Retro Review: Zathura

Ten years ago, a little family film called Jumanji, based on a hit children’s book, was released and made us all love board games again.

Robin Williams in an action adventure for kids, what a concept and it was a box office goldmine.

With its huge success, the people behind Jumanji had wanted to make a sequel instead they came up with the idea for an animated television series based on the film.

The series was launched in 1996 and it was a hit for three years. Now Jumanji mania seems to have returned as the launch of Zathura is upon us.

Zathura isn’t a sequel to Jumanji but another book from the same author of Jumanji, Chris Van Allsburg, with a very similar premise.

The premise in case you forgot is that these kids find this old cursed board game that when played the events that transpire in the game come to life. In Jumanji, it was a jungle theme and Zathura it’s an outer space theme.

Zathura is quite a fun little movie when the kids aren’t screaming and the overly long opening setup has concluded. The performances from all the kids including Panic Room’s Kristen Stewart are excellent.

I also liked the performance from Dax Shepherd as the stranded astronaut. I just thought he should have been zanier.

The visual effects and the piece-by-piece destruction of the house are the hi-lights of the film. Everything about it was just so much fun.

I felt the brother squabbling and really trying beginning to the film held back the impact.

I also would have really have liked to see more of Kristen Stewart in the film.

It would have been great to see more of her mixing it up in the adventure side of the film.

I really like Jon Favreau as a director but he needs to find a balance in his projects. In this project, Favreau excelled in the effects scenes but left the personal scenes overly dull. In “Made”, he focused more on belittling his main guys than scoring laughs. The guy has a great eye but needs to balance his focuses like he did for the majority of “Elf”.

As a kids film, Zathura excels and will make all the kids scream to be space adventurers. I just really think the film needed more humor and less melodrama.

(3.5 out of 5)

So Says the Soothsayer

Retro Review: What Women Want?

Written: December 18, 2000

Since the inception of man there has always been one nagging question, what is the opposite sex thinking about? Well in the new movie from Paramount Pictures Mel Gibson gets that chance.

Mel Gibson stars as an advertising executive who has a freak accident in his bathroom and gains the ability to look into the minds of the opposite sex. While Gibson is playing with his new found clairvoyance, an assertive new female executive (Helen Hunt) is moving in on his job. Can Gibson’s new gift help him learn about the female psyche and save his job? Or will he finally be the first male to actually understand the opposite sex?

In a subtle meaning filled look, Gibson can melt hearts. With each of these looks one can see why he is so appealing. I loved how the film showcased this subtle talent in some of the scenes with Helen Hunt. But for this critic it was Hunt who seemed a little lost when performing with Gibson.

She did her very best to convey her “Mad About You” comedic timing (which won her an Academy Award, snicker). In most of the romantic scenes she really never brought anything new to the material which is very sad. I mean couldn’t they have cast a woman that has more chemistry on film with Gibson. I have liked some of her performances in the past but in here she seems a little lost.

Another small problem I had with the picture was the subplot involving the daughter and only really one scene really used that comedic angle. The scene I speak of is the one where they are shopping for the prom dress. It was quite hilarious.

Placing aside the negatives, “What Women Want” is a delightful comedy that has a great ensemble cast surrounding Gibson and that in itself is a real treat to watch. I loved watching such a great assortment of female characters that are a great positive in this film. Some of that ensemble includes actresses ranging from Marisa Tomei to Delta Burke to Lauren Holly. In conclusion, I would suggest bringing your significant other to this one. I would give you a chance to get out of the deathly cold and let you have a couple hours of romance.

(3.5 out of 5)

So Says the Soothsayer.

Retro Review: Joe Somebody

Written: December 14, 2001

Tim Allen, the gracious accident-prone tool man of television stumbles into the big screen in a comedy about how the workplace can be so much like our school days.

Allen stars as Joe Scheffer, a recently divorced dad who works in a dead-end job at a socially inept pharmaceutical company. Joe is struggling to find his way out of watching his ex-wife (Kelly Lynch) leave him for a younger man (Ken Marino).

One day, Joe decides to bring Natalie, his 12-year old daughter (Hayden Panettiere), to work Just when Joe is about to take a parking spot he is cheated out of the spot by another executive named Mark McKinney (Patrick Warburton). Joe confronts McKinney about the spot and is beaten up by McKinney in front of his co-workers and more importantly his daughter. This event shatters Joe’s world and the pharmaceutical company sends Meg Harper (Julie Bowen), the company’s Human Resources Manager, over to talk with Joe. After talking with Meg, Joe eventually decides the only way to become a better man again is to face McKinney in the fight to end all fights. Will Joe take Mark? How will Joe’s new found infamy at work effect his personal relationships?

Joe Somebody is another example of those comedies where the trailers spoil all the good parts. I really like Tim Allen and his forthcoming movie Big Trouble is a wickedly hilarious film. The sad thing is that Joe suffers from a very high degree of immaturity. Do we ever believe for a second that this was a really feasible event that could or would happen?

Allen’s daughter in the film was the little scene-stealer in the film, Remember the Titans and here the daughter is just as precious. However the film really uses her as more of a representative of the emotional side of Allen’s character. This counter-acts with believability of the script. I like the little actress but she is almost too good for this kind of fare.

Julie Bowen is also an interesting choice as the romantic lead. She continues her fresh and subtle approach that she has honed to almost perfection in the critically-adored NBC TV series ED. She could be the next Meg Ryan if she plays her cards right. She definitely has a lot of the same traits as Meg. (No pun intended)

The gem of the film lies in the relationship between James Belushi and Tim Allen. I really enjoyed their chemistry and their comedic antics. The scenes with Belushi teaching Allen self defense will probably be what audiences will remember the most about this film. Sadly that could be all they remember.

To borrow a quote from the movie, the Thrilla’ in Vanilla isn’t that sweet.

(2.5 of 5)

So Says the Soothsayer.

Retro Review: Superman Returns

Back in 1978, one film promised that audiences would believe that in fact a man could fly. That man was Christopher Reeve and he was Superman. The film went on to become the staple to how to bring a superhero to the silver screen.

It has been nearly 30 years since we witnessed Christopher Reeve’s Superman fly up the side of a building and save a falling Margot Kidder’s Lois Lane and her helicopter.

But how do you go back embrace the passion and majesty of those first two Superman films and find a way to step past the enormous legacy of Christopher Reeve.

To be honest I didn’t think it was possible. If they had to make another film I would have suggested starting off with a clean slate or using the foundation set about by TV’s Smallville.

Somewhere miracle worker and director Bryan Singer found a way and it is quite a sight to behold.

In Singer’s version, the film is supposed to take place some five years after the events in Superman 2. Superman (now played by newcomer Brandon Routh) has been absent from Earth and the planet he swore to protect has moved on without him. This includes his beloved, Lois Lane (Kate Bosworth) who now has a five-year old son and a fiancé (James Marsden).

Superman’s arch-nemesis Lex Luthor (Kevin Spacey) has also began his next plan of global domination. Heck, even Superman’s adopted mother Martha Kent (Eva Marie Saint) thinks he isn’t coming home.

Then like an asteroid exploding on impact, the Man of Steel returns and everyone’s lives are turned upside down. Not only does Big Blue have to win back his supporters but he also must uncover Luthor’s most sinister plot yet. What is a Superman to do?

“Superman Returns” is like falling in love all over again with an old girlfriend you have forgotten. There are so many little moments in this film that pay homage to the films before that you find yourself looking back to the darkened theatre in 1978 and to the first time you heard the Superman Theme. And yes, once more you do believe a man can fly.

The image of Christopher Reeve was never far from my memory as I watched this film but in so many of the sequences newcomer Brandon Routh shines and he even looks like Reeve in some scenes. He is a wonderful Superman.

Bosworth is a capable Lois Lane but I wouldn’t say she hit it out of the park. I did feel a lot of chemistry between her and Routh but felt her chemistry with her other leading man Marsden was a little lacking.

Spacey’s Luthor embraces the feel of the original Luthor, played by Gene Hackman, but the film’s writers expand on him. They make him more twisted and at sometimes vicious. Gone are the annoying bumbling quirks, at least when it comes to Luthor himself.

I have to say that I loved the film even if it was hard to imagine this being the next chapter after Superman 2. I understand why they did that but really I just took it as a whole new Superman story not a direct continuation.

I really don’t know how Bryan Singer did it but he found a way to breathe life into Superman for a whole new generation and not forget what made him so magical during his cinematic awakening back in 1978.

(4 out of 5)

So Says the Soothsayer.

Retro Review: You Can Count on Me

Written: December 19, 2000

A precious realistic script and the kind of feeling that makes you smile is the very backbone that makes “You Can Count on Me” as one of the year’s amazing films.

In this “Sundance Film Festival” Jury winner, Laura Linney, of “Primal Fear” and “The Truman Show”, stars as a stable single mom named Sammy, who can’t seem to get out of the town she was born in. Her day is brightened when she learns that her troubled brother, Terry (Mark Ruffalo) is finally coming home. During that visit he will up root Sammy’s life, enchant her son and teach them both a little about life.

“You Can Count on Me” is the directorial debut of “Analyze This” screenwriter, Kenneth Lonergan, who seems to have the gift for bringing humor to the most unique of situations. I loved the humor in this film especially the moments that made me cry and smile. The film’s realism and blending that with delightful humor is quite an achievement. I wonder if Oscar will bless Lonergan with a script nod. This script is brilliant.

I also loved Laura Linney. I have been watching this actress since she caught my eye in the little seen Steve Martin vehicle, “Simple Twist of Fate” (her first major role). She went on to do a disastrous film called “Congo” but she did her best to bring female strength to her scientist character. She was the definite hi-lite of that film. She then spring boarded with strong performances in “Primal Fear” opposite Richard Gere and “The Truman Show” opposite Jim Carrey.

But I think it was the small 1999 film, “Love Letters” (based on the stage play) that allowed her to give her all. Just from that performance I knew she had arrived and could become a Julianne Moore or Meryl Streep given the right project. That performance still makes me smile today.

In each of her performances over the years, I have always loved Linney’s ability to be real in every scene. In a lot of Linney’s scenes in “You Can Count on Me” I could see the same brilliance that was in “Love Letters”. We can feel her intensity and reflection as she brings Sammy to life.

It’s a wondrous performance. I can definitely see an Oscar nod here.

I also loved the brother and son relationship which for me was quite unique. Where did Lonergan come up with those great situations. I loved the heart-wrenching moment when the brother brings the boy to meet his deadbeat dad. That moment was so real it was amazing.

All the other performances were great as well. Mathew Broderick plays basically the same role he played in “Election”. Jon Tenney, who I haven’t seen in ages, as the chump boyfriend. Rory Culkin as Sammy’s son.

I really enjoyed this journey with Sammy and the way it was a window into her life and not slice out of it.

(5 out of 5)

So Says the Soothsayer.

Retro Review: Identity

Written: May 5, 2003

Some have said that this is a departure from the normal thriller. It has been said that formula thrillers and mysteries are dead.

Or those audiences don’t want to see a chilling and thrilling whodunit in the classic sense. I say what happened to classic mystery in the spirit of Hitchcock or Agatha Christie?

Have we as audiences become so spoiled with thrillers that we need a “Sixth Sense” style shock ending to be satisfied?

During the new thriller “Identity”, I posed these questions upon its conclusion.

The thriller stars John Cusack as a reluctant hero, who finds himself faced with a live changing confrontation.

Cusack plays Ed, a limo-driver with a shadowy past who is pulled into shady rundown motel during a torrential rainstorm.

Ed has been brought to the motel when his limo carrying famous movie-star Caroline Susanne (Rebecca DeMornay) is involved in a traffic accident.

At the motel, Ed comes in contact with Paris (Amanda Peet), a call-girl, Rhodes (Ray Liotta), a cop, and other motel patrons. When one of the patrons is brutally murdered, Ed and Rhodes find themselves forced to find out the identity of the murderer among them.

“Identity” starts off brilliantly in the spirit of Hitchcock as the strangers are flung together. The quick cuts and brilliant use of flashback make “Identity” sizzle. You get set for an amazing whodunit as each motel patron’s identity is slowly revealed. I liked how the director left us guessing to who was next.

I so wanted to be enthralled and revel in a good intelligent mystery and “Identity” had all the elements. It had all the right characters, perfect setting and a brilliant direction and style.

The sad part is that even with the perfect elements the film sold out to the latest trend. It went for the “Sixth Sense” style twist. Sure the twist is clever and interesting but only for about 2 minutes. I guessed the twist 5 or 6 minutes before any of the characters clued in. I am not sure if they all ever clued in.

The twist angered me and by the time the credits rolled all I wanted to do was scream what could have been.

The acting by the films leads was dynamite. I especially loved John Cusack’s turn as a leading man. I want to see more of him as a detective or stalwart hero. Cusack seems to get better with age. I also liked the over the top performance of Rebecca DeMornay who looks a lot like Shania Twain in her on screen persona. Liotta is poignant as ever. Peet is fragile and doing her best to expand her repertoire.

One performance that did make me smile was the reserved performance of John C McGinley. He has never been so far away from what audiences have come to expect from the actor. I liked seeing him in the role of the fractured father who is struggling to keep his family together. It’s a breakthrough and one I won’t forget from this actor.

“Identity” frustrated me and made me wish for a good old-fashioned whodunit. There is a reason stories of that nature have fascinated minds for centuries. I think they can make a comeback if the right story were to come along. Or have we been so spoiled that they are cursed? You decide.

(3 out of 5)

So Says the Soothsayer.

Retro Review: Without a Paddle

As it looks on paper, “Without a Paddle” is just another one of those gross-out comedies. You may also may clarify it as just another teen comedy. Well I beg to differ.

In “Without a Paddle”, Dan (Seth Green), Jerry (Matthew Lillard) and Tom (Dax Shepherd), reunite after the passing of their childhood friend, Billy. Each has their own problems in life and each is looking for a way to change their outlook. As the friends begin reconnecting and reminiscing about the old days, they realize that one of Billy’s goals in life was never fulfilled. Billy had a dream of uncovering infamous thief D.B. Cooper’s legendary treasure.

As they go through some of Billy’s old stuff they realize that Billy had been trying to pinpoint the location of the loot all his life. So in honor of Billy, the trio decides to embark on Billy’s planned out camping trip that may or may not uncover the secret of D.B. Cooper’s treasure.

As the friends make their way through the wilderness, they will encounter a relentless bear, two crazed hillbillies, two naturalist girls and a crazed mountain man (Burt Reynolds). Will they uncover the loot? Well first they have to answer the call of the wild.

“Without a Paddle” is a lot smarter and fun then a lot of the gross-out comedies to come down the turnpike in a while. The film feels a little like “City Slickers” but probably closer to the classic 80s comedy “Up the Creek”.

I really enjoyed the moments when these guys seem to act very natural and out of place in their environment. It seemed to come so easy to these guys and in that respect it reminded me some of “City Slickers”.

The zany stunts and crazed mountain citizens reminded me a lot of “Up the Creek”.
Probably one of the more clever moments is when the boys eventually meet a very grizzled Burt Reynolds. I really enjoyed the whole situation, the goofy cabin jokes and the contrast between this guy and the boys.

I loved a lot of the jokes and felt that it was better than I thought. The gross-out comedy genre has taken on a mean streak and it just gets duller with age. “Without a Paddle” is a return to what these teen comedies were before the explosion of “American Pie”.

“Without a Paddle” is quirky, zany and has an old-fashioned 80s comedy feel.

(3.5 out of 5)

So Says the Soothsayer.

Retro Review: In Her Shoes

When I first saw the trailer for this film, I cringed. The hair on the back of my neck stood up and I could feel the sugar flow off the screen and into my lap. For most guys, this is what a trailer for a “chick flick” does to us. I was no exception.

I will admit here in print that I do like some “chick-flicks” but the really good and intelligent ones. “In Her Shoes” is one of those flicks.

The film itself is more about the human condition and what it means to be family. It’s thought-inducing and structures these complex emotions around such interesting characters.

The film central focus is two sisters Maggie (Cameron Diaz) and Rose (Toni Colletter) who are both living in two different worlds.

Maggie’s life is in shambles as she prides herself on drinking, sleeping with strange men and drifting between meaningless jobs. She isn’t very well educated and it’s really tough to find her niche in society. She is lost to the void of life.

Rose is the straight-shooter whose life seems to very work oriented. Rose is a self-confessed workaholic as her fast-tracked lawyer job monopolizes a lot of her life.

Even though they never see eye-to-eye Maggie and Rose still have an unbreakable bond. Their lives collide and the sisters have an eventual falling out that could destroy that bond. When Maggie seeks out a grandmother (Shirley MacLaine) they never knew they had, the healing begins and a new lease on family emerges.

What makes this film so different from others of its kind is that it’s focused on something other than whose sleeping with whom. It’s about who these characters are and the struggles they endure.

I have to give a lot of the film’s credit to director Curtis Hanson (“Wonder Boys”) who has found a way to allow the movie to soar on character development and revelation opposed to love and relationships. I was so enchanted by the intelligence in this film. I guess I had given up on seeing it again in a genre like this which has become so littered with cliché and rudimentary characters.

I also liked that Hanson didn’t allow the film to focus on the laughs but instead the performances even if they were sometimes more dramatic and less light and fluffy.

I am not a huge supporter of Cameron Diaz but this role seems to be one she was born to play.

I don’t know how much of herself is in the character but it’s so honest, forthcoming and complicated that she shocked me. I could see a second Golden Globe nod for this role.

Toni Collette is such a gifted actress but Hollywood doesn’t seem to know what to do with her a lot of the time. Thank goodness she found this project because she brings such innocence, compassion and strength to Rose that perfectly butts heads against Diaz’s Maggie.

What was also great about this film was that senior citizens were actually portrayed like human beings. Finally the “Golden Girls” perception of seniors is starting to wean.

I also liked that the film had a mystery intertwined within the confines of family angle. It’s such a beautiful and human story.

“In Her Shoes” really surprised me and I hope it does the same for you.

(4 out of 5)

So Says the Soothsayer.

Retro Review: Meet the Fockers

Ben Stiller’s surprise mega-hit of 2000, “Meet the Parents” found him trying to get along with his future in-laws. Now four years later, it’s his girlfriend’s turn to meet his parents.

The sequel stars Ben Stiller once again as Greg Focker, who brings his girlfriend, Pam Byrnes (Teri Polo) home to meet his parents (Dustin Hoffman and Barbra Streisand) in the Florida Keys. Along for the ride are Pam’s parents (Robert DeNiro and Blythe Danner) who will be meeting Greg’s parents for the first time.

Greg is very nervous since his parents aren’t your typical garden-variety mom and dad. Greg’s father, Bernie, quit his highly successful career as a lawyer to become a stay-at-home dad for Greg. As for Greg’s mom, Roz, she is a new-age sex therapist for senior citizens.

Greg wonders what Pam’s straight-arrow ex-CIA father will make of his folks and it worries him about his future with Pam.

When both sides of a family get together there are bound to be all sorts of mayhem and as for Greg and Pam, this is just the beginning.

“Meet the Fockers” seems off the bat to be a direct blow-for-blow return to the original. You have the odd meeting scene, the goofy dinner sequence, Pam’s dad doubting Greg’s loyalty and so forth. But what is probably the film’s saving grace is the fact that there is so much talent involved.

I have often said that acting and talent often can’t save a picture but in this film they sure give it the old college try. Dustin Hoffman’s performance as the over-affectionate dad is utterly hilarious and Streisand’s sex-educated mother works wonders against the stiff personas of Danner and DeNiro. I have to give the filmmakers credit that they really know how to cast.

I kind of wished they would have found more jokes and comedic scenes for DeNiro. This time out, DeNiro’s character seems overly stubborn and dare I say, cruel. You really begin to doubt his sincerity and how that involves the protection of his family.

Like a lot of comedy sequels, “Meet the Fockers” doesn’t live up to the momentum or hilarity of the original but does have its wonderful performances and comic filled moments.

(3 out of 5)

So Says the Soothsayer.

Retro Review: Meet the Parents

Written: October 2, 2000

“Meet the Parents” stars Ben Stiller as Greg Focker, a bewildered boyfriend who follows his girlfriend, Pam Byrnes (Teri Polo) home to meet her parents as they prepare for Pam’s sister’s wedding. Unbeknownst to Stiller are the secrets to the Byrnes family circle. Robert DeNiro and Blythe Danner star as Pam’s parents.

“Meet the Parents” is one of the funniest movies I have seen since “There’s Something About Mary”. This film will make you howl with delight as Stiller still has the charisma, bubbling chemistry and slapstick humor he perfected in Mary. Remember the dog scene in Mary, well this time we have a cat. Stiller is amazing.

I loved this movie. DeNiro is great as the straight man who makes Stiller nervous as heck. The writer and director of this film could have really goofed up serious side of DeNiro but we have enough here to let the comedic element flow. You know in some films the serious character is so domineering and straight that it really dampers the comedic timing. Well in “Parents” its perfect and gives Stiller a lot of time to breathe.

Another aspect I really liked of “Parents” was the setting up of the gags. I liked that you kept guessing what was going to happen and often you were right but the pay off was always worth the time. This movie is brilliantly written and couple with the comedic timing of the cast makes it a gem in the rough.

A small fault can be uncovered during certain parts leading into the last 15 minutes. The majority of this fault surround the coming conclusion and the stiffness of the DeNiro character. This is where the film tries to arrives they at a Hollywood ending which seems to be a little pushed and convenient.

The film was so very original from beginning to end that the finale this way seems a little clichéd. I would have loved to see a more original and interesting development in the DeNiro’s character towards the end.

I believe the film needed a better fleshing out of DeNiro’s acceptance and heart. DeNiro isn’t a clown and maybe that’s what was the problem. I remember a similar set of problems in “Mickey Blue Eyes”, where the mob people were just to domineering to really accept a happy ending.

All in all “Parents” is definitely one of the best comedies of the year.

(4 out of 5)

So Says the Soothsayer.