SHREK FOREVER AFTER: Adios, adorable ogre

 

Shrek is officially a thing of the past. Shrek Forever After is the fourth and final installment of the Shrek franchise, and as such, it can’t help but have a bittersweet quality to it. Going into this movie wasn’t unlike eating the last chocolate in a Whitman’s Sampler – you don’t know if you’re going to get the raspberry truffle or the one filled with toothpaste, but either way, that’s the last of it.

I wouldn’t call myself a huge Shrek fan. I saw the first movie, titled simply Shrek, and I definitely enjoyed it. [Trivia sidebar: Shrek was the first film ever to win an Oscar for Best Animated Feature, a category that was first introduced in 2001.] But as for what happened after that, I can’t really say. Shrek 2? Shrek 3? I don’t remember if I even saw them, much less if I liked them.

But I felt compelled to see Shrek 4 – to bid farewell to that obnoxious donkey, that stylish orange kitty, and of course, that adorable Scottish ogre. And although I’m not sure anyone new to the series would really appreciate the film’s alternate-universe plotting, I can say with absolute confidence that the two intervening sequels are not required viewing.

The movie was entertaining, humorous, and not without its surprises. But for the third time since I started this blog, I enjoyed a kid’s movie more than my actual kid did. When I asked for her assessment, she said only that it was “iffy.” What does that even mean? And what are the larger implications of this trend? Where is the Webber family headed, from a cinematic perspective? And, more importantly, who’s going with me to see Toy Story 3?

See the Shrek Forever After preview here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7-UY1t7FNU

MACGRUBER: An acquired taste I haven’t acquired

  

Oh, MacGruber! Why did I have to fall for you? Why did I let you seduce me with your quilted khaki vest and your tacky plaid shirt? Why didn’t I see past your charming smile and smokin’ hot mullet? How could I have let this happen? I could have seen anything last Friday night – anything at all! I could have seen Shrek 7: Forever Some More. But I didn’t. I saw you instead. Why???

Well, it wasn’t entirely my fault. Mr. Webber wanted to see MacGruber as much as I did. We bought the tickets the day before it opened. We were literally the first in line to see it at our neighborhood Alamo theater, so worried was I that we wouldn’t get good seats. Well, I needn’t have worried. Opening night and it didn’t even sell out. That should have been my first clue!

But I’m getting ahead of myself. First, the good news. Will Forte was masterful, maintaining the witless MacGruber persona for 99 solid minutes. Kristen Wiig was inspired as his vacuous sidekick, and Ryan Phillippe and Powers Boothe were both flawless straight men – probably the toughest job of them all. The bad news? MacGruber was the most moronic and vulgar movie I’ve seen in a very long time – and so gory I had to close my eyes multiple times. And while I readily admit that I laughed now and then, the groans outnumbered the laughs by a good three-to-one margin.

There is clearly a market for moronic and vulgar, and I’m sure MacGruber will more than pay for itself before all is said and done. Meanwhile, I’ll continue having that wedgie of a theme song stuck in my head (“MacGruber!”), and I’ll try to forgive Val Kilmer for being a willing participant. Having said all that, I’m sincerely glad I saw it, because if I hadn’t gotten it out of my system, I would still be sitting here wishing I had. The goods news for you is that now that I’ve seen it, you don’t have to!

If you feel compelled to, you can see the MacGruber preview here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqySbDqTGGc

CLASH OF THE TITANS: A see-worthy adventure

 

I can’t explain it – why I, the queen of romantic comedy, the woman who would stay up all night to watch Two Weeks’ Notice for the hundredth time, would find such joy in movies like The Losers, Iron Man 2, and now, Clash of the Titans. What gives? Next thing you know, I’ll be drinking Guinness and backing into the driveway. 

True, I didn’t rush right out to see Clash. I had to warm up to the idea first. But had I known who all was in it, I might have made an effort to see it sooner. There were many familiar faces in this movie – some older and some newer. Of course there’s Liam Neeson, looking resplendent in his glowing suit of armor, and there’s Ralph Fiennes (a.k.a. Voldemort), who – thank Thor – plays a bad guy with a nose this time.

Newer faces include Hans Matheson, who played the evil Lord Coward in Sherlock Holmes, and Nicholas Hoult, who was the boy in About a Boy. There’s also Mads Mikkelsen, who played Le Chiffre in Quantum of Solace. All three play soldiers of Argos who willingly jump on our hero’s bandwagon, our hero being Perseus, son of Zeus, played by Sam Worthington. I enjoyed Worthington even more in this movie than I did in Avatar, despite his humdrum height and flesh-colored skin tone.

It’s a two-hour movie, but I wasn’t bored for a single second, and I think I might have even squealed a time or two. Of course I came into it untainted,  having never seen the original Clash. But from what I’ve heard about it, I don’t see how this version could be anything but an improvement. Our group saw it in 3-D, although I’m not sure it was completely necessary. I do recommend seeing it on the big screen while you still can. When they release the Kraken, you won’t want to miss a single inch of it!

P.S. I have a moral obligation to pass on to you the opinions of some others in our movie-going party – an erudite group of particularly good-looking people who happen to be Greek mythology enthusiasts. Apparently the screenplay took creative liberties with a number of mythological, um, facts. Purists may find themselves frustrated by the film’s inaccuracies. Consider yourself warned.

See the Clash of the Titans preview here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6CJenNMsb4

IRON MAN 2: Ferocious ferrous fun

 

I wasn’t among the first to rush out and see Iron Man 2. I didn’t get around to seeing it until this past weekend, in fact. I wasn’t in any hurry because, to be honest, I didn’t particularly care for the first one. I didn’t realize there would be so much war story, for one thing, plus I thought the Jeff Bridges character was just ridiculous. Why I was searching for realism in a comic book action movie is beyond me. Clearly I’ve evolved since 2008, because the lady who panned Iron Man is here to tell you that I loved Iron Man 2!

Snappy dialogue, great music, wicked car crashes, and – gasp – a sliver of humanity from our intrepid hero, Tony Stark, played by everyone’s favorite, Robert Downey Jr. What more could you ask for? I even loved the bad guy, played by Mickey Rourke. He had all the best personal accessories – gold caps, creepy tats, lovely blonde highlights, and a cool Russian accent! All that and brains too – the total baddie package!

Speaking of bad guys, I do have to give a special shout-out to Sam Rockwell, who plays (crooked) weapons magnate Justin Hammer. Rockwell makes the most adorable sleazeball. I’ve loved him ever since his evil turn in Charlie’s Angels. I just want to cuddle him and take him rollerskating. I’m pretty sure he’d go.

And how about those ladies! I loved seeing Gwyneth Paltrow’s Pepper Potts finally break through the corporate glass ceiling – what a fine role model she’s turned out to be. And then there’s Scarlett Johansson. The fellas sitting behind me in the theater were seeing Iron Man 2 for the third time, and I’m pretty sure she was the reason. While I do think she could have learned a lot from watching Zoe Saldana’s tough girl turn in The Losers, Johansson certainly did us proud, and she didn’t even have to resort to a bedroom scene. Clearly this is the summer of kick-ass women.

Thank you, Tony Stark, for bringing this powerful ensemble together. Is it too early to get tickets to Iron Man 3?

See the Iron Man 2 preview here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siQgD9qOhRs&

FURRY VENGEANCE: Man vs. wild

 

For those whose lives don’t revolve around rated-PG movies, let me bring you up to speed on Furry Vengeance. Brendan Fraser plays Dan Sanders, a hybrid-driving housing developer whose evil boss wants him to build into the surrounding forest – a plan that will threaten the lives of all God’s furry creatures. What do the animals do in response? They take vengeance. Furry vengeance, to be exact.

And so begins a series of perfectly timed, animal-orchestrated mishaps – first directed toward our hero, Mr. Sanders, and then toward his boss, played by the hilarious Ken Jeong. Brooke Shields and Matt Prokop play peripheral roles that round out the Sanders family. But brighter spots in the cast include Ricky Garcia as the construction foreman, Alice Drummond as a senile high-school teacher, and Toby Huss as head of site security. He does a great job channeling Colonel Flagg from M*A*S*H.

A brilliant raccoon with a mean streak a mile wide serves as the animals’ ring-tailed ringleader, pooling the unique talents of the birds, the bears, and, of course, the skunks in order to get their point across. Is it plausible that a bad-ass raccoon could successfully develop and execute a plan to take revenge on a housing developer intent on destroying the environment? Sure – why not? Is it plausible that Brendan Fraser is married to Brooke Shields? No freaking way. I am the master of suspending disbelief, but even I have to draw the line somewhere.

Of course, having seen the previews many times, I knew what I was getting into with this movie, and in truth my expectations were not all that high. But I still managed to enjoy myself, and I laughed out loud on several occasions. My 11-year-old, however, did not enjoy it as much as I did. It wasn’t the movie’s fault, she explained. It’s just that it was a kids’ movie, and apparently she ain’t a kid anymore. Sigh. I doubt there’ll ever be a Furry Vengeance 2, but if there is, I’ll no doubt be seeing it by myself.

P.S. If you do find yourself in the theater – or at home – watching Furry Vengeance, be sure and stay for the credits. There’s a wonderful all-cast song-and-dance number at the end that shows just how lightly the filmmakers took themselves.

P.P.S. In some ways this movie reminded me of Hoot, a 2006 movie with a similar save-the-animals theme. Hoot has several advantages over Vengeance, however – namely Luke Wilson and Jimmy Buffett.

See the Furry Vengeance preview here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ezRx3J9Ivk

See the Hoot preview here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgT_xT587MY

THE SECRET OF KELLS: A stunning Irish experience

 

I first learned about The Secret of Kells during Oscar season, when it was nominated for an Academy Award in the animated feature category. It didn’t win, but now that I’ve seen it, I can certainly understand why it was up for consideration. After seeing Avatar, I thought nothing on the big screen would ever impress me visually again. Kells proved me wrong. It was a stunning piece of work. The animation is 2-D but it is all hand-drawn and it is utterly spellbinding – intricate, imaginative, and alive.

Kells is an Irish export, heavy with Celtic influence. Even the snowflakes are made out of Celtic knots – exquisite ones at that. The voice talent (including the wonderful Brendan Gleeson) and soundtrack are also delightfully Irish. The film was directed by 33-year-old Irish writer and animator Tomm Moore, who based the story on the Celtic myths and legends surrounding the ninth-century origins of the real-life Book of Kells, one of Ireland’s great national treasures.

The storyline is simple yet powerful. At its core, it’s about a young boy who is learning to overcome his fears, exert his independence, and come to terms with his God-given talents. For the most part, it is family-friendly, but there are a number of dark and disturbing scenes, some involving wild animals with sharp teeth. There are also some frightening scenes in which Viking raiders attack the boy’s village with fire arrows. Although the destruction is abstracted to a degree, the scene would be a bit too grisly for young viewers. The movie isn’t rated, but I would say it is definitely PG.

The Secret of Kells premiered in Belgium well over a year ago and has been out on DVD for quite some time, but it is just now making the circuit of U.S. theaters. If you enjoy animation, a visually stunning experience, a Celtic story, or just something out of the ordinary, I highly recommend it. And if you have the opportunity to see it on the big screen, all the better.

See the preview for The Secret of Kells here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FW8y7BIt6G8&

BABIES: A celebration of life

 

My officemate R.K. treated me to free passes to a sneak preview of the new movie Babies last week. I arrived at the theater an hour early (that’s how much I hate sitting on the front row), only to find that the line to get into the movie already wound all the way down the sidewalk and around the corner of building. Who knew babies were so popular! I took my spot at the end of the queue and hoped with fingers crossed that there would still be a seat by the time I got to the door. I was soon joined in solidarity by my friend and fellow movie mom, R.V.

As you probably guessed, we did indeed get seats to the show. Was it worth an hour’s wait in the unseasonable heat? Absolutely. From the first collective “awwwww” to the final contented sigh, this movie was truly a treat. If you haven’t heard about it, Babies is a new documentary by French filmmaker Thomas Balmès. Deceptively simple in its design and execution, Babies follows four tots through their first year or so of life – one living in a hut in Namibia, one in an apartment in Tokyo, one in a brownstone in San Francisco, and one in a sort of haystack igloo in rural Mongolia. You couldn’t find four babies in more diverse environments.

That in itself is a great premise for a documentary. But what makes Balmès’ movie so unique is that there’s no narration behind the images. There’s no voice of God (or Oprah, or James Earl Jones) providing a running commentary, needlessly explaining to you what you’re seeing. Balmès wisely lets the babies speak for themselves. And speak they do! In a beautifully understated way, this film reveals what a universal experience it is to be a child. They all need baths. They all throw tantrums. They all share a bedroom with a rooster. No wait – that’s just the kid from Mongolia. And they all struggle fiercely to become independent individuals – in whatever context they are born into. Knowing that is one thing. Watching it play out on the screen in four different geographies is an entirely different experience.

Who should see this movie? Moms, dads, grandparents, aunts, uncles, godparents, sitters and nannies, teachers, anthropologists, armchair travelers, and anyone else who is even remotely curious about what life is like in another part of the world. The babies are adorable and their journey is fascinating. You’ll find yourself pulling for each one of them, hoping for their continued success as they make their way into our big, beautiful world.

P.S. Be sure and stay through the credits. Some of the film’s best footage was saved for last.

See the Babies preview here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBCNgnaFVI8

LETTERS TO JULIET: A touching trip through Tuscany

 

I love being first! And thanks to my stalwart movie buddy, L.W., and her sweet hook-ups, I was among the first to see a screening of Letters to Juliet, which will be released nationwide on May 14, 2010. Thanks, L.W.! For those who haven’t seen the previews yet, Letters to Juliet is a touching trip through the Tuscan wine country with Amanda Seyfried, Vanessa Redgrave, and Christopher Egan, among others. It’s funny and romantic, but I hesitate to call it a rom-com, if only because that term has gotten too strongly associated with Jennifer Lopez and bad screenplays.

Mind you, there’s love a-plenty in this movie, gooey Italian style, so choose your movie date carefully. You wouldn’t want to subject your husband / boyfriend / pool man to this movie unless he has a high tolerance for amore – think of it as an order of cannoli, tiramisu, and torta caprese, followed by a gelato chaser. If your fella can’t handle that much sweetness, you might want to take your mother instead.

Letters to Juliet has a lot of bright spots – the scenery, the costuming, not to mention Gael García Bernal. In fact, the whole cast is so deliciously gorgeous, they are practically Italian desserts themselves. But for me, il pezzo della resistenza is the incomparable Vanessa Redgrave, older sister of the late Lynn Redgrave. I fell in love with Vanessa after seeing her in A Month by the Lake, another Italian delight from 1995. She was beautiful then and she is beautiful now.

Sidebar: Redgrave’s love interest in Letters to Juliet is played by her real-life hunk of a husband, Franco Nero. And yes, he’s really Italian!

Letters to Juliet was inspired by a book of the same name, which explores the true-life phenomenon that sets the movie’s plot in motion – apparently the lovelorn have a long tradition of writing letters to a nonexistent but nonetheless comforting figure, Shakespeare’s “Juliet” of Verona. I suspect that after this movie hits the streets, poor Juliet is going to receive a deluge of letters from lovelorn the world over. If she knows what’s good for her, she’ll open a Gmail account instead.

See the Letters to Juliet preview here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prc50Uod_vQ