Archive for July, 2002

Stuart Little 2

  • Written by Box Office Boredom
  • Posted July 19, 2002 at 6:20 am

A Film Review By Jason L. King

Rating:Rated PG for talking cats, mice wearing pants and a weird canary and some mild language
Starring: Michael J. Fox, Geena Davis
Directed By:Rob Minkoff

Final Grade:

On a weekend where North Grand got 3 new Movies, and Movies 12 got 5 new movies, I knew that I had my work cut out for me. Normally by the time things make it to North Grand 5 either Michael or I have seen it so that cuts some of our reviews down by half. However this week, they send us movies that neither Michael or I have seen. So as I headed into the theaters at 1 AM I realized that I was up for one heck of a weekend. So forgive the short and sweet reviews for older films and hold on for one heck of a weird and wacky ride as Jason begins his November 2002 Turkey Days Movie Marathon. Film #1 in the 2002 Turkey Day Marathon was the summer hit Stuart Little 2. Most of you remember a few years ago Stuart Little hit the big screen. Lots of people, (well at least lots of kids) rushed to the theaters to check out the film based on E.B. White’s fictional mouse. (yes boys and girls, Stuart Little is a character from a book!) Stuart Little proved to be a success at the box offices, which prompted those crazy guys in Hollywood to green light yet another sequel.

Michael J. Fox returns to the screen as the voice of everyone’s little hero, Stuart Little. In this kiddie flick, we find that Stuart is feeling pretty down. His mother (who is human) is over protective of him (due to his “lacking in bigness”) and his older brother George has found a new friend. Stuart feels alone and abandoned. But by chance a canary named Margolis happens to fly into Stuart’s world as she is trying to escape an evil falcon. Stuart finds a friend in Margolis and his world is happy once again. However when margolis mysteriously disappears, Stuart and his feline friend, Snowbell, head off to the city in search of their canary friend.

Now all in all, you can’t really expect brilliance from this film. It’s a happy kids flick. The story is cute enough that even an adult can enjoy (if they are parents) and carries itself well. But sadly enough, the buck stops there. People of the college age (except The Mike, who has a low IQ) are not going to want to flock to Stuart Little 2, because frankly it’s just not worth it. Don’t get me wrong, when I was 5 I would have loved the film, but I’m starting to outgrow those films finally. Who knows though, by the time I am 50 I might enjoy movies about computer generated mice once again.

So to sum this extremely short review up in Little to no time at all (no pun intended) was Stuart Little 2 worth your $1 at the box offices? Probably not. But if you want to relive your childhood, or are forced to take your little cousin to the theaters over Turkey Day break, then its not that bad. Stuart Little 2 was just your average kiddie flick, and nothing more. It’s nothing I’d run away from screaming and if someone forced me to watch it again I wouldn’t hide in a corner “shaking” with fear (NOTE: Not a bad Michael J. Fox joke, as The Mike would believe) Stuart Little 2 isn’t bad, its not good, its Just there.

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Filed under: Family, Movies

Road To Perdition

  • Written by Jason
  • Posted July 12, 2002 at 2:14 am
Rating: Rated R for violence and language
Starring: Tom Hanks, Paul Newman, Jude Law
Directed By:Sam Mendes

Final Grade:

Ever since I saw the first trailer for Road to Perdition, I knew it was going to be one of the best movies of the year. Don’t ask me how I knew such things, but I just did. Tom Hanks is one of the better actors out there in Hollywood these days, and if you mix him with a plot such as this, you are almost guaranteed to strike gold on a silver screen. So when I found out in July that my local theater was not getting this potentially brilliant flick because of a Theater Chain/Dreamworks argument, needless to say I was a little more than upset. So, the first time since the opening of Death to Smoochy I hopped in my car, drove to Des Moines and visited a Carmike theater, abandoning my normal roots. As I shelled out my $15 for tickets ($7.50 per seat, because I unlike Trevor and Michael have girls that talk to me) I thought to myself, “If this isn’t worth it, I will be very disappointed.” But by the time the lights went down and the film started rolling, I knew I was in for a treat…

Road to Perdition is the story of Michael Sullivan (Tom Hanks), a mobster who works for Mr. Rooney (Paul Newman) during the depression era. Sullivan is known to his friends and foes as the “Angel of Death” Rooney’s top gun, and right hand man. But off the streets, he is known to his family as the quiet, collected family man. But when Sullivan’s oldest son stows away in the back seat of Sullivan’s car when he is off doing a hit, things turn sour. Rooney knows that the young Sullivan could betray him, so he plans to rid the world of the family that could potentially plague him. Sullivan and his son escape however, and hit the road together, being pursued by a strange hitman played by Hollywood star Jude Law. As Sullivan and his son travel the road to a little town named Perdition, they find themselves along the way learning more about themselves and the relationship the two of them never had together…

Director Sam Mendes, director of American Beauty, hits gold again with this film. It may possibly be ”The Godfather” of our generation. Mendes work is one of a cinematic genius, one whose vision can not go unrecognized on the screen. The film starts off a little on the slow side, but that can be easily ignored, because it was needed for the thickening plot later on in the film. Besides seeing the typical mobster, shootem up movie, we are given insight to a story of betrayal of father and son on both a physical and metaphysical level. The movie plays so much on emotion as well as on plot that it simply shines. Each of the characters we find something that tugs at the emotions of the audience. Add a star studded cast, and a wonderfully lighted and wonderfully filmed movie, Road to Perdition is an instant success.

Before heading in, I wondered if Tom Hanks, Hollywood’s wonder boy could pull of the role of a mobster. Sure we’ve seen him attempt to play a variety of roles over the years, and even witnessed him talking to himself on a deserted island for 3 hours just a few years ago. (I talk to myself all the time, but I don’t get people going goo-goo over me, it’s not fair.) Tom Hanks has earned the respect of moviegoers and rightfully so. Hanks pulls this role off with grace as well. His calm collected attitude works for him, and as long as he kept that stone cold look on his face, we were able to see right into his character and appreciate the film even more. Paul Newman, who has earned the respect of moviegoers for years, is wonderful as well and his role as the mob boss, Mr. Rooney, is a performance you couldn’t ask any more out of.   His performance in Road to Perdition is as wonderful as Brando in The Godfather (Some other critics on this site may disagree).   Jude Law, who plays the hitman tracking the Sullivans, is equally enjoyable, giving you enough of that creepy vibe that makes an audience love to hate him.

Now as I have in every movie I tried to find something to complain about but there was very little in Road to Perdition. I could see many parallels to Mendes other work, American Beauty, such as both Wes Bentley’s character in American Beauty and Jude Law’s in Road to Perdition have a strange obsession with the filming of dead things, and their overall twisted perception of beauty. There were other small things here and there, that subtlety reminded me of Mendes directing style but all in all, Road to Perdition tuned out to be a gem.

Road to Perdition was the movie of the summer. If you missed it, then head to the discount theaters and check it out. Be prepared however to enjoy every second of it. I know I did. As I look back on that night in July, I think to myself Was it really worth the $10 worth of gas, the $15 worth of tickets, and the $8.40 worth of concessions some girl I know made me buy? You bet ya. I wouldn’t think twice about shelling out cash for this film, unless my date was with Toon’s Guy Trevor Soderstrum…

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Filed under: Criminal, Drama, Movies

Halloween Resurrection

  • Written by Box Office Boredom
  • Posted at 12:18 am

A Film Review By The Mike (Mike’s Second Review)

< Rating:Rated R for lots of blood, guts, slashing, cutting, decapitating, slicing, dicing, and making of julienne fries. Also contains some naughty language and possibly one or two female nipples 
Starring: Busta Rhymes, Bianca Kajlich, Sean Patrick Thomas, Thomas Ian Nicholas, Tyra Banks, and Jamie Lee Curtis. 
Directed By:Rick Rosenthal 

Final Grade: 

In October of 1978, the great and powerful John Carpenter released his vision of terror, Halloween, onto millions of unsuspecting moviegoers worldwide. The film went on to earn over 47 million dollars, becoming the highest grossing Independent film of all-time (A record since broken, first by Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie, then by The Blair Witch Project, and now held by this year’s hit My Big Fat Greek Wedding.). Unfortunately, success equals sequels. So here we are, almost 25 years later, watching the 8th installment in the series, Halloween: Resurrection.

Before I go any further, I need to mention something. I am as big a fan of this series of films as is humanly possible. Halloween ranks second-to-one (Yes…I meant one, not none) to me in the world of cinema, and the fact that the sequels (barring 3) return the evil of Michael Myers to the screen gets me everytime, despite the fact that maybe 2 of them (the 4th and possibly the 2nd) have been good films. I guess you could say that I’m a Halloween addict.

That being said, I entered the theater for Resurrection with a buzz of excitement, but at the same time I knew I was in trouble. The plot of the film revolves around a “reality” entertainment (a la Survivor or The Real World) website called Danger-tainment, run by a seedy entrepreneur (played by rapper Busta Rhymes; and his scheme to hold a live broadcast inside the infamous Myers House on Halloween night. This of course requires a pack of college slaughter-lambs, err…I mean students. They are of course trapped inside all night, and it appears are not alone. Soon, only the girl who brought her portable instant messenger is safe, thanks to the teen geek boy whom she met on the internet and is watching the broadcast from a party. (Yes, it’s a stupid plot.)

I knew Dimension films, which now holds the rights to the series, would try and make the film appeal to a widespread teen audience, and I was right. The playing in of the “reality entertainment” theme that is so popular at present is a dead giveaway. As is the casting, which includes small roles for recognizable teen faces like Sean Patrick Thomas (Save the Last Dance) and Thomas Ian Nicholas (American Pie), along with supermodel Tyra Banks.

Not to be outdone, the producers also went for the support of the Halloween faithful like myself, bringing back director Rick Rosenthal, whom directed Halloween II. They also bring back Jamie Lee Curtis, who made her film debut as the teen heroine in Halloween to reprise the role for the fourth time here. The opening scenes with her are crucial for any fan of the series, and I found them to be very entertaining. Unfortunately, once that segment ends we get to the actual plot.

Amidst all the attempts to make a movie that will draw every possible crowd, the idea of making a good movie seems to have been forgotten. The script is unoriginal, ripping off everything from The Haunting to The Blair Witch Project, even taking time to steal a scene from the classic Under Siege 2: Dark Territory! The direction by Rosenthal is shotty, but does what is needed. For the most part, the young cast is idiotically bad, with the exception of the heroine played by Bianca Kajlich, who simply has nothing good to work with.

What this film does do that makes it entertaining at points is try to have fun. Rhymes’ character is engagingly cool, and in a different setting would be a funny character to watch. Add to this the enjoyment of seeing Michael Myers at work and the opening with Curtis, and there are some moments of fun.

A last complaint I wish to make is this. Though this is still my beloved Michael Myers at work, it is easy to see that the character has been stylized to fit today’s culture. Many of the kills are far-fetched and overdone, and fail to remind us of the Michael Myers that dominated the screen in parts 1, 2, and 4 of the series. Unfortunately this is a trend that has been increasing since the 5th film, and one we are left with nothing to do about.

As much as I wanted to enjoy my time watching Halloween: Resurrection, it gave me so much to dislike. A silly and unoriginal plot, bad character development, uninspired acting and a weak ending all left a bad taste in my mouth. Despite all this, I still was intensely involved with every scene, and seeing Michael pop up behind an unsuspecting moron still gave me the chills. I’m going to be generous with my grade, because deep inside this movie is a part of me, whether I like it or not. But if you don’t know anything about the series, and want to be entertained, don’t come to the Myers house for this lame duck.

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Filed under: Horror, Movies

Men in Black 2

  • Written by Box Office Boredom
  • Posted July 3, 2002 at 5:47 pm

A Film Review By Jason L. King

Rating:Rated PG-13 for some language, sci-fi action and brief violence
Starring: Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, Lara Flynn Boyle, Johnny Knoxville
Directed By:Barry Sonnenfeld

Final Grade:

Way back earlier in the summer, I wrote this very nice review of Men in Black II. But unfortunately, the MIB found out about it and told me that I could not print it months later. Wait no. That didn’t happen. What really happened was that aliens came down and swiped it off the ISU server before the Men In Black could stop them. No wait. It didn’t quite happen that way either. It did disappear off the ISU server, but whether it was taken off by the Men in Black, swiped by aliens or ummm…errr- deleted by a webmaster, well the world may never know. But since Men in Black II is playing at North Grand 5 for the next few weeks, I decided to once again whip up a short but sweet review for Men in Black II. So gather ‘round boys and girls as we once again revisit Men in Black II…

Men in Black II is the story of everyone’s two favorite Government Agents, Agent J (Will Smith) and Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones) as they return to action. (Side note: Agents J and K… My initials. Coincidence? I think not!) The only problem is that agent K was neuralized at the end of the first Men in Black film. Agent J has been doing well on his own, but when the alien, Serleena played by the lovely, Lara Flynn Boyle and her minion, Scrad (Johnny Knoxville) return to earth in search of an ancient alien relic. J, knowing that the only man who can help him stop Serleena is his former friend and fellow Agent K, seeks out his old partner, and deneuaralizes him. Together again, J and K return to action protecting earth from the other planet’s scum.

In my extended review of old, I’m sure that I stated this with much more grace and charm, but Men in Black II is what I like to call a “popcorn flick.” It’s nothing great, just like popcorn yet everyone loves to eat it. The characters and plot are dry and bland and the same old things we have seen again and again and again. In fact Smith and Jones nearly sleepwalk through their roles, and they easily get away with it since the plot closely follows the plot of the original. But it’s the simplistic humor, the cheesy yet fun special effects and the all around “fun” that acts as the “buttery topping” on this popcorn flick. Having seen the original, it was the old inside jokes, and additions such as Frank, the talking Alien Dog, that made the film a pleasure to watch, amidst it’s repetition.

The problem with Men in Black II is that just like popcorn it gets old after a while. Popcorn is great all the way through the movie, but after it’s gone you’re hunger is still unsatisfied. Men in Black II was kind of the same way. Sure I enjoyed it while I was there, but afterwards, I kind of felt like I missed out on the main course, and wanted something more fulfilling.

So boys and girls, what did you learn from your old pal Jason, and your favorite box office boredom critic? Was it that Men in Black II was bad? No! I hope not! It was meant for that fun lighthearted entertainment value and it does just that. I know that it is nothing I will rush back to theaters to see again and again, but it’s worth a viewing, especially if you enjoyed the original.

So in the end, what am I trying to say? It’s simple. Head to North Grand 5 (cheap plug #1) pay the $1 (or $0.50 on Wednesday (cheap plug #2)) buy some popcorn and enjoy the film. Just don’t analyze it afterwards, or you’ll want your time back.

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Filed under: Comedy, Movies, Science Fiction
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