Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Michael Angarano. Action/adventure/sci-fi. Written by John Fusco. Directed by Rob Minkoff.
FILM SYNOPSIS: An American teen is transported back in time to ancient China, where he joins a crew of warriors to help free the king, who has been placed under a spell and turned into stone.
PREVIEW REVIEW: Jackie Chan and Jet Li, both in the same kick-action thriller! If only Bruce Lee was still with us and in this one, that would make it the trifecta of what’s respectfully referred to as “kick-suey” action fantasies.
You don’t have to worry about any faux-literate verbiage or deep social messages. This film is just pure escapism, filled to the brim with martial arts kicks and flips and lighthearted absurdity. I suppose you could find some symbolism and perhaps the characters are representative of good and evil, but I think it’s stretching it a bit to find our young hero to be a messianic figure. This is just a fine example of the genre, with Mr. Li and Mr. Chan doing what they do best. Both actors display a good sense of humor and both choreograph the martial arts battles with all the aplomb of a Fred Astaire dance sequence. (That’s a compliment, for those who don’t know Fred Astaire.) It lacks the artistry and substance of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and though the plot does little more than a cameo, still it generates whimsy and the leads are likeable.
The fly in the dim sum, however, is the incessant violence. While it is supposed to be whimsical, and though we come to expect one martial arts battle after another in these films, there are also some jolting acts of brutality that detract from the playful tone. An old man is shot by a gang of modern day teens, while others are killed by sword, knives and slings and arrows. I suppose your level of acceptance will rely upon your appreciation for the genre. If you like martial arts movies, I’d say this is a pretty good one. If you see very few of them, you may object to the amount of physical pummeling.
Distributor: Lionsgate
Skewering comic documentary from Morgan Spurlock (Super Size Me).
FILM SYNOPSIS: Witty documentarian Morgan Spurlock has recovered from the overeating he did at McDonald’s for his Super Size Me. Now he’s taking on the political world. He trains like a secret agent and travels to the Middle East to do what the FBI, the CIA and all of America’s military might can’t do: find the world’s leading terrorist. Throughout his mission he talks to political and military leaders as well as ordinary citizens of Egypt, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, seeking their views of America and Osama. It’s flippant at times, poignant at others, as Spurlock himself questions America’s political strategy.
PREVIEW REVIEW: I suppose there are two ways of perceiving this film. It could be seen as a biting satire of the ineptness and corruption of our government, not just in its handling of Iraq, but with almost every other American intervention. Or, perhaps the film can be seen as an indictment of all nations in general. Either way, such films – and there have been a bunch of them in the past two years – wallow in America’s faults and foibles without suggesting its strengths. Overall, they give the impression that our enemies have more soul, while we are the devils.
Here the filmmaker says he loves his country, yet I see no indication of that affection. Perhaps he does. So, why not relay some positives to the world concerning our agendas and our makeup. Both our people and our government have been there countless times to feed and inoculate those in need of food and medicine. We’ve sacrificed countless lives in order to stabilize the world and defeat tyranny. And once we defeated those who attempted to destroy us, we turned around and helped rebuild their land and generate their economy. I can’t remember when a filmmaker attempted to remind the world of those facts.
After WWII, when Russia was exacting revenge upon Germany by closing off Berlin from the rest of the world, literally starving that city to death, America and England revealed their Anglo compassion. We came to Berlin’s aid by having our flyers drop supplies at their own peril, including candy for kids. In order to not be confrontational with Russian military, our planes were unarmed. Hmmm, never saw a film about that.
A couple of years after Iran held Americans hostage, that country underwent a devastating earthquake. Who was the first to send aid? Oh, yeah, America. Hmmm. Never saw that movie, either.
Mr. Spurlock’s comedy is amusing, but his perspective is limited and naïve. Though he takes a few swipes at the ignorance and hostility of some in Muslim nations, he seems accepting of anyone’s on-camera quotes concerning America or Osama. Right now when U. S. citizens are most confused about our presence in Iraq, Spurlock’s position seems justified. But does this perspective include all the facts – or has he chosen just those that give strength to his agenda?
Distributor: The Weinstein Company
Jason Segel, Paul Rudd, Kristen Bell, Mila Kunis. Comedy. Written by Jason Segel. Directed by Nicholas Stoller.
FILM SYNOPSIS: From the producers of The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Knocked Up comes a comic look at a sloppy slacker’s arduous quest to get over the heartbreak of being dumped by his fiancée. After an unsuccessful bout of womanizing and an on-the-job nervous breakdown, he sets out to clear his head by vacationing in Hawaii. But the nightmare continues when he discovers his ex and her hip new British-rocker boyfriend have checked into the same hotel.
PREVIEW REVIEW: One step at a time, one film at a time, a young generation has become consumed by the crassness, vulgarity and bad taste that masquerades as comic entertainment. Teens and twenty-somethings must assume by now that all humor comes from jolting shock value, because, with few exceptions, that’s all they’re presented at the local cineplex. In Roget’s Thesaurus, behind the word comedy, nineteen synonyms are listed, including comedy of manners, farce, satire, slapstick, play of wit and burlesque. None of these terms honestly describes the efforts of many of today’s comic filmmakers. Most funnymen of today mine their gags from below the surfaces of bawdy and burlesque.
The easiest way to make someone laugh is by surprising them with a visual that counters public decency. We are told from childhood that we shouldn’t pass gas in front of someone or discuss the functions of the male penis in front of the opposite sex. So, when someone does these things on screen, it evokes a stunned reaction, which is then released through involuntary laughter, much like a sneeze. This sort of visual is not generated from clever wit, but rather, from sophomoric startlement. Frankly, it bugs me. Writers of whimsy are either told by studio honchos to write down (which should insult moviegoers) or they just don’t have the imagination to come up with a humorous view of the human condition without the aid of scatological coarseness. And that’s my problem with this film. Its humor never strays far from the bathroom.
Jason Segel, who displays a gentle side on How I Met Your Mother and a buffoonish Neanderthal in Knocked Up, has written the screenplay, giving himself the lead. Not that he should be proud of that achievement. We’ve seen this same boorish man-child dozens of times in the past few years. He’s a slob, like most of Will Ferrell’s man-childs. Indeed, ever since The Odd Couple’s Oscar Madison declared “I got brown sandwiches and green sandwiches,” the screen perception of the male bachelor has been that of an unkempt, uncouth slob. Well, not in my house. Felix Unger is my hero. But I digress.
Austin Power’s Mike Myers has confessed that there are no limits to where screen humor should be mined – high or low brow chuckles are all the same. So, along with his clever concept of Dr. Evil guesting on a Jerry Springer show, musing over the difficulties of being a super villain, he has also created Fat Bastard, an obese antagonist who spends much of his screen time describing his need to defecate. Will Ferrell adheres to this anything-for-a-laugh philosophy by running around in what seems nearly every film covered only by dingy underwear. And now Jason Segel follows in this mindset, by shedding his boxers to display his hind quarters, and on several occasions also revealing the man-child’s favorite organ. (That visual resulted in lots of giggles from an astonished screening audience – the first time. By the third exposure, we began to wonder if Mr. Segel supplemented his income by doing porno.)
Now, don’t misunderstand, I’m not saying that viewing a bared private part will lead us all back to cave-dwelling. I am suggesting – with the evidence of each proceeding envelope-pushing comic movie to back up my theory – that film humor is getting more prurient and less smart. You’re being insulted and cheated by filmmakers who get rich by aiming down.
This may seem more a critique of our culture than of this movie. But how else do you review this film? Universal Studios has enough money to hire a competent cameraman and enough loot to take cast and crew to pretty locations. And because they’ve been making comedies for a hundred years, they know how to tickle the funny bone. Today’s producers just give ticket buyers what they want. Or at least what they are willing to accept.
DVD alternatives: The Awful Truth. This classic screwball comedy has Cary Grant and Irene Dunne as a divorced couple sabotaging each other’s new relationships. Grant reveals his expert touch with physical and verbal comic timing. Forget its age, it’s a perfect comedy.
Or:
I.Q. (1994) Walter Matthau, Meg Ryan, Tim Robbins. Albert Einstein has fun putting aside his physics to play Cupid for his pedantic niece and the local good guy/car mechanic. Romantic, literate and downright funny. PG (one scene features sexual double entendre and there are two mild expletives, but I caught no sexual situations, violence, or obscene language).
Distributor: Universal
George Clooney, Renée Zellweger, John Krasinski, Jonathan Pryce. Romantic comedy. Written by Duncan Brantley & Rick Reilly. Directed by George Clooney.
FILM SYNOPSIS: This quick-witted romantic comedy is set against the backdrop of America’s nascent pro-football league in 1925. Clooney plays Dodge Connolly, a charming, brash football hero who is determined to guide his team from bar brawls to packed stadiums. But after the players lose their sponsor and the entire league faces certain collapse, Dodge convinces a college football star to join his ragtag ranks. The captain hopes his latest move will help the struggling sport finally capture the country’s attention.
Welcome to the team Carter Rutherford (John Krasinski), America’s favorite son. A golden-boy war hero who single-handedly forced multiple German soldiers to surrender in WWI, Carter has dashing good looks and unparalleled speed on the field. This new champ is almost too good to be true, and Lexie Littleton (Zellweger) aims to prove that’s the case. A cub journalist playing in the big leagues, Lexie is a spitfire newswoman who suspects there are holes in Carter’s war story. But while she digs, the two teammates start to become serious off-field rivals for her fickle affections.
PREVIEW REVIEW: Just one fly in the ointment. We’ll get to that in a moment. First, the positive. George Clooney is incredibly gifted. His looks and persona resonate with those of the stars of Hollywood’s Golden Era. (Burt Lancaster and Clark Gable had nothing on this guy.) He’s a true movie star and a talented actor as sly with comedy (O Brother, Where Art Thou?) as he is provocative with drama (Michael Clayton). What’s more, he seems to have spent time watching the work of the masters, from John Ford and Orson Welles to Lubitsch and Cukor, (not to mention the Coen Brothers), for he now applies the same sparkle to the films he directs. To top off his gifts, he’s wise. He surrounds himself with cinematographers, art and set decorators and other technicians who make him look brilliant. He knows when to rein in actors and when to give them screen space. Indeed, performers like working with him because he makes them feel important and they trust his judgement. And from all indications, Mr. Clooney is a nice guy. Man, he’s got it packaged, doesn’t he? When it comes to making movies, he’s as good as you get.
And so is this film. With more than a wink and a nod to His Girl Friday, handsome Clooney and hubba-hubba Zellweger banter with zesty repartee seldom seen in today’s movies. With its brassy score, golden hue look, and award-worthy art and set decoration, plus a witty script that incorporates the right touches of zaniness, whimsy and heart, the production is the best film of the year – well, so far.
Now for that ointment-covered fly. Mr. Clooney uses the expression “G..D…” in nearly every film he stars. He does it here, as well. And to prove that women are just as emancipated as men, Ms. Zellweger also uses the profane term. Now, I’ve gone on about this misuse of God’s name a great deal in the past. You know where I stand. Don’t have to say anymore. I realize that. But if the world’s biggest movie star uses it in every film, no matter the genre, I intend to rebuff its use and the actor’s ignoring of the fourth Commandment as often as he brakes God’s rules. (By the way, the film is all about the fun of breaking all the rules.)
All right, so profanity is irreverence toward God, big deal. In the grand scheme of things, profanity falls short as one of the great no-nos. Right? Wrong! Showing reverence toward the Almighty, which includes not taking His name in vain, is right at the top of the list of Ten Commandments, found in Exodus 20. This ruling comes before covetness, adultery and, yes, killing. “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name” (Exodus 20:4 NIV).
Every time I hear George Clooney take God’s name in vain I wonder if he knows it’s like fingernails on a chalkboard to Believers? Would that fact make him more circumspect concerning its use?
Distributor: Universal
Jodie Foster, Abigail Breslin, Gerard Butler. Action/adventure/sci-fi/comedy.
FILM SYNOPSIS: A young girl’s imagination rules the island she and her dad call home. It is an existence that mirrors that of her favorite literary character, Alex Rover - the world's greatest adventurer. But Alexandra, the author of the Rover books, leads a reclusive life in the big city – just her, her quirks, and the imaginary protagonist of her bestsellers. When Nim's aquatic scientist father gets lost at sea, the ten-year-old (played by the much older Breslin) gets spooked by a suddenly smoking volcano, the scrape on her knee and the approaching ship with the name Buccaneer. With the aid of a laptop and a twist of fate, Nim is about to be rescued by the phobic author of her favorite books.
PREVIEW REVIEW: Rather than a love/hate response to the screening, my emotional reaction is more of a like/ho-hum response. For non-discriminating children, it’s passable entertainment. After all, it’s a kid ruling an island surrounded by adoring sea lions and smarter-than-the-average pelicans, and a volcano to explore. But once they get to the point where children ask questions about credibility, I think even they will become disenchanted.
As for accompanying adults, most will become fidgety after the promising beginning begins to remind them of TV’s Flipper. Ms. Breslin is nearing that awkward age, when cuteness takes a backseat to adolescent awkwardness. As for Ms. Foster, well, her performance explains why she doesn’t do more comedy.
Nim sleeps with her head resting on the back of a walrus that never seems to get into the water, and her pet pelican squawks and honks communication to his (or her) humans with all the reasoning ability of Bullwinkle’s Mr. Peabody, the pedantic dog who traveled through time. Alexandra Rover displays every neuroses of TV’s Monk, without the comic prowess of Tony Shalhoub, and Nim, who’s supposed to be bright and helpful to her scientist father, doesn’t know how to care for a scraped knee. And the invading pirates turn out to be non-threatening tourists from a cruise ship, disappointing as there is no climatic battle scene. Then there’s that volcano that threatens to erupt. By film’s end, it’s quickly forgotten. Not a phrase studio publicists want to hear – “quickly forgotten.”
But it’s not a bad film. Like I said, kids may get a kick out of it. Parents, bring a book.
Distributor: Fox/Walden