Hugh Grant Is In Fine Form Once Again... "The Rewrite"

The Rewrite (2014)

Not Rated (PG-13)

Starring Hugh Grant, Marisa Tomei, J.K. Simmons, Allison Janney,

Written and Directed by Marc Lawrence

The Story:

Keith Michaels (Grant) is a former Oscar winning writer who has had a few bombs since then, and now cannot find work. His agent gets him a gig teaching a screenwriting course back east. So he swallows his pride, heads back east and grudgingly begins his next career as a teacher.

Marc Lawrence and Hugh Grant have been great as a team since they teamed together in 2002 with Two Weeks Notice. Lightning struck again 5 years later when they worked on Music and Lyrics together and created another great romantic comedy.

Then the inevitable happened, the third time was not the charm, and Did You Hear About The Morgans tanked. I've seen that one, and it wasn't that bad.

Now, it wasn't nearly as good as the other two movies, but there were some witty moments in there, mostly on the charm and wit of Hugh Grant.

So, after nearly 6 years away from the big screen, the two re-team and tell a bit of a biographical tale that closely follows the lead of Music and Lyrics.

A formerly successful writer finds love when and where he least expects it.

This romantic comedy takes the slow build, but you know it's coming, and it's actually a refreshing and fun change of pace.

Hugh Grant returns in fine form, and he hasn't missed a beat over the decades and has grown perfectly into the role of the disenfranchised middle aged romantic lead.

It was also nice to see Tomei back in a comedic role for what seems like the first time in a long time.

Plus there is a nice comedic turn by Simmons that's pretty fun to watch.

Welcome back Marc Lawrence, and looking forward to the next project with Grant!

Final Grade: B

Are You Ready To Watch The Next "Food Network Star" ?

Food Network Star (2005)

Reality TV

Starring Bobby Flay, Giada De Laurentiis, Alton Brown

The Story:

It's the Food Network's version of American Idol. A reality show where 3 of their finest judge and groom a dozen hopefuls all dreaming of becoming the next star of their own Food Network show.

The show is challenging because it isn't just based on cooking.

A Food Network host must be entertaining, quick on their feet, able to cook, a master on nearly any food subject and able to juggle about a dozen other things that might get thrown their way at any time.

Each episode, another hopeful gets eliminated from the competition.

When all is said and done, usually the Final Three are all deserving of being there, and so far, with just the 2 seasons that are currently streamable on Netflix, I have had no argument with who has won, or why.

I actually picked the 2nd runner up, and the winner of the 2 seasons, so I guess I have an eye for talent.

I still can't cook a meal in under 20 minutes though!

:)

Final Grade: B+

Sole Man..."The Cobbler"

The Cobbler (2014)

Rated PG-13

Starring Adam Sandler, Method Man, Steve Buscemi, Dustin Hoffman, Ellen Barkin

Written and Directed by Tom McCarthy

The Story:

Max (Sandler) is an old-fashioned cobbler who runs the shop his dad (Hoffman) left him. It's a family tradition that goes back seemingly forever. One day, Max needs to fix some shoes in a hurry for a customer (Method Man), but his machine breaks. He heads down to the basement and uses the old hand stitcher. However, when Max slips on the shoes, he uncovers an amazing family secret!

Well, for those that claim there is nothing on Netflix that they haven't streamed or seen already, I would challenge you with this film.

Granted, as it stars Adam Sandler, 85% of film goers have already fled to the hills.

That's a shame, as he really plays the part subdued and effectively.

Whether it's his best performance in years, as the hyperbole that often gets shouted with films like this, it is the most non-Sandler performance in ages.

There are several laughs throughout the film as Sandler gets to inhabit the bodies of those whose shoes were fixed at his shop.

But, there's also a touch for the dramatic as well as Max deals with the legacy left to him by his father, and all that it implies.

There's also other parts of the story as well, but I don't want to spoil everything!

Available to stream on Netflix as of this writing.

Final Grade: B-

It's The First Letdown From The Network..."Iron Chef America"

Iron Chef America (2005)

Hosted by Alton Brown

The Story:

Iron Chef America attempts to recreate the Iron Chef Japanese series where chefs compete for the honor of becoming an Iron Chef.

They bring over the crazy sound effects for the announcer, but in the end, it's just 2 chefs cooking a bunch of stuff in an hour to see who's stuff tastes better.

However, that series, like most Japanese game shows, attempts a rather silly premise and they make it fun.

Somehow when it came to America, it became a serious competition to actually become an Iron Chef.

The fun was kind of sucked out of the original premise. 

Alton Brown and his team on the ground attempt to inject some liveliness into the proceedings, but all in all...

It's rather boring.

The first dud from the Food Network that I've found on Netflix.

They've got a season or two available for streaming, but I'm in no hurry to revisit the competition anytime soon.

Final Grade: C

I Would Have Rather Watched The Superhero Flick "Birdman"

Birdman (2014)

Rated R

Starring Michael Keaton, Emma Stone, Zach Galifianakis, Naomi Watts, Edward Norton

Written and Directed by Alejandro Inarittu

The Story:

Riggan (Keaton) is a former movie star of the Birdman superhero franchise. But he wants to be taken seriously, so we writes, directs and stars in a play on Broadway, sinking all of his cash into the film. They bring Mike (Norton) onboard at the last minute, but his volatile acting style is going to push Riggan into making either the best play ever seen, or the final humiliating nail in his acting coffin.

Well, that was something.

Keaton plays an actor who's most successful film was a superhero film with popular sequels from over 20 years earlier in his career.

Talk about typecasting!

:)

This is an unusual film, as it is almost strictly a drama, but it keeps you watching thanks to the presence of the actors, especially Keaton and Norton who keep blowing up what you are watching and keeping it fresh and entertaining as a look behind the scenes of a Broadway play.

Then the Birdman angle rears its head...

And it is unusual, to say the least.

Is there really a Birdman?

Has he imbued his talents into Riggan?

Does Riggan actually have powers, or is he falling into psychological hallucinations?

Don't know.

Watch the film and judge for yourself.

Because just when you think you have it figured out, the movie decides to end with a scene that will have you question everything you thought you just saw.

It's a good film, but since I would likely never watch it again, it cannot be a "great film" on my grading scale, because I'm all about wanting to watch a movie all over again sometime in the near or distant future.

Final Grade: B

Time For A Dip In The "Hot Tub Time Machine 2"

Hot Tub Time Machine 2 (2015)

Rated R

Starring Rob Corddry, Craig Robinson, Clark Duke, Adam Scott

Directed by Steve Pink

The Story:

Lou (Corddry), Nick (Robinson) and Jacob (Duke) are enjoying the benefits of having used the Hot Tub Time Machine, but Adam (John Cusack) has apparently disappeared from sight. The boys party on without him though, until an assassin shoots Lou!  Desperate to keep that from happening, the 3 guys jump into the Hot Tub and fire it up to go back and prevent the shooting!  When they wind up in the future though, it appears that they have to fix the present to save the past!

Yeah..time travel!

File this under "I can't believe that they made a sequel to a movie that I never thought they would have made in the first place."

Because really, whoever thought Hot Tub Time Machine would be made? That and be moderately successful?

About 5-7 people, and they probably all work in Hollywood.

But apparently it was, and I can't lie, I watched the first film, and there are indeed some laugh out loud moments.

So here we are, five years later, and most of the group is back.

Why Cusack didn't come back is a mystery. Come on John, I've been watching some of your direct to DVD releases, and this wasn't going to sully your resume any worse than some of those.

But they work around him as best they can, bringing Adam Scott to fill the role by playing a long lost son.

It works, because it's Adam Scott, and he is a great character actor.

In fact, all of the cast makes the movie better just by dialing the crazy up to 11.

If you liked the first one, take a dip back into the water, you'll probably have as much of a good time this go round as well.

Final Grade: C+

We've Been "Taken 3" Times To See The Same Movie!

Taken 3 (2015)

Rated PG-13

Starring Liam Neeson, Forest Whitaker, Famke Jannsen, Maggie Grace, Dougray Scott

Directed by Olivier Megaton

The Story:

Bryan Mills (Neeson) is back, and he's brought his special skill set with him. It's a good thing too, because this time his ex-wife (Jannsen) is murdered and Bryan has been framed. He's out to prove that he's innocent, regardless of what the head detective (Whitaker) believes.

Okay, first, nobody was actually taken in this film, which leads to a bit of a misleading title!
;)

Seriously though, if you've enjoyed the first 2 installments, you'll find closure on the trilogy here.

At least, I hope it was a trilogy, and Taken 4 is not being discussed.

My guess is, like the Transporter, there is no reason why the series won't receive a reboot brand makeover in the future.

I'm sure there are many former operatives that have their relatives stolen all the time, where are there stories?

That said, this film offers little in the way of anything you haven't seen already, and if you can't guess who is framing Bryan by, oh, about the 10 minute mark of the film, then congratulations, you've apparently never seen a movie before in your life.

:)

The new wrinkle is the addition of Whitaker as the cop who is tracking down a fugitive.

Except, his demeanor refuses to channel Tommy Lee Jones and seems mostly indifferent throughout the film.

It's paint by numbers execution, but I've mostly enjoyed my stay with Neeson in this franchise.

I do believe it's time that he break the mold though and do a comedy or a romance, or anything other than handle a weapon or kill something in his next movie.

Final Grade: B-

Sequel Week Continues: "Joe Dirt 2: Beautiful Loser"

Joe Dirt 2: Beautiful Loser

N/R

Starring David Spade, Brittany Daniel, Mark McGrath, Christopher Walken, Patrick Warburton, Dennis Miller

Directed by Fred Wolf

The Story:

Joe Dirt (Spade) returns! Picking up where the last film left off, Joe and Brandy (Daniel) are happily married and raising three adorable triplet girls. However, a twister sends Joe back in time to 1965, and he must attempt to get back to his life and meet Brandy before the timeline is ruined and Brandy winds up with Jimmy (McGrath) instead.

If ever there was a movie that I never thought I'd see a sequel for, Joe Dirt has got to be right up near the top.

I have unashamedly admitted that I find the original to be hilarious from start to finish, and one that I have no problem watching at anytime.

It's pretty funny, and has a lot of heart.

Well, in the 14 years since we last saw our mulleted friend, it seems like some of the heart was forgotten in the sequel.

There are a few amusing gags and scenes throughout the film, but the backstory narrative that worked so well as Joe described his life in the first one, is kind of overthought and skipped around quite a bit.

It seems like Spade and Wolf thought, hey, if we're taking Joe "Back to the Future", this would be a funny gag, and this would be awesome to do, and this, and this and this...

So it's a lot of ideas that try and tell a story with a weak bridge holding them together.

Almost like an "oh yeah, and Joe loves his kids and Brandy and wants to get back to them."

However, if you're going to borrow, you might as well go with gusto, so besides Back to the Future, It's a Wonderful Life gets a good chunk of plot used in this film as well.

If it sounds like I'm picking on Joe Dirt, well, I guess I am. However, that's what people do with Joe Dirt.

I love the original, it's a classic, cult comedy.

Any sequel has some big shoes to fill, and they don't quite pull it off with the same sincerity of the first film.

I did appreciate that almost the entire cast returns in some shape or form in the sequel. It was fun to see them all together again.

I must also give props for Mark McGrath stepping into Kid Rock's shoes to give us a villain to boo, and someone to never want to eat popcorn with.

Plus, I must give credit to Spade and everyone else who worked to make this film streamable exclusively on Crackle.com.

You get the movie, streamed to your device with just a few commercials randomly inserted along the way.

With the proliferation of shows going to Netflix, Yahoo, Amazon, Hulu, it's neat that movies are going to also be given another venue to be made and seen.

If you enjoyed the first Joe Dirt, this will give you a few glimmers of amusement that make you remember why you really enjoyed that film, and those characters so much.

Lightning like that rarely strikes twice, but I'll give them an A for effort.

The movie however, only a C.

Sorry Joe.

The Sequel Nobody Demanded: "Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2"

Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 (2015)

Rated PG

Starring Kevin James, Raini Rodriguez, Neal McDonough

Directed by Andy Fickman

The Story:

Years since his Black Friday heroics, Paul Blart (James) never imagined his life would be so lonely. Left by his bride, his mother hit by a bus, he only has his daughter (Rodriguez) and his job, both of which he loves so very much. When he receives an invitation to the Mall Security Convention in Vegas, he takes his daughter on a trip. Naturally, a high roller (McDonough) comes to towns with an elaborate heist plan, which only Paul Blart: Mall Cop can stop.

First, I will be perfectly honest and say that I quite enjoyed Paul Blart: Mall Cop.
The original movie.

It was a cute concept, and had a lot of fun offering a "Die Hard in a Mall" concept with comedic execution.

However, 6 years later, a sequel rolls out for a film that frankly didn't require one.

Which is a lesson that many movies should accept: Not every film is a franchise.

Mall Cop 2 suffers from wanting to do too much, at least that's how it appeared from where I was sitting.

Relationship angle: check.
Father/daughter angle: check.
Defiant teenager angle: check.
Blart out of Water angle: check.
Paul not quite accepted by his peers angle: check.

And on, and on, and on.

Losing focus on what made Paul Blart an engaging film was concentrate on Paul, mistakes and all, foiling a crime because he loves what he does, and security is his business.

When Paul Blart 2 focuses on that, the movie picks back up. Unfortunately, it lasts for a fleeting few moments before the focus shifts to one of the other myriad of subplots.

Plus, no offense, but you don't hire McDonough to play the bad guy, and then barely give him any screen time!

It's a shame I didn't enjoy it more.

Thankfully, I can still go back and enjoy the first one again.

Memo to Kevin James: Please don't make Here Comes the Boom 2.  Thanks!

Final Grade: C

The Trilogy Concludes..."Night At The Museum: Secret Of The Tomb"

Night At The Museum: Secret Of The Tomb (2014)

Rated PG

Starring Ben Stiller, Robin Williams, Owen Wilson, Steve Coogan, Ricky Gervais, Rebel Wilson, Dan Stevens, Rami Malek

Directed by Shawn Levy

The Story:

The Tablet that brings the exhibits to life at the Museum of Natural History is beginning to corrode. If Larry (Stiller) hopes to fix the problem, he needs to get the tablet and some of his exhibits to London to see if they can unravel the secret of how the tablet works before it is too late.

Eight years ago, Night at the Museum arrived, and it was pretty cute, good family fun with a nice supporting cast making the exhibits.

Five years ago, they brought forth a sequel, and aside from remember seeing it, it was rather boring and lackluster.

Needless to say, I was surprised that they made a third installment in the franchise, but after seeing it, I'm glad they did.

It brought back much of the fun and enjoyment from the first one, and allowed the movie to correct the mistakes of the second film, and let the franchise go out on a high note.

I'm assuming it will be the end of the franchise as everyone is older now, and with Robin Williams passing, they are missing a key part of the team.

Traveling to London allows them to introduce a whole new cast of characters and creates a villainous foil in Sir Lancelot (Stevens) who may just unwittingly cause all of the exhibits to cease living after shortly coming to life for the first time.

If you liked the previous installment(s), I think you'll find the conclusion to their story a fitting end to the adventures.

Final Grade: C+/B-

"Dennis DeYoung" Brings The Music Of Styx To The County Fair

Our weekly River Rhythm concert series took a break this week as the Linn County Fair is running from Wednesday through Saturday.

Opening night saw Creedence Clearwater Revisited take the stage with several members of CCR sounding just like they used to musically, but with a different voice leading the way as John Fogerty is not a part of that group.

That brings us to Thursday night when Dennis DeYoung arrived and tore the place up with the music of Styx.

Naturally, having been ousted by Styx, he cannot bill himself as Styx.  But when most of the Top 10 songs the band performed were with DeYoung on vocals, well guess what?

Surround yourself with competent musicians, and Tommy Shaw is much more replaceable than he'd probably like to believe.

:)

DeYoung rocks through the catalog of hits, and he doesn't sound like his voice has changed a bit since we last heard him on the radio 30 years ago.

Not bad for a 68 year old!

Plus, we get the underrated DeYoung single "Desert Moon" thrown in at no extra charge. ;)

So if you haven't seen Styx in years, this is the concert to see, because this is how they sounded.

Thanks for making the trip down to Albany, and looking forward to next year's fair!

Final Grade: A

"Everly" Blows Up Things Real Good!

Everly (2014)

Rated R

Starring Salma Hayek, Hiroyuki Watanabe

Directed by Joe Lynch

The Story:

After being molested by a group of bad guys under the orders of Mob Boss Taiko (Watanabe), Everly (Hayek) fights back, and begins killing them one by one. Naturally, this doesn't sit well with the boss, so he pretty much sends any and all hired guns in the city to go kill her.

What a bloody mess.

Naturally, you can take that phrase and spin it 3 or 4 different ways, and pretty much, they would all be accurate.

Trying to match the tone and humor of Shoot Em Up or Lucky Number Slevin, Everly tries to balance the fine line of action/thriller/comedy with over the top action and bloody kills galore.

It misfires as many times as it hits, but Hayek gives it the college try of carrying this movie with the weird tone on her shoulders.

She does her best as the heroine trapped in an apartment while the entire world comes crashing down around her.

The problem is, how can someone who has seemingly never picked up a weapon prove to be so formidable?

Luckily, she gets a lot of help from other people who are rather inept at what they are doing, but after 90 minutes, it begins to stretch the plot a little too much.

Not one I can recommend, but at least I didn't hate it.

:)

Final Grade: C-

We Waited 20 Years For "Dumb And Dumber To" ?

Dumb and Dumber To (2014)

Rated PG-13

Starring Jim Carrey, Jeff Daniels, Rob Riggle,

Directed by Bobby and Peter Farrelly

The Story:

Harry (Daniels) and Lloyd (Carrey) return after 20 years. It seems that Harry needs a transplant or he will die, but luckily he had a daughter about 20 years earlier that he is just now finding out about, so hopefully she will be a match.  The boys set off on a road trip filled with hijinks and cases of mistaken identity.

There's a joke in the film about how waiting 20 years for the punchline is the great payoff to a joke.

So was this sequel, often mentioned, never happened, really worth the weight?

Meh.

Hard to say.

I have to admit, I haven't seen the original since it first came out, so I have no idea how well it has aged.  I do remember laughing, hysterically in a few spots, throughout that film.

This one tries to recapture and repeat the magic, but a lot of the gags have been there, done that in the two decades since we first met this duo.

The Farrelly Brothers infuse the film with their signature touch of crude/touch of heart filmmaking, and that helps keep the movie moving along.

Carrey and Daniels easily revive their roles, and it's hard to not imagine "what if?" they had simply done this a decade earlier.  This could be the final act of a trilogy instead with a film every 10 years.

Rob Riggle is a welcome addition to the film as the heavy, and he is quickly turning into one of those character actors that shows up in many of this screwball comedies and makes the film that much better, at least when he's on screen.

While this film is worth a viewing, at least for the sake of nostalgia, if you didn't like the first one, I doubt there is anything here that would change your mind.

Final Grade: C+

Don't Spend One Moment On This "Ping Pong Summer"

Ping Pong Summer (2014)

Rated PG-13

Starring Marcello Conte, Helena Seabrook, John Hannah, Lea Thompson, Susan Sarandon

Written and Directed by Michael Tully

The Story:

Radical Miracle (Conte) is going on a coming of age summer adventure with his sister (Seabrook) and parents (Thompson & Hannah). Something is going to make this his greatest summer ever...

But I was so bored and uninterested in the film after 10 minutes, I took it out and mailed it back.

Had I known it was streaming on Amazon Prime, I could have saved the mailman the trouble of moving this disc across the miles.

Michael Tully is officially on my list of directors to not bother with.

The film was painfully unfunny, not dramatic, not really anything at all.

When the greatest part of the movie is using Casey Kasem's American Top 40 to hear a long-distance dedication, it's time to move on.

Also shot to be grainy to "look and feel" like an 80s film, it only serves to undercut whatever you're trying to make as a finished product.

80s movies may have been grainy, but the best are revered classics, the worst are cringe-worthy cult classics or so bad they're cheesy good.

This film is none off those.

Final Grade: D-

Never Take "A Walk Among The Tombstones" With Liam Neeson.

A Walk Among The Tombstones (2014)

Rated R

Starring Liam Neeson, Maurice Compte, David Harbour

Directed by Scott Frank

The Story:

Matt Scudder (Neeson) is a former cop turned private investigator after a tragic accident in his career. He is approached to take a case to find the men who murdered the wife of a drug dealer after taking her ransom. He passes, but when he learns that the man paid the ransom, and that they had already killed his wife, he begins to piece together that this is the M.O. in some other cases, and he realizes that if he wants to save the life of the next victim, he better spring into action.

If you want a man with a certain skill set to find and kill people, you hire Liam Neeson and let him do his job.

That is, after all, what he does pretty much since his role in Taken.

However, if it's not broken, and the audiences want to buy tickets for it, ride that horse until it won't go anymore!

At this point, you know how the story will play out, and again, that's fine for what it is.

Nothing awful.

Nothing spectacular.

You've seen it all before but Neeson hasn't worn out his welcome...

Yet.

I give this a C+

"Andy Grammer" Delivers A Great Summer Concert

River Rhythms (1983)

:)

Andy Grammer made his way through Oregon this week, and Thursday night, he stopped in Albany as part of the 32nd Annual River Rhythms concert series.

Since 1983, Albany has hosted this free concert at Monteith River Park in downtown Albany.

The last time I went was sometime between 1989 and 1991.

My how this little event has grown!

Attracting a wide variety of musical talents, there's literally something for everyone each week.

Yes, even for those fans that like Country and/or Western.

However, tonight we rock!

:)

Andy Grammer didn't disappoint as he hosted a lively set of about 20 tunes, and he even got the mellow blanket crowd in the front to stand up and dance around song # 4, and they remained on their feet for the rest of the performance.

He's lively, he's fun, and he's got an amazing band who has a blast on stage playing alongside Grammer, especially when he goes acoustic, and that lets the band have a little fun acting out the song beside him.

His hits are there, and the audience happily and enthusiastically joined in.  He also does a great job on a couple of covers as well. The rest of the set are Grammer songs that his fans know and love, and kept new fans that might be unfamiliar with the songs enjoying the new music and having a great time.

A great concert and a beautiful night for it tonight.

Also a great first concert for a few of my kids who had never attended one before.

Final Grade: A!

This "Nightcrawler" Is A Tad Bit Creepy

Nightcrawler (2014)

Rated R

Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Rene Russo, Bill Paxton, Riz Ahmed

Written and Directed by Dan Gilroy

The Story:

Louis (Gyllenhaal) is a man without a mission in life. He's trying to score a job, but nobody is interested. Fate leads him to encounter independent "news crews" catching the action that happens in L.A. after dark. Intrigued, he sets out to become a 'nightcrawler' himself, proving to be successful enough to need his own assistant (Ahmed) as he continues to sell story after story to a local news station. However, Louis keeps pushing himself to make the stories better than the last, to the point he begins to blur the lines between what really happened, and what he may have helped happen.

There's a lot to this movie, I will give it that, right out of the gate.

Gilroy has crafted a movie with some very unlikeable characters, and yet you remain fairly riveted to the proceedings as each new segment sucks you in deeper to the story.

Gyllenhaal is completely irritating in his role, in a good way, if that's possible. I would say that he was likely dealing with autism or another disorder that makes his personality traits that way...

Or he's a complete dick.

:)

His drive to find the ultimate "if it bleeds it leads" story pushes him every night he's on the town.

Russo plays the station manager who buys his work and then becomes the object of his affection, a role she never is completely comfortable with, and rightly so.  Remember, Louis is a jerk.

Ahmed brings a nice counter-balance to Louis and everything he stands for. A thankless part really, he brings the most joy and life to the screen, and suffers because of it.

It's well worth a viewing, but a film I'd rather not come back and watch again.

Ever.

;)

I watched it some time ago, but if you missed out, it is now streaming on Netflix as of this writing.

Final Grade: B

Bombs Bursting All Right... "Mortdecai"

Mortdecai (2015)

Rated R

Starring Johnny Depp, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ewan McGregor, Paul Bettany

Directed by David Koepp

The Story:

Usually I try and sum up a film in a few sentences to give you an idea of what the film is about, without giving away any spoilers. However, I think I'll let Lionsgate do the the heavy lifting this time around:

" Juggling some angry Russians, the British Mi5, his impossibly leggy wife and an international terrorist, debonair art dealer and part time rogue Charlie Mortdecai must traverse the globe armed only with his good looks and special charm in a race to recover a stolen painting rumored to contain the code to a lost bank account filled with Nazi gold."

That's way better than I could do.

Heck, that synopsis almost makes me want to see this film again.

Except I watched the first 15-20 minutes of the film, and didn't get any of that.

My snynopsis would read something more along the lines of:

"Johnny Depp makes another piece of #@$# movie wherein he plays himself, or some semblance of Jack Sparrow, because he's a shell of an actor and continues to con his way into payday after payday making crap that people keep watching for some reason."

Oops.

Not a very good synopsis.

Not a very good movie.

Waste of a talented ensemble, and Johnny Depp continues to be on cruise control.

The movie never decides if it wants to be serious, a farce, a serious farce, a farcical drama.

So....sooooo bad.

Easily the worst movie of 2015.

Save yourself!

 Final Grade: F-

A "Quantum Leap" Ahead Of Its Time

Quantum Leap (1989)

Starring Scott Bakula, Dean Stockwell

Created by Donald P. Bellasario

The Story:

Dr. Sam Beckett (Bakula) theorized that it was possible to time travel within the confines of your own lifetime. Hoping to prove his theories correct and continue funding for his project, he entered his own experiment, and vanished. He finds himself popping into the lives of other people, and with the help of Al (Stockwell) who appears to Sam as a hologram, they attempt to put right what once went wrong, hoping with each leap that Sam will leap home.

I don't watch a lot of science fiction shows, but when I do, I try and make sure they are good ones.

This, this was a good one.

I have fond memories of watching it with my dad, and then later with my wife.

We all loved the show, and aside from dabbling with an "evil leaper" later in the series run, for me, this show never jumped the shark.

Sadly, this show never gained the mainstream success and popularity of one of Bellasario's later creations,  NCIS or earlier effort Magnum P.I.

But I will take this show any day of the week, and twice on Sundays.  I think most of the fans of the show would also agree.

Bakula got to offer a great range throughout the series, by leaping into a wide assortment of characters. No topic or idea was off-limits as Sam wound up inhabiting people of different race, color, creed, gender, ability and so-forth.

Putting right what once went wrong was often something as subtle as making sure someone didn't get married or making sure they took a left instead of a right.

They were very human interest stories, and while they tried to show that they weren't sent back in time to change anything major (JFK assassination, things of that nature) the life events for these people, it was indeed very major.

Bakula brought humanity and an earnest performance to every episode, a touch of class and a bit of humor. He was teamed with Stockwell who brought the sleaze, brought the funnies, but brought the friendship and guidance that Sam desperately needed. The two worked amazingly well together throughout.

Most of the series is available to stream on Netflix as of this viewing.  However, the pilot and the finale are not.

In a way, I'm glad the series finale isn't, because it's one that requires a box of tissues after viewing.

Well worth the time to revisit, or to try for the first time if you missed it 25 years ago.

Final Grade: A

The Remake Will Come Out...Tomorrow... "Annie"

Annie (2014)

Rated PG

Starring Jamie Foxx, Cameron Diaz, Quvenzhane Wallis, Rose Byrne, Bobby Cannavale

Directed Will Gluck

The Story:

You all know the hard-luck life story of Annie (Wallis). Well, bringing her from the depression of the 30s into the 21st century, now Annie is going to find her Daddy Warbucks in the form of entrepreneur Will Stacks (Foxx) who has decided to run for mayor. His campaign manager (Cannavale) swears that taking this kid in will boost his campaign through the roof. 

We'll see.

History of the movie from my point of view:

Announced - eyes rolled.

Trailer viewed - opinion changed.

Movie viewed - it was alright, it had its moments.

The update, overall, was not bad. The annoying red-headed girl is gone (except for a brilliant cameo at the beginning) as the story centers on a different Annie under the care of Hannigan (Diaz) and the other charges.

Some of the familiar songs are here, it wouldn't be Annie without them, and they get an update courtesy of the films producers like Jay Z and the like.

More of the film works than it doesn't, and the production looks like they had a pretty good time romping through a musical.

Wallis does great as the unknown who has to shoulder the burden on carrying 90% of the film, and she does a great job. She's cute, but not in an overly precocious or annoying way.

Foxx winds up with most (but not all) of the best lines and moments, but he plays very well opposite Wallis and the two share a wonderful bond onscreen.

Overall, if you like the story and want to see an update, you'll be pleased.

If you hate musicals, you'll probably want to stay away.

Though come on, Hard Knock Life is a great song.

Final Grade: C+