MOVIE REVIEW - Crazy, Stupid, Love

The time is right for a new adult comedy, and this weeks Crazy, Stupid, Love is just the answer.

First off, this movie does have problems, and we'll address those right up front. It's is draggy in some spots. It does seem longer than it is, and some of the stuff here doesn't work the way they had hoped for. So to say that CSL is flawed is fair. But there is much good here.

It's the story of Cal (Steve Carell) and Emily (Julianne Moore). They have been married for 25 years, and she wants a divorce. Cal doesn't take it well and tries hard to move on with his life. He then meets Jacob (Ryan Gosling) who is 20 years younger and a real ladies man. He takes the long off the market Cal and gives him lessons on picking up women with a total life makeover. And Cal has a fair amount of success. But as good of friends as they become, there is still a generation gap that seems to be ever present.

Then there's the PG rated Hannah (Emma Stone). She meets Jacob, and suddenly his days of women chasing seem to be over. He falls for her, and his friendship with Cal is strained. Emily is trying hard to move on as well in her life, and Emily and Cal's young kids are trying to hang on too. Will Cal and Emily put it back together? Will Jacob finally meet his match? That is CSL. This is a real slick script.

This is a very compelling story that tries its best to take a good, long look at modern love of all ages. It shows the good, the bad and the ugly of all that can be our world today as far as relationships are concerned. It does a very good job of showing love from all angles. Being married, young dating, older dating, the bar scene, and stupid decisions we have all made in love at one time or another. Including bad decisions, runaway hormones and stupid actions. There are some too good laughs, and some moving moments that give it a well rounded look.

Carell is the same guy again in the movies. The lovable geek that seems to be fighting an uphill battle in love. Moore is who she is, underwhelming again. Gosling's star continues to rise as Hollywood's leading man. But Emma Stone is the show again. Stone is so versatile, so funny, so real, it's hard not to be taken with her. I have stated before she is the next big deal and this is more proof. At such a young age she has such a leg up on the competition both past and present. With all due respect, Meg Ryan, Sandra Bullock or Julia Roberts were never this naturally funny. She is a great mix of girl next door, with real natural comedic skills and pleasantness that's hard to match. Any movie is better with her starring in it.

Crazy, Stupid, Love is not perfect, and it's not without flaw. But the story is strong, and it's a bunch of fun. Great summer movie going. Well done.

MOVIE REVIEW - Cowboys And Aliens

In this summer of animation, remakes and superhero flicks, one thing that has been missing is a bit of Hollywood star power.

So welcome Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford in the new Cowboys and Aliens. This is a western like you have never seen. Not only do we have two big stars on the screen, but they get to be in a big action flick that is as original as anything you'll see this summer. And finally, an action movie that has a point, a heart, and a good balance of action and story.

CAA is a strange western. New Mexico in the late1800's. A renegade cowboy (Craig) finds himself in the desert with no memory of who he is, or where he is from. All he knows is that there is this strange bracelet on his wrist that he can't get off. He ventures off then to a sleepy mining town that has dried up is suddenly under siege from aliens and their advanced civilization. He finds stunning powers in the bracelet that seems to destroy the aliens. And of course, with this being the 1800's, everyone is amazed and terrified a the whole ordeal.

Our hero teams up with local cattle baron (Ford) to wage war on the aliens who have been abducting various family members. See, I told you this was a strange western. I know it all sounds very complicated, but it's really not. Truth is, this story is told in a very straight forward fashion that is very refreshing. CAA is just flat out good.

This movie has a fantastic mix of old school western, Sci-Fi, and socially aware drama. Incredibly original, and really fun to watch, CAA is a real breath of fresh air in this summer that has become somewhat stuffy with the same old same old. Craig and Ford are really great, and toss in a really strong supporting cast,(esp Olivia Wilde) a huge western soundtrack that keeps it focused and classic. That is the real strength of this flick. Even though it's Sci-Fi, somehow it maintains the feel of a classic western. Very skillfully done.

CAA is also a bit intense, especially the battle scenes with the aliens near the end. CAA is not brutal or appaulling, but there are moments that could make some squeamish. But overall this is exciting, well paced, and tremendously original.

Cowboys And Aliens. Wonderful summer movie going. Good to see!!!

MOVIE REVIEW- Captain America

How much fun is a good surprise at the movies?

I love going into a movie with one set of expectations, and come out completely baffled by what I just saw. That is this weeks Captain America. On the surface, you may be thinking, "here we go, another comic book hero come to life." And you would literally be right. But your preconceived notions about how potentially silly this might be would be dead wrong.

CA is straight out of the 1940's comic book and right on the money. We go back to WWII. The Nazi's are starting up the war. And America is starting a huge recruiting drive as we enter the war. Steve Rogers is a 90 pound weakling who is rejected time after time by the Army for active duty. But he is then chosen for a biological experiment that the Army is spearheading. He will be injected with a serum stolen from the Germans, and will go through a procedure that will hopefully drastically change his body. The goal is to develop an army of "super soldiers."

The experiment works. Steve now is a huge man with amazing physical ability. But he is chosen to be a stage show for recruits. But as fate would have it, Steve is thrust into active duty, as Captain America! A mortal man with incredible strength and speed. He is then asked to go after an even more sinister villain than the Nazi's, but a rogue break off group that also has it's sights on world domination. Will he succeed? Well, he's Captain America, I hope so!

This is just flat out two hours of fun, and real good action. It's a great example of how good these kind of flicks really can be done, when more attention is being paid to what is being said, as opposed to what special effects can be conjured up to 3-D us to death. CA is so well done, with a bit of everything for everyone. First our hero is real, and doesn't have some silly ability to fly or shoot rays from his eyes or anything. He is a real person and that includes the whole package of emotions and shortcomings.

The supporting characters are terrific and breathe additional life into a wonderfully written script that successfully transports of back to 1943. It gives us a sense of the life and times, all the while walking a fine line between fantasy and reality. Great sets, great and simple effects, wonderful imagination, and a spot on musical soundtrack that adds a bunch. This movie is well cast, well thought out, and highly entertaining from start to finish. Fans of many ages should love this one. There is a fair amount of violence, but it is tempered. Extremely well done.

Captain America. One of the summers really good movies. Well, well done!

MOVIE REVIEW - Friends With Benefits

The romantic comedy gets a shot in the arm with the new Justin Timberlake/Mila Kunis flick, Friends With Benefits.

FWB is a thoroughly modern romantic comedy, garnering an R rating, and starring two of Hollywood's biggest young stars. It's the story of Dylan (Timberlake) and Jamie (Kunis). They are young New Yorkers that become friends and try a novel idea of having a purely physical relationship without any of the messy emotional stuff that goes with it. If it sounds eerily similar to last Springs No Strings Attached with Natalie Portman, in it's premise, it is. But even if it sort of rips off the idea, there are major differences. The most obvious one is this movie is actually good.

FWB starts off as a typical borderline average movie with Dylan and Jamie rolling around in the hay endlessly. And FWB seems to be pigeonholing itself into the same old trap of being high on being R rated and not concerned with being good. Then it shift gears. FWB becomes a completely different movie. Introducing some new characters such as Dylan's sister Annie (Jenna Elfman) who is great. And Jamie's eccentric, lost in the 1970's goofy mom (Patricia Clarkson). Both are great in these very small roles.

FWB also takes a stab and actually succeeds in being relevant. Daring to take on it's basic premise, but also Dylan's aging father with dimensia, and his difficult family life. Both of our main characters are flawed, and the makers do their best to develop a nice story with characters that have something to say. FWB doesn't fall into the "isn't this funny" trap and fall in love with itself or it's racy premise.

Truth is, I wouldn't call FWB overly hilarious. There are some funny moments and some good laughs. But the strength of this movie is wonderful chemistry between Timblerlake and Kunis. He was come a long way in a short time, and I like her better every time out. Kunis was great in Black Swan, and I really loved her in The Book Of Eli last year. both supporting roles, but here she takes center stage. And a for a change there is a movie that gets smarter and more refined as it goes on.

Friends With Benefits. It's not perfect. But it's pretty good. And hopefully will breathe some life into a genre that desperately needs some.

MOVIE REVIEW - Zookeeper

Kevin James and his band of usual suspects are back again, and this time it's the talking animal "comedy" Zookeeper.

First off, have there not been enough talking animal movies in the past number of years? Have we not seen Kevin James act like a moron in the movies enough? And is it possible for this troupe to make a movie, that you don't know the ending in the first 5 minutes?

Zookeeper is the story of Griffin (James). He is a zookeeper at the Franklyn Park Zoo, and he is in love with Stephanie (Leslie Bibb). He wants to marry her, but she says no, because he works at a zoo with animals. She wants someone important. But he works with the lovely Kate (the equally lovely Rosario Dawson). And it is clear that she is better for him than Stephanie. The makers show you this in the first 3 minutes, so there's no reason to watch any further unless you just have to see talking animals with celebrity voices.

Griffin feels that he wants to leave the zoo. He then finds out that the zoo animals can talk. And when they find out they are about to lose their favorite zookeeper, they start giving Griffin "love" advice and how to get back his ex-girlfriend. Doesn't this sound fun?

This movie is just plain bad. I am still confounded on who this movie is actually for. It is so juvenile, so Junior high you would think it's for kids. But the subject matter and language lead me to believe it's really not. They then blend in a very heavy mid- 1970's soundtrack that completely does not match one thing in this movie. It seems that they just wanted to use their favorite songs from their childhood. I am certainly hoping they were not thinking that full grown adults with real lives would think this is for them. I was in a semi full theater and a few laughs by a few people a few times. Do not let anyone tell you this is really funny.

James who was great on King Of Queens, again shows virtually nothing new here as the lovable loser, who's too fat, too shy and too dumb to figure things out for himself. I think I have seen James fall off things, get hit with things and act like he is 17 enough in my life, to take me into the next. It's an old tired act, that isn't aging very well. Seems that this bunch, of James, and Adam Sandler (animal voice and Producer) are now making movies for their own amusement and not ours. Toss in the voices of Cher, Sylvester Stallone, Nick Nolte and many others and what you have is an expensive yawn fest without one sliver of originality. It's almost like it's time for this troupes "talking animal movie" time.

Zookeeper. Pass, pass pass.....

MOVIE REVIEW - Horrible Bosses

Summer means big action, and comedy time at the theaters. And this week Horrible Bosses is the comedy of the moment.

This has a really big cast, and a very funny script. It's just naughty enough to be really funny. HB, though Nana may not appreciate all the extremely edgy humor in it, is over all well paced and there are some very big laughs here.

HB is the story of these three young guys about 30. All are trying to climb the ladder in their respective fields, but their horrible bosses are in the way. One boss is a manipulative jerk, one is a unqualified moron, and one is a sexual harasser to the extreme. Our hero's then come up with the ridiculous plan to kill each others bosses, so they can get on with their careers. And the laughs begin.

HB is a dark comedy of sorts, although there is an innocence that runs through it that doesn't let it get too dark and morose. It is exceptionally edgy, and laced with harsh language at times but for some reason you are willing to look over it. I think it's because the script is pretty darn funny and just dripping with parody, satire and sarcasm. Once you latch on to HB, and understand that this although edgy, is not going down the terribly vulgar road. You get that it's just summer fun, and escapism - period. After the Cameron Diaz' disaster, Bad Teacher, this movie looks and is so much better.

Starring Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, Jason Sudeikis, Kevin Spacey, Jennifer Aniston, and a great supporting cast, HB is laugh after laugh at a time when we need one at the movies. Extraordinarily good comedic timing, and a story that stays on target without weaving off course. Award winning? No. But it's not computer generated, a cartoon, or a superhero. Could be too that it's super refreshing that it plays so well.

Horrible Bosses. Not for everyone, but pretty darn funny. This is the comedy of the summer so far.

Extraordinary Times

We like to think the we live in amazing times, and for the most part I probably do. And as amazing as they are, you have to wonder if they are more amazing than those before us. This has been on my mind over the past couple of weeks.

I have been so incredibly fortunate in my life. True, I have not been blessed many of the monetary things that many others enjoy. But I have been blessed with something that I have always been able to take for granted. And that's the blessing of extraordinarily good health. And I would not trade that for anything. This week, for the first time in my life I had to enter the health system for something outside of the basics. I have had about 2 prescriptions in my life, and have never had any health issues ever! Yesterday, I had to have a bit of repairing abdominal surgery. All is good today. The fact that I am home the same day writing this is extraordinary all on it's own.

When my grandparents on both sides were born, it was shortly after the Gunfight At The OK Corral in 1881. Over the course of their lives, they saw the advent of the airplane, the automobile, the the nuclear age, and many things well beyond. Think about that. Born in the era of Wyatt Earp and Doc Holiday and Tombstone, and living well into the era of Albert Einstein and the splitting of the atom.

My parents were born when Charles Lindbergh was amazing the world with his solo flight across the Atlantic, and Amelia Earhart with her heroics. And then later, they watched Neil and Buzz walk on the moon. My mom is still around being amazed about the advancement of technology seemingly on a daily basis. Think about that, from a rickety single propeller Spirit Of St. Louis, through Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, and the Space Shuttle.

And now, it's my turn to be amazed. When I was born, black and white 3 channel TV with Andy Griffith and Don Knotts. To yesterday, when I had to have the first surgery of my life, and it was done by a robot. No kidding. And done well I might add. When I was a kid we used to play Rock-Em Sock-Em robots, and they were stuff of science fiction, Star Wars, and some time in the future. Well in some respects, now is the future.

This generation has become so used to extraordinary change we almost take it for granted. I-Phones, Blackberry's, GPS, and list goes on. But we shouldn't. For me, I will never forget the moment I entered the Operating Room getting ready for something brand new to me, and a robot was staring me down. And when it was all over, he (or she) did the surgery that allows me to recover in a matter of days, rather than when I was born, would have taken weeks.

We do live in truly Extraordinary Times. But in perspective they may not be any more amazing than the generations before us. Just different. Each has a story to tell, and that's mine. But in a world where it's easy to take it all for granted, sometimes it's good to be reminded. That the times in which we live, no matter when - are truly extraordinary.

MOVIE REVIEW - Larry Crowne

Been a while, but Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts are back on the screen in the new, Larry Crowne.

LC is a romantic comedy of sorts that deals with a very relevant story line in these recessionary time. Crowne (Hanks) is a 50 ish guy, retired 20 years in the Navy. He was been working at U-Mart for a number of years, and is divorced. He is then downsized from U-Mart because he never went to college. Finding himself out of work, in debt and with no real positive prospects ahead of him, he decides to go to community college.

There he meets Mercy (Roberts). She is a the sexy, unhappily married college professor, who unknowingly is looking for something better in her life than her ADD students, her Internet porn watching, out of work husband, and her recreational drinking. She meets Larry who takes her speech class. And both people seem to be set on a new direction in life. Will they end up together? That's Larry Crowne.

To say LC is a bad movie is too harsh. To say it is a big opportunity missed is more kind and a bit more apt. This movie should have been way better than it is. Having the guts to take on a relevant story, and telling it in a mature way, with two big stars is a great idea. Problem here is story. LC is real light on actual story, and disjoints its way through. LC never really gets on a roll and stays there. The principals somehow find each, somehow get together and that's it. Sadly, there is no palpable chemistry between Larry and Mercy. And that's the opportunity that goes by the by.

What Larry Crowne has is Hanks, and Roberts, and not much else. This script stunningly was written by Hanks, and Nia Vardalos (writer of Big Fat Greek Wedding). And this was directed by Hanks. No doubt it is fun to see Hanks back on the screen in a comedy, and Roberts too. But you have to tell a story that makes sense and is compelling. The idea of LC is highly compelling, the actual movie will hit and miss.

There is not enough of Hanks being the real star he is. And Roberts is misused, but it's not all her fault. Her character is dark, and thinly written, and not asked to do much. As lovely and talented as Julia is, they do ask her to be physically funny in a scene or two here, and it falls short. Scenes designed for big laughs didn't really get them. As far as Hanks is concerned, tough to be in it, writing it, and directing it. Might have been spread a bit too thin.

Overall, Larry Crowne will go over big with box office success, not so sure all will feel as elated after the flick as they will going in. Adults need movies to go to, that are not animated, or computer generated, and that speaks to them. This one can and does to a degree.

Larry Crowne. Many will feel not as good as it really should have been.