thursday, august 21, 2003
jayplay.
21
reminder of why Jerry Bruckheimer continues to have a job. He hit it big with the first Bad Boys film, but this movie came across as an attempt to cash in on all the success that goes along with a sequel. Sequels are often inferior to their predecessors. That makes this movie, considering its source material, a shallow rehash of what audiences have seen 10 times before. Smith and Lawrence, as officers Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett, have enough chemistry to get viewers through a movie filled with one-liners, unnecessary gore, flashy cars, explosions galore and some, but very few, laugh-out-loud moments. If all this sounds great to you, then hurry and up and buy a ticket because the movie is enjoyable enough to watch in all its drug trafficking glory. For those of us who long for something new, we will have to wait until Bruckheimer and his protégé, director Michael Bay, get a clue.
—Lindsey Ramsey
Grade: C-
ANGER MANAGEMENT PG-13. 100 minutes. South Wind 12
Whenever you see a preview at the movies that really excites you and makes you laugh, it's always a gamble whether the film will deliver laughs other than the ones in the preview. Anger Management is another movie that could not live up to its preview.
After a tumultuous experience on an airplane with a flight attendant, Dave Buznik (Adam Sandler) is ordered to take anger-management classes to control his non-existent temper. He is assigned to renowned therapist Buddy Rydell (Jack Nicholson), whose unconventional methods lead to the destruction of Dave's entire life.
The film does have its redeeming aspects. The idea of casting Sandler and Nicholson was inspired. The premise of the movie had promise as well, but although a good idea in theory, it lacked an effective execution. Sandler is once again playing
someone who appears to be a mild mannered regular Joe only this time instead of occasionally breaking into Big Daddy mode to get his kid Halloween candy, his exact problem is that he doesn't assert himself enough. Meahwhile, Nicholson grins and raises his eyebrows as if to wink at the audience, perhaps realizing that this movie would not live up to expectations.
Anger Management made a little money at the box office, but chances are it left audiences wondering what they paid for.
Lindsey Ramsey
Grade: C
MY BOSS'S DAUGHTER
PG-13. 85minutes. South Wind 12
Just Married's Ashton Kutcher and Van Wilder's Tara Reid star in the David Zucker (Airplane) directed comedy My Boss's Daughter, which hits theaters tomorrow.
When Tom's (Kutcher) boss Jack (Terrance Stamp, The Limey) asks him to house sit, Tom sees it as an opportunity to win the affection of his long time crush Lisa (Reid),Jack's daughter. Along the way Tom must maneuver his way around a coterie of ne'er do well house guests.
The film is written by David Dorman (Anger Management) and co-stars Andy Richter (Big Trouble),Saturday Night Live alums Molly Shannon and Dave Koechner, Kids in the Hall alum Dave Foley, Michael Madsen (Reservoir Dogs) and model Carmen Electra.
MARC I X
R. 100 minutes.South Wind 12
When the owner of a rap label (Richard Benjamin) falls ill just as controversy emerges about his top artist, Dr. S' (Damon Waynes) new CD it is up to his prissy daughter Marci (Lisa Kudrow) to take over and clean up Dr. S's act. The preview showed another dimwitted Lisa Kudrow trying to control a
gangsta Damon Waynes. There are also signs of musical and dance numbers, which should make this a best case Romy and Michelle and worst case Lucky Numbers.
GRIND
PG-13, 105 minutes. South Wind 12
A Surgeon General's warning should preface the new skateboarding movie Grind,warning viewers that watching this movie may cause damage to brain cells and unborn children. Unfortunately, there isn't one and viewers are subjected to some of the most inane antics, mindless dialogue, and atrocious acting they will ever see.
The story chronicles four wannabe skaters who have just graduated high school. Eric (Mike Vogel, in his big screen debut) wants to be a pro-skater, but no one will watch his demo tapes. Eric takes matters into his own hands, by creating his own skate board company and following the Jimmy Wilson Skating tour in hopes of pulling off some stunt in front of his favorite skater, Jimmy Wilson (Jason London, Dazed and Confused)). Eric assumes once Jimmy sees him skate he will ask Eric to join his tour. Eric decides to drag three skating friends along on his cross-country trek that is made up of ludicrous situations that usually end in some sort of bodily function.
Along the way the characters call each other "Bro","Dude and punch each other in the shoulder while the audience suffers. While the movie does have some prolific skating, all the tricks in the world don't make up for the lack of thought that went into this film.
—Cal Creek
Grade:F
AMERICAN WEDDING
R, 102 minutes. South Wind 12
The ability to gross you out to the point of wanting to vomit, make you laugh like a kid, and deliver scenes filled with the
sweet innocence of youth all in one movie made the American Pie movies work. American Wedding, the third film in the series, lives up to its predecessors and, at times, surprisingly exceeds them.
Jim (Jason Biggs) and former band geek, Michelle (Alyson Hannigan), are getting married. Most of the old gang return for a third helping of the franchise. The movie revolves around everyone's favorite cretin Steve Stifler (Sean William Scott), who tries to sneak his way into the wedding though Michelle had hoped it would be Stiflerfree. Stifler quickly sets his eyes upon Michelle's beautiful sister (January Jones), and his willingness to impress her makes some positive changes in him but also gets him eating dog feces.
The series shows some signs of wear, but when the film focuses on the adorable Biggs and Hannigan, it becomes a sweet and charming relief from the gross-out aspect that comes with these movies. Since American Pie directors Chris and Paul Weitz moved to bigger and better things (About a Boy), Jesse Dylan, director of How High, directs American Wedding. American Wedding is good enough to fit nicely into the American Pie family, but one can only hope that this will be the last serving.
—Lindsey Ramsey
Grade: B
WHALE RIDER
PG-13, 105 minutes, South Wind 12
A 12-year-old named Pai (Keisha Castle-Hughes) rebels against her patriarchal Maori village in Niki Caro's Whale Rider, a fabulous post-modern confection filmed on location in New Zealand.
The film's quiet power sneaks up on you as Pai grows from the twin of a lost heir to a self-reliant little girl who perseveres despite the wishes of her strict grandfather, Koro (Rawiri Paratene). As Koro searches for a new heir among the boys in the town and Pai stubbornly refuses to be
counted out, the timeliness of Caro's plot hits you like a swift uppercut to the nose. If only girls everywhere could be as rebellious as Pai, and the powers that be as receptive as Koro.
Leon Narbey's sensuous photography and Lisa Gerrard's ethereal music peak in the film's unforgettable conclusion, suggesting that miracles are both manmade and closer to the realm of the senses than you think. Castle-Hughes — spunky, androgynous and achingly sincere gives the summer's best performance.
Stephen Shupe
Grade: A-
UPTOWN GIRLS PG-13. 93 minutes, South Wind 12
Director Boaz Yakin (Remember the Titans) blends drama and comedy together in Uptown Girls, the story of two spoiled rich girls, one who's 22 and one who's 8. Sadly, this blend pulls the movie apart; straining the cast, confusing audiences and creating a predictable ending that no one really cares about.
Brittany Murphy (Just Married) plays Molly Gunn, a New York socialite who lives off of her inheritance from her deceased rock-star father. When her funds run out, she must find a real job that will impress her on-again-off-again boyfriend. She decides to become the nanny of Ray Schleine (Dakota Fanning, I am Sam), the daughter of a record executive.
Molly and Ray are polar opposites, Molly doesn't know how to act like an adult and Ray doesn't know how to act like a kid. Neither one likes each other, but as the movie progresses, they predictably realize they have a lot in common and a lot to learn from each other. Fanning is the only bright spot in this movie as the spoiled Ray. It is unfortunate that her fellow actors couldn't deliver the same believability.
—Cal Creek Grade: D