You Don't Mess With the Zohan
Release Date: 2008
Director: Dennis Dugan
Genre: Comedy
Main Cast: Adam Sandler (as Zohan Dvir) Emmanuelle Chriqui (as Dalia Hakbarah) and John Turturro (as Fatoush "Phantom" Hakbarah)
IMDB Rating: 5.6
My Rating: 6.2
Length: 117 minutes
Budget/Gross Revenue: $90 million/$203 million
Zohan proved to be a slightly comical but mostly gross and heavily inappropriate film. Sandler was decently funny throughout, but the heavy Jewish/terrorist emphasis got really old, as did the mediocre Middle-Eastern accents. Overall a not terribly impressing comedy, but enough to get a few laughs.
Couples Retreat
Release Date: 2009
Director: Peter Billingsley
Genre: Comedy
Main Cast: Vince Vaughn and Malin Åkerman (as Dave and Ronnie) Jon Favreau and Kristin Davis
(as Joey and Lucy Tippaglio) Jason Bateman and Kristen Bell
(as Jason and Cynthia) and Faizon Love and Kali Hawk (as Shane and Trudy)
(as Joey and Lucy Tippaglio) Jason Bateman and Kristen Bell
(as Jason and Cynthia) and Faizon Love and Kali Hawk (as Shane and Trudy)
IMDB Rating: 5.4
My Rating: 6.7
Length: 113 minutes
Budget/Gross Revenue: $60 million/$169 million
I actually didn't mind this romantic comedy, as its marriage issues and problems were well acted and gave slight indications of meaningfulness, as well as comical towards the finale. The entire cast did a respectable job through their characters. It got a little too relationship-based and too much drama, I-am-sick-of-my-significant-other type. But again, I give credit to the films that make the effort to produce meaningfulness and moving material.
King Kong
Release Date: 2005
Director: Peter Jackson
Genre: Adventure
Main Cast: Naomi Watts (as Ann Darrow) Jack Black (as Carl Denham) and Adrien Brody (as Jack Driscoll)
Based On: the 1933 film of the same name
IMDB Rating: 7.6
My Rating: 7.7
Length: 187 minutes
Budget/Gross Revenue: $207 million/$551 million
King Kong was a very well reproduced storyline that had a sweet theme and CGI graphics, namely on the secretive island with the creatures and indigenous people. The theme and plotline was one of the better of each that I have seen in recent weeks. The Computer-Generated Imagery was ridiculous in this film as well, namely within the T-Rex and Gorilla fighting sequences as well as the creepy giant insect sections. The major flaw within the film occurred when King Kong was brought back to the states as the storyline heavily tailed off and lost its quality. I did slightly like Jack Black's ending quote, but the last quarter of the film was enough to drop its rating below 8 for me. Still a great film based on a classic story.
Sin City
Release Date: 2005
Director: Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez
Genre: Action
Main Cast: A multitude of A-listers in an ensemble cast
Based On: Miller's graphic novel series of the same name
IMDB Rating: 8.3
My Rating: 7.5
Length: 124 minutes
Budget/Gross Revenue: $40 million/$159 million
One of the few neo-noir (Mostly Computer-Generated backdrops) films I have seen and own (Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow and the next film on this week's list being the other two) Sin City did a great job of incorporating multiple storylines and action plots from popular graphic novels. Having a huge ensemble cast caused the film lack some character development, but the acting was superb on all levels, with very good performances by Bruce Willis, Mickey Rourke, and Clive Owen. My only major beef with the film is the slight creepiness presented by the neo-noir format, something that couldn't really be changed about the film.
The Spirit
Release Date: 2008
Director: Frank Miller
Genre: Action
Main Cast: Gabriel Macht (as Denny Colt/The Spirit) Samuel L. Jackson (as The Octopus) Scarlett Johansson (as Silken Floss) and Eva Mendes (as Sand Saref)
Based On: he newspaper comic strip The Spirit by Will Eisner
IMDB Rating: 4.9
My Rating: 5.7
Length: 103 minutes
Budget/Gross Revenue: Unknown/$39 million
The second neo-noir film of the week, I had originally thought The Spirit was Sin City's sequel, however, it quickly became apparent that it wasn't due to the bad acting, pathetic plotline, and poor use of the neo-noir format. While Sin City used the neo-noir format to aid in the creepiness and evil of the film, The Spirit only cloudied the already bad direction of the film more. Macht was really pretty bad throughout, I have never been impressed with his acting previously. Jackson, Johansson, and Mendes did little to help the quality of acting and/or the character development. What good respect Sin City gained for neo-noir format for me was almost rescinded by The Spirit's lackluster quality.
Reign Over Me
Release Date: 2007
Director: Mike Binder
Genre: Drama
Main Cast: Adam Sandler (as Charlie Fineman) Don Cheadle (as Dr. Alan Johnson) Jada Pinkett Smith (as Janeane Johnson) and Liv Tyler (as Dr. Angela Oakhurst)
IMDB Rating: 7.7
My Rating: 8.8
Length: 124 minutes
Budget/Gross Revenue: $20 million/$21 million
Amazingly moving. Those two words well describe my overall feeling of the film after finishing it, as I was very very much impressed and apt to rating it in the Top 3 of my favorite all-time dramas. Sandler and Cheadle were absolutely superb throughout and were aided by solid supporting roles. The plot didn't shy from greatness at any point, keeping the audience attentive and feeling with the slightly sad and meaningful storyline. This film just really astonished me at its quality all-around, with no flaws whatsoever and even some slight comedy thrown in to keep the mood moderate. One of the most moving and heartfelt films I have seen to date, I suggest this great drama for any audience at any time, no question.
Amazingly moving. Those two words well describe my overall feeling of the film after finishing it, as I was very very much impressed and apt to rating it in the Top 3 of my favorite all-time dramas. Sandler and Cheadle were absolutely superb throughout and were aided by solid supporting roles. The plot didn't shy from greatness at any point, keeping the audience attentive and feeling with the slightly sad and meaningful storyline. This film just really astonished me at its quality all-around, with no flaws whatsoever and even some slight comedy thrown in to keep the mood moderate. One of the most moving and heartfelt films I have seen to date, I suggest this great drama for any audience at any time, no question.
The Contract
Release Date: 2006
Director: Bruce Beresford
Genre: Thiller
Main Cast: John Cusack (as Ray Keene) Jamie Anderson (as Chris Keene) and Morgan Freeman (as Frank Carden)
IMDB Rating: 5.6
My Rating: 6.7
Length: 96 minutes
Budget/Gross Revenue: $25 million/$6 million
Always being a Morgan Freeman fan, this film lacked some depth and concrete storyline but still proved to be a decent thriller watch. Kind of a stumble-upon-problem and escape film, Cusack and Freemen presented solid characters and acting, but the movie just didn't have a whole lot that happened or was accomplished. Closing well added to its above average quality, The Contract is a decent mid-level watch with a 2 A-listers to add interest.
Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay
Release Date: 2008
Director: Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg
Genre: Comedy
Main Cast: John Cho (as Harold Lee) Kal Penn (as Kumar Patela) Danneel Harris (as Vanessa Fanning) and Rob Corddry (as Ron Fox)
IMDB Rating: 6.7
My Rating: 5.8
Length: 107 minutes
Budget/Gross Revenue: $12 million/$68 million
Slightly better than its first part in the series, Harold and Kumar Part 2 follows the adventures of 2 smokers who get into trouble mostly due to their stereotypes and race. The film brought some laughs here and there, but it majorly lacked the depth of the comedy. A cheaply made film that thus brings cheap laughs.
Thin Red Line
Release Date: 1998
Director: Terrence Malick
Genre: Drama
Main Cast: Sean Penn (as 1st Sgt. Edward Welsh) Adrien Brody (as Cpl. Geoffrey Fife) Jim Caviezel (as Pvt. Robert Witt) Ben Chaplin (as Pvt. John Bell) as well as a large ensemble cast
Based On: James Jones' autobiographical 1962 novel of the same name
IMDB Rating: 7.5
My Rating: 6.1
Length: 170 minutes
Budget/Gross Revenue: $52 million/$98 million
Another anti-war type war film, Thin Red Line did a decent job of presenting war battle scenes in the middle of its 2 1/2 hours of filming. The rediculously huge big-name cast was actually cut short from the original 5 hours of filming that included even more of a huge cast. It really got slow and too sentimental, however, at the beginning and finale when the fighting scenes were not occuring. The solid acting and decent fighting scenes were neutralized too much by the length and drama-type slowness that took place throughout the film.
Cold Mountain
Release Date: 2003
Director: Anthony Minghella
Genre: Drama
Main Cast: Jude Law (as W. P. Inman) Nicole Kidman (as Ada Monroe) and Renée Zellweger (as Ruby Thewes)
Based On: the bestselling novel of the same name by Charles Frazier
IMDB Rating: 7.3
My Rating: 6.9
Length: 154 minutes
Budget/Gross Revenue: $79 million/$173 million
A solid drama film that emphasized too much on the romance that barely took place due to the Civil War-theme. I did like the redemption theme of Kidman and Zellweger fixing up their farm, similar to Ryan Gosling in The Notebook, as well as the adventure-type themes of Law's return home. It also gave an excellent portrayal of some of the happenings of the Civil War and the fallout of it as well. I didn't mind the conclusion of film, as Kidman and the families moved on after Law's death. Despite the heavy romance-wishing concentration, Cold Mountain is still a solid watch and well put-together film.
Fool's Gold
Release Date: 2008
Director: Andy Tennant
Genre: Comedy
Main Cast: Matthew McConaughey (as Ben Finnegan) and Kate Hudson (as Tess Finnegan)
IMDB Rating: 5.4
My Rating: 6.8
Length: 113 minutes
Budget/Gross Revenue: $70 million/$111 million
Fool's Gold turned out to be a fun treasure-hunting romantic comedy adventure that reminded me immensely of 2005 adventure Into the Blue. I liked the treasure-heavy emphasis of the film, as well as the free-spirited acting of McConahuhey and Hudson. The film lacked an amount of depth and didn't stay too realistic, but was still a good watch and kept the audience interested with the findings of riches and gold, a story always popular since the ancient tales of Treasure Island.
Battle: Los Angeles
Release Date: 2011
Director: Jonathan Liebesman
Genre: Action
Main Cast: Aaron Eckhart (as SSgt Michael Nantz) Ramón Rodríguez (as 2ndLt William Martinez) and Michelle Rodriguez (as TSgt Elena Santos)
Based On: the Battle of Los Angeles, a supposed World War II air raid of the city which turned out to be a false alarm caused by several unidentified objects.
IMDB Rating: 6.1
My Rating: 8.3
Length: 116 minutes
Budget/Gross Revenue: $70 million/$193 million
I was really impressed with this War of the Worlds-esque film that was heads above any alien invasion film that I have seen to date. This was mostly due to the heavy-military emphasis that allowed for much more shooting action than a film without the emphasis would have had. I also really liked the leadership and sacrifice qualities that Eckhart presented and that his men under him fed on. A really well put together film overall, with very good Computer-Generated Imagery that produced the quality alien and spaceship scenes.
Your Highness
Release Date: 2011
Director: David Gordon Green
Genre: Comedy
Main Cast: Danny McBride (as Thadeous) James Franco (as Fabious) Rasmus Hardiker (as Courtney)
and Natalie Portman (as Isabel)
IMDB Rating: 6.2
My Rating: 7.1
Length: 102 minutes
Budget/Gross Revenue: $50 million/$12 million
I was expecting a lot from this films as I entered the theatres, however, its awkwardness and weird medieval-heavy emphasis caused the film to be not as good as its similar casted Pineapple Express. There were some comical parts within, but most of the comedy ended up being either gross or fantasy-oriented. Franco was majorly over exaggerated, not one of my favorites of his performances. McBride and Portman were above average, but the film just gave off a weird and awkward feel that made it hard to enjoy. Not anything amazing, but still enough to bring a good amount of laughs.
I was expecting a lot from this films as I entered the theatres, however, its awkwardness and weird medieval-heavy emphasis caused the film to be not as good as its similar casted Pineapple Express. There were some comical parts within, but most of the comedy ended up being either gross or fantasy-oriented. Franco was majorly over exaggerated, not one of my favorites of his performances. McBride and Portman were above average, but the film just gave off a weird and awkward feel that made it hard to enjoy. Not anything amazing, but still enough to bring a good amount of laughs.
Beerfest
Release Date: 2006
Director: Jay Chandrasekhar
Genre: Comedy
Main Cast: Jay Chandrasekhar (as Barry/Blind Sikh) Kevin Heffernan (as Landfill/Gil/Sausage Lady)Steve Lemme (as Fink/Emcee) and Paul Soter (as Jan Wolfhouse)
IMDB Rating: 6.1
My Rating: 5.7
Length: 110 minutes
Budget/Gross Revenue: $18 million/$20 million
Beerfest proved to be an outrageously unrealistic beer-drinking comedy that really had very little meaningfulness and/or moral. It was somewhat comical throughout, with the Broken Lizard comedy group producing their usual above-average humor. But the non-existent plot and overall sub par performance didn't make it anything special from a quality standpoint.
Mr. Woodcock
Release Date: 2007
Director: Craig Gillespie
Genre: Comedy
Main Cast: Billy Bob Thornton (as Jasper Woodcock) Seann William Scott (as John Farley) and Susan Sarandon (as Beverly Farley)
IMDB Rating: 5.1
My Rating: 5.9
Length: 87 minutes
Budget/Gross Revenue: $22 million/$33 million
Similar to the previous film, I had issues finding something positive out of Mr. Woodcock as a whole. The rudeness of Thornton and the misfortune of William Scott were about the only forms of comedy within, as Thornton played an abusive PE teacher who dates Scott's mother years later. It had decent resolution in the end, but I just didn't find the family staying together meaningful and or the best choice. Again, films under 6.0 are sub par for a reason, thus this film was not great.
A good average of viewed films this week due to some excellent overall films and minimal bad ones, as well as a high number reviewed for better insight into the film world today. Pay special attention to the upcoming theatre reviews as some excellent films are sure to be released in your area in the following weeks.
Until next week, stay informed...
-Jarid Holliday
Similar to the previous film, I had issues finding something positive out of Mr. Woodcock as a whole. The rudeness of Thornton and the misfortune of William Scott were about the only forms of comedy within, as Thornton played an abusive PE teacher who dates Scott's mother years later. It had decent resolution in the end, but I just didn't find the family staying together meaningful and or the best choice. Again, films under 6.0 are sub par for a reason, thus this film was not great.
A good average of viewed films this week due to some excellent overall films and minimal bad ones, as well as a high number reviewed for better insight into the film world today. Pay special attention to the upcoming theatre reviews as some excellent films are sure to be released in your area in the following weeks.
Until next week, stay informed...
-Jarid Holliday
