And Again...

Monday Morning Quarterback, Part II, on Box Office Prophets:

http://www.boxofficeprophets.com/column/index.cfm?columnID=11482

And One More Thing

Friday Night Lights being on the air for 2 more 13-episode seasons is so fucking cool. That is all.

Monsters vs. Aliens, and I Don't Give a Darn

Monday Morning Quarterback on Box Office Prophets, discussing Pixar vs. DreamWorks (Pixar wins!), among other things:

http://www.boxofficeprophets.com/column/index.cfm?indexID=57

One of Those Rare Moments...

...so rare that it sounds like it's from a cheesy romantic comedy. Today was the first day (fingers crossed that it remains the ONLY day) that one of my parents asked me, seriously, if I was in prison. The answer is obviously no, but the idea that my mother, admitting that I'd find it funny when she asked, would actually take the time out to wonder if the phone call from the "Inmate Phone" at my parents' house was from ME....kind of scary.

When was the last time one of your family members wondered wrongly that you were in prison?

Duplicity

Copyright 2009, Universal Pictures

Tony Gilroy really loves ending his movies with long, long takes, huh? His latest, a caper dramedy called Duplicity, is certainly a much lighter affair than 2007's Michael Clayton, which is not nearly as great a movie as the Oscar folks thought. Still, the last shot is memorable here because it...well, Gilroy doesn't cut away for a split second. That style coupled with some actors who appeared in Michael Clayton prove that Gilroy does love certain things in his movies and won't hesitate to repeat himself.

Duplicity doesn't really repeat anything from Michael Clayton, but it's hard to ignore one parallel with the scripts, which are both heavy on the flashbacks, the former more than the latter. Starring Clive Owen and Julia Roberts as spies in lust or maybe love, Duplicity deals with the double- and triple-crossings Owen's Ray and Roberts' Claire commit while trying to scam two of the biggest pharmaceutical companies in the world for their own gain. As with any good spy movie, there are plenty of twists, surprises, and the like, and I can easily say that I wasn't expecting the final reveal (though I was certainly suspicious).

Even the best caper films are usually light and frothy in tone, and this film's not any different. Like the other greats, Duplicity is fun to watch and was obviously fun to shoot. Owen and Roberts have far more chemistry here than in their other pairing, 2004's Closer, though the subject matter in the two films is wildly different. The supporting cast, from the big names like Paul Giamatti and Tom Wilkinson (as the rival heads of those pharmaceutical companies) to the character actors like Denis O'Hare and Rick Worthy (once a Cylon!), doesn't flinch and are uniformly excellent.

It's hard to criticize much of Duplicity, though it's a testament to the characters and the lead actors that I very much wanted the two spies to get away with their scam as they'd originally planned. Hopefully, I won't have ruined the film for anyone who's yet to see it, but know this much: the plan hatched by Ray and Claire isn't as easy to implement as they'd hoped. Aside from whatever minor disappointment I have with the ending, there's little fault in the film, which is stylishly shot by Robert Elswit, has some snappy music courtesy of James Newton Howard, and even has one truly suspenseful sequence. Though Gilroy's not using any of the Jason Bourne-style action he's been responsible for previously, I was on the edge of my seat during that sequence (yes, literally).

Owen and Roberts aren't the most perfect match (Roberts did feel a tad off in some of her line readings), but Duplicity is a fun little caper, worth a good watch on a weekend matinee, at the very least.

I Love You, Man

Copyright 2009, DreamWorks Pictures

This one's a week late, which you shouldn't take as a sign that I didn't like the new "bromantic" comedy (and I hate that word, even if it keeps getting thrown around this movie and other things in pop culture thesee days) known as I Love You, Man. I laughed quite a bit at the film, which stars Paul Rudd and Jason Segel, among many other familiar faces. It's not a life-changing film, it's not an instantly classic film like Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy or The 40-Year Old Virgin, but it's very funny stuff. Compared with Rudd's last comedy, Role Models, it falters a bit, as I laughed more at the Rudd-Seann William Scott teaming, but in terms of heart and emotion, this one works out more.

The plot's relatively threadbare: Rudd plays a really nice guy who realizes, as he's preparing for his wedding to Zooey (Rashida Jones, much more charming here than she ever was on The Office), that he has no real guy friends to serve as his best man or be in his wedding party. Rudd searches for some friends, finds Jason Segel's goofy slacker, they have misadventures, and become best buddies. As with most comedies these days, the story is whether there are enough laughs or not.

There are plenty of laughs here, even though I wish one of the best gags in the movie, featuring Rudd, Jon Favreau, and some beer-chugging, hadn't been spoiled as an early red-band clip online. Whatever problems I have with this film really involve the lack of character development. Now, I know the jokes are the most important part of a movie like this, but we spend so much time finding out just how un-manly Rudd's main character is (and, admittedly, Rudd is brilliant playing the awkward nice guy) and so little time figuring out Segel. He's an investor who appears to live in a one-room shack, does no work, walks his dog, and plays video games. Sydney, his character, has enough money to spend on billboards promoting Rudd's real estate work, but he gets that money from Rudd. Who is this guy? I kept wondering that, but director/co-writer John Hamburg (as mentioned in many other reviews, Judd Apatow has no official ties with this movie, as much as it may surprise you) doesn't reveal anything important about the guy. Yes, we find out Sydney loves Rush, older women, and littering, but...I don't know, I feel like Hamburg didn't flesh out the character enough.

Overall, this is a solid entry in the Apatow-style of modern comedy, featuring strong performances from Rudd and Segel, but a bit of weakness surrounding the actual story. Movies like The 40-Year Old Virgin are classic not just for their comedy, but also for their characters. Andy Stitzer is a memorable comic character. Sydney and Peter, while very funny, are not.

Oh, separate note: I'm writing this review as I watch Stargate for the first time--the movie, not one of the TV series. No review for that one, however, as you should be able to surmise how interested I am in the film if I'm writing on the blog.

Battlestar Galactica: Seasons 3 and 4

Copyright 2009, Sci Fi Channel

Though I've mentioned it before, I'm going to take back something I said: I did not make a mistake waiting on Battlestar Galactica. For those unaware of this, I watched the three-hour miniseries from 2003 two years ago with my wife. Our consensus at the time was that the miniseries was pretty damn boring. Obviously, I've changed my tune (though I'd say the miniseries is hard to get through), but why am I saying it's not a mistake? Going through the entire series, all 73 episodes, is far more satisfying for me, far more breathless, than just waiting each week, and suffering the lengthy hiatuses (hiatusi?) between seasons and half-seasons. Even more, I'm able to finish up with the series finale only three days after it airs, thus missing most of the big spoilers about "Daybreak," the grand finish.

Oh, sure, I should have stuck with the show after the miniseries, but I've caught up now, so that's all there is to it. Either way, the last two seasons. Normally, I'd do a review for each season, but I figured I should just stick everything I've got to say into one post. Before going into season 3, I'd seen the overall view was a mild pan, compared to the craziness and intensity that was season 2. It's hard for me to bad-mouth season 3, though, as it featured the slam-bang five-episode opening arc, with the human characters leaving New Caprica and continuing the fight against the Cylon enemy. Also, the final four episodes, from Starbuck's shocking death to her even more surprising resurrection, were near-perfect. The episodes in between those 9, however, weren't great, as they were more self-contained and, thus, less interesting. The trial of Gaius Baltar is hinted at from the beginning of episode 11, when Chief Tyrol, of all people, takes the self-involved scientist down while examining the Eye of Jupiter, thought to be a signpost to the mythical thirteenth colony of Earth. Yet, the actual trial starts 7 episodes later. Slow going indeed.

Still, how can you argue the heartbreaking elements of the season, from Colonel Tigh's decision to kill his own wife because of her double-crossing ways to Laura Roslin's cancer arriving again to Kara Thrace's past life? Yes, it's an imperfect season, and hard to compare to season 2; even more, I'd bet it was less satisfying on a week-to-week basis for those watching in real time. For a person like me, catching up on DVD renders the season, as a whole, better; more proof of my not making such a big mistake.

Overall, season 3 is entertaining, but not much happens. Lee is fat, Lee loses weight, Lee decides to be a lawyer, Lee loves Kara, he hates Kara, and on and on. The most fascinating elements of the season are either set on New Caprica, or occur as the trip to Earth really gets going. The most interesting and weird character, Romo Lampkin (played marvelously by Mark Sheppard), is introduced at the end of the season, sunglasses, cat, and all. It's season 4 that has the great, not the good. We get to deal with the fallout of the revelation that Kara is alive again, that she has seen Earth, that Roslin is really dying, and that there are four Cylons in the fleet, and they are among our favorite characters; Colonel Tigh! Chief Tyrol! Anders! Tory! The manipulations, the deceit, the romance, the action, the science fiction, the performances...everything really comes together in season 4, especially the final 10 episodes, where the humans and rebel Cylons (the ones who break from the more vicious Cylons, lead by Dean Stockwell's Brother Cavil) deal with finding an Earth that is completely desolate and wiped out. We get suicide, another Cylon reveal (Ellen!), and more fallout from finding out the humans who aren't really humans. My favorite mini-arc from season 4 came when Lieutenant Felix Gaeta slowly unraveled after having his leg amputated; that it lead him to mutiny with Tom Zarek was surprising, but the intense two-part episode that ended with his execution in the Galactica airlock was great, on the same level of the Battlestar Pegasus storyline.

Then, the slow build to the series finale, "Daybreak." This finale may not be perfect (having Brother Cavil kill himself is fine, but having him do it so damn quickly is just weird), but has a host of great humor (President Lampkin? Admiral Hoshi? You jest.), moving moments (just watch Adama put his wedding ring on Roslin's finger and try not to cry, I dare you), and satisfying send-offs. I was surprised at how okay I was with the spiritual element of this finale, as someone who cares naught about religion. The idea that the Head Six and Head Baltar were angels or demons of some kind? I'm cool with it. Kara vanishing into thin air? Yeah, I'm cool with that, too. I was a bit iffy on the final scene, partly because it felt tacked on, the dialogue was more awkwardly delivered, and the robot montage felt too unsubtle, on a show that doesn't usually hammer its points home. Still, I can't wait to watch it again.

Hell, I can't wait to watch this whole series again. There were many fantastic episodes, many that made me grip my seat, many that made me laugh, many that made me cheer, many that made me tear up. The love affair may have been late and short, but I can now officially say that I love me some Battlestar Galactica. Also, its prequel, Caprica, is not something I'll miss. I'm willing to make the sacrifice of watching that show in real time. So, if you haven't seen the adventures of Admiral Adama, President Roslin (and how fucking amazing is Mary McDonnell? Honestly.), Starbuck, Apollo, and company....buy it and buy it now.

The Happiest Place

Copyright, Walt Disney Corporation

I know, I've been very lax on getting anything posted. Right now, we're looking at still posting reviews of the final two seasons of Battlestar Galactica (in fact, I blame this whole hiatus on Colonel Adama and friends), I Love You, Man, and Duplicity. We'll get that all done by the end of tomorrow, I promise. Then, we'll be back on track, yes?

Until then, I wanted to talk a little bit about my recent trip to the happiest place on Earth, Disneyland. The wife and I are big fans of Disney movies, Disney music, and, most of all, Disney parks. We spent our honeymoon in Walt Disney World only nine months ago. The nine days we spent in Orlando were...OK, maybe we spent one day too many, but can you forgive us for wanting to spend as much time as possible in Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and so on?

This trip to Disneyland was a belated birthday gift for my wife, given by her parents (yes, I am a moocher). I hadn't been there in nearly two decades, so I knew that my memories as a 5-year old would be a bit outdated. My in-laws warned us that things would be vastly different in Anaheim as opposed to Orlando; even though I knew they were trying to just calm us down in case we got a bit disappointed, I didn't need their advice. I wouldn't say I expected bad things, but I was fully prepared to be underwhelmed, at best. We entered Disneyland on a Sunday and spent three days. On that last day, the Tuesday, my wife and I ended up getting annual passes to the parks. No disappointment here.

Yes, Disneyland is different from Walt Disney World, but only when you're not in Anaheim's version of the Magic Kingdom, called Disneyland Park. Most of the rides in Anaheim can be found in Orlando; there are subtle differences and striking ones, but the fact remains that the rides are similar. Moreover, some rides in Disneyland Park can't be found at the Magic Kingdom, such as Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, Pinocchio's Daring Journey, and the Matterhorn Bobsleds. Also, some of the rides in Disneyland are from separate Disney World parks, such as Star Tours and the Indiana Jones Adventure (which is similar in its track set-up to the Dinosaur ride at Animal Kingdom).

I don't, however, want to bog down you with some of the intricate history of Disneyland versus its siblings in other places. I won't be trying to explain here why I love Disney parks so much; I find it hard to put into words. The best way for me to quickly sum that up is this: when I entered Disneyland Park, I entered a different world. Reality has no place in Disneyland, or Disney World, for that matter. The plaque at the entrance to Disneyland Park says it best, equating the park to something from the past, present, and future, something fantastical instead of commonplace.

No, I won't spend any more time explaining my love for Disney because, like other pop-culture icons, you either get it or you don't. If you're not already enamored with Disney in some form, it's hard for me to sell you on my fervor. I just wanted to spend a bit of time highlighting the good and not-so-good of the trip. First off, if you do decide to go to Disneyland soon, take my advice and buy your tickets at Safeway, if you've got one nearby. For whatever nice reason, their 3-Day Park Hopper passes feature one Magic Morning admission. The Magic Morning admission is akin to Disney World's Early Magic Hours. In Disney World, the Magic Kingdom could be open one hour early or three hours later than the normal park hours, as long as you're a resort guest (and if you're like me, the idea of being at the Magic Kingdom at or past midnight is incredibly cool). At Disneyland, if you have a Magic Morning admission, you get to enter the park an hour early and leave the regular schmoes in the dust.

The facts are these: we had Magic Morning admissions on our first day at Disneyland and, within a span of only 160 minutes, got through 10 rides spread out across the park. Unfortunately for us, neither Space Mountain nor Indiana Jones were among those rides, but let me tell you what we could do in that short time, by 10 in the morning: Mr. Toad, Snow White, Pinocchio, Alice in Wonderland, Matterhorn Bobsleds, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Splash Mountain, Star Tours, Buzz Lightyear, and one ride I'm currently blanking on. Our last ride of that morning was Splash Mountain, our only time on the ride in the three-day period. My wife has an inexplicable fear of log flume rides, but the reason we avoided it afterwards was for saner reasons: we ended up in the front row, got drenched, and would have frozen our asses off if we hadn't changed clothes at the hotel.

Still, the fact that we got on the ride without ANY line (and even in the middle of March, a zero-minute wait is amazing) blew my mind. Granted, the rest of the trip was filled with lines and people, thanks to spring break and St. Patrick's Day. No matter; we got to do every ride we wanted to at least once. Rides like Matterhorn and Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin we only did the one time and, in the latter case, we won't do again. But, there were rides we rode a lot. The two winners were the original and great ones: Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted Mansion. The former of those two rides is longer at Disneyland, and far better. The structure and story of the ride don't make any more sense now than they did before the ride was revamped to reflect the famous film series (why would we see skeletons of pirates before we saw the real thing?), but the atmosphere is unmistakable, the drops are great, and the animatronics are still fascinating to look at.

With The Haunted Mansion, atmosphere is also king. In Disney World, the mansion is far more foreboding, whereas the Disneyland version looks, on the outside, more inviting, which lends an air of surprise. The ride itself is slightly shorter, but awesome all the same. As I said earlier, it's hard to explain why these rides are so great, as it's also hard to explain why the whole park works so well. But, a place where you ride a safari cruise next to an archaelogical adventure with a quintessential film hero is a place I want to be as often as possible.

The Annual Passports we got are the deluxe kind, which means we can go to Disneyland any time we want for the next year, we get discounts on hotels, discounts on food, discounts on merchandise, and free parking. It's hard to pass up that kind of bargain, especially since we may potentially be going back to Anaheim four times this year...potentially, I said. The low end is probably two times (August and either October or December), but it's hard to pass up going as often as I can.

Lastly, a few words about Disney's California Adventure, which we spent less than a day in. A few of the rides are unbelievably great: Soarin' Over California, which is the simplest ride ever made; Toy Story Midway Mania, a 3-D carnival ride; and The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, queasy but hard to pass up. Some of the other attractions, such as Muppet-Vision 3-D and It's Tough to Be A Bug, are charming to sit through and put a smile on my face, but aren't as eye-popping. Moreover, you may notice, if you're an aficionado, that none of the rides I've listed can't be found elsewhere. Yes, Soarin' originated in Anaheim, but it's in Orlando now. The best unique aspect to California Adventure was the wine tasting in the Pacific Wharf. Still, without having done the Grizzly River Run and considering the construction going on within the park grounds, I don't want to prejudge the place completely. We'll go back there soon, and I'll make my final judgment then. In the end, though Disney World has Epcot, with its many countries, Animal Kingdom, with its Expedition Everest coaster, and Hollywood Studios, with...well, just the Great Movie Ride, I think I love Disneyland as much, if not more.

Calm before the Storm

A-List--Science Fiction--on Box Office Prophets:

http://www.boxofficeprophets.com/column/index.cfm?columnID=11469

Read, read, read!

Monday Morning Quarterback

Check out this week's Monday Morning Quarterback on Box Office Prophets:

http://www.boxofficeprophets.com/column/index.cfm?columnID=11461

Sluggish Sunday

Yes, I'm back, and have been, from my vacation in Disneyland for a few days. I've been extremely lax on updating the blog, partly because I wanted to dedicate enough time to write fully about my Disneyland experiences, and also because I am this close (THIS CLOSE) to finishing up the entire series of Battlestar Galactica--I'm currently on the fifth-to-last episode--and want to write up about that, also. This coming week will be filled with many posts, so hold tight. Things are still running along.

The Day Before

I know I've been bad and not blogged in a couple days, but it'll only get worse after this post, as I'll be gone until Thursday, in Disneyland. I'm going to enjoy my time with Mickey Mouse and friends, so don't miss me too much.

After I get back, I'll review season 3 of Battlestar Galactica, which I just finished last night (and though the final reveal of four of the final five Cylons was impressive, I have to say...the stuff with them hearing music probably shouldn't have appeared through both parts of the finale; it kind of gave things away).

Finally....I love Jon Stewart. Really do. Kudos.

Tuesday...Tuesday...Tuesday

Today was a long one, filled with anticipation for the upcoming Disneyland vacation, long drives, and an unsuccessful trip to Best Buy. Yes, they have the new Blu-ray of Pinocchio (still a classic), but Let The Right One In? What's that? Crazy talk. Why would we, the biggest DVD seller in Arizona, have a Blu-ray of that foreign movie of which you speak? Silly man.

Not much else to talk about here, aside from this...Jim Cramer's going to guest on The Daily Show Thursday. Now, two weeks ago, I wondered if Jon Stewart would have the stones to stick it to Rick Santelli and CNBC. Let's see if he sticks it even further to Jim Cramer, the new poster boy for "Just because I constantly stuck up for dead-in-the-water companies on national television doesn't mean you get to call me on it" arguments. Boy, I hope so.

Monday Morning Quarterback

As promised, here's part one of this week's Monday Morning Quarterback, over at Box Office Prophets. As you might expect, the only movie worth talking about is Madea Goes to Jail. No, wait, 12 Pounds. OK, fine, Watchmen.

http://www.boxofficeprophets.com/column/index.cfm?columnID=11430

Watchmen

Copyright 2009, DC/Warner Bros. Pictures

First of all, sorry for not posting over the weekend. Thanks in part to the missus' birthday party Saturday night, family get-togethers, catching up on season 3 of Battlestar Galactica (only 7 episodes to go!), and seeing this movie, it was hard to stay up-to-date online. I'll drop a link for the Monday Morning Quarterback from Box Office Prophets in a separate post, though, discussing the box office performance of what is likely the first big movie of 2009, or the first expected-to-be-big movie of 2009...Watchmen.

Before I get into the meat of my review (and spoilers will be plentiful or, at the very least, I won't avoid them), I want to mention a caveat and a few other miscellaneous things. First, I have not read Watchmen, though I very much want to now, more so than before I saw the film adaptation. So, in essence, this review comes from one of the uninitiated. That's the caveat. A few miscellaneous things about the experience itself. I saw this yesterday morning in the biggest screen at the local AMC; the show was half-full, which surprised me a bit, based solely on the very good-but-not-amazing box office this film has done. Before the show, I got to be reminded that Kid Rock needs to go away, and go away quickly. As an American citizen not in the military, I can only imagine how grossly offended the men and women who serve my country are when they see their very hard, very tough work compared to being a Nascar driver. One of these people has to fight for their lives against an unstoppable enemy every day; one of these people drives around a big oval real fast. I'm tired of watching the Army National Guard ad with an awful song by Kid Rock. From the sounds of the sarcasm after the song, so's everyone else. Shame on you, Wally Pfister and James Mangold, who were the director of photography and overall director on the video, respectively. Shame on you, Kid Rock. Shame on you, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Shame on you all.

Next, I have said it before here and I will say it again: babies who talk are not funny. Babies who talk about the economy on a fake webcam are not funny. I know the economy's in the shitter right now, and I don't need fake babies to joke about it. "Yeah, that's right, I beat my golfing buddy, but he doesn't want to pay up on our bet because he's poor!" Hilarious. Finally, the previews, with one exception, were pretty damn incredible. I am now officially psyched for Star Trek, even if Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto bore the shit out of me. I am now officially psyched for Terminator: Salvation even if the human-who's-not-really-a-human plotline has been done on Battlestar Galactica. I am now officially psyched for Public Enemies, and even seeing Brad Pitt yell about Nazi scalps on the big screen got me a bit pumped. Angels and Demons? No thanks, especially since my nearly baseless hunch that one of the big actors in the movie (not Tom Hanks, obviously) is the bad guy was proven right by a friend today.

Now, I've spent three paragraphs not reviewing Watchmen, and I wish I could tell you I'm building up to an explosion of praise, but I'm not. I mentioned last week about my growing dread for the film, and I'm happy to say that it didn't pay off. No, I didn't hate this movie; however, I didn't like it either. In fact, after having one day to stew over things, I can safely say I just don't care that much. Not good. I have many problems with this film, and the biggest is that, for an ensemble piece, none of the characters are worth caring about. I did, however, think one actor shined: Jackie Earle Haley as Rorschach, the sociopath-cum-superhero. Granted, just about everyone here plays a sociopath-cum-superhero, but Rorschach seems to have some sort of code as opposed to the Comedian, who's just an evil son of a bitch.

Aside from Haley, there's almost nothing here worth praising outright. Patrick Wilson, as Nite Owl II, is his usual reliable self, but his post-hero status doesn't give him much to chew on. What's more, where we get backstories on most of the characters, we get nothing on him aside from his all-around decency. Hell, when it comes to backstory, we don't get the real meat. Rorschach puts on a mask that can magically move around like a Rorschach blot, hence his moniker. How does his mask do that? Why does he put on a mask? Why does he choose that mask, that name? These are questions I presume are answered in the 12-part graphic novel by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons; despite the fact that I was never really confused with what was going on, I always wondered if there was more to the story. I imagine that director Zack Snyder and screenwriters David Hayter and Alex Tse did their best, but left out much. Unfortunately, being more faithful probably helped dampen the movie's impact.

There is no impact here, that's the problem. The climax, involving what amounts to some kind of nuclear blast (technically the powers of one Dr. Manhattan duplicated) throughout the major cities of the world, is lessened by the bland and not-at-all ambiguous finale; oh, so Rorschach's journal went to what appears to be a hole-in-the-wall magazine that is so desperate for news that it considers the journal to be in the "Crank" pile? I'm sure his words will be taken as gospel. Even more, the cutesy ending with Nite Owl II and Silk Spectre II getting together seems tacked on from a different film. How am I supposed to feel something, anything, about the deaths of millions upon millions of people if you leave me with a happy ending for two characters who don't warrant my sympathy or affection?

Do I sound too much like Billy Crudup's Dr. Manhattan there, a godlike figure who barely ever registers a pulse? The only time he gets angry-ish is when lots of reporters attack him about an ex-flame, leading him to go to Mars. Ah, if only. Weirdly, the most affecting section, partly because of Crudup's purposely (I hope) monotone line reading, is the backstory of Dr. Manhattan, when he was a nuclear physicist who gets into a crazy accident and turns into a superbeing. It's, of course, ironic that the only truly superpowered character appears to be the most detached from humans, but was just a normal guy with a normal life beforehand. The Comedian, Rorschach; their lives are dark and depraved and they have no superpowers, just powerful fists and feet.

I could go on with my many issues (Malin Akerman=bad actress or bad lines?; Why does the Comedian assassinate JFK?; Who was Adrian Veidt beforehand?; Why is the music in this movie so fucking awful? Why is this movie so long?), but I want to leave you with the most powerful image in the movie, the image that represents everything this movie could have achieved: Rorschach unmasked, bloodied and crying, begging Dr. Manhattan to do the unthinkable. It's a simple close-up, but it proves that Jackie Earle Haley is a truly great actor just hitting his stride. Get him a starring role. Everyone else here? Clean slate; let's forget this one.

Sacred Cows

I just spent two hours in hell, folks. Hell, for those of you who are fortunately aware, is a bad high school production of vaudeville. Yes, I know, there are so many of the good ones, but I just came back from the bad kind. Would you like to see kids who don't know who Groucho Marx is do the "Sanity Clause" sketch? How about a male-female duo butchering "Who's On First?" What makes me angry--yes, angry--about this is the director/producer of the show actually said he loved vaudeville and thought these kids were the best to bring it back to life, in some small way. That he is a complete idiot should go without saying, but how dare he ruin these classics? How dare he?

I mean....Groucho Marx. Abbott & Costello. These are sacred cows of comedy. Do not touch them with a ten-foot stick unless you are absolutely sure of how good your performers are. DO NOT TOUCH THEM.

Ah, The Dread

The dread this morning, me waking up to watch last night's episode of The Daily Show. I had a feeling that Rick Santelli would bluster his way through his appearance, shrug off his own misplaced and undeserved anger, that Jon Stewart, no matter how hard he tried, wouldn't win this battle against a truly idiotic man. So when Rick Santelli cancelled on Jon Stewart, I perked up because I wouldn't have to hear him talk, but grumbled when I realized what a pansy-ass move it was to cancel.

Then Stewart started his first segment, discussing Santelli, his cancellation, and why Santelli was worth having on the show at all. This led to Stewart discussing CNBC in depth and skewering them for all they're worth. Let's hope he doesn't stop tonight. Kudos to you, Stewart, for proving me wrong.

But, on a separate yet similar note, can I be proven wrong with regards to Watchmen? Oh, I hope so. Oh, I doubt it. Let me clarify: I've never read the graphic novel (I would like to, though). I am hoping, beyond hope, that it doesn't matter, that Zack Snyder and company will work their hardest to make me feel as comfortable as if I was watching something that had no prior source material. There have been loads of positive reviews, but none of them have been from legitimate sources, aside from a B- review from Owen Gleiberman (which isn't incredibly positive, grade-wise) and a four-star review from Roger Ebert, whose opinion I respect but, these days, take with a grain of salt. Yes, he gives four stars to movies I like, but he also hands them out far more frequently than in the past.

I could still like or love this movie, but the more I hear about it, the more I doubt. Somehow, this movie being longer than The Dark Knight makes me wonder. The movie having a far longer director's cut makes me wonder. The criticisms of the actors, or most of them, make me wonder. The extreme violence makes me wonder.

Yes, I'll see the movie, and see it this weekend, but I have my doubts. I want to be proven wrong. We'll find out soon enough.

Same Time, Same Place

Time for another look at the A-List, this time with box office surprises.

http://www.boxofficeprophets.com/column/index.cfm?columnID=11418

A Couple Quickies

Not that kind, you naughty person. As it's the wife's birthday, I've not got much to write today, but here's a few minor thoughts.

I've finally caught up with the first two episodes of Season 3 of Battlestar Galactica. Next to Lost, it's the best drama on television. Better than even Mad Men, yep. Starbuck's kidnapped by one of the Cylons, she's got a kid, Tigh's brilliant but insane, and on and on. I keep waiting for this show to fuck up, but I don't think it's going to happen. I really wish I'd watched this show live.

Speaking of Lost, I feel I should quickly amend my original thoughts on why the show's worked for me despite some of its flaws: the byplay between Terry O'Quinn and Michael Emerson. I'm catching up on the repeat of last week's episode right now, and it's not that O'Quinn and Emerson have a great chemistry. It's that O'Quinn is amazing and has a great chemistry with everyone around him. For me, the best moment in an episode full of them (the shot with Abbadon getting shot from behind the car was masterful) is a single glare O'Quinn shoots at Matthew Fox as Jack rails against Locke for believing, still, in the island. That's not to say the entire Locke-Ben scene at the end wasn't chilling and emotional, but O'Quinn, in particular, is doing a heavy amount of work on the show. I can't wait to see what happens tonight.

Finally, Watchmen is coming up soon to theaters, and though I'll definitely see it this weekend (if only to make sure I'm up to date with my friends about the movie), I'm....well, I'll write up something tomorrow about how little I'm looking forward to the actual experience. We'll see, but the more I read reviews from legitimate critics who aren't slavish lapdogs (something I'm plenty guilty of being with regards to other TV shows and movies) of the graphic novel, I wonder. Maybe the lowered expectations will help me out. We'll talk tomorrow.

Calvin Awards Ballot

Check out my full Calvin Awards ballot and explanation at Box Office Prophets:

http://www.boxofficeprophets.com/column/index.cfm?columnID=11403

A Look Back at Toy Story 2 (1999)

Copyight 1999, Walt Disney Pictures

It's interesting that the only time "You've Got A Friend In Me," the song from both Toy Story films, really works, really suckers you in to the sentimentality, is when the least polished singer takes a crack at it. In Toy Story, the singers are Randy Newman and Lyle Lovett. In Toy Story 2, there are two renditions of the song, one by Robert Goulet and one by Tom Hanks, not an actor known for his singing prowess. Yet it's when Hanks sings it, about two-thirds of the way through the film, that it works, even on this umpteenth viewing, for me. Of course, Toy Story 2 is a surprisingly emotional film, more than just something for kids. Though the first two films Pixar Animation Studios did, Toy Story and A Bug's Life, were great successes commercially and critically, it's Toy Story 2 that was the hint to mainstream audiences that Pixar movies weren't just going to be fun, but something deeper than that.

What struck me first, on this viewing, is how much the animation had grown from the first film to its sequel. As I mentioned when I looked back at the original Toy Story, there's not a lot of open space to be animated, even though the characters venture outside of Andy's house. However, Toy Story 2 opens with a video-game sequence set on the home planet of Buzz Lightyear's nemesis, the evil Emperor Zurg, and the animation is markedly different, in the most impressive way possible. None of the animation in this film may be as breathtaking as that in, say, Finding Nemo or Ratatouille, but the depth to which the animation has improved here, even on an airport runway or in the details of a cheese puff, is stark.

And to think that this film was going to be sent directly to DVD. Yes, as the story goes, Toy Story 2 was the first direct-to-DVD sequel in the Pixar canon, even though Pixar animators were working on it. Then, the higher-ups at Disney got a look at what was prepared and, what do you know, it turned out the sequel might be as good as, if not better than, the original product. The amount of work put into this film's story, into the growth of the old and new characters, just makes it harder than ever to believe that this movie was ever going to be thrown away from movie theaters. What's strongest here is the subtle future hinted ahead for Woody the cowboy and Buzz: right now, they're on top of the world because they're good friends, and they have an owner who loves them. But, as the villainous Stinky Pete the Prospector points out, will Andy bring them to college? Are they making a trip to his honeymoon? Of course not. In fact, from the few rumors I've read, it just may be that Andy will be in college come the time of Toy Story 3, which arrives next summer in theaters. Where will Woody and Buzz be then?

Where will any of the toys be then? One would hope their next adventure isn't as dull as fighting away the bargain bin, but in a way, that's part of the story here. Andy's grown up, but not enough that he doesn't want to go to cowboy camp with Woody. However, when Woody's arm gets a big tear at the shoulder, Andy decides to go solo. Complications arise at a yard sale, and Woody's stolen away by Al, the owner of Al's Toy Barn, who happens to be a rare-toys collector. Woody is the prize jewel for Al, as he happens to have been the star of his own 50s TV show. Al plans to take Woody, along with Stinky Pete, Woody's horse Bullseye, and Woody's partner, Jessie, to a toy museum in Japan. Buzz, Rex the dinosaur, Mr. Potato Head, Slinky the dog and Hamm the piggy bank decide to rescue Woody from being a museum piece, but what if Woody's lured in by his long-gone fame?

Woody's fellow ex-stars are lured in by future fame and a pressing fear of loneliness. Even though Stinky Pete is one of the villains of the piece, his motive is simple: he's been on a shelf, ignored so long, that it's about time he got a moment to shine. For Jessie, she's abandoned any hope of being truly loved by a child after being given to charity by her first owner, Emily (this is information we find out in the best, most touching scene in the film, set to a Randy Newman song performed by Sarah McLachlan, "When She Loved Me," and it gets me every time). Woody wonders if his time is up, and Bullseye's too simple to become bitter, but the threat of being unloved, the very real idea of children moving away from toys to more adult things hovers over this film and, I presume, over the next film in the series, like a thundercloud.

There's, of course, much entertainment to be had from this movie. There are plenty of great action sequences, such as a treacherous walk across a busy street, the airport climax, and an elevator-set battle between Buzz Lightyear and Emperor Zurg. That last scene leads me to what's still the strongest suit in these movies: their humor. The Buzz Lightyear who fights Zurg isn't the one we know and love, but one of the many other Buzz Lightyears encountered in Al's Toy Barn. In that sequence, we get many callbacks to the original Toy Story, from similar cinematography to repeated lines to even the original Buzz wondering how deluded he used to be. In that scene and in the cleverness of how famous Woody used to be, Toy Story 2 is, if possible, sharper and funnier than its predecessor.

Of course, that's one of this film's calling cards, isn't it? It's appropriate, I suppose, that Toy Story 2 references The Empire Strikes Back a few times, as many people, myself included, have considered this film to be as good a sequel as there is. Aside from the Star Wars and Godfather series, it's hard to argue that Toy Story 2 isn't one of the best sequels ever made. We get hefty character development (one new realization for me: Al's set up as a villain best by being a walking contradiction; he owns a toy store, he collects toys, but he lives in an apartment building that doesn't allow children), we get humor, we get action, and in this film, there's pathos. Yes, some of the lines (the final line of the film in particular) may be a bit cheesy, but with actors like Hanks and Tim Allen--not to mention the fine supporting cast, including Joan Cusack, Kelsey Grammer, Don Rickles, Wayne Knight, and Pixar perennial John Ratzenberger--it's easy to gloss over the cornier lines.

Toy Story 2 works best because of its universal nature. We have all had toys, and we have all left those toys behind when we grew up. No, toys probably don't talk to each other, they probably don't have lives once we leave them by themselves, but haven't we all wondered, at some age, at some time, what happened to them when we left them? Where they went, whether they found a good home, whether they've been destroyed...it's all in the backs of our minds at some point. Toy Story 2 doesn't make you feel guilty about that, though, it's just a reinforcement that, though you probably shouldn't take any toys with you to your wedding, keeping hold of that part of your childhood is important to how you grow up, how you teach your own children, and how they do the same.

Spaced: The Complete Series

Copyright 2001, Paramount Comedy

It took far too long, but I've finally been able to watch the entire show that was Spaced. The brainchild of Jessica Stevenson (now Jessica Hynes), Edgar Wright, and Simon Pegg, this show finally hit DVD some months back, and Netflix finally let me take a look at this great program, one that had barely even hit BBC America. Why the fuss? It's hard to explain because, as I mentioned a couple days back, it took me until the second season of the show (in all, Spaced had just two 7-episode seasons) to know I loved the show, just because I didn't feel like I was watching a fictional television show, but just a few of my friends hanging out and having wacky misadventures.

And they were, as cheesy as it sounds, wacky misadventures. The basic plot of the series is simple: Daisy (Stevenson) and Tim (Pegg) meet one day in a coffee shop, after they've both moved out or been kicked out of their apartments. While scouring the classifieds, they find a great place to live for a good price but, as it's only for couples, they lie to the frequently drunk landlady, Marsha, so they can survive. Daisy's a lazy journalist, Tim's a geeky comic-book artist, and the series focuses on their lives in their new flat, and the lives of their friends, like Daisy's best friend, a fashionista named Twist, and Tim's best friend, a militaristic guy named Mike (Nick Frost, the best friend in Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz).

What Spaced is really here for is to take jabs at popular culture as frequently as possible. Movies, TV, video games, comic books; it's all here for the taking. One of the best, for me, was a random Sixth Sense reference that culminated with a surprise cameo from one of that film's stars, Olivia Williams. Either way, the show is often hilarious and more comfortable than a warm blanket. Any fan of the two Simon Pegg films can easily see how those films' director, Wright, got his style. Spaced has lots of quick-cuts, cinematic touchstones, wordplay, and so forth, just as Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz do. One of the first-season episodes is also an obvious beginning to the former film, the rom-zom-com that was, as there's quite a few zombie references there.

Not much else to say here; if you haven't seen Spaced, rent it or buy it. Though I'm glad Pegg and Frost, in particular, have found their way into movies, it's sad to think that Daisy, Tim, Mike, Marsha, Twist, and the quiet artist Brian, won't be on TV anymore. Yes, it's good that they found a way to go out on a high note, but it's hard to be left wanting more when there's naught to come. Still, this one's a keeper, a great show with lots of laughs and even some truly heartwarming emotion (that ending is far sweeter than you'd expect). Again, check it out.

Ghost Town

Copyright 2008, DreamWorks Pictures

I've mentioned Ricky Gervais a couple of times previously on this blog, and the same with his first major film, 2008's Ghost Town. And, after having finally buying it on Blu-ray, I've decided that I was remiss in not making it one of my choices for Box Office Prophets' Calvin Awards as one of the most overlooked films of the year and one of the best. Yes, if you go back to the beginning, you'll find that I chose it as one of the best of 2008 on this blog, but not the same on BOP. My mistake stands, and I'll do my best to rectify it here, by stating as clearly as possible how great a comedy this was, how brilliant Gervais was, and all the rest.

That Ghost Town does not have a particularly surprising plot, something knotted with twists, is not a strike against it. Rather, what's so impressive about this film, directed and co-written by famed scribe David Koepp (he of Jurassic Park, Spider-Man and Panic Room), is how it frequently impresses in spite of its relatively formulaic plot and concept. With strong performances not only from Gervais but from Tea Leoni and Greg Kinnear, the rest falls into places, formula or not.

Ricky Gervais, of course, is not a completely unfamiliar face to most audiences, even they're not truly sure why they know who he is. For most people in America, he may be recognizable thanks to his many appearances on talk shows hosted by David Letterman or Jon Stewart, or because of his two TV shows, The Office and Extras. Maybe it's his brilliant podcasts, or even his cameos in big-budget movies such as Stardust or Night At The Museum. However, the first film to try and fit Gervais' brittle and purposely awkward persona to more than just a five-minute character is Ghost Town.

Gervais is Bertram Pincus, a dentist in New York City who hates people. He loves his job, mostly because once a patient sits down in the chair, they can't (or shouldn't) be talking to him. Pincus is reserved and unwilling to talk to anyone, even his dentist colleague (Aasif Mandvi, from The Daily Show). The real story starts when he gets a colonoscopy that goes so wrong that he dies for over six minutes. After being brought back to life, Pincus finds that he has the truly unwelcome ability to see dead people, dead people who have unfinished business that only he can help with. The pushiest one is Frank (Kinnear), who died just after having to explain to his wife, Gwen (Leoni), that the apartment he was planning to move in to with his mistress was really a surprise for her. Frank won't let Pincus go without a fight, so Pincus has no choice but to help Frank out with a task: convince Gwen, in some way, to not re-marry.

Of course, romance does ensue between Pincus and Gwen, there are complications, he has to tell her his big secret, and so forth. What works here more than in most films is the crackling chemistry between the three leads, mostly coaxed out by Gervais' humor and charm. Ghost Town is a rare film, in that there are sequences in the movie where Gervais makes a wisecrack and another character actually laughs. In fact, one dinner sequence with Gervais and Leoni features so many giggles from the latter actor, it appears very obvious that the scene is no longer between two characters, but two actors. It's actually refreshing to see people laugh in a comedy, laugh realistically, laugh at something or someone who's funny. Gervais is just that, laugh-out-loud funny. Even in the early scenes, where we see how much of a hermit Pincus is and how much he doesn't want to have a colonoscopy, Gervais shines. Despite the comedy toning down a bit in the final 20 minutes or so, there's no way to damp out the performance he's giving, especially as he sells the drama of his character as well as the comedy. Anyone familiar with his television work knows how easily he can make comedy turn into tragedy. Nothing is as painfully sad in Ghost Town as in, say, The Office, but there's no question that when Pincus explains why he has become such a shell of a man, we buy it; we even buy his last-minute pleading to Gwen, as formulaic as it may be.

As I mentioned above, the entire cast shines here. Kinnear, usually stuck playing flat straight men, gets a good chance to bring out the pricklier side as Frank, a guy who usually gets what he wants and acts out when the opposite happens. Leoni, an actress who I'm usually not the biggest fan of, is quite luminous here as a paleontologist with a strong sense of humor, even if her dour fiance's lacking in that department (Bill Campbell, worth a few laughs here). Still, much of the humor of this film comes from Pincus dealing with the dead; whether it's Kinnear or a naked man accosting him while he's trying to talk to Gwen, Pincus's constant attempts to not sound completely insane while talking to people only he can see often bring out the best comedy in the movie.

If you have not seen Ghost Town, you really must rent it. I'd imagine most Gervais fans have seen the film, but if you're one of the few who might want to avoid it as, for example, Gervais isn't the credited writer on the project, take heart: there's more than enough of the best Ricky Gervais has to offer here. Whether you find it on pay cable or on Blu-ray/DVD, seek this one out. There were more overlooked movies in 2008 simply because they were independently released, but Ghost Town, as I said earlier this week, was the most overlooked mainstream movie of last year, and a great one to boot.