Like a cut-rate package tour that promises much but delivers little, THE BIG BOUNCE, sucks the joy right out of you while offering little glimpses of the paradise that is forever beyond your reach. Based on the Elmore Leonard novel of the same name, its filled with the robustly eccentric characters that he dreams up… Read More »
STARSKY & HUTCH
I think I know what happened here. Someone came up with three really good jokes and decided that an entire film could be created around them. For insurance, that same someone decided to slap those jokes into a big-screen version of a 70s television series, hoping that the identification would also bring in a ready-made… Read More »
THE LIFE AQUATIC WITH STEVE ZISSOU
In THE LIFE AQUATIC WITH STEVE ZISSOU. Wes Anderson, of RUSHMORE and THE ROYAL TENNENBAUMS fame, again works in a rarified atmosphere with his unique auteurs voice that will leave some viewers wondering what all the fuss is about and other flinging hosannas to heaven. He blithely flits from the sublime to the ridiculous and… Read More »
WEDDING CRASHERS
The urge to mate is a primal one and the one, arguably, over which we as a species have the least control. In pursuit of such a goal, much energy has been expended, including wars. John (Owen Wilson) and Jeremy (Vince Vaughn) The heroes of the WEDDING CRASHERS have simplified the process in a way… Read More »
CARS
CARS isn’t just a great animated flick, it’s a great movie that’s not just a, you’ll pardon the expression, character-driven story, but also an irresistible paean to life in the slow lane. The jaw-droppingly detailed and inventive animation takes second place to the dialogue, which, along with the 116-minute running time, might make this less… Read More »
YOU ME AND DUPREE
What sad and lifeless thing is YOU ME AND DUPREE. Not even Owen Wilson’s potent slacker charm can save it from a fatal lack of any sort of momentum, much less energy, leaving it with the sort of stasis that sucks all the fun right out of the proceedings. He’s the eponymous Dupree, a sweet… Read More »
DRILLBIT TAYLOR
DRILLBIT TAYLOR is a labored and disjointed effort with identity issues. Part psycho thriller (not ineffective), part examination of the plight of the homeless vet (lunging out of left field), part screwball comedy (stereotypically obvious), and all punctuated with punch lines that can most charitably described as hit and miss. Emphasis on the latter. The… Read More »