"Monsters vs. Aliens" — 3.5 out of 5 stars
Ty Hampton
Critic's Corner
Dreamworks' newest big screen computer animated picture "Monsters vs. Aliens" isn't a lot of things for adult viewers, but it is pretty funny.
Sure it has enough gross-out splats and action-packed spurts for the little guys, but mom and dad won't be sleeping through this one or checking their watch as it is filled with hilarious, but wholesome, political satire and adult comedy that soars over your 10-year-old's heads. But don't worry there's plenty in there for them too.
Most brides have cold feet on their wedding day, but instead Susan (Reese Witherspoon) just grew 200 feet on hers after she was hit by a meteor. The gigantic woman dubbed by the government as "Ginormica" is swept away into a secret hideout where she is locked away with a handful of other mutant "monster" misfits (Seth Rogen, Hugh Laurie, Will Arnett) who never plan on being out in the world again.
But with an alien attack from the evil Gallaxhar (Rainn Wilson) impending on Earth, President Hathaway (Stephen Colbert) turns to his chief general W.R. Monger's (Kiefer Sutherland) plan to combat the aliens with monsters. The monsters set out to use their odd talents to save the world from utter demise.
Despite having a subpar storyline with no real direction or message (other than defeat the aliens) the writers of this one managed to sneak in some good lines and quips that are performed perfectly by a comedic ensemble cast like none I've seen in animated films of recent years. Sure, maybe they're not all the biggest names in Hollywood, but most of the actors who voiced-over the animated characters are in fact some of the funniest characters out there right now.
Other than the forementioned stars — Paul Rudd, Ed Helms, Renee Zellweger, John Krasinski, Jeffrey Tambor, and Amy Poehler also lend vocal performances to the film in smaller roles. Not bad for a kid's movie, right?
So the storyline isn't great and I didn't find anything too groundbreaking with the visuals of the animation, but I've heard that it's cooler in 3-D so maybe bring a pair of your own glasses if you get a chance. Many animated films are taking the 3-D turn these days and this throw-back trend seems to be the wave of the future.
This animated film doesn't make the same class as 2008's "Kung Fu Panda" or "Wall-E" — with I thought were both don't miss films for the genre — but it succeeds in some genuinely comedic "pop culture reference" moments that wouldn't have worked in the better two. Like Seth Rogen's character, a gelatinous blob named Bob who is therefore easily confused, emotionally fragile, and proceeds to attempt his best pick-up lines on a jello pudding.
If it helps to rank this animated feature in your mind, the film was created by the same people who made "Shark's Tale" and "Shrek 2" — neither the best animated Dreamworks piece but still funny and entertaining in their own right. For me, I would put their latest attempt "Monsters vs. Aliens" above Rob Letterman and Conrad Vernon's other works.
For the animated film genre I'm going to give this one 3.5 out of 5 stars with no reservations as it is great for the entire family. Sure there will be a couple of clean adult jokes that go over your kid's heads but there will probably be some "splat" kid jokes that go over our adult heads as well.
Plus, it's just about right at a short and sweet 1 hour and 34 minutes. Either way I recommend it to families and fans of animated movies.
"Monsters vs. Aliens" is PG for sci-fi action, some crude humor and mild language. The movie is showing at the Showboat Cinema 2 in Polson at 4, 7:15, and 9 p.m. nightly.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Neeson thrills in 'Taken'
"Taken" — 3 out of 5 stars
Ty Hampton
Critic's Corner
With a commanding performance, intense fight scenes, and unrelenting cool in "Taken" — legendary actor Liam Neeson placed his best argument for why he in his 50's could steal Daniel Craig's job playing Mr. Bond in his sleep.
Bryan Mills (Neeson) is a retired CIA spy who picks up bodyguard jobs to make some extra cash as he tries to be a better father after years of life on the road abroad. When Mills' daughter is kidnapped by sex-slave traffickers on a trip to Paris, the retired agent dusts himself off and goes back to work with a 96-hour ticking clock before he knows she will be sold as a prostitute and never seen again.
As a master of espionage he needs no training for this job, except this time around he's on a no-holds-barred path of vengeance to reclaim what matters to him most, no matter what the cost.
We saw a bit of Neeson's action chops recently in "Batman Begins" and "Gangs of New York", but I was surprised that he as a great dramatic actor could also take on such a dominating action role as this. His CIA-like proficiency and candor were believable, but it was his dramatic rhythm that kept me on my seat for the bulk of this one. This man can flat out act, period.
The North Ireland-born lead-actor of "Taken" and 'Schindler's List' has a film career spanning three decades and seems to be kicking more fanny than ever at age 56. But the most shocking thing on this veteran actor's resume isn't filed under past jobs, rather future projects as Neeson is lined up to again work with Steven Spielberg playing Abraham Lincoln in the biopic scheduled for a 2011 release.
Although he was working with a predictable storyline solely focused on revenge, director Pierre Morel With "Taken" turning out a polished and professional big screen directoral debut, one only needs to look at his prior experience behind the camera as the cinematographer (or "director of photography") for Jason Statham action flicks "Transporter", "Transporter 2" and "War" with Jet Li.
The story is quite conventional, linear and predictable though. No twists, no turns — just the thrill of exacting seemingly justifiable revenge. The problem I have with this is you have an amazing lead actor and a story that could have been expanded to tap into some of his skills more but instead opted not to do so. What do we know about the other characters (good and bad) in this story? Nothing. What do we know about the protagonist Mills? Not much, but enough to know this guy has deep secrets and is very, very good at what he does.
So why not make this a more interesting story as a character study of a man who is a has-been badass, who's washed-up, and now dealing with this vengeance-fueled retrieval of his daughter with some degree of emotion or struggle — rather than enjoying it with such uncomplicated ease.This of course would spin the film back into more of a dramatic thriller genre field, ala "Gone Baby Gone" which is a far better film that seized all the right opportunities.
Instead "Taken" lingers as an entertaining, but slightly better than average, action/thriller. For this reason I give it 3 out of 5 stars for the genre, but I would recommend the movie to action fans who are weary on excessive content these days as this one keeps it in the PG-13 ballpark.
"Taken" is PG-13 for intense sequences of violence, thematic material, and drug references. This movie is showing at the Entertainer Cinema in Ronan at 4, 7, and 9:10 p.m. daily.
Ty Hampton
Critic's Corner
With a commanding performance, intense fight scenes, and unrelenting cool in "Taken" — legendary actor Liam Neeson placed his best argument for why he in his 50's could steal Daniel Craig's job playing Mr. Bond in his sleep.
Bryan Mills (Neeson) is a retired CIA spy who picks up bodyguard jobs to make some extra cash as he tries to be a better father after years of life on the road abroad. When Mills' daughter is kidnapped by sex-slave traffickers on a trip to Paris, the retired agent dusts himself off and goes back to work with a 96-hour ticking clock before he knows she will be sold as a prostitute and never seen again.
As a master of espionage he needs no training for this job, except this time around he's on a no-holds-barred path of vengeance to reclaim what matters to him most, no matter what the cost.
We saw a bit of Neeson's action chops recently in "Batman Begins" and "Gangs of New York", but I was surprised that he as a great dramatic actor could also take on such a dominating action role as this. His CIA-like proficiency and candor were believable, but it was his dramatic rhythm that kept me on my seat for the bulk of this one. This man can flat out act, period.
The North Ireland-born lead-actor of "Taken" and 'Schindler's List' has a film career spanning three decades and seems to be kicking more fanny than ever at age 56. But the most shocking thing on this veteran actor's resume isn't filed under past jobs, rather future projects as Neeson is lined up to again work with Steven Spielberg playing Abraham Lincoln in the biopic scheduled for a 2011 release.
Although he was working with a predictable storyline solely focused on revenge, director Pierre Morel With "Taken" turning out a polished and professional big screen directoral debut, one only needs to look at his prior experience behind the camera as the cinematographer (or "director of photography") for Jason Statham action flicks "Transporter", "Transporter 2" and "War" with Jet Li.
The story is quite conventional, linear and predictable though. No twists, no turns — just the thrill of exacting seemingly justifiable revenge. The problem I have with this is you have an amazing lead actor and a story that could have been expanded to tap into some of his skills more but instead opted not to do so. What do we know about the other characters (good and bad) in this story? Nothing. What do we know about the protagonist Mills? Not much, but enough to know this guy has deep secrets and is very, very good at what he does.
So why not make this a more interesting story as a character study of a man who is a has-been badass, who's washed-up, and now dealing with this vengeance-fueled retrieval of his daughter with some degree of emotion or struggle — rather than enjoying it with such uncomplicated ease.This of course would spin the film back into more of a dramatic thriller genre field, ala "Gone Baby Gone" which is a far better film that seized all the right opportunities.
Instead "Taken" lingers as an entertaining, but slightly better than average, action/thriller. For this reason I give it 3 out of 5 stars for the genre, but I would recommend the movie to action fans who are weary on excessive content these days as this one keeps it in the PG-13 ballpark.
"Taken" is PG-13 for intense sequences of violence, thematic material, and drug references. This movie is showing at the Entertainer Cinema in Ronan at 4, 7, and 9:10 p.m. daily.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Artful ‘Watchmen’ stunning on bigscreen
“Watchmen” – 4 out of 5 stars
Ty Hampton
Critic’s Corner
Although the heroes of the “Watchmen” exist in an alternate universe parallel to our own, these masked crusaders ring truer than any I’ve ever seen on the silver screen in this popular graphic novel film adaptation.
The Watchmen are a gang of cops who started wearing costumes in response to theatric criminals and served to protect the American people through World War II and Vietnam. In the Watchmen world we won Nam, the year is 1985 and Richard Nixon is (somehow) on his fifth term as President as the U.S. is headed towards nuclear holocaust with Russia.
Nixon has recently banned the Watchmen from duty as one of them, Dr. Manhattan (Billy Crudup), who is a walking nuclear bomb due to side affects from a terrible government experiment. Manhattan is the only Watchman with extraordinary powers as the rest return to civilian duties or common lives – until shaken awake by the mysterious (and peculiar) death of one of their own.
Although the film jumps between characters, the mystery is unraveled mostly from the view of one protagonist in particular – the masked, vengeful and verging on psychopathic Rorschach (Jackie Earle Haley). This guy is my favorite character as he has a haunted past and carries a thirst for justice that he is willing to quench however and whenever – a true superhero bandit.
I was so amazed with Haley’s standout performance as Rorschach that I was bothered why I hadn’t seen the actor before. Then I looked up the guy and I have seen him before, but in a much different role – that of the smelly hippy Dukes character in Will Ferrell’s 2008 comedy “Semi-Pro.” Wow, this dude’s got range.
All the story’s protagonists are unconventional, flawed superheroes who drink, smoke, swear, and aren’t afraid to kill in the name of justice. No doubt, the graphic novel made for very juicy material, and I’ve heard this movie stayed true to epic comic.
However, fans of the comic may stay with the subtleties of the storyline a litter better than the mass audiences who will no doubt flock to the theaters to see this visual masterpiece. But this story has a little bit of something to keep everybody along for the ride.
Director Zack Snyder also captained “300” with help from director of photography Larry Fong on both films. The 2006 Spartan bloodbath was equally as visually stimulating, and if there is anything these guys get it’s how to impress with art direction and special effects.
Being a fan of more traditional DC and Marvel Comics characters as a kid and young adult, I enjoyed learning about the Watchmen universe of these flawed and jaded superheroes who were foreign to me. The storytelling was what made this so interesting and easy to me as the filmmaker did not simply introduce one hero after the other from the get go – rather peeled away layers of complexity throughout.
I’ve always sort of dreamed of filmmaker Quentin Tarantino remaking a classic superhero story from his own point of view and – although this doesn’t have the quirky, clever dialogue of a Tarantino film – I get the feeling Watchmen is about as close as it’s going to get.
Additionally, the music in this film is great and helps to animate the movie even more. From Nat King Cole's "Unforgettable" that is tuned to the opening slaying of one of the original Watchmen, to Bob Dylan's "The Times They Are-A-Changin" and Jimi Hendrix's "All Along the Watchtower."
Length is a problem though – at a mere 2 hours and 43 minutes this epic’s only saving grace is the fact that they managed to fit it all in, making no hurried haphazard effort to set up a sequel.
At times I felt like the plot was losing speed or draining on, but then as soon as I knew it the protagonists were thrust back into the middle of a high-flying, intense action scene with a plethora of perfected “slow-mo” matrix shots and ballerina-esque choreography.
But if the film could have trimmed even half an hour out, for me the action would have carried me through as there were some unnecessary plotlines (i.e. the love triangle between Dr. Manhattan, the Nite Owl and the Silk Spectre).
Beautiful additions to this epic story are the politically charged metaphors, humanized drama, and its truly unapologetic nature. This movie is in your face for two hours plus.
That being said, this film felt the most like it would fall into the action film genre, being geared towards special effects and extreme scenes of violence.
I believe action films should keep us on the edge of our seats and most of all, entertain at all costs. Watchmen did that on so many levels and was truly, visually stunning so I have to give it four out of five stars for an action/drama. As far as comic book/graphic novel films go I would park this one directly behind, but in the company of, “Sin City” and “The Dark Knight.”
Watchmen is rated R for strong graphic violence, sexuality, nudity, and language. As this film appears to many as just another comic book movie, I would strongly caution parents that the blood and language are as advertised but the sexual content is borderline pornographic.
The film is showing at 4 and 7:15 p.m. daily at Polson’s Showboat Cinema.
Ty Hampton
Critic’s Corner
Although the heroes of the “Watchmen” exist in an alternate universe parallel to our own, these masked crusaders ring truer than any I’ve ever seen on the silver screen in this popular graphic novel film adaptation.
The Watchmen are a gang of cops who started wearing costumes in response to theatric criminals and served to protect the American people through World War II and Vietnam. In the Watchmen world we won Nam, the year is 1985 and Richard Nixon is (somehow) on his fifth term as President as the U.S. is headed towards nuclear holocaust with Russia.
Nixon has recently banned the Watchmen from duty as one of them, Dr. Manhattan (Billy Crudup), who is a walking nuclear bomb due to side affects from a terrible government experiment. Manhattan is the only Watchman with extraordinary powers as the rest return to civilian duties or common lives – until shaken awake by the mysterious (and peculiar) death of one of their own.
Although the film jumps between characters, the mystery is unraveled mostly from the view of one protagonist in particular – the masked, vengeful and verging on psychopathic Rorschach (Jackie Earle Haley). This guy is my favorite character as he has a haunted past and carries a thirst for justice that he is willing to quench however and whenever – a true superhero bandit.
I was so amazed with Haley’s standout performance as Rorschach that I was bothered why I hadn’t seen the actor before. Then I looked up the guy and I have seen him before, but in a much different role – that of the smelly hippy Dukes character in Will Ferrell’s 2008 comedy “Semi-Pro.” Wow, this dude’s got range.
All the story’s protagonists are unconventional, flawed superheroes who drink, smoke, swear, and aren’t afraid to kill in the name of justice. No doubt, the graphic novel made for very juicy material, and I’ve heard this movie stayed true to epic comic.
However, fans of the comic may stay with the subtleties of the storyline a litter better than the mass audiences who will no doubt flock to the theaters to see this visual masterpiece. But this story has a little bit of something to keep everybody along for the ride.
Director Zack Snyder also captained “300” with help from director of photography Larry Fong on both films. The 2006 Spartan bloodbath was equally as visually stimulating, and if there is anything these guys get it’s how to impress with art direction and special effects.
Being a fan of more traditional DC and Marvel Comics characters as a kid and young adult, I enjoyed learning about the Watchmen universe of these flawed and jaded superheroes who were foreign to me. The storytelling was what made this so interesting and easy to me as the filmmaker did not simply introduce one hero after the other from the get go – rather peeled away layers of complexity throughout.
I’ve always sort of dreamed of filmmaker Quentin Tarantino remaking a classic superhero story from his own point of view and – although this doesn’t have the quirky, clever dialogue of a Tarantino film – I get the feeling Watchmen is about as close as it’s going to get.
Additionally, the music in this film is great and helps to animate the movie even more. From Nat King Cole's "Unforgettable" that is tuned to the opening slaying of one of the original Watchmen, to Bob Dylan's "The Times They Are-A-Changin" and Jimi Hendrix's "All Along the Watchtower."
Length is a problem though – at a mere 2 hours and 43 minutes this epic’s only saving grace is the fact that they managed to fit it all in, making no hurried haphazard effort to set up a sequel.
At times I felt like the plot was losing speed or draining on, but then as soon as I knew it the protagonists were thrust back into the middle of a high-flying, intense action scene with a plethora of perfected “slow-mo” matrix shots and ballerina-esque choreography.
But if the film could have trimmed even half an hour out, for me the action would have carried me through as there were some unnecessary plotlines (i.e. the love triangle between Dr. Manhattan, the Nite Owl and the Silk Spectre).
Beautiful additions to this epic story are the politically charged metaphors, humanized drama, and its truly unapologetic nature. This movie is in your face for two hours plus.
That being said, this film felt the most like it would fall into the action film genre, being geared towards special effects and extreme scenes of violence.
I believe action films should keep us on the edge of our seats and most of all, entertain at all costs. Watchmen did that on so many levels and was truly, visually stunning so I have to give it four out of five stars for an action/drama. As far as comic book/graphic novel films go I would park this one directly behind, but in the company of, “Sin City” and “The Dark Knight.”
Watchmen is rated R for strong graphic violence, sexuality, nudity, and language. As this film appears to many as just another comic book movie, I would strongly caution parents that the blood and language are as advertised but the sexual content is borderline pornographic.
The film is showing at 4 and 7:15 p.m. daily at Polson’s Showboat Cinema.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Slumdog’s 8 Oscars don’t lie
“Slumdog Millionaire” – 4 out of 5 stars
Ty Hampton
Critic’s Corner
A powerful love story, great director, moving music, and organic ensemble cast make this multi-Oscar award winning independent film a universally appealing story for all.
Jamal (Dev Patel) and brother Salim (Madhur Mittal) grow up in the slums of India’s largest city Mumbai where they witness the murder of many including the slaying of the mother in their own neighborhood. Jamal and Salim band together with slum orphan girl Latika (Freida Pinto) for survival in a dangerous world.
The story is viewed from Jamal, who is being interrogated for possibly cheating on the Indian version of “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.” Jamal explains to investigators his story to allow them to understand how fate has brought him to the show not for money, but rather to catch the attention of his beloved Latika who was taken from him years back.
The struggle of enduring love against all odds between Jamal and Latika and loyalty vs. betrayal between Jamal and Salim make this foreign eastern tale an easy and compelling drama to connect with.
The story is moving, inspiring, and true-to-itself – and that’s all great – but a good story is made a great story by its storyteller. In this case, meet visionary and eccentric director Danny Boyle.
The British filmmaker is the creator of such acclaimed successes as “Trainspotting” and “28 Days Later”, an underrated sci-fi masterpiece like “Sunshine”, and a monumental flop like “The Beach.”
Although the story was adapted from a rather unknown novel to screenplay by British writer Simon Beaufoy (who also took home an Oscar as did Boyle), it is this bold director who takes the camera lens and shows us life from a truly different angle than we typically see it with each shot.
At the same time, I would not call any of Boyle’s work abstract as his unique take on things only seems more true to life, capturing the hidden beauty – even that of the impoverished slums – that we are too preoccupied to regularly see.
The cast all unknown to me – I literally had not seen a single face in this movie before I stepped into that theater and they were an amazing ensemble. The individual standout performances from the lead three characters self-dubbed the “Three Musketeers” were something else, but the entire foreign cast working together in unison like different parts of some sort of larger organism – now that was amazing.
In my opinion the biggest reason why this movie won the Oscar for best picture is all the interesting hurdles and roadblocks this film had to overcome to make it and the impact it has had as a true underdog film. Without a doubt, Slumdog is one of most successful independent films ever.
Was initially looked at to go straight to video but received an engaging turnout on the small limited release level before hitting big screens around the globe and winning over audiences worldwide with its heartfelt story.
Also a fact that has come out recently in the press is that most of the child actors in the film were actually recruited from the “slum” neighborhoods and have been given new homes for their families and a guaranteed means of higher education from the Indian government due to their roles in the successful film that exposed the darkside of impoverished life in Mumbai’s ghettos.
Anyways, back to the film itself. I haven’t seen a film since “Little Miss Sunshine” this filled with uplifting spirit that the movie’s climax makes you smile, clap, and even tear up a bit with joy all at the same time. I won’t say any more because I hate spoilers.
Oscar politics, hype, and global impact aside – this was not the best film I’d seen lately. I recently preferred the story and message of Clint Eastwood’s “Gran Torino” which I gave 4.5 stars for a drama compared to the 4 out of 5 stars I’m giving Slumdog. Either way, both are great movies that I encourage you to see when you get the chance.
Slumdog is rated R for some violence, disturbing images, and language. The film is showing at Polson’s own Showboat 2 Cinemas at 4:15, 6:50, and 9:15 p.m. nightly.
Ty Hampton
Critic’s Corner
A powerful love story, great director, moving music, and organic ensemble cast make this multi-Oscar award winning independent film a universally appealing story for all.
Jamal (Dev Patel) and brother Salim (Madhur Mittal) grow up in the slums of India’s largest city Mumbai where they witness the murder of many including the slaying of the mother in their own neighborhood. Jamal and Salim band together with slum orphan girl Latika (Freida Pinto) for survival in a dangerous world.
The story is viewed from Jamal, who is being interrogated for possibly cheating on the Indian version of “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.” Jamal explains to investigators his story to allow them to understand how fate has brought him to the show not for money, but rather to catch the attention of his beloved Latika who was taken from him years back.
The struggle of enduring love against all odds between Jamal and Latika and loyalty vs. betrayal between Jamal and Salim make this foreign eastern tale an easy and compelling drama to connect with.
The story is moving, inspiring, and true-to-itself – and that’s all great – but a good story is made a great story by its storyteller. In this case, meet visionary and eccentric director Danny Boyle.
The British filmmaker is the creator of such acclaimed successes as “Trainspotting” and “28 Days Later”, an underrated sci-fi masterpiece like “Sunshine”, and a monumental flop like “The Beach.”
Although the story was adapted from a rather unknown novel to screenplay by British writer Simon Beaufoy (who also took home an Oscar as did Boyle), it is this bold director who takes the camera lens and shows us life from a truly different angle than we typically see it with each shot.
At the same time, I would not call any of Boyle’s work abstract as his unique take on things only seems more true to life, capturing the hidden beauty – even that of the impoverished slums – that we are too preoccupied to regularly see.
The cast all unknown to me – I literally had not seen a single face in this movie before I stepped into that theater and they were an amazing ensemble. The individual standout performances from the lead three characters self-dubbed the “Three Musketeers” were something else, but the entire foreign cast working together in unison like different parts of some sort of larger organism – now that was amazing.
In my opinion the biggest reason why this movie won the Oscar for best picture is all the interesting hurdles and roadblocks this film had to overcome to make it and the impact it has had as a true underdog film. Without a doubt, Slumdog is one of most successful independent films ever.
Was initially looked at to go straight to video but received an engaging turnout on the small limited release level before hitting big screens around the globe and winning over audiences worldwide with its heartfelt story.
Also a fact that has come out recently in the press is that most of the child actors in the film were actually recruited from the “slum” neighborhoods and have been given new homes for their families and a guaranteed means of higher education from the Indian government due to their roles in the successful film that exposed the darkside of impoverished life in Mumbai’s ghettos.
Anyways, back to the film itself. I haven’t seen a film since “Little Miss Sunshine” this filled with uplifting spirit that the movie’s climax makes you smile, clap, and even tear up a bit with joy all at the same time. I won’t say any more because I hate spoilers.
Oscar politics, hype, and global impact aside – this was not the best film I’d seen lately. I recently preferred the story and message of Clint Eastwood’s “Gran Torino” which I gave 4.5 stars for a drama compared to the 4 out of 5 stars I’m giving Slumdog. Either way, both are great movies that I encourage you to see when you get the chance.
Slumdog is rated R for some violence, disturbing images, and language. The film is showing at Polson’s own Showboat 2 Cinemas at 4:15, 6:50, and 9:15 p.m. nightly.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
James a riot as ‘Mall Cop’
“Paul Blart: Mall Cop” – 3.5 out of 5 stars
Ty Hampton
Critic’s Corner
Possibly the best physical comedian alive, Kevin James puts on a show in this hilarious family comedy.
Paul Blart (James) is a kind-hearted single dad and New Jersey Police Academy flunkey who takes a lot of pride in his job as Mall Security Officer. On top of that, Paul also takes extra care in protecting Amy, the nice new girl who works in the mall.
Near closing time on Black Friday, Paul takes a break at the arcade and is rockin’ out to “Detroit Rock City” on Guitar Hero. When the song finishes he finds that the mall has been taken captive by a gang of skateboarding, bmx-biking ninja thieves who intend on stealing all the credit card numbers from the big day’s transactions.
All civilians clear out the mall except for a group of employees who are taken hostage – including Amy – and Paul is the only man who can save the day. Equipped with only his brain, his mustache, his polar bear-like physique, and his handy Segway scooter – Blart takes on these kung-fu bandits to fight for the woman he loves.
Kevin James is truly a one-man show in this one. That’s not saying the supporting actors weren’t funny, it just means he stole the show and deserved to as he sunk everything into this from lead actor, to stuntman, to co-writing the script.
For his first real big screen lead role, James teamed up to co-write the movie with his buddy and the writer of his former hit show “King of Queens”, Nick Bakay. The outcome was the humor came naturally to the character and succeeding in getting a goofy laugh out of me almost every time.
And believe it or not, James did most of the stunts himself, flying through the air, slamming into walls, breaking through the windows – pretty impressive for the big guy. Plus it all plays into the larger joke of the movie which is kind of a play on Bruce Willis’ role in “Die Hard.” Except the criminals and James aren’t on an even playing field, because who knows the ins-and-outs of a mall more than security guard.
So what I’m saying is this movie is sort of “Die Hard” combined with “Home Alone” with Kevin James thrown in the mix. Genius, simply genius.
Plus there is something to be said about what the film’s production company, Adam Sandler’s Happy Madison, has been doing lately. Both this movie and Sandler’s “Bedtime Stories” (which actually was adopted by Disney of all people) are both family-friendly comedies that are really, truly funny for adults and kids alike while staying moderately appropriate.
And it’s about time somebody accomplished this outside of the animation realm – so with James as one of the newest members of Team Sandler, I look forward to what else they can cook up in the future.
I guess my only drawbacks from this movie were the plot went some ridiculous places, and the rest of the cast were almost complete nobodies. I mean, the next biggest actor to James was the guy who played the psycho brother in “Wedding Crashers” (Keir O’Donnell). What, they couldn’t have gotten a few more Happy Madison regulars to jump in there and give it a boost?
Overall when I saw this I was in a mood to laugh and this movie did that plenty. I give this one 3.5 out of 5 stars for the comedy genre.
The film is rated (PG) for some violence, mild suggestive humor, and some language. It is showing at the Ronan Entertainer Cinema at 4, 7, and 9:10 p.m. nightly.
Ty Hampton
Critic’s Corner
Possibly the best physical comedian alive, Kevin James puts on a show in this hilarious family comedy.
Paul Blart (James) is a kind-hearted single dad and New Jersey Police Academy flunkey who takes a lot of pride in his job as Mall Security Officer. On top of that, Paul also takes extra care in protecting Amy, the nice new girl who works in the mall.
Near closing time on Black Friday, Paul takes a break at the arcade and is rockin’ out to “Detroit Rock City” on Guitar Hero. When the song finishes he finds that the mall has been taken captive by a gang of skateboarding, bmx-biking ninja thieves who intend on stealing all the credit card numbers from the big day’s transactions.
All civilians clear out the mall except for a group of employees who are taken hostage – including Amy – and Paul is the only man who can save the day. Equipped with only his brain, his mustache, his polar bear-like physique, and his handy Segway scooter – Blart takes on these kung-fu bandits to fight for the woman he loves.
Kevin James is truly a one-man show in this one. That’s not saying the supporting actors weren’t funny, it just means he stole the show and deserved to as he sunk everything into this from lead actor, to stuntman, to co-writing the script.
For his first real big screen lead role, James teamed up to co-write the movie with his buddy and the writer of his former hit show “King of Queens”, Nick Bakay. The outcome was the humor came naturally to the character and succeeding in getting a goofy laugh out of me almost every time.
And believe it or not, James did most of the stunts himself, flying through the air, slamming into walls, breaking through the windows – pretty impressive for the big guy. Plus it all plays into the larger joke of the movie which is kind of a play on Bruce Willis’ role in “Die Hard.” Except the criminals and James aren’t on an even playing field, because who knows the ins-and-outs of a mall more than security guard.
So what I’m saying is this movie is sort of “Die Hard” combined with “Home Alone” with Kevin James thrown in the mix. Genius, simply genius.
Plus there is something to be said about what the film’s production company, Adam Sandler’s Happy Madison, has been doing lately. Both this movie and Sandler’s “Bedtime Stories” (which actually was adopted by Disney of all people) are both family-friendly comedies that are really, truly funny for adults and kids alike while staying moderately appropriate.
And it’s about time somebody accomplished this outside of the animation realm – so with James as one of the newest members of Team Sandler, I look forward to what else they can cook up in the future.
I guess my only drawbacks from this movie were the plot went some ridiculous places, and the rest of the cast were almost complete nobodies. I mean, the next biggest actor to James was the guy who played the psycho brother in “Wedding Crashers” (Keir O’Donnell). What, they couldn’t have gotten a few more Happy Madison regulars to jump in there and give it a boost?
Overall when I saw this I was in a mood to laugh and this movie did that plenty. I give this one 3.5 out of 5 stars for the comedy genre.
The film is rated (PG) for some violence, mild suggestive humor, and some language. It is showing at the Ronan Entertainer Cinema at 4, 7, and 9:10 p.m. nightly.
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