Machete: Movie Review

Usually, you do not get to see a trailer for a movie until after the film has been made and is making it’s marketing rounds. Such is not the case for director Robert Rodiguez’s new film Machete.  Rodriguez created a faux trailer for Machete to be part of 2007’s double feature Grindhouse .  People loved the trailer so much, that the filmmaker gambled on a feature film based on the trailer, and using the same key players from that faux trailer plus adding new ones. 

Machete (Danny Trejo) is an ex-Federale who goes on violent rampage of revenge against the people who hired him to assassinate Senator McLaughlin (Robert De Niro).  The assassination does not go as planned and now the senator’s right hand (Jeff Fahey) and a ruthless drug dealing pimp (Steven Seagal) are trying to hunt down Machete before they become the hunted. 

Machete also has the aid of a beautiful immigration agent (Jessica Alba) and a sexy revolutionist (Michelle Rodriguez).  We also get a shotgun toting Priest (Cheech Marin).  I always found Michelle Rodriguez’s tough girl attitude pretty hot, but this is by far her sexiest role and she plays it perfectly.

Trejo is amazing as Machete.  I love the way he delivers not only his dismembering moves, but also his lines.  My favorite line in the film has to be “Machete don’t text” when he is asked why he did not send them a text.  It is a classic line.  This film is so extreme.  The gore factor is in high supply but it is played for laughs. 

If you are up for a good laugh and a high body count, I highly recommend Machete.

By: Marc Ferman

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Going The Distance: Movie Review

The track record on romantic-comedies that Hollywood churns out is not very good. For every one that’s watchable, there are another dozen that are complete garbage.   For example, this year we have had duds like The Bounty Hunter, Killers, The Back Up Plan, She’s Out Of My League, The Switch, and I am sure there are a few more.  I did not hate The Switch, but it really was not all that good.  With that being said, I am pleased to tell you that Going the Distance is a refreshingly funny and sweet surprise.

There is nothing about the trailers for Going The Distance to make it seem more than another bland romantic-comedy.  I did not even notice till I got to the theater and looked at the poster that the film was rated R.   Let me tell you that this movie earns an R rating and that’s part of what makes the movie so good.

I do love Drew Barrymore in films like these.  If you look back at some of her films like Fever Pitch, Never Been Kissed, Music & Lyrics, she is just so adorable.  How can you not love her?  She also seems to find herself the perfect co-stars for her projects. Either that or she can connect with anyone she shares the screen with.

The film centers on Erin (Drew Barrymore) and Garett (Justin Long).  One night they meet in a bar within hours of Garett being dumped by his girlfriend.  Erin and Garett hook up and the following morning Erin tells him that she is only going to be in New York for 6 more weeks before she moves to California for school.  They both decide that they won’t start anything serious but will continue to hang out.

Well we all know that the more time they spend together the closer they are going to get and when they decide to go for the long distance relationship we do want to see this couple who obviously love each other find a way to make it work.  I am not giving away anything that is not already in the trailers, but what’s not in those trailers are all the laugh out loud moments in the film.  This movie has some great moments from Erin’s protective sister Corinne (Christina Applegate) and Garrett’s friends Dan & Box steal every scene they are in.  I seriously cannot believe how much I laughed in this film.  This is one of those romantic comedies that guys will tell their friends to go see it.  That is not something you come across too often.

Barrymore and Long are great together on screen and while they were filming this movie, they were actually a real life couple.  Many times when real life couples try to play an on screen couple, it does not seem to translate well on film.  Just ask Ben Affleck & Jennifer Lopez or Sean Penn & Madonna.

Fellas, don’t let the fact that this looks like a chick flick stop you from going to see this.  You will laugh more in Going the Distance than more comedies that have come out this year.

By: Marc Ferman

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Win Tickets To An Advance Screening Of the movie RESIDENT EVIL: AFTERLIFE 3D In Miami, Florida

RESIDENT EVIL: AFTERLIFE is again based on the wildly popular video game series, and will this time be presented in 3-D.

In a world ravaged by a virus infection, turning its victims into the Undead, ALICE (Milla Jovovich), continues on her journey to find survivors and lead them to safety.  Her deadly battle with the Umbrella Corporation reaches new heights, but Alice gets some unexpected help from an old friend. A new lead that promises a safe haven from the Undead takes them to Los Angeles, but when they arrive the city is overrun by thousands of Undead - and Alice and her comrades are about to step into a deadly trap.

You can win tickets for you and 1 guest to see an advance screening of the movie RESIDENT EVIL: AFTERLIFE 3D  on Thursday, September 9th @ AMC Sunset Place in South Miami.

IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ EVERYTHING BELOW BEFORE SUBMITTING.

Now, let’s get to the part on how you win a pass for you plus 1 guest to see an advance screening of RESIDENT EVIL: AFTERLIFE.  I am going to make this fun for you (and myself).  Send me a photo of yourself making the most evil face you can come up with.  I want something really creepy.  The people who send in the most evil looking faces will win free passes.

Important Note: You must be in the Miami area to enter this contest. Please do not enter this contest if you live in another city/state or if you are not absolutely sure that you can make it to the screening.

Email your submissions to KICgiveaways@gmail.com with the following words in the subject line, "EVIL LITTLE ME”

Make sure to include your first and last name below your submission.  If you do not include your full name, then I cannot put on the list that you won.  The deadline for this contest is Friday, September 3rd at 8pm.

I would like to wish you all good luck.

Make sure to also check out the official movie website

www.residentevil-movie.com

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Takers: Movie Review

I am a sucker for a good heist movie. There is just something about a film where a group of people planning out a huge robbery and then watching them execute the plan perfectly that I find really fun to watch. Most of the time these heist films that revolve around the ultimate score are filled with pretty entertaining characters on both sides of the law.  Unfortunately, Takers is not one of those movies.

Not only is the script in which a team or bank robbers decide to rob an armored car so poorly written, but it also includes a subplot about cops dealing with internal affairs that has absolutely nothing to do with the main story. 

Matt Dillon and Jay Hernandez are fine as the two detectives, but one of the most obvious flaws in the film is that two of the lead robbers are played by two of the most wooden actors working today, Paul Walker & Hayden Christensen.  These guys are just terrible actors.  I can handle Walker in the Fast & Furious films when he is with the Vin man, but when you put two horrible actors together like that it brings down the movie much further than just a lousy script.

Idris Elba and Michael Ealy fare much better as two more members of the team.  It really pains me with what I am about to say considering my personal feelings of the man. Chris Brown is the one who really stands out.  He is funny & charming, plus he gives the film it’s one great scene when he is running from the police.  It is truly a great chase scene.  I really hate having to say something positive about someone who draws such negative feelings from me.  This is one of the reasons I refuse to review any movie coming out that has Mel Gibson in it.  I never want to have to compliment that guy on anything.

Zoe Saldana also has a small part in the film as one of the criminal’s girlfriend, but if you are wondering why the Avatar star is in this film, it is probably because she filmed this way before Avatar ever came out. As for rapper T.I, we have seen him in other films like ATL and he carries that same T.I. swagger with him in this film, which comes off well. He is entertaining to watch, though not much of an actor.

Ultimately Takers is one of those films that has home video written all over it.  Their just is not much here to recommend.

By: Marc Ferman

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The Last Exorcism: Movie Review

I love it when I go to see a film and it takes me completely by surprise, when the film I am watching gives me something better than what I expected. Such is the case with the new movie The Last Exorcism.  I was given an extremely well written documentary-style film with more intentional humor than most comedies that have come out this year.  If you have seen the trailers for The Last Exorcism, things like humor and great acting are not the first things to enter into your mind. If you go into this film just looking to get a good scare, that’s not really what you are going to get.  This movie caught me off guard in the same way Splice did earlier this year.

The first thing I have to say is that actor Patrick Fabian is terrific and effective as the faith-doubting evangelical minister Cotton Marcus who believes that the practice of exorcisms is a complete scam. People (mainly children) are being harmed and in some cases killed in the middle of the process.  He decides to film a documentary to prove how wrong these exorcisms are.  Fabian gives his character energy, charm and humanity.  In one scene while giving a sermon in church, he preaches a banana bread recipe to prove a point that it does not matter what he says in church, people are listening to his delivery, not his words.

Cotton decides to travel to Georgia and visit the Sweetzer family when he gets a letter from Louis Sweetzer (Louis Herthum) that his daughter is possessed by a demon. Cotton’s film crew is along for the ride and we watch the whole movie from the cameraman’s point of view.  I also must say that aside from a couple of scenes involving running, the whole shaky camera thing is under control. You should not get a headache while watching this movie. 

The children of the Sweetzer family are Caleb (Caleb Landry Jones) Nell (Ashley Bell).  When we first meet Nell, she is a very polite and sweet teenage girl.  Nell and her brother have been home schooled by their father since they lost their mother to cancer. Louis decided to keep his children away from the influences of the outside world.

Cotton does not believe that Nell is really possessed and he even performs a fake exorcism to prove it for his film.  After that, things get even worse. Cotton and his film crew believe that Nell is psychotic not possessed.   Throughout the film, we are questioning what’s really going on.
Ashley Bell is mesmerizing as Nell.  When she is not possessed or crazy, she is sweet but scared & confused. You do not feel like her character is pretending, you believe her.  When she is in her other state, her stare is downright creepy.

There are a few little scary moments in The Last Exorcism but the movie is not about the scares, it’s about the building tension and self questioning.   I am sure a majority of the people who see The Last Exorcism will feel cheated by the ending we are given, but I wasn’t. I feel the film was ended on the right note.   It’s not often that we get such a well crafted and well acted horror film, so I suggest you give it a chance, even if you think the film looks too scary from the trailers, trust me…it’s worth the risk.

By: Marc Ferman

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The Switch: Movie Review

The funniest moment in the new film The Switch arrives within the first 2 minutes, involving a mentally disturbed man standing on the street corner and has absolutely nothing to do with the story whatsoever.  It’s a shame too because even though Jason Bateman has been around since the early 80’s, It hasn’t been till this past decade where he has really made a name for himself and has stopped being referred to as that guy who starred in Teen Wolf Too. 

Bateman plays Wally Mars, a neurotic guy who’s best friend Kassie (Jennifer Aniston) has recently turned 40 and decides this is the point in her life to have a baby. Since Kassie is single, she decides to look for a sperm donor, and she finds one in Roland (Patrick Wilson).  Wally’s bottled up feelings for Kassie causes him to get completely drunk during her “getting pregnant” party. In the midst of his drunken state, he replaces Roland’s sperm with his own.  Because Wally was so intoxicated while making the switch, he does not even remember doing it the next morning.

Cut to 7 years later, Kassie decides to move back home with her now  6 year old son Sebastian (played by the way to cute for words Thomas Robinson).  Once Wally meets Sebastian he slowly starts to realize that there are way too many similarities between the kid and himself to be just a coincidence.

Bateman is fine as Wally but I just wish he was given better material to work with. Aniston on the other hand is exactly the same as she is in most of her films.  I really can’t understand why she is so popular other than the fact that she is very likeable. I just do not find her interesting at all.

I would love to give a special mention to Jeff Goldblum who is just terrific as Wally’s friend Leonard. He steals every scene he is in. Even Juliette Lewis reminded me why I think she should work more, but I know she rather be on tour with her band.   I wish both actors were inserted into more of the film, it might have livened it up a bit.

The Switch is not a bad movie by any means, but I just do not feel it’s worth your $10 at a theater.  This is the type of movie that you might watch at home on cable or a DVD without shutting it off halfway through, but you most likely won’t be thinking too much about it once it’s over

By: Marc Ferman

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Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: Movie Review

There has been so much hype built around the new film Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.  Even before filming began, fans of the graphic novel were excited this story was making it’s transition to the big screen, and the first step in the right direction was bringing in visionary director Edger Wright (Shawn of the Dead, Hot Fuzz) in to helm the project. Wright does a near-perfect job blending the pop-culture visuals & sounds with comedy, action, and heart.  There is definitely a whole lot of creativity thrown in there and it never lets up.  Every few minutes that pass during the movie, you are given another reason to love it.

Granted, S.P.v.t.W. is not for everybody, I can’t picture many people over the age of 40 digging the film.  I am 36 years old myself and I felt like this movie was custom made just for my taste.  I would say that aside from Toy Story 3, this was the best time I had at the movies this summer so far. I should also tell you that I am not familiar with the graphic novels that the film is based on, so that should not be an issue for others who are unfamiliar with the characters as well.

Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) is a bassist in a rock band named Sex Bob-Omb, living in Toronto, Ca. with his openly gay roommate Wallace (Kieran Culkin) and dating a 17 year high school girl named Knives (the extremely adorable Ellen Wong).  Scott is in his mid 20’s, so his friends are constantly telling him to stop dating a high school girl.  One day, Scott meets a mysterious new girl in town named Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and he becomes obsessed with her right away.  When he finally asks her out, Scott is challenged to a duel by what turns out to be the first of Ramona’s 7 evil ex-boyfriends, all of whom have a special power.  Scott learns that he must defeat each of Ramona’s evil ex’s to win her heart.

Not all of the evil ex’s are created equal, there are a few that stand out above the others.  One of them would be Lucas Lee (Chris Evans).  Lee is a big Hollywood action star that confronts Scott Pilgrim along with all of Lee’s stunt doubles who join in on the fight.  Evans really knows how to play this cocky character for laughs.  I also feel Chris Evans was a great choice to play the new Captain America because he winds up being one of the best part of almost any movie he is in (The Losers, Fantastic 4).

You also have Todd Ingram (Former Superman himself Brandon Routh). Todd is another one of the 7 evil ex’s, but this time he is a super-powered vegan.  Yep, he gets his powers from not eating any meat or dairy products.  Not only is Todd an evil ex, but he is also the current boyfriend of Scott’s ex-girlfriend who dumped him and broke his heart years earlier.  I find Routh’s vegan/metro-sexual evil ex to be quite funny.

The other evil ex’s are played by Jason Schwartzman, Satya Bhabha, and a few others.  Though the best thing about S.P.v.t.W. is not the battles, but how the whole film is put together.  You can tell just by watching the film that it was made by fans.  Even though, I am not familiar with the source material, I can tell that they completely respected the story.  I also love that none of the women in this movie are victims, the men and women are treated as equals. The women fight just as hard as the men.  There is a great fight between Ramona, Scott and an evil ex-girlfriend that she met during her bi-sexual phase.

Scott Pilgrim is a work of art that is completely refreshing and it couldn’t have come at a better time.  During a summer of mediocrity, it is nice to be able to do something that I feel I haven’t been able to do much of lately….that is write a good review.

By: Marc Ferman

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The Expendables: Movie Review

Is The Expendables the manliest movie ever made? Perhaps, even if it’s not the manliest movie ever made, I am pretty sure it’s the manliest movie to hit theaters in the last 20 years.   Sylvester Stallone delivers enough gunfights, explosions, and bone breaking fights to fill numerous action films. Stallone even broke his collarbone while filming and had surgery after the movie was completed. The question is, even with all the testosterone exploding all over the screen, is the movie actually any good?  The honest answer is no, it really isn’t.  Did I still like the movie?  Yes, I did.

The screenplay (co-written by Stallone) is as thin as almost any 1980’s action film in which The Expendables pays homage to.   Unless you are a big fan of classic 80’s films like Rambo, Missing In Action, American Ninja, and countless others.  Then this movie is not for you.  If you want to see some real tough guys blow stuff up, and not much else…then you will get your $10 worth with this movie.

Stallone plays Barney Ross, the leader of a group of mercenaries that call themselves The Expendables. You can tell that’s what they call themselves because they all have tattoos that say expendables.  This group consists of Lee Christmas (Jason Statham), Ying Yang (Jet Li), Toll Road (Randy Couture), Hale Caesar (Terry Crews, and yes he does at least one dance move in the movie), Gunner Jensen (Dolph Lundgren), and their friend/agent/tattoo artist Tool (Mickey Rourke)

The cookie cutter plot follows the mercenaries to an island in South America where they took a job to overthrow General Garza and also bring down former American agent and recent drug lord James Munroe (Eric Roberts).  When Ross & Christmas first head to the island to scout out the situation, things go completely wrong and they have to flee the island, but they left behind their contact who also happens to be the general’s daughter.  Ross’s main motivation in returning to the island is not to bring down the bad guys, but to rescue the girl, in order to save his own soul.

The Expendables is filled with some great action and nifty weapons.  My favorite would be the automatic shotgun that’s Hale Caesar whips out in the final act of the movie.  Every time he shot that beautiful thing off, the audience in the theater went ballistic. 

Even though there are quite a few fight scenes, Stallone could have done a better job with some of the editing on a few of the fights.  I felt unsatisfied with the Jet Li vs. Dolph Lundgren, and I thought that could have been really fun, especially with the huge size difference between the two actors. I also felt Eric Roberts missed the opportunity to really ham it up as the villain.   My biggest problem with the movie is that most of these scenes which took place between the explosions and fights were just not that interesting.

Like I said before, if you are an action junkie, and grew up loving the Regan era action films as I did, then I can tell you to go have some fun with the Expendables.  After the film make sure to grab yourself a nice big plate of steak and potatoes and let your testosterone fly.

By Marc Ferman

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Eat Pray Love: Movie Review

To be fair, I am not the target demographic in which Eat Pray Love was made for. I am a single man in his mid 30’s who was more excited to see this week’s other major releases (Scott Pilgrim vs the World & The Expendables) than I was the new Julia Roberts film.  I was not close-minded to the film.  After all, I have enjoyed many Julia Roberts films. Also, the movie was directed by Ryan Murphy who brought awesome TV shows like Nip/Tuck & Glee to life.

Julia Roberts plays Liz Gilbert, a woman who seemed to have her life together. She had a successful career, a beautiful house, and a husband (Billy Crudup) who loves her. Even with her seemingly dream life, she felt lost and unbalanced.  Liz decides to divorce her husband and then shortly after meets a young actor named David (James Franco) whom she develops a relationship with.  Still feeling lost and confused, Liz decides to put all her belongings in storage and travel the globe for a year. She hopes that this drastic decision can help her in finding herself.

I found that the best moments in Eat Pray Love were during Liz’s trip to Italy.  They were honestly the most fun.  Liz was beginning to enjoy herself, making new friends and giving in to the seduction of carbohydrates.  I have to tell you, almost all the food that she ate while in Italy looked amazing.  I so wanted a big bowl of pasta myself while I was watching her scarf down a nice helping of it.  There is also quite a bit of humor in those scenes.

Shortly after Liz arrives in India, the movie starts to really slow down. Her time in India is spent praying and trying to learn to let go of the guilt that she is holding on to.  This is when she meets Richard (Richard Jenkins) another American who is trying to overcome his own guilt for reasons that are explained later on in the film.  Jenkins is a terrific actor and I always enjoy seeing him on screen.  He is very effective as Richard, taking Liz under his wing to help her come to terms with what she needs to do.

When Liz finally reaches Bali, the film starts to really drag it’s feet.  I could not help but become completely restless.  Liz does meet a man named Felipe (Javier Bardem), but I felt like there was no chemistry between the 2 actors. By this time, I really did not care if Liz found herself or not.

There are quite a few elements about Eat Pray Love that do work. Roberts does give a very good performance and there are some beautiful locations on display. When it comes down to it, if you are watching a 2 hour and 30 minute movie and it feels like it’s at least 2 hours longer than that.  There is a problem.

By: Marc Ferman

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The Extra Man: Movie Review

Whenever someone asks me who some of my favorite actors are,  I will run down a list of between 5-10 names.  One name that I never seem to include is Kevin Kline.  To this very day, I think the only reason he is not included in my list is probably because he has rarely been seen on screen over the past decade and the words “Out of sight, out of mind” pop into my head.  Almost every time I see Kline on screen, he gives such a great performance that for the life of me, can’t think of any other reason why he would not be on my list.  If you look back at some of his films like A Fish Called Wanda, Dave, In & Out, The Big Chill, you can understand why I think he is a standout talent.  Kline’s performance as Henry Harrison in the new film “The Extra Man” by Shari Springer Berman & Robert Pulcini (American Splendor) is another homerun.  It’s just too bad that that movie itself is kind of a letdown.

The Extra Man follows a lonely young man named Louis Ives (Paul Dano) who loses his teaching job due to a deeply embarrassing incident and decides to move to New York to start a career as a writer.  While looking for a room to rent, he meets Henry Harrison (Kline) a brilliant and eccentric playwright who is also a social escort for wealthy widows (aka an extra man).   The two men bond as Henry takes Louis under his wing, to show him the ways of social escorting.

Louis also gets a day job at an environmental magazine where he meets a vegan and green-obsessed co-worker named Mary (Katie Holmes).  This is the first time I can think of where Holmes does not seem like she is simply walking through her lines.  I can tell she tried to show some life in the film Mad Money but it was forced.  Here she seems more comfortable and I actually did not hate her in the part. 

Louis has a big secret that he keeps from Mary and Henry.  Louis likes to dress in women’s clothing and he is not sure if he is a man trapped in a woman’s body of if it’s something different.  This is one of the problems that I had with the film.  It was never quite clear where this desire stemmed from and I did not buy the explanation that was given in the film.  There are also quite a few other problems with the movie.  Most scenes that do not include Henry’s character are plain dull and at those moments the film does not seem to have a pulse.  Only when Kline is on screen, did I get some real enjoyment out of the film.  I did laugh more than a handful of times from Henry’s random quips and outbursts.

We do get a nice little surprise in the form of John C Riley playing a character named Gershon. He has a funny little reveal of his own as soon as he opens his mouth.  Unfortunately, not even Riley can breathe much life into the film.  This really is a shame because as I said, Kline is terrific, but the film is far from great.  At the very best, I would say rent the movie when it comes on DVD just for Kevin Kline.

By Marc Ferman

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Jackass 3D - Movie Trailer

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Unstoppable - Movie Trailer

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Win Tickets To An Advance Screening Of the movie TAKERS In Miami, Florida

TAKERS takes you into the world of a notorious group of criminals (Idris Elba, Paul Walker, T.I., Chris Brown, Hayden Christensen and Michael Ealy) who continue to baffle police by pulling off perfectly executed bank robberies.  They are in and out like clockwork, leaving no evidence behind and laying low between heists.  But when they attempt to pull off one last job with more money at stake than ever before, the crew may find their plans interrupted by a hardened detective (Matt Dillon) who is hell-bent on solving the case.

You can win tickets for you and 1 guest to see an advance screening of the movie TAKERS on Wednesday, August 25th @ AMC Sunset Place in South Miami. Screening time is 7:30PM.

IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ EVERYTHING BELOW BEFORE SUBMITTING.

Now, let’s get to the part on how you win 1 of 10 pairs of TAKERS tickets that I have to give away.   If you were going to take something that is not yours, what would you take? Also name 4 famous people to help you take it.  The 10 best/most creative answers will win tickets. You can even make it funny if you like. 

Important Note: You must be in the Miami area to enter this contest. Please do not enter this contest if you live in a another city/state.

Email your submissions to KICgiveaways@gmail.com with the following words in the subject line, "TAKE THAT!!!!"

Make sure to include your first and last name below your submission.  If you do not include your full name, then I cannot put on the list that you won.  The deadline for this contest is Friday, August 20th at 8pm. 

Please do not enter contest if you do not know for sure that you can make it.

It is also recommended that you arrive at the theater about 90 minutes prior to screening time, just because you win tickets, does not mean that you won seats. Seats are available on a first come basis.

I would like to wish you all good luck.

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The Other Guys: Movie Review

To say that The Other Guys is the funniest movie I have seen this summer so far would not be an overstatement.  The fact is that for at least the first 30-40 minutes, the film delivers quite a bit of funny. There are more laughs in the first half hour of The Other Guys than in the 2 hour running time of Dinner for Schmucks, which came out last week. 

A couple of years ago Director Adam McKay surprised the hell out of me with the movie Stepbrothers. A film that looked so idiotic from the trailers that I was sure it was going to be utter garbage. Now I look at Stepbrothers as a comedy classic and I have watched it countless times on blu-ray and cable.  McKay is back with his Talladega Nights & Stepbrothers star Will Ferrell who this time around is partnered with Mark Wahlberg .

Allen Gamble (Ferrell) and Terry Hoitz (Wahlberg) are partners in the NYPD who could not be more different. While Allen is happy working at his desk all day filling out paper work, Hoitz just wants to get himself out on the street and prove himself to be a hero cop. Hoitz not only wants to get out from under the shadow of 2 high profile cops (played with great fun by Dwayne Johnson & Samuel L. Jackson) that are beloved by New York, but he wants to live down his notorious reputation for accidently shooting one of NYC’s most notable figures.

Some of the best moments from The Other Guys is skillfully delivered by Ferrell & Wahlberg.  I absolutely loved the bantering between the two leads, especially when Hoitz cannot stand Gamble.  The problem is, the more they start to like each other, the less I found myself laughing.  I wish they let the characters dislike each other for the whole movie. I am sure there are plenty of cops out there that do not like their partners in real life. 

Another problem I had with the film is the action.  The chase scenes take place in the streets of New York are so poorly shot.  There are way too many close ups on the action that you really cannot see what’s going on.  McKay knows how to film people but he is clearly not a man for action (at least not yet). 

I feel the movie wastes that talents of Michael Keaton who plays the police captain with a part time job at Bed, Bath, & Beyond (which was a nice little touch) I love Keaton and he is fine here but they could have given him a little more to do.  Steve Coogan is another great comedic talent that is wasted. If you have ever seen Hamlet 2, you know what I am talking about.  Coogan is not given a single moment in the film to shine and that is a real shame.

I am on the fence when it comes to The Other Guys.  It is a very uneven film with all the best parts in the first half, but having said that. There are enough funny moments in that first half to actually recommend the movie.  So if you want to go out, and have a few laughs, you could do much worse than spending a couple hours with The Other Guys.

By: Marc Ferman

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Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark - Movie Trailer

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Dinner for Schmucks: Movie Review

When you have a director like Jay Roach (Austin Powers, Meet the Parents) and actors like Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, & Zach Galififanakis all on one project, you would think the final product would be a laugh riot, wouldn’t you?  It’s too bad that Dinner for Schmucks is only mildly funny.
 
Tim (Paul Rudd) is an executive at a financial firm who is trying to climb up in the ranks at work so that he can afford to give his girlfriend Julie (Stephanie Szostak) the kind of life that he thinks she deserves.  Tim makes his move by presenting a great investment to his boss (Bruce Greenwood) at an office meeting.  This move does impress the boss and he is then invited to a dinner that they hold every year in which east person must bring the biggest idiot they can find. 

Tim has a run in (literally) with an IRS employee/mouse artist named Barry (Steve Carrell). From the first conversation they have, Tim knows right away that he has found his dinner date. Barry is a very sweet but also complete idiot.  From the moment Barry enters Tim’s life, he makes a complete wreck of it.

My problem with the film is not the actors.  Rudd is playing the same nice guy that you have seen him play before and that’s fine. Carell is having some fun playing the clueless idiot.  My problem is the material that these actors are given.

Dinner for Schmucks is a remake of a French film called Le Diner de Cons which I have never actually seen, but to my understanding, most of the original film took place at the actual dinner.  In the new version, the dinner is only the last 10-15 minutes of a 2 hour movie.  I felt that the movie was running on fumes until the dinner scene (which is the best part of the film) There are quite a few laughs to be had in the movie, but they felt so few and far between. 

By: Marc Ferman

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Sucker Punch - Movie Trailer

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Priest - Movie Trailer

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Red - Movie Trailer (#2)

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The Kids Are All Right: Movie Review

This summer started out extremely depressing with studios dropping clunkers one after another upon unsuspecting moviegoers.  Things seem to be looking up a bit (for now).  Over the past few weeks I feel like I have started to be entertained again by what was on the silver screen.  Sure, I would not call The Sorcerer’s Apprentice or Salt good movies, but at least I was somewhat entertained by them.  Inception proved to be a real breakthrough in many ways. Now, we get our great smaller movie of the season with the release of The Kids Are All Right.

The Kids Are All Right is a movie that I knew would be great before I even walked into the theater, mainly because I could not find one person who had seen it before me that did not love the film.  These are people for the most part that I trust in their opinions.  I may not always agree with them 100% but I come pretty close.

The story revolves around Jules (Julianne Moore) & Nic (Annette Bening), a same sex couple who have 2 children named Joni (Mia Wasikowska) & Laser (Josh Hutcherson) .  The two teenagers decide to track down their biological father now that the older sibling is 18 years old.    Once they meet their mother(s) sperm donor Paul (Mark Ruffalo), they decide to spend some time getting to know each other before Joni goes off to college.

Once Paul enters into the picture of this unconventional family, a lot of personal issues between Jules and Nic come to light and things do not go smoothly.  I feel Annette Bening is really effective as Nic. You can tell how threatened she feels with the new change in the family that is occurring. I also like Ruffalo’s care-free Paul.  He is a good guy but at the same time, does not seem to understand how to really be part of a family.  Moore is fine as Jules but I feel she is overshadowed by Bening.

One thing I really loved about the film is how real all the character interactions felt.  There was not a single false note in the film and the writing by writer/director Lisa Cholodenko (Laurel Canyon) is top knotch. I found myself laughing quite a bit and the intimate scenes between Jules & Nic are beautifully handled.

I hope the Kids Are All Right finds a big audience in theaters this summer.  I know that the younger set of moviegoers seem to lean more towards the big blockbuster fare when it comes to buying tickets, but maybe since most of those blockbusters that are our right now are major disappointments, they will trust the word of mouth and give this film a shot.

By: Marc Ferman

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