I Need A Little More Than "Two Weeks Notice"

Another romantic comedy?

Yep!

The Story:

George Wade (Hugh Grant) is an extremely wealthy businessman who is the face of the company, even though it's his brother that makes it work.  Wade encounters Lucy Kelson (Sandra Bullock) an environmental lawyer who wants to make sure a community center is not demolished with Wade's new project.  She comes to work for him to help ensure her vision becomes reality, but slowly the job consumes her life as George becomes increasingly dependent on her. 

And then one day, it's time for Lucy to leave George's side...

It's fun watching some of my favorite films after some time has passed. 

Do they remain favorites, or are they best viewed with rose colored glasses?

In today's case, just about a decade has passed since I first watched it, and I think it's just as funny now as it was the first time I saw it.

Why?

For starters, let's take the director, Marc Lawrence.

He's only directed 3 feature films thus far in his career, and all have starred Hugh Grant.

This was their first collaboration, and it is a wonderful comic gem that perfectly balances the oil and water relationship of a romantic comedy with the will they or won't they tension because the two characters can't stand each...because ultimately they have fallen in love with one another.

Did I mention he also wrote the film?

I can see why Hugh Grant likes working with him, as he has probably all of the best lines in the film.

However it wasn't just his first time writing their co-star, Sandra Bullock.  Lawrence also penned the wonderfully pleasing Miss Congeniality, another family favorite in our house.

So not a bad first crack at the director's chair.

However, I found his follow-up with Grant, Music and Lyrics to be even better, and while their third vehicle, Have You Heard About the Morgans wasn't as good, it was still enjoyable enough to watch.

This would explain why his next venture is yet another Hugh Grant movie, and I'm indeed looking forward to it.

Final Grade: A-

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I own it, and I would say it gets watch on average once a year.

Leave the Meter Running... "Taxi"

The Fast and the Furious sequel everyone forgets about...


The Story:

Belle (Queen Latifah) is a New York City taxi driver who aspires to be a race car driver.  In fact, she's souped up her taxi quite a bit.  Perhaps a bit too much as she winds up crossing paths with a cop (Jimmy Fallon) and the two become partners trying to solve a series of bank robberies.  Naturally, the two have a lot to teach one another.  Well okay, basically Belle has a whole lot to teach Washburn...

:)

This movie is closing in on a decade old.  That's about the last time I saw it, and I found it fun(ny) back then.

Watched it again recently, and it was still a pretty good film.

Oh, don't get me wrong, it's nothing earth-shattering, but it's not that bad.

Why?

Again, much like yesterday's film, Queen Latifah has a personality that just transcends film and makes her instantly likeable.

She takes a heist film (one of my favorite genres!) originally scripted by the great Luc Besson, and elevates the material with her delivery and charisma.

This is Jimmy Fallon's first foray as a leading man after years of working the Saturday Night Live Weekend Update anchor desk.

He plays a bumbling noob, and he does it really well. :)

Finally, director Tim Story does a great job with his first action flick.  His first feature (that I saw/know of) Barbershop, was a really good movie, and Story branched out into action comedy with this one.  His next film would be The Fantastic Four, and yes, I know a lot of people hated it, but he got The Thing and Human Torch correct, so that film (and its sequel) will always get a pass with me.

: )

Final Grade: C+/B- ish...

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor:  I meant to buy this one within the last decade.  Perhaps the upcoming decade I will finally get around to it?

Live Every Day Like it is Your "Last Holiday"

Get busy living...

The Story:

Georgia Byrd (Queen Latifah) works for a department store in Louisiana.  When she goes to the doctor to see why she's been feeling ill lately, her diagnosis is terminal.  So she cashes in her savings and heads to Europe to the finest hotel in the land.  There a case of mistaken identity will allow Georgia to hobnob with some bigwigs, where Georgia will hopefully impart some life lessons on everyone before she passes.

This is a fun little movie that gets played at least once a year.  Everyone enjoys it, and it's just a lot of fun onscreen.

Queen Latifah has a blast as the dying woman who decides to try and live before it's too late.  She has personality and charm to spare, and it seems to permeate through the screen in just about any performance she has done in the movies.

She is surrounded by a great cast, including Timothy Hutton, who isn't really known for comedy, but hams it up greatly as the villain of the movie.

L.L. Cool J. is the boyfriend from afar, as both he and Latifah are too shy to express their feelings to one another until it may be simply too late.

Naturally, there's a lesson or two tucked under the overt comedy of the story.

Don't wait to follow your dreams until it is too late.  Every day you delay is too late.

Good advice.
Good movie.

Available to stream instantly on Netflix as of this writing.

Final Grade: B+... My honey said I should bump this up... so... A! :)

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: We watch it quite a bit, and do already own it.  Netflix will simply save the disc from wearing out. ;)

Tatum To The Rescue! "White House Down"

I get a feeling of deja vu...

The Story:

Cale (Channing Tatum) is a Capitol Service policeman attached to the detail of the Speaker of the House (Richard Jenkins).  But Cale is dreaming of working security for President Sawyer (Jamie Foxx) to impress his daughter (Joey King).  Of course on the day he takes his daughter to the White House for an interview, well that's the day that some really bad guys decide to take over Washington D.C. and take the President captive.

And they might have gotten away with it, if only they would have left Cale's daughter out of it.

But they didn't, and now he's mad.

And he's going to get his daughter back!

Welcome to 2013, when terrorists taking over the White House is not the subject of one Hollywood movie, but two!

First was Olympus Has Fallen, previously reviewed right here on this very spot! http://talesfromthequeue.blogspot.com/2013/09/a-step-by-step-guide-to-overthrowing-dc.html  It's now also streamable on Netflix if you still haven't seen it, or would like to watch it again.

If that was "Die Hard in the White House", then I guess this go-round we're going for "Lethal Weapon in the White House".

It's the buddy cop formula as Tatum and Foxx team up for most of the movie trying to stay alive and one step ahead of those dastardly fiends that are trying to catch the President.

There was some good stunts, some funny lines, and there's nothing inherently wrong with this take on taking out the White House.

However, there's nothing really memorable here either.

In fact, this one actually makes Olympus Has Fallen seem better than it may have been in retrospect.

This one's a little too long, and a little too reliant on the daughter for too many plot devices, than it should be.

Probably streaming on Netflix in about 6 months, but for now you'll have to rent or buy it.

Final Grade: C+

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I could watch it again, but wouldn't go out of my way to do so.  If it comes on cable or something and the remote is too far... ;)

Sometimes You Can Go A Little Too Far..."Extreme Cheapskates"

What would you do to save a buck?

The Story:

The Learning Channel (TLC) brings us tales of people who do anything...and everything... to save a buck.

If you're watching it to find some frugal tips to help out your budget...

This is not that show!

Seriously?

I watched over half of the first episode, getting irritated and disinterested in equal amounts by the second.

The first guy sets the tone...

Asking people at restaurants for their leftovers to take home and eat?

Giving anniversary presents out of the garbage can?

No. No. No.

While I won't say it gets "worse" from there, it certainly doesn't get any better.

The thing I also found most amusingly annoying...

::voiceover::

The average monthly savings of $6... annual savings of $100...

:: voiceover::

Really people?!

Just bite the bullet, and pay the price.

It's a small price to pay to restore your spot in the human race.


Now streaming instantly on Netflix if you'd care to indulge.

Unless you're too cheap to have Netflix!

;)

Final Grade: D

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: No. No. Not going to happen!

The Number One Movie in All of the Nine Worlds? "Thor: The Dark World"

By the bristling beard of Odin!

The Story:

Thor (Chris Hemsworth) has been busy restoring order to the 9 Worlds since the events of New York (see: The Avengers.  No really, you should really see that movie!)  But dark forces are gathering to eliminate the 9 worlds from existence!

Can Thor stop them?

Not without a little help from...

Loki (Tom Hiddleston) !!

That's all you're going to get from me during the opening weekend.

: )

I will say that like most Phase One movies, Phase Two doesn't miss a beat by replacing directors.  Alan Taylor takes the helm, and brings the Norse Legends to life, all the while taking a "comic book" movie and embracing the science fiction aspects of it.

And it works!

I liked the first Thor.

I liked this Thor even more.

To quote VeggieTales in summing up this movie:

"I laughed. I cried. It moved me, Bob."

Just about all of the original cast returns, to varying degrees of use within the film.  Anthony Hopkins, Rene Russo, Natalie Portman, Idris Elba...

Good stuff.

If the ending is any indication, I am looking forward to seeing what Thor 3 has to offer.

Final Grade: A-... it will probably upgrade to a pure A when I review it again on DVD. :)

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: When does it come out on Blu-Ray already???!!!

What Happens In Vegas..."The Hangover: Part III"

I can't believe I watched the whole thing...

The Story:

The Wolfpack returns, one last time as things come full circle.  Phil (Bradley Cooper), Stu (Ed Helms) and Alan (Zach Galifianakis) must track down Chow (Ken Jeong) who has $21 Million in stolen gold from Marshall (John Goodman) or Marshall is going to kill Doug (Justin Bartha).  Strangely, this time everyone remembers everything that has happened to them, so there is no memory loss aspect this go-round.

As I said, this film brings the trilogy full-circle to a conclusion.  How satisfying it is, totally depends on how much you enjoyed these films.

I've been firmly in the camp of "they're okay, but nowhere near as great as people make them out to be".  At least, I guess the first one.  I'm not sure the same acclaim came with the second one.

This series has provided a series of gags which elicit smiles, smirks, chuckles, groans or outright laughs.

Sadly, the outright laughs usually number single digits in each of the films.

How Mr. Chow became the focal point of the series is a strange twist of events.  He's begun to overshadow the movie himself, which is weird for what should be an outrageous buddy film.

The three leads have their parts down pat, and they seem to quite enjoy doing these films, but I think they're probably all glad that this series is hopefully behind them.

It's run out of steam, and it's best to part ways now, though the filmmakers definitely leave an opening if they want to make a 4th film.

How Stu is going to get out of that mess is anyone's guess.

Again, depending on your enjoyment of the first two will help gauge your enjoyment of this one.

Final Grade: C, which is about on par for the whole series for me.  This is not as good as the first but better than the second.

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: Nope, not a franchise I need to see again.