I want to begin this review by saying that I am happily married to a beautiful woman and my manhood should not come into question in my next statement.
I like musicals.
I always have, and I think everyone can get on board with the idea of a world where anyone can randomly burst into song and dance. I have been fortunate to see some great musicals on the stage, and some even greater musicals on the screen, and while "Mama Mia!" isn't the best musical I have ever seen, it was still a wonderful movie-going experience.
The movie centers around the wedding of a young girl named Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) who has invited three men who could all potentially be her father to her upcoming nuptials. Meryl Streep plays Donna, Sophie's mother, who has no idea that her three ex's are coming to her small hotel in Greece for the wedding, and she is as fantastic as ever.
The movie's plot is pretty straightforward and it doesn't have to be complicated because musicals don't need a great plot to keep people entertained, they just need good music. And what better music could you ask for than that of ABBA? Okay, there is better music out there, but ABBA's pretty dang good.
As I said earlier, I am a man and I took my wife to the film as my date and I'm not sure who enjoyed the movie more. One of the reasons I love movies is because it is easy for me to become involved with the characters and the story and I get enthralled for the next hour or two hours, but with this film, anyone can get involved.
The supporting cast in the movie make everyone laugh and wish you had friends like them. Streep's two best friends and ex-band mates, Tanya (Christine Baranski) and Rosie (Julie Walters) are hilarious and steal any scene in which they appear. You almost wish the movie was about them and the three potential fathers played by Colin Firth, Pierce Brosnan and Stellan Skarsgard.
While some of the humor in the movie is slightly vulgar and sophomoric, you feel like it's okay to laugh because you are in such a good mood. That is what musicals do to people. How could you not want to laugh after tapping your feet to Meryl Streep and a bunch of Grecian women singing "Dancing Queen."
This movie weekend will no doubt be ruled by "The Dark Knight," but "Mama Mia!" deserves its due as a great musical. It is a fantastic date movie and it is perfect for just simple entertainment.
Mama Mia!
Rating: 3 1/2 stars
Rated PG-13 for some sexual humor
Starring: Meryl Streep, Amanada Seyfried, Pierce Brosnan and Colin Firth
Monday, July 28, 2008
Step Brothers Review
Will Ferrell is a hit-or-miss kind of guy.
I find myself loving half of the films he's in, but the other half makes me want to bang my head against a wall for an hour. However, when he teams up with John C. Reilly in "Step Brothers," it is a grand slam.
To make a clarification, I find stupid humor extremely funny if done correctly. So when I say I found this movie to be hilarious, I should also warn you that I am the target audience for this type of film. I have a 12-year-old's sense of humor in a 23-year-old's body.
The film follows two nearly-40-year-old men who are still living with their parents and spend most of their days sitting on the couch or playing their drums. However, there is trouble in paradise when Ferrell's character's mother meets Reilly's character's father and the two fall in love.
Reilly and Ferrell share their first scene at their parents' beautiful, white wedding, where both sons storm out because either their parents didn't order the salmon they wanted or incorrectly told the audience they were recently fired from Pet Smart when they were actually "laid off" because the company was making cut-backs.
Then it is time for the two families to move in together and for Ferrell and Reilly to begin their relationship as step-brothers.
The first scenes with Ferrell and Reilly as step-brothers are hilarious, as the duo verbally abuse each other and try to kill one another with bicycles and bats. After a short while, the pair decides it is better if they join forces and become best friends. At this point, Ferrell and Reilly start telling the same types of jokes from other movies and I started to get bored.
I like Ferrell and Reilly together and I think they are a recipe for hilarity, but they can also get hard to watch after too much exposure and the two actors toe that line a little too frequently in this film.
The last half-hour of the movie had me belly-laughing, and when I say last half-hour, I mean I was laughing that entire time. I actually hurt for a little while after the movie ended. Before that point, however, half the scenes had me laughing and the other scenes annoyed me, but they were spread out well enough through the movie that I really enjoyed myself.
While Ferrell and Reilly may be the names above the title, Adam Scott, who plays Ferrell's younger brother Derek, and his family steal the show right out from under them. In the first scene revealing Derek, he is forcing his family to harmonize and sing "Sweet Child of Mine" in their car. He is the typical perfect, in-your-face kind of guy who has no problem letting you know that he is more successful than you. Scott and Kathryn Hahn, who plays his wife, Alice, had me laughing in every scene they were in.
Mary Steenburgen and Richard Jenkins appear as the enabling parents and are also phenomenal. They are both the type of actors that you don't see in comedy, which makes it 10 times funnier when they appear in a film like "Step Brothers" and bring on the big laughs.
The film is aptly rated R for its extremely crude humor and the language is fairly strong throughout the film. If you are not in the mood for potty humor and male nudity, this is not the film for you.
If you aren't bothered by the crude humor and bad language, you will find yourself enjoying yourself during the 90-minute run time. I have to say that I feel the movie is geared a little more toward the male audience and more specifically the young, stupid male audience like myself. So guys, take a group of your friends and don't force your girlfriends to endure what we find to be funny.
Step Brothers
Rating: Three stars
Rated R for strong language and crude, sexual content
Starring: Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, Adam Scott, Richard Jenkins, Mary Steenburgen, and Kathryn Hahn
I find myself loving half of the films he's in, but the other half makes me want to bang my head against a wall for an hour. However, when he teams up with John C. Reilly in "Step Brothers," it is a grand slam.
To make a clarification, I find stupid humor extremely funny if done correctly. So when I say I found this movie to be hilarious, I should also warn you that I am the target audience for this type of film. I have a 12-year-old's sense of humor in a 23-year-old's body.
The film follows two nearly-40-year-old men who are still living with their parents and spend most of their days sitting on the couch or playing their drums. However, there is trouble in paradise when Ferrell's character's mother meets Reilly's character's father and the two fall in love.
Reilly and Ferrell share their first scene at their parents' beautiful, white wedding, where both sons storm out because either their parents didn't order the salmon they wanted or incorrectly told the audience they were recently fired from Pet Smart when they were actually "laid off" because the company was making cut-backs.
Then it is time for the two families to move in together and for Ferrell and Reilly to begin their relationship as step-brothers.
The first scenes with Ferrell and Reilly as step-brothers are hilarious, as the duo verbally abuse each other and try to kill one another with bicycles and bats. After a short while, the pair decides it is better if they join forces and become best friends. At this point, Ferrell and Reilly start telling the same types of jokes from other movies and I started to get bored.
I like Ferrell and Reilly together and I think they are a recipe for hilarity, but they can also get hard to watch after too much exposure and the two actors toe that line a little too frequently in this film.
The last half-hour of the movie had me belly-laughing, and when I say last half-hour, I mean I was laughing that entire time. I actually hurt for a little while after the movie ended. Before that point, however, half the scenes had me laughing and the other scenes annoyed me, but they were spread out well enough through the movie that I really enjoyed myself.
While Ferrell and Reilly may be the names above the title, Adam Scott, who plays Ferrell's younger brother Derek, and his family steal the show right out from under them. In the first scene revealing Derek, he is forcing his family to harmonize and sing "Sweet Child of Mine" in their car. He is the typical perfect, in-your-face kind of guy who has no problem letting you know that he is more successful than you. Scott and Kathryn Hahn, who plays his wife, Alice, had me laughing in every scene they were in.
Mary Steenburgen and Richard Jenkins appear as the enabling parents and are also phenomenal. They are both the type of actors that you don't see in comedy, which makes it 10 times funnier when they appear in a film like "Step Brothers" and bring on the big laughs.
The film is aptly rated R for its extremely crude humor and the language is fairly strong throughout the film. If you are not in the mood for potty humor and male nudity, this is not the film for you.
If you aren't bothered by the crude humor and bad language, you will find yourself enjoying yourself during the 90-minute run time. I have to say that I feel the movie is geared a little more toward the male audience and more specifically the young, stupid male audience like myself. So guys, take a group of your friends and don't force your girlfriends to endure what we find to be funny.
Step Brothers
Rating: Three stars
Rated R for strong language and crude, sexual content
Starring: Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, Adam Scott, Richard Jenkins, Mary Steenburgen, and Kathryn Hahn
My Take on the Dark Knight
In His divine wisdom, God instilled a love of movies and comic books into me as a young child. In other words, I was destined to be a geek.
I don't mind it, however, I have the uncanny ability to get wrapped up in stories and really see all the aspects of what I am watching or reading. I am also able to hold on to things I loved as a child, like comic books and my teddy bear, Chocolate.
One of the many comic books I loved as a child was Batman. I read the comics and watched the cartoon and even watched any episodes I could find of the the 60s television series with Adam West, and I always used to think the comics were so much better than anything in the multi-media platform.
Until two weeks ago.
I was able to finally see "The Dark Knight" and it was everything I was hoping it would be and more. As a fanboy, I could point out that not all of the story-lines were accurate, but I would be nit-picking. The movie was just about perfect.
Before I get to Heath Ledger's absolutely phenomenal performance as the Joker, I would like to point out that Christian Bale is the best Batman to ever cross the screen. People may say his rough and gruff "Batman voice" is over the top, but they would be wrong. The way Bale portrays the crime fighter is straight out of the comics. Beat up the bad guys, put the fear of God into them and then probably fight them again because apparently jails and insane asylums in Gotham are just horrific at keeping inmates locked up.
Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent and Two-Face is also straight out of comic books. Not the way he transforms into the villain, because that was wrong, but the way he portrays his villainous side. Two-Face is the bad guy I like because of his simplicity. He believes in justice, but he also thinks everyone deserves a second chance. For Two-Face it is simple. If you land on the right side of the coin you live, you land on the wrong side, you die. It is such a simple concept, but also one that is very powerful because he is what Batman wishes he could be.
Batman only has one rule: he doesn't kill people. The whole premise of "The Dark Knight" is the Joker trying to convince Batman that people are inherently evil and even the masked crime-fighter has no hope of winning the war on crime, much less following his one rule.
The film shows the Joker beating down the city of Gotham and its hero to prove his point, and it shows how people react in a time of terror.
Call me a cynic, but I believe the film did a fantastic job of showing how easily people will turn on the person they praised the day before. Even in the Bible it shows Jesus being praised by people with palm branches one day and the same people cursing him and killing him the next.
One difference from the Bible, however, is that the people end up not being so evil at the core. They may act scared, but that is just because they are scared.
For Two-Face, it is all black and white. You did something bad, you are a bad person. Batman on the other hand believes that people are good, but justice must also be served.
The Joker believes in nothing but chaos. He wants to sow the seeds of chaos and just "wants to watch the world burn." He does evil things just to do them because he believes that life and money hold no importance.
Watching the cartoons and reading the comics as a child and teenager, I could always tell a distinct difference in the way the character was portrayed. In the comic book, the Joker was a homicidal maniac who killed without a second thought. In the cartoons and old television show, the Joker seemed just like a goofy uncle who also liked to rob people.
In the 1985 "Batman," Jack Nicholson does a great job as the Joker, but he leans a little to the campy side and I always felt like it wasn't an accurate portrayal of the villain that made me fear clowns.
Ledger's performance was what Batman fans have been waiting for as long as there have been movies about Batman. He tapped into something no one has been able to capture before and brought the villain from the comic to life. I watched the film and knew that Ledger was playing the Joker, but even with all the hype surrounding his performance, he did such an excellent job at transforming himself into the villain that I would often forget it was an actor. It was like the filmmakers actually hired a crazy clown to play the role of the Joker. I have heard many people say that Ledger deserves a posthumous Academy Award for his performance, and while I am not ready to say I agree, it would take an incredible performance to overshadow the late actor's performance. His performance alone is worth seeing the movie.
While I was a big fan of the film because it delved into the dark side of characters and presented itself almost like a Greek tragedy, not everyone will share my enthusiasm. I was really glad that non-comic book fans enjoyed the film, I also am aware that rating the movie PG-13 was pushing the limits of the rating system. I know that as a 13-year-old I would like the movie because of the action, but I would be terrified of the Joker and Two-Face.
The film is by far the best movie of the summer and arguably one of the best comic book movies ever made. But, then again, I am a comic-book geek.
I don't mind it, however, I have the uncanny ability to get wrapped up in stories and really see all the aspects of what I am watching or reading. I am also able to hold on to things I loved as a child, like comic books and my teddy bear, Chocolate.
One of the many comic books I loved as a child was Batman. I read the comics and watched the cartoon and even watched any episodes I could find of the the 60s television series with Adam West, and I always used to think the comics were so much better than anything in the multi-media platform.
Until two weeks ago.
I was able to finally see "The Dark Knight" and it was everything I was hoping it would be and more. As a fanboy, I could point out that not all of the story-lines were accurate, but I would be nit-picking. The movie was just about perfect.
Before I get to Heath Ledger's absolutely phenomenal performance as the Joker, I would like to point out that Christian Bale is the best Batman to ever cross the screen. People may say his rough and gruff "Batman voice" is over the top, but they would be wrong. The way Bale portrays the crime fighter is straight out of the comics. Beat up the bad guys, put the fear of God into them and then probably fight them again because apparently jails and insane asylums in Gotham are just horrific at keeping inmates locked up.
Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent and Two-Face is also straight out of comic books. Not the way he transforms into the villain, because that was wrong, but the way he portrays his villainous side. Two-Face is the bad guy I like because of his simplicity. He believes in justice, but he also thinks everyone deserves a second chance. For Two-Face it is simple. If you land on the right side of the coin you live, you land on the wrong side, you die. It is such a simple concept, but also one that is very powerful because he is what Batman wishes he could be.
Batman only has one rule: he doesn't kill people. The whole premise of "The Dark Knight" is the Joker trying to convince Batman that people are inherently evil and even the masked crime-fighter has no hope of winning the war on crime, much less following his one rule.
The film shows the Joker beating down the city of Gotham and its hero to prove his point, and it shows how people react in a time of terror.
Call me a cynic, but I believe the film did a fantastic job of showing how easily people will turn on the person they praised the day before. Even in the Bible it shows Jesus being praised by people with palm branches one day and the same people cursing him and killing him the next.
One difference from the Bible, however, is that the people end up not being so evil at the core. They may act scared, but that is just because they are scared.
For Two-Face, it is all black and white. You did something bad, you are a bad person. Batman on the other hand believes that people are good, but justice must also be served.
The Joker believes in nothing but chaos. He wants to sow the seeds of chaos and just "wants to watch the world burn." He does evil things just to do them because he believes that life and money hold no importance.
Watching the cartoons and reading the comics as a child and teenager, I could always tell a distinct difference in the way the character was portrayed. In the comic book, the Joker was a homicidal maniac who killed without a second thought. In the cartoons and old television show, the Joker seemed just like a goofy uncle who also liked to rob people.
In the 1985 "Batman," Jack Nicholson does a great job as the Joker, but he leans a little to the campy side and I always felt like it wasn't an accurate portrayal of the villain that made me fear clowns.
Ledger's performance was what Batman fans have been waiting for as long as there have been movies about Batman. He tapped into something no one has been able to capture before and brought the villain from the comic to life. I watched the film and knew that Ledger was playing the Joker, but even with all the hype surrounding his performance, he did such an excellent job at transforming himself into the villain that I would often forget it was an actor. It was like the filmmakers actually hired a crazy clown to play the role of the Joker. I have heard many people say that Ledger deserves a posthumous Academy Award for his performance, and while I am not ready to say I agree, it would take an incredible performance to overshadow the late actor's performance. His performance alone is worth seeing the movie.
While I was a big fan of the film because it delved into the dark side of characters and presented itself almost like a Greek tragedy, not everyone will share my enthusiasm. I was really glad that non-comic book fans enjoyed the film, I also am aware that rating the movie PG-13 was pushing the limits of the rating system. I know that as a 13-year-old I would like the movie because of the action, but I would be terrified of the Joker and Two-Face.
The film is by far the best movie of the summer and arguably one of the best comic book movies ever made. But, then again, I am a comic-book geek.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Mr. Clean ain't got nothing on me!
I have achieved the impossible. I spent a whole day cleaning...with Sarah. That's right, I got my wife to help me clean. If you don't know Sarah, she HATES to clean. Hates to the point where she would probably rather eat her young than clean up after them.
Well, I finally got her to clean because it was just absolutely necessary. Our apartment was a pig sty. We actually had a pig come ring the doorbell and ask if he could rent the extra room because he said it was "so beautiful" and "reminded him of home."
I know what you're thinking, "Luke, that story is really unrealistic. Apartments don't have doorbells."
Well, it may be unrealistic, but our apartment was really, really messy. We spent all day cleaning and I can honestly say I have never felt better about how I spent a Saturday. We still have work to do, but our apartment is 10 times cleaner than it has ever been. I didn't even know we had carpet in our bedroom until today!
After we were finished cleaning, we decided to treat ourselves to a little gourmet dining. That's right ladies and germs, we went to Chili's-To-Go. When I was there, I realized I was a little short on cash and wasn't able to tip very well. It wasn't a horrible tip, but it wasn't that good either. However, I figured since it was the To-Go section, they didn't deserve that much of a tip. I mean, if the girl came to my house to refill my drink she would deserve one heck of a tip, but as it stands all she does is stand there and hand me what the kitchen staff prepared.
When I handed over my tip and said, "I'm sorry. I know it isn't much of a tip, but I thought I had more money on me." And I could tell she was thinking, "That's okay. Enjoy the spit in your food."
I then actually became terrified that my food had spit in it, but then realized that I am fat and hungry and would probably eat it anyways.
And I did. And it was delicious.
Moral of the story: don't live with regrets. If life gives you lemons, eat them quickly.
Well, I finally got her to clean because it was just absolutely necessary. Our apartment was a pig sty. We actually had a pig come ring the doorbell and ask if he could rent the extra room because he said it was "so beautiful" and "reminded him of home."
I know what you're thinking, "Luke, that story is really unrealistic. Apartments don't have doorbells."
Well, it may be unrealistic, but our apartment was really, really messy. We spent all day cleaning and I can honestly say I have never felt better about how I spent a Saturday. We still have work to do, but our apartment is 10 times cleaner than it has ever been. I didn't even know we had carpet in our bedroom until today!
After we were finished cleaning, we decided to treat ourselves to a little gourmet dining. That's right ladies and germs, we went to Chili's-To-Go. When I was there, I realized I was a little short on cash and wasn't able to tip very well. It wasn't a horrible tip, but it wasn't that good either. However, I figured since it was the To-Go section, they didn't deserve that much of a tip. I mean, if the girl came to my house to refill my drink she would deserve one heck of a tip, but as it stands all she does is stand there and hand me what the kitchen staff prepared.
When I handed over my tip and said, "I'm sorry. I know it isn't much of a tip, but I thought I had more money on me." And I could tell she was thinking, "That's okay. Enjoy the spit in your food."
I then actually became terrified that my food had spit in it, but then realized that I am fat and hungry and would probably eat it anyways.
And I did. And it was delicious.
Moral of the story: don't live with regrets. If life gives you lemons, eat them quickly.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
I Dream of Jeannie...I mean Sarah! I dream of Sarah, only!
Have you ever gone to sleep, had a dream and woken up still kind of thinking the dream was real? I hate that.
I used to have the dream where a girl liked me and was about to kiss me and I had a six-pack and great skin, and then I would wake up confused because I was chubby and alone. That was the worst. I also had a dream my brother died and that was pretty bad...but the girl one was worse. I mean, come on, it's just my brother. How often to I get a chance with a pretty girl?
All that to say that the other night I was dreaming that I finally found a puppy bulldog that was free to adopt. Sarah and I have been wanting to get a bulldog for a while but they are really expensive to purchase as puppies. However, you can adopt an adult for little to nothing.
But Sarah wants a puppy.
Every night I tell her we should just adopt a dog from the pound and every night she says she wants a puppy and then starts describing what the puppy will do and how cute it will be and then she starts talking to the fantasy puppy and I get creeped out.
Well the other night I had a dream that I finally found a puppy that was up for adoption and it was free. I was ecstatic. I told Sarah about the puppy and showed her the puppy, but she said she didn't want it.
I was angry.
Why would she not want this free puppy? She said she didn't like the way it looked or something. I don't recall because right about that time, Sarah's alarm went off and she got up for work. She leaned over to give me a kiss and I rolled over because I was still angry that she didn't want the free puppy. By the time I realized that it was a dream and I had no reason to be mad at the real Sarah, she was out the door on her way to work.
I then had a dream I was a firefighter and there was nothing disappointing about that dream.
I used to have the dream where a girl liked me and was about to kiss me and I had a six-pack and great skin, and then I would wake up confused because I was chubby and alone. That was the worst. I also had a dream my brother died and that was pretty bad...but the girl one was worse. I mean, come on, it's just my brother. How often to I get a chance with a pretty girl?
All that to say that the other night I was dreaming that I finally found a puppy bulldog that was free to adopt. Sarah and I have been wanting to get a bulldog for a while but they are really expensive to purchase as puppies. However, you can adopt an adult for little to nothing.
But Sarah wants a puppy.
Every night I tell her we should just adopt a dog from the pound and every night she says she wants a puppy and then starts describing what the puppy will do and how cute it will be and then she starts talking to the fantasy puppy and I get creeped out.
Well the other night I had a dream that I finally found a puppy that was up for adoption and it was free. I was ecstatic. I told Sarah about the puppy and showed her the puppy, but she said she didn't want it.
I was angry.
Why would she not want this free puppy? She said she didn't like the way it looked or something. I don't recall because right about that time, Sarah's alarm went off and she got up for work. She leaned over to give me a kiss and I rolled over because I was still angry that she didn't want the free puppy. By the time I realized that it was a dream and I had no reason to be mad at the real Sarah, she was out the door on her way to work.
I then had a dream I was a firefighter and there was nothing disappointing about that dream.
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