Strange Wilderness

Strange Wilderness
Actors: Steve Zahn, Allen Covert, Jonah Hill, Kevin Heffernan, Ashley Scott (II)Directors: Fred Wolf (II)
Format: Color, DVD-Video, Widescreen, NTSC
Language: English
MPAA: Rated R for non-stop language, drug use, crude and sexual humor.
Studio: Paramount
DVD Release Date: May 20, 2008
Run Time: 84 minutes
List Price: $29.99

"This ain't March of the Penguins."

Steve Zahn plays Peter Gaulke, the host of a wild animal television program called "Strange Wilderness," but the show’s ratings are plummeting (even at a 3 a.m. broadcast time). With two weeks before it is cancelled, Peter attempts to rescue the series by traveling to Ecuador in search of Bigfoot. Tagging along are his misfit friends played by Allen Covert, Jonah Hill, and Justin Long (famous now as Drew Barrymore's boyfriend) and one woman who is supposedly their travel agent (Ashley Scott). Sharks, piranha, pygmies, Mexican border guards, an insane tracker (played by Robert Patrick), and various other obstacles lay in wait, as well as a rival animal television crew who are also looking for Bigfoot.

The funniest parts of the movie for me where when they were filming "episodes" of the show.

One scene:

Peter Gaulke: [looking at napkin] This is it? Our entire voice-over for our show on bears is written on a cocktail napkin?

Fred Wolf: Yeah, we wrote it last night when we were at P.J. Mahoney's.

Peter Gaulke: [reading napkin] Bears are large and brown. Alright, come on. Not all bears are large. How about baby bears, huh? Bears derive their name from a football team in Chicago. No. It's the other way around. Jesus Christ Fred, come on. It is estimated that bears kill over two million salmon a year. Attacks by salmon on bears are much more rare. Right, that's got to be true, right? Alright, let's go with that one.

or this one...

Peter Gaulke: Bears are a proud people, although they're not people per-say. They're animals. Bears derive their name from a football team in Chicago. Bears have been known to attack man, although the fact is that fewer people have been killed by bears than in all of World World I and World War II combined. Brown bears bloves fishing. Brown... Brown bears bloves... God, why am I having so much trouble saying brown...

Fred Wolf: Maybe it's the two b's in brown bears. Try something different.

Peter Gaulke: I got it. I'm ready. Okay. Red bears love fish.

This movie kept my husband laughing the entire time while I just found it amusing. Of course, I think men are the target audience with this one, like most slapstick humor films. This is no "There's Something About Mary" in regards to humor, but it's a likable film.

I give it 3 out of 5 binkies.

(cross posted here)

Things We Lost in the Fire

Things We Lost In The Fire

Starring: Halle Berry, Benicio Del Toro, David Duchovny
Director: Susanne Bier
Rating: R for drug content and language

Studio: Dreamworks Video
DVD Release Date: March 4, 2008
Run Time: 118 minutes

Hope comes with letting go.

From imdb.com, the plot outline reads: "A recent widow invites her husband's troubled best friend to live with her and her two children. As he gradually turns his life around, he helps the family cope and confront their loss."

To be perfectly honest, I approached this film with trepidation. Just over 8 years ago, when I was 28, I was widowed when my husband died from complications of surgery. Death was a risk with this surgery, but it was not expected. I certainly did not expect to be left alone, widowed, before I was even 30 years old. So I knew this film would bring back memories of that horrible, gut-wrenching loss. But I forged ahead.

To begin with, this story line is not presented in the traditional linear approach; rather, director Susanne Bier elects to tell the tale, at least at first, in bits and pieces, moving from past to present to past again. It was dizzying to keep up as the scenes did not seque into each other well; to me at least, there was a definite lack of continuity as Ms. Bier takes us through the last days of Steven Burke (David Duchovny)and defines his relationships with his wife Audrey (Halle Berry), his daughter Harper (Alexis Llewellyn), his son Dory (Micah Berry), and his best friend from childhood Jerry (Benicio Del Toro). While Steven was alive, Jerry was a source of tension in the marriage, yet after Steven dies, Audrey invites Jerry (a herion addict) to live in her garage. When questioned by Jerry, even she cannot say why she asked him to move in.

Berry, as Audrey, and Del Toro as Jerry make this movie come alive. Their spot on portrayals of the grief journey of two very different people, mourning the same man, moved me to tears, more than once. One particularly dificult scene for me was when Halle finally reached that moment of grief, beyond denial, when you have to accept your loved one is gone forever. As she keened his loss, I was thrust back into my own past grief and wept along with her. Del Toro delivers a fine performance as a herion addict trying to do right by his best friend - the only person to never give up on him. The only jarring part of this movie was the casting of Duchovny as Steven. The former X-Files actor was completely wrong in my mind for the part of the "perfect" husband, father and friend.

The movie is intense and not for the faint of heart. But worth the tears and the tissue.

8 out of 10 binkies.

Beowulf: Directors Cut

Beowulf (2007)

Actors: Robin Wright Penn, Ray Winstone, Anthony Hopkins, John Malkovich, Angelina Jolie
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Format: Color, Director's Cut, Dolby, NTSC, Widescreen
Rating: Unrated (Director's Cut) (I saw the regular version was PG-13)
Studio: Paramount
DVD Release Date: February 26, 2008
Run Time: 114 minutes


Pride is the curse.


An excellent synopsis is here. Beware of SPOILERS there!

Computer Generated Imagery is a big hit at our house with the continual playing of Toy Story and Toy Story 2 by our 3 and 5 year olds (you may recall that that when Toy Story was released in 1995, it was the first fully computer-generated feature film). CGI has come a long way since then.

Unlike Toy Story, the CGI in this movie was used to "animate over" the actions of onscreen actors (think The Polar Express for a similar film). I have to say that I don't think CGI has quite evolved to the point that it succeeds in making humans look very real yet. So I was distracted at first by how wooden and puppet-like the characters in Beowulf seemed. But the fights and the scenery really pop and eventually I got used to the CGI. I think I may actually prefer this way of viewing epics of this kind - unlike other live action films, where I had to turn my head from gore because it was so realistic, I was able to watch this film in it's entirety.

As far as the plot line - In Beowulf (a CGI film for adults only!), I think Hollywood was attempting to turn the ancient epic poem Beowulf into a modern fantasy along the lines of Lord of the Rings. As I recall from my high school English days (with the help of Wikipedia), "Beowulf is a legendary Geatish hero and later king in the Old English epic poem named after him, the oldest surviving piece of literature in the English language. The poem is a piece of Anglo-Saxon literature which dated to between the 8th[1] and the 11th century, the only surviving manuscript dating to circa 1010.[2] At 3183 lines, it is notable for its length."

If you read the full story of Beowulf the hero, you'll see this Hollywood version doesn't follow the story line but so far: "In the poem, Beowulf, a hero of the Geats, battles three antagonists: Grendel, who is attacking the Danish mead hall called Heorot and its inhabitants; Grendel's mother; and, later in life after returning to Geatland (modern southern Sweden) and becoming a king, an unnamed dragon. He is mortally wounded in the final battle, and after his death he is buried in a barrow in Geatland by his retainers (source)."

In this version, when a Danish kingdom is threatened by the monster Grendel, Beowulf does come to the rescue. But after that, the story takes off on a different tangent - while still delivering a great action film. One review I read said "the story is a surprisingly emotional spin on the stone classic which pits the heroic-yet-fallible warrior, Beowulf, against monsters that are products of -if not representations of- human weakness."

I enjoyed this movie and do recommend it to anyone looking for a good action flick. Just don't expect it to follow the same story line you learned so long ago in English class!

I give it 7 out of 10 binkies.

Gone, Baby, Gone

Gone Baby Gone (2007)
Starring: Casey Affleck, Morgan Freeman, Ed Harris, Michelle Monaghan, Amy Madigan
Directed by: Ben Affleck
Rating: R
Studio: MIRAMAX
DVD Release Date: February 12, 2008
Run Time: 114 minutes

Description from the studio: "Affleck makes an unforgettable directorial debut with Miramax Films’ Gone Baby Gone, a gripping, critically hailed action drama coming to DVD and Blu-ray Disc® on February 12, 2008 from Miramax Home Entertainment. The superb cast includes Casey Affleck (Ocean's 11 Franchise, Good Will Hunting), Academy Award® winner Morgan Freeman (Million Dollar Baby, The Shawshank Redemption), Academy Award® winner Ed Harris, (National Treasure: Book of Secrets, Apollo 13), Michelle Monaghan (Mission: Impossible III, The Bourne Supremacy) and Amy Ryan (“The Wire”). Affleck, (Hollywoodland) and Aaron Stockard wrote the script based on Dennis Lehane’s (Mystic River) riveting crime novel about a pair of young Boston detectives racing to find a missing girl on the gritty back streets of Boston. Filled with pulse-pounding action, spellbinding suspense and shocking plot twists, Gone Baby, Gone is a film audiences will want to watch again and again."
*****


On the surface, this movie appears to be a straightforward search for an abducted little girl. Underneath, nothing is as it seems as the story line arcs this way and that. Casey Affleck and Michelle Monaghan play private detectives (who happen to be boyfriend & girlfriend) who are hired by a missing little girl's aunt to "help" the Boston police find her niece (Ed Harris plays a detective and Morgan Freeman is the police captain). The missing girl is the daughter of a drug-addict (and drug runner) who left her daughter alone at home when she was abducted. The police don't appreciate the interference (as usual) but do cooperate when Patrick (Casey Affleck) is able to contribute to their investigation. This story takes several twists and turns (some obvious, some not) that kept me on the edge of my seat and kept me thinking about this movie long after it was over. I, for one, still do not agree with what Patrick chose to do at the end of the movie and am curious as to how everyone else who watches this movie feels. Was he right or wrong? I guess it depends on your own personal morality code.

My favorite quote from the movie: Patrick Kenzie: "I always believed it was the things you don't choose that makes you who you are. Your city, your neighborhood, your family. People here take pride in these things, like it was something they'd accomplished. The bodies around their souls, the cities wrapped around those. I lived on this block my whole life; most of these people have. When your job is to find people who are missing, it helps to know where they started. I find the people who started in the cracks and then fell through. This city can be hard. When I was young, I asked my priest how you could get to heaven and still protect yourself from all the evil in the world. He told me what God said to His children. 'You are sheep among wolves. Be wise as serpents, yet innocent as doves.' "

Watch the trailer here.

10 out of 10 binkies. You must see this movie.

Cross Posted at Mothering Heights.

The Game Plan

THE GAME PLAN

Actors: Dwayne Johnson, Madison Pettis, Kyra Sedgwick,

Roselyn Sanchez, Morris Chestnut
Director: Andy Fickman

Rating: PG
Studio: Walt Disney Video
Run Time: 110 minutes
On DVD and Blu-ray Disc® January 22, 2008

The Game Plan DVD has a suggested retail price of $29.99 in the U.S. and $37.99 in Canada. The Blu-ray Disc is priced at $34.99 in the U.S. and $44.99 in Canada

(Note: I saw the DVD on Amazon.com for $16.99 and the Blu-ray Disc for $23.95)

Let me just preface this review by telling you upfront that I adore "The Rock." Anything he is in, I'm sure to rent it and watch it and drool over him love the movie. Come on. Who wouldn't love this guy? Just look at him. And he was a Miami Hurricane player (a defensive tackle on the 1991 NCAA championship team)! What's not to love?

Bonus? He really is a good actor (much better than he is given credit for) and gets better with every movie he is in. So let's start with a description of this movie, from the studio:

"BURBANK, Calif., November 30, 2007—Dwayne “The Rock" Johnson scores a touchdown in his first comic leading man role in the family-friendly box office hit The Game Plan, coming to Disney DVD and Disney Bluray Disc on January 22, 2008 from Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment.

Johnson (The Scorpion King) lends his trademark charm and formidable charisma to the role of Joe Kingman, a pro football superstar who unexpectedly finds himself caring for a precocious young girl played by Madison Pettis (“Cory in the House”). With Kyra Sedgwick (“The Closer”) as Joe’s workaholic agent and Rosalyn Sanchez (“Without a Trace”) as the little girl’s football averse dance teacher, the talented supporting cast also includes Gordon Clapp (“NYPD Blue”) and Morris Chestnut (Like Mike). Directed by Andy Fickman (She's the Man), The Game Plan puts a hilarious spin on the tough world of professional sports in a comedy delight for the whole family."

So, how did this story play out? "The Rock" plays Joe Kingman, the star quarterback of the fictitious Boston Rebels. He is living the high life as the most eligible bachelor in town, complete with a hot sports car and hot model girlfriend. Of course, true to typical Disney form, we know that he is not really happy since he doesn't have a family to love. That's all about to change when an 8 year old named Peyton shows up at his bachelor pad and tells him he is her father. Both their worlds get turned upside down as Joe tries to balance new fatherhood, growing up himself, and leading his football team through the play-offs.

The plot of this movie is not new. The story is an old one (think "Three Men and a Baby"). But the actors and actresses manage to pull off the impossible - to make an old formula new again. Rock's comedic abilities along with some fine acting by his supporting cast, make The Game Plan a winner. And who knew "The Rock" could sing? He blew me away with his rendition of "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" Also? The ballet performance scene was spectacular. Awesome dancing and I love how this movie pays homage to the world of ballet (some well-deserved respect that it rarely gets from the sports world).

Bonus? It's PG, it's Disney so it's a movie you can watch with your whole family.

I give it 10 out of 10 binkies.

BONUS FEATURES

• DRAFTING THE GAME PLAN
This behind-the-scenes featurette provides hilarious movie-making insights from director Andy Fickman as well as a look at what goes into the making of a successful action sequence. It focuses on the fine art of choreographing a realistic scene, the challenges that the actors and athletes endure and the unexpected injuries that The Rock sustained. Special attention is paid to the scene in which Joe Kingman falls victim to a career-ending hit—a scene that actually left one stuntman nearly unconscious. Plus, eight-year-old Madison Pettis, armed with her own DV camera, documents her personal experiences on the ballet set.

• ESPN's SportsCenter DVD/Blu-ray™ Exclusive: The King in Search of a Ring
Stuart Scott of ESPN hosts a look at fictional star quarterback Joe Kingman, a man who doesn’t know the meaning of the word “share.” The Rock stays in character for interviews that fill in the blanks in Joe’s back story. The cast and crew contribute their thoughts and deleted scenes serve as “archival footage” in an entertaining “biography” of the athlete.

• ESPN's SportsCenter: The Rock Learns To Play QB
ESPN’s Sean Salisbury interviews The Rock on how he learned to play quarterback for the movie.

• BLOOPERS WITH MARV ALBERT
Exclusive missed lines, blunders, bloopers, gags and more all set to the familiar narration of sportscaster Marv Albert.

• DELETED SCENES
An extended version of the uproarious ballet scene and much more, including optional intros by director Andy Fickman.

• PEYTON’S MAKEOVER MADNESS
In a set-top feature, help Peyton “redecorate” Joe Kingman’s apartment with fun virtual arts and crafts.

Plus, exclusively on Blu-ray™:
• CHALK TALK
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and director Andy Fickman enliven their unique film commentary by drawing “sports booth” style graphics on the screen to highlight their filmmaking experience.

(cross posted here)

Pirates of The Caribbean 3: At World's End

Pirates of The Caribbean 3: At World's End

approximately 169 minutes running time
Directed by Gore Verbinski
Starring Johnny Depp,Geoffrey Rush, Orlando Bloom,Keira Knightley, Jack Davenport
Written by Ted Elliott & Terry Rossio
Rated Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of action/adventure violence & some frightening images

$ 22.99 at Amazon.com or $29.99 at Disney.com (2 disk limited edition at both sites)
available December 4, 2007

Fans of the Pirates of the Caribbean series will not be disappointed in this final installment of the trilogy. Our favorite pirate Captain Jack Sparrow*, returns, despite all evidence of his death at the end of the last Pirates movie (Dead Man's Chest). But given the reappearance of Captain Barbossa at the end of the same movie, death would not appear to be the end for anyone in these movies!

[* You may wonder, is Jack the best pirate ever, or maybe the worst? One British officer, after being outsmarted by Jack once again, notes "Do you think he plans it all out, or just makes it up as he goes along?"]

The movie opens with Elizabeth Swann, Will Turner and Captain Barbossa on their way to Singapore to get a ship and crew from another pirate captain: Captain Sao Feng. Their mission? To rescue Jack Sparrow from the land of the dead. With the help of Tia Dalma (who raised Captain Barbossa from the dead in the last film), Elizabeth, Will and the crew of the Pearl sail off "the edge of the world" to find Jack Sparrow - who was condemned to remain in Davey Jones' locker for all eternity.

They soon discover that rescuing Jack from the locker was the easy part. Now they must call together the Brethren (nine Pirate Lords, including Sparrow and Barbossa) from around the world, to help determine how they are going to defeat the evil Lord Cutler Beckett of the East India Company, who is set on their elimination. Lord Beckett is helped in his battle against all pirates with an unholy alliance with Davy Jones and his unstoppable Flying Dutchman ship.

The imagery, special effects, costumes and beautifully choreographed fight scenes make this movie great. The length (almost 3 hours) and the many confusing story lines make this movie a tad disappointing. All and all though, the movie is entertaining and fun to watch. I enjoyed seeing all my favorite characters again (and seeing some new favorites - I enjoyed Keith Richards' cameo as Jack Sparrow's father and keeper of the pirate code) and to see the story lines wrapped up (though one could argue a fourth movie was being set up with this ending). Personally I was a bit mad about how one of my favorite characters ended up, but that does not detract from my overall assessment of this movie.

I give it 7 out of 10 binkies. Don't forget to stay through the end of the credits (or fast forward through them) - there is a very small scene at the end of them that is well worth the wait.

Be sure to catch the many, many DVD extras such as "Keith & The Captain: On Set with Johnny Depp and the Rock Legend," "Bloopers of the Caribbean," Anatomy of a Scene: The Maelstrom" (which incidentally was one of the most stunning pieces of computer generated imagery I've seen in a while), and "Hoist the Colours - The Story Behind The Song."

Shrek the Third

Shrek The Third

92 minutes running time.

Directed by Chris Miller (co-director Raman Hui)

Featuring the voices of Mike Meyers (Shrek), Eddie Murphy (Donkey), Cameron Diaz (Princess Fiona), Antonio Banderas (Puss in Boots), Julie Andrews (Queen Lillian), John Cleese (King Harold), and Rupert Everett (Prince Charming).

Based on a book by William Steig, story by Andrew Adamson (full writing credits here)

Rated PG for "some crude humor, suggestive content and swashbuckling action."

$14.99 at amazon.com

Reviewed by CPA Mom

Description from Amazon.com: "Shrek married Fiona the last thing he had in mind was becoming the next King of Far Far Away. But when Shrek’s father-in-law, King Harold, suddenly croaks, that is exactly what he faces. Recruiting Donkey and Puss In Boots for a new quest, Shrek sets out to bring back the rightful heir to the throne. Meanwhile back in the kingdom, Fiona's jilted Prince Charming storms the city with an army of fairy tale villains to seize the throne. Fiona and a band of princesses must stop him to ensure there will be a kingdom left to rule!"

Many of the beloved characters from Shrek and Shrek 2 are back in this latest installment from DreamWorks: Shrek and his bride Fiona, and Shrek's sidekicks Donkey and Puss in Boots to name a few. To add to the mix, some new characters are introduced. They include Eric Idle of Monty Python fame as the voice of Merlin, Justin Timberlake as Artie (the heir apparent to the Kingdom), Amy Sedaris as Cinderella, and a gaggle of SNL alumni - Cheri Oteri as Sleeping Beauty, Amy Poehler as Snow White, and Maya Rudolph as Rapunzel.

My over all opinion? This is the weakest link in the Shrek series. While parts of the movie are just as laugh out loud funny as in prior installments (for example: When Shrek and his comrades approach the Worcestershire Academy, he says "My stomach aches and my palms just got sweaty - it must be a high school!" - that just cracked me up with my own memories of high school) the overall movie is somewhat lacking in my opinion. It's almost like the creators were trying too hard to repeat their former success.

All in all though, if you are looking for a pleasant way to spend an hour and half with your family, this movie is a good option. Plot is thin, and I expected more scenes with Shrek and Fiona's off- spring, but there are still plenty of laughs to be had. My favorite scene was when Princess Fiona incites the fairy tale ladies (Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Repunzal and Snow White) to stop waiting to be rescued and to do the rescuing themselves (women power!) [incidentally, the music used when the Princesses attack the castle was Led Zepplin's "The Immigrant Song" and "Barracuda" by Heart. ]

You can read some of the funniest lines in the movie here and see a list of all the popular movies spoofed in Shrek 3 (not all of which I caught!) here.

DVD extras include a Worcestershire Academy Yearbook, Lost Scenes, a Donkey Dance, Shrek's Guide to Parenthood (tips by Donkey, Puss in Boots, Pinocchio and Gingy), a Dreamworks Animation Video Jukebox (my son liked the "music video" from Shark Tales) and "Shrektivities" that are available when you slip the DVD into your computer drive.

I rate it 6 out of 10 binkies.

*****I was not paid for this review but received a copy of the DVD at no cost to me to offer my personal opinion.*****

You can find my review here as well.