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It was nearly a year ago when Universal unveiled a teaser trailer for “Despicable Me”. That’s a long time to wait for a movie. But it was worth it.
That trailer turns out to be the opening scene of the film, but that’s pretty much the only predictable thing about "DM".
Steve Carell voice Gru (though you wouldn’t know it was him if you didn’t know it was him). Gru likes the fact that he’s the #1 evil villain in the world. But when a young villain named Vector steals the spotlight by stealing the Pyramid at Giza, Gru gets angry. He needs to come-up with the ultimate evil act. So, with the assistance of his Minions, hundreds of little yellow helpers, Gru sets out to accomplish his life-long dream: stealing the moon.
Gru decides to adopt three little girls to help him with his plan, but soon the girls start to change him and he has to decide what’s more important: being a great villain or being a great dad.
Going into the film I thought the plot of “Despicable Me” was going to be ’villain vs. villain’, with the girls and the Minions simply supporting characters. Instead, all of the characters play major roles and the movie has a big heart and important messages about family and caring for the people who are important to you.
It’s very funny, sweet and the Minion are hilarious. They are the funniest group of animated characters we’ve seen on screen in years. There’s a great chance they will be break-out stars, with their own spin-off movie and maybe a TV series as well.
All of the voices in “Despicable” are excellent. Along with Carell, there’s Jason Segel, Miranda Cosgrove (from “I Carly“) and the incredible Julie Andrews continues her recent successful run in family films as the voice of Gru’s mother. She looks a lot like the Granny from “Hoodwinked”, and has some great lines.
“Despicable Me” is rated PG for some cartoon violence. It’s good for kids 7 and up, who will love the little girls, the action, and the silly gags, while parents will appreciate the story and the funny dialogue. And everybody will love the Minions! And you must see this movie in 3-D. In fact, it should get an award for the best use of 3-D for laughs in movie history, including in the closing credits, which are hysterical.
On The Official Kid Critic Report Card, “Despicable Me” gets a B+.
2010 could go down as the best year ever for animated films with “How to Train Your Dragon“, “Shrek Forever After”, “Toy Story 3” and now “Despicable Me”. And we’ve still got 6 months to go.
The Last Airbender (PG) D
Nickelodeon Studios has turned several of their popular TV cartoon series into feature films, including The Rugrats, Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius and, of course, SpongeBob SquarePants. "The Last Airbender" is the first live-action movie based on a Nick cartoon. Unfortunately an animated version would have been better.
The story is set in a fantasy world where the four tribe nations: Air, Earth, Wind and Fire (not the music group) control all of life. Since the disappearance of the Avatar (not the James Cameron blue people), the Fire Nation has been at war with the other three, looking to take over.
A young boy named Aang (played by Noah Ringer) returns to the land, at it turns out that he is the Avatar, meaning he can master all 4 elements and communicate with the spirit world. The Fire people want to capture Aang so they can continue their quest to rule the world. The good guys, led by a brother and sister who first find Aang, have to protect the Last Airbender so he can learn how to bend water and defeat the Fire Nation.
Sound interesting? Well, it's not. I never watched the TV series but it was a huge hit so it had to be better than this. The action scenes are dull, you don't get attached to any of the characters so you don't care which side wins.
M. Night Shyamalan wrote, produced and directed the movie. What's going on with this guy? Most of the dialogue is the characters talking simply to explain to the audience what's going on with the plot. There are too many unnecessary close-ups, poor use of slow-motion and the acting is corny, even for a fantasy film.
"The Last Airbender" was shot in 2D and then converted to 3D (the same process used in "Clash of the Titans"). Can we all agree now that this simply doesn't work. The 3D here is weak, and practically all of the scenes are dark, making it even tougher to watch. Special effects? Well, the biggie comes at the end, a big wall of water, that we've already seen several times in other films, and you can see in the trailer.
Most of the action that took place during the screening I was at was in the theater, with people constantly getting out of their seats and walking in front of the screen to go to the bathroom. Normally that would bother me, but this time at least it gave me something else to watch.
"The Last Airbender" is rated PG for some action violence, but there's really nothing bad in the movie, it's just a bad movie.
On The Official Kid Critic Report Card, "The Last Airbender" gets a D, which is probably too generous. It's one of the worst films of the year and I think most fans of the TV series will agree.
The movie only covers Book One of the three book series, and the final scene sets-up a sequel. But I'm guessing that this will be THE LAST "Last Airbender" we'll be seeing.
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The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (PG-13) C
To me it's a teenage version of "The Bachelorette", with Dracula and The Wolfman as the contestants, but most people know it as "The Twilight Saga".
"Eclipse" is my first "Twilight" film. And I haven't read any of the books. When people ask me if I'm a member of Team Edward or Team Jacob I tell them I'm a member of team "I can't understand what all the fuss is about". And even people who are part of the phenomenon admit that the first two movies aren't very good. Well, I have to admit, "Eclipse" is better than I thought it would be.
There are two storylines to follow: An army of newborn vampires is coming to get revenge on the Cullen family and, of course, there's the love triangle between Bella, Edward and Jacob.
One of the problems with the film, for me, is that there's too much of the love story and not enough action. The fighting scenes are pretty good, there just aren't enough of them. If you're a diehard of the series, like all the girls and women in the theater at the screening I attended, there's probably too much fighting and not enough of the romance.
At least in this 3rd film the characters all graduate from High School, which is good because they all look like they're about 25. The special effects are pretty good, though you can almost see the green screen in some scenes.
The dialogue is what you would expect: corny and predictable, as both Jacob and Edward tell Bella they love her and each give her a bracelet. She kisses them both and, apparently loves them both, but one more than the other. And they team-up to protect her against the enemy. I didn't hear any "oohs and aahs" from the audience so I don't think any of this surprised anybody.
The BIG THREE: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner do their best with the script. It's hard to tell if they're good actors or playing these roles. Dakota Fanning is back, but only briefly and Oscar nominee Anna Kendrick plays one of Bella's friends. But most fans wouldn't care if Betty White and Pee Wee Herman were part of the supporting cast, as long as Lautner, Pattinson and Stewart are on the screen most of the time.
"The Twilight Saga: Eclipse" is Rated PG-13 mostly for the action-violence. Of course there's blood (it's a vampire movie) but not a lot of gore (which I was expecting). I'm surprised by all the parents who allow their young daughters to see these films. There are mature situations that little kids shouldn't be exposed to.
On The Official Kid Critic Report Card, The Twilight Saga:Eclipse" gets a C. It's not bad, but trust me, I won't be turning into a "Twi-hard" anytime soon.
The next (and last) movie of the series "Breaking Dawn" is being broken into two parts (just like the final "Harry Potter" film). Part one is not scheduled to come out until November of 2011. How will the fans survive until then?
Knight and Day (PG-13) B+
Tom Cruise: Huge action star, with a few comedy roles on his resume.
Cameron Diaz: Popular comic actress, with some action roles on her resume.
Put the two together in an action-comedy and you've got "Knight and Day"
Diaz plays June. On her way to Boston to be in her sister's wedding she, literally, bumps into Cruise's character, Roy Miller, in the airport. Twice. Roy happens to be going on the same flight, but he's no normal passenger. Roy's a spy who is being chased by the F.B.I.. They think he's gone crazy and is about to sell a valuable battery to the bad guys.
Over the next 5-days June and Roy go through some incredible and dangerous situations together, as he tries to avoid being captured and keep her alive as well.
"Knight and Day" is simply one of my favorite films of the year. Very funny script, with some unexpected twists. The dialogue, especially involving Cruise's character, is very clever. He's constantly delivering funny lines while, at the same time, shooting or stabbing people.
The action scenes are tremendous. I think I had a smile on my face throughout most of the movie, as you go from one action-packed scene to the next. And the chemistry between Cruise and Diaz is fantastic.
"Knight and Day" is rated PG-13 for all of the action violence, and there's a ton of it, but because it's a comedy you don't really take it too seriously. The movie is appropriate for kids 10 and up. Tom Cruise fans will be happy that he's back where he belongs.
On The Official Kid Critic Report Card, "Knight and Day" gets a B+.
Cruise's next film is "Mission Impossible IV", set to come out next year. I hope he and Diaz get to work together in another action comedy someday.
Grown Ups (PG-13) D+
You'd think that a film written by Adam Sandler, and starring him and four other well-known and successful comic actors would be hilarious. In the case of "Grown Ups", the comedy fails.
Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, David Spade and Rob Schneider play five friends who all played together of a championship basketball team when they were kids. Now, thirty years later, they learn that their former coach has passed away.
So the five reunite at the funeral and, with their families, then spend a weekend together at the old camp where they use to hang out. And they then spend most of the movie cracking jokes about each other and acting crazy.
There's a lot of adult humor and adult references in "Grown Ups". Even though there are a lot of kids in the movie and they're in a lot of scenes, this is NOT for kids. But the problem is, since most of the jokes aren't funny and most of the gags don't work, it's not really a movie for adults, either. There's a ton of slapstick, with characters falling down, getting hurt and , of course, what would a bad Hollywood comedy be without at least one character getting hit in his private parts.
It seems like many of the scenes were ad-libbed, with the five actors simply throwing out lines and hoping they work. Most times they don't. Others in the cast include Salma Hayek Pinut, Maria Bello and Steve Buscemi. They should all forget about this one quickly.
The concept isn't bad - but the scripts is very weak and very predictable, especially the big basketball game at the end. Once again this is a case of the trailer being funnier than the film.
"Grown Ups" is rated PG-13. Again, it's inappropriate for kids and not good enough for adults.
On The Official Kid Critic Report Card, "Grown Ups"" gets a D+, only for a couple a pretty funny scenes, and one of them involves James, right at the start of the film, so if you do have to go, don't be late.
Rock's "Death at a Funeral" - very fully. I also really enjoyed James and "Paul Blart: Mall Cop". Even Sandler's "Bedtime Stories" was better than this. Maybe these friends just shouldn't work together.
Toy Story 3 (G) A
15 years ago the first computer animated film was released. It was called "Toy Story." Since then it seems like there have been hundreds of films and thousands of characters, but there's one gang that still stands out as the best - and they're back in town!
It's been 11 years since we've seen Woody, Buzz and company on the big screen and, as "Toy Story 3" begins, we find out that it's been a long time since any of the toys have been played with. Andy is heading-off to college, so what's going to happen to everybody?
Andy wants to take Woody with him and keep the rest of the toys in the attic, but instead all of the toys are accidentally sent to Sunnyside Daycare Center, where things start out sunny, but quickly turn bad. There are twists and turns and Woody, as the leader, has to not only try to keep everyone together and safe, but also make some tough decisions about his own future.
"Toy Story 3" has pretty much everything you would ever want, need and hope for in an animated movie. As is almost always the case with Pixar, the story is tremendous. I've written in the past that I've never cried during a movie but I almost did this time. I've loved these characters since I was very little and it's impossible not to get emotional as their saga wraps-up. If you're one of the millions of long-time "Toy Story" fans you will not want this movie to end.
There are also some exciting action scenes and loads of fun, new characters, led by Ken, who is voiced by Michael Keaton. And all the big-name voices from the first two films are back, and Tom Hanks, Tim Allen and the rest don't miss a beat. You'd never think it's been over a decade since they did these characters for a feature-length film. Just amazing.
The script and dialogue are cleaver and the animation (I saw it in IMAX 3D) is terrific.
"TS3" in the perfect example of what the movie experience should be. It has excitement, laughs, suspense, an emotional story that pulls you in, and characters you root for. And that's why it's the best of the series, one of my favorite Pixar films, and clearly the best movie of 2010 so far.
"Toy Story 3" is rated G. There are a few mildly suspenseful scenes that could trouble very little ones, but overall it's great for all ages. Both kids and adults will enjoy it and be moved by it.
On The Official Kid Critic Report Card, "Toy Story 3" get an A (my first A in nearly three years). It is the perfect way to wrap-up this series and it establishes the "Toy Story" franchise as one of the best in movie history.
But this isn't the last time we'll be seeing some of these characters in theaters. Director Lee Unkrich has confirmed that there will be a new "Toy Story" short before next year's "Cars 2". I'm already counting down the days.
The A-Team (PG-13) B
To steal a line from Col. John "Hannibal" Smith: "I love it when a movie comes together, and this movie came together."
"The A-Team" is jam-packed with funny lines, good performances and TONS of action. The movie contains some of the most outrageous and creative action scenes ever seen. And even though some of them may be impossible, they're still so much fun to watch.
I'll admit the story is a little difficult to follow, as far as who all the bad guys are. All you really need to know is that Hannibal, Face, B.A. and Murdock are the good guys. The plot involves them trying to recover stolen plates used to make counterfeit money. Everybody wants them and it's up to the A-Team to get them back.
Liam Neeson and Bradley Cooper lead the cast as Hannibal and Face. Ultimate fighter-turned actor Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and Sharlto Copley ("District 9") round-out the A-Team. Jessica Biel plays a military police officer who's also trying to get the stolen plates. Everybody does a solid job.
But the real star is the ACTION. "Iron Man 2" has some cool action scenes, but "The A-Team" now takes the lead as the best action film of the summer.
It's rated PG-13 for some adult language, and loads of violence, but there's not a lot of blood and no gore. It's appropriate for older kids, who will have a ball on this 2-hour rollercoaster ride.
On The Official Kid Critic Report Card, "The A-Team" gets a B.
Some of the stars of the TV show make cameos, but not Mr. T, which is too bad. He refused to do it because he said the movie isn't as family friendly as the series. Well, I pity the fool who misses-out on one of the best times you'll have at the movies all year.
The Karate Kid (PG) C
Another remake is out (how original!). This time it's "The Karate Kid". HI-YA!
Jaden Smith (son of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith) stars as Dre. He's a 12 year old boy, who moves with his mother (Oscar nominee
Taraji P.Henson) to China, because she has been transferred from her
job. Dre has a very hard time adjusting to his new home because he's
getting beaten up by bullies.
Their maintenance man, Mr. Han
(Jackie Chan), starts noticing what's going on, and wants to help Dre by
teaching him Kung Fu. Dre ends up having to fight in a Kung Fu tournament against his
bullies, but Dre and Mr. Han don't back down.
The
first hour of the 2 hours 20 minute film (a little too long) is tough to watch, because
it's mostly Dre getting beaten up in scene after scene. The middle part
of the film is a little better, with Dre training with Mr. Han, and
going through their ups and downs together. Chan and Smith have nice
chemistry in those scenes and in the entire film.
The last part
of the film is the tournament. I didn't like the fact that the script
didn't have Dre's mother being concerned he might get hurt. There
wasn't one single scene that had the mother arguing about whether Mr.
Han should teach Dre kung fu.
Overall, the movie doesn't leave
you with a good feeling at the end, even if the message is somewhat
inspiring. At the tournament, the coach of the other team tells Dre's
opponent to literally "break his leg". That certainly isn't a good
message. And there are no laughs or light-hearted moments. The story could have used some, especially considering it's a family film geared toward kids.
"The Karate Kid" is rated PG, but it's definitely not for younger
children. They will be scared by the bully aspect of the story and
won't understand the violence, even in the tournament. And there's some
adult subject matter. The movie is appropriate for kids over 10, but be
warned: the fighting scenes are very graphic. And the fact that Dre has a girlfriend at 12 years of age is inappropriate.
Smith does a nice job in his starring debut. Chan's performance is much better than in "The Spy Next Door". But the film overall, is only slightly better.
On The Official Kid Critic Report Card, "The Karate Kid" gets a C.
Marmaduke (PG) C+
Talking animal movies have been pretty common in recent years. But this talking animal movie is based on a comic strip character, which is a little different. It's good ol' Marmaduke.
For a change, Owen Wilson doesn't play the owner of a dog - instead he does the voice of Marmaduke, who is a teenage Great Dane who lives with a loving family and a cat named Carlos (who's voiced by George Lopez). The family decides to move from Kansas to California because Phil, the father, gets a new job.
Once in California, everyone tries to adjust to their new lives, including Marmaduke, who makes some new friends and some enemies, while trying to fit-in but still be himself.
From the trailers I thought "Marmaduke" was going to filled with slapstick gags and bad jokes and not have much of a story. But the film surprised me. There is a real story here and some light drama and very little corny humor. There are some funny scenes and cleaver dialogue, but not a lot of laugh-out-loud moments.
Wilson is perfectly cast as Marmaduke, and Lopez is good as well, but I wish he had a bigger role. Lee Pace plays Phil. William H. Macy, who is back in another family film, plays Phil's boss, the owner of a pet food company. He bounces-back nicely after being part of the dreadfully awful "Shorts" last summer. Fergie and Keifer Sutherland are among the rest of the voice cast.
"Maramadule" is rated PG for some very mild language. It's appropriate for all kids, even the little ones, who will enjoy all the talking dogs and an exciting action scene. Parents may have a tougher time enjoying it, unless they're real dog lovers.
On The Official Kid Critic Report Card, "Marmaduke" gets a C+
It's certainly not the greatest family film of all-time or even the greatest talking-dog movie of all-time, but it's entertaining enough for a younger audience and a heck of a lot more fun for everyone than "Furry Vengeance" or "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" or some of the other terrible live-action family comedies of 2010.
Just Wright (PG) B
Already this year, and in the months to come, most Hollywood releases have been or will be sequels, prequels, based on a book, a TV series, or remakes. Thankfully, every once in awhile, we still get a decent original film such as "Just Wright".
Queen Latifah stars as Leslie Wright, a 35 year old who works in a hospital as a physical therapist. And she's single. Leslie owns her own home, which she's fixing-up. Her cousin, Morgan (Paula Patton) has been living with her for awhile. Morgan doesn't have a real job. She's too busy trying to become the wife of a professional basketball player. Leslie is looking for a husband too, but she wants to take a different approach.
After a basketball game, Leslie bumps into the star player for the N.J. Nets, Scott McKnight (played by rapper turned actor, yet still a rapper, Common). He invites the two ladies to a party, but Scott takes more interest in Morgan, and the two soon get engaged. But when Scott gets injured, Leslie becomes his physical therapist, and she could end up being ''just wright'' for him.
This is clearly not one of the summer blockbusters, but in some ways, it's better and more interesting. From the trailer you may think it could be just another romantic comedy involving sports, but its not. You don't laugh a whole lot during "Just Wright", but it's a likeable film that eases you in and is enjoyable throughout. The script is very believable and so the story puts you right there with these characters. These days, that's usually only happens in 3-D movies.
The performances are solid. Latifah is on top of her game and Common is quite good as a nice guy pro athlete. And it's great to see Pam Grier and "The Cosby Show" star Phylicia Rashad back on the big screen.
"Just Wright" is Rated PG for some adult content and brief language. It's appropriate for kids 10 and up. Basketball fans will definitely enjoy the NBA scenes with real NBA players, including Dwayne Wade and Dwight Howard.
On The Official Kid Critic Report Card, "Just Wright" gets a B.
If you're in the mood for something other than a summer blockbuster, this is the "wright" film for you.
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Reply #2 on : Fri August 20, 2010, 08:26:04
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