REVIEW - National Treasure 2: National Treasure Harder

Full disclosure: I never got around to seeing the first National Treasure film. I have a passionate hatred for Nicolas Cage and consider his work to generally be an insult to the craft of acting, so I tend to avoid his films in general. But I'm going to attempt to put all that aside and try to be objective.

National Treasure: Book of Secrets is basically what happens when you take maybe ten flag-waving American screenwriters with little knowledge of American (or even world) history, lock them in a room, dose them up on mescaline, and show them Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom on an endless loop.

There are films that, the closer you look at them, the more you appreciate the intricacies of their plot, the tightness of the story, the resonance of the characters. National Treasure: Book of Secrets is basically the opposite of such a film. The more you watch it, the closer you examine it, the stupider it gets - and on multiple levels; not only is the story consistently ridiculous, but the screenwriters make the mistake of piling unlikely scenarios on top of one another, creating a sort of critical mass of stupid. I know the film is supposed to be "fun", but I have a hard time having fun when everyone is so blatantly ignoring basic human logic. I get frustrated.

It's best not to fight this film, and to just go along with the idea that Central American Indians made it as far north as the Dakotas (thanks for pointing this out, James!), or that the Library of Congress is apparently open 24 hours (or at least open late enough for the fourth meal), or that Jon Voight is still a good actor. What on earth Helen Mirren is doing in the film is pretty much beyond me, maybe she needed some cash money. Ed Harris needs to not play the heavy once in a while, and he's certainly a better actor than the material here. Diane Kruger is just super cute. Bruce Greenwood should play the President in every movie. Nicolas Cage needs to not snort a line of coke before each take. More than anything else, I got amusement in pretending that Harvey Keitel's FBI agent character was actually Inspector Netusil from Nicolas Roeg's Bad Timing. In this way, I am a sick person and I need help.

Honestly, though, the film isn't nearly as bad as the trailer had suggested to me. I was pleasantly surprised to note that it wasn't the worst film I've seen this year. It's just a film that doesn't aim very high, and soundly hits the target of that lowest-common-denominator sweet spot which all mainstream films seem to be shooting for these days. It's a safe, conservative film in every sense of the word; it's critic (and apparently logic)-proof, and mainly exists to give people something to do on a December evening, which is, I guess, what most people use films for. It is the cinematic equivalent of a burger from Jack In The Box, and I'll let you make your own judgement as to whether or not that's a good thing.

Easily, the best part of the experience was a pre-film Goofy cartoon, in the style of the old Disney cartoons that used to precede films long, long ago. I pretty much hate Goofy as a character, but the short, "How To Hook Up Your Home Theater" is so absolutely true to life that is is nothing short of a joy to watch. If they can keep up the quality, Disney would do well to return to their past and put these shorts in front of all their films.

Today's Video 12/28/07 - Kuato's Chocolate Rain

Someone was sick enough to do sync up some Total Recall footage with "Chocolate Rain".KUATO LIVES!

Today's Video 12/27/07 - Chad Vader's Chocolate Rain

Tay Zonday's "Chocolate Rain" as reimagined by everyone's favorite Sith Lord/grocery store manager.Awesome!

Today's Video 12/26/07 - Chocolate Rain

I'm way behind on this one, but I have to post this so tomorrow's post will make sense. Also, it's pretty insane.Props to Dan for the heads up on this one.

Today's Video 12/24/07 - Night Elf Mohawk

How awesome is this? It's like Mr. T can do no wrong.

Lost Atari Games

If you can find these games, please let me know. I would be keenly interested in playing them as well as completing my collection.

Today's Video 12/21/07 - Heat Vision and Jack

The FOX network is responsible for all manner of television atrocities, but none so tragic as their frequent ability to air shows that are awesome and then cancel them immediately. There is a rather long list of shows which fall into this category, but the most extreme example would have to be Heat Vision and Jack.

Ben Stiller directed this pilot episode about an astronaut (Jack Black) on the run from NASA because an accident caused him to become superintelligent. Accompanied by his best friend, a motorcycle named Heat Vision (with the voice of Owen Wilson) who also happens to be his best friend, they flee from actor and NASA operative Ron Silver (as himself). Yes, it's ridiculous. Ridiculously AWESOME!

Heat Vision and Jack never made it past the pilot episode. Apparently, it was just too much awesome for FOX. So please, enjoy in its entirety the pilot episode of Heat Vision and Jack, provided without commercial interruption.

REVIEW - Southland Tales

As much as I loved Donnie Darko, I came into Southland Tales with great caution. For one thing, I don't like the titles font. In fact, I despise it with the power of a thousand suns. Also, the film has taken quite a beating from the critics. I don't mind disagreeing with a few critics, but when every review you read says that a movie is a trainwreck, there must be something to it.

In point of fact, Southland Tales does have some problems. It runs a bit long, is packed with exposition, and it makes the mistake of having entirely too much to say. But is it the absolute disaster that it's been made out to be? Personally, I didn't think it was all that bad, to be honest.

In a a prologue that attempts to cram three comic books' worth of exposition into a few minutes, we learn that in 2005 a pair of nuclear attacks on Texas have incited World War 3, a four-fronted war against the predictable axis of evil nations. With the Middle Eastern oil resources rendered unavailable, an alternative energy source called "Liquid Karma" is developed, which may or may not be tearing a hole in the universe. Et cetera. The actual plot is (predictably, after all that prologue) labyrinthine in nature, contains about twenty characters, and mainly deals with three major characters: action film star Boxer Santaros (Dwayne Johnson), who also happens to be the son-in-law of a Republican vice-presidential candidate and a recent amnesiac; Krysta Now (Sarah Michelle Gellar), a pornstar with a reality/chat show, hit single, and energy drink who assists a group of neo-Marxists in furthering their plot of foiling the '08 presidential election; and Roland Taverner (Seann William Scott), a neo-Marxist posing as his police officer twin brother Ronald. It all comes together by the end, more or less.

The leads, especially Johnson (aka "The Rock"), all do a pretty good job. Much of the rest of the cast, though, are veterans of television comedy, and this is weird to me. They all bring their respective baggage with them, though Nora Dunn has less baggage than most and Jon Lovitz gets about as far away from his staple persona as he can. Then there's Christopher Lambert in an ice cream truck. Granted, the ice cream truck is full of weapons, but it's Christopher Lambert in an ice cream truck. It's that kind of movie.

Director Richard Kelly has cited Kubrick (specifically Dr. Strangelove) and Philip K. Dick as major reference points for Southland Tales, and these are evident, if not overt. (At one point, Lovitz's character, a cop, says "Flow my tears," for no apparent reason other than to reference the title of Dick's book Flow My Tears The Policeman Said. What's that about? Okay, Kelly, you read a book.) The production design is a little bit weird as well. At one point, Krysta Now talks about the future being "more futuristic than scientists had predicted". Based on some of the technology on display in the film, I'd say that's probably true in this alternate universe the film lives in. They've made some serious leaps to get to where they are in 2008. Also, I'm not sure what the set dressers were thinking, but a lot of the posters and whatnot seemed far too self-referential, and it's a bit difficult to take Boxer Santaros seriously when someone has defaced a wall behind him by stenciling his name and face on it and it shows up in the shot, and this stencil is repeated elsewhere on walls throughout the film. There were a few of these "what-the-heck?" moments, but most of the time things remain on the level, such as that level is. The film is still fairly willfully weird, though. I think that oddness in combination with the intricate plot and unorthodox casting is what ultimately makes the average viewer's head explode. Also, some of the political statements are a bit heavy-handed, in this day and age when we hear just as much squalking about losing our civil liberties as we do squalking about why we need to lose them. If I want to be lectured on politics, I'll go see Lions For Lambs, thanks. We get it, you don't have to bash us over the head with a clip of elephants having sexual intercourse, amusing as it may be.

(Speaking of which, I never in my life dreamed that I would see a film where I would see two Hummer-style sport utility vehicles having sexual intercourse in basically the same manner as the elephants. I can't say I'm better for it, but I'm pretty sure that that's not how new cars are made. Reasonably sure, at least.)

Somewhere in between Justin Timberlake pouring a can of Budweiser over his head during a rousing lip-sync production number of the Killers' "All These Things I've Done" and Nora Dunn tasering John Larroquette in the crotch, I realized what this film was. More than Dr. Strangelove or Pulp Fiction or whatever, tonally Southland Tales is most related to (in my opinion) Repo Man. Looking at it in that frame of reference, it becomes much less random. Imagine my surprise when Repo Man was overtly referenced at the end. If nothing else, in Southland Tales Kelly wears his influences on his sleeve. Put this on the DVD cover: "Repo Man for the 21st century." You can quote me, guys, I give you permission.

The music for the film is pretty amazing. While Moby, Pixies and Jane's Addiction feature on the soundtrack album, key tracks used in the film are missing from Muse, the aforementioned Killers song, and a (live?) version of Radiohead's "Planet Telex", which is one of their best songs, in my opinion. Kelly continues his tradition of inserting awesome music into his films. Good stuff.

I'm not sure Southland Tales should have been released as a film. Seeing as the complete material is a sprawling six parts, maybe it would have been better to make it as a TV miniseries or a DVD. The story, especially with its detailed plot and backstory, would be well served by the new menu capabilities that high definition DVD formats have now. I'm sure it will have a long life in the high-def format, whichever format that may be.

I can't say I agree with it, but I'm really not surprised at all of the negative press the film has gotten. At worst, I'd say it was a bit of a misfire, but everyone really seemed to pigpile on this one for not being, well, I don't know what they wanted it to be. It was never meant to be a popcorn film; but were people really expecting that? People complain about films being too homogenized and safe, and Richard Kelly comes rolling in with something completely different and he gets crucified for it. Oh, well. Apparently it's not for everyone. I guess what I'm saying is if you think Richard Roeper is a bit of a toolshed and think Christopher Lambert in an ice cream truck sounds like good times, you will probably like this movie.

Actually, that's a much better quote for the DVD cover.

Today's Video 12/20/07 - MacGyver

How awesome was MacGyver back in the day? I'll tell you. He was SO AWESOME. Unfortunately, Richard Dean Anderson's mullet hasn't aged well, and frankly neither have most of the storylines. Watching it now, it becomes apparent how ridiculous the whole thing is, but when I was like twelve the show was totally awesome. Oh well.

The complete series of MacGyver is now available on DVD if you want to make sure that it's as dated as I think it is.

REVIEW - Control

NOT EXACTLY THE FEEL-GOOD HIT OF THE YEAR, FOLKS.

Then again, I'd imagine that anyone wanting to see this film would probably know that going in.

Based mostly on widow Deborah Curtis' book Touching From a Distance, Control follows the life and career of Ian Curtis: his rise to stardom with Joy Division; battles with epilepsy and resulting depression; extramarital affair, crumbling marriage, and resulting depression; and, ultimately, his suicide.

A number of people who were actually a part of the events of the film were involved in its production. Deborah Curtis and the late Tony Wilson co-produced the film (Wilson died only months before the film's release), and the surviving members of Joy Division (now, of course, known as New Order) assisted their on-screen counterparts in learning to play the Joy Division way; the actors performed the live music that appears in the film. All this gives the film a sense of you-are-there realism missing from the average biopic.

Sam Riley does an amazing job of portraying Ian Curtis. Through him, we really see the poet, the creative juggernaut behind the band. His sharp-eyed keenness gives Curtis a just slightly mythic quality, even though Riley never does quite get Ian's dance down. Samantha Morton, who's great in pretty much everything she does, has the monumental task of playing Deborah Curtis, and I think it's her performance that really grounds the film. There is a temptation to dive into melodrama with her character, but that decision would be a gross oversimplification. And in a key role, Alexandra Maria Lara portrays Annik Honoré as, not an evil demon homewrecker, but as a real human being. Among the rest of the cast, Toby Kebbell stands out as he steals scene after scene in his performance as manager extraordinaire Rob Gretton.

Director Anton Corbijn originally took photos of the band for the NME back in the day, and has been a Joy Division fan since forever. In 1988, he was asked to shoot the video for "Atmosphere". It's clear that the material is close to Corbijn's heart, as the film seems as much a labor of love as it is an honest warts-and-all portrayal. Like much of his work, Corbijn chose to present Control in black and white. It could have been presented in no other way.

With so many viewpoints involved, one might think it would be difficult to come to some sort of consensus truth as to how things went down (even the film's director was probably around for some of what went on); if that was the case, such struggles are not evident in the film. Having been based on Deborah Curtis' book, one may suspect that her character might receive special treatment, especially in the area of Ian's relationship with Annik and the Curtis' subsequent troubles. In fact, these situations are never as simple as they are often portrayed, and the film reflects this exceptionally well. There is no blame shifted around; the film is not a grandstand for any anti-Annik vitriol. The film is unwavering in its pursuit of realism, in character as well as setting.

Of course, all of Ian Curtis' problems led him to take his own life. Control in no way romanticizes his suicide; it makes clear that Ian was not a well person physically, mentally, or emotionally at this point. Ian's death was not a happy event; it ended a band's career and touched countless lives in a negative way, especially those who knew him. It's clear from this film that his death should be regarded by all as a bad decision.

Control is essential viewing for fans of Joy Division. For others, I think it's still a moving and powerful film, but go into it knowing that it's also a very emotionally draining experience. The best true stories often are.

Today's Video 12/19/07 - Webster

Sure it was a shameless Diff'rent Strokes ripoff, but it's Webster, man!Webster is not currently available on DVD, and I am totally not holding my breath.

REVIEW - Black Books

Why are British sitcoms so much better than their American counterparts? Is it a simple cultural bias I have against the vapid and soulless Hollywood machine? Well, maybe that's part of it too, but I think the main reason why sitcoms from the UK (and their television in general) is better is because of the relatively short length of their seasons (or "series" as they like to say across the pond). Having seen the third and final season of Channel 4's Black Books, I am once again left marveling at a season of hilariousness that is packed full of awesome.

If you put Dylan Moran, Bill Bailey and Tamsin Greig in a room together, you're pretty much guaranteed that things will devolve into three separate but equal forms of chaos pretty quickly. Putting them together in a sitcom is simply a way to control and direct this chaos in useful ways. Moran portrays Irishman Bernard Black, a perpetually grumpy wine drinker and chain smoker who runs a bookshop. His assistant is Manny Bianco (Bailey), an endlessly positive, slightly unkempt guy who allows Bernard to take advantage of him mercilessly. Their adventures frequently involve their friend Fran Katzenjammer (Grieg), who is also quite fond of the occasional alcoholic beverage and has slightly impaired judgement even when completely sober. The dynamic is similar to that of, say, Arrested Development, where people who (aside from Manny) would be thoroughly unlikeable in reality somehow become charming rogues when distanced from the audience by the television screen.

But don't believe me; I will convince you with clips, sir or madam. Exhibit A: Manny wants to go to a party.Exhibit B: The group returns from said party, completely trashed.Unlike a show like Arrested Development, however, Black Books is a true situation comedy in that it's on a proper set with a studio audience and it episodically places its characters in a situation which allows them to humorously react. For instance, Bernard has to do his taxes, but his accountant has been busted by the cops. Looking to cause himself bodily harm and thereby get an extension, Bernard lights upon a brilliant plan:Or when Bernard and Manny decide to write a children's book, and each attempt gets progressively more ridiculous (although surely the wine is to blame):If you are not yet convinced that Black Books is awesome, please watch this clip.People keep talking about how the sitcom is a dead form, but Black Books shows that it's still viable. The creators just have to be up to the task of being completely insane, and in American television, it's all about being safe. Black Books is not safe, it is television's prickly pear.

TRAILER - Prince Caspian

You know, originally Prince Caspian was supposed to be in theaters over the weekend, which would likely have prevented I Am Legend from breaking Return of the King's December opening box office record. I mean really, a Will Smith movie? Maybe it's good, I don't know. I'm too busy catching up with awesomeness. Like this trailer for Prince Caspian? MAYBE.Props to Jman for tracking this one down!

Today's Video 12/18/07 - The Equalizer

Edward Woodward plays a retired secret agent who settles in New York City and offers his services as a vigilante by putting an ad in the paper that reads: "Got a problem? Odds against you? Call the Equalizer." Mostly, the show is remembered for its superawesome theme song by Stewart Copeland of The Police.Every episode was a new adventure as we watched an old guy in a tweed suit (and often wearing glasses) furiously beat people up and yell at them for an hour. It was glorious.

Also, it's amazing when I look at that intro because New York has come a long way since the 80s. I remember going to the city as a kid and being super scared, but these days it's mostly okay. Mostly.

Anyway, The Equalizer Season 1 hits DVD in February, so that should be fun. Hopefully it aged better than MacGyver...

TRAILER - The Dark Knight

The real deal, folks.AWESOME!

REVIEW - No Country For Old Men

I didn't think anything was going to beat Michael Clayton in my mind as the year's best film, but, as usual, the Coen Brothers have me rethinking things.

Location and setting are often as much a character in the Coens' films as the actors, and they make full use of the wide Texas expanses in the early scenes of No Country For Old Men as they've done with their locations in Blood Simple., Raising Arizona, or Fargo. Roger Deakins' beautiful cinematography strikes again.

This is the year of Josh Brolin. As solid as he was in American Gangster, he's just exceptional here. His Llewelyn Moss is a man who is in severely over his head, yet is intelligent enough to acquit himself far better than the average person. His wife is played by the fine Scottish actress Kelly Macdonald(Trainspotting, the well recommended The Girl in the Café), who sounds perfectly Texan to me in this film, and who's character is just as surprisingly intelligent as her husband. (When I express this surprise, it is not because I expect these characters to be stupid trailer park trash, but because I fully expect films to portray them that way simply by default.) Tommy Lee Jones plays the aging lawman trying to come to grips with the escalating violence around him. But the real presence in No Country For Old Men is Javier Bardem's Anton Chigurh.There has been much talk of Chigurh being the best screen villain since Hannibal Lecter, or whatever. I don't know about that; it's kind of like comparing apples and refrigerators. Chigurh and Lecter are very different, and about the only thing they have in common is that they are insane psychopaths. The most frightening thing about Chigurh is that he has a code of ethics; this fact is made unsettling because his set of rules make sense only to him. His main tool is a cattlegun, which goes to show you that there are still a few fairly original concepts out there. His kills are pretty nightmarish, and the Coens never let up on the suspense involving Chigurh's pursuit of Moss, eventually even employing the old "beeping transmitter" suspense-builder to pulse-pounding effect. Bardem (Before Night Falls, The Sea Inside) has already been nominated for a Golden Globe as Best Supporting Actor, an award which he will most likely win and also recieve at the Oscars. He's a pretty good actor.

Sitting in a theater or watching a DVD at home, there are a few conceits that the viewer has. We know the length of a film is generally between 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours long. Therefore, we know that the film is going to take so much time setting up, and it'll probably spend the last half hour or so wrapping up. It is the best kind of film that makes you lose all track of time. I'm not sure when it was that I realized that I had no idea how long I'd been watching No Country For Old Men. I think it might have been about half way through, when I asked myself, "Could this be the end???" and realized that I had no idea how long I'd been watching. For the record, it wasn't the end. There was maybe another hour to go. You'll get no spoilers from me here.

The period of the film is something of a non-factor. Going in, I hadn't even realized it was a period film. It's gritty and low-tech, and the fact that I didn't much question the period until I saw a Bell telephone bill printout made me realize how technology hasn't necessarily intruded into all areas of the world, especially rural Texas. I just figured maybe most of the people were poor and didn't have much in the way of fashion sense, but no, it's supposed to be 1980.

I'll have to stew on it a bit longer and see a few more films before the end of the year, but I think No Country For Old Men is certainly one of the best films of this or any year, and certainly the best film from the Coen Brothers in quite a while.

Today's Video 12/17/07 - Small Wonder

According to Wikipedia: "Since the cancellation of the show, many of the actors and production staff, particularly the stars of the show, have not appeared on any other radio, television, or film program to date."Somehow, I believe it.

No word as to when Small Wonder will hit DVD, my guess is we'll see a hi-def deluxe complete series box set sometime around 2572.

TRAILER: 10,000 BC

I don't know.Those mammoths look cool, but the story looks lovingly ripped off from about 20 similar movies. I predict this will not do great business, but then again it's dropping in March so it might do okay. But I dunno. Whatever.

I Has A Glowing

I'm not sure why you'd want to spend millions of dollars to make cats glow in the dark, but that's just what some Korean guys did. I don't know why we're wasting our time on glowing cats when we could be making FLYING CARS or robotic humanoid servants that will rise up against their organic masters and enslave us all. I'd like to get a glow in the dark cat, but it's not cost-effective for science to market them as pets. Oh well.

Today's Video 12/14/07 - Ben Stiller Dubbed!

I accept the fact that Ben Stiller doesn't speak Japanese. But why would they pretend he does?Also, is that Peyton Manning as one of the football players?

Today's Video 12/13/07 - Schwarzenegger Sells Out

I have no idea what this commercial is for, or what it is about, or why Arnold seems completely insane. All I know is that it scares the crap out of me.

Today's Video 12/12/07 - Natalie Portman Shampoo

So apparently this shampoo Natalie Portman uses gives her superpowers like the ability to ride a motorcycle and learn fencing. Because I'm sure Natalie walks into an audition going, "Gee, I hope I get the part." Does she even have to go to auditions?I'm waiting for some Star Wars fans to rotoscope some lightsabers into this one:Come on guys, as a spoof it practically writes itself.

Indy 4 Teaser Poster

If nothing else, at least the poster is awesome. Mad props to Drew Struzan, who is just amazing sometimes. Most of the time. Well, all the time, really.

Today's Video 12/11/07 - Harrison Ford's Flying Car

This week was supposed to be American Celebrity in Japanese Commercial Week, but I had to post Kitchen Gun yesterday so you get no Anthony Hopkins car commercials this time around. Anyway, did you know that Harrison Ford has a flying car? For reals!

Today's Video 12/10/07 - Kitchen Gun

Three shots from Kitchen Gun is all it takes!Goodbye, dirt!

Today's Video 12/7/07 - Butterfield

Of all the original characters from The Peter Serafinowicz Show, Brian Butterfield has got to be the best. A dense, portly, middle-aged gentleman, Mr. Butterfield comes up with one hair-brained scheme after another. Where does he get the money to make these commercials? Like this one, for the Butterfield Diet Plan:Bonbonbonbons!

The character of Brian Butterfield is based on a guy from a series of personal injury helpline commercials like this one:Serafinowicz used those ads as a template for this parody, the Butterfield Direct injury helpline:And then things went off from there. Now he's got a diet plan, he's entered the realm of hotel management with The Butterfield International Hotel:...the Butterfield Time Line:...and, most importantly, the Butterfield Detective Agency.So awesome. Pork cylinders, indeed.

As if there weren't enough extra videos today, here's a BONUS: the Butterfield Karaoke Bar!

Speed Racer Pics

The trailer for Speed Racer will be attached to prints of The Golden Compass this Friday, and USAToday has some pics. And I'm pretty sure my brain just leaked out my earholes.And when I talk about being faithful to the source material, this is exactly what I mean:If the Wachowski Brothers can pull this off, this just might be the best live-action cartoon adaptation ever! Hopefully the story holds together as well as it looks.

Speed Racer hits theaters May 9. AOL has the trailer here!

Today's Video 12/6/07 - Buy It Channel

There's something weird about that guy...Tomorrow is Butterfield Day!

Today's Video 12/5/07 - Darth Vader In Love

The attention to detail with costume and set design in this clip is staggering. Also, it is hilarious."What?"

Today's Video 12/4/07 - O News

Peter Serafinowicz Show Week continues with this clip from O News, hosted by the irrepressible Kennedy St. King.The slightly dodgy David Lynch impression is offset by the fact that every other impression is dead perfect. And that Alan Alda impression - it doesn't get any better than that. Genius!

Teddy

I just wanted to take a moment to remind the world how awesome Teddy was in A.I..

REVIEW - Enchanted

For starters, let's just say I am not the target audience for this sort of thing. It was a combination of a lazy Sunday, crappy weather, and friends dragging me out of the house that brought me to the theater that day; it certainly wasn't a burning need to see this film.

It was pretty okay, though.

Since the Shrek series took all the more obvious fairy tale lampooning jokes, Enchanted needs to rely on the more subtle approach of thematically undermining the fairy tale concept itself, by bringing it into the real world. The story is charming and oh-so-predictable, to the extent that you think they've run out of clichés but they always seem to pull another one out of someplace. The lesson we learn from the film is that people can live happily ever after, mostly by trying to prove that you can't. This is typical. Not at all realistic, but typical. How an animated character living in the real world can get by without a Social Security Number is beyond me, but then THIS IS A MOVIE.

Amy Adams plays our heroine, Giselle. Not one of the official Disney Princesses due to the expense of likeness rights (before doing research for this review [yes, I do some research sometimes] I never knew that Disney exploited their intellectual property so brazenly), Giselle is an amalgamation of every princess from every story ever. I like Amy Adams, I think she's a fine actress and a very attractive one, but I'm not sure her look really matches her animated counterpart. Maybe someone a bit more doe-eyed, say Anne Hathaway (though I think that would be typecasting at this point) or maybe Emmy Rossum would have the right sort of look. But I guess Disney hadn't had a redhead princess in a while, and I imagine doe-eyed redheads are in relatively short supply, so we get Amy Adams. Gee, tough break. Make no mistake, this doe-eyed thing is a very minor quibble.

James Marsden plays the valiant Prince Edward, vanquisher of city buses, with all the appropriate ridiculousness of a man walking through New York City with puffy sleeves and tights. Susan Sarandon is the evil wicked stepmother queen who looks even more insane in the real world, like a drag queen Elvira at a KISS concert. The great Timothy Spall is her lackey Nathaniel, and from all indications this is the part he was born to play. He is really the quintessential Disney evil subordinate. Patrick Dempsey has the thankless but necessary role of Robert, the divorce lawyer who tries to talk sense into Giselle, ultimately (and predictibly) falling for her effervescent charms. But the real star of the film is Pip the Chipmunk. Seriously.

As previously stated, the film is incredibly cute, even when turning fairy tale concepts on their ear. For instance, Giselle tries to help out Robert by cleaning up his apartment. Using her magical singing powers, she calls upon the area's wildlife to help her do the job. Being New York, the place is rendered spic and span by a team of pigeons, rats and cockroaches. Yeah. It's that kind of movie.

So yeah, I think kids would really love this movie, especially girls but there's certainly enough action to keep the boys interested as well. The parents have a lot of double-entendre jokes and romance stuff to keep them entertained, and for that reason it's probably a really good date movie as well. Yeah, I would rather have been watching No Country For Old Men, but I don't think I wasted my money or anything.

And yes, the f-word was in the film. Nobody really caught it, though.

Today's Video 12/3/07 - Poison Sockets

An important reminder from The Peter Serafinowicz Show.Props to Jman for pointing out to me that Peter Serafinowicz even had a show, which of course leads to Peter Serafinowicz Week. He was the voice of Darth Maul, you know. Serafinowicz, that is, not Jman.