Keeping It Reel

More Marvel Mayhem

I'm almost ashamed to admit that I had been waiting for this movie ever since seeing the previews for it in the Special Features of the first dvd.  Almost, but not really.  There's nothing wrong with getting your superhero fix on.  Just ask my friend Sue, aka, Wonder Woman.

"The Ultimate Avengers 2" finds the Avengers pretty much disassembled with all of them dealing with their own personal issues in different parts of the world.  Of course that is when a world crisis emerges and the problem becomes not only getting them back together but the logistics of making it possible because of their spread out locations.

This movie marks the first appearance of the hero Black Panther in a motion picture.  At one point, there was talk of Wesley Snipes portraying him in a real-life action movie.  I still think it could work; however, not with an aging Snipes.  There can never be enough Black superheroes as far as I'm concerned.

Lost of action in this one again although not as well choreographed as the first one.  I can't believe I'm mentioning choreography when talking about a cartoon.  It is the truth though.  Also, they definitely could have used more of the Hulk wreckin' shop.  I don't care if he never was a good fit as an Avenger, they need him in the fold and should have found a way to incorporate him more.

All the shorties liked this one as much as the first one.  For me, it didn't have quite as much bite.  Nevertheless, even though there don't seem to be any plans for it on the horizon, I will still be anxiously awaiting number three.

My rating:  B

This Goes Out to All the Losers Out There

On the surface, it seemed like such a promising concept for a movie.  Three thirty-something losers trying to prove they won't be losers forever.  It also seemed like they were right on track having three actors who couldn't have been better typecast for the parts.  So what went wrong?

Maybe it was just me, but as I was sitting there viewing  "Benchwarmers" , I felt oddly uncomfortable about watching grown men compete against little kids and take pride in the fact they were beating them.  Strangely enough, that bothers me yet seeing Adam Sandler bean little kids playing dodgeball in "Billy Madison" was hilarious.  Needless to say, I must have a cog loose somewhere.

"Benchwarmers" did have its moments.  Unfortunately, they weren't near as many as I thought they would be with a reliable wit like David Spade in it.  Plus, I'm now convinced that Jon Heder is destined to be a one-dimensional actor with very limited opportunities.  Congratulations on your flash-in-the-pan status, Jon.  At least "Napoleon Dynamite" was one heck of a one hit wonder to have.

This one was full of absurd feel-good messages they tried to jumble together in the end.  Don't be a bully...give the kids with lesser talent a chance...don't lie to your friends...don't hold your past mistakes against yourself.  I got one:  just make us laugh and leave the morals to the dramas.

My rating:  C-

No Worms Were Injured During the Filming of This Movie?

Have we really gotten that PC and whipped by PETA that we're even worried about the humane treatment of worms?!  Give me a break already.

"How to Eat Fried Worms" was a book that I think nearly every person from my generation read at sometime during their elementary years.  Afterall, during our elementary years, reading was one of the main entertainment options in lieu of 24-hour cable, computers and PS2.  I still can't understand how none of those Judy Blume books have been translated to the big screen yet.

At any rate, I only vaguely remember the book.  I remember the premise though and it was a kid trying to fit in to a new school makes a bet that he can eat 10 worms in the span of less than a day.  The one thing the movie does excel at is as disgusting as it read as a book, it plays even better seeing it on the big screen.

What I couldn't get past was how limited these shorties imaginations were in this movie.  Who of you out there with siblings and/or best friends in grade school didn't play the "Bet you won't eat/drink this" game?  You made some of the nastiest concoctions known to man.  Now eating worms is sick enough, but they still let him off easy with their choices of the worm-meals they made.

This kid-vid played much better than I expected.  It helped that Tom Cavanaugh's role pulls in the adult sense of humor.  Sure, the ending was a bit unrealistic since we all know the possibility of bullies becoming your friend is slim to none.  Still an enjoyable family flick...if you can stomach it.

My rating:  B

College Without Accountability

I will usually try to reserve my time invested in theater movies for those big action flicks that require the big screen or stars that have proven themselves.  Therefore, this choice was a little bit of a switch for me.  Fortunately, I had seen and heard that it was getting good reviews; plus, I already knew I wanted to see it anyway so I was good to go.

"Accepted" is the story of Bartleby Gaines, played by Justin Long, who has ambitions for an education beyond high school, even if it turns out not being legitimate by society's standards.  When he's rejected for the umpteenth time by even his safety net choice for a college, he decides to invent his own.  One thing leads to another and before you know it, the fake college worst kept secret with hundreds of similar kids wanting to be a part of it.

They couldn't have picked a better actor for this part.  Long's the classical supporting actor who's been stealing scenes now for flicks like "Galaxy Quest", "Dodgeball" and "Waiting..."  just to mention a few.  He finally deserved a shot to carry a movie.  Ironically enough, as good as he is here, it's someone else who pulls a Justin Long and steals every scene he's in .  No clue who Jonah Hill is, but he absolutely owned the movie as Sherman Schrader. 

As with any far-fetched comedy, "Accepted" wasn't without its inconsistencies.  Like how improbable it would be for the parents of well over 300 would-be losers to pay for 4-years of college tuition up front having only seen a website of the school.  And the "Animal House" inspired school board scene at the ending was a bit much.  Still, there was more than enough in between to make it up for it.

My Rating:  B

Death Comes a Knockin' Again

Apparently, I must be on a sequel and/or remake kick lately.  That's all I've been seeming to watch as of recent.  It hasn't been intentional, it's just been the way it's happened to work out.  I probably should break that pattern pretty soon so I can see if there are some fresh ideas in cinema that I've been missing.

The latest sequel to be blessed with my presence was "Final Destination 3".  The premise is the same as it was in its two predecessors:  a high school kid foresees a tragedy about to happen, warns his/her schoolmates, some survive and some don't and the grim reaper comes looking for those that avoided their fate.  Ever since the first movie, I've always thought it was an excellent concept for a horror movie.

The one major problem with this particular flick is the acting is pretty terrible.  I can see the obvious appeal is using teenage actors for these type of roles.  It will attract that younger demographic since they're the biggest market for these movies.  Who cares if the quality's not up to par, right?

One addition available only on dvd is the "Choose-a-fate" option.  Does anyone else remember those type books that were popular back in grade school?  The dvd allows you at certain points to choose a direction and one choice can have a different outcome for the movie.  Some of the choices don't alter it that much; however, the fact that the dvd even has that option was a nice touch.

Another huge plus this definitely had going for it was the death scenes.  This may sound a bit morbid, but they had some of the most creative methods of people dying that I've ever seen in a horror movie.  As a matter of fact, a couple of times I actually had to back up to watch again to make sure I really did see what I thought I just saw.  That creativity helped the overall rating of this film dramatically.

My rating:  B

Parodies Aplenty

For better or worse, it was probably the "Scary Movie" franchise that gave rebirth to the stream of parody movies that are constantly coming out.  The first two with the Wayans brothers at the helm were already pretty good so I was a little leery to see any future ones when I heard they weren't on board anymore.  Amazingly enough, they really have still been pretty decent.

Unlike most sequels, "Scary Movie 4" doesn't require you to have any insight into the previous movies to enjoy it.  In fact, none of them do.  They all focus on making fun of movies and pop culture phenomenon that are out at the same time.  As long as you are up on that, you'll be fine.

This one tries so hard to make you laugh that several of the jokes really aren't funny.  The reason why that doesn't matter is because there are TONS of jokes all throughout the flick.  So even if you only find some of them funny, it's probably still more than most of the legitimate comedy movies out there will give you.

My favorite moments were the "Brokeback Mountain" and "Village" references and even the intro scene with Shaq and Dr. Phil.  Beyond that, there are several other small snickers here and there.  Everyone will get something different out of the movie.  That's the beauty of the parody films.  If done right, different folks will find different parts humorous.  This one was done right.

My rating:  B-

Just One of the Guys Too

That's what they might as well have called this one.  Yet another attempt to remake one of my 80s guilty pleasures into a film that today's generation could appreciate because they'll use the Hollywood teeny bopper du jour.  Well of course I had to see what damage they could do to it.

Amanda Bynes is the one they've chosen this time around for the trans-gender role in "She's the Man".  Actually, she's the boy as she tries to pass for her twin brother to make the rival soccer team of her current school so she can show up her boyfriend who also plays on her current school's soccer team while she develops a love interest in the soccer stud of her new school who's crushin' on a girl who likes Bynes as a guy.  Clear as mud?  Predictably enough, you already know where this one is going.  Especially if you remember the 80s cheese "Just One of the Guys".

I've never seen Amanda's show on Nickelodeon so I had no idea what to expect regarding what she would bring to the role.  What she brought was a lot of over-the-top simpleton corniness.  The strange thing is it was SO corny that parts of it was actually funny.  Sure, she didn't look the least bit believable as a guy, but some of her mannerisms did at least make me smirk.

The one who really deserves the credit here is David Cross as a "confused" principal.  He has yet to have a legitimate starring role in any movie yet every supporting role he's given, he nearly steals the show.  He helped to make this one watchable.

Naturally, I'm partial to the original since it came from my era.  In fact, the gal in that one looked better as a female than Bynes AND at least somewhat believable as a guy.  However, this one was better than I expected so I will give them credit for trying.

My rating:  C+

Wonder Twins Power Activate

It comes as no surprise that with the modest success of "The Gospel" and the bigger success of other religious-based flicks like Tyler Perry's work that church movies are coming into their own.  Unfortunately, not all of them can get the big Hollywood backing.  That means they are destined for that straight-to-dvd market.

"Preaching to the Choir" first caught my attention on a short trailer I saw on another dvd.  It's the story of two twin brothers who lose both parents at an early age and get raised by their God-fearing aunt.  Because of the way their parents die, they can either choose to be very bitter and keep that with them or accept God's decisions and move on.  Each chooses a different path, giving the movie its own version of Cain and Abel. 

It doesn't have any big name stars in it so it already had an uphill battle.  Well unless you count Patti LaBelle's brief appearance.  She's still got the golden pipes.  Still, she probably could have done with a little less make-up...and a lot less plastic surgery.

Actually, what this seems to be more of is a combination of "The Gospel", "Sister Act" and "The Fighting Temptations".  If done right, it would be a great formula.  If done wrong, it could be like too many cooks spoiling the stew.  The latter would be the case here.

Like "Sister Act" and "The Fighting Temptations", there is a subplot involving a choir that is in need of guidance.  The problem in this flick is that the evolution of the choir isn't very believable.  There is no Beyonce or Lauryn Hill ingredient inserted into the choir that would cause the makeover to seem plausible.

It is good to see Adebisi and Mums of "Oz" fame getting a shot at some major roles here.  Even if Adebisi's character does have a ridiculous sounding raspy voice to try to make his character distinguishable.  They probably think it's making him seem intimidating.  Whatever they were thinking, it doesn't improve the performance at all.

There is excellent music throughout though.  Most gospel-themed movies can usually be counted on for that.  It always seems that in a gospel movie it's always the music that is the saving grace, no matter how average the movie itself is.  This one is about average at best.

My rating:  C-

Two Heads Are Better Than One

Usually, when a sequel comes out, I would try to watch the original again before checking out the sequel so I can refresh myself with where the predecessor left off.  Now there are exceptions to the rule like "Star Wars" or "X-Men" where the original may left such an indelible impression that there was no need to revisit it again for an umpteenth time.  However, in the lesser known flicks, it's usually a necessity.

Such was the case with "Underworld".  I remember that I liked it but only watched it once and couldn't remember all the intricacies about it.  So when "Underworld: Evolution" came out, I knew it would be in my best interest to get refreshed on what had happened last.  I never got around to it and fortunately, it didn't matter too much.

"Evolution" did an excellent job of recapping the story for you in the beginning of it.  That not only helps for those of us that can't remember the first one but also for those who never saw it.  In addition, it also allowed this one to be its own stand alone movie.

The thing I liked best about this one is it's not your typical "hero" movie where the star saves the day all by their lonesome.  As fierce as Kate Beckinsale is, she needs the help of the hybrid Michael to defeat the werewolf and vampire kings. 

Another plus is it doesn't really bill itself as a horror movie but it almost was with some of the intense "action" scenes.  They were better than most of the legitimate horror movies that are out there these days.  Consequently, it was also better than most of the crop of the action movies that are out.  One more sequel that doesn't disappoint.

My rating:  B

Still Not Real Athletes

It's ironic that as much junk as I talk about the event of NASCAR, two of the best movies I have now seen this year are centered around that "activity" (used in lieu of the word "sport").  Hollywood knows a good thing when they see it and since the fascination is getting bigger, why not capitalize on it?  I ain't mad at them.

"Talladega Nights:  The Ballad of Ricky Bobby" centers on Will Ferrell's character's quick ascension to the top, his fall and his inevitable rise again.  Some have called it "Anchorman" at 200 miles an hour.  I really don't think that's a fair comparison.  This movie holds it own very well without comparison to another Will Ferrell vehicle.

I was afraid that before I saw this, I would have already seen the funniest parts in the trailers.  Thankfully, I was wrong.  As a matter of fact, even the funniest parts from the trailer are elaborated more in the movie which makes it even better to watch.

As if Ferrell wasn't already good enough, this one has several members of the supporting cast that helped to give it teeth.  An always reliable Michael Clarke Duncan, proving once again he can do drama and comedy equally as good.  John C. Reilly doing the same.  And Gary Cole of "Office Space" fame nailing the part of Ricky Bobby's deadbeat dad.  Oh, and don't even get me started on Ali G as the french racer Jean Girard.

I'm sold now that Will Ferrell can really do no wrong.  Now I don't know if he'll ever make the turn and try to do dramatic flicks, but he's got to be the current king of the ad-lib right about now.  There hasn't been a movie he's made yet that I haven't liked.  And yes, I'm including "Kicking and Screaming" and especially "Bewitched".  Even his cameos make movies better. 

I still don't pretend to know all the nuances of NASCAR driving.   Heck, I would have thought Talledega was a made-up event for this movie if I hadn't looked it up.  However, there were scenes in this movie that proved even more how much technique is involved with it.  I'm sure just like "Days of Thunder", it was pretty far-fetched for diehard NASCAR fans.  I'm sure even moreso in this case since it was a comedy.  It doesn't matter.  This movie did it justice as far as I'm concerned and Will Ferrell is pure gold.

My rating:  A-