Step Brothers

Step Brothers: Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly team up again to bring us a boorish comedy that has very few laughs. The biggest problem I had with the movie was how dim-witted the two lead characters are portrayed. The concept for the movie could have worked if they did not stoop to such low levels of stupidity for laughs (or what they thought were laughs). Ferrell and Reilly each play guys who still live at home with their single parents (one with his mom, the other with his dad). When the parents meet and fall in love the four of them must learn to live together in one house. Some of the humor came out of left field and gave me a chuckle. However the movie as a whole is not very coherent. I would have liked to see Ferrell and Reilly put a little more effort in developing their characters and thus adding some variety to the jokes other than what we were given. Looking for a good laugh? Look elsewhere……this is one of Ferrell’s worst.

“Kick it to the Floor”

Queue Rating { 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 }

Wanted

Wanted: Angelina Jolie, James McAvoy, and Morgan Freeman star in this high octane action flick. This movie is based on a comic book and parallels the film The Matrix a great deal. Wesley is your everyday account manger who is sick of his job. Then one day he finds out he is actually the son of a great assassin who is a member of the secret order "The Fraternity”. The Fraternity is a band of assassins that cleanse society by killing evil doers after receiving their names from a mysterious “Loom of Fate”. The comic book element of the story is that while the characters are not superheroes, they can utilize adrenaline to pull off amazing feats. They also have the ability to bend bullets to go around objects and then bend them back to their targets. The action in the movie is constant, electrifying, and just plain fun. The movie also has a strong enough story to keep you interested throughout. Wanted does not try to be too serious and that helps you accept some of the more implausible events and the overall concept. This is one “popcorn movie” done right!!!

“Pick it Up”

Queue Rating {1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10}

Tropic Thunder

Tropic Thunder: Ben Stiller, Jack Black, and Robert Downey Jr. not only spoof Hollywood war movies, but also the whole Hollywood system. For starters, Robert Downey Jr. plays an esteemed Australian method actor who dyes his skin in order to play an African-American captain in the movie. When it looks like the production is in jeopardy, the director decides he needs to get the best out of his cast. He brings them out into the jungle and has them find their own way home. The actors are under the impression that everyone is in on the movie, when in actuality their lives are on the line. It took a little time for this movie to grow on me, but the movie just kept getting funnier. I think a second viewing would only illuminate more amusing pleasures. Tom Cruise like you have never seen him before has a small, but hilarious role as the head of the studio. This is a very big….very silly movie….so give it a spin and have a laugh!

“Pick it Up"

Queue Rating {1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10}

Kung Fu Panda

Kung Fu Panda: I think the title of the film pretty much sums up what the movie is about. Jack Black voices Po, a panda that dreams of becoming the dragon master of Kung Fu. When an open Kung Fu competition finally arrives, he idiotically ends up as “the chosen one”. Did the grand master make a mistake or is this really Po’s destiny? This really is a Jack Black movie, the character was written with him in mind. He supplies enough humor for this film to be enjoyed by older and younger viewers alike. Yes the movie is funny, but it also is action packed. The animation and sound effects during the action scenes are a big highlight. The plot is about as simple as it can get, but the movie never tries to be that serious – it knows what it is = A fun spin for everyone!

“Pick it Up”

Queue Rating {1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10}

Get Smart

Get Smart…..better yet: Get bored, really bored! Steve Carell and Anne Hathaway star in the big screen version of the 1970’s hit TV show. Carell plays Maxwell Smart who is promoted to “agent” and is needed immediately to help solve an internal crime at the agency. He is partnered with Agent 99 (Hathaway) to try to find out how vital information about the agents and their identities was stolen. Maybe it is because we have seen the “silly detective partnered with a more skilled partner” scenario so much, but the humor just came off as stale. The irony being that it was the original TV show that inspired a lot of knockoffs throughout the years that in return hurt this film’s originality. I was really hoping for some funny moments from Carell, but the majority of the laughs supplied were of the slight chuckle variety, although I did have a laugh during the film's main dance sequence. Meanwhile, the action portion of the movie tried too hard. I was actually annoyed by having surround sound at this point. All of this added up to a big yawn.

“Kick it to the Floor”

Queue Rating {1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10}

v Pooped!!.............................