New Movie Review: "Ratatouille"

Pixar has steadily become one of the leading studios for entertaining films. Notice how I didn't add the qualifier of "animated". Pixar movies transcend the animation genre to achieve an all around great cinematic experience. Animated movies made by other studios are fun, but they never feel real. Pixar movies feel real, even if a toy, bug, or car is talking to the audience.

To this end, "Ratatouille" is another standout in the Pixar library. It tells the story of a rat whose dream is to cook like a human. Of course, that is not the easiest dream to accomplish considered rats aren't viewed as the most cleanly of animals. The rat, Remy, is voiced by comedian Patton Oswalt, and Oswalt has the right voice for it: slightly boyish but with an aged pathos. As stated everywhere else, making a rat a hero isn't an easy task. But Oswalt and Pixar pull it off.

There are two villains in the story, and both are cartoonish. One is the lead chef in the restaraunt Remy cooks in (through his partnership with Linguini, a neophyte cook) and one is a stodgy old critic who caused the death of the former lead chef. The villainy of both these characters were at times distracting, but the resolution of both their story arcs made up for any previous complaints. Surprisingly, the love story that forms between Linguini and Collette doesn't seem cheesy (pardon the food pun) and is quite fun to watch. Thankfully, Linguini isn't reduced to being Remy's human sidekick and is given a substantial role.

The movie blends the cartoonish world of talking animals well with the more real world of humans. Not since Toy Story 2 has Pixar tried to combine a strictly cartoonish cliche (talking nonhumans) with the plots and actions of homo sapiens. The humans look both real and animated at the same time, and the rats also look human at times. The interplay is a delight to behold.

Pixar knocks another one out of the park with "Ratatouille". The voice acting is superb enough that you don't even realize which celebrities are in the movie. Brad Bird, who also did the best Pixar movie ever, "The Incredibles", strikes again. The former consultant to The Simpsons simplies knows how to bring characters to life. He might be the best director around today.

4 1/2 Spices out of 5

Double Shot New Movie Review: "Ocean's Thirteen" and "Evan Almighty"

I am a movie watching machine and am going to let you, the loyal reader, reap the rewards!

Ocean's 13: Pure pop candy. You watch this movie, willingly shut off your brain, and you are thoroughly entertained. George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon and the rest of the cast perform like clockwork together. The direction is big movie arty and the plot is just one huge MacGuffin for fun little scenes. It makes up for the first sequel and is more than worth a view on some form of media, be it at theaters, on TV, or on DVD.

3 1/2 Fake Mustaches out of 5

Evan Almighty: The pseudo-sequel to "Bruce Almighty", Evan has Steve Carell as its lead, which automatically gives it 2 points in my book. Though it is being bashed by critics, the movie is fun and light and silly. There are several laugh at loud moments that had the whole theater cracking up. Morgan Freeman once again plays a great God and Carell is the master of subtle and over-the-top facial expressions and reactions. Go for the broad comedy, stay for the Jon Stewart cameo. Probably the most laugh out loud comedy of the summer, though "Knocked Up" is the all around better film.

4 Sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep! out of 5

Box Office Bombings: Box Office Breakdown 6/18/07

Don't mind the breaks, after all, there's always something new on the horizon in the summer movie season. Then again, some movies have a stranglehold for weeks on end. Let's see who survived the Weekend Box Office for Monday, June 18th, 2007.

1. Fantastic Four: Rise Of The Silver Surfer
Last Week Rank: N/A
Weekend Gross: $58 million
Total Gross: $58 million
Weeks Out: 1
Musings: The sequel to the lackluster original that was overly panned by critics finds the First Family of Marvel chasing the surfer around the world. Much has been made of the simplisticness of this series and the unhappiness with the appearance of Galactus. Clearly, many geeks out there seem to forget something very important: they put the Silver Surfer on screen. Let's see if anyone imagined this would happen 10 years ago. Oh that's right, it was called the T-1000, nevermind.

2. Ocean's Thirteen
Last Week Rank: 1st
Weekend Gross: $20 million
Total Gross: $70 million
Weeks Out: 2
Musings: The increasingly strangely named series, now a trilogy based on a sequel of a remake...ok even I can't keep track of this anymore. Forget it, it's just George Clooney and friends doing what they do best: look cool. Also, Al Pacino is the bad guy. As if he could pull off a believable hero today.

3. Knocked Up
Last Week Rank: 3rd
Weekend Gross: $14 million
Total Gross: $90 million
Weeks Out: 3
Musings: The big money making live action comedy of the year so far, the alums of 40 Year Old Virgin take things a step further into parenting. Hilarity ensues, comedy that's more true to life than normal takes place, and Paul Rudd tries to take over everything.

4. Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World's End
Last Week Rank: 2nd
Weekend Gross: $12 million
Total Gross: $274 million
Weeks Out: 4
Musings: The Pirates trilogy keeps chugging along, reeling in the dough. Disney has a truly bankable franchise. Unlike the Spider-Man series though, the star actually appears to want to push for the character's return. Something tells me the audiences will be sticking around with their Fastpass in hand.

5. Surf's Up
Last Week Rank: 4th
Weekend Gross: $9 million
Total Gross: $35 million
Weeks Out: 2
Musings: An interesting CGI film, apparently doesn't take itself too seriously. No heavy messages, just a fun time for kids. Also, it's yet another penguin film. Not to be confused with Happy Feet or March of the Penguins or Batman Returns. Seriously, it's Danny Devito free, so it's safe for the kids.

6. Shrek The Third
Last Week Rank: 5th
Weekend Gross: $9 million
Total Gross: $297 million
Weeks Out: 5
Musings: The ogre may be starting to wear thin on people. Not good news from the critics considering the 4th and 5th films are planned on the way. Considering it's keeping the careers of Mike Myers and Eddie Murphy afloat, I think they'll keep pushing until the public has had enough. One wonders how well these films could hold up years from now, what with all the pop culture references. Clearly, it's a series for the now.

7. Nancy Drew
Last Week Rank: N/A
Weekend Gross: $7 million
Total Gross: $7 million
Weeks Out: 1
Musings: Really? They made a movie out of this, now? I can't imagine that Nancy Drew is even slightly popular at this point. I'll admit I read a few Hardy Boys books as a kid but I'm not even aching for a movie about that. I know girls need their inspirational hero film, but I don't think this is it. Looks too much like Legally Blonde (in reverse) meets Scooby Doo. Perhaps Nancy Doo? I perish the thought. [AE's Note: They are making a Hardy Boys movie. It will star...wait for it...Ben Stiller and Tom Cruise.]

8. Hostel: Part II
Last Week Rank: 6th
Weekend Gross: $3 million
Total Gross: $14 million
Weeks Out: 2
Musings: I have to give credit to this film for one major reason, I think it's the first film to use the words "Part II" since, what Back To The Future? But the point is, was anyone really wondering what other gory things could be explored with this film? I find this hard to distinguish from Saw and those kinds of movies. Slasher flicks seem to be dying and they have given rise to the gore/torture film. Now how could that possibly be disturbing in a post-9/11 world?

9. Mr. Brooks
Last Week Rank: 7th
Weekend Gross: $3 million
Total Gross: $24 million
Weeks Out: 3
Musings: Look, quick before the illusion disappears. It's Dane Cook, and he's a dramatic actor! Strange as that seems, he's apparently not that bad. To be fair, most comedians wind up being very good dramatic actors, weird how that works. Acting is easy, comedy is hard. But he's not the star and the rest of the cast is what keeps this film from being mediocre. Yes, it's apparently an interesting twisting film about a killer who, well, gets away with murder. Probably more than once.

10. Spider-Man 3
Last Week Rank: 8th
Weekend Gross: $3 million
Total Gross: $330 million
Weeks Out: 7
Musings: The webbed hero might have slung his last web in the top ten, though I'll be hard pressed to believe that it won't be here next week. Too many other films above don't have the staying power that a blockbuster like this does. Of course then everyone's already seen it. But at least they aren't like Dead Or Alive, which actually did enter the race DOA. Enjoy your direct to DVD failure. I recommend the game instead.

-Gonch

Gonch's New Movie Review: "Pirates of the Caribbean 3: At World's End"

Greetings from the state closest to the caribbean. Summertime is here and you can tell because Jack Sparrow and crew are riding the high seas again, hopefully not for the last time. This has been an intriguing series, for one must remember that it is based solely off a theme park ride. That in itself is an amazing accomplishment, to come up with 3 successful films based off a ride. With that said, here's the ups and downs of Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End.

We remember from Dead Man's Chest, the second film in the series, that Jack Sparrow, our unlikely hero is basically, well dead. Swallowed whole by the Kraken. But he's not dead-dead, if that makes sense. Because Davy Jones caused his demise intentionally, he's been sent to Davy Jones' locker and this isn't the high school kind. Rather it's like a purgatory that seems like it could drive a normal man mad, but then Captain Sparrow is no normal man, he's nearly already nuts. Johnny Depp lives this character, it's hard to imagine anyone else in the role or seeing him as another character. This film is not the best of Jack but it's still nice to see him again.

But who is it really nice to see again? This film marks the return of Captain Barbossa, played by a true pirate in Geoffrey Rush. I think Barbossa is a refreshing turn missing in the second film because he embodies what we think of pirates, while Sparrow is just a crazy twist between a pirate and a good man. Barbossa, like everyone else, has his own agenda but he's pretty much on the side of good this time. That might be one confusing but good plot of the film, that everyone has something motivating them towards the end, and I do mean everyone. Eventually, the good guys all have a reason to try to stop Lord Beckett of the East India Company and Davy Jones, whom Beckett now controls with the Dead Man's Chest and Jones' heart, from annihilating every last pirate in the seas. Of course, someone like Sparrow plans to do the right thing, but for his own crazy reasons. As for Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann? They are still fun to have around, maybe not as much as the pirates, but they hold their own quite well. I think Keira's character has grown on me far better than Kirsten Dunst's Mary Jane Watson.

This third film is likely the least of the trilogy but not by much. It may only lack in three areas. The first is length, not so much lacking but perhaps going on for a bit long. You certainly get your money's worth though. Unlike Spider-Man 3, which I unfortunately make many comparisons to, the extra time is not always spent talking or staring at closeups. Rather it's been spent on lavish special effects and battles. The climactic battle actually feels fairly epic, it lasts for a good while. Another issue could be the confusing plot points. Really, it's not that bad, there's a lot going on but there's a method to the madness. There is no scene without reason and everything pays off in the end, questions answered and character arcs going full circle. Finally, I found issue with the characters of the Pirate Lords, representing the far corners of the world. Some are incredibly stereotypical, even for that time period and they really do very little. In a film of very interesting and wild characters, they somehow stick out like a sore thumb. Thankfully they are not given a ton of screentime.

Again when comparing with Spidey 3, this film remembers something that film might have forgotten, both its heart and origins. Even in At World's End, there are references to the theme park ride directly. Listen for what happens as we enter Davy Jones' locker and you might recognize some direct ride audio! It also manages to still be fun to see these characters and in general pirates on screen. Not that Spidey has worn on anyone, but some of the fun was taken out of that film in comparison.

In the end, if you enjoyed the first two Pirates films, this will likely be another swashbuckling tale of fun. It may not feel exactly like the other two, but it is still at its core a continuation of the same story. There will be some strange goings on, but that's the price to pay to get someone back from the land of the dead. Frankly, I hope the franchise can continue to find life on the seas. Just listening to some of the still fun to hear language reminds you of how Disney can still create magic. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End receives Gonch's Gold Medal of Cap'n Jack Sparrow, Savvy?

Now then, drink up me hearties, yo ho!

-Gonch

New Movie Review: "The Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer"

It's been a while since I've posted anything. I have seen a plethora of new movies (Shrek 3, Knocked Up), but didn't feel the urge to review them, though Knocked Up was excellent. But with the popcorn flick of FF 2, I couldn't resist the calling!

FF:TRSS picks up sometime after the first movie. The Fantastic Four, Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm have become more comfortable with themselves and their powers. Reed and Sue are a supercouple in the spotlight and are about to get married. But dang it, who happens to show up before the wedding? The Silver Surfer, who is causing chaos all over the Earth. Reed makes a startling discovery: where ever the Surfer goes, that planet dies 8 days later. It is up to the dysfunctional family that is the Fantastic Four to stop the Surfer.

The movie is a zippy, light affair with excellent action sequences. It doesn't take itself too seriously, capturing the sometimes zaniness of the comic book. The characters all act as they would in the comics: Reed is absentminded about Sue, Sue is the strong center, and Johnny and Ben have a sweet rivarly. Though not as sci-fi as the comic (where the Four are often refered to as imaginauts), it still has the general feel. Whether or not that is one's cup of tea is what will determine your enjoyment.

Dr. Doom also makes a comeback in this film and despite the reasoning behind it, Julian McMahon's potrayal is a little better than the first go-round. The Doom character is still slightly "off" but it seems the writers and director are getting a better handle on him. The Silver Surfer, despite being an all silver guy on a surfboard, actually elicited pity and sympathy. He never felt like the villain, though that may have been because I knew what his true purpose was before the movie. And for those worried that the rumor that Galactus would only appear as a cloud, stop it. He is cloaked in a cloud only, and you do see a brief glimpse of the true form of the Planet Eater.

It seems weird to say, but I enjoyed FF 2 more than Spider-Man 3. While I had tons of fun watching Spidey, there were times where I was straining to find something to like. FF 2 was breezy and allowed me to shut off my brain which is always welcomed. Dare I say it? FF 2 is a more enjoyable experience than Spider-Man 3!

4 Military Interference out of 5.

Box Office Bombings: Box Office Breakdown 5/28/07

Memorial Day Weekend layover has led to this slight delay (and missing the previous week). But hey, all the movies that still matter are there, for the Weekend Box Office for Monday, May 28th, 2007.

1. Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World's End
Last Week Rank: N/A
Weekend Gross: $140 million
Total Gross: $153 million
Weeks Out: 1
Musings: Pirates! Blasted bloody pirates. The first film was a surprise success, garnering a well deserved Oscar nom for Depp. The second was a fun follow up that introduced greater special effects that actually won an Oscar. This time around? It seems that very few franchises can live up to making 3 straight good movies. Spidey wasn't well received, Shrek is stumbling (not in numbers though), even X-Men last year couldn't hold the candle that X2 did. Pirates 3 gives you more of what you want, but supposedly with far too much plot and insanity that nearly lasts 3 hours. LOTR it is not.

2. Shrek The Third
Last Week Rank: 1st
Weekend Gross: $67 million
Total Gross: $217 million
Weeks Out: 2
Musings: This was last week's champion, no surprise there. Seriously, I've never personally seen so many big blockbusters coming out at once, with still several huge movies to come in the next few months. This one finds Shrek trying to not be king, but instead trying to get Justin Timberlake to be it. Ok, I think I can see where this one doesn't quite have the bombastic joy of the first two. In fact, the second one might be even better than the first for pure pop culture referencing, but having not seen it yet, it seems like an awful lot more of a cash in than before.

3. Spider-Man 3
Last Week Rank: 2nd
Weekend Gross: $18 million
Total Gross: $308 million
Weeks Out: 4
Musings: Our little wall crawler is starting to show signs of weakness, but then with Shrek and Pirates, it's hard to not start to fall off the wagon a bit. Still, it's already made waves with over $300 million US and is in fact a much bigger hit overseas, the biggest Spidey yet internationaly. That's something to be proud of, but the real question is, does this franchise have what it takes to be a monumental 6 movies Star Wars-like franchise? Sony sure thinks so, but the stars and director may not be convinced yet.

4. Bug
Last Week Rank: N/A
Weekend Gross: $4 million
Total Gross: $4 million
Weeks Out: 1
Musings: Foolish enough to come out the same weekend as any of these BO hits isn't smart, but it managed to follow directly after all three of them, so that's impressive as it is. It's directed by Mr. Exorcist, but that doesn't automatically make it a smash hit waiting to happen or even a good horror flick. Frankly, I think Ashley Judd is only interested in movies that don't interest anyone else...oh and she's got a thing for Morgan Freeman. To be fair, so does anyone who's ever done a movie with his voiceover work.

5. Waitress
Last Week Rank: 12th
Weekend Gross: $4 million
Total Gross: $6.5 million
Weeks Out: 4
Musings: A surprise successful comedy kinda thing. Not bad to jump up from 12th to 5th, but it's still not exactly raking in the dough. I'll bet that it cost next to nothing to make though, so that's just fine for the producers involved.

6. 28 Weeks Later
Last Week Rank: 3rd
Weekend Gross: $3 million
Total Gross: $24 million
Weeks Out: 3
Musings: The rage virus continues to run rampant throughout the theaters. While it doesn't feel quite as interesting without the performance of Cillian Murphy, it's still considered a good sequel. Unfortunately, that means we might just see 28 Months Later, which again, after our rule of threequals, is probably not a smart idea, hint hint.

7. Disturbia
Last Week Rank: 5th
Weekend Gross: $2 million
Total Gross: $75 million
Weeks Out: 7
Musings: Easily the sleeper hit of the early summer season, Shia continues to roll on, not stumbling much from the big films. Does this mean he'll start trying his hand at other Hitchcock remakes? Personally, I think he should be glad he was even considered for a roll in Transformers and Indiana Jones 4. Not because both will be good, but because they're automatic cash cows and he'll look good for that either way.

8. Georgia Rule
Last Week Rank: 4th
Weekend Gross: $2 million
Total Gross: $17 million
Weeks Out: 3
Musings: Preparing to soon ship out, it's really the only major chick flick out on the market, perhaps if you don't count Waitress. That's probably because Lucky was just so awful and pathetic. Is it that hard to make movies like that without doing the same thing over and over again? I'm sure Knocked Up will have something to say about romance next week.

9. Fracture
Last Week Rank: 6th
Weekend Gross: $2 million
Total Gross: $37 million
Weeks Out: 6
Musings: Man, you really cannot stop Anthony Hopkins, the man is a beast at the movies. Even though this one doesn't likely do that much different, it's still enough to draw all his fans back time and again. Let's see if he can get BO gold by babysitting 3 out of control kids and hijinks ensue, the true test of a star's power.

10. Wild Hogs
Last Week Rank: 17th
Weekend Gross: $2 million
Total Gross: $163 million
Weeks Out: 13
Musings: What...the...hell?!?! How did this movie get resurrected back into the top ten?! This is wrong on so many levels. I want to know who went to see this drivel that it made that much money, cause the studio will just beg for a sequel that has the wives go Wild Hog instead and call it Hog Wild. Oh no, why did I just give them that idea?

-Gonch

Alterna-Review: Spider-Man 3

Well, AE's had his say, but that doesn't mean it's the final be-all end-all assessment. Time to put my opinion to the test in the first ever Gonch Alterna-Review, another look at an item that may just deserve it. This time out, it's the biggest blockbuster of the year, so far at least, Spider-Man 3.

AE did the hard part in describing the plot, what there was of it. But let's get down to the nitty gritty and decide where this film falls in the scheme of things.

What Worked:
- For starters, the base characters we've all come to know and love are developed through 2 movies already, and they're all here. Peter, MJ, Harry, Aunt May, JJJ, and even Bruce Campbell. Hell, the landlord and his daughter return as well just for completeness sake. We've watched them progress nicely, but ironicly, the character most underused in the second film, Harry, is the most well developed in the third. He goes through a tremendous arc, first going through with the attack he planned to do at the end of 2, losing his memory, re-befriending Peter and MJ, using MJ to get back at Peter even better than his father did, and finally going full circle by becoming a hero with a full-on amazing team up with our webhead.

- Villain-wise, we had our choices this time around. Aside from seeing Peter as a kind of bad guy for part of the film, you've got the Sandman who both did and didn't work. The way he did, was that he posed a threat to Spidey such that we're not even sure if he could be defeated in the end entirely. He was once again a compassionate bad guy, but nothing like Doc Ock was. Harry's evil doings were fun to watch, but perhaps the most enjoyable baddie was the one with the least screen time: Venom. This is not so much because of what Venom and the suit can do as a threat to Spider-Man, but more because of Topher Grace. He made sure to show off what a jerk he was in contrast to the standard Peter and eventually became the villain who frankly, just wanted to be a villain and good for him on that.

- In general, a lot of other things worked well. Special effects were top notch, every scene with JJJ and Bruce Campbell was fantastic. It's one thing we count on, no matter how much changes for Spidey, JJJ will always bring us back to the iconic characterizations we love. Aunt May does a fine job as supportive family figure as always, while Gwen Stacey was beautiful eye candy. This does lead to some major faults in the film though.

What Didn't Work:
- MJ's characterization simply didn't sync as well as it had before. She decided to keep things from Peter, be jealous of Spider-Man, and in the end left him, but almost wanted to anyway. She once again is the source of distress for Spider-Man to save. We expect that from the first film. The second she was taken again but it wasn't the major issue at hand, it was the fusion device, she was secondary. In the same way, Gwen Stacey was also not very well used. Yes she was great to look at but didn't have much use. At the very least it was some extra motivation for Eddie to hate Peter. As well, Sandman just didn't feel that fully developed, and forced into the death of Uncle Ben, even though Peter likely needed a push to the dark side.

- This leads to stuff like the team-up of Sandman and Venom, which doesn't make a huge amount of sense. In some ways it does, but in general, villain team ups can often be quite awkward without any development time. Even the Batman films had better build up to it, though it doesn't mean that it works. Some other mind-boggling problems include Harry's butler just waking up to tell him that Spider-Man didn't kill his father, gee thanks for that last minute info. Another convenience being that the symbiote just happened to find Peter by landing near him and such, but then again it would take up a lot of time to do it better...time better taken away from some very long pauses and over-dramatic acting.

A big question was about transition from good to bad Spidey for both him and Peter's personality. This kind of both worked and didn't, but in general was handled well. The dance scene was not particularly over the top, after all using his reflex abilities. This film simply felt like it had trouble living up to not just the lofty expectations, but the strong start made by the first film, and the incredible continuation done by the second film. While it has its faults, it was still an overall enjoyable film that weaved many webs into one by the end. Whether it ended the way you wanted it to or not, Spider-Man 3 earns the Silver Medal of Webslinging. A film that may try just a little too hard to do it all, just needed to follow its roots a little more to the arachnid that spawned it.