Bad Commerical Saturday

For obvious reasons...I couldn't resist posting this...

"Night At The Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian" Movie Review

This week we take a look at “Night At the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian,” the sequel to 2006’s highly successful, “Night At the Museum.” Ben Stiller is back as the security guard who deals with the exhibits coming to life, only this time he has the entire Smithsonian collection to deal with. Most of the big names from the first film return, and are joined by Amy Adams and Hank Azaria. Shawn Levy returns to direct.

Ryan: Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian is one of those sequels that tries to be bigger and better than the original. As usually is the case—and this movie is no exception—the high aspirations of the sequel fall short of the original. The first Night at the Museum movie wasn’t a groundbreaking movie of any sorts but it was a fantasy-filled fun family film. Regrettably the charm and originality of the first movie is lost in translation for the sequel.

Andy: I somehow managed to make it out of the winter of 2007 without seeing Night At the Museum, so I’ll be looking at the sequel with fresh eyes. Assuming the new film borrows heavily from the first, I can understand what the fuss was about. The endless possibilities for crazy situations based on museum exhibits coming to life is really quite clever, and the film does its best to highlight them. Stiller, as usual, holds the film together with an every guy charm that is a little bit cooler than anyone you actually know.

Ryan: I’ve always been a big Ben Stiller fan and I don’t see that changing but he’s not beyond criticism either. There’s no question that he’s on cruise control with this movie with regard to his performance. While Stiller was going through the motions, his romantic co-star Amy Adams gave hands down the most refreshing performance in the movie. It’s almost like Adams jumped out of a 1930’s screwball comedy with her thoroughly enjoyable portrayal of Amelia Earhart. Her performance was spot on.

Andy: I was quite taken with Amy Adams as Amelia Earhart. Her bright-eyed, fast talking, adventure seeking persona may have been around 80 years , but it’s a character type that doesn’t get used enough in movies today. She adds a feminine touch to the movie while giving it a witty and energetic edge as well. Standing out in an ensemble cast of character actors is difficult, but Adams is able to do it here.

Ryan: Night at the Museum attempts to up the ante by having even more characters and guest appearances from a range of A to B to C list comedic actors. It seems like every scene brings a new character (and even some fictional ones). Ultimately some of the guest appearances work better than others--Stiller’s scene with Jonah Hill comes to mind--but for the most part the movie fails to provide a suitable forum for the comedic actors to work their skills. That proves disappointing especially considering some of the comedic talents involved—Christopher Guest, Ricky Gervais and Robin Williams. Final grade: C-.

Andy: The real star of the movie might be the Smithsonian itself, which has highlights of its collection on display throughout the movie. Furthermore, the movie does a reasonable job of giving a quick history lesson about the museum itself, introducing it to a very large audience of children. I’m not usually a big fan of such gratuitous product placements in movies, but the more people who take advantage of the Smithsonian Museums, the better. The movie itself has its ups and downs, but the museum shines through as a magical place regardless, carrying the movie to a B.

Click it or Ticket

Two weeks ago, I got a ticket for not having my seat belt on. I was coming back from my lunch break--in my dad's pick up truck--and a state trooper on a motorcycle pulled me over as I was pulling into the auction barn's parking lot. Now I had saw this trooper on his bike while heading west on Main St. The trooper was heading east and we passed each other at the intersection of Main and Franklin.

But anyway...there in the rain, the state trooper issued me a twenty five dollar ticket. It took him three times to scan my license and truck's registration into his portable computer doohickey.

I wasn't to upset about getting the ticket. I was more embarrassed because it was happening in front of the auction barn so all the loafers, other spectators and co-workers saw what was going on.

Even though I wasn't upset over getting the ticket I was a little frustrated. I know one should always wear their seat belt and the fact that I wasn't wearing it--and got busted for it--means that I have to pay the fine. I sometimes have a bad habit of not wearing it in town--especially in my dad's truck and I know better and I know I should wear it. So be it. What frustrated me--as I later learned--is that on this particular day Greensburg was being targeted by a group of state troopers who only task was to enforce the seat belt law. One gets the impression (from a variety of sources) that we don't have enough cops on the state (and local level) but maybe we do have enough if several state troopers can spend a whole day (and really days and weeks when they move on to other towns) pulling people over for not having their seat belt on.

Is there not something better they could be doing with their time? I don't know. I don't want to come across as the typical-dude-that-runs-his-mouth-when-he-gets-caught-doing-something- illegal but on some minuscule level I was a little bit frustrated.

But anyway...I went to pay the ticket today. And in that two week time the Decatur County's clerk's office had not received the citations yet from the officer that issued my ticket. Consequently I didn't have to pay the ticket.

So in essence...I learned my lesson...and I didn't have pay the citation. So maybe I shouldn't be complaining at all.

"Angels & Demons" movie review

The latest cinematic adaptation of author Dan Brown’s work is the religious thriller, Angles & Demons (PG-13). Tom Hanks once again is prominent symbologist Robert Langdon and this time around he’s investigating several murders and kidnappings at Vatican City that are linked to a secret society. Ron Howard once again directs and Ewan McGregor, Stellan Skarsgard, and Ayelet Zurer costar in the movie.

Andy: I have not read Angels & Demons, or any of Dan Brown’s work. And even though I watched and reviewed The DaVinci Code here, I honestly don’t remember it very well at all. Like a cheap piece of gum, it lost its flavor almost immediately and was quickly forgotten. My first impression of Angels & Demons is that although it has some decent moments, it is not as good as the DaVinci Code, and that is not a good sign.

Ryan: I’ve read Brown’s Angels & Demons and it was a fun read. It doesn’t have the allure of The Da Vinci Code but in a lot of ways it’s just as thrilling as a read. The Da Vinci Code was an immensely successful film—in terms of it’s box-office success (750+ million dollars worldwide)—but it was a film that failed to resonate with many moviegoers. I didn’t think it was too bad of a movie and I don’t think Angels & Demons is too bad of a film either.

Andy: At its best, Angels & Demons is an entertaining, cerebral action flick. For about ninety minutes of the film, Professor Langdon is on the clock. He is frantically running from one historic church to another, solving puzzles, catching up to bad guys, cheating death, and eventually saving lives. This is when the movie is at its best, and it is quite entertaining during this middle segment. The action is solid, the plot is interesting, the suspense is high, and there’s little reason to not enjoy it.

Ryan: Part of the problem with Angels & Demons is the same problem that plagued The Da Vinci Code movie. Brown’s writing is difficult to translate to the silver screen. The allure of his books isn't his prose and consequently that hinders the cinematic translation (although the pacing of Angels & Demons is far superior to that of The Da Vinci Code). Nevertheless the action portrayed in the movie does not measure up to the backdrop of the grandiose themes being unraveled. Some of the charm of the book is lost in the translation to the big screen.

Andy: My biggest problem with Angels & Demons is that it is way too long. At the beginning of the movie we see a small group of scientist harnessing particles of antimatter in thermos-like containers. The whole sequence is ridiculous, and the use of the antimatter in the rest of the movie proves only to remind viewers of how absurd the whole premise is. Furthermore, the movie takes an extra fifteen minutes at the end to add another twist to the plot that is unnecessary and feels tacked on. This is an okay movie, but the beginning and end both miss the mark, significantly weakening the movie in the process.

Ryan: There's been some controversy regarding Angels & Demons and everyone has a right to voice their opinion. The only thing I would say is that Angles & Demons is a work of fiction. It's based on certain historical people, places and ideas but the leaps and connections that Brown develops are not based on hard scholarship. The appeal of the book and movie is that Brown wraps together fact and fiction in a believable manner. He's a storyteller and he's good as what he does. But all-in-all the book as well as the movie is just contemporary historical fiction.

Angels & Demons has some pretty entertaining aspects going for it, but its many flaws hold it to a C+.

Movie Trailer Monday

I spent a lot of my free time today watching movies trailers.

Here's some of the highlights that I viewed...

Sherlock Holmes



Nine



The Road

Star Trek "Movie Review"

This week we take a look at one of the first big movies of the summer season, Star Trek (PG-13). J.J. Abrams directs this retooling of the classic franchise, giving an origin story for the crew of the Enterprise. Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto lead an ensemble cast.

Ryan: Cinematic reboots have become the “in” thing to do in Hollywood. When they are done right, audiences are rewarded with a Batman Begins or Casino Royale. Much like those other two films, Star Trek is an immensely successful rebooting of a once dormant franchise. The movie has mainstream appeal without losing too much of the allure of the Star Trek universe. For a summer popcorn flick, it has just the right mixture of action, humor and drama. It touches all the right chords that one would expect from a summer tent pole release.

Andy: There is no question that Star Trek is a success. The movie plays out like a summer action flick should. It has plenty of action, a plot that is interesting enough to keep the mind entertained, and it adequately pays homage to the Star Trek films of the past. This is a difficult task for any movie to pull off, particularly one that has legions of fans with high expectations. J.J. Abrams has come through with a movie that easily could have been a flop.

Ryan: I give J.J. Abrams a lot of credit. He's simultaneously revamped the franchise for a new audience while still paying respect to the rich history of the Star Trek universe. As an origin story the audience sees how Star Trek universe develops and moviegoers see how the iconography unfolds. Complimenting the story is a superb cast that not only reinvents the characters for a new crowd but also an audience that is familiar with the protagonists. It is no easy trick to appeal to a rabid fan base while also attempting to bring in a new (and larger) audience but Abrams and his crew prove successful with the endeavor.

Andy: Abrams has had success in most everything he’s done for the past five years, and his forays into movies have been largely successful as well. Star Trek will be a rather large feather in his director’s cap, as it is likely to please most who see it. It is by no means perfect, but it checks most of the boxes that you need for a successful and entertaining summer movie, and it does so without seeming overly contrived.

Ryan: I'm not a Trekkie (or Trekker) so I'm not going to presume if they will appreciate the movie. But while I'm not a Star Trek geek I was a fan of the original series and of The Next Generation. So I do think that one issue fans might have with the new movie is it's lack of depth. Star Trek is known more as cerebral sci-fi than action-adventure sci-fi. For example, the original TV series—while set in the future—nonetheless had stories that explored themes that were relevant for its time. While the new movie is set to become a pop culture landmark it doesn't transcend its straight forwardness.

Andy: For all the entertaining elements of the film, there are missteps. At the risk of revealing a bit a spoiler here, there is an appearance of an original cast member in the movie. I found these segments to be awkward and a bit forced. It is an understandable device, attempting to bridge the gap between the original and the new, but it just didn’t work. Fortunately, the rest of the movie stands up well enough to overcome these few shortcomings.

Star Trek is able to successfully reintroduce the characters to new audiences while properly paying respects to the series’ history. Final grade: B+.

More "Between Two Ferns"...

...this time with my girl Natalie Portman.

Between Two Ferns With Zach Galifianakis from Between Two Ferns

Motherlover

Justin Timberlake was the guest on SNL this past week.

Below is the sequel to the "D--- in a Box" musical video.

"X-Men Origins: Wolverine" Movie Review

X-Men Origins: Wolverine (PG-13) slashed its way into theatres this past weekend, thus ushering in the summer movie season. Set as a prequel to the X-Men trilogy, X-Men Origins details the genesis of Wolverine becomingWolverine. Hugh Jackman is back as Logan and is surrounded by a recognizable cast including Liev Schreiber, Danny Huston, Will i Am and Ryan Reynolds.

Andy: Many people feel that Wolverine is the most interesting character in the entire Marvel Comics Universe. While I’ll leave that debate to people who are more informed on the subject, I think it is safe to say that he is the most popular member of the X-Men. Jackman has a reasonable amount of star-power as well, so there was at least potential for this movie to be pretty good. Unfortunately, that potential was left unfulfilled.

Ryan: Those hoping that “Origins” would ease the medicore taste that X-Men 3 left for a lot of moviegoers are going to again be disappointed. Like X-Men 3, X-Men Origins: Wolverine fails to live up to the stature of the first two X-Men flicks. The movie is watchable and there aren't many dull moments, but there's nothing to get excited about either and that's the main problem with the film. For a big summer spectacle, X-Men Origins: Wolverine lacks punch that one would expect.

Andy: Perhaps the biggest obstacle for the Wolverine movie is the writing. The dialogue is frequently laughable, hindering otherwise quality actors. I’m generally a fan of Live Shreiber, but when your lines include clichés like “Look what the cat dragged in,” it take some serious chops to make the words seem vibrant. I know the argument could be made that dialogue isn’t actually all that important in a summer action film, but the action sequences seemed a little stale as well.

Ryan: Part of the problem with the movie is how it sanitizes the character of Wolverine. Fans of Wolverine want to see him be Wolverine. Basically—and this is putting it bluntly-- they want to see him kick butt—a lot of it. To me, the Wolverine/Logan character doesn't open itself up to the same sort of inner conflict analysis as say a Spider-Man or Batman so it doesn't make sense to me to try to spin the movie that way. The lack of action in the movie greatly surprised me. There's no memorable action moment where one sits back and thinks that was cool.

Andy: At this point, the superhero movie has become something we expect a healthy dose of every summer. To avoid seeming mediocre, a good superhero needs to either excel tremendously in one of the stereotypical areas (action, gadgets, characters), or bring something new to the genre. Wolverine does not even attempt to do either of these, and it feels much like a stale retread for it.

Ryan: The saving grace of the movie is Jackman. The rest of the movie pales in comparison to his portrayal of Wolverine. I'm not going to fault the guy for giving it everything he's got to make the movie successful. The bottom line is that the rest of the movie doesn't measure up to Jackman's performance. That is unfortunate because a Wolverine film with Jackman in the lead really seemed like a can't miss idea. Now we know that is not the case.

X Men Origins: Wolverine is not a terrible movie, but it doesn’t do anything to make itself seem very good either. Final grade: C-.

Cubs retire the number 31

On Sunday Stuckey and I ventured up to Chicago to catch not only the game but the retiring of the number 31 in Cubs history. For those that aren't aware both Fergeson Jenkins and Greg Maddux wore the number 31 for the Cubs. There was a ceremony before the game to honor these two pitchers--Jenkins is already in the Hall of Fame...Maddux will be in five years.

It was very cool. It was a picture perfect day and one could tell that both players were very humbled by the much deserved honor. Maddux didn't have his "best" seasons with the Cubs but he started his career there...won one Cy Young award...and when he came back he accomplished two major career milestones--his 3,000th strikeout...and winning his 300th game. As Len Kasper stated at the onset of the ceremony, Jenkins and Maddux are two of the best pitchers ever to wear a Chicago Cubs jersey--and there's no debating that.

Here's some snapshots from the ceremony...

"But He Talks Like a Gentlmen"

Hearing "When You Were Young" live by The Killers at one of their shows is one of the best feeling one can have. That's how good the song is...and how good The Killers perform it.

Jenny and I attended The Killers concert last night at The Murat and we're treated to another outstanding show (we saw them a year and a half ago at Columbus, OH)...but nonetheless...the show was tremendous. I know The Killers--with their going off in different directions with each album--isn't always everyone cup of tea but they do put on a great show. Their frontman, Brandon Flowers, is always a hit especially with the ladies as Jenny has labeled him Mr. Dramatic for all his "enthusiasm" on stage. (Although he wasn't wearing a feather jacket).

Here's the set list for those interested...

Human
This is Your Life
Somebody Told Me
For Reasons Unknown
Joy Ride
I Can't Stay
Bling (Confessions of a King)
Shadowplay (Joy Division Cover)
Smile Like You Mean It
Spaceman
Neon Tiger
A Dustland Fairytale
Sam's Town
Read My Mind
Mr. Brightside
All These Things That I Have Done

Encore:

Bones
Jenny was a Friend of Mind
When You Were Young