Simply Amazing... "Paperman"

Wow...


The Story:

Chance and fate intervene to bring two souls together in New York city sometime in the past in an Oscar-nominated Disney short.


If you haven't seen this, take less than 7 minutes of your day and enjoy one of the best love stories you are likely to see this, or any year.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTLySbGoMX0


The animation is superb, and the story is told without dialogue, and none is needed.  All of the emotion is easily conveyed with the body language of the characters.

Very impressed.

I haven't seen the other nominated shorts, but this one easily won my heart, and I hope it wins.


Final Grade:  A+

Finally.... The Rock has Come Back....To the "Royal Rumble" 2013!

If you smellllllllllllllllllllllllll....
What the Rock...
Is Cookin'!!!!!



The Rumble.

For this lifelong fan of the WWE, there is no better Pay Per View than the Royal Rumble.  Every star shows up, and the main event, or at least the reason we all show up, regardless of when it plays, is the Rumble itself.  30 men enter, 29 leave over the top rope and to the floor until there is only one left standing.

That man gets to go to the Main Event of WrestleMania in April and challenge for the belt of his choosing.

This year, the Rock said he would come back and win the championship, the first time he's held it in a decade.

And you know what, it's like he never left.  He obviously still has a passion for the business.  I'm sure you can agree that the money is probably not bad either, but the man has nothing left to prove to himself or the fans.  The man has still got it, and at least until Wrestlemania, it looks like we get an extended dose of The Great One, so I'm quite happy.

I'll not spoil the outcome for the rest of the matches in case you haven't seen the PPV yet, or are just going to wait and see it later.

It didn't disappoint.

The 3 surprise entrants of the Rumble last night were great, especially the first one who came in at #2.

Hilarious as the crowd chanted "You've still got it" and he replied "I never lost it, baby!"

Probably my favorite moment of the night.

This marks only the second time in my life that I have ordered a PPV.

It didn't disappoint.


The Road to WrestleMania has begun, and I'm looking forward to taking the trip.


Final Grade:  A

Bored to Tears by "Pawn's Move"

When your budget is $ 27.00, you shouldn't expect too much, right?


The Story:

Jimmy works in a pawn shop.  One day they receive an ultra-rare stamp worth MILLIONS!  Then, the owner dies, leaving the business to Jimmy.  Jimmy gets some of the money up front, leaves town to get away from a gold-digging shrew, winds up in another town and starts working at a pawn shop.  He also meets a shy reclusive girl and tries to fall in love with her.


So if you remember my best of 2012 list, it had Courageous on it.  I remarked at the time that I was impressed as Christian movies were getting better with their budgets, acting, story, etc. etc.

Yeah, this is not THAT company.

This is a rambling narrative that destroys any goodwill you can try and muster for the flick as it goes along.

The dialogue is stilted and painful to listen to.  The acting is wooden, or nonexistent.  The characters bland and one dimensional.

No, one dimensional gives them too much credit.  Non-dimensional would be a better description.

Whoever those critics are at the top of the movie poster that declare this to be a winner film, well they are suspect in my opinion.

Amazingly, I did not shut the movie off, for reasons I still haven't quite figured out.  I'm guessing that I was hoping it would get over the hump and become interesting.

Eventually, it ended.  But to be honest, I don't even remember how it ended. 

I had given up on the flick long before the credits rolled.

Available to stream on Netflix as of this writing.

I recommend avoiding this stream and choose more interesting waters...


Final Grade: D-

What Was I Thinking? "Frankenweenie"

My dislike of Tim Burton films continues...


The Story:

Victor Frankenstein's dog gets hit by a car.  Victor is sad, then realizes that he could bring his dog back from the dead, and never have to be sad again!

These kids today...


So, despite my obvious loathing of Tim Burton films, I want to give the guy a chance.  I mean, it might be good, right?  Broken clocks are even right twice a day.

I absolutely despise this animation style, but thought I could suck it up for 90 minutes.

Well, 30 minutes into the film, I looked around the room and saw that everyone was either ignoring the film or looking bored and possibly angry that we were still watching it.


Message received, loud and clear.


If you like Tim Burton or this style of film (Nightmare Before Christmas) knock yourself out.  This film is for you.

As for me and mine...

Pass.

Final Grade: D-

I Had Absolutely No "Trouble With The Curve".

While I really don't care for baseball, I do apparently enjoy a good movie centered around the sport.


The Story:

Gus (Clint Eastwood) is a scout for the Atlanta Braves.  The problem is, his eyesight is fading.  However that doesn't mean that Gus can't still do his job.  However, as a precaution, his boss (John Goodman) convinces his daughter (Amy Adams) to take some time away from her work and keep an eye on her dad as he scouts a top high school recruit in the Carolinas.  A rival scout from the Red Sox (Justin Timberlake) that Gus scouted for his team years earlier, arrives on the scene to check out the kid, and Gus' daughter!  Can Gus successfully scout the kid and save his job, or is he doomed to retirement?

First, it's nice to see Eastwood in any movies these days.  The man is a legend on the screen, and it's nice that he's still doing what he loves.  For the first time in awhile, he also steps out from behind the camera and lets someone else do the heavy lifting, so you know that has to be daunting to be the first guy to direct an acting AND directing legend in some time in your first time out!  Luckily for Robert Lorenz, he's actually been helping Eastwood for the last few years helming some of his features.

Then we have the plucky Amy Adams as Mickey, Gus' daughter.  While working her butt off to become partner in a law firm for the better part of a decade, she uses these few days off to try and reconnect with her father, and she comes to some realizations about herself and her father.

However, I will save the best for last, and say without a doubt that I am becoming a huge fan of Justin Timberlake, the actor.  He seems very at ease on the big screen, and his persona and demeanor carry him fairly effortlessly through the movies.  I enjoyed his Sci Fi flick In Time, really thought he was hilarious in Friends with Benefits, liked his work in the Social Network, and yes, he even did a great job voicing Boo Boo in the Yogi Bear movie.

So yes, all in all this movie was a very pleasant surprise for me from start to finish.  I went in with no expectations, and was very pleased with the movie I watched.

Could be a contender for the "Best of the Year" listing.

Recommended for a rental, and I could see adding this to the "Purchase to watch again later" pile as well.

Final Grade:  A-

Continental Drift Explained! "Ice Age 4"

Ice Age 4.

I can't believe there's been 4 of these!!!

The Story:

The gang gets separated from their family, and they will move heaven and earth (or continents) to get back home again.

Plus pirates.
Don't forget the pirates.


These reviews are essentially bullet-proof.   You're either watching them with your kids, getting them for your kids to watch, or ignoring them completely.

Odds are, if you fall into the first 2 categories, you already know what to expect from this franchise, and have either stuck with it, or have abandoned it one or two sequels ago.  If you're ignoring it, then no argument on my part would get you to watch this film anyway.

The animation is superb, as always.  I long advocated for any company to rise up and give Disney a run for their money.  Competition is a good thing.  It took many years, but we are enjoying a golden age of computer and traditional animation. 

While some of the films aren't the best, for the most part, every studio is putting out some quality films over the last decade.

The voice work is top-notch as well with no hugely distracting "names" that don't really fit into the tale.

Will there be another sequel?  As long as these things make money, I wouldn't doubt it.

Final Grade: B-

If "Looper" Gets Higher Than a D-... Then You Know I've Successfully Altered the Future!

Time traveling hitmen!

Mostly...

The Story:

In the future, time travel hasn't been invented  yet, but it will.  In the future's future.  But for now, folks in the past kill bad guys in the future and dispose of the bodies.  One day, they will kill themselves, and then enjoy 30 years of life until such time as they go back in time and are killed by themselves, thus closing the loop.

Got it?

Good.

The problem: our hero, Joe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) pauses long enough when Old Joe (Bruce Willis) arrives without the customary hood and bound hands and Joe hesitates long enough to not kill him. 

Old Joe has arrived to change the future, providing he doesn't stop himself from doing it in the first place.

I think I failed myself with this film.  I let the overheard hype of its greatness, plus the fact of Bruce Willis' awesomeness set me up for failure.

The movie was good, if not a bit rambling and long.  20 minutes trimmed could have tightened this film tremendously.

So yes, good, but not great.

The performances by Levitt and Willis are just fine.

The time travel conundrums posed in the film are fine, and the way to change the future is well done at the end of the film.

Recommended for a viewing, but I cannot endorse a purchase for this film at this time.


Perhaps that will change when I come back from the future and convince myself that this film deserves a higher grade.


Final Grade: B-

Not Another Review of "Not Another Not Another Movie"!

Does a parody of a parody movie turn out to be true cinematic art?

Think about that for a moment...


The Story:

After their last movie sank at the Box Office, the studio boss comes looking for their money back.  To try and salvage their career and save themselves from getting killed, they hatch a scheme to make fun of movies that make fun of movies.

Ingenious, right?

Well...

To say that your biggest names in a production are Burt Reynolds and Chevy Chase, you would be talking box office gold...

In 1977.

In 2013?  Not so much...

And those two have probably 5 minutes of screen time, enjoyed their paycheck, and went home.  Vinnie Jones comes in to do the heavy lifting with about 10 minutes of screen time, and the rest is filled with a bunch of no-named faces who stretch an idea into a 90 minute film.

And they succeed.

To be honest, it wasn't that great, but it also wasn't the train wreck it could've been.

Sticking around after the credits, it appears that this film was edited using computer software, so I'm all for any advancement in film that lets the next generation of filmmakers get a foot in the door.

There are some funny gags, some humorous moments and it is all wrapped up with a bow at the end of the film.

Can't say two enthusiastic thumbs up, but I've sat through worse (or more correctly, I've shut off worse, see last year's # 1 worst movie of the year that had a similar premise!)

Streaming on Netflix as of this writing.

Final Grade: C-

The Prequel Sequel Without Equal ~ Death Race: Inferno!

Before there was Statham...

The Story:

The Legend of Frankenstein continues!  This sequel to Death Race 2 finishes the saga of Frankenstein, and sets up the 2008 remake starring Jason Statham of the 1970s Roger Corman cult classic.

Confused?

Don't be!

The rules are simple: Convicts in weaponized cars race around trying to kill each other.  Win 5 races, you are pardoned!  Frankenstein has 4 wins  under his belt, but with a transaction that shifts ownership of the Death Race franchise to a new owner, it appears that Frankenstein needs to lose, if he wants to live!


Truth be told, I have to give two thumbs up to not only Death Race 2, but to Death Race (3): Inferno.  While I am an admitted Jason Statham film fan, I would actually claim that these two tell a better, more coherent story than his did.  Luke Goss does an admirable job as the main character as a cross between Statham and Stone Cold Steve Austin.  Plus nearly any film that has Danny Trejo in it, gets an automatic pass for Trejo-ness!

But when you're talking about cars racing and shooting each other (Twisted Metal for the Playstation anyone?) you're not expecting cinematic genius.

Both of the prequels are available for streaming on Netflix as of this writing.  Inferno actually isn't even available for purchase or rental until the 22nd of January, so this whole time travel thing is pretty cool!

:)

You want a great action flick where you can check your brain at the door and enjoy some explosions with your popcorn, look no further...

This is the franchise for you!

Final Grade: A Solid B for a great B Movie franchise!

Baby it's Cold Outside! ~ "Snowmen"

Here's a coming-of-age family dramedy about life, death, and the effects people have on both.

The Story:

A body winds up in the snow in front of Billy's yard, and he becomes obsessed with the poor guy's death because apparently nobody cared about him.  You see, Billy has cancer, and while his dad (Ray Liotta) says he's beaten it, Billy is pretty sure that his dad is just saying that to make him feel better.  So before Billy dies, he wants to do something important with his life which will ensure that people always remember him.  The solution?

He wants to break the Guinness Book Record of Most Snowmen Built in a Day!

Naturally, you ask yourself, "how important is building snowmen in the grand scheme of things"?  Don't worry, Billy will get to that realization as well before the movie is over

The movie itself is a sweet little family film, but since there is some death involved, this movie falls more inline as a drama through many portions of this film.

As if Billy's life wasn't rough enough with cancer, he also has to endure being bullied and ostracized at school.  Yep, typical public school kids.

: )

Thankfully, the inspired casting choice of Christopher Lloyd comes along at the turning point in the film with some wise words about life and death and the importance they play in life.  Listen to Doc Brown kids, he knows what he's talking about.

It's good stuff, an important message, though it's a bit of a stretch of believability on how they make it happen.  But a satisfying overall experience.





Available for streaming on Netflix as of this writing.


Final Grade: B-

The Kid Returns ~ Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days

The Diary of a Wimpy Kid saga returns with the 3rd film in the franchise.

Yes, these are probably movies you only watch if you have kids.

Lucky for me, I have kids.


The Story:

Greg is off to enjoy his summer vacation.  Assuming he can spend time with his crush, avoid his parents, not upset his older brother and not lose his best friend in the process.

Piece of cake.


To be fair and honest, I don't remember much of the first film.  It was okay, I guess.  The idea for the book is genius, a diary which uses artwork in the book so it's fun for kids to read because sometimes a funny picture is indeed worth a thousand words.

But I must not have hated it, because I rented the sequel, Rodrick Rules, and if there was a list of 2012 Guilty Favorites, it would be on there.  The relationship between the brothers was the focal point of the movie, and it was a funny ride watching the two attempt to get along, and then actually bonding.  So sweet.

: )

Now the third one rolls along, and this time Greg is spending the summer avoiding his parents, crashing the country club with his best friend, all in pursuit of the girl of his dreams.  Typical family fare as always.  Humorous, but not nearly as enjoyable as the 2nd one.  I would say that Rodrick is the lynchpin of the humor for me.  The less they use him, the less interested I am.

I'm guessing the franchise either has to reboot with a new kid, or this will be the last of the series as their star and his kid friends are all growing up rather quickly.  They've done 3 films in about 3 years, and the middle school-ness is starting to fall away as the kids get older, so we'll see what the franchise is able to do in the future.

If they do keep going, I hope they keep the parents, especially Steve Zahn who always does a great job in whatever film he is in.  He has a bit more to do this go round, including a bit of character growth for him as well.

So if you (or your kids) enjoyed either of the first 2, sign yourself up and take the plunge again.

If you've never seen any and want to, I'd go with the 2nd film.

: )

Grade: C+

While Not "Pitch Perfect", It's Pretty Darn Good!

First, let me tell you that I do not watch Glee.

Tried the very first episode, found it to be painfully unfunny, and have never bothered to try it again.


I do however, enjoy singing.


: )

The Story:

Barden College is home to several a capella singing groups.  The Bellas, an all-girl team are trying to recover from a disastrous showing the year prior.  Their main competition is the Treblemakers, and all-male group who won the year before.  The incoming Freshman class will try to break in, and maybe shake up the competition along the way.  The main character, Beca (Anna Kendrick) doesn't want to be in college, or singing, but since her dad is a professor at the school, her education is free. 

Or in other words:

It's "Bring it On = A Capella Style!"

Which is probably how it was pitched, and very much how the movie plays out.

Yes, I admit, I've seen Bring it On.  I watch a lot of movies. :)  But the first one wasn't that bad.  I don't recall having seen any of the subsequent sequels, and I doubt I'll ever catch the Broadway Musical of the same name.

But back to THIS movie.

It's pretty funny.

And the singing is pretty good as well.  I'm assuming all of the actors involved did their own singing, otherwise they lip synch really well for what they are doing.

For a moment, I thought that the main characters were all going to band together and form a rival 5th major singing group, but that didn't happen, and that is probably for the best.

Otherwise, the story takes a logical, and fairly slow hand at watching the groups and characters mature throughout their first year together.  It culminates at the finals, where unlike Bring it On, the team that wins really had the better routine. : )

Thumbs up to the entire cast.  I had only seen a few of them in other roles until this movie, but they all did a great job and I look forward to seeing many of them in future roles on the big screen.

The most memorable performance will undoubtedly go to Rebel Wilson as Fat Amy.  She is hilarious throughout, and has most of the great lines in the film.

Yep, I hate to say it, but I would have to recommend this film for rental.


Don't judge me!

: )

Overall: 4 out of 5 for a Solid B.

Serial Killers Need Love Too... "Lucky"

This movie screamed potential...  but comes up short.

The Story:

An apparent serial killer wins the lottery when his mom discovers his winning lottery ticket.  The only problem?  The ticket belonged to his last victim.  Now the killer is thrust into a new type of lifestyle and is able to marry the girl of his dreams, someone who looks just like all of his victims.  Then when she walks in on her husband with another woman...

Choices have to be made.


Again, the black comedy potential of this film is only briefly realized in far too few scenes.

Watching Colin Hanks, from a distance every bit seeming like his dad, he is a great, underutilized actor in Hollywood.  Perhaps the curse of being his father's son relegates him to smaller films and bit parts, but he always does a great job.

Unfortunately, the buy-in that he is a serial killer is rather forced, with little to no explanation whatsoever.  Sure he kills because he cannot get the girl he wants, but then why does he start again?  It's a leap, that mostly forces the 3rd act to get started.

That is where the humor truly begins to shine through, but it's too little, too late.

It is available for streaming on Netflix as of this writing, but I cannot thoroughly endorse the film.

This falls in with the first movies of the year that weren't awful, but they weren't great.

They were simply... to quote my honey... "meh".

: )

Locked in the Basement with "Jeff, Who Lives at Home."

I have officially found a candidate for one of the Top Turkeys of 2013...


The Story:

Jeff (Jason Segel) apparently lives at home.  His brother (Ed Helms) has a wife that he is apparently having issues with.  Their Mom (Susan Sarandon) is also in it...

And that's about when I turned it off.

: )

Segel and Helms are funny guys.  I've got cinematic proof of this on more than one occasion.  IF this movie is supposed to be a comedy, it was unfunny.  IF it was supposed to be a drama, I cared not a bit for any of the characters enough to keep watching.

18 minutes...and done.


For those that are new to my short reviews, or need a refresher, there is a 20 minute rule in our house about movies.  If we aren't grabbed and enthralled enough to continue past the 20 minute mark, the movie is ejected and forgotten about.

Naturally, this movie has a chance to fall off the list by Thanksgiving.  Movies that I look forward to, and they disappoint me would easily knock a film like this, where I didn't really care one way or the other before it began can be forgiven.

So, if the movie picked up after 18 minutes, please, feel free to shoot me some comments and I can always go back and try again.

Otherwise, later!


This movie is available to be avoided on Netflix Streaming and Amazon Prime (free) as of this writing.

Sunday Streamer ~ Down and Derby

Here's a fun one that's great for the whole family...

The Story:

It's the annual Pinewood Derby, and a bunch of dads take the competition that should be for their kids and take it to an unhealthy level of competition to settle old scores from when they were young.

It's an enjoyable family film, no language, nothing that isn't suitable for children of any age, so that's a plus right off the bat.

The only "names" in the film are Lauren Holly and the late, great, Pat Morita.  Otherwise, some familiar faces sprinkled throughout.

Nothing ground-breaking in the art of film-making or story-telling, but sometimes you just want to kick back for 90 minutes and watch a film that makes you smile while you're hanging out with the kids watching a movie.

This will fit the bill quite nicely.

3 1/2 out of 5 on the Netflix scale.

Available for streaming on Netflix as of this writing:

http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/70027112?strkid=1145191696_0_0&trkid=222336&movieid=70027112



http://www.amazon.com/Down-Derby-Robert-Costanzo/dp/B000CSTKIS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1358095077&sr=8-1&keywords=down+and+derby

2 bucks on Amazon to rent, 7 bucks to buy.

"Everything or Nothing" ~ 50 Years Behind the Scenes with Bond

Happy Anniversary Mr. Bond.

This documentary focuses on the overall relationship of bringing Bond from the book to the big-screen and the turbulent ride that franchise has taken and endured over the last 50 years.

The movie itself focuses  on the behind the scenes of Fleming's life and how he came to know Saltzman and Broccoli and their desire to bring their favorite literary hero to the silver screen. 

50 years in 90 minutes, so there is a lot to gloss over, but the majority of the triumphs and downfalls that the series has endured are touched on.

Just about everyone who is still around is interviewed for some portion or another.  Notably absent is Connery, however they use archival footage of his comments so you don't miss out too much.  Otherwise, Lazenby, Moore, Dalton, Brosnan and Craig are all interviewed with their desire and trepidation of following in Connery (and then each preceding Bond!) to take over the franchise.

It's well worth the viewing, especially if you are a fan, hardcore or casual, of the 007 franchise.

Looking forward to the next 50 years!

Available for streaming on Netflix or Amazon Prime as of this writing.

http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/70256292?strkid=1372494473_0_0&trkid=222336&movieid=70256292

http://www.amazon.com/Everything-Nothing-The-Untold-Story/dp/B00AW73FH6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1358005114&sr=8-2&keywords=everything+or+nothing

I See Dead People... ~ "ParaNorman"

Finally.


4 movies into the New Year, and I have finally found a movie I can recommend as being worth seeing!

ParaNorman

The Story:

Norman is a boy who can see Dead People.  Naturally, this doesn't sit well with most of the citizens in town, and heck, even his family, and poor Norman is a bit of an outcast.  Of course, when the town's curse comes back to haunt them as it has every year for centuries, it's up to Norman to save the day.

But is he up to the task?

Okay, first and foremost, this is not an animated film.  It's a claymation/stop motion movie.  The characters and their look will either annoy you the whole time, or they'll grow on you.

Other than that, the movie was a blast.

A wonderful story filled with ghosts, zombies and witches, well, what's not to love with fun for the whole family like that?  It's a scary kids movie that really isn't scary at all.

There might be a few tense parts for the youngest viewers, but most kids over 8 have probably seen much worse already.

The entire film itself is well written and very amusing throughout.

Aside from the very recognizable voice of John Goodman, most of the voice-work is not distracting from the overall film.

Really enjoyed it, and would have to give it a 4 or a 5 on the Netflix 5 star scale.

Call it 4.5 and I hope you enjoy it!

"Sleepwalk with Me" ~ Zzzzz

So I'm 0 for 3.

All three movies thus far have been okay... but nothing great.  Not bad enough to shut off and walk away, not good enough to endorse as a rental and definitely not purchase.

But the odds are in my favor that I'll find something great before the year is over.

Hopefully I don't have to wait THAT long!


The story:

A struggling comic (Mike Birbiglia) tries his hand at stand-up and a relationship.  He is really not really good at either.  On top of that, apparently the stress of both kick out a dangerous sleeping disorder where he actually acts out his dreams.  Making him a danger to himself and others.

Based on a true story...

Mike Birbiglia plays the comic, and it's his life story.  Why he felt the need to change the names is beyond me, seems a little silly.

Sure some of the story is fabricated, but many parts, including the leap through a window, are indeed true.

The movie begins with Mike narrating the story directly to the audience.  He seems a nice enough guy, but wow, his stand-up routine is abysmal.  Not even remotely funny.

It's when he actually changes his act and begins talking about his relationships that the humor at least begins to shine through, so if you can make it past the first half, it gets better.

It is an interesting look at his sleep disorder, if nothing else.  The condition he suffers from has got to suck.


As for the movie?

Worth a look for people that might want to see a behind-the-scenes look at the life of a stand-up starting out, or the dangers of sleep disorder.  Birbiglia fans should definitely give it a spin.

Otherwise again, it's not a total waste of time, but nothing you've got to rush out and see!


Available for streaming on Netflix as of this writing.

This Movie Bites ~ "Dark Shadows"

Today we delve into the big screen remake of Dark Shadows.

Aside from knowing that the series existed in the 60s, I have no knowledge of the show whatsoever.  Maybe that's for the better as Hollywood usually tramples over beloved TV franchises when they remake them.

The story:

In the late 1700s the Collins family sets out from England for a better life in America.  They establish the town of CollinsPort Maine, build a wonderful mansion...and are promptly killed.  Their son, Barnabas (Johnny Depp) falls in love with a girl, spurns the affections of another, who unfortunately turns out to be a real witch.  She kills his beloved, curses him to become a vampire, has him buried in the ground for all eternity.

Or, until 1972.  When Barnabas is unleashed upon a changed world where he must attempt to restore the family name, face off against the witch again, and perhaps find true love finally.


I must admit, I am not a fan of Tim Burton movies.  They generally make me say "meh" or avoid wanting to see them altogether.  His best movie that he's ever made is, was, and forever will be, Edward Scissorhands.  All the rest I could do without and not shed any tears.

This movie does nothing to dispel that notion.

The movie starts off great with the backstory.  I was intrigued and engaged... and then it moved to the modern era and the movie lost its footing.

Was it a fish out of water comedy?
Was it a gothic drama?
Was it going for a horror movie feel?
Was it looking for a romantic storyline?

Well, it tried all of this, and perhaps more, and utterly falls apart as being the sum of too many different parts.

Johnny Depp does just fine as Barnabas, and perhaps is the only reason to stay engaged watching the movie.  However it's a struggle to endure nearly 2 hours of story that could have easily been trimmed by half an hour to remove much of the extraneous fluff that helped bog the movie down.

It was great to see Michelle Pfeiffer back onscreen again.  Though given very little to do for the most part, it seems a bit of a waste.

Plus the whole last minute addition of werewolf just seemed oddly tossed in just to say there's a werewolf bit involved!  How very Twilight of them... : /

Fans of Burton, Depp and especially Burton and Depp collaborations, I say dive in, and you'll have a blast.

For everyone else, it's your call.

The First Review of 2013: Like "Butter"!

It was the best of films...

It was the worst of films...

 

The first movie review of 2013!

And it's a film that so far, would make the best of and worst of list, both at the same time.

:)

I'm sure the next 350 some days will provide some other films that will bump this one off of both lists, but for now let's sit back and enjoy...

Butter.


The Story:

The story of the Pickler family from Iowa where the reigning 15 year-in-a-row butter sculptor has been asked to step aside to make way for some new blood.  His wife (Jennifer Garner) thinks that is patently unfair, so she decides to enter the contest herself.  Meanwhile, a little foster girl decides to put her artistic talents to good use sculpting butter.  It's a show-down of epic proportions!

Did I mention this is based on a true story?

Well, at least the fact that people participate in competitive butter sculpting, that part is true.  The rest, I assume, totally made up.

And really, before watching this film, I had no idea that people actually sculpted in butter.  Pretty clever past time for farmers I would imagine.

Amazingly for a film that probably nobody has ever heard of, the cast is filled with some great actors.  Alicia Silverstone?  I haven't seen her since Clueless.

Rob Cordrry as the foster dad was my favorite character in the film.  His chatting with the little girl about "what's the worst that could happen?" was my favorite part of the movie.


So is it worth your time?  That depends.  It's about 90 minutes of mostly entertaining storylines that converge into a climatic butter battle at the Iowa State Fair.  It's not gut-bustingly funny, but it remains amusing throughout.

Oh, and did I mention Hugh Jackman is in it?  He is, and his part is small, but quite memorable.  And his prayers to God?  Hilariously wrong in so many ways...


Available to stream on Netflix as of this writing.