DVDs, Books, Games, and more

Terminator Salvation - Theater

2009-06-27T18:44:00.002-07:00

AndyO review: * * *

This was the Terminator film I always wanted to see: John Conner fighting the machines in the future. But like many films with a rich back story (namely Star Wars), it's not always easy to make a film about the back story -- or, as in this case, the future story.

Christian Bale, does what he can with the John Conner character, but in the end there's just not much for him to work with. The real story here is with Marcus Wright (Sam Worthington), who's a Terminator but doesn't know it. Something tells me if this film had concentrated mostly on Marcus's story, this would have been a much richer, more interesting movie.

One area where the film shines is the production design. All the destroyed cities, all the Terminator factories, and the Terminators themselves are all really interesting to look at. The special effects are also top-notch.

On a final note, it's interesting how the absence of Arnold Swartzenegger is something you really feel in this film. You realize how, especially in the second film, he brought unexpected humor and presence to the Terminator role.

Released: 2009

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Terminator Salvation

Christian Bale, Moon Bloodgood, Anton Yelchin, Bryce Dallas Howard, Jane Alexander, Ivan G'Vera,

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen - Theater

2009-06-27T18:44:00.001-07:00

AndyO review: * 1/2

Metacritic: 36/100

After seeing the first Transformers movie, I was hopeful that Michael Bay had finally learned how to make a really good action film. After seeing Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, it appears Bay has slipped into his ways of old.

Let's put it this way: If you want to see 2-1/2 hours of wall-to-wall explosions, CGI robots destroying each other -- as well as most of what's left of ancient Egypt) -- and some really sexist shots of Megan Fox, then this is the summer film for you.

So, I thought the first rule of storytelling was that you need to have peaks and valleys in the story? If you only write action scenes, it's like listening to AC/DC turned up to 11 for 2 hours.

Steven Spielberg was the exec producer on Transformers, as well as on this film. Surely a director with such great story sense and pacing must have had a conference with Bay during the script development? I imagine it going something like this: "Mike, I love the script, but I have one small question: Why is every scene filled with action? There are no small human moments, like in the first film, where we got to know the characters."

To which Bay answered:

"Steve, who cares? Transformers was pretty much wall-to-wall action. And people ate it up! You can't argue with $319,246,193 in the U.S. and $708,272,592 worldwide! And now that HD-DVD is dead, thanks in no small part to my negative campaigning, and most consumers have no choice for their HD format, we can charge them a sh**load and make even more in the home video market!"

It appears that Bay was right (about the money, anyway), because in three days, Transformers 2 has made $125,946,000. So, it looks like we'll be getting another Transformers in two to three years. I'm just not sure I'll be sitting through another one of Bay's films.

Released: 2009

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Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Shia LaBeouf, Josh Duhamel, John Turturro, Kevin Dunn, Isabel Lucas, Matthew Marsden,

Night at the Museum 2: Theater

2009-06-27T00:03:00.000-07:00

AndyO review: * * 1/2

Metacritic: 42/100 (mixed reviews)

Is Night at the Museum 2 bigger and louder than Night at the Museum? Most definitely. Is it better? Unfortunately, no. In the first film, Ben Stiller took a job because he didn't want to lose his son. In this film, there's really nothing at stake. And that's the difference. Are there some great scenes? Definitely. My favorite was the chase that happens inside a black and white photograph. I also liked the Thinker -- who turns out to be anything but a thinker and delivers a great line ("Firepower!"). It's just not enough to sustain a sequel.

Released: 2009

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Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian

Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Robin Williams, Alain Chabat, Ricky Gervais, Jon Bernthal,

Miracle at St. Ana - Blu-ray

2009-06-23T23:37:00.000-07:00

AndyO review: * * 1/2

Metacritic: 37/100 (Generally negative reviews)

The story of black soldiers in World War II is definitely one that needs to be told. While there are some great cinematic moments in this movie, I felt lost in the story at times. If Spike Lee could have focused the story, perhaps leaving out the present-day "bookends," I think it would have been a much better film.

Released: 2008

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Miracle at St. Anna

Derek Luke, Laz Alonso, Pierfrancesco Favino, Matteo Sciabordi, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Kerry Washington,

Valkyrie - Blu-ray

2009-06-23T23:36:00.000-07:00

AndyO review: * * 1/2

Metacritic: 56/100 (mixed reviews)

This was a film I was excited to see. I'm a World War II buff and didn't know too much about Operation Valkyrie, which was a plan to assassinate Hitler and use the Reserve Army in Germany for a coup.

All the pieces are here to make for a really interesting film, reminiscent of those great 70s films like "Day of the Jackal." As much as I've been one to defend Tom Cruise as an actor, I think his presence in this film detracts from the story. Once he put on that eye patch, I kept thinking about this being Tom Cruise pretending to be a German Colonel. I just didn't buy it.

But it's not all Cruise's fault. Something in the editing or direction of this film just doesn't work. It's almost as if they cut out a bunch of scenes that might have made the film longer -- but would have glued it together better.

Maybe there will be a Director's Cut someday.

Released: 2008

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Valkyrie

Tom Cruise, Bill Nighy, Carice van Houten, Terence Stamp, Kevin McNally, Jamie Parker,

Star Trek (2009) - Theater

2009-05-23T17:24:00.001-07:00

AndyO review: * * * 1/2

Metacritic: 80/100

Released: 2009

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Full disclosure: It's no secret to people who know me that I'm a big fan of Star Trek. I grew up watching the Original Series, with Shatner and Nimoy. But I'm also a fan of the Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise.

I've also enjoyed the Star Trek movies. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan was probably the best, with Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home and Star Trek VII: First Contact my second and third favorites. But I've actually liked all of them. Even Star Trek: The Motion Picture.

Now there's a new Star Trek movie that joins the best ones. This film returns to the original characters.

First impressions

After seeing the new Star Trek film, I'm happy to report the filmmakers have succeeded in relaunching Trek. All our old friends are here: Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Uhura, Sulu, Scotty, and Chekov. The actors all do a fine job channeling the original actors, while not impersonating them. I thought Chris Pine did a particularly good job with some of the subtleties of Kirk, and Karl Urban hit all the right notes with McCoy.

The look and feel of Star Trek has also been updated. The Enterprise looks a little different, inside and out. The pacing and cinematography are more modern. And because of advances in special effects, this is the most realistic Star Trek universe ever seen on film (I'm sure much of the $160 million was spent on effects). In particular, the shots of the shuttlecraft flying over San Francisco were spectacular.

The story

Abrams and crew have found a unique way to approach the original Star Trek universe: What if a rogue Romulan (Nero, played expertly by Eric Bana) from the future waged a war on the Federation and altered the Star Trek universe as we know it? In other words, Nero's attacks create an alternate timeline.

For example, in the prologue of the film, the U.S.S. Kelvin is attacked by Nero. This is the ship where Kirk's father is serving. Kirk's father dies while saving 800 people, including his son James T. Kirk, who is born during the battle. In the original timeline, Kirk knew his father.

Spock's story

Like many of the original Star Trek films, this is Spock's story. We see how his half-human, half-Vulcan nature creates a ticking bomb that can go off at any moment. We watch Vulcan boys bully him. We watch the Vulcan council accept him into the Vulcan Science Academy, while calling his human mother a "limitation."

And while Spock may be at the center of this story, it's the relationship between Spock and Kirk that is the engine that drives the story forward. As the saying goes, opposites attract; but in many ways, Kirk and Spock (especially in this new universe) are very similar. Both are struggling with their identities.

The essence of Star Trek

So how do you catch the Star Trek essence -- and also satisfy all those die-hard fans out there? In the case of director J.J. Abrams and his collaborators, they give the fans enough familiar images, dialogue, and references that the changes they have made don't seem too severe. Some of my favorite pure Trek moments from this film:

Kirk and his enduring fascination with green women
Scotty giving her "all she's got" in the engine room
McCoy saying his famous, "I'm a doctor, not a <fill in the blank>" line
Seeing the Kobyashi Maru simulator again
Spock saying, "fascinating" and "logical"
The famous "live long and prosper" line and Vulcan hand gesture
Captain Christopher Pike (especially in the last scene and the reference to The Menagerie)
Using the original music and opening lines of the TV show
Chekov's Russian accent: Wictor, Wictor, and the problems it causes him
Sulu's fencing and legendary starship piloting skills
Uhura's ability to "open hailing frequencies" and more
Seeing Leonard Nimoy wearing the Vulcan ears again (maybe for the last time)

Flaws (nitpicks, problems, and what-have-you)

While the film is exciting and everything a summer movie should be, it also includes some pretty big plot holes and problems -- very surprising given J.J. Abrams' fascination with puzzles and crazy plots.

1. The biggest problem for me was when Spock kicked Kirk off the Enterprise. He didn't confine him to quarters, didn't throw him in the brig. He kicked him clean off the ship! This seems a little odd for anyone to do, let alone Spock.

2. Kirk ends up meeting the future Spock on the ice planet where the younger Spock banished him to. The odds of them meeting like this are far fetched to say the least. Surely there could have been a better way to write this in?

3. Spock and Uhura are in a relationship. This one really goes against the Star Trek canon. Even if there is some obscure reference in a Star Trek novel somewhere, this is just not how fans think of Spock and Uhura. Kirk and Uhura I could buy -- given that Kirk is ready to pounce on just about any female life form.

4. Kirk being promoted to second in command when he just graduated from Star Fleet academy. This is one that a friend pointed out to me, and I have to agree it's pretty unbelievable.

The final analysis

The good news is the flaws in this film don't detract enough to ruin it. I for one am excited about where they take this reboot of Star Trek. With the way they've set it up, they could go anywhere.

Battle for Terra - Theater

2009-05-03T12:15:00.001-07:00

AndyO review: * * * 1/2

Metacritic score: 54/100 (mixed reviews)

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Battle for Terra is one of the best animated films for children I've seen in a long time. It contains the same serious themes as a film like WALL-E, as well as some brilliant animation. (I saw the regular movie version, not 3-D version.)

The film begins on an alien world, where the inhabitants can fly like astronauts in zero-gravity, and also use flying devices to get around. This is a peaceful race. The children go to school. The people listen to the elders, who know what's best.

But then a strange object covers the sun, like an unnatural eclipse. The elders tell everyone to stay in their homes. Some of the inhabitants think that the Gods have returned. All is well.

But one of the inhabitants, Mala, who doesn't listen to what she's told to think, builds a telescope and sees that the object covering the sun is mechanical, a ship. By the time she figures this out, it's too late -- as an attacking force from the ship is on its way.

I don't really want to spoil the rest, as there are some great surprises as well as interesting themes. This is definitely one you'll want to see, with or without the kids.

Earth - Theater

2009-04-25T18:41:00.001-07:00

andyo review: * * *

metacritic: 72/100 (generally favorable)

Before I took my kids to see the new Disneynature film Earth, I listened to an interview with the directors, Alastair Fothergill and Mark Linfield, on NPR's Fresh Air with Terry Gross. The film sounded extraordinary.

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Now that I've seen it, I do think the images are extraordinary. But I realize that part of what made the interview interesting was hearing about how they got all those amazing shots of the animals. It sounds like one of the real stars of the film is the new "Cineflex" camera, which is a gyrostabilized camera, mounted under a helicopter that can shoot close-ups up to a mile away. This is how they got many of the amazing images in this film.

I once read a quote about filmmaking (I think from Roger Ebert) that goes something like this: A film has to be better and more interesting than an alternate film of the actors and filmmakers sitting around talking about the film. In many ways, at least for me, I was more interested in the making of this film -- and I think this is the reason the closing credits of the filmmakers (running from Polar Bears, running into trees in a hot air balloon) has so much energy.

This doesn't mean I'm taking anything away from the images of this film, which are amazing -- but I think a more non-traditional story of what it took to make this film and the amazing images would have been yielded a more interesting final film. It also would have provided a narrative thread that seems missing from Earth. (Contrary to the trailers and posters, this film explores more than the migratory journeys of polar bears, whales, and elephants.)

I only offer this evidence for my alternate vision of this film: My 4-year-old lost interest in Earth after 30 minutes. I think this is because human beings can only identify with animals for so long before they get bored. When I walked my 4-year-old to the bathroom near the last quarter of the film, I was surprised to see so many kids sleeping in their chairs or on their parents.

The only other criticism I have is the obvious special effects shot of the birds migrating over the Himalayas. I wonder why the filmmakers felt they needed this in the film if they didn't have the real footage? Juxtaposed next to the other extraordinary images in Earth, this sequence falls flat (except for the time-lapse shot of the Himalayas during night, with the stars spinning in the sky overhead).

Dragonball Evolution - Theater

2009-04-13T00:46:00.001-07:00

AndyO review: * 1/2

Dragonball Evolution is another attempt by Hollywood to make a Karate movie for kids (see Forbidden Kingdom). There are aspects of the film that are entertaining -- but in the end the story just doesn't end up making much sense. Maybe you need to know the Manga source material this film is based on.

Only Chow Yun-Fat, the legendary Hong Kong actor, is able to bring anything original or interesting to the film. It's too bad he was only a supporting character.

Released: 2009

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Race to Witch Mountain - Theater

2009-03-15T19:43:00.001-07:00

AndyO review: * * *

Metacritic: 52/100

When I was 7 years old, my Mom took me to see "Escape to Witch Mountain." I remember a few things: A grown-up sat in front of me so that I couldn't see, and I thought a movie about kids from outer space was amazing. (I think I also had a childhood crush on Kim Richards, who played Tia Malone.) "Witch Mountain" probably remained my favorite movie until "Star Wars" came out two years later, showing me what a real Sci-Fi movie could be.

Over 30 years later, we have "Race to Witch Mountain," which isn't really a remake -- but a "re-imagining" of the original film. In this film, the focus has been shifted from the kids to Jack Bruno (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson), a Las Vegas cabdriver who's been in and out of trouble. Bruno becomes the chauffer of the two kids, Sara and Seth, who turn out to be (surprise!) aliens. Like the original movie, these kids can do all sorts of cool stuff -- like move objects, talk to animals, etc.

I happen to glance at the review of this film in The Seattle Times before I took my boys, and the title, "Close Encounters of the Robotic Kind." After seeing the film myself, I realize the Times' reviewer, Moira MacDonald, missed the mark somewhat. Yes, there are some robotic performances -- but that's because the kids are aliens and, I guess, English isn't their first language. Sure, Johnson is no Robert Deniro, but he does fine in the role here. I'm always surprised when reviewers don't seem to understand that families are looking for interesting, fun entertainment -- just like "Witch Mountain." The theater where we watched the film was 90% full at 3:30.

The only gripe I have is I think the film was pushing beyond a PG rating, with all the guns and head-bashing going on. This was definitely more worthy of PG-13.

Cameos: The two kids from the original film, Kim Richards and Ike Eisenmann, show up as a waitress and sheriff in this film.

Released: 2009

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Race to Witch Mountain

Dwayne Johnson, Alexander Ludwig, Ciar�n Hinds, Chris Marquette, Garry Marshall, Ike Eisenmann,

Coraline - Theater

2009-02-17T20:28:00.001-08:00

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Artistic direction and animation: * * * *

Story: * *

Overall review: * * 1/2

Coraline is a beautifully-animated film that suffers from a macabre story. My 8-year old hid under his coat for the entire second half of the movie. The movie audience seemed frozen (I heard maybe one laugh throughout the entire film) and uninvolved.

But the stop-motion animation is superb and makes "Wallace and Gromit" look like child's play. I'd never seen stop-motion -- an animation technique that involves moving models or puppets frame by frame (it takes 24 frames for one second of film) -- where the camera was moving around as well. I'd be curious to see how they did that.

I'd think twice before bringing the kids to this one.

Swing Vote - Blu-ray

2009-02-14T18:09:00.001-08:00

AndyO review: * * 1/2

The idea of Swing Vote is a good one: What would happen if a presidential election came down to one person's vote? In this case, that person is Bud Johnson (Kevin Costner), a kind of village idiot who's in way over his head but is too dumb to know it. Part of this character works, but in the end I found him too simpleminded and stereotypical. If he'd been less of an "ugly American," this could have been a much more interesting (and perhaps great) film.

While it's funny to watch the two presidential candidates cater to Bud's comments (the conservative candidate abruptly moves to support Gays and Lesbians in the military), it's too far-fetched to suspend disbelief. The two advisors to each candidate, Stanley Tucci and Nathan Lane, have the thankless role of pushing their candidate where they don't want to go -- another cliche that could have been written in a less melodramatic way.

Of course the great find in this film is Madeline Carroll, who plays Johnson's daughter Molly. She's been forced to grow up and become wise beyond her years -- thanks to her two immature, self-centered parents. And in many ways the film is about her and the way her integrity changes the other characters.

In the end, I'm left thinking about what this film might have been like under the direction of Aaron Sorkin, the creator of The West Wing TV show and the film The American President. We'll never know.

Released: 2008

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Swing Vote

Kevin Costner, Paula Patton, Dennis Hopper, Stanley Tucci, Judge Reinhold, Richard Petty,

Inkheart - Theater

2009-02-14T17:32:00.001-08:00

AndyO review: * * *

Inkheart smartly combines a fresh twist on the metafiction theme that I've seen in films like Zelig, Stranger Than Fiction, and Adaptation, and fantasy films like Harry Potter and The Spiderwick Chronicles. It's also a good family film, although it does contain some frightening images.

This film also includes nice performances by Paul Bettany (A Beautiful Mind, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, and Wimbledon) and Academy Award-winner Helen Mirren (The Queen).

Released: 2008

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Inkheart

Brendan Fraser, Eliza Bennett, Paul Bettany, Rafi Gavron, Steve Speirs, Stephen Graham,

Terminator: The Sarah Conner Chronicles - Season 1 - Blu-ray

2009-02-09T00:40:00.001-08:00

AndyO review: * * *

Released: 2008

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"Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles"

Thomas Dekker, Richard T. Jones, Brian Austin Green, Shirley Manson, Summer Glau, Lena Headey,

Lost: Season 4 - Discs 1 and 2 - Blu-ray

2009-02-09T00:36:00.001-08:00

Once I start watching Lost, it's hard for me to stop. Simply an amazing show.

Released: 2004

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"Lost"

Naveen Andrews, Jorge Garcia, Daniel Dae Kim, Evangeline Lilly, Emilie de Ravin, Harold Perrineau,

The Pink Panther 2 - Theater

2009-02-09T00:33:00.001-08:00

AndyO review: * * 1/2

Released: 2009

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The Pink Panther 2

Steve Martin, Emily Mortimer, Alfred Molina, Aishwarya Rai, Lily Tomlin, Johnny Hallyday,

Paul Blart: Mall Cop - Theater

2009-02-09T00:29:00.001-08:00

AndyO review: * *

Released: 2009

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Paul Blart: Mall Cop

Kevin James, Jayma Mays, Shirley Knight, Peter Gerety, Adam Ferrara, Adhir Kalyan,

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

2009-02-09T00:26:00.001-08:00

AndyO review: * * * *

Released: 2008

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The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Cate Blanchett, Faune A. Chambers, Donna DuPlantier, Earl Maddox, Jason Flemyng, David Jensen,

The Force Unleashed - Xbox 360

2009-02-09T00:19:00.001-08:00

The guy at Game Stop talked me into buying a used copy of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. Of course, I'd heard great feedback from a bunch of sources. But I have to say this is one of the best Star Wars games I've played in a while. Getting to use the Force in so many bad ways is a lot of fun!

The X-Files: "Fight the Future" and "I Want to Believe" - Blu-ray

2009-01-01T23:34:00.001-08:00

AndyO review:

Fight the Future: * * *

I Want to Believe: * * * 1/2

The X-Files is one of my favorite TV shows. It's true that when it went off the air in 2001, it had already lost much of what had made it unique. But until around season 7 or so, it had some of the best writing on television.

"Fight the Future" was released in 1998, between seasons 5 and 6, and the story fit neatly into the conspiracy mythology of the show. I remember when I saw the movie in the theater, I thought it would have been a good ending to show. After all, Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) finally uncovers the conspiracy he's been chasing for five seasons. It seemed like there was nowhere else to go with the series (which, sadly, ended up being the case). In time, Duchovny would leave the show entirely, only to come back to hook up with Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) on the last show. The X-Files had descended into soap opera territory.

So, I was a little worried when, in the new X-Files movie, "I Want to Believe," Mulder and Scully are still together as a couple, just as they were in that final episode. But somehow the passage of time has made their relationship more plausible. They've remained a couple because Mulder isn't investigating X-Files anymore. He's just a normal guy, who stays at home while Scully is out working as a surgeon in a children's hospital. But then the FBI comes knocking at his door...

Someone has abducted an FBI agent, and a psychic priest named Father Joe (Billy Connolly), who happens to be a pedophile, is helping the authorities. One FBI agent (Amanda Peet) wants to bring Mulder back to help assess whether the psychic priest is for real. He reluctantly comes back.

Once Mulder is back working with the FBI, he's quickly pulled into the dark world of killers and their victims -- a place he's pretty comfortable. He wants to believe that Father Joe is telling the truth, that he is a small light shining in this darkness. At one point, Scully says, "I don't want the darkness back in my house," which means she doesn't think she can be with Mulder if he's going to be out in the crazy, evil world they both walked away from.

And the world that Mulder has walked back into is indeed crazy and evil. Without giving away too much, let's just say this story turns Frankenstein upside down (or inside out). And unlike many movies today, "I Want to Believe" takes its time weaving together many threads that seem disconnected.

In the end, what kept me thinking of this film days after I'd seen it were the characters. Watching Dana Scully wrestle with the decision to put a child patient through a painful, experimental procedure. Watching Mulder's gift for pursuing evil come back after lying dormant for so long. Watching Father Joe's anguish when he finds out why he's seeing visions.

This is great filmmaking. I can only hope they bring back these characters again in another X-Files movie or new TV show.

Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008) - Theater

2008-09-13T23:38:00.001-07:00

AndyO review: * *

I took my two boys to see this film today, and after it was over the eight-year-old said, "That was a good one!"

In many ways, I think the target audience for Journey to the Center of the Earth is eight-year-olds -- or maybe kids just a little older. It reminded me of the National Treasure movies, with implausable plot points that end up being entertaining.

Brendan Fraser plays down-and-out Professor Trevor Anderson, who discovers the earth's seismic activity is the same as when his brother disappeared. Fraser is also babysitting his 13-year-old nephew (Josh Hutcherson), his brother's son. As quickly as you can say, "jump cut," Fraser and his nephew fly to Iceland to track down a scientist who knew the brother. Instead, they meet his daughter -- an Icelandic mountain goddess, uh, I mean guide named Hannah (Anita Briem).

After Hannah leads them up a volcanic peak, they end up getting trapped in the mountain -- and eventually fall thousands of miles into the center of the earth. As you can imagine, they see many wonderful and scary things down there.

So, if all this sounds pretty stupid, it is. But there are a few things that somehow made the film work (at least on a popcorn level):

Brendan Fraser -- His comedic timing and on-screen presence pull us into the story. Coincidentally, I watched George of the Jungle with my kids the night before -- and I noticed how his presence there seemed to make that otherwise silly film entertaining, too.
The mine car sequence -- There's a set piece in Journey that's like the mine car sequence in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom dialed up a few levels.
The coming-of-age story of the 13-year-old nephew. It was fun to see an introverted 13-year-old go through a crazy journey with his uncle.

So, no Academy Awards for this film. Just pure popcorn fun.

Tropic Thunder - Theater

2008-09-05T10:45:00.001-07:00

AndyO review: * * *

Tropic Thunder is about a bunch of pampered Hollywood stars who go on location to make a movie a lot like Apocalypse Now or Platoon. When things don't go very well, their director takes them deep into the jungle to shoot the film, guerrilla style. Problem is, the director gets blown up by a land mine -- although most of the actors refuse to believe it.

Thus begins their quest.

Ben Stiller, pulling double duty as director and actor, plays Tugg Speedman, an action/adventure star who's lost his magic at the box office. He's tried to make a serious film about a retarded man who thinks he can talk to animals, but it fails -- the film reviewed as one of the worst movies of all time.

Robert Downey Jr. plays Oscar-winning, Australian actor Kirk Lazarus who's playing a black man (he underwent special surgery to play the part). Even between takes, he stays in character, annoying everyone with his Blaxploitation dialogue. (He tells his fellow actors that he doesn't break character until he's done with the DVD commentary.)

Jack Black plays the flatulent, gross-out comedy star Jeff Portnoy who's also trying to make a serious movie -- only he's a heroine addict who goes into withdrawals once he steps into the jungle. (There's a hilarious scene with a bat swooping in and taking his stash.)

There are a couple of other actors joining the "stars," Alpa Chino (Brandon T. Jackson) and Kevin Sandusky (Jay Baruchel). Because they haven't been turned to prima donnas yet, they're able to think a little more clearly than that stars when things get tough.

But what makes Tropic Thunder really work are the support actors, including Tom Cruise, Matthew McConaughey, and Nick Nolte. Tom Cruise is absolutely brilliant, playing mogul Les Grossman. Let's just say you probably won't recognize him at first -- and by the end of the film you'll be thinking he steals the show.

What's a little odd about Tropic Thunder is I didn't laugh as hard as I thought I would. I'm not sure if that's a good or a bad thing. I think I'll know when I watch it again someday.

Tropic Thunder has been a box office success (it was the film that knocked Batman: Dark Knight off its perch), and I think it will go on to be a classic Hollywood war comedy. I know as I left the theater I thought to myself that I'd never seen a movie quite like Tropic Thunder -- which is no small feat.

I also was surprised to see Ben Stiller's name as the director of the film. I've seen a few of his films, but this one is definitely his best. I think he's now on his way to making the shift from A-list actor to A-list director, which is what he's always wanted to do.

I'll definitely be curious to see what he does next.

Star Wars - The Clone Wars - Theater

2008-08-21T21:25:00.001-07:00

AndyO review: * * *

I actually had a pretty good time at this movie with my three-year-old. I was surprised to see the terrible reviews after I saw it, as I thought it captured some of the fun of the original Star Wars.

It's not, however, a movie for adults -- which I guess explains most critics' disdain for the film.

21 - Theater (Phoenix)

2008-05-17T16:49:00.001-07:00

AndyO review: **

I really wanted to like this film (it's a good idea about MIT students going to Vegas with their professor to count cards and win big bucks), but there were many problems:

The lead actor was unable to carry the film
The lead actor couldn't do an accurate Boston accent
No chemistry between the lead actor and the female lead
Too many cliches, poor screenwriting
Melodrama (black and white scenes -- no nuance)
Kevin Spacey isn't enough to save a bad script

Vantage Point - Theater

2008-03-31T20:33:00.001-07:00

AndyO review: * * *

Metacritic score: 40/100

This is either the kind of movie you like or not, which is why the reviews are all over the map for this. I, for one, had a great time.

There were three things worth noting about Vantage Point:

This was the first digitally-projected film I've seen at Pacific Place in Seattle. I was impressed with the sharp images and thunderous sound. I understood immediately how digital projection could replace traditional celluloid projectors in the near future.
The film is a modern take on Kurosowa's classic film Rashomon, which tells the same story from different points of view--hence the title vantage point. With each different pass through the same events, we learn more details about an attempted assassination of the President of the United States in Spain. As you'd expect, things are not always what they seem.
There are no less than two Oscar-winning actors, William Hurt (as the President) and Forest Whitaker (Howard Lewis) in this film, as well as Dennis Quaid and Sigourney Weaver.