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** STARS

I am sad to announce that the first official disappointment of the summer season is here, although it doesn’t land with a thud, the distinct whimper of a so-so movie can be heard within the 2 hours of this film. The idea of a “Speed Racer” movie sounded like a great idea, but even the creators of “The Matrix” (The Wachowski Brothers) can’t muster up enough imagination to keep me on the edge of my seat with their latest outing.

If it wasn’t for the eye popping visuals, some semi-good acting (by Emille Hirsch and Matthew Fox) and the neon drenched special effects I wouldn’t be able to halfway recommend this movie at all. “Speed Racer” eventually becomes hampered by its paper thin plot and slapstick moments with Chim-Chim and Speed Racer’s annoying little brother Spritle.

I wouldn’t be surprised if young adults and teens flock to this film, it is being marketed like soda or candy, and much like those things this movie is the equivalent of junk food. Its fun to consume in the beginning, but it eventually leaves you feeling a bit empty and loaded down. It’s a shame that the visuals became the selling point and main gimmick in “Speed Racer, with a great story this could have been an exhilarating ride.

This summer is chock full of enormous films and I’d like to save you some cash by recommending that you wait to see this movie until it comes out onto DVD. If you want to be dazzled by great effects and get the full summer experience from your blockbuster’s then rush out to see “Iron Man”, because “Speed Racer” doesn’t deliver on the goods it promises.

*** STARS

A lot of people will dismiss “Baby Mama” as a fluffy chick flick based on the previews. As a huge fan of both Tina Fey and Amy Poehler’s I am so glad to report that this film is a sweet comedy with a huge heart and lots of charm. The jokes in this movie are nowhere near as raunchy or dirty as they are in recent adult comedies like “Forgetting Sarah Marshall”, but they work in creating lots of laughs.

It is Poehler and Fey’s chemistry alone that lifts this film from mediocrity and DVD obscurity. “Baby Mama” has been certified as a hit and critics have generally been won over by the duo’s hilarious banter and onscreen relationship. I think both ladies have a great chance at becoming decent film actresses if they pick roles that compliment their spot on comedic timing.

Tina Fey and Greg Kinnear also have a cute and believable relationship in this movie as love interest’s that doesn’t take up too much screen time. The main focus in “Baby Mamaâ€? is always on the great one liners and Poehler’s clumsy down to earth performance as the white trash surrogate to Fey’s lonesome professional single woman.

Even though this summer is filled with all kinds of special effects extravaganzas and huge tent pole releases from the major studios, “Baby Mama” is the perfect choice for a side splitting hour and a half of fun in theaters. If you are looking for a simple old fashioned comedy with likeable characters this is a great way to cool off in a cram packed summer of glossy choices.

WATCH THE “BABY MAMA” MOVIE TRAILER BELOW:

*** 1/2 STARS

This summer is going to be a doozy! Already we are off to a surprise bang with the fast paced ultra charged superhero film “Iron Man” starring Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Jeff Bridges and Terrence Howard. With critics already calling this another “super hero summer” this movie will be hard to top. The fleshed out characters, hilarious dialogue and subtle special effects make “Iron Man” already one of the best comic book films ever made.

I was a bit hesitant when I heard Downey Jr. was cast as the drunken billionaire inventor Tony Stark. But as you will find out by watching this high octane action film, Downey Jr. carries the charisma and bubbly energy that is through out this film. Downey Jr. even bulked up to become the next big action star and it suits him well.

The chemistry between Paltrow and Downey is like a throw back to old school Hollywood. The hilariously flirty banter between them creates a great comic tone that keeps the movie from drowning in testosterone. Director John Favreau put a lot of heart and realism into these characters, which is different for a comic book movie. “Iron Man” sits right next to “Spider Man” as one of the most realistic and human movies about superheroes ever created.

In the next few weeks an avalanche of great looking movies will be forced upon the movie going public. “Iron Man” has already set the bar high for all other action films that dare to come out this summer. This film has already been deemed a classic by many fans and for good reason. The witty dialogue, likeable characters, the down played visuals and high energy make “Iron Man” a stand out in the genre.

** STARS

The summer movie season started with a stoned whimper this past weekend with the let down sequel to the cult pot smoking comedy “Harold & Kumar go to White Castle”. Unfortunately this movie is no where near the laugh out loud brilliance of its predecessor. But something tells me if you smoke enough weed this movie will satisfy your inner child who still laughs at fart jokes.

The premise of this film would have been funnier if the boys were shown gallivanting across Europe instead of being sent to Guantanamo Bay. The political humor in “Harold & Kumar 2″ feels like it is from another sophomoric comedy, it just feels out of place in a stoner buddy film.

The love story in this film takes over the boy’s endless search for the perfect stoner food, which was the plot for the first “Harold & Kumar” movie, and it ruins the sequel. Somehow this movie became a love story/romantic comedy which is just lame. I’d rather see the boys taking hits off a bong watching TV then hear them talk about girls.

The few jokes that do work in this film only do so because of the charming and moronic relationship between the titular characters. Kal Penn and John Cho are the only thing that keeps the rehashed jokes and familiar gags from sinking this film completely.

I love the silliness and random jokes in the original film, but this movie is just too scattered and ridiculous to be compared to the first. The only thing I can recommend this film for is just to see Neil Patrick Harris tripping balls on mushrooms…it’s worth the DVD rental alone.

WATCH THE “HAROLD & KUMAR 2″ TRAILER BELOW:

*** STARS

“Forgetting Sarah Marshall” was written by the film’s star Jason Segal (”Knocked Up” & “Freaks & Geeks”) and stars Kristen Bell (”Veronica Mars”), Paul Rudd, Russell Brand, Bill Hader (”Saturday Night Live”), Jonah Hill (”Superbad”), Mila Kunis (”The Family Guy” & “That 70’s Show”) and Jack McBrayer (”30 Rock”). This genius comedy is produced by current Hollywood comedy king Judd Apatow (”40 Year Old Virgin”).

Going into “Marshall” it was hard not to hold it up to Apatow brand name and compare it to his past work. I’m glad to report that the sweet and down to earth style we all have come to love from Apatow and his crew of actor’s is not only in tact, but this film is just as good as his best films. “Marshall” is already one my favorite films of 2008 and one the best comedies of the past ten years in my eyes.

Most of the warmth and belly laughs from this movie come from the fresh real guy charm of its star Jason Segal. Segal’s career is sure to sky rocket after this film’s word of mouth makes this another comedy sleeper hit for Apatow. Besides being hilariously funny, it’s also rather insightful, with some very smart dialog.

Props also go to Mila Kunis who gives a career making comedic performance as Segal’s love interest. The hilarious cast of supporting characters also make this an endearing and fresh adult comedy with all the right potty jokes to make it smart and silly. All I know is I had a smile on my face through almost every scene and laughed out loud more times than I can count. This is the perfect comedy to get adults ready for what looks to be a smoking summer movie season.

** 1/2 STARS

Besides “The Ruins” silly premise, the horror and gag inducing gore and intense action make this film a decent thrill ride for horror fans. This is the kind of film that will find an audience on DVD more than in theaters. Much like “Anaconda”, “The Ruins” has little substance but all the right scary movie tricks to make a cult film.

The actors and characters in this movie are pretty disposable, there is a blonde and a brunette and two hot boyfriends (their names are not important, trust me). For a horror movie, the amount of skin shown in “The Ruins” is pretty weak. The true fun in this movie comes from the dizzying over the top carnage and bloodshed.

For those of you who don’t know the obvious plot (duh!) of this film, the ancient Mayan ruins in the movie hold an evil blood thirsty secret; the plant life growing on it is alive…and hungry! Yes, you heard me right, man eating ancient plants. But what is truly kind of cool and great about this film is that most of the gore is human induced.

This movie has a lot of gore, and not just in a few scenes, but a lot. I recommend this movie to people who loved the horror movies “Cabin Fever”, “Turistas” or “The Descent”. “The Ruins” has that same campy over the top feeling those films did with enough bucket loads of blood and guts to satisfy any true horror movie geek.

WATCH “THE RUINS” MOVIE TRAILER BELOW:

GRADE: C-

Being an avid farce comedy film buff and collector I felt that I should go watch “Superhero Movie” for no other reason but to see Leslie Nielsen back in his element. The Zucker Brothers who produced this film also wrote and directed “Airplane!” the best farce ever made and “The Naked Gun” films. “Superhero Movie” is no where near as brilliant and funny as that classic but it has it’s moments that are best suited for a DVD rental.

The superhero film genre is ripe for poking fun at but somehow the director of this mish-mash of sight gags missed numerous opportunities that seemed pretty obvious. Instead the filmmakers of this comedy go for the current pop culture jokes and superhero film reenactments.

Other classic film comedy farces like “Top Secret”, “Spaceballs”, “Not Another Teen Movie”, and “Hot Shots” have enough brilliant gags and belly laughs to become timeless. For some reason the genre hasn’t been able to produce a winner since “Scary Movie 2.”

“Sueprhero” movie did contain a few really funny moments that make it a much more superior farce than “Epic Movie’, “Meet The Spartans” and “The Comebacks.” Still though this movie is badly acted and it doesn’t have anything worthy of multiple viewings. Watch “Superhero Movie” on cable when you’re looking for brainless fun with a handful of laughs.

NO STARS

“Diary of the Dead” (also known as George A. Romero’s Diary of the Dead) is a terrible zombie horror film out in limited release. Although independently produced, it is distributed by Dimension Films and was released on February 15, 2008. Romero and friends put in $10,000 a piece to produce what became one of the most celebrated horror films of all time; “Night of the Living Dead” from 1968. And let me tell you, this movie is nothing like that classic film.

Romero’s last zombie film “Land of the Dead” (from 2007) was a fun and gory zombie flick with some tense moments in it. “Diary of the Dead” has to be the worst out of Romero’s 5 zombie films (the other two are the classics “Day of the Dead” from 1985 and “Dawn of the Dead” from 1978). Unfortunately “Diary of the Dead” should have been left for dead and never brought to the big screen.

The plot of this painfully silly film follows a group of film students who are making an independent horror film. They soon become trapped in a world being consumed by flesh-eating zombies and turn their attention toward making the film into a documentary on their personal horror experiences. What seems like a familiar and creative premise (the characters record the footage with hand held cameras like in “The Blair Witch Project” and “Cloverfield”) ends up becoming amateurish, corny and cheesy.

There are no real cool death scenes or mass zombie feeding frenzies in this film; instead we are treated to whiney bad acting and ridiculous plot devices that add nothing to the plot. The embarrassing dialog from the screenplay and the shaky camera work only cheapen this train wreck even more. I hate to say it, but this film offers nothing new to the zombie genre at all.

This film has quite a lot of cool missed opportunities in it whcih is a shame. This boring mess isn’t even worthy of a straight to DVD release or even for cable. Zombie films are my favorite out of the horror genre, so it doesn’t make me feel good to report that the king of gore has screwed up big time. I wish I could recommend at least one cool death scene or some sort of funny line in this movie, but I can’t, which is a real shame coming from a ultimate horror fan.

*** STARS

“The Savages” is about a pair of unhappy, never-married, middle-aged siblings who are estranged from their emotionally abusive father who is unraveling from dementia in an old folks home. Visiting their father in his nursing home and their father’s eventual death helps each sibling to better deal with their love relationships with others.

As they put their lives on hold, Wendy and Jon are forced to live together under one roof for the first time since childhood, soon rediscovering the eccentricities that drove each other crazy. The movie stars Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Laura Linney who are two of the most focused, natural actors working today, they are perfectly cast as the dysfunctional brother and sister.

“The Savages” is at times grimly funny and purposefully unsentimental in all of the right places. Director and Writer Tamara Jenkins wrote one of my favorite little comedies from the nineties called “The Slums of Beverly Hills”, which is another hidden gem with a snazzy screenplay for adults worth checking out.

I enjoyed the light as air plot and down to earth dialog in this movie. The time went by real fast in the movie theater and it gave me time to appreciate Laura Linney’s subtle Oscar nominated performance. At times this movie can be painful, poignant, earnest and pretty depressing up until the final, uplifting scene. “The Savages” was a rare treat!

*** 1/2 STARS

I read a review of this film that said; “Teeth is the most ruthless cautionary tale for men since Fatal Attraction..”, and boy was that a dead on summary. “Teeth” is an imaginatively demented horror-comedy that makes you extremely curious about director, screenwriter and producer Mitchell Lichtenstein’s next cinematic project, it is that original.

“Teeth” is definitely a tongue-in-cheek film that is more comedy than horror, but the gore level isn’t as extreme as you would think. Instead of obvious, childish dialog we are treated to a smart, tense and hilarious film with bite (excuse the pun). There are some great over the top moments of pure camp in this film, but otherwise “Teeth” is a fun, adult strange ride.

Brilliant newcomer Jess Weixler plays “Dawn” a girl who is a stranger to her own body. Dawn works hard at suppressing her budding sexuality by being the local chastity group’s most active participant. Dawn eventually discovers she has a toothed vagina when she becomes the object of violence. Towards the end of the film Dawn comes to terms with her “mutation” and the final few frames will have you cheering.

“Teeth” is a convincing film with a lot to say about the power of female sexuality and the cultural forces that try to stifle it. The film’s mix of being a macabre coming-of-age story and a social satire works on every level. Of course many guys will squirm in this film, but after years of being the easy victim in horror films the girls finally get their pay back in this film. Watch this movie with no preconceptions and I guarantee you will be surprised by it’s gross out charm.

WATCH THE “TEETH” MOVIE TRAILER BELOW:

*** STARS

When “Michael Clayton” was released in the fall of 2007 it was met with little fan fair from audiences, but critics loved the taught, intelligent legal thriller. The admiration for this film carried it through the winter and it received 7 Academy Award Nominations this past week. Actors George Clooney, Tilda Swinton and Tom Wilkinson all received deserved nominations as did Writer and Director Tony Gilroy.

Michael Clayton (George Clooney) is an attorney and former gambling addict employed as a “fixer” at a prestigious law firm in New York City. The crafty plot begins with a sudden jolt and then flashes back to four days earlier. Tom Wilkinson’s character Arthur works at the same law firm as Michael Clayton and the two are close friends. In the middle of a crucial deposition involving a class action lawsuit against the firm’s largest client’s “U-North”, Arthur suffers a serious mental breakdown.

Tilda Swinton plays Karen Crowder, U-North’s chief counsel, who takes Arthur’s briefcase from the deposition room and discovers that he has internal memorandums that prove the company’s liability for releasing cancer-causing chemicals. The rest of the film unravels with a meticulous and intelligent maturity that keeps you in its grasp until the explosive ending scene.

“Michael Clayton” is a dark, engaging drama that asks some difficult moral questions, but most of all it is a classy piece of filmmaking for adults. Michael Clayton is a very entertaining, engrossing and shrewd piece of crowd-pleasing storytelling. The sly marketing catch phrase, “The Truth Can Be Adjusted” says it all; this film is a gripping and poignant look at the corrupt legal system in America.

WATCH THE “MICHAEL CLAYTON” MOVIE TRAILER BELOW:

*** STARS

It is too obvious to call “Cloverfield” a mix between “Godzilla” and “The Blair Witch Project”. That may have been the pitch during the initial planning stages of this film, but I think “Cloverfield” stands alone in the creature feature genre. Every piece of this film is dripping with creativity and originality. “Cloverfield” is not your average monster movie, this film has got some brains and genuine laughs.

A lot of people will avoid this film because they feel the style is just a gimmick, or that the hand held cameras are irritating, but they would be missing out based on those assumptions. “Cloverfieldâ€? is at times a realistic and very frightening “popcorn flickâ€?, but the gore level isn’t as high as you would think. A lot of the tension in this film is caused from “the unknownâ€? or what is partially seen. But don’t worry, you get to see a lot of the monster!

“Cloverfield” runs under 90 minutes and you become completely enthralled with the action on the screen right away, the pulse pounding escapism is one of its best qualities. The “real time” video camera work done by one of the main characters is gritty and gives the freakishly real special effects the ability to blend into the realistic backgrounds and city neighborhoods being filmed.

The characters in this film are atypical, but the dialog crackles with wit and authenticity. The first few moments of destruction, mayhem and confusion prepare you for the overwhelming non stop action of the last 45 minutes.

Some scenes from “Cloverfield� will most likely remind folks of 9/11, these images add to the emotional punch when we see buildings being toppled over like matchsticks. The most eerie visuals in this movie are the tiny pieces of paper that are falling from the sky after a building collapses, an image we all have become too familiar with.

I personally loved the abrupt ending of this film. It made the film even more believable and shocking then the sappy happy endings of most Hollywood movies. The themes and destructive images in this movie are nothing new, but the mind fuck and scary creature effects make this a classic monster movie for geeks everywhere to rejoice its praises. “Cloverfield” is the first great event picture of 2008 and we still have the summer movie season to look forward to, hooray!

**** STARS

“I look at people and I see nothing worth liking”…”I see the worst in people”…”I have a competition in me, I want no one else to succeed”…”I can’t keep doing this on my own, with these…people”. These are words uttered by Daniel Day Lewis’ electrifying character Daniel Plainview in the brilliant and awe inspiring film titled “There Will Be Blood”. “Blood” was written and directed for the screen by Paul Thomas Anderson (”Magnolia”, “Boogie Nights” and “Punch Drunk Love”).

Daniel Plainview embodies everything that this country was built on; the ambition to become wealthy and to succeed in business. Throughout “Blood” this standard of life is constantly being contradicted by the religious fundamentalism that this country claims it has based its morals and principles on. The whole film plays on the ideals of monetary success or spiritual resolution. It is easy to see in this movie that the choice of financial gain and faith are very similar, it is the balance of both that will destroy a man.

Daniel Day Lewis gives a performance that rocked me to my core, his fierce intensity and fine tuned method acting skills have never been so well executed, and his skills in “Blood” can easily be described as “mammoth” and tremendous in scale. This performance will stand out in my memory for years to come as one of the best male acting feats of recent history. I found myself feeling sympathy for this “devil” and the emotional investment paid of two fold in the end.

Paul Dano (“Little Miss Sunshine�) plays the priest Eli Sunday with a ferocious energy that is just as creepy, if not more evil, then Plainview’s greedy oil tycoon. Dillon Freasier gives a quiet but emotional turn as the orphan, and emotional pawn to Plainview, named H.W. H.W. is the closest we see Plainview get to love and this bond is devastating at certain points in this film.

I felt emotionally pummeled and shaken after this film unlike any other movie I put onto my favorite films of 2007 list (read that list by clicking here). The film’s score by Radiohead’s guitarist Jonny Greenwood is unnerving and keeps the film cohesive and eerily ominous. The music coupled with the gorgeous cinematography gives this film much deserved Oscar credibility and ups its chances for multiple nominations.

Relating to a flawed, complex and somewhat insane character like Plainview is what great filmmakers’ have the capacity to do with their art, this film moved me more than I can express. The plot details are not the main focus of this film; it is the underlined feeling that things are not far off on the screen from how we run our society today. Paul Thomas Anderson’s biggest triumph is making us see a bit of ourselves in the Plainview character. Anderson has created a gorgeous engulfing epic that will leave you speechless with horrified fascination from beginning to end.

WATCH THE “THERE WILL BE BLOOD” MOVIE TRAILER BELOW:

*** 1/2 STARS

“Persepolis” is a touching and magical animated film based on the graphic novel series of the same name. The film was written and directed by Marjane Satrapi (author of the novel) and Vincent Paronnaud and the film won the Prize of the Jury at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival this past year. The title is a reference to the historical city of “Persepolis” which was an ancient ceremonial capital of the Persian Empire.

The story in this film depicts life just before the Iranian Revolution in Tehran and is shown through the eyes of the nine-year-old girl named Marjane. The story in “Persepolis” shows how Iran’s people’s hopes for change were slowly dashed as the Islamic fundamentalists took power in the early 1980’s. This new Islamic government began forcing head coverings on women, making Western culture illegal and imprisoning and killing thousands that opposed them.

This brilliantly black and white film is crisp and alive with vibrant animation. “Persepolis” is a winner because it uses humor and subtle imagery to create emotions rather than giving a history lesson with gory visuals. The emotionally crushing depiction of a society that is forced to go on through a vicious and bloody war is at times unbelievable. The filmmakers craft a vivid and beautiful story that is extraordinarily moving and wildly informative.

I wasn’t expecting this film to deliver as many genuine laughs and great dialog as it did. Many “adult” animated features lack the maturity and creativity to balance the two. “Persepolis” introduced me to a rich world that I have never had the chance to see. And much like other great cartoon features, the animation expresses emotions in a much richer and human way.

It is my opinion that most live action films cannot capture the same magic and emotion that some animated films do. Through creative storytelling and lush animation filmmakers are able to tell stories in wickedly imaginative ways. “Persepolis� deserves a nomination for Best Foreign Language and Animated Film from the Motion Picture Academy of Arts & Sciences when they announce their choices next week.

WATCH THE “PERSEPOLIS” MOVIE TRAILER BELOW:

*** STARS

“No Country For Old Men” starts off like a typical moody Coen Brothers film, but slowly becomes a taught, intense thrill ride with a devastating ending that may leave a few movie fans scratching their heads. “No Country” starts off with a bang and doesn’t let go of it’s grip until the last frame. It has been hard to shake some of the images and themes in this film since watching it over the New Year’s holiday.

“No Country For Old Men” is haunting with it’s still landscapes and chillingly gruesome scenes. This film is not for the faint of heart or for those who don’t like bloody movies or gore. Just like their classic Oscar winning film “Fargo”, “No Country” paints a broad picture over a meticulous canvas with rich details making the film come off eerily realistic.

The cinematography in this film is absolutely crisp, stunning and deep in scope. The Screenplay will play with some peoples minds, but in the end it is a intelligent crime thriller with a few moments of dark humor. The Coen brothers have a natural born talent for delivering poignant dialog and getting the best work out of their cast. The intense supporting performances by Tommy Lee Jones and Josh Brolin are both completely Oscar worthy as well.

Javier Bardem will most likely receive an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of the chilly, cold hearted criminal with no conscience. His icy delivery and riveting performance will give you chills you have not felt since first being introduced to Hannibal Lechter in “Silence of the Lambs”. Bardem’s haunting depiction of stone cold killer will creep many movie buff’s out and have many shuddering in disbelief.

The ending of “Country” is currently creating a bit of controversy. The deep twist at the end will puzzle many viewers, but it is well worth the wait. If you don’t leave the theater blown away I would be surprised. “No Country For Old Men” is another artistic indeavor by 2 of Hollywood’s best Screenwriter’s and Director’s. The Coen Brothers filmography at this point is pretty impressive and “No country For Old Men” will be long considered one of their best pieces of work.