Plus a few Indie and International Films
by Scooter Thompson, movie critic for movieEVERYday.com
© 2006 All Rights Reserved
W.I.P. Scale™ Defined: What I'd Pay (W.I.P) to see a movie
$3 don’t see it .... $9 average .... $12-$13 above average .... $14-15 must see
For more in-depth movie reviews of these films plus virtually every film released since December 1, 2005, please visit www.movieEVERYday.com
Top Ranked Films
Cars [G] 117 minutes
WIP™ Scale: $14.75
Directed by: John Lasseter
Starring the voice talents of: Owen Wilson, Paul Newman, Bonnie Hunt, & Larry the Cable Guy
From Green to Checkered flag, Disney®-Pixar's® film, Cars, is one of the best animated films of all time. Along Route 66, on the way to a race season tie-breaker, rookie stock car Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) finds himself sentenced to 5 days of community service in Radiator Springs. Paul Newman, Bonnie Hunt, and Larry the Cable Guy along with some of the most beautifully rendered computer animation ever seen, all play roles in this imaginative tale driving Lightning to learn what it means to be a true friend, how to give more than receive, how to warm the heart of a town, how to treasure our elders, and how to be a hero. Incredibly fresh and inventive story material, pure imagination brought to life, this is a G-rated film that actually is G-rated. For a nation in love with automobiles, Cars is the perfect vehicle for showing our affection.
Mission: Impossible III [PG-13] 91 minutes
WIP™ Scale: $13.50
Directed by: J.J. Abrams
Starring: Tom Cruise, Philip Seymore Hoffman, Ving Rhames, Billy Crudup
An action thriller to rival Die Hard? A sequel that’s infinitely better than its predecessors? Generally speaking that’s an impossible mission. Not when the first film was marginal, the second nearly unintelligible, and when Tom Cruise and Director J.J. Abrams work ferociously to force the film franchise to a more reasonable facsimile of the original television show. Picking up a few years from where the last mission left off, Ethan Hunt (Tom “hasn’t been this cool since Top Gun” Cruise) has ‘retired’ from the IMF to train field agents and pursue a fiancée. The capture of one of his new agents by villain, Owen Davian, played fiendishly by Philip Seymour Hoffman, draws him back in for one more mission “…that will self-destruct in 60 seconds should he decided to accept it.” M:I:III thrills and chills with vintage Tom Cruise, fierce action, suspense, special effects, gadgets and an intelligent script that makes sense.
The Lake House [PG] 105 minutes
WIP™ Scale: $10.75
Director: Alejandro Agresti
Starring: Sandra Bullock, Keanu Reeves, and Christopher Plummer
Written by the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of "Proof", David Auburn, and directed by Argentine director, Alejandro Agresti, The Lake House reunites Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock in a complicated, time-bending film to prove that even two years of bygones cannot stand in the way of true love. Occasionally, challenging to follow, the film still works quite well in the end. The supporting cast includes Christopher Plummer, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Willeke van Ammelrooy, Shohreh Aghdashloo who all do wonderful jobs with their roles. Chicago, as always, makes for a great backdrop to this story rich in architectural metaphors. If you pay no attention to the logic and time problems with the plot and just enjoy it without trying to figure it out, it offers some sweet sentiments about true love.
Nacho Libre [PG] 100 minutes
WIP™ Scale: $10.75
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Ana de la Reguera, and Héctor Jiménez
Given the cult-classic status of Napoleon Dynamite, the pressure to repeat was huge for writer/director Jared Hess. This go-around, he focused on Ignacio, an outcast, chubby, Mexican orphan—irreverent Jack Black--who is forced by his church-run orphanage into servitude as their cook. While growing up, his peculiar habits, exaggerated facial expressions, and out-of-sync timing with the ladies aside, he gets inspired by the lovely Sister Encarnación (Ana de la Reguera) to don the costume of red and blue-masked Nacho, make it big in pro-wrestling, and earn enough money and respect to buy the orphanage a bus for field trips. A few gross, impertinent, or redundant scenes later, he and tag team partner, Esqueleto, are in the ring losing every match. While Jack Black is hilarious--in a smarmy kind of way—and the script is good--though directionless at times--the film needed something more to achieve a lasting following—you guessed it, Napoleon Dynamite!
The Omen (2006) [R] 105 minutes
WIP™ Scale: $10.50
Director: John Moore
Starring: Live Schreiber, Julia Stiles, Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick, and Mia Farrow
In 1976, I wasn't allowed to see the original Omen. Therefore, I must confine my remarks to the 2006-version. Kudos to clever marketing and choice of release dates. With Liev Schreiber and Julia Stiles oddly cast as Robert and Katherine Thorn, the parents of the excellently cast Damien, Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick, and Mia Farrow in the role of Mrs. Baylock, Damien's ever-protective, glassy-eyed nanny from hell, the story follows Damien's childhood until his 5th birthday when things get a little scary (ie. The nanny takes a dive off the roof during his party shouting, "This is for you, Damien." There are times when the pace was slow and the action mundane. A modest amount of predictability to the film decreased enjoyment. Still, as far as recent horror thrillers go, it utilizes a larger quiver of scare tactics rather than relying on one repetitive concept making it one of the better ones.
A Prairie Home Companion (2006) [PG-13] 105 minutes
WIP™ Scale: $10.25
Directed by: Robert Altman
Starring: Garrison Keillor, Meryl Streep, Lily Tomlin, Woody Harrelson, John C. Reilly, Tommy Lee Jones, Virginia Madsen, and Kevin Kline
A great film for fans of director Robert Altman and Garrison Keillor's A Prairie Home Companion, but one that's dull, nostalgic, and disappointing for everyone else. There were some great performances from Meryl Streep, Lily Tomlin, Woody Harrelson, John C. Reilly, and Tommy Lee Jones, juxtaposed with a lack of on-screen presence by Garrison Keillor himself and an bumbling portrayal of Guy Noir by Kevin Kline. The pace of the film was hand-cranked like old-fashioned ice cream. The chief difference, at the end of the hour of cranking, you have delicious, homemade peppermint ice cream. At the end of two hours of APHC you get a disappointing ending that resolves little and leaves you wondering what other people see in this. I can spend no more time pondering this as I have a long drive ahead and do not wish to end up like Virginia Madsen's character—smashed into a tree.
X-Men: The Last Stand [PG-13] 107 minutes
WIP™ Scale: $10
Director: Brett Ratner
Starring: Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellan, Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Kelsey Grammer
X-Men: The Last Stand, not intended to be a the third film in a trilogy, endured a change in directors leading to a final chapter—if this is the final chapter--that turned out to be a mess. Bryan Singer left to direct Superman Returns turning it over Brett Ratner who added some great, but ultimately too grandiose, ideas to the story. Had he stuck to the mutant x-gene elimination controversy and the introduction of the newest X-men, the winged Angel, things would have been great. He should have saved the Dr. Jean Grey Phoenix story, for the next film—if there is a next film. Patrick Stewart was wasted in this go-round, but Sir Ian McKellan has a grandiose time vamping things up as his purple, helmet-clad Magneto. While, the final battle between Ice Man and Pyro was fun, there's little else to enjoy in this spread way-too-thin X-men fiasco.
The Break-Up [PG-13] 106 minutes
WIP™ Scale: $8.75
Director: Peyton Reed
Starring: Jennifer Anniston and Vince Vaughn
The Break-Up starring Vince Vaugh and Jennifer Anniston as two halves of a couple plus an excellent cast of supporting actors starts off hilariously and ends quietly with a whimper. Given the wonderful premise: Gary and Brooke destined to wed soon, invite their relatives for dinner at their Chicago condo only to have Gary's failure to acquire 12 lemons for the centerpiece fracture their three-year relationship. Proving that the other is less worthy in a battle of the wills becomes their game as neither is willing to move out and serves as the source for the comedy for the rest of the film. It is not that much fun to watch these two characters break up and even harder to figure out what drew them together in the first place. Probably the worst thing a film can do that bills itself as a comedy is end like an inconclusive drama.
Poseidon [PG-13] 98 minutes
WIP™ Scale: $6.50
Directed by: Wolfgang Petersen
Starring: Kurt Russell, Josh Lucas, and Richard Dreyfuss
Was there any earthly reason to remake the formulaic disaster film The Poseidon Adventure? The original achieved cult status due to its use of a Shelly Winters-dominated resurrection cast. Sadly, the renamed Poseidon begins like a bad episode of the “The Love Boat” and ends like a worse episode of “Fantasy Island”. Shortly after midnight New Year’s Eve, the luxury cruiser, Poseidon, and shortly after each main character has properly foreshadowed his or her doom--the worst of whom was lounge lizard, leisure suit, Lucky Larry (Kevin Dillon)--a rogue wave collides with the ship upending it. The characters of Richard Dreyfus, Kurt Russell, and Josh Lucas race to save themselves and a few passengers. Not about human spirit, literally this is a film about how to escape a sinking ship. I was glad when Poseidon sank at the end. Maybe this time it will stay under with no hope of return.
Best of the I's & I's (Independents and Internationals)
[not playing in all areas of North America]
An Inconvenient Truth [PG] 95 minutes
WIP™ Scale: $14.00
Director: Davis Guggenheim
Starring: Al Gore
One thing former vice-president Al Gore is not afraid of is controversy, and the new documentary film, An Inconvenient Truth, Directed by Davis Guggenheim, which weaves his life story together with his life-long pursuit of understanding of global warming is certain to get some scrutiny. In it, he delivers the salient scientific message in a succinct, graphically compelling, statistically undeniable, pictorially relevant presentation. Mr. Gore points out that scientists do not disagree that we are experiencing global warming, that we are causing global warming, and that if we don't do something about it, we will change Kevin Costner's film Waterworld from a futuristic, sci-fi film into the latest disaster documentary. Why don’t we hear about the ozone hole anymore? Because global efforts to eliminate CFC-release, which was destroying the ozone layer, actually worked. We can stop global warming too, but only if our government and citizens act immediately.
Peaceful Warrior [PG-13] 121 minutes
WIP™ Scale: $13.50
Director: Victor Salva
Starring: Nick Nolte and Scott Mechlowicz
Fittingly, Dan Millman's book , Way of the Peaceful Warrior recently celebrated its 20th anniversary, in the same year that the film will be released to reach all of those non-readers. The film stars Nick Nolte as Socrates, the mysterious Zen-like philosophy teacher / gas station attendant who enters the life of gold-medal driven, UC-Berkeley gymnast, Dan Millman (Scott Mechlowicz) at a time when the shallowness of his existence is becoming more and more apparent. Ultimately, a horrifying motorcycle accident forces Dan to reach deep inside himself, implement the teachings of his Socrates, and find the will to work hard enough to not just get back the life he had, but to draw even greater life from the moments he has yet to live. The work of Victor Salva (director), Mechlowicz, Nolte, and Kevin Bernhardt (screen writer) results in a very powerful film with a great message and life lesson.
District B13 (Banlieue 13) [R] 85 minutes
WIP™ Scale: $13.00
Director: Pierre Morel
Starring: Cyril Raffaelli and David Belle
It is 2010. To contain 'problem' areas of suburban Paris, the government erects walls around them isolating residents from the city and its services and creating zones run inside by crime lords. Such is the premise for this French film, District B13, which captures some of the most thrilling, non-CGI stunt effects ever filmed. Director Pierre Morel found exactly the right stuntmen to play the lead roles featured in this Luc Besson-script: the highly moral cop Damien (Cyril Raffaelli) and the righteous, vigilante Leïto (David Belle). I have not left a movie theatre feeling so jazzed by the action in a film, with my adrenaline pumping 90 MPH, since I saw Die Hard. While not Officer McClain, Leïto and Rob served well in this action-packed extravaganza that thrills while also speaks out to injustice and offers some capacity to solve the decay of civility in urban areas.
The Proposition (2006) [R] 104 minutes
WIP™ Scale: $12.00
Director: John Hillcoat
Starring: Guy Pearce and Ray Winstone
The Proposition (2006) is a richly poetic film set in the 1880s in Queensland , Austrailia. The story focuses on one lawman's crusade to rid the world of the Burns Family outlaws by offering a deal to a captured brother Charlie (Guy Pearce), kill your older brother or your younger brother won't live past Christmas. Layered into the story of the Burns gang is the story of a lawman's, Captain Stanley (Ray Winstone), struggles to bring peace and order to a previously untamed region. If you can get past the blood and gore, The Proposition has some real things to offer. New setting, great multi-faceted characters, and an interesting story all contributed to making this film well worth a look.
Wah-Wah [NR] 99 minutes
WIP™ Scale: $9.75
Director: Richard E. Grant
Starring: Gabriel Byrne, Miranda Richardson, Nicholas Hoult, Emily Watson, Julie Walters
Wah-Wah—so called because of the way the unique hoity-toity, baby-talk used by the British ex-pats who governed Swaziland sounds to the American second wife (Emily Watson) of educational minister and national treasure Harry Compton (Gabriel Byrne)—tells the semi-autobiographical tale of director/writer Richard E. Grant of his years growing up during the transition between British colonial rule and Swazi independence. Really though the story is about Harry's lanky, jaw-popping son Ralphie (Nicholas Hoult) and how he learns to cope with his parents' bitter divorce, being shipped to boarding school, and returning to find his oft-drunken father remarried. When, his mother (Miranda Richardson) returns to claim her territory, all hell breaks loose. This while the entire kingdom toils to get a version of "Camelot" ready to present to Princess Margaret just before the handover of the government. Ultimately, Richard E. Grant shares interesting parts of a not so interesting story.
Keeping Up with the Steins [PG-13] 99 minutes
WIP™ Scale: $9.00
Director: Scott Marshall
Starring: Jeremy Piven, Daryl Sabara, Garry Marshall, Jami Gertz, Doris Roberts, Daryl Hannah
A tongue-in-cheek yet light hearted comedy addressing the ever-escalating competition between Jewish families to passionately out-do each other with increasingly lavish Bar-mitzvah parties, Keeping Up with the Steins transports us into the Brentwood, Los Angeles neighborhood home of Benjamin (Daryl Sabara) whose father Adam (Jeremy Piven) suffers from abandonment issues due to his father, Irwin (Garry Marshall) running out on him and his mother as a child and plans, therefore, to throw a party that ensures his son will know the true depth of his love. What Benjamin really wants to tell his parents but which he cannot find a way to do so is that he doesn't wish to keep up with the Steins. He really desires a scaled-down affair focused on his family. All in all, Keeping Up with the Steins, has a good premise, however the premise was insufficiently compelling to warrant a major motion picture.
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