Vibrant Characters Send Over The Hedge Over The Top

     One might wonder why so many big-name celebrities agree to lend their voices to cartoon creatures in animated feature films. The answer is quite obvious in Dreamworks’s Over The Hedge, which features Bruce Willis as the voice of a raccoon and Garry Shandling as a voice of a turtle. The computer-animated motion picture offers the actors a rare opportunity to take part in a project that they can share with their entire families. Over The Hedge is fun and exciting enough to engage even the youngest moviegoers while still presenting a witty (oftentimes satirical) front for older audiences.

     The characters are perhaps the elements of the film that pull the two sets together, though. The animators created the various furry critters in the movie in ways that furnish their individual personalities, distinguishing one from the other as well as those from other animated flicks, while never abandoning their real-life counterparts. In other words, they are as real as they are adorable. They are the ideal marketing tools – characters that can appear in successful advertising campaigns and still be every child’s (and in some cases adult’s) coveted plush toy.

     As I’ve said, Willis lends his voice to the lead character in Over The Hedge, a raccoon named R.J.. During the opening scenes of the film, R.J. tries to lift a stash of food from a hibernating bear’s cave. The bear, named Vincent and voiced by Nick Nolte, catches R.J. in the act and when the food is accidentally demolished, Vincent threatens to eat R.J.. However, R.J. makes a deal with Vincent that he will replace all of the food within one week’s time in exchange for his life.

     Meanwhile, a group of woodland critters including a turtle named Verne (Shandling), a skunk named Stella (Wanda Sykes) and a squirrel named Hammy (Steve Carell) awaken from their winter nap to stock up on rations for their next hibernation. When they find that suburbia has been built over their forest (and the only thing separating them from the humans’ houses is – get this – a hedge), R.J. takes advantage of the situation to remedy his own predicament. R.J. convinces the critters to travel over the hedge (ah, there it is) and onto the humans’ terrain to steal their food. Despite Verne’s warnings of danger, they go along with R.J.’s plan… which ultimately lands them in a heap of junk food, er, trouble.

     The undemanding plot of Over The Hedge, which is based on Michael Fry and T. Lewis’s comic strip of the same name, lends itself to younger viewers, which is a drawback in terms of universal appeal. More mature moviegoers are likely to discount the flick as a result of its relatively simple story. Therefore, it is vital that the writers of Over The Hedge incorporate humor and thrills for viewers of all ages. They succeed, or even excel for that matter, since the motion picture frequently generates laughter and exhilaration from its audience.

     More importantly, the movie taps into the moral values of family and friendship with the dynamic relationship between R.J. and Verne. Much like the computer-generated buddies that came before them – Woody and Buzz, Shrek and Donkey, Mike and Sully – R.J. and Verne are a pair that is bound to stand out in cinematic history. Of course, Over The Hedge gets that little extra boost since it is populated with vibrant minor characters like Ozzie the possum (William Shatner), Dwayne the exterminator (Thomas Haden Church) and Gladys the president of the homeowner’s association (Allison Janney).

     There is a wide array of computer animated family flicks set for release later this year so it is very important that each one offers something memorable in order to be considered triumphant. Over The Hedge offers characters that are guaranteed to touch the heart and tickle the funny bone of moviegoers of all ages. It also offers comedy and action suitable for all demographics. But above all, it offers a reason for all family members to get together and go to the movies.

Compelling Down In The Valley From Another Era

     Down In The Valley is an example of how quickly the mood and storyline of a motion picture can shift. Just when an established atmosphere becomes comfortable, one unexpected event alters the entire outlook of the characters. This event can be the deal breaker for some moviegoers but its power makes the movie a piece of compelling entertainment.

     Down In The Valley begins with Tobe, a rebellious young woman played by Evan Rachel Wood. Tobe is on her way to the beach with her friends when they stop to fill up their car with gasoline. The cowboy hat clad attendant, played by Edward Norton, is magnetized toward Tobe, who, in turn, is intrigued by the man who introduces himself as Harlan. Tobe invites Harlan to accompany her to the beach, to which he claims he has never been. Harlan quits his job and agrees to Tobe’s invitation.

     The two begin a romantic relationship, much to the consternation of Tobe’s father Wade, played by David Morse. Harlan remains on his best behavior, though, treating Tobe “the proper way.” Harlan even makes friends with Tobe’s younger brother Lonny, played by Rory Culkin. Eventually, Harlan offers Tobe and Lonny a way out of their restrictive father’s home.

     What becomes of these folks midway through the flick is best left a surprise. The thing that remains constant, though, weaving the two halves together, is the remarkable acting. Norton gives one of the best performances of his career as the mysteriously fascinating Harlan. He embodies the best human traits while remaining significantly offbeat enough to warrant discretion.

     At times, it appears as though the character of Harlan believes he lives in simpler time. That very well may be the case but we can only speculate since the feature film presents more questions than it does answers. This is the flick’s biggest weakness since the audience is left relatively unsatisfied when the end credits start to roll.

     Morse is also potent in Down In The Valley. He plays the overprotective father figure very well yet the audience, much like Wade’s kids, is able to detest him as a result of Harlan’s likeability. Wood and Culkin do fabulous jobs as well. This is just one more independent film for the two (stars of Thirteen and The Chumscrubber, respectively) launching their careers in serious cinema.

     The slow-moving story of Down In The Valley leaves a great deal of responsibility on the actors and they are able to pull it off without any hitches. Speaking of the story, the whole movie feels somewhat antiquated. Everything from the beautiful settings to the ballad-filled soundtrack gives off the feeling of an older flick.

     One from a completely different era. And then the era turns.

Obvious Jokes Make American Dreamz Collapze

     If there was an Academy Award for Most Subtlety In A Motion Picture, American Dreamz would certainly be the film least likely to be nominated. The painfully obvious jokes eliminate any chance for genuine laughs in the movie, which is a satire of the American Idol worshiping society in which we live.

     More specifically, the flick targets the concept that more people vote for the next pop music sensation than the nation’s president. That said, the movie features characters that not only exhibit the behaviors of President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney, but resemble them as well.

     American Dreamz doesn’t exactly take any particular stand on political issues, either. Instead, it lampoons them from every angle. This is the ideal method but it only works if the audience isn’t hit over the head with the jokes. There should at least be a small handful of gags that go unnoticed until the second viewing. This is not the case, though, as every joke is handfed to us with a heavy hand.

     The flick features an ensemble cast of characters lead by Hugh Grant as Martin Tweed, a Simon Cowell type host of a television talent search competition aptly titled American Dreamz. The latest season of the program is beginning production and Tweed orders his staff to find more interesting contestants (or, less politically correct, “an Arab and a Jew”).

     Meanwhile, the president of the United States, played by Dennis Quaid, is struggling with his low approval rating (sound familiar?). The president is not the sharpest tool in the shed (how about that?) so he depends on his chief of staff, played by Willem Dafoe, to put words into his mouth. His chief of staff introduces the idea that the president appear as a guest judge on the finale of American Dreamz to help improve his approval ratings.

     When terrorists learn that the president of the United States is set to appear on the program, they recruit a contestant (the “Arab” that Tweed called for) to set off a bomb during the show’s finale. The contestant in question is Omer Obeidi, played by Sam Golzari. However, making it to the finale is a challenging assignment all itself… especially when another contestant, Sally Kendoo, played by Mandy Moore, is sleeping with Tweed.

     The only thing that American Dreamz is able to execute effectively is its parodying of American Idol. As a fan of the reality show that just wrapped up its fifth season (Soul Patrol!) with a vote total greater than that of the last presidential election, American Dreamz has made me look at American Idol in a whole new light. I have always been aware that the show was rather cheesy, but never have I understood how dependant it is on said cheese. The movie doesn’t discredit the series but it does perfect certain elements if it particularly well – enough to generate the only laughs in the flick.

     On the other hand, the political jabs fall flat. Unfortunately, they are so blatantly obvious that it is impossible to find anything special or funny about them. The same jokes can be seen every weekend on Saturday Night Live with a bit more thought injected into their conception.

     The cast, which also includes Jennifer Coolidge, Marcia Gay Harden, Chris Klein, Seth Meyers, John Cho and Judy Greer, is enough to keep the film constantly amusing but the writing fails so miserably that the comedy is simply not there. American Dreamz remains a sensible choice for American Idol fans, but everyone else – especially those seeking decent political farce – best look elsewhere.

     Airdo out!

Twists, Setting, Gore Save Generic See No Evil

     See No Evil is more nauseating than it is scary. It is brutally excruciating to watch on as person after person has their eyes manually pried out of their skulls, but I am sure that is what the folks behind the new horror movie were banking on. The flick is chock-full of disgusting death sequences capable of making even the most serious horror fan turn away from the screen.

     Most impressive about the motion picture is the set design. It is far from being even remotely original (haven’t we seen this place before in Saw II?), but it gets the job done. The eerie mood is set immediately after the characters step foot into the creaky old hotel that the villain calls home-sweet-home. In a way, the hotel takes on a life of its own since it is complex enough to present a plethora of puzzling mazes yet familiar enough to recognize where we’ve been and where certain passageways lead. It is a horror fan’s dream setting.

     See No Evil is the first movie produced by WWE (yes, as in World Wrestling Entertainment) Films. However, aside from its star, Kane (aka Glen Jacobs), the movie doesn’t exactly let on that it has anything to do with wrestling. In fact, it stands on its own two feet beside other hardcore horror flicks like Hostel and High Tension.

     The movie opens as a police officer investigating a disturbance shoots a serial killer in the head but loses an arm in the process. Four years later, he is now in charge of a group of eight delinquents who are sent to clean and help renovate the Blackwell Hotel one weekend. Each of them have their hang-ups with one another but they must soon learn to get along if they have any hope to survive.

     Kane stars as Jacob Goodnight, the somewhat-supernatural serial killer that the police officer shot four years ago. Now residing within the secret passageways of the hotel, Goodnight is known for prying the eyeballs out of his victims’ heads (but is not too proud to wield a chained hook). Goodnight is not the happiest fellow when the teens and police officer make their way onto his property. Instead of calling the cops, though, he deals with the home invasion in his own traditional way.

     The plot is fairly generic so its success depends on the way in which things go down – or, cinematically speaking (<-- this could be a great new title for my website… dibs!), the movie’s style is key. Once again, we’ve seen similar styles in other flicks from the genre and any original material comes in the form of odd camera angels that only result in a dizzying effect.

     Still, the movie isn’t as bad as one would expect. In fact, I would highly recommend it to all hardcore horror fans. At the same time, I would advise folks that don’t take to horror flicks to stay far away from See No Evil. However, that is more a result of the blood and gore than it is the quality of the movie.

      See No Evil is a decent horror flick that is as fun as it is short. It is unlikely that anyone will be referencing the motion picture with any praise in terms of originality or inventiveness, but this in-the-moment film is a whole lot of fierce fun. There are several twists and turns that are rather surprising – an effect not easy to accomplish in this genre. For these intelligent twists, the perfectly creepy locale, and the myriad gruesome special effects, See No Evil is one comparatively bad movie that demands to be seen.

Hip Stick It Lacks "Zing"

     Stick It could have been titled Bring It On Jr.. It features the same brand of humor only without the fresh snap. That is not to say that anything in the motion picture is stale; the jokes just don’t present quite the same "zing effect" that those in Bring It On did. The biting lines of dialogue in Bring It On are the reasons that the flick became somewhat of a cult hit. Needless to say, without the same level of vigor Stick It won’t be around as long and is just an enjoyable film.

     It is not for lack of trying on the part of writer Jessica Bendinger, who also wrote Bring It On and Aquamarine. She put a healthy effort into the screenplay – "It’s not called gym-nice-tics." However, it is probably the nature of the sport that prevents Stick It from being anything more than a mediocre movie. Somehow, gymnastics doesn’t quite match up to cheerleading when it comes to transposing it over to cinema. If you think about it, the innate dialogue is missing from gymnastics (in other words, it is no talk and all action), thus an important natural-flowing element becomes relatively forced.

     Of course, the movie has a few flaws that could have been easily prevented, though. The cast of characters are likeable in Stick It but they are not quite colorful enough. There is not enough diversity and, in a way, this leads to the sport being taken a bit more seriously than it probably should be in this certain flick. The film also lacks the big climactic moment at the end that could have possibly redeemed it for its other shortcomings. It has a satisfying conclusion yet fails to bring the audience to their feet (other than to leave, that is).

     Stick It stars Missy Peregrym (of the short-lived ABC television series Life As We Know It) as Haley Graham, a gymnast that inexplicably walked out on World several years ago. In the meantime, Haley fell into the life of a troublemaker and, after bicycle mishap, is ordered by a judge to choose between hard time or training at a gymnastics academy. Haley chooses hard time and, much to her dismay, the judge orders the opposite.

     Haley arrives at the Vickerman Gymnastics Academy where Burt Vickerman, played by Jeff Bridges, is her coach. Haley is hardly well-received by her fellow trainees who can’t help but remember her World disaster. Haley is not exactly overjoyed to be there, either, but eventually rediscovers why she ever entered the sport. Winning the gold is a different dilemma all of its own, though, and it takes a lot of practice and a bit of aptitude to surmount the impositions of the judges’ ancient rules.

     It is easy to invest some interest in the girls in Stick It. They are good actresses and Peregrym does a great job in the lead role. She is charming enough to carry the motion picture and her bond with Bridges is endearing. In addition, I would be lying if I said I wasn’t at least a little impressed with the gymnastics stunts performed during the championship, which are livened up by a bit of energetic music.

     Despite its faults, Stick It is still worthwhile for anyone that got a kick out of Bring It On. It is a fun, albeit pointless, feature film that has what it takes to entertain just about anybody. There are quite a few mild laughs to be had in this very hip flick, it is just unfortunate that it holds back in order to remain appropriate for the younger set. With a little more "zing," Stick It could have been another cult hit able to withstand the test of time. But I’ll settle for the fun when I can get it – right now.

Just My Luck Fortunately Funny

     I’ve never really taken to Lindsey Lohan. Since her role(s) in The Parent Trap and on through her parts in Freaky Friday and Herbie: Fully Loaded I’ve always mildly despised her, never grasping the extent of her popularity. Therefore, it is particularly fitting that I’ve finally grown accustomed to her charms in a movie in which she gets thrown in jail, gets punched by a prisoner (twice) and falls head-first in a mountain of mud.

      Just My Luck is supposed to be Lohan’s coming-of-age role where she no longer portrays a kid. While her character inexplicably holds the position of an executive for a large company at a young age, Lohan still doesn’t show any signs of serious leading actress status. Just My Luck is basically just another teen comedy – except this one is actually funny. Perhaps it is because this movie (along with Mean Girls) is one of Lohan’s only features outside of the Walt Disney label that it is enjoyable but I don’t discount my amusement in seeing the trendy Lohan get what’s coming to her.

     Lohan plays Ashley Albright, a girl with more good luck than a horseshoe. Ashley can’t walk down the streets of Manhattan without a five-dollar-bill sticking to the bottom of one of her shoes. Meanwhile, Jake Hardin, played by Chris Pine, can’t walk down the streets of Manhattan without his pants falling down and getting falsely arrested for indecency. Jake’s bad luck prevents him or the band he represents from moving up in the world. However, Jake is well-prepared for the constant rain cloud that follows him around and makes the best of things.

     Disguised as a hired dancer, Jake sneaks into a party that Ashley’s company is throwing for the owner of a record label and the two end up dancing with each other. Despite a psychic’s warning of an ill fate, Ashley kisses a masked Jake. Suddenly, Ashley’s luck goes to the dogs as she gets arrested and loses her job. On the other hand, Jake is having extremely good luck. A desperate Ashley visits the psychic and they deduce that her luck was switched with that of the man with which she shared the kiss. Ashley must now find the man, whom she doesn’t know is Jake, and steal her luck back from him.

     Despite the very hackneyed premise, Just My Luck is very entertaining. The entire movie is simply ridiculous but somehow it ends up being a whole lot of fun. This may be partly as a result of Pine, who is a charming actor. His very down-to-earth persona is a refreshing change from such model-esque actors as Chad Michael Murray. In addition, regardless of whether he has good luck or bad luck, Pine’s character Jake is kind to everyone around him. He is a likeable guy so we want to see him succeed and get the girl – even if the girl is Lohan.

     Then there is the comedy, which works particularly well. The first few scenes featuring Jake having just another one of his awful days set the mood up nicely. In the same way that we anticipate the death sequences in the Final Destination movies, we are eager to see what forms of bad luck the writers come up with next in Just My Luck. We know they are coming and the cleverest ones have us in stitches.

      Just My Luck feels like a movie that could have done well in the 90s but may have trouble finding an audience today. It joins the ranks of last year’s Just Like Heaven (wow, I just realized another connection between the two) in that they are both very sweet movies with genuine laughs but their supernatural foundations may hinder their success. Just My Luck is one of the most delightful comedies I’ve seen this year and you will surely consider yourself lucky if you see it.

     Unless you break a mirror… in which case you’ll be unlucky… for seven years…

Simple Saving Shiloh Splendid for Entire Family

     Saving Shiloh is whole grain cinematic goodness. It is fairly impossible to find a series of movies that is more wholesome than that of Shiloh and its two sequels. Like its two predecessors, this flick, the final film based on the trilogy of books written by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, teaches important morals while keeping youngsters engaged with an enticing story and cute animals. Now, there is such a thing as being too cute, which Saving Shiloh occasionally shifts into at a veterinary office. Yet, the majority of the motion picture is the perfect antidote to your family moviegoing needs.

     The real question is whether or not Saving Shiloh is worth the trip to the theatre. The easy answer is no, it is not. While the flick is extremely pleasant, there is nothing grand enough about it to warrant a big screen viewing. Instead, Saving Shiloh is the ideal rental for family movie night. Then again, one peculiar element will be lost without the theatre experience. The themes, storyline and characters of Saving Shiloh are reminiscent of a simpler time. Seeing the movie in a theatre transports the viewer to this very different world – think Mayberry – and the same feeling may be difficult to achieve on a television screen.

     The movie stars Jason Dolley as Marty Preston, the caring owner of Shiloh, a dog that was abused by his previous owner Judd Travers played by Scott Wilson. Shiloh is still terrified of being in Judd’s presence. The whole town despises Judd for his many mean-spirited acts, too. Marty, on the other hand, believes that there is a certain amount of goodness in everyone and that people can change therefore he is willing to give Judd another chance.

     When Marty and his friend find an abandoned vehicle in the woods, mystery surrounds the town. The dead body of a man seen arguing with Judd is soon discovered and Judd becomes the prime suspect in a murder investigation. Marty is one of the only people that does not think that Judd is capable of murdering another person and frequently visits him to prevent him from feeling like a complete outcast. Now, it is up to Marty and Shiloh to find the real murderers and, despite their differences, clear Judd’s name.

     Saving Shiloh is sure to keep children entertained and adults are bound to become engulfed in the story as well. Aside from being so simple, the main flaw of the flick is its extended conclusion. Just when you think the movie is over (since the main plot is resolved), another twenty minutes remains. These twenty minutes are the best, though, living up to the film’s title. Unfortunately, this section of the motion picture is not woven very effectively into the rest of the plot. It makes sense and delivers a satisfying ending to the trilogy, but it is somewhat disconnected from the main plot of this individual installment.

     Saving Shiloh may sound a bit preachy at times, but its spirit is in the right place. The morals presented in the movie are ones that every person – young and old – should learn. Saving Shiloh teaches those morals while touching your heart and keeping the whole family entertained. It’s that simple.

Waterlogged Poseidon Sinks

     If Warner Bros. Pictures paid someone to pen the screenplay of Poseidon, it was a tremendous waste of money. Not only could they have looked at the 1972 flick (The Poseidon Adventure) this is based on and gotten the job done but the new script is a complete disaster. There is a deficiency of dialogue in this movie which basically consists of people running, climbing, swimming and dying. The characters hardly say anything to each other. Yet when they do, it comes out like this:

Father: "You’re not too old for a piggy-back ride, are you?"
Daughter: (Smiling.) "Not today."

     There are a plethora of lines that make us shake our heads in disbelief that someone would actually write them without realizing they are clichés. This is the biggest drawback to the motion picture since it makes it absolutely impossible to mesh with the action on the screen. Poseidon is one of those movies that never stops feeling like a movie. The audience can never truly feel at one with the characters because they say and do things that only two-dimensional movie characters would say and do.

     Poseidon features a talented cast that includes Josh Lucas, Kurt Russell, Emmy Rossum and Richard Dreyfus. The action picks up just before midnight on New Year’s Eve as folks are partying aboard the Poseidon, a gigantic cruise ship. Suddenly, the ship is struck by a rogue wave and the passengers are tossed about until the ship capsizes.

     The survivors are ordered to stay put but a few of them form together to try and find a way out. They make their way to the bottom of the ship (which, since everything is upside down, now means they are going up) and risk what little hope they have to find the nearest exit. Along the way they are faced with dangers in the form of flash fire, rising water and spinning propellers.

     The action picks up almost immediately after the movie starts, which is exciting yet renders the characters insignificant. These usually skillful actors are stuck with generally stereotypical roles. Fortunately we do know most of the actors and, due to their celebrity statuses, our eyes are glued to the screen. Even Jimmy Bennett, who has become the eagerly brave youngster in films like Hostage, Cellular and now this, has a tendency to peak one’s curiosity despite trite dialogue and excessive action.

     As for said action, the most spectacular (and most expensive) action sequence is the capsizing of the ship. While this scene is nothing short of electrifying, it is over rather quickly. The remaining action sequences are entertaining but pale in comparison to the ship going belly-up. After all, we boarded Poseidon to get thrown upside down and watch expensive dishes and chandeliers shatter as people fly through the air screaming at the tops of their lungs. The one sequence that does work, set within the confines of flooding air vent, is completely opposite of the other explosive events proving that, sometimes, suspense is greater than action.

     Poseidon is a fun summer blockbuster with visual effects that deserve to be seen on the big screen but the storyline and characters are supremely lacking. Come to think of it, Poseidon cost approximately $140 million to produce. Perhaps Warner Bros. Pictures can afford to shred that much money but they shouldn’t expect moviegoers to enjoy spending even seven bucks plus for such a waterlogged flick.

Tragic Events Of United 93 Gripping, Unsettling

     To say that United 93 is emotionally charging is an understatement. The feature film, based on the true events of one of the hijacked planes of the September 11 terrorist attacks, draws more emotions from its audience than the vast majority of other movies. However, the strongest emotion for me was anger. I felt sadness and pain for the passengers aboard the aircraft but my passion was devoted against the hijackers. I am confident that the dominant emotion varies from moviegoer to moviegoer, though, which is the amazing quality that makes United 93 so powerful.

     As I said, United 93 is based on true events that transpired on September 11, 2001. That tragic day in the nation’s history saw the hijacking of four flights. Two of the planes resulted in the complete demolishment of the World Trade Center in New York City. Another one of the planes crashed into the Pentagon. United 93 focuses on the only plane that did not reach its target.

     As the motion picture opens, four men are preparing for what will ultimately become known as the 9/11 terrorist attacks. They, along with a small handful of other people, board a jetliner but their departure is delayed. Meanwhile, folks in the air traffic control room are unable to get a response from a plane in mid-flight. One person overhears background chatter about the plane being hijacked and, despite their efforts, nobody is able to make contact with the plane.

     A few more hijackings pop up but no one completely grasps the seriousness of the situation until one of the planes flies into one of the towers of the World Trade Center. United Flight 93 has taken off by this time and the pilots soon receive a transmission informing them of the other hijackings. Then, the four men on the plane make their move and take control of the cockpit. The passengers, who have now been sent to the back of the aircraft, refuse to give up without a fight, though.

     As a result of the relatively real-time account, it does take some time before United 93 gets to the meat of the event. Unfortunately, the flick spends quite a good chunk of time on the ground in the air traffic control rooms. It is intriguing to see what was going on downstairs (especially given that most of these people are portrayed by the real air traffic control personnel that dealt with the historic tragedy) and these scenes add to the film’s overall documentary feeling, but it can get tedious waiting to get back into the sky.

     There is no way of knowing exactly what transpired during the flight, but the filmmakers make the best from the released intelligence about the event. They also utilized reports from the people that the passengers called during the hijacking. Speaking of said phone calls, the most heart wrenching scenes are the ones that feature the passengers calling their loved ones expressing their final goodbyes.

      United 93 does not focus on the passengers as characters, though. Instead, the passengers are merely strangers that have come together as human beings. This along with the real-time account makes the audience feel as though they are right there on the plane. Director Paul Greengrass does not try to exploit the passengers nor does he take advantage of the situations to create a false sense of intensity. All suspense and horror is authentic in the film which is far more gripping and unsettling than anything fabricated could have been.

Smart Comedy Worth The Effort In Thank You For Smoking

     Thank You For Smoking is a rarity among motion pictures. It is a comedy that actually makes you think. Moreover, people that refuse to put sufficient effort into their moviegoing experience will be left stumped in response to nearly the entire feature. Thank You For Smoking deals out the laughs in the sincerest form of comedy – intelligent satire – but only those willing to invest their entire mindset into the flick will get the jokes.

     Having to work for the jokes is fairly refreshing amidst the recent trend of mindless comedies like The Benchwarmers and Big Momma’s House 2. The extra sweat that it takes to be constantly engaged to the screen provides an enjoyably satisfying feeling upon exiting the theatre. The movie demands your attention and rewards those who are captivated by it (which, trust me, is not so difficult with this film).

     Based on the novel of the same title by Christopher Buckley, Thank You For Smoking tells the story of Nick Naylor, Big Tobacco’s chief spokesman played by Aaron Eckhart. Nick’s job requires him to put a spin on all negative press. When Nick suddenly gets thrust into the limelight due to an appearance on a daytime talk show, his son from his failed marriage, Joey, played by Cameron Bright, shows an interest in his work.

     Nick begins taking Joey everywhere he goes as his career hits all new heights. Meanwhile, Nick jumps at the opportunity to sleep with an attractive young reporter named Heather Holloway, played by Katie Holmes (she’s the mother of Tom Cruise’s baby). This proves to be a terrible mistake of which Nick is aware from the very start. Now, Nick must recover from the lowest of lows to deflect Vermont Senator Ortolan K. Finistirre’s plans to introduce detrimental changes to the tobacco industry.

     The key element of Thank Your For Smoking is Nick’s voiceover narration. While some movies use voiceover narration as a means to advance the story, this particular flick uses it to develop Nick’s character and offer depth to the plot. Had it not been for Nick’s voiceover narration, Thank You For Smoking would have likely fell into cliché territory, since most of the outcomes in the movie are easily predictable. However, Nick’s candid comments add class to the story and mix in a certain observational humor not utilized in most comedies.

     Nick is not the only three-dimensional character, though. Writer and director Jason Reitman is skillful in quickly getting to the heart of each of the characters in Thank You For Smoking. There are countless different roles portrayed by big-name actors such as Maria Bello, Adam Brody, David Koechner, Rob Lowe and Robert Duvall and, while it is fun just to see them, watching how Reitman expands on their characters through witty exchanges is what makes the motion picture stand strong. It is simple to invest your interest into these characters despite their moral flexibility.

     As I said, it will be difficult for some moviegoers to allow Thank You For Smoking to wash over them. The humor is pleasantly dry and those used to the straightforward lamebrain gags of The Shaggy Dog and similar comedies may feel too hard-pressed to think. Than again, the payoff of Thank Your For Smoking is worth every intellectual effort.

Explosive Mission: Impossible III Starts Summer Right

     During a rescue attempt in Mission: Impossible III, Tom Cruise’s character Ethan Hunt injects a feeble Lindsey Ferris, played by Keri Russell, with adrenaline. It provides her with a strong boost as she suddenly gets up, grabs a gun and begins firing. The movie itself has a somewhat similar effect as it prepares you for the summer movie season. With action sequences faster than the time it takes the images on the screen to reach your brain, Mission: Impossible III is pure cinematic adrenaline.

     The downside to the nonstop excitement that Mission: Impossible III provides is that it is missing the calculation that the first in the film series perfected. When thought of as a bomb, the third installment is all explosion and no tick. The constant action is nothing short of exhilarating but the element of suspense is nearly nonexistent. Gone are the complicated surprises that made the television series a hit and the first Mission: Impossible a masterpiece.

     Mission: Impossible III is not completely without intelligence, though. The story picks up as a semi-retired Hunt, is celebrating his engagement to the love of his life, Julia, played by Michelle Monaghan. He must put his wedding plans on hold, though, when he learns that Ferris, one of his trainees is being held captive by the evil Owen Davian, played by Philip Seymour Hoffman. Hunt also learns that Davian is looking for something called “the rabbit’s foot.”

     Hunt quickly marries Julia and then he and a team comprised of Luther Strickell (Ving Rhames), Declan (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) and Zhen (Maggie Q) are sent out by John Brassel (Laurence Fishburne) to rescue Ferris, bring Davian to justice and prevent him from using “the rabbit’s foot” for no good. However, along the way, things get personal between Hunt and Davian and when Davian escapes from custody, it is Hunt’s new wife who becomes the bargaining chip.

     Directed by Lost creator J.J. Abrams, Mission: Impossible III is one action sequence after another. As far as blockbusters go, this movie is huge – leaving the unsavory Mission: Impossible II in the dust… or, more appropriately, smoke. It takes about forty-five minutes for the action to really take full force but eventually there is not a minute that passes without an explosion, gun fire or a crash. The action is not backed up by many gadgets or shocking surprises, though, which only makes the motion picture move that much faster. There is very little opportunity to catch up on the plot-points if you somehow lose your way during the story.

     It is hard to not be astonished by Mission: Impossible III but unfortunately the action sequences are relatively basic, lacking an individualized signature such as that of similar sequences in movies like The Island and Speed. Abrams is a terrific director – his style is distinct and the thrills he provides are earth-shaking – but many of the action sequences are deficient of that certain quality that makes you excited when just thinking about them several years after seeing the movie. This is a very in-the-moment flick with little lasting effect.

     Yet even without that extra something that keeps replaying in your mind or the intrigue of the calm before the storm, Mission: Impossible III blows you away every chance it gets. This is an amazing way to kick off the summer movie season – with a bang.

     Continuing with my comparison of Mission: Impossible III. to a bomb, the movie left a lasting impression on the theatre in which I saw it. During one action sequence involving Cruise and a gasoline tanker, one of the theatre’s speakers exploded. That may be the greatest testament of all for Mission: Impossible III.

Cinematic Footprints: Part 14 – The Conclusion

The Popcorn Journal presents the final installment of a captivatingly original series, Cinematic Footprints, encompassing the attributes of three Oscar-caliber motion pictures and three typically underestimated flicks. The series, which was written by Joey Airdo as an honors thesis assignment for Arizona State University, ran weekly (on Sundays) in fourteen segments throughout the spring of 2006.

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Educational Hoot Missing Appeal

     As an animal movie, Hoot is almost a complete failure. Moviegoers looking forward to seeing cute baby owls in this flick may have better luck stepping out into their own backyard. While Hoot does feature a few glimpses at these creatures, it is far too little for a movie with a plot that revolves around them. Much of the appeal of such movies as My Dog Skip and Milo and Otis is seeing the cute little animals and, since we hardly see any owls in Hoot, a significant amount of its appeal flies away.

     Hoot is the first motion picture produced by singer Jimmy Buffett, who plays marine science teacher Mr. Ryan in the flick. The movie is a product of Walden Media, who also brought Holes and Because of Winn Dixie to the big screen, and based on the best-selling children’s book of the same name written by Carl Hiaasen. On the surface, Hoot appears to be a wonderful little gem of a family flick… that is, until you try watching it.

     The movie stars Logan Lerman as Roy Eberthardt, the new kid at a high school in Florida. Having moved from Montana, Roy acts as an immediate magnet for the school bully and quickly gets stuck with the nickname Cowgirl. Instead of dwelling on his troubles, though, Roy develops an interest in a strange, barefoot kid that he often sees running alongside his school bus but never sees at school. Roy follows him one day but is diverted by the kid’s sister Beatrice, played by Brie Larson.

     Eventually, Roy makes friends with Beatrice and is allowed to meet her brother, known by the nickname Mullet Fingers and played by Cody Linley. Mullet Fingers and Beatrice explain that a pancake restaurant is set to be built on land that is home to owls and that they want to try and stop it from happening. Roy joins their fight against the company, which, up until his enlistment, had consisted of basic hoodlum-type pranks. When the pancake restaurant owner moves up the date of the groundbreaking ceremonies, it is up to Roy, Beatrice and Mullet Fingers to stand up for the little guys.

     Hoot is hearty family entertainment with one major flaw – it isn’t very entertaining. While it teaches important moral values about friendship and nature, the movie is unable to conjure up enough charm to keep children busy or to satisfy adults. What we are given are the barebones of the story, which begins as a mystery and transforms into a fight-for-what’s-right picture, but the elements that would have made the story funny, endearing or even interesting were all left on the cutting room floor.

     There are a few big-name actors in Hoot but none of them have much screen time. Luke Wilson plays Officer Delniko, Robert Wagner plays the town’s mayor and Time Blake Nelson plays Curly, a man ordered to watch over the construction site and make sure all things go smoothly, and each of them give very fun performances. However, the majority of the screen time is devoted to the kids, as it should be, whom we don’t recognize. They are more than just decent actors but their story is simply not enough.

     Hoot is fine educational cinema but its efforts are futile without being able to make the audience fall in love with the characters (or, at the very least, the owls, had they made a few more appearances). There is absolutely no reason to see this movie on the big screen. When it comes down to it, Hoot looks an awful lot like something destined for a PBS special and for that I can only recommend it as a DVD rental for parents with children between the ages of 6 and 11. Anyone outside that age range won’t give a hoot.

Tedious Sentinel All Drama No Action

     Prior to seeing The Sentinel, fans of the FOX television series 24 may feel as though the new film is just a big screen version of the show less the infamous ticking clock. The plots are similar, both star Kiefer Sutherland and both feature a little extra love-drama to reel in the female viewers. However, the two are polar opposites in that 24 specializes in surprises at every turn while The Sentinel places all of its cards on the table within the first few minutes. The latter technique eliminates any thought required from the audience and fails to dredge up any true suspense.

     Such is the dilemma in The Sentinel, which is constantly bogged down with tedious scenes involving characters telling each other what the audience already knows and then explaining their actions with very common-sense rationale. The fact that only bits and pieces about these people’s lives are revealed doesn’t help matters, either, making each of them feel more like players in a game than characters in a narrative. We are not given the opportunity to see these people in anything but their roles of friends, lovers, cheaters and secret service agents thus are unable to develop any feelings but superficial emotions toward them.

     While The Sentinel appears to adapt the plot of a missing season of 24, the roles are changed around. Michael Douglas plays the Jack Bauer type role of Pete Garrison, an agent of the secret service who took a bullet in the assassination attempt of Ronald Reagan in 1981. Garrison is having an affair with the first lady Sarah Ballentine, played by Kim Bassinger, and this secret relationship ends up the subject of blackmail against Garrison when he is framed for the murder of a White House agent. Garrison is soon suspected of being involved in an assassination plot against the president when he fails a lie detector test as a result of keeping his affair with the president’s wife a secret.

     Enter the real Jack Bauer, Sutherland, who plays secret service agent David Breckinridge. Breckinridge and Garrison are former friends but their relationship came to a screeching halt when Garrison had, you guessed it, an affair with Breckinridge’s wife. Breckinridge and his new trainee Jill Marin, played by Eva Longoria, track Garrison who has fled in search of the truth behind the assassination plot. This leads to several confrontations between to two former pals and eventually a desperate last resort to save the president.

     It may sound as though The Sentinel is packed with action but there are very few enticing scenes in reality. The majority of the film features discussions about the characters’ positions in their lives and debates defending their actions. It takes the movie, which is just over an hour and a half, over thirty minutes to really pick up pace. Moviegoers holding out hope for the inevitable chase will be appeased for only a short period of time. There are a few scenes involving Garrison trying to evade Breckinridge but they are clichéd and hardly very thrilling.

     Speaking of thrills, The Sentinel’s extreme lack of them places the motion picture exclusively in the drama genre. The movie is neither exciting nor contemplative enough to be a thriller. It wouldn’t be fair to call it predictable since the movie reveals all of the would-be secrets very clearly from the get-go. Therefore, being handfed all of the information, the audience can do nothing more but sit back and watch as the other characters discover the secrets.

     The only redeeming quality of The Sentinel is its cast. You could not ask for two more appropriate leading men than Sutherland and Douglas who are terrific actors and make the most out of their roles here, especially during their confrontations. Bassinger fits the first lady bill rather well and, while Longoria’s character isn’t given much to do, she plays her nicely and very differently from her role on television’s Desperate Housewives.

     Which, along with 24, is far more worth your time than The Sentinel.

Generic Gags Restrain Charming RV

     There are two very distinct variations of Robin Williams – the one seen on daytime talk shows and the one seen on late-night talk shows. The basic difference is that a far less-reserved form of him is present on late-night talk shows as there is a greater license for outrageous material between the hours of 10pm and 6am. When the network broadcast rights are sold for Williams’s film RV they may as well air it alongside Live with Regis and Kelly and The Ellen DeGeneres Show because, unfortunately, the version of him we see in the flick is particularly docile.

     This is hardly surprising since RV is, above all, a family flick. The writers play it safe and Williams is not about to anger parents with stepping outside of the family friendly circle. Still, for fans of Williams, RV may seem too tame. Its most wild moments are disappointingly generic – the kind you rarely see in movies anymore because filmmakers recognize them as possible comedy failures. While RV is hardly a comedy failure, a significant number of these generic gags get groans instead of laughs.

     Williams plays Bob Munro, a husband and father with a comfortable, high-paying job at a soft drink company, in the flick. Since his position has recently become unstable due to the threat of younger employees, when Bob’s boss tells him that he needs him in Colorado he must call off a family vacation to Hawaii. Making the best of things, Bob lies to his wife, played by Cheryl Hines, and kids, played by Josh Hutcherson and JoJo, rents an RV and drags them along to Colorado.

     Bob’s wife and kids are reluctant and start the trip off with cynical attitudes. Their preconceived expectations about the trip are all met, too, when the septic system gets backed up, a raccoon living in the oven attacks them and the parking break system fails. All of this pales in comparison to the family’s dismay in crossing paths with the Gornickes, an oddball family lead by Jeff Daniels and Kristen Chenoweth. Somewhere between fleeing from the Gornickes’ bus and getting swept off their feet by muddy rain water, the Munros discover that they may just be having a good time.

     The entire plot feels familiar if you have seen National Lampoon’s Family Vacation or the various other family road trip comedies and unfortunately RV never presents anything original to stand out of the crowd. Instead, the storyline is simplistic and predictable, offering the same ending as all of the rest. The road to get to that ending hardly makes up for the movie’s lack of creativity, either, focusing on physical slapstick jokes that don’t make the cut in terms of being funny.

     Fortunately, though, RV is charming, in part due to the actors. As I mentioned, Williams is restrained in this flick and so he won’t make you laugh out loud very often but he is still very likeable and fun to watch. Daniels steals the show, though, delivering Travis Gornicke in an abnormally solemn way. Travis comes off naïve like the rest of his family but with an acute pessimism of which he is vocally ashamed. The entire Gornicke family is interesting and is at the heart of many of the film’s laughs.

     Most of RV’s allure comes from director Barry Sonnenfeld (yes, that is Sonnenfeld’s picture on the side of the Munros’ RV), though. It is worth seeing RV on the big screen because of Sonnenfeld’s imaginative eye. The entire look of each scene is very colorful and strangely animated unlike many of the other motion pictures with similar plots. RV is a nice feel-good comedy that won’t have you rolling in the aisles but is a pleasant way to spend some time with your family.