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Movie Review of Mr. Bean's Holiday (2007) [G] -- W.I.P. Scale™ Rating: $12.00
Review-lite: Not to be confused with Pee Wee Herman's Big Adventure, though a bicycle plays a prominent role in this film too, Mr. Bean's Holiday is whimsical and serendipitously funny tracing Bean's vacation (Rowan Atkinson) from London to Cannes with plenty of mishaps along the way. The biggest delight comes from young Max Baldry who plays Stepan, a young boy who gets stranded with Bean when he inadvertently prevents his father from boarding as the train departs the station. Baldry, fluent in Russian and English, is the son of a Russian filmmaker heading to Cannes for the film festival where it just happens that Carson Clay (cameo by Willem Dafoe) will also be debuting his new film in which both Stepan and Bean will have unexpected starring roles. The only disappointments were some slow spots and that too many of the most humorous parts were revealed in the trailer. (click for full details and complete review)
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The Namesake (2007) [PG-13] 122 minutes -- W.I.P. Scale™ Rating: $12.75
Review-lite: Long has it been since a film deftly charted the tumultuous waters of an immigrant family's life as it gains complexity with children growing up part of two different worlds. The Namesake, directed by the gifted Indian director, Mira Nair, from Sooni Taraporevala's screenplay adapted from Jhumpa Lahiri's heart-warming novel, opens a window on this universe with a balanced examination of these wonderfully important and sensitive topics. Tabu, in her wondrous performance as Ashima, emerges the true star and light of the film playing the Indian mother arranged to marry and move half way around the globe to raise a family in an entirely foreign world. The risky casting of Kal Penn in the central role of the namesake Gogol caused the film's tapestry to fray a bit yet fails to quash its fostering notion that much more may be accomplished by our species if we work to celebrate diversity. (click for full details and complete review)
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Unknown (2006) [NR] 98 minutes -- W.I.P. Scale™ Rating: $11.25
Review-lite: This unheralded little film borrows unabashedly from Reservoir Dogs and Memento while never even coming close to either in skill or story. Worst of all, there is a very wicked little twist at the end that some might argue is the pinnacle of the film, but it washes away quickly in the rolling credits as if to say, "Gotcha good, but no need to rub it in or make sure that what you just saw was right." The story is billed as happening in reverse order which is hardly the case. Rather it unfolds in real time forward with flashbacks revealing earlier events. Very nearly his first feature film, director Simon Brand, did a decent job of creating the atmosphere for this film. Were it not for the feelings of borrowed material and the recycled cast—only James Caviezel and Greg Kinnear seem fresh—the film would have better resonance and appeal. (click for full details and complete review)
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Unknown [DVD](2006) DVD
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Waitress (2007) [PG-13] 107 minutes -- W.I.P. Scale™ Rating: $12.50
Review-lite: A bittersweet piece of pie, Adrienne Shelly's final film, Waitress, which she wrote, directed, and starred in, stirs up the emotions as we watch an abused, pregnant wife, Jenna (Kerri Russell), confront her choices to stay with Earl (Jeremy Sisto), after all these years. Stellar supporting performances from Shelly, Nathan Fillion, Cheryl Hines, and the rascal Andy Griffith, enlivens this film making it a sweet and sour film, yet excellent tribute to Shelly's career cut too short by her tragic murder in November of 2006. (click for full details and complete review)
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Hot Rod (2007) [PG-13] 88 minutes-- W.I.P. Scale™ Rating: $9.00
Review-lite: Hot Rod might be more aptly entitled, Luke Warm Rod as the repetitive gage humor balances the touching moments and good humor. There's great hope when Rod Kimbell (Andy Samberg) plans to raise $50,000 for heart transplant surgery on his step father by doing the stunt of the century, but in the end the film bears too much resemblance to an "SNL" sketch that was drawn out to 88 minutes rather than a really fresh new feature film.(click for full details and complete review)
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Skinwalkers (2007) [PG-13] 110 minutes -- W.I.P. Scale™ Rating: $7.00
Review-lite: Anyone who had high hopes that Skinwalkers was going to actually use the Navajo legends as its basal mythology be forewarned, Skinwalkers is basically another werewolf movie. This time, there are two sects: those that enjoy their abilities and have a crazy hungry craving for human flesh, and those that loathe their inner beast and lock themselves up during full moons to prevent themselves from terrorizing and killing humans beings. Fortunately, there is hope. A hybrid child half skinwalker half human with blood stronger than either will put an end to the curse of the skinwalkers forever, if he can make it to his 13th birthday alive. This one can definitely be saved for the DVD or Download queue without remorse. Jason Behr turns in a decently conflicted performance as the leader of the pack sent to kill the chosen one. (click for full details and complete review)
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Bratz: The Movie (2007) [PG] -- W.I.P. Scale™ Rating: $8.25
Review-lite: Bratz: the Movie tried too hard, spent too much on costumes and scenery and not enough on dialogue and story depth, and faces far too stiff levels of competition in Hairspray (a vastly superior musical film) and High School Musical 2 (running nearly non-stop on the Disney® Channel) which, even if it's not as good as the first one, is sure to drive zillions of the necessary demographics for this film to their television sets instead. While the plot's initial message "you don't have to be in a clique to count" is a good one, it otherwise sends too many other mixed messages and utilizes too many negative stereotypes to be a particularly good role model film for young women. The cast is good, but the Bratz's thin résumés puts pressure on them to headline a film of this magnitude that they sometimes cannot handle. Chelsea Staub who plays the real brat of the film as the obnoxious and controlling high school student body president steal most of the show. In other words, at this point, see Hairspray instead. (click for full details and complete review)
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Who's Your Caddy (2007) [R]
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Who's Your Caddy? [DVD](2007) DVD
OutKast's Big Boi stars in this raucous comedy, playing a rap bigwig applying for membership at an elite country club. When club president Jeffrey Jones decides he's not the white--uh, right--kind of applicant, he hotly rejects Boi's bid to tee off on his private green. Boi wants in, however, so he and his peeps get busy knocking down every barrier keeping them from the good life! Faizon Love, Sherri Shepherd co-star. Widescreen; Soundtrack: English.
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I Know Who Killed Me (2007) [R] -- W.I.P. Scale™ Rating: $11.75
Review-lite: I know what you're thinking. You're wondering why I gave I Know Who Killed Me a pretty good review? Well, all I know is that it's a pretty good movie—minus parts of the ending that are mind numbingly idiotic. I'd say these were accidental—sort of like opening night jitters. For all we know, maybe the writer didn't write it this way at all, and some studio exec made this decision! Seriously, though, Lindsay Lohan, despite all the headlines, gives a very unique and entertaining performance. The supporting cast, minus Julia Ormond was probably not up to the caliber of the potential of the film. Even so, saying it was terrible or that it made no sense is bush league. There's far more going on in and under the surface of this film than the vast majority of the murder mystery films that have been dished up the past few years. (click for full details and complete review)
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