Bottom line, great actors like Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino, a great supporting cast and a good director couldn’t save this movie. Probably the worst DeNiro movie since he played that guy that couldn’t read. And the worst Pacino movie since the last one.
As an extra Blu-Ray bonus: Pacino looked like he had one foot in the grave.
Avoid at all costs. Watch Heat again instead.
I’m not typically a fan of stoner movies, they typically lack in any redeeming quality and rely on ample amounts of gross out humor to get a laugh. I’m also getting pretty tired of the quarterly installments of Judd Apatow-style comedies, Hollywoods latest darling writer/director/producer. So it came as quite a surprise that I enjoyed Pineapple Express as much as I did.
It was one of the funniest action-adventure buddy comedies I’ve seen since… I can’t remember the early 90’s? It had a bit of everything, the stoner comedy, the loser who wants to win the heart of the girl, male bonding, the requisite gross out humor, comedic fight scenes, car chases, and even the moral redemption of the characters. But each of these ingredients are added with a bit of twist feeling new and pretty damn funny.
Rocket Science is a charming story of an awkward teenager joining the high school debate team and win the heart of a girl. Did I mention he has an awful stuttering problem? The movie is painful to watch at times, but excellently done.
The film is reminiscent of Rushmore but with far more of an authentic, almost documentary feeling throughout. Fitting since director comes from the Oscar nominated documentary Spellbound plus multiple stints behind the camera of the mockumetary series The Office.
The film also features an incredible soundtrack by former Clem Snide frontman Eef Barzelay.
Recently released on DVD, I recommend putting this little gem in your queue.
I had very low expectations for this surprisingly funny Rainn Wilson (aka Dwight) vehicle, Rocker. While Rainn is the titular character, it feels more like an ensemble comedy with many familiar faces. And keep an eye out for a brief cameo from Pete Best, playing himself and adding a bit of tragic irony to the story.
Definetly worthy of a rent and a few chuckles.
With so many big movies being released over the summer I completely missed Traitor, a thoughtful action-suspense film with Don Cheadle and Guy Pearce.
It’s hard to say anything about Traitor without giving anything away. You spend the first hour of the film trying to figure out exactly what Don Cheadle’s character is a traitor of, his country, his religion or his conscience. Due to the main themes of terrorism and Islam, it is no surprise that Traitor flew below the radar with America audiences.
I gave this film four stars for doing such a great job portraying both sides of controversial themes you don’t often see in a big budget Hollywood film. As the story unfolds it defines its needed morale center and sticks to it, but not before giving the audience a little perspective of the unthinkable.
Desperate to keep out 5-yr old entertained over the holiday break, we ventured out to see Adam Sandler go Disney in Bedtime Stories. Marking the first time we’d taken our little one to a theater to see a live action movie, surprisingly, we were all pleasantly entertained.
Adam Sandler tones down his normal antics to create kid-safe fare, but not without losing all the hallmarks you expect from an Adam Sandler movie. It wasn’t over the top in either regard, making for a funny movie that both grown up and kid can enjoy.
If you have a 5-10 year old, and enjoy Adam Sandler movies like Big Daddy, then chances are you’ll enjoy Bedtime Stories too.