Keeping It Reel

Fantastic Four : The Rise of the Silver Surfer

Contrary to all the negative pub it received, I actually liked the first movie so I'm looking forward to this one.  I never have been a huge Silver Surfer person but I don't recall him ever having the powers they show in this movie.  Regardless, I'm diggin' them.  Add that and the fact that there's rumors Galactus AND Doom are going to be in this one and this has the makings of another Marvel smash...

A Dream Come True

Don't you just love it when a movie is all you expected and a WHOLE lot more?  You would think that with the star power of Eddie Murphy, Jamie Foxx and Beyonce that "Dreamgirls" already had high hopes.  Not to mention that it was interpreted from an already extremely successful Broadway musical.  Still, I had no idea what I was in for.

I had heard somewhere that the story was based VERY loosely off the real-life Supremes and a little bit of Motown's humble beginnings.  It didn't matter if that was the case or not.  So far, every movie I've seen with the premise of tracing a music group's ascension to stardom and the bumps along the way always seem to fascinate me for some reason.

With all the stars that are strewn throughout this movie, there is one person that gives "Dreamgirls" its heart AND soul.  Former American Idol standout Jennifer Hudson.  There's a moment about 3/4 the way thru the film when she busts out Jennifer Holiday's "And I Am Telling You".  I never would have thought anyone could carry that like Holiday but she BLEW IT UP.  They could have ended the film right there with that performance.  It's a good thing they didn't though because she comes through again at the end and rips it up with the song "Dreamgirls". 

There has only been one other film I've been to where the audience actually applauded at the end:  "The Empire Strikes Back" - 1980.  Personally, I have never understood that concept because it's not like we're at the premiere or as if any of the people responsible for the movie can hear you clapping for them.  However, when they roll the end credits and show each actor/actress one by one and show Hudson's name, you almost had to applaud.  Who cares if she wasn't there to hear it.  The gal was unbelievably phenomenal.

It's also good to have Eddie back.  I don't mean back on the big screen after a few years, I mean the old Eddie from our day of his "Raw" and early "Beverly Hills Cop" lore.  It's the unedited adult-oriented Eddie that my generation grew up with before he started appealing to our shorties with his family fare.

Simply put, "Dreamgirls" was amazing.  I left the theater awestruck.  Any expectation I had set for that movie based was so far surpassed that it seemed inconceivable.  I had heard that the original play had come to Des Moines and I could kick myself for not going to it, no matter how long ago it may have been.  I know I won't be missing it the next time it comes thru.  Don't let this treasure pass you by.

My rating:  A+

One to Add to Your Collection

Football movies are usually pretty reliable sources of entertainment for any sports fan.  At least for me they are.  Even when the actual football scenes aren't that realistic and may be borderline cheesy ("Necessary Roughness", "The Replacements") the fact that it's still a football movie bodes well.  Actually, those previous two weren't good examples because they really weren't very good flicks.  Anyway...

"Friday Night Lights" was a rare combination where it involved football, based on a true story AND good game sequences.  It's based on H.G. Bissinger's book of the same name which focuses on a 1988 Texas city of Odessa where football is everything.  It follows the escapades of that city's high school team vying for a state championship run with new head coach Gary Gaines, played by Billy Bob Thornton.

For me, it's always fun to watch movies that took place during my high school years.  This one was even better yet as it happened during my senior year.  Of course I don't remember this being in the news back then but at a time when there was no internet and we  didn't live in Texas, how would I have known anyway?

The way in which "Lights" was shot is part of what makes it great.  They use a documentary-style technique where it has the feel that you're watching archival footage instead of actors.  It helps to lend to the credibility of the film, especially during the game scenes.

The dvd has extra bonuses where you get to see where the real people are today.  Not only that, it has shots and video of what they looked like at the time this occurred.  Even though Derek Luke did a marvelous job as Boobie Miles, he paled in comparison to the real version.  The video footage showed Boobie looking like a men among boys with his large stature and Bo Jackson-like runs.

It never even dawned on me that "Friday Night Lights" would make a great premise for a television show.  Luckily, it did to someone and it's turning out to be one of the current best shows on at the moment.  It all started with the movie that's a must-see for not only sports fans but anybody that appreciates good drama.

A Christmas Story

I had never gotten around to watching this movie until just now.  There's really no excuse for it either.  Especially when TBS has made it a tradition to have "A Christmas Story" marathon for 24 hours straight starting on Christmas Eve. It's another film where I had seen bits and pieces but never the entire thing.

For anyone else who's been putting it off as well, the story is about 9-year-old Ralphie Parker who only wants one thing for Christmas:  an official Red Ryder carbine-action 200-shot range model BB rifle with a compass in the stock.  He becomes obsessed with it.  Nevermind the fact that everyone reminds him he'll shoot his eye out.  It doesn't sway his determination one bit.

This was made in 1983 but is set in the 1940s.  This would have been back in the days when America was supposedly a more wholesome place.  That's why when Ralphie unintentionally drops an F-bomb, everyone acts as though he's just committed blasphemy.  True, no 9- year-old should be talking like that anyway but the overreaction it gets from these characters is priceless.

At one point, Ralphie blames one of his friends for his foul language, saying he heard it from him.  In fact, he heard it from his father.  Even the mom knows he heard it from that source because they have both heard him around the house cursing up in storm.  Since she's in denial, she calls up the mother of Ralphie's friend.  You can hear her beating her child senseless over the phone.  That would have been acceptable in the 40s and even in the 80s when this was made.  Nowadays, they'd call that child abuse.  Too bad because that type of discipline is exactly what's missing today which explains why we have so many children growing up with no respect for authority.

It turns out Ralphie does get the BB gun afterall so there is a happy ending.  Well almost.  He does nearly shoot his eye out after the several warnings that he had dismissed.  That was really his parents fault though.  Why would you shoot at a target with an aluminum sign behind it?  He should have went ahead and aimed at birds and animals like I did with my BB gun I had when I as a preteen.

I had already completed my top 12 list of Christmas movies before watching this one.  I honestly didn't think it would be good enough to make the list and it turns out I was mistaken.  "A Christmas Story" probably should supplant "The Preacher's Wife" in its #12 spot.  Not quite good enough that it should be shown ALL day during Christmas, but I will cave and say it deserves to be a Christmas classic.

My rating:  B+

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

Before we move right to the anti-climatic number one Christmas movie of all-time, let us review the top 12:

• 12 - The Preacher's Wife
• 11 - The Family Man
• 10 - Scrooged
• 9 - How the Grinch Stole Christmas
• 8 - Elf
• 7 - Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
• 6 - It's a Wonderful Life
• 5 - Friday After Next
• 4 - Santa Claus is Coming to Town
• 3 - Bad(der) Santa
• 2 - A Charlie Brown Christmas

And #1 of all- time...

1 - National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

There may have been other Christmas catastrophe movies before this, but none of them were near as good.  As far as I'm concerned "Christmas Vacation" set the standard for all the other movies that would come along later and try to recreate what happens when everything goes wrong during the most wonderful time of the year.

"Christmas Vacation" was the second in a series of "Vacation" movies.  After the first one became an instant classic, I was skeptical that they could make another one just as funny.  They were able to pull it off, even though it definitely should have stopped with this one. Ironically, this may have been the last good movie Chevy Chase ever made.

We find food-additive genius Clark Griswold trying to entertain a house full of family to celebrate Christmas.  As if it wasn't bad enough that the folks AND the in-laws are all crammed under the same roof, crazy cousin Eddie shows up uninvited with his whole clan.  It still cracks me up to see Eddie walking around in the thin, skin-tight sweater with a black dickie underneath.

I also like it how they switched the kids out with every "Vacation" movie.  They didn't even try to make them look remotely similar.  Not only that, they had no regards for age either.  The Russell in "Christmas Vacation" was clearly younger than Anthony Michael Hall's version of him in the original.  It was the little things like that will keep you laughing.

For anyone that enjoys a good Christmas movie as well as a good comedy, "Christmas Vacation" fulfills both of those needs.  It's one of the rare Christmas movies that can be enjoyed all year round. 

A Charlie Brown Christmas

Wrapping up the best Christmas movies of all time...

2 - A Charlie Brown Christmas

Yes, it was just 25 minutes long.  So what if it was technically just a television special.  It will always be the one feature that anyone who didn't live under a rock will remember as the effervescent Christmas classic. 

If you don't know the plot by now, you are probably one of only a handful of people in the free world who doesn't.  Charlie Brown is turned off by all the commercialism he sees around him and tries to find the true meaning of Christmas.  He takes on the task of directing the school Christmas pageant which winds up being even more frustrating for him.  In comes Linus to save the day.

There is one scene in here that I particularly like.  Linus gets on his soapbox and delivers a monologue filled with Biblical references.  He relays the message of the birth of Jesus in simplistic terms that his peers could understand.  In today's politically-correct ladened society, networks wouldn't have allowed something like that to air.  There would be too much fear that Muslims or Jews or some other non-Christian group would be offended.

Another trait that makes "A Charlie Brown Christmas" priceless is the music.  There's the instrumental theme "Linus and Lucy" that has become synonymous with everything Charlie Brown.  The song I could never get out of my head is the airy "Christmas Time Is Here".  I really need to get that cd for my collection.  A little too late for this year since Christmas is tomorrow, but I would definitely pump it for upcoming holiday seasons.

Even though the animation is pretty basic, the images still stay with you a lifetime.  Actually, if you're like me, you notice different things each time you see it.  Watch everyone carefully during the scene where the Peanuts gang is dancing.  They're doing dance steps that my generation turned into actual dances over the years.  Keep in mind this was made clear back in 1965.

There's really not enough that can be said about "A Charlie Brown Christmas" to give it all the credit it truly deserves.  Just like a need for snow to be present, it really doesn't seem like Christmas until this classic has been viewed.

Mean People Come from Scary Houses

That's the explanation that G gave about why mean people do the things they do.  We're sitting there watching "Monster House" and it begins with us seeing the crabby old man who resides in the "haunted" house.  I pointed out that he shouldn't be so mean to the kids in the neighborhood and G provided that as an excuse.  In his opinion, all mean people come from scary houses.

"Monster House" is an animated tale that tells of a creepy house in an otherwise normal neighborhood.  The grouchy homeowner, Mr. Nebbercracker (voiced by Steve Buscemi), makes sure that no one feels welcome on his property.  When he has a horrible accident and is hospitalized, the house takes on a life of its own and toys as well as people begin disappearing.

The visuals in this film were done using the ground-breaking technology of motion capture animation.  I guess it was the same type they used for "The Polar Express" although I have yet to see that.  It makes the movie much more appealing and extremely entertaining to watch.

Casting is always key when it comes to animated films.  They want to make sure they capture just the right talents to bring life to the characters.  They did a more than capable job with not only Buscemi onboard but also Jon Heder, Nick Cannon, Kevin James and Jason Lee just to mention a few.  Each one gave their character just the right amount of juice.

The story itself was pretty hilarious.  "Monster House" is one of those rare movies where it may have a child-feel to it but it's meant to attract different ages.  I found myself laughing out loud at several moments that the shorties just thought were slightly amusing.  Even though I'm just now getting around to watching it, I'd venture to say it was probably one of the best family movies of the year.

My rating:  A-

Transformers...More Than Meets the Eye

Another cartoon from my childhood days making the leap to the big screen.  The first trailer released a while back for "The Transformers" didn't reveal much but this one gives away just enough.  Hurry up and get here July 4th...

Dead in the Water

That would probably be the best way to describe M. Night Shyamalan's career right about now.  You would have thought that wouldn't be the case from someone who created the classic in "The Sixth Sense".  Therein lies the problem.  He set the bar so high for even himself that it became a near impossible act to follow.

Before I even watched the movie, I figured that "Lady in the Water" would get unfairly criticized.  We have all come to expect Shyamalan's movies to have some big twist at the end that no one saw coming.  People became obsessed with it.  So did he as he proved with the failed project "The Village".  He finally realized that there didn't have to be surprise ending to make a film a hit.  Unfortunately, he failed to grasp the fact that it also takes more than great acting to carry a film.

"Lady in the Water" is supposedly a bedtime story that Shyamalan claims he used to tell his children before they went to sleep.  It's the story of apartment superintendent, Cleveland played by Paul Giamatti.  He discovers a water nymph being stalked by a wolf/dog/grass hybrid (yes, you heard me right...grass).  Nymph Story, played by Bryce Howard, resides in the apartment complex's pool and Cleveland must help her safely home.  Personally, I can see how this may have been his children's bedtime story.  They probably got bored trying to make sense of it and fell asleep.

What I couldn't understand is how an entire apartment complex of people so easily bought into this madness.  Their superintendent tells them of some strange lady that he just found and this outlandish story of a monster after her and nobody questions it.  Some are skeptical for a minute but the doubts disappear VERY quickly.  Does this type of thing happen every day around there for them to buy it into so easily?

This flick had the problem that some of Shymmie's other works had.  For some reason, he makes the creatures in his films look too laughable to be even a little credible.  All the money he makes and he can't spend a little more of it on special effects?  Then again, that's probably why he has so much loot because he skimps on that important facet of his productions.

"Lady in the Water" started off with some promise.  Plus, it had one of my all-time favorites in Giamatti.  It still couldn't overcome the fact that it had too many shortcomings.  The entire movie seemed like Shymmie just threw a story together to prove that he could get any movie made.  I don't know if he may still have another "Sixth Sense" type flick under his belt but hopefully he can do better than this one.

My rating:  D+

Bad(der) Santa

Entering the Christmas trifecta...

3 - Bad(der) Santa

Without any doubt, this has got to be the one film that couldn't be any further away from a traditional Christmas movie.  Ironically enough, it may be that very reason why it's one of the better films of the season.  Sometimes folks have to take risks when it comes to making comedies and this one definitely pays off.

I seriously doubt there could have been anyone better suited to play the role of a foul-mouthed, sex-crazed, drunken Santa Willie than Billy Bob  Thornton.  So far, there hasn't been one movie he's been in that I haven't liked.  This one proved that even has it in him to make a  classic comedy as well.

My favorite scene in here is the interaction between the characters played by Bernie Mac, Tony Cox and Thornton.  Mac discovers that Cox and Thornton are con men and wants in on the action.  That negotiation scene is priceless.  It's what isn't said that makes is to so good and that's the expressions on Thornton's face throughout the whole scene.

The best part about "Bad(der) Santa" is the kid played by Brett Kelly.  No matter how much Thornton goes off on him, curses and belittles him, he still maintains the same stoic look and pleasant demeanor all throughout the flick.  I still wonder how that kid was able to keep a straight face playing opposite Thornton.  Eventually, he wears down  Willie and gives him something worth fighting for.

Sadly, this would also be the legendary John Ritter's final acting appearance and they rightfully dedicated the film to his memory. No matter what, he'll always be Jack Tripper but his role as the mall manager made "Bad(der) Santa" that much better.