REVIEW: The Muppets

MOVIE
The Muppets

CAST
Jason Segel, Amy Adams,
Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy

RATING
PG

RELEASE
November 23, 2011

DIRECTOR
James Bobin

STUDIO
Walt DIsney Pictures

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 43 minutes





STARS
***3/4









REVIEW:

After twelve years of absence from the big screen, Jason Segel, his 'Forgetting Sarah Marshall' director/screenwriter Nick Stoller, and director James Bobin have finally brought back The Muppets in spectacular fashion. Ever since Disney started up an amazing marketing campaign back in late May, audiences have been eagerly waiting to see what Disney and Segel exactly had in mind. Luckily for them, they created a spectacular kids movie with lots of hilarious jokes, elaborate and catchy musical numbers, and a perfect reason why 'The Muppets' are something for every generation to see. I honestly haven't felt so enthralled in a kid’s movie since 'Toy Story 3' last year. This is the perfect film to take your kids to during the holidays, or just to take yourself. (Oh yeah, it's THAT kind of movie!) I don't think that I have laughed harder at any other movie that came out this year. Not only is 'The Muppets' possibly the best thing out there right now, (I still haven't seen 'Hugo' or 'Arthur Christmas' at the time of this posting.) but it also one of the true joyus celebrations of 2011. There is no greater fun than watching puppets playing off the fact that they are in a movie.

Jason Segel and Amy Adams play Gary and Mary, a dating couple who live in the town of, well, Smalltown. Smalltown is basically a playoff of a Disney set combined with a 50s era tone, which is always awesome. Gary has an adopted brother named Walter, who ever since he was a child felt that it is his destiny to be on TV with The Muppets. Gary and Mary decide to take a trip to Los Angeles, with the surprise being that they're taking Walter along so he can go to Muppets Studio. However when they get there things take a turn for a worst for the crew as it turns out that Muppets Studio is going to be destroyed by an oil tycoon named Tex Richman who want to get the oil that's under the studio. Walter being the big fan and all decides to try to get Kermit, Miss Piggy, and the rest of the team in order to make $10 million before Richman destroys the studio forever.

Jason Segel and Nick Stoller have written a fantastic and witty script that both pays homage to the original show and plays off today's advances in technology. Plus Segel putting himself as the head human star of the film also added an advantage to it because Segel in some ways is a human Muppet. I loved seeing his chemistry between his "brother" Walter in the film, as well as his chemistry with all of The Muppets. The purpose of humans being in Muppet movies is so they can interact with these creatures as if they were regular people like you and me. Amy Adams was good, but I sort of don't get why she needed to be in this film. She sang this ridiculous song with Miss Piggy called "Me Party" that added nothing to the story.  Despite the flaw of Adams' character, the cast in this film is pitch perfect.  As for the "muppeteers," they were all fantastic playing the roles once conceived by Jim Henson. (R.I.P.) Sure they don't sound entirely like the original voices, but the spirit is still there and they make believable Muppets. Plus the renditions of classic 'Muppets' music all sounded like the original versions, which is always an awesome sign.

I don't think that this was shown a lot in the commercials, but this film is actually a musical. Every song in this film, even if it's supposed to be a dramatic song, still keeps a smile on your face because almost every song features a celebrity cameo, which I will not give away at all! They are catchy as hell, and really move the story along in comedic fashion. These are the type of musical songs that are worthy of buying for your iPod, because, while not as memorable as "The Rainbow Connection" or "Munamanah," (both are in the film, by the way!) they are still fun to listen to and will always make you feel warm inside. When was the last time a soundtrack did that to you?

The best type of movie is when it breaks the fourth wall and makes fun of itself. From traveling by map to saying lines like "I can't believe we had that in the budget," some of the film's best jokes come from breaking the fourth wall a countless number of times. Of course little kids wouldn't catch onto these jokes, but all of the adults and teens at my screening were bawling their eyes out in laughter because of the jokes in this film. They even pull the fourth wall jokes off in the musical numbers, which to me was great cinematic joy. It's not just the fourth wall breaking that makes this film funny, everything in this movie is simply heartfelt and hysterical, sometimes at the same time. Parents who go see this film I guarantee will be crying on the floor while watching this film; that is if you understand all of the jokes, have seen the original show/movies, and know ALL of the celebrity cameos.

'The Muppets' is the purest of examples that show why going to the movies with your family is a gimmick these days. Studios depend on 3D and crappy characters to sell tickets, when what they really should be doing is finding the right character(s) to bring to the big screen. 'The Muppets' may just be pieces of fabric with hands up their butts, but the essence of reality that we get out of them bring joy to the youngest of kids, and better yet the kid in all of us. Disney and Segel were smart to release this movie with no special gimmick added to the title, because this is the type of movie that needs no gimmick. 'Winnie the Pooh,' another Disney release, also proves that you don't need a gimmick to sell a great (or sometimes crappy) movie. Families, I beg you to take all of your youngest relatives to see this movie over the holidays. Not only will they be introduced to 'The Muppets' for the first time, but you will feel like you're a young kid again watching Kermit and the gang back on the big screen. As the opening of the original 'The Muppet Show's' theme song says, "It's Time to Play the Music. It's Time to Light the Lights. It's Time to Meet The Muppets!" This time adults, let's meet 'The Muppets' once again, and introduce the new generation to these loveable characters. Wocka Wocka Wocka!


(New short, 'Toy Story Toons: Small Fry' in front of ALL 'Muppets' prints!  It is insanely funny!)

REVIEW: Happy Feet Two 3D

MOVIE
Happy Feet Two

CAST
Elijah Wood, Robin Williams

RATING
PG

RELEASE
November 18, 2011

DIRECTOR
George Miller

STUDIO
Warner Bros. Pictures

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 39 minutes





STARS
***1/2








REVIEW:

Those dancing penguins are back after their triumphant Best Animated Feature win at the 2007 Oscars.  While the original 'Happy Feet' certainly wasn't the best animated film of 2006, it was still a very well done film with humor, music, and heart.  Five years later, a sequel has been made almost out of the blue, and Warner Bros. expects a huge profit from this film, despite opening up against 'Twilight.'  So how is this sequel you may ask?  Suprisingly enough, it's very good.  From early reviews I was expecting a trainwreck of a kid's film.  However, just like 'Cars 2' from June of this year, this film really surprised me of how much they really did to stay true to the original film.  Kids will love this movie as much as they loved any other kids movie that came out this year, but some parents may not tolerate it.  However some parents may get a kick out of the shere kiddiness and corniness of this film.  If you are one of those parents, then 'Happy Feet Two' is one of November's most delightful treats.

Mumble, the penguin from the first film, now has a little kid named Erik.  Erik is trying to find his place in Emporer Land because he has trouble dancing with his father and the rest of the nation.  After running away with two of his buddies and Mumble's friend Ramon, he meets Sven, a penguin who can fly.  Mumble comes after them and takes them home with Erik now wanting to be a "flying penguin."  However when the penguins get back to Emporer Land, they soon discover that the entire population has been trapped by several ice mountains due to global warming. (Isn't it always?) Now Erik comes up with the idea that Sven and his crew of penguins can help give the Emporer Penguins fish and attempt to free them from starvation.  At the same time in a sub plot, Will and Bill the Krill escape from their group of thousands because Bill (or Will, I can't remember) wants to climb the foodchain and become something that's more than just a vulnerable little krill.

The voice cast was good, but some of the characters either made no sense for the film and/or could have been voiced by anybody.  Elijah Wood has a strong voice with Mumble, despite no singing talents at all. (in the movie, I'm not referring to reality) I like him in these films, and I liked the father figure that he showed when talking to the adorable Erik, who's voiced by a young girl named Ava Acres. Speaking of Acres, her singing voice is so damn beautiful in this film, especially in one particular duet with the replacement for the late Brittany Murphy, pop idol P!nk.  She is adorable as Erik, and her singing voice, while not masculine at all, really sends chills down your spine.  P!nk surprisingly enough was a smart replacement for Murphy, because her voice and her singing really improve on the film's quality and puts a whole new layer onto the music that you'd never see coming.  Robin Williams as always is brilliantly funny in the two roles he plays in the film, Ramon and Lovelace.  I especailly love Ramon because of his latino accent and his hilarious one liners.  Enough with the original characters, why don't we get onto the new characters?

Brad Pitt and Matt Damon wanted to make a movie for their kids, so they chose this film.  My question in fact is WHY they are even in this movie to begin with.  Sure the characters are funny, but their sub plot didn't really make sense in the storyline at all.  The only time they interact with the penguins is when they are just caught up in the chaos of the penguins lives.  They don't even talk to Mumble or Erik at all!  They weren't bad characters, because I'd like to see their own spin off film like 'Puss in Boots.'  I just wonder why the screenwriters put so much time inot this "elaborate" storyline.  The other newbies that people would known are Sofia Vergara and Common as other penguins in the film.  They are talented actors, but again WHY were they in this movie?  They didn't add anything to this film at all for crying out loud!  They were just there so they could get a nice paycheck.  Why did they add new cast members to this movie?  Honestly, I have no idea at all. (Except for P!nk, she made some sense.)

Almost every animated movie to come out, whether it's good or not, has come out in 3D ever since early 2009.  The 3D in this film in short is quite spectacular.  I loved that the colors vibrated off the screen and danced on your glasses while you just stared in amazement.  Some of the exterior shots of Earth and the shots with the thousands of tiny krill looked breathtaking in the third dimension.  People may not like the movie a whole lot, but they will not deny that the 3D alone is something to talk about, as is the soundtrack of the film.  Sure the soundtrack is kind of like an animated penguin version of 'Glee,' but the voices in this film really send chills down your spine.  I can say that from experience when the final number, "Under Pressure," was sung by the entire cast.  If this movie can be complimented for anything, it can be for it's amazing 3D and catchy soundtrack, which also includes "Dragnosta De Ti," also known as "Numa Numa."

This is not the best animated film of the year by any means.  The real question is if it's a fun time, which I happily answer "YES!"  This film isn't for all ages, like a lot of other animated films were this year.  Kids will definitely enjoy it, and parents may just enjoy seeing their kids falling in love with it, and why wouldn't they?  There's catchy music, spectacular 3D, and some witty dialogue.  Can we ask for much more?  I doubt many will check this film out because of the whole Thanksgiving craze coming up this week, so I'd say that this would be a good rental.  However if you get the chance to, check this movie out in 3D.  Even if you don't enjoy it, why take away from your kids' fun time?  'Happy Feet Two' is a cute and charming film, and that's all it really wants to be.






PREVIEWS YOU MAY SEE:


Joyful Noise


Mirror Mirror


The Adventures of Tintin


Journey 2: The Mysterious Island


The Lorax


 The Pirates: Band of Misfits

REVIEW: The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1

MOVIE
The Twilight Saga:
Breaking Dawn Part 1

CAST
Kristen Stewart,
Robert Pattinson

RATING
PG-13

RELEASE
November 18, 2011

DIRECTOR
Bill Condon

STUDIO
Summit Entertainment

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 57 minutes



STARS
***1/4









REVIEW:

In case you have only recently checked out my site, I want you to know that I'm an admirer, not a fan, of 'The Twilight Saga.' I don't know what it is about these films, but I kind of buy into the crappy script, the horrendous acting, and clichéd tri-mance between Bella, Edward, and Jacob. Sure they may be stupid, but in some ways they're enjoyable for me. Now comes the second to last film in the franchise, 'Breaking Dawn: Part 1.' In case you have been living in a cave for about five years, then you should know that Edward and Bella are finally getting married, and Jacob of course is pissed off about it. What does he do about it? Oh yeah that's right: he takes his freaking shirt off and becomes a wolf dog once again. Getting back to the marriage/honeymoon, Bella is finally deflowered by Edward (twice actually, because even girls have hormones up the yin-yang) and finds out two weeks later that she has a mutant vampire/human baby growing within her and eating her from the inside. Will Bella survive, and will she finally be turned into a vampire?

Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, and Taylor Lautner are probably going to be great actors someday, Pattinson already aiming to get out of the Edward Cullen persona. Pattinson is the best of the three in the film, but it really isn't saying much. Stewart and Lautner are fine for what they are, but they really can't get any better with the source material that they're reading from. For most of the movie they just look out into the distance with one of their usual faces on, screaming some crap or what not. They aren't bad actors at all, but they aren't masters at their craft yet. The cheesiness of their acting, along with everyone else in the film, (Michael Sheen is in a post credits scene to tease 'Part 2') only adds to the enjoyment of this movie for me. The actors may not be the best of the best, but their cheese is only part of the fun with this film.

The latest director to enter this huge saga is Academy Award winner Bill Condon. Condon is probably known by many as the director behind the 2006 musical 'Dreamgirls.' Reading his resume, Condon has a strong track record on his back. My question to him is why did he do this movie? I might have liked this film, but Condon metaphorically didn't direct this movie. This is basically on the same exact trail as every other 'Twilight' film has been on for the past three years. Condon doesn't add any of his own flare to the film, yet he was never supposed to. They could have hired Catherine Hardwicke again to direct this one. Then again, Hardwicke tried out her own "creative ability" with 'Red Riding Hood,' and that looked like trash. Overall, while Condon might have directed this film, there is absolutely nothing of his style that was added to this vampire melodrama.

Is 'Breaking Dawn: Part 1' for everybody? Hell no! But if you enjoy and/or respect the franchise for what it is, then there are no problems to be had with this movie. The cast is fine for what they are, but the script is pretty laughable at parts. The sex was limited though, but the gore was on the up side, which left me cringing and enjoying all at the same time. (The gory birth scene where Edward has to break into Bella's embryonic sack = awesomeness.)  The Twi-Hard's are going to defend this movie for the rest of their lives, but the rest of the world's population will constantly rant about this series for about the next few years until 'Twilight' is out of everyones minds. It's going to make a s**t load of cash this weekend, so why not just go and enjoy it for what it is: pure stupidity with sex and gore added to the equation. I enjoyed the film for what it is, and I understand exactly why everyone else wouldn't. If you're a Twi-Hard, then this is your 'Citizen Kane.' If you're not, then don't even waste your time and money. Don't worry Twi-Haters, the series will be done with in a year and it will be out of your minds forever.





PREVIEWS YOU MAY SEE:

Sherlock Holmes:
A Game Of Shadows


We Bought A Zoo


Snow White & The Huntsman


Man on a Ledge


The Woman in Black


The Hunger Games

REWIND REVIEW: The Tree of Life

MOVIE
The Tree of Life

CAST
Brad Pitt, Sean Penn,
Jessica Chastain

RATING
PG-13

RELEASE
May 27, 2011

DIRECTOR
Terrence Malick

STUDIO
Fox Searchlight Pictures

RUNNING TIME
2 hours 19 minutes





STARS
****








REVIEW:

Not everyone will fully understand Terrence Malick's 'The Tree of Life,' which has been in the mankind for decades now. Despite winning the Palme d'Or, the top award at the Cannes Film Festival this past summer, audiences never fully embraced the movie, thus it was gone from the public eye faster than a Ferrari drives off into the sunset. Now it's on DVD and Blu-Ray, so I finally was able to experience what many were calling 2011's best film. While 'The Tree of Life' is sometimes hard to understand and it really feels slow after about an hour or so, it makes up for sublime acting, the most beautiful sceneries/visual effects I've ever seen, and a remarkable path that takes you into the mind of a middle aged man suffering from a traumatized past in the 1950s. 'The Tree of Life' is a unique experience for all, but it can be very hard to follow and it may make your head hurt. If you can watch these types of films without a problem, then 'The Tree of Life' should be on your must see list because it is absolutely mesmerizing and incredible to look at.

This film enjoys cutting from the 50s to the present back to the beginning of time with a lot of whispering voice overs throughout. It's hard to describe the plot of the film because of its mixed editing, but the main focus of the film is Jack, the oldest of three children who absolutely hates his father, a strict and over powering man, and loves his mom, a free spirited and fun woman, with all of his heart. You don't get this plot line until about 45 minutes into the film, but that's because of quick shots of Sean Penn and older versions of Brad Pitt and Jessica Chastain, as well as a 20 minute long sequence depicting the creation of the universe, Earth, and life on Earth. The film is very slow at times, but it still is something very interesting to watch. I myself was dozing off while watching this, but the film is still mesmerizing nevertheless. The best thing about this movie I must say is the cinematography and the visual effects.

The visual effects in 'The Tree of Life' are some of the greatest special effects that I have ever seen in a movie. During the 20 minute creation of the universe, you see planets colliding, colors clashing together, and galaxies building together in order to create the world that we currently live in. If the visuals and/or the cinematography don't get nominated for any Oscars at all, I may have the urge to sue them for acknowledging high quality mainstream films rather than this treat for the eye. Throughout that 20 minute scene, your eyes will not be able to stop looking at the visual spectacles presented on the screen, and your ears will be in a trance as the heavenly Church music plays during the evolution. So to sum this paragraph up, ‘The Tree of Life's' visuals are absolutely astounding, and the cinematography makes you feel like you're in a movie theater, even if you're at home watching this film on a laptop.

The acting in this movie, like I said previously, is absolutely incredible. Brad Pitt is great as the strict father, showing how aggressive he can get to his wife and kids in several parts of the film. I personally think that Pitt's performance in this film was much more interesting than his portrayal of Billy Beane in September's 'Moneyball.' Sean Penn is in this film for about 5 minutes, which is kind of disappointing because of how fantastic of an actor he is. He barely sheds any words throughout, which only adds to the complexity of this movie. While the lead males were good in this film, Jessica Chastain really steals the show as the angel of a mother treating her kids like real kids rather than prisoners in a cell. The kids in this movie, particularly the one who plays young Sean Penn are quite fantastic as well. They aren't significant in the film, mainly because there's barely any dialogue in the film throughout, but the performances from all are quite great.

Let's face it not everyone will fully understand 'The Tree of Life' whether you watch it once or ten times. Heck, I'm still trying to understand everything that went on in this film. However from what I got from the film, this is a marvelous experience into the human mind and soul, as well as a whole lot of crazy things going on in the universe. Brad Pitt and Jessica Chastain give award worthy performances, and the visuals plus the cinematography will take your breath away. You will never shed a single smile in this movie once, but you don't need to because the depressed feeling the movie gives off only adds to the experience. If you can sustain 139 minutes of depressing subjects, slow pacing, confusing editing, topped with great acting and amazing visuals, then you should see 'The Tree of Life.' This movie has been in the making for over two decades, and Terrence Malick delivers exactly what the human mind has only dreamed of. 'The Tree of Life' will probably not end up on my top 10 for 2011, but it is still one of 2011's best movies. Check it out if your mind can sustain it.

REVIEW: Jack and Jill

MOVIE
Jack and Jill

CAST
Adam Sandler times Two

RATING
PG

RELEASE
November 11, 2011

DIRECTOR
Dennis Dugan

STUDIO(S)
Columbia Pictures,
Happy Madison Productions

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 31 minutes




STARS
*










REVIEW:

Why Adam Sandler; Why did you have to make this movie? As many who read this site might know, I'm a fan of Adam Sandler, despite making some of the stupidest movies out there. Just when we think that he couldn't sink any lower, we get his latest "masterpiece," 'Jack and Jill.' If 'Mrs. Doubtfire,' the crap that kids get these days, and Adam Sandler's awful crew were combined with one another, we get this movie. 'Jack and Jill' stars Sandler as Jack Sadelstein, a successful TV commercial guy who has a loving wife and two (one's adopted, what do you expect) children. But what he also has yet he's not very proud of is his twin sister Jill, who basically looks like Adam Sandler, Bette Midler, and Robin Williams combined into one. Oh wait it gets better: because Jill is lonely after her mom has passed away, she won't leave Jack's house. And then there's Al Pacino, who apparently has the hots for Jill, which is to the advantage of Jack because he needs Pacino to be in a Dunkin' Donuts commercial. Clever plot, right? Well that's just one of the many "hilarious" and "original" aspects of this movie, because Adam Sandler's latest flick is a certified dud.

I'm usually the one who enjoys these types of white trash flicks, but there were only one or two parts that actually kind of funny. Both of Sandler's characters are annoying as hell, and Katie Holmes is barely used. And just like the plot said, Al Pacino is in this movie playing, get this, himself! While he is the film's best character, he is relatively not funny at all, except in the final 5 minutes of the film. Why couldn't the movie be like its final 5 minutes? Oh that's right, so Adam Sandler's untalented friends could be in it. I get it Sandler; you're a very nice guy. However that doesn't stop it from them making your films trashier than they already are. Stop working with Dennis Dugan already, and make a comedy that everybody will love. Plus this film is supposed to be a family flick, hence the PG rating, but there is really nothing family oriented at all other than the family concept of the movie. There are so many racist and Anti-Semitic jokes in this flick that I just got annoyed after the second or third. Add that with a bunch of fart, poop, pee, and injury jokes and you get one hell of a bad movie.

This film currently has only one positive review and a 2% score on Rotten Tomatoes as of this posting, so that should explain something. If that doesn't explain anything, check out the parody poster of this movie that explains exactly what Sandler has been doing to us ever since 'Big Daddy' came out. Adam Sandler without a doubt is a very funny man, but this film is utter trash that only the diehard fans of Sandler or the brainless audiences will enjoy. Not even the youngest of children should be exposed to this piece of crap, because they may become even dumber than they already are. Believe me, I tried to enjoy this movie with all of my heart, but the 91 minutes and $5 spent for this flick I will never get back. 'Jack and Jill' isn't just the worst comedy of the year or the worst attempt at a family movie all year, but it is undoubtedly the single worst movie of 2011. Just do yourself a favor and see 'Puss in Boots' or rent 'Winnie the Pooh.'  At least then you can enjoy yourself rather than cringe when Jill gets herself stuck in a Mexican food aftermath joke.





PREVIEWS YOU MAY SEE:

Arthur Christmas


The Muppets


We Bought A Zoo


The Lorax


A Thousand Words


The Pirates: Band of Misfits