Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

"Come at once if convenient.  If inconvenient, come all the same."

Sherlock Holmes (Downey Jr) faces his arch nemesis: Professor James Moriarty (Harris).  Moriarty is smart and intelligent, and Holmes equal in every way.  When England is plagued by devastating explosions, all signs point to Moriarty.  But before tackling Moriarty, Holmes has other important matters: Dr. John Watson's (Law) stag party.

At the party, Holmes rescues the gypsy fortune teller, Sim (Rapace) from an assassination attempt.  The next day, after Watson's wedding, Holmes and Moriarty meet face-to-face, and Moriarty threatens Watson and his new bride, Mary (Kelly Reilly).  Holmes leaves Mary in the care of his brother Mycroft (Fry), while he and Watson look for Sim, to find a way to stop Moriarty.  Will they make it in time, or will Moriarty prove to be too smart / prepared for them?


This was an excellent film to see in theaters.  It was a great combination of fun, adventure, suspense, etc.  A successful sequel manages to build on the original story / relationships, while still crafting a new reason to check in with the characters.  This film manages to do both: picking up a few months after the previous film finished and building on the characters, while still creating a brand new story / film.

Once again, the story borrows from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes books, while still crafting a fresh story.  Fans of Doyle's Sherlock Holmes, or any of the other film / TV versions, will pick up aspects of the plot, or have an idea where the plot is heading.  According to Wikipedia (which is not the most trustworthy website), there are plans to make a third Sherlock Holmes film... and I am interested to see where they go next.

Also, through the power of Netflix, I discovered the BBC show Sherlock, which re-imagines the characters in modern times.  There are various film adaptations of the character, if you find yourself interested in previous incarnations.

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011) 129 minutes
Director: Guy Ritchie
Starring: Robert Downey Jr. as Sherlock Holmes
Jude Law as Dr. John Watson
Noomi Rapace as Sim
Jared Harris as Professor Moriarty
Stephen Fry as Mycroft Holmes

Top Cancelled TV Shows #6

Veronica Mars

"Well, actually, despite popular opinion you really can't beat the truth out of someone." 

A year after her best friend, Lily (Amanda Seyfried), is murdered and her father, Keith (Colantoni), loses his job over the case, high school student Veronica Mars (Bell) starts her own investigation.  Investigating isn't cheap.  To fund the search, Veronica takes cases from her classmates and occasionally moonlights for her father's investigations.  With the help of her best friend Wallace (Daggs III), gang leader Weevil (Capra), spoiled rich kid Logan (Dohring), and her ex / Lily's brother Duncan (Dunn), can Veronica find the truth?


I discovered this show after it was cancelled, which is really a shame, since it is that good.  The show just starts up, throwing you into the action from the beginning and sets up the main plot: who killed Lily Kane?  The story is interesting and the cast engaging.  Kristen Bell shines as Veronica, making her 3 dimensional from the beginning: smart, funny, tough, etc.  She has great chemsitry with Enrico Colantoni who plays her father; they are the highlights of the show.  And it has a great theme song "We Used to be Friends" by the Dandy Warhols.

Every episode features a mini-case for Veronica to solve.  Season 1 focuses on the Lily Kane murder.  The second season revolves around Veronica's senior year and a mysterious bus crash that killed several students.  In the final season, Veronica and friends go to community college, where the problems are bigger and are not fully solved by the end of the season.  It's a pity they only got 3 seasons for this show... show creator Rob Thomas later went on to create the Party Down, with several of the characters / guest stars from this show.

Veronica Mars (2004-2007)
Created by: Rob Thomas
Starring: Kristen Bell as Veronica Mars
Percy Daggs III as Wallace Fennel
Jason Dohring as Logan Echolls
Teddy Dunn as Duncan Kane
Francis Capra as Eli "Weevil" Navarro
Enrico Colantoni as Keith Mars
Ryan Hansen as Dick Casablancas
Tina Majorino as Cindy "Mac" Mackenzie
Michael Muhney as Sheriff Don Lamb

Les dents de la nuit: Vampire Party

Sam (Mille) never misses a party.  On a night out with his best friends, perpetually single Prune (Fournier) and newly heartbroken Alice (Bel), they get invited to the most exclusive party ever.  The guests are taken by helicopter to a remote island.

Unbeknownst to the guests, the party is hosted by vampires, Le Duc de Journiac (Karyo), who plan to make the guests their next meal.  As the vampires descend, the survivors: awkward Edouard (Desagnat), celebrity dentist Serge Krinine (Karmann), ditzy trophy wife Jessica (de Fougerolles), and Paul Lefranc (Dulery), band together to survive the evening.  Will anyone make it home?


I found this film through Netflix... For whatever reason, I was on a comedy-horror kick, and thought this one looked good.  The film is in French, with subtitles at the bottom.  While a lot happens, you can still read the subtitles and keep up with the action.  The plot and action is a bit silly, but it works here.

Not appropriate for children... the film features nudity and language.  Despite that, it is a great spoof of the genre.  From the opening animated sequence, to the end credits dance marathon,  it is a fun-filled adventure movie.

Vampire Party [Les dents de la nuit] (2008) 85 minutes
Director: Stephen Cafiero & Vincent Lobelle
Starring: Patrick Mille as Sam Polisatokoniminsky
Frederique Bel as Alice Wouhou
Julie Fournier as Prune Descoins
Vincent Desagnat as Edouard Slippe
Sam Karmann as Serge Krinine
Helene de Fougerolles as Jessica Conti
Antoine Dulery as Paul Lefranc
Tcheky Karyo as Le Duc de Journiac

Captain America: The First Avenger

"I asked for an army. All I got is you."

Steve Rogers (Evans) is a short, skinny guy with a history of health problems, but an abundance of determination.  He is determined to find a way to join the military, despite many rejections.  He makes one last ditch effort, and is met by Dr. Abraham Erskine (Tucci), who offers Steve the opportunity to join an elite military team.  The men on the team are the best of the best, undergoing intensive training by Colonel Chester Phillips (Jones), to compete for a top prize.

Despite being the smallest man on the team, Steve continues to impress Erskine, while Colonel Phillips has doubts.  In the end, Steve is chosen when he is the only person to pass the final test.  Steve is injected with special serum, to make him the ultimate soldier.  The project is a success, but the lab is destroyed and Dr. Erskine is murdered.  Can Steve's new alter-ego Captain America save the day, or will he be forced to spend his days being a symbol?


The fifth film in the Marvel Studios cannon, this film had a lot to live up to: it needed to be at the same level as the previous 4 films (Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, and Thor), while psyching the audience up for 2012's Avengers.  Thankfully, this film manages to do both.  It is an entertaining action film, that works with the Captain America comics, while still introducing the character to a larger audience.  The Captain is updated, instead of just serving as a symbol for America, he is a guy trying to do the right thing... making him more accessible to a mass audience.  The story also serves to setup the next film, and explain how the Captain can appear, essentially unchanged, in that film.

At first I was a little concerned about Chris Evans portraying this character.  I have nothing against the man, but he previously portrayed another superhero: Johnny Storm / Human Torch in the Fantastic 4 films (original and Rise of the Silver Surfer).  But now that I have seen the film, I can't imagine any other actor in this role.  Good call casting people!  Hugo Weaving was an excellent choice to play the Red Skull... he just does menacing so well.  And Dominic Cooper was a welcome addition as Tony Stark / Iron Man's father Howard.  We first saw this character in Iron Man 2 (portrayed by John Slattery), but it was interesting to see him as a young man.

I'm intrigued to see where TPTB take this character in The Avengers and subsequent Marvel Studios films.

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) 124 minutes
Director: Joe Johnston
Starring: Chris Evans as Steve Rogers / Captain America
Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter
Hugo Weaving as Johann Schmidt / Red Skull
Sebastian Stan as Sergeant James "Bucky" Barnes
Tommy Lee Jones as Colonel Chester Phillips
Dominic Cooper as Howard Stark
Stanley Tucci as Dr. Abraham Erskine

Tucker & Dale vs. Evil

"Don't be sorry, it's my fault. I should have known if a guy like me talked to a girl like you, somebody would end up dead."

Hillbillies Tucker (Tudyk) and Dale (Labine) are headed to their dream vacation home: a dilapidated cabin in the woods.  A group of carefree college kids are vacationing nearby.  After an awkward encounter and the tale of a hillbilly psycho killer, the college kids are wary of Tucker and Dale.  That night, Allison (Bowden) hits her head on a rock and is saved by Tucker and Dale, but her friends see the rescue as kidnapping.

The next morning the college kids, led by Chad (Moss), find the cabin and plan to rescue Allison by any means necessary.  Misunderstandings pile up, like the body count.  Will anyone survive this bloody vacation?


Writers Morgan Jurgenson and Eli Craig (director) wanted to turn the tables on horror cliches.  Audiences are used to the story of the deranged hillbillies that terrorize the vacationing college kids... so why change it up?  Here, the hillbillies are the product of many misunderstandings, as the paranoid college kids attack.  The film plays as a dark comedy, finding humor despite the blood.

Tyler Labine (Reaper) anchors the film as Dale.  His Dale is a lovable, but dimwitted, and gets the best lines / reactions to the events.  Character actor Alan Tudyk plays the exasperated straight man, to Labine.  Tudyk and Labine have excellent, believable chemistry.  Katrina Bowden, of 30 Rock, also has strong chemistry with Labine.  While this part is less showy than 30 Rock role, Bowden still shines.  And Jesse Moss has the most interesting character, who undergoes the biggest change from start to finish.  It is an interesting cast, with Tudyk as the biggest name, that really sell the story.

Despite a brilliant screen and a unique idea, it took over three years for Jurgenson and Craig's vision to come to the big screen.  And when it did, it only received limited billing.  It was finally released to Netflix in November 2011, nearly a year after it was in theaters.  I had been excited about this film, since I first heard about it in 2010.  When it finally arrived, I was concerned that maybe it wouldn't live up to all the excitement I felt (I love Tudyk and had just discovered Labine when the film was released in 2010, so I had high expectations), but thankfully it did not disappoint.  It may not be the easiest film to find, but it is definitely worth the search.

Tucker & Dale vs. Evil (2010) 89 minutes
Rating: R for bloody horror violence, language and brief nudity.
Director: Eli Craig
Starring: Tyler Labine as Dale
Alan Tudyk as Tucker
Katrina Bowden as Allison
Jesse Moss as Chad

The Muppets

"I always dreamed we'd be back here."
"Dreams? Those were nightmares!"

Walter, a Muppet, has been the Muppets biggest fan since childhood.  The Muppets gave him hope, and .  He travels to Los Angeles with his brother Gary (Segel) and Gary's girlfriend Mary (Adams) to see the Muppet Studio, but is devastated to find it in ruins.  While wandering through the office, Walter overhears a plot to demolish the Muppet Theater to drill for oil, by oil tycoon Tex Richman (Cooper).  But there is a loophole, if the Muppets can raise $10 million, they can save the theater.

However, the Muppets have not performed together or seen each other for years.  They find Kermit the Frog, living alone in a mansion... surrounded by memories.  He agrees to help find his friends, and with 80's Robot behind the wheel, they begin the search.

After finding their friend, the Muppets are repeatedly turned down by TV studios, since they are no longer famous.  CDE executive Veronica (Jones) agrees to air the Muppet telethon, after another show is cancelled, if they can find a celebrity host.  So Kermit digs into his rolodex to find a host, while his friends get the theater ready.

Meanwhile, Richman and associates, Uncle Deadly and Bobo the Bear, learn of the proposed telethon and begin their plan (including maniacal laughter) to stop the Muppets.  Can the Muppets find a host and put on a show



It has been over a decade since the last time the Muppets hit the big screen (Muppets from Space).  The quality of Muppet features have declined and left fans wondering if the Muppets would ever return to their former glory.  Thankfully the film was written by Muppet fans (co-written by Jason Segel), who manage to honor the Muppet legacy while breathing new life into the characters.  Segel proved his skill with puppets in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, when his character wrote and performed a puppet musical about Dracula (which was one of the best sequences in the film).

This film also marked the first time Frank Oz, one of the Muppet creators, did not perform his characters.  You can hear it in Fozzie Bear (and is slightly distracting at first), but the voice difference is subtle or completely undetectable in his other characters (i.e. Miss Piggy).  The only original Muppet puppeteer to participate in this film is Dave Goelz.  Steve Whitmire and Bill Barretta have performed in other Muppet movies (and other Henson Production shows, like Fraggle Rock and Sesame Street).

It is a family friendly film, that doesn’t resort to cheap laughs (except for the fart shoes, but they only appear briefly and don't deter from the film).  It doesn’t talk down to the audience, but still provides laughs for all ages.  The characters often break the 4th wall and talk directly to the audience or commenting about the film,

“Wow, that was such an expensive looking explosion! I can't believe we had that in the budget.”

The songs are catchy, and written by Flight of the Conchords star Bret McKenzie, check out “Life’s a Happy Song.”  They also included new variations of songs from the original movie: “The Rainbow Connection” and “Mahna Mahna.”

The film also featured many Muppets that have not appeared for years.  This marks the first time since Jim Henson's death that Rowlf spoke (they felt this character was the closest to Henson's personality, and retired him).  They also brought back many obscure Muppets who only appeared in the TV show, and gave Uncle Deadly a plum part.  And they pay homage to previous Muppet films: Bobo the Bear (who was the funniest character in Muppets from Space) once again chooses the wrong side, Sweetums has to chase after the car (like The Muppet Movie), etc.

The film features funny celebrity cameos, most appear in the various trailers for the film (but there are still a few surprises I won't spoil for you).  All of the celebs join the Muppets to perform a special song over the end credits.  An excellent addition to the Muppet cannon.

The Muppets (2011) 98 minutes
Director: James Bobin
Starring: Jason Segel as Gary
Amy Adams as Mary
Chris Cooper as Tex Richman
Rashida Jones as Veronica Martin
Steve Whitmire as Kermit, Beaker, Statler, and others
Eric Jacobson as Miss Piggy, Fozzie, Animal, and others
Dave Goelz as Gonzo, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, and others
Bill Barretta as Swedish Chef, Rowlf, and others
David Rudman as Scooter, and others
Matt Vogel as Sgt. Floyd Pepper, Camilla, Sweetums, and others
Peter Linz as Walter