Fun With Dick & Jane

...a laugh riot.


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Yes Billy, Jim Carrey still has it.

In “Fun With Dick And Jane,” Jim Carrey stars as Dick, a successful executive with a loving wife named Jane, played by Tea Leoni. Dick and Jane suddenly fall on hard times when Dick’s company gets caught in a scandal and Dick ends up unemployed. Together, the married couple struggle to provide for each other and their young son.

At first, Dick rides out the rough patch, applying to only vice president positions. When this plan proves futile, Dick and Jane look for lesser work in retail, medical testing, and even along side... (Read More)

Cheaper By The Dozen 2

...better because of the writers.


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The 2003 family comedy “Cheaper By The Dozen” was a boring piece of forgettable rubbish. The flick was fortunate that it was released during the holidays, though, a time when parents look for movies that they can see with their children.

Lucky for the cast, the movie made enough money at the box office to warrant a sequel. Lucky for moviegoers, the sequel is actually, dare I say it, decent entertainment.

“Cheaper By The Dozen 2” stars, once again, Steve Martin and Bonnie Hunt as Tom and Kate Baker, respectively, parents of twelve kids, all varying in age. This time... (Read More)

Brokeback Mountain

...heartbreaking, romantic, and outstandingly original.


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Not only is “Brokeback Mountain” one of the most controversial movies of the year but it is also one of the best.

“Brokeback Mountain” stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger as Jack Twist and Ennis Del Mar, respectively, cowboys that spend one lonely summer working together on a mountain. A romance develops between them that is expressed both emotionally and physically.

At the end of the summer, they part ways and find wives and children but are unable to completely move on from their common relationship. Jack eventually contacts Ennis and the two meet once again, rekindling their romance in... (Read More)

King Kong

...nothing short of dazzling.


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“King Kong” proves two theories: One, Peter Jackson is certainly not a minimalist. Two, a giant gorilla prancing around a historically energetic New York City makes for the best eye-candy of the year.

Peter Jackson, who brought the “Lord Of Rings” trilogy to the big screen, directed the remake of “King Kong.” This updated version stars Jack Black as Carl Denham, a director trying desperately to create a new motion picture.

When financial woes hit home, Carl quickly casts Ann Darrow, played by Naomi Watts, as his lead. He gathers his cast and crew on a large ship and they... (Read More)

The Family Stone

...one of the least enjoyable holiday movies...


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As Steve Martin said in the holiday classic “Mixed Nuts,” “Christmas is a time when we look at our life through a magnifying glass. Being alone is so much lonelier at Christmas. Everything sad is so much sadder at Christmas.”

And in the case of “The Family Stone,” everything irritating is so much more irritating at Christmas.

“The Family Stone” stars Dermot Mulroney as Everett Stone, a man that brings his girlfriend home to meet his family during the holidays, and Sarah Jessica Parker as girlfriend Meredith Morton, a self-doubting individual. Meredith tries hard to impress Everett’s family but the... (Read More)

Syriana

...demands far too much of its audience...


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“Syriana” is a very complex movie. So complex, in fact, that it isolates the majority of moviegoers and makes them feel stupid.

“Syriana,” which features an all-star cast including George Clooney, Matt Damon, and Jeffrey Wright, is a multifaceted political thriller about the global oil industry. The movie’s focus bounces from character to character until the bigger picture is shown in the end.

Subplots consist of Clooney as a C.I.A. operative, Damon as an American father slash oil broker, and Wright as a corporate lawyer. Each character faces moral dilemmas and ethical issues surrounding the oil business as well as... (Read More)

The Chronicles Of Narnia

...at least a little bit tacky.


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The fact that the animals in “The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, & The Wardrobe” look cute does not qualify them as looking real. Similarly, the fact that the animals look phony does not qualify the film itself as a poor movie.

Rather, what qualifies it as a poor movie is the ritualistic crucifixion, the tremendous lack of magic and whimsy, and the explosive finale featuring all of the faux-creatures in an all-out-battle.

“The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, & The Wardrobe” is based on the novel of the same name by C.S. Lewis. It tells... (Read More)

Harry Potter & The Goblet Of Fire

...a step in the right direction.


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The boy wizard is getting older. They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks but someone taught J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire” to be heads above the rest. The fourth flick in the magical series features something the other three did not: Universal Appeal.

Directed by Mike Newell, “Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire” stars, as you probably already know, Daniel Radcliffe as young Harry Potter, student of Hogwarts Academy. This go-round, a multi-school competition is being hosted by Hogwarts and Harry inexplicably gets chosen to participate. Harry must compete head-to-head against three... (Read More)

TPJ Christmas Card 2005

It was beauty killed the beast but it is me, sitting on King Kong's shoulder, wishing you Merry Christmas.

-Joey Airdo

Click HERE to view The Popcorn Journal Christmas Card 2005.

Christmas Special 2005

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The holiday movie offerings this year are slim. The closest things to Christmas flicks out there are “Just Friends” and “The Ice Harvest,” both of which are not that great and unsuccessful in raising your holiday spirits. “Rent” and “Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire” feature holiday subplots and “The Family Stone” is set during Christmastime, but we need a little Christmas right this very minute. I would like to recommend a few holiday flicks released last year that are now available to rent on DVD... (Read More)