Grown Ups

"You see that? You just aim for a spot and shoot the ball there?"
"It's true. Your dad has won over 50 games with that shot."
"Really? Because that shot doesn't work on the Wii."
"Well, you should Wii-turn that Wii and get yourself a Wii-fund. Tim Duncan has had over a hundred game winners with that shot."

In 1978, Coach Bobby "Buzzer" Ferdinando (Blake Clark) leads five boys to win the local basketball championship.  Thirty years later the boys, who were best friends for years, are reunited at the Coach's funeral.

• Lenny (Sandler) was the best player on the team and is now a Hollywood agent, married to fashion designer Roxanne (Hayek), with three children.
• Kurt (Rock) is a stay-at-home dad, relentlessly mocked by his two children and angry mother-in-law (Ebony Jo-Ann), while his pregnant wife Deanne (Rudolph) has a corporate job.
• Eric (James) co-owns a lawn furniture company and is married to Sally (Bello), who still breastfeeds their four year old son, they also have a daughter.
• Marcus (Spade) is a commitment-phobe womanizer who never married.
• And eccentric Rob (Schneider) has been divorced three times with three teenage daughters that hate him, he is currently married to Gloria (Van Patten) who is thirty years older.

After the funeral, all five families converge on the cabin where they used to spend summers.  They may be adults, but don't expect them to act like it!


Based on the trailers (and Adam Sandler's track record lately), I was wasn't expecting much or planning to see this film.  However, my roommate and a few other friends raved about it... so I took a chance and I have to admit it was funnier than I expected.

The cast has great chemistry, and they should since most have worked together before and / or been friends for years.  Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, David Spade, and Rob Schneider were cast members on Saturday Night Live (SNL) in the 1990s and regularly appear in movies together, or have memorable cameos.  They seem to really enjoy working together.  Kevin James fits nicely into the group and has an easy chemistry with everyone.  A good portion of the rest of the cast, specifically the basketball rivals, are also SNL alumni.

Unlike other recent Sandler films, this film is funny and relatively clean.  His films tend to be funny or have a funny premise, but the overabundance of crude / tasteless jokes get in the way... not to say they aren't good comedies, but I don't enjoy them as much.  This film managed to be a family film, while still capturing the humor of other Sandler films.

Better than expected!

Grown Ups (2010) 102 minutes
Rating: PG-13 for crude material including suggestive references, language and some male rear nudity.
Director: Dennis Dugan
Starring: Adam Sandler as Lenny Feder
Kevin James as Eric Lamonsoff
Chris Rock as Kurt McKenzie
David Spade as Marcus Higgins
Rob Schneider as Rob Hilliard
Salma Hayek as Roxanne Chase-Feder
Maria Bello as Sally Lamonsoff
Maya Rudolph as Deanne McKenzie
Joyce Van Patten as Gloria

The Expendables

"Only an idiot would do this job."
"How much?"
"Like I said."

The best mercenaries are known as the Expendables.  Led by Barney Ross (Stallone), the men are good friends, that get the job done.  On one routine mission, one member of the team, Gunner Jensen (Lundgren) goes rogue and has to be subdued by the rest of the team, and is fired once they get home.

The team is contacted by Mr. Church (Bruce Willis) with a job offer: to take down a dictator, General Garza (Zavas), in South America.  Barney and the team: knife expert Lee Christmas (Stratham), big gun enthusiast Hale Caesar (Crews), martial arts expert Yin Yang (Li), and superstitious Toll Road (Couture).; go to South America and find that there is a worse problem then the general.  Former CIA Agent James Munroe (Roberts) and his team of muscle are the puppet masters behind the general's ruling style and actions.  Can they save the day, get the girls, and get out with the entire team intact?


Don't go into this film expecting much plot wise.  There isn't much of a plot... the film focuses more on the impressive action sequences.  The characters are not fully developed.  Most of the Expendable team do not have backgrounds and do not appear on screen much.  The film focuses on Sylvester Stallone and Jason Statham's characters.  They are the focus, their characters actually have dimension, unlike the rest of the cast.

The male cast consists of well-known action stars and former athletes, with a few exceptions.  With that reputation, the action sequences need to be excellent, and they were.  The action sequences are well done.  These are the best actors in the genre, and know what they are doing.  They each get a chance to shine and get their own battle.  There are several fights and many explosions.

The two female characters don't do much.  Charisma Carpenter plays the girlfriend of Jason Statham's character.  She is in a few scenes, but is not really a necessary character, except to show the personal life of one character.  The other female character is Giselle Itie as Sandra, their contact in South America.  She is a tough character and gets a decent amount of screen time, but I do not believe her connection with Sylvester Stallone's character.  The other extraneous character is Mickey Rourke's Tool.  He was only in a few scenes, but there was no purpose for his character.

The acting and plot were .... eh.  The action was great!

The Expendables (2010) 103 minutes
Rating: R for strong action and bloody violence throughout, and for some language.
Director: Sylvester Stallone
Starring: Sylvester Stallone as Barney Ross
Jason Statham as Lee Christmas
Jet Li as Yin Yang
Dolph Lundgren as Gunner Jensen
Eric Roberts as James Munroe
Randy Couture as Toll Road
Steve Austin as Dan Paine
David Zavas as General Garza
Giselle Itie as Sandra
Charisma Carpenter as Lacy
Gary Daniels as The Brit
Terry Crews as Hale Caesar
Mickey Rourke as Tool

Iron Man 2

"You have A big gun, you're not THE big gun."
"Yeah, it's called being a badass."

Six months after revealing his secret identity as Iron Man, life has become complicated for Tony Stark (Downey Jr.).  Despite using the suit to bring about a time of peace and his immense popularity, not everyone is happy or impressed with Tony's antics.  He is under pressure from the U.S. government, led by Senator Stern (Garry Shandling), the military, and the press to turn over the Iron Man suit.  His best friend, Lieutenant Colonel Jim Rhodes (Cheadle), is under orders to take one of the suits for the military to study and arm for use in battle.

Russian Ivan Vanko (Rourke) uses the same technology to create his own armor with electronic whips.  His father worked on the original technology with Tony Stark's father (John Slattery), and Ivan comes after Tony seeking revenge.  After Tony subdues Ivan and sends him to prison, Ivan is rescued by Tony's rival, Justin Hammer (Rockwell).  Hammer is sick of losing everything to Tony and hires Ivan to create an army of Iron Man suits.

Meanwhile, Tony learns that the Iron Man suit, powered by the reactor in his body, is killing him.  He has been trying unsuccessfully to find a solution.  He gives control of the company to his assistant, Pepper Potts (Paltrow), and hires accountant Natalie Rushman (Johansson) to replace her.  With Nick Fury (Jackson) from S.H.I.E.L.D. checking in, can Tony find the cure and defeat Ivan?


Sequels can be hit or miss... a good concept that delivers a great movie can be hard to duplicate and improve without boring the audience.  While the first Iron Man film was great, this film is just o.k.

The action sequences are great.  Executed well without being overly done or hard to follow.

The cast is good.  Robert Downey Jr. continues to bring charm and believability to the screen.  This film isn't as kind to Tony, he has problems (and dives into alcohol), but somehow the audience still cheers for him.  Don Cheadle replaces Terrence Howard as Jim Rhodes and is a good fit for the role.  He has easy chemistry with Downey and makes you forget that anyone else portrayed the character.  Mickey Rourke brings the creepy and malicious as Ivan, and Sam Rockwell is perfect as the slimy Justin Hammer.  Gweneth Paltrow is good...  And then there is Scarlett Johansson's Natalie / Natasha.  Is there any point to her character other than an excuse to put a woman in a skin tight outfit?  Otherwise, the casting is excellent.

**This film is the third in the Marvel Comics film franchise (Iron Man in 2008, The Incredible Hulk in 2008).  While each film stands on its own, they all tie together to culminate in the 2012 Avengers movie.  The final scene of Iron Man sets up the S.H.I.E.L.D. Initiative with Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury who tells Tony Stark about the Hulk.  Downey appears in The Incredible Hulk as Tony Stark.  This film shows Captain America's shield (Captain America: The First Avenger will be released this year) and the final scene, after the credits, sets up the next film (Thor also set to release in 2011).  All of these superheroes, plus a few that haven't had their own films yet, will be the Avengers.  Smart move Marvel: creating your own world of interconnected film.  Savvy business / marketing.  I do look forward to seeing these films... I probably should have seen The Incredible Hulk prior to seeing this film, but that character does not interest me as much.

Not awesome, but still a decent action / superhero pic.

Iron Man 2 (2010) 124 minutes
Rating: PG-13
Director: Jon Favreau
Starring: Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark / Iron Man
Don Cheadle as Lt. Col. James Rhodes / War Machine
Gweneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts
Scarlett Johansson as Natalie Rushman / Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow
Sam Rockwell as Justin Hammer
Mickey Rourke as Ivan Vanko / Whiplash
Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury

Paul

"Whats the matter Clive?"
"There is an alien in the kitchen making bagels and coffee."
"Did you want tea?"
"No, I don't want tea!"
"Right, because tea is weird in America."

British comic book fans Clive (Frost) and Graeme (Pegg) are taking an extended vacation to the U.S. to see the sights: Comic Con and a roadtrip, in an RV, of all the alien hotspots in the Midwest.  On the first night on the road they witness a car accident and meet Paul (Rogen).  Paul is an alien that crash landed in Wyoming in the 1940s and has been living on a top-secret military base.  Paul just wants to go home, so Clive and Graeme agree to give him a ride.  Along the way they accidentally kidnap Ruth (Wiig), and soon the three timid humans and stoner alien are the run from Agent Zoil (Bateman), two incompetent government agents (Hader & Truglio), and Ruth’s gun-toting uber-religious father (Lynch).

Stars / writers Simon Pegg & Nick Frost lovingly lampoon the sci-fi genre, including cameos by well-known sci-fi staples and stars.  With references to numerous sci-fi films and TV shows, it will appeal to fans of the genre with jokes that the rest of the audience will not understand.  Fans of their previous collaborations (Spaced, Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz) will be disappointed.  It is a funny film, but not as good as their work with director Edgar Wright.  Overall, the film feels like Superbad (also directed by Mottola).  Pegg and Frost are good writers, but the film is missing something...

The entire cast is comedy gold, with each major player getting a moment to shine.  Pegg and Frost have incredible chemistry and Seth Rogen is surprisingly good as Paul, adding an interesting dynamic to their friendship.  Bill Hader and Joe Lo Truglio have the best transformation: from clueless agents that play hide-and-seek while waiting for something to happen, to renegade agents with weapons that work.

 

There is an entire subplot focusing on Kristen Wiig's Christian character.  The script / other characters don't hold back on their feelings about Christianity, and they even have Paul dispel a significant amount of Christian beliefs.  It was an unnecessary and a major turnoff for me... maybe that is part of the reason I didn't love this film.  I understand there is a significant divide between Christians and scientists, (trust me, I work with scientists, and have had numerous discussions about faith versus science) but was it really necessary to attack a portion of your audience (not all Christians are fanatics, why are we typically portrayed as such?).

Funny, especially if you know the genre… but disappointing to Pegg / Frost fans.

Paul (2011) 104 minutesRating: R for language including sexual references, and some drug use.
Director: Greg Mottola
Starring: Simon Pegg as Graeme Willy
Nick Frost as Clive Gollings
Seth Rogen as Paul
Kristen Wiig as Ruth Buggs
Jason Bateman as Agent Zoil
Bill Hader as Haggard
Joe Lo Truglio as O'Reilly

Easy A

"The rumors of my promiscuity have been greatly exaggerated."

Quirky teen Olive (Stone) is a good student that tends to fade into the background.  But one little lie later and she is the talk of the school.  Enjoying the attention, she agrees to a fake fling with friend Brandon (Byrd) who is being bullied.  After their public fling, Olive is labeled as a slut and becomes the target of the school’s conservation Christian group, led by Marianne (Bynes).

Their English class, led by Mr. Griffith (Haden Church), is reading “The Scarlet Letter,” which leads Olive to rethink her overall reputation.  She buys a new wardrobe and sews a red ‘A’ on every top.  While half the school thinks she is sleeping around, the other half are bribing her to lie about having a relationship to promote their school status.  Her parents (Clarkson & Tucci) are supportive, but don’t know about her reputation.  With her childhood crush, the school mascot, Woodchuck Todd (Badgley), waiting in the wings, what will Olive choose popularity or self-esteem?

Stone's Olive, is funny and smart.  She actually knows classic literature, she is the only person in class to actually read "The Scarlet Letter" and not just reference the 1995 film version.  This is the type of character that works best for Stone.  After memorable, scene stealing turns in "The House Bunny" and "Zombieland," Stone has proved she can do comedy and has leading lady potential.

The cast has great dialogue and chemistry.  Tucci and Clarkson standout as Olive's eccentric parents.  Their scenes are consistently funny and memorable.  The teenage guys, Badgley and Byrd made the jump from TV ("Gossip Girls" and "Cougar Town" respectively), and work well in their roles.

A funny film, but not appropriate for children.  Looking forward to seeing Stone headlining more comedy films and seeing where her career goes from here.

Easy A (2010) 92 minutes

Rating: PG-13 for mature thematic elements involving teen sexuality, language and some drug material.

Director: Will Gluck

Starring: Emma Stone as Olive

Penn Badgley as Woodchuck Todd

Amanda Bynes as Marianne

Dan Byrd as Brandon

Thomas Hayden Church as Mr. Griffith

Patricia Clarkson as Rosemary

Cam Gigandet as Micah

Lisa Kudrow as Mrs. Griffith

Malcolm McDowell as Principal Gibbons

Stanley Tucci as Dill

The A-Team

"Why we in a fallin' tank?"
"Because the plane exploded!"
"What plane, what, when?"
"Recently! Reapers shot it down!"
"Reapers? What reapers?"
"The same ones that are trying to kill us now!"

A group of Army Rangers, known as the A-Team can get any job done and are considered a major asset to the war.  The A-Team consists of leader Colonel Hannibal Smith (Neeson) who always has a plan, smooth-talking ladies man Faceman Peck (Cooper), musclebound B.A. Baracus (Jackson), and their crazy pilot Murdock (Copely).  The plan is sabotaged during one mission and they are framed for murder and stealing.  They are arrested, dishonorably discharged, and imprisioned in different prisons.

A few months later, CIA agent Lynch (Wilson) helps Hannibal escape to catch the real criminals and recover the stolen U.S. Treasury plates.  After breaking the rest of the team out of prison, they have to find a way to bring Pike (Bloom) to justice, while staying one step ahead of Face's ex Charissa Sosa (Biel) who originally arrested them.


Growing up, I often watched reruns of the 1980's TV show The A-Team (1983-1987).  George Peppard's Hannibal always smoked a cigar and had a plan, Dirk Benedict's Face was usually suave, Mr. T's B.A. had a catchphrase "I pity the fool," and Dwight Schultz's Murdock had a slew of crazy voices and behaviors.  It was a fun show... formulaic, but the chemistry between the leads was great and it was usually funny.

The filmmakers tried to capture the spirit of the show, while updating the story and adding some violence & bloodshed (the show was not heavy on action or violence).  And overall they succeeded.  Liam Neeson hams it up and looks like he is having a blast filling Peppard's shoes.  Bradley Cooper is the best choice for Face... he is smooth, charismatic, and sarcastic (he gets some great lines) and a popular actor.  Sharlto Copely steals the show as Murdock.  He was an unexpected choice, a little known actor who had only appeared in a dramatic film, but throws himself into the role.  You can't wait for him to be on screen to see what he will do next.  UFC Champion Quinton Jackson is o.k. as B.A.  He does alright with the material, especially since he is not an actor.  Patrick Wilson is great as the slimy Lynch.  Jessica Biel is a more of a plot device... which is good since she isn't a great actress.  She makes the part work, but thankfully the character is not the main focus of the film.

Good for what it is... action with a little humor.  Check out the TV show before you watch.
The A-Team (2010) 117 minutes
Rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of action and violence throughout, language and smoking.
Director: Joe Carnahan
Starring: Liam Neeson as Colonel Hannibal Smith
Bradley Cooper as Lieutenant "Faceman" Peck
Jessica Biel as Captain Charissa Sosa
Quinton "Rampage" Jackson as Sergeant B.A. Baracus
Sharlto Copely as Captain "Howling Mad" Murdock
Patrick Wilson as Lynch
Brian Bloom as Pike

The Book of Eli

"Its like he's protected somehow, nothing can touch him."
"He's just a man, put a bullet in him and he'll go down like any other."

In a post-apocalyptic world, life is hard.  The sun is scorching, requiring sunglasses all day, and water is in short supply, and people stick together to survive.  One man, Eli (Washington), travels west with precious cargo: a book.  He survives by foraging abandoned homes for supplies and staying away from people.

He comes to a town, ruthlessly run by Carnegie (Oldman).  Carnegie is a literate man that remembers the way life used to be.  He sends thugs, led by Redridge (Stevenson), on the road to find a book that will give him limitless power.  When Carnegie learns that Eli can read, he sends his prize, Solara (Kunis), to convince Eli to stay.  But Solara learns that Eli has a book... and is forced to tell Carnegie when he threatens her blind mother, Claudia (Beals).  Will Eli ever reach his destination?


I don't tend to watch post-apocalyptic films ... just not interested.  But my roommate raved about this film, so I decided to give it a chance.

The filmmakers force you to pay attention... they use silence frequently throughout.  The first words are spoken eight minutes into the film.  They don't waste time on long soliloquies or overindulgent monologues,  every word is intentional.  But the focus of the film is the visuals, so pay attention and you'll figure it all out.

An interesting film, worth a look.

The Book of Eli (2010) 118 minutes
Rating: R for some brutal violence and language
Director: Albert Hughes and Allen Hughes
Starring: Denzel Washington as Eli
Gary Oldman as Carnegie
Mila Kunis as Solara
Ray Stevenson as Redridge
Jennifer Beals as Claudia

Winter's Bone

"Maybe they'll share some of that with us."
"That could be."
"Maybe we should ask."
"Never ask for what oughta be offered."

Seventeen year old, Ree Dolly (Lawrence) has given up school and dreams for the future to care for her family.  Her father, Jessup, is in jail for making crystal meth.  Her mother is mentally ill, so Ree is left to care for her younger siblings: Sonny (Isaiah Stone) and Ashlee (Ashlee Thompson).  When Jessup is paroled, Sheriff Baskin (Dillahunt) pays a visit to the Dolly home.  Jessup used the family home as collateral, if he misses his court date, they will lose the house.

But no one has seen Jessup since his release, so Ree begins asking questions and looking for him.  Jessup's associates, the Milton family, are less then helpful, and his brother,Teardrop (Hawkes), tells Ree to stop looking.  Can Ree protect her family and find her father?


If this film had not been nominated for various awards this year, I probably would never have found it.  Unlike other nominated films that turned out to be DUDS, this film delivered.  The film has a grayish hue... all the colors are muted (which really makes the blood stand out).  The story was interesting... gritty and filled with a slew of fascinating characters.

The cast is comprised of unknowns or character actors who are able to disappear into characters.  Obviously the standout performances are Jennifer Lawrence as Ree, who centers the film in an unflinching performance, and John Hawkes as the conflicted Teardrop.  Both actors were nominated for these roles.  Ree isn't a little princess waiting to be rescued, or a tough girl with weapons and battle training / experience... she is doing whatever it takes to keep her family together: wielding a shotgun and teaching her siblings how to skin a squirrel.  It's not pretty, but it is necessary.

Worth checking out!

Winter's Bone (2010) 100 minutes
Rating: R for some drug material, language and violent content.
Director: Debra Granik
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence as Ree Dolly
John Hawkes as Teardrop Dolly
Lauren Sweetser as Gail
Garret Dillahunt as Sheriff Baskin
Dale Dickey as Merab Milton