You, Me and Dupree

Directed by: Anthony Russo and Joe Russo

Starring: Owen Wilson, Kate Hudson, Matt Dillon, Michael Douglas, Seth Rogen

Running Time: 1h 48min

About 90 minutes too long, this horribly uneven film tries to play on the premise that rudeness, childishness, and infidelity can be quite amusing and fun to watch. Perhaps if it was relegated to a Saturday Night Live skit, but as a full length feature, You, Me and Dupree, much like the title character, wears out its welcome fast.

The entire cast is poorly utilized. Wilson's boyish charm is presented in such a way that it fails to charm as much as it chafes. Dillon's usually funny straight man is given a character arc that positions him erroneously as the villain. Hudson is left to be a comedic device, rather than the Meg Ryan replacement she was quirkily and cutely becoming. Even Douglas and Rogen are wasting in bit roles that don't allow their comedic chops to come out in their one note characters (though Rogen comes closest to comedy).

The idea of a childhood friend crashing in on a newlywed couple's home is neither new or novel. The Three's Company premise is classic comedic territory. So if we're going to revisit the turf, something new or refreshing has to happen. The only difference about Dupree is how three very decent actors have their winning streaks comes to an abrupt halt. Perhaps a documentary that mixes the off set usurping of recently wed Hudson by home wrecking Wilson and its parallels with the on set shenanigans would be more tantalizing to watch. Avoid this at all costs.

Grade: D+

Ratatouille

Directed by: Brad Bird
Starring: Patton Oswalt, Ian Holm, Lou Romano, Brian Dennehy, Peter O'Toole, Brad Garrett, Janeane Garofalo, Will Arnett
Running Time: 1h 50min

A rodent chef is the most unlikely endearing child's character you could think of, but the wizards at PIXAR studios have succeeded in creating a rat you will love for a long time to come.

Ratatouille is perhaps the worst title for what is perhaps the best film of the summer. Yet like many of the creative choices director Brad Bird made on this film, it stays true to the movie's concept and design. The title is, of course, referring to a French peasant dish, and plays a key role in the outcome of the film. Similarly, it is the same charm of said dish that wafts throughout the film, delectably tantalizing our movie tastes by ensuring every filmic ingredient is perfectly placed.

To begin, the animation is stunning. Now, this can be said of most any PIXAR film, but not since Finding Nemo captured the beauty of the sea, has an animated film visually breathed the essence of its locale. France is rendered beautifully in every scene, from the streets to the river to the cuisine; the eye candy is incredible.

Secondly, much like The Incredibles, Bird's previous PIXAR outing, the film never tries earnestly to cater to children. Instead, it expects the tots to pull up a chair at the adult table to enjoy the premise and playfulness of a mismatched rat and a restaurant heir, and their unlikely collaboration to restore glory to a famous restaurateur's franchise. The jokes are plentiful, ranging from slapstick to sophisticate, yet the story is first and foremost, a PIXAR trademark.

In a season that is rife with sequels (in actuality, sequels to sequels, or sometimes sequels to sequels' sequels), Ratatouille stands out as an imaginative piece, a sparkling original, a one of a kind concoction. Basically, a signature dish amongst standard fare. The voices cast are very talented, yet not exactly your obvious choice in a time when animated films have been privy to stunt casting (are you listening, Shrek?). This adds to the authenticism and uniqueness of the film, as the audience can easily immerse themselves in the world the PIXAR team has masterfully painted.

Some scenes are so realistic that you almost forget you are watching animation, while others seem to pop with an energy and action that no camera could possibly catch. The rats' eyes views are playfully exciting and exhilarating, and the food preparation so wonderfully presented that you can practically taste and smell the kitchen itself. More amazing, is how the animators have designed a rat that moves so realistically, lives amongst a rodent population so disgustingly vile, yet still manages to come across as cute and charming at the same time.

The only flaw of the film may be its unbelievable premise (a culinary rat controls the actions of an inept chef) yet the incredible animation makes the audience willing to believe anything can happen, so much so that while we're whisked along, some parts of the film seem to stall out at times. Still, for what must have been a truly hard sell, Bird's artistic vision is so refreshing, that it's a delight to take this gamble over a summer of sequels and leftovers. Not since Les Triplettes de Belleville has animation triumphed so wonderfully over any live action offering. A must see for all ages!

Grade: A

Knocked Up

Directed by: Judd Apatow
Starring: Seth Rogen, Katherine Heigl, Paul Rudd, Leslie Mann
Running Time: 2h 09min

Comedies written solely for adults are so few and far between, that when they do emerge, people are quick to praise it. When i say, comedies for adults, i mean a film that only those who have endured some of the trials and tribulations of adult relationships will find it relevant and funny. On this measure, i give Mr. Apatow and his cast a resounding applause.

However, dropping the F-bomb with reckless abandon does not a funny film make. Yet for some reason, Knocked Up thinks that a line delivered with a curse word is infinitely funnier than anything. Yet when one thinks about Woody Allen or Will Ferrell or Bill Cosby or Jerry Seinfeld or Monty Python, what can be said in front of the kids can be all the funnier for adults when we're getting away with the double entendre.

Knocked Up explores some familiar grown up territory, and deserves many of the laughs it gets. Rogan's brutally honesty lead makes for both excellent comedic fodder and audience sympathy. Rudd's character's secrets, on the other hand, endear us to his wicked ways, making us cringe while laughing and empathizing with his plight. Both men speak of their relationships in a refreshing manner, portraying modern day dating/marriage as the love/hate conundrum it can very well be.

Unfortunately, what occurs opposite this, are two female characters that seem to possess little self worth, existing solely for the temptation or torment of the male leads. Knocked Up wants to have it all; honest relationship drama alongside stereotypical and "only in the movies" scenarios. It plays both sides, well at times, painfully at others. In the end, it is overwrought and too easily wrapped up, but in between it provides some refreshingly new takes on adult life, in a way that too few films do. More plentiful than painful, Knocked Up is truly the replicated mixed blessing of a one night stand.

Grade: B

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer

Directed by: Tim Story
Starring: Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans, Michael Chiklis, Kerry Washington, Andre Braugher, Laurence Fishburne, Doug Jones
Running Time: 1h 32min

i'll be the first to admit, i liked the first Fantastic Four film. In fact, i have rewatched it several times as it has been in heavy rotation on the Movie Network, and it actually gets better every time. i can't quite fathom why people (namely, critics) have taken these films so seriously, as though they must hold up a torch (pun intended) to the major comic book adaptations of recent years like Spider-Man, Batman, and X-Men.

Those films should be better than this one, as relatively, the comic books from whence they came are proportionately much better than the characters found in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. Which, on a side note, begs me to ask the question, how exactly does the Silver Surfer "rise" in this installment? From where? To what? Or is it referring to the British expression, "to get a rise out of", and therefore, the Silver Surfer gives us some shits and giggles?

A good laugh and some fun action is all one could ask for out of this series, and round two does deliver these to some degree. Evans' Human Torch character still gets all the good lines, and actually takes the super hero genre in a much needed direction; the super hero that embraces the gift and lifestyle change to rock star status. Chiklis still supplies the ugly side of the superhero biz, in more ways than one. And Gruffudd and Alba continue to show zero chemistry and less acting ability as their brethren, yet remain stretchy and sexy enough for us to wish the Fantastic Four truly showed us what a formidable foursome would look like.

As for the introduction of the new character, Fishbourne and Jones team up well to create the voice and body of the Silver Surfer, but i've always thought the concept was more comic book art lesson on the aspects of proportion, rather than a fully fleshed out character. His whole existence as doomsday messenger for the stars is rather silly and non-threatening. Still, the movie does a good job of making him look cool, kind of like a modern day T-2000, but what he adds by way of interesting storytelling is nil.

If, like me, you don't expect much from these four, then you'll be satisfied by this sequel. However, don't expect much and pray they don't make another, unless they go for an NC-17 rating. Now, that's a Marvel production that'd break box office AND test the skills of the CGI department!

Grade: B-

Firehouse Dog

Directed by: Todd Holland

Starring: Bruce Greenwood, Bill Nunn, Josh Hutcherson, Mayte Garcia
Running Time: 1h 51min



With a title like Firehouse Dog, one expects an Air Bud style film, complete with a dog who rides the fire truck, holds a hose, climbs ladders, and pees out fires. Thankfully, this film is NOT one of those, though there are some scenes in which the titular dog does engage in traditional fireman (fire person) work fare (which isn't to say that a film with all that excitement isn't a bad idea, wink, wink).

The movie starts out promising enough, with a wild stunt involving the dog, who eventually is revealed to be a pampered movie star with some handlers who are quite attached, with questionable but honest motives for being the dog's entourage. Once dog and handlers are separated, the dog ends up in the hands of a boy whose single dad is head of a firehouse in need of a mascot.

By now, i know you're saying, can this movie get any hokier? To which i respond, no. But it can have a real heart to it. And even though most of the performances are worthy of an after school special, especially the precocious child actor, whose presence begs for a few more open auditions, this film rises above the content to provide a family friendly dose of entertainment, filled with father-son bonding, small town camaraderie, and cute teen romance.

As much as i wanted to make fun of this film, and hate it for pandering to a young audience, i'll leave that for some other cynical cyber reviewer. Instead, i'd rather enjoy it for what it is, a surprisingly enjoyable, cute and warm family film that middle America can enjoy for years to come. Here's to the sequel, Canine Patrol!

Grade: B-

Deja Vu

Directed by: Tony Scott
Starring: Denzel Washington, Paula Patton, Val Kilmer, James Caviezel, Adam Goldberg, Bruce Greenwood
Running Time: 2h 08min

As you're watching this film you may get the impression that you've seen it once before. That's not because of the title, but more so due to the fact that it is the second collaboration between director Scott, actor Washington, and producer Jerry Bruckheimer, previously united on Man on Fire.

That was a good film, and this one is no slouch either. Both visually stylish, Scott likes to tell stories through images rather than words or sound, and you'll see a lot of info and emotion communicated in slow-mo, or jump cut imagery. This suits his collaborators just fine, as Bruckheimer is known for his worldwide blockbusters, which must translate well into dozens of languages. As for Washington, it's been known for a long time now that he can do more with his pinky than most actors can do with their life's work, and rumour has it, Denzel isn't too hard on the eyes, with or without his mouth closed.

So, what are they doing together again, for the first time? Delivering an interesting twist on the crime scene reconstruction film. Washington's ATF agent arrives on the scene of a ferry explosion in New Orleans, and through the miracle of some new technology, is able to revisit the past week to try and reconstruct the events, and somehow figure out a way to catch the perpetrator, either before or after it happens(ed).

Now, it may sound confusing, and it is quite complicated, but c'mon!, this is a Jerry Bruckheimer film. So damn the logic, and on to the action. Denzel has this uncanny ability to raise the standard fare to the artistic, and he elevates this crime film to must see status. He is aided by two of Hollywood's funnier and forgotten castmates, Kilmer and Goldberg, as well as the seriously underrated Caviezel, who is on par with Washington; no small feat.

The film keeps the viewer riveted, as Washington turns up the emotional heat as the clock ticks nearer and nearer to the moment where time has run out. Given the sci-fi element, it is difficult to predict, as anything can and will happen, yet like most of Bruckheimer's summer fare, a quaint love story is somehow intertwined amidst all the danger and intrigue, giving the preset action sequences some emotional weight.

Scott's stunts and action set pieces are top notch, and could make this a decent film even with B-list actors. Yet having such a fun and interesting cast turns this standard (and bordering on the far fetched) action film into something the audience has come to associate with Denzel: another fine, solid, and thrilling caper. He never ever seems to disappoint, again and again. Which is where that sense of experiencing Deja Vu comes from.

Grade: B+

The Fountain

Directed by: Darren Aronofsky
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Rachel Weisz, Ellen Burstyn
Running Time: 1h 36min


From the brilliant mind of Aronofsky comes an independent film feel of a grand science fiction love story that spans centuries in scope, but shoots with a simplicity in mind.

Reminiscent of Kubrick's 2001, as it conjures up futuristic images of space and man transcending to another form, while at the same time, delving into the past and searching for the connections which bind us generationally, The Fountain is a sweeping romance set against the backdrop of man's attempt to use science to defeat destiny and nature.

Jackman and Weisz play triple roles with much conviction, remaining consistent in each time era, while altering their characters just enough to seem like distant reincarnations. After spending much time in development hell, this film has had the good fortune to be embraced by these two leads, as they show why they are two of the better actors on screen right now.

Aronofsky's vision has always been breathtaking, and despite budget slashing and big name A-list actor replacement (Brad Pitt was attached for a long time), his revision of the original concept seems to do more with less. Minimal budgets call for creative stretching, and no one is as creatively stylistic as Aronofsky. If ever there was a director to take up the mantle from Kubrick, it is him, as this film demonstrates.

Classic sci-fi embraces a fantastical element of science and molds it into modern day fabric, revealing more about our present day selves in the process. This is what excellent science fiction is about. Using a probable future to make lessons for a better present. Not alien kill fests or time travel hokiness. The Fountain unfolds slowly, poetically, edging us towards a conclusion we wish for, but are unsure of. Along the way, little reveals are given as the three time tales converge, and each unveils more threads as it unravels.

Using age old myths and legends about the Fountain of Life and biblical promises, Aronofsky's film shows us what masterful storytelling looks and feels like. The actors are almost palpable, as the imagery matches the performances; and though not as shocking or stunningly painful to watch as Requiem for a Dream, The Fountain echoes the maturity and beauty that the director can find in dark places. Certainly a film for cinephiles, and fans of timeless love stories in a Kubrickian/Lynch style. This may perhaps be the best film ever to be shelved, cancelled, rescheduled, switch studios, slash budgets and finally get a release. It's a miracle that Aronofsky managed to salvage a film at all, let alone one as innocently sweet and alarming as this one.

Grade: B+