly urge you to go because it's probably the last time you'll see Robinson play at Allen Fieldhouse.
Edited by Jeff Karr
The Jayhawks will play in their third preseason tournament, The University of Texas — San Antonio tournament, this weekend in San Antonio, Texas. In each of the three tournaments, Kansas has been one of the marquee teams.
Coming into the season, the Kansas baseball team knew it would be facing the best pitchers of each team it plays. That's the price that comes with being a member of the Big 12 conference.
Coach Ritch Price said that a tournament format allows for teams to choose who they want to throw their best arms against. In a normal three-game series format, the teams match up their number one, two and three pitchers.
"I told our team in a short team meeting that the advantage of playing at the University of Kansas is going to a tournament and getting everybody's best guys," Price said. "Those are the guys we're going to see in
tocused heavily on being patient against opposing pitchers. In seven games so far, no starting pitcher for the opposing team has made it past the fifth inning against the Jayhawks. Senior infielder Zac Elgie knows that getting starters pitchers out of the game early will lead to success.
"That's one of the big things when we start playing conference series," Eligie said. "If we can use the bullpen the first couple days, that leaves them kind of shorthanded for the weekend. The more you can do that the more you can wear them out and they can't use their best pitchers later on."
While the Jayhawks have been able to get players on base often, the clutch hit has proved elusive. Kansas has left 63 runners on base already this season, which averages to nine runners left on base a game. Senior catcher James Stanfield said the team needs to lay off sliders down in the strike zone, and look for fastballs.
Stanfield said the team has to make sure they stay patient later in the game because that's when the at-bats are the most important.
much," Stanfield said. "A lot of the times in the those situations you just need a ground ball to the right side or a fly ball to the outfield."
Price said the team would need to be confident and relaxed at the plate to be successful.
"Anytime you're successful offensively, you're successful one-through-nine in the lineup," Price said. "The first couple of weekends we've had two or three of our key guys who are off to a slow start, but all it takes is one good weekend to turn it all around."
The Jayhawks will look to build off of their 14-1 victory over Mississippi Valley State last Sunday in San Antonio.
"The hardest part about baseball is that it beats you up mentally, at any level." Price said.
Edited by Katie James
BY THE NUMBERS
63 The number of runners Kansas has left on base in seven games.
5. 0 The most innings an opposing starting pitcher has lasted against Kansas.
15
10 The number of runs Kansas scored in the first inning Sunday against Mississippi Valley State.
39 The number of runs Kansas has scored in seven games.
1
11 The number of runs Kansas has allowed in seven games.
1
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1