Review: "THE BAD GUYS" is A.C.E. (Average, Cute & Entertaining)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 16 of 2023 (No. 1905) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Bad Guys (2022)

Running time:  100 minutes (1 hour, 40 minutes)

MPAA – PG for action and rude humor

DIRECTOR:  Pierre Perifel

WRITERS:  Etan Cohen (based on the books by Aaron Blabey)

PRODUCERS:  Rebecca Huntley and Damon Ross

EDITOR:  John Venzon

COMPOSER:  Daniel Pemberton

ANIMATION/FANTASY/ADVENTURE and COMEDY/CRIME

Starring:  (voices):  Sam Rockwell, Marc Maron, Awkwafina, Craig Robinson, Anthony Ramos, Richard Ayoade, Zazie Beetz, Alex Borstein, and Lilly Singh

The Bad Guys is a 2022 computer-animated crime comedy and adventure fantasy film directed by Pierre Perifel and produced by DreamWorks Animation.  The film is loosely based on the children's book series, The Bad Guys, by Aaron Blabey.  The Bad Guys the movie focuses on a gang of notorious animal criminals pretending to want to be rehabilitated until circumstances force them to really attempt to do something good.

The Bad Guys is set in a world in which humans co-exist with anthropomorphic animals (animals that talk and act like humans).  The film introduces “The Bad Guys,” a gang of five infamous criminal animals known for their numerous thefts and their uncanny ability to evade authorities.  The Bad Guys are Mr. Wolf (Sam Rockwell), a cool and slick pickpocket who is the team's leader; Mr. Snake (Marc Maron), a safe-cracking snake who is Wolf's second-in-command and best friend; Ms. Tarantula (Awkwafina), a sarcastic hacker also known as “Webs;” Mr. Shark (Craig Robinson), a sensitive and child-like master of disguise; and Mr. Piranha (Anthony Ramos), the sharp-tongued tough guy and muscle of the group.

Their latest target is the “Golden Dolphin,” a trophy to be handed out at the “Annual Good Samaritan Awards” being held at the Museum of Fine Arts.  The Golden Dolphin will be awarded to Professor Rupert Marmalade IV, a wealthy guinea pig philanthropist whose generosity is almost as good as that of Mother Teresa.  The event will also be attended by Governor Diane Foxington (Zazie Beetz) and Police Chief Misty Luggins (Alex Borstein), a husky female law enforcement who is determined to nab the Bad Guys.

When the Bad Guys are nabbed, Mr. Wolf accepts an offer from Professor Marmalade, with Gov. Foxington's approval, to reform and rehabilitate the Bad Guys.  There are problems with that.  Mr. Snake is reluctant to be reformed.  Not everyone is truthful about their roles in this plan or honest about their identity.  But a part of Mr. Wolf secretly really wants to change his ways.

I created a new acronym for big studio, computer-animated (or CG animated) feature films aimed at the family audience.  It is “A.C.E.,” which means “Average, Cute & Entertaining.”  According to an April 2022 feature in the Los Angeles Times about The Bad Guys, the film's design is inspired by Sony Pictures Animation's 2018, Oscar-winning film, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, which mixed both a 3D and a 2D aesthetic in its design.  Honestly, I can't tell that just by watching the film.  I can tell that The Bad Guys also mixes 2D and 3D graphics and design elements, but The Bad Guys' animation lacks the spark of the highly-acclaimed Spider-Man film.

The characters are mildly amusing and interesting, but they seem more like types than actual characters.  The only character that I really liked is a kitten that is not anthropomorphic and does not talk.  Just as Disney/Pixar's Lightyear was uplifted by the robotic cat, “Sox,” The Bad Guys receive a jolt when this unnamed kitten appears.

Even the voice acting in The Bad Guys seems only kind of inspired.  Sam Rockwell is too cool for his character, Mr. Wolf's own good.  I can't believe that Zazie Beetz provides the voice for Governor Foxington because this distinctive performer sounds like a generic female voice performer.

So there it is.  The Bad Guys is average entertainment, but cute average entertainment.  There is a good chance that young audiences will adore it, but I kinda wish I hadn't bothered with it – except I would have missed the adorable kitty.

5 of 10

B-

★★½ out of 4 stars

Friday, March 31, 2023

NOTES:

2023 Black Reel Awards:  1 nomination: “Outstanding Voice Performance” (Zazie Beetz)

The text is copyright © 2023 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

----------------------------

-----------------------------

2018 Oscars "Best Supporting Actor" - Sam Rockwell

Actor in a Supporting Role:

Sam Rockwell - Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri - WINNER

Nominees:
Willem Dafoe - The Florida Project
Woody Harrelson - Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri
Richard Jenkins - The Shape of Water
Christopher Plummer - All the Money in the World

----------------------

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from September 1st to 9th, 2017 - Update #42

Support Leroy on Patreon.

SPORTS - From NYTimes:  Sloane Stephens wins the women's tennis singles title at the 2017 U.S. Open Women.

From HuffPost:  American tennis is alive because of Black women.

----------
STREAMING - From ArsTechnica:  Disney is pulling its "Star Wars" and Marvel Studios films from Netflix, beginning in 2019.

----------
MOVIES - From Variety:  Spike Lee and Jordan Peele ("Key & Peele") are uniting for the film, "Black Klansman," based on the true story of a Black man who infiltrated the Ku Klux Klan.

----------
BOX OFFICE - From Variety:  "Spider-Man: Homecoming" opens strong in China.

From Fortune:  "Spider-Man: Homecoming" may be the highest grossing straight-reboot film at the worldwide box office.

----------
COMICS-FILM - From THR:  Drew Goodard will write and direct "X-Force," a spin-off from Fox's awful X-Men film franchise.

----------
STREAMING - From TheWrap:  Christina Ricci's Amazon series, "Z: The Beginning of Everything" has cancelled.

----------
MOVIES - From Variety:  Armie Hammer joins Felicity Jones in the Ruth Bader Ginsburg (a current Supreme Court Justice) biopic, "On the Basis of Sex."

----------
COMICS-FILM - From THR:  "Suicide Squad 2" finally has a director.  Gavin O'Connor of "The Accountant" (with Ben Affleck) will write and direct the film.

----------
TELEVISION - Variety:  CBS is developing a TV series based on James Ellroy's classic novel, L.A. Confidential.  The book was previously developed into a critically acclaimed, Oscar-winning 1997 film writer-director Curtis Hanson.

----------
MOVIES - From Variety:  Jude Law joins Elle Fanning and Selena Gomez in a Woody Allen film due next year.

----------
CELEBRITY - From YahooCelebrity:  A rare photo of Jamie Foxx and Katie Holmes, long rumored to be a couple, has surfaced.

-----------
COMICS-FILM - From TheWrap:  In terms of domestic box office, "Wonder Woman" is now one of the top five highest grossing superhero movies of all time.

----------
STREAMING - From Deadline:  Chris Pine to take the lead in Robert F. Kennedy project at Hulu.

----------
MOVIES - From Deadline:  Paramount has acquired rights to "authorized prequel" to Bram Stoker's "Dracula," entitled "Dracul."

----------
STAR WARS - From TheWrap:  Colin Trevorrow "steps down" as the director of Star Wars Episode 9.

----------
TELEVISION - From TheWrap:  "American Horror Story: Cult" - frenzied mess or metaphor for Trump-induced madness.

----------
MOVIES-FILM FESTIVALS - From Variety:  Angelina Jolie gets a standing ovation at the Telluride Film Festival for her new film, "Cambodia."

----------
POLITICS - From NYDailyNews:  The selfish reason Donald Trump has made several film cameos.

----------
COMICS-FILM - From CBR:  15 things wrong with the X-Men film franchise, according to Comic Book Resources.  [Yeah, those movies are a stanky hot mess. - Ed.]

----------
MOVIES - From Variety:  Luc Besson's "Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets" was a big disappointment at the box office.  That has cost the deputy CEO of Besson's EuropaCorp is job.

----------
WGA - From Variety:  The incoming president of the Writers Guild of America, West says that Hollywood writers will have to make a 2020 strike threat to get a decent contract.

----------
BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The number one film at the 9/1 to 9/3/2017 weekend box office is "The Hitman's Bodyguard" with an estimated total of $10.25 million.  This is the film's third consecutive weekend at the top of the box office.

From Variety:  "Dunkirk" wins the most recent international box office period.

----------
CELEBRITY - From BBC:  The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (Prince William of Great Britain and his wife, Kate) are expecting a third child.

----------
MOVIES - From YahooMovies:  A slideshow of the 50 most anticipated films of Fall 2017.

----------
SPORTS - From BET:  Tennis great Serena Williams has given birth to a baby girl.

----------
COMICS-FILM - From CBR:  Spike Lee may be involved in a Sony Pictures film based on Marvel Comics character, Nightwatch," who is part of the "Spider-Man" line.

----------
COMICS-FILM - From ScreenRant:  Cate Blanchett gives the three reasons she wanted to be in "Thor: Ragnarok."

----------
COMICS-FILM - From SideshowToy:  A first look at Evangeline Lilly in costume as "The Wasp" during filming of Marvel's "Ant-Man and the Wasp."

----------
COMICS-FILM - From Variety:  Warner Bros. would love Leo DiCaprio to play the Joker in its "Joker" stand alone film to be directed by Todd Phillips.

-----------
MOVIES - From THR:  "The Crow" reboot, entitled "The Crow Reborn," is not at Sony Pictures.

----------
STREAMING - From Variety:  Netflix teams up with Damien Chazelle ("Best Director Oscar" for "La La Land") for a Paris-set musical series, "The Eddy."

----------
MOVIES - From YahooMovies:  Director Andy Muschietti says that the sequel to "It," the highly-anticipated adaptation of the Stephen King novel, will focus on the 1986 novel's "cosmic dimension."

From CinemaBlend:  Muschietti would like to make a new film adaptation of King's 1983 novel "Pet Semetary," which was previously adapted by director Mary Lambert in 1989.

From TheWrap:  Muschietti talks about the origin of Pennywise the Clown's distinctive look in the new "It."

----------
CELEBRITY - From YahooCelebrity:  Robert Pattison of "Twilight" fame once lived with Dustin Diamond a.k.a. "Screech" from "Saved by the Bell."

----------
TELEVISION - From Variety:  HBO's limited series, "True Detective," will return for a third season, with Mahershala Ali as its star.  Nic Pizzalatto and Jeremy Saulnier will direct.  No air date announced as of yet.

----------
CELEBRITY - From YahooCelebrity:  Taylor Swift's friend, the dancer, Todrick Hall, getting trolled over his relationship with Swift and his appearance in her new video.

----------
MOVIES - From TheWrap:  Sam Rockwell in final talks to play George W. Bush in Dick Cheney biopic from director, Adam McKay.

----------
MOVIES - From THR:  Lily Collins joins Nicholas Hoult in Fox Searchlight and Chernin Entertainment's biopic about J.R.R. Tolkien, the creator of The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings.

OBIT:

From TheWrap:  Blake Heron, former child star, has died at the age of 35, Friday, September 8, 2017.  He was best known for the 1996 film, "Shiloh."

----------
From TheWrap:  Rock musician and recording artist, Walter Becker, has died at the age of 67, Sunday, September 3, 2017.  Becker was the guitarist and co-founder of the rock-jazz fusion band, Steely Dan.

----------
From Variety:   The actor and comedian Shelley Berman has died at the age of 92; Friday, September 1, 2017.  The Grammy Award he won in 1959 for "Best Comedy Performance, Spoken Word," was the first given for a non-musical performance.  In recent years, he played Larry David's father on "Curb Your Enthusiasm," which earned him a 2008 Emmy nomination.

Review: Original Teenage Mutanta Ninja Turtles Film is Still Fun

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 7 (of 2015) by Leroy Douresseaux

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)
Running time:  93 minutes (1 hour, 33 minutes)
MPAA – PG
DIRECTOR:  Steve Barron
WRITERS:  Todd W. Langen and  Bobby Herbeck; from a story by Bobby Herbeck (based on characters created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird)
PRODUCERS:  David Chan, Kim Dawson, and Simon Fields
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  John Fenner (D.o.P.)
EDITORS:  William D. Gordean, Sally Menke, and James R. Symons
COMPOSER:  John Du Prez

MARTIAL ARTS/FANTASY/ACTION/COMEDY

Starring:  Judith Hoag, Elias Koteas, Jay Patterson, Michael Turney, Raymond Serra, Sam Rockwell, James Saito, Toshishiro Obata, David Forman, Leif Tilden, Michelan Sisti, and the voices of Corey Feldman, Josh Pais, Brian Tochi, Robbie Rist, David McCharen, Michael McConnohie, and Kevin Clash

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is a 1990 martial arts fantasy and action-comedy film from director Steve Barron.  The film is based on the media franchise, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (also known as the “Ninja Turtles” or by the abbreviation, “TMNT”), which began with a black and white comic book created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird and first published in 1984.  Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles the film focuses on a quartet of anthropomorphic ninja turtles and a TV news reporter, as they battle a ninja criminal gang.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles opens in New York City (late 80s or early 90s).  The city is in the midst of a crime wave of pick-pockets, burglaries, and general thievery.  Rumors abound that the thieves are mostly young children and teenagers, perhaps connected to something called the “Foot Clan,” which apparently originated in Japan.  This is according to April O'Neil (Judith Hoag), a television news reporter at station WTRL – Channel 3.

In fact, O'Neil comes across some of these very same thieves ransacking a news van, and they promptly attack her.  A mysterious band of warrior rescues April, introducing her to a world under the streets and in the sewers of the city.  April's rescuers are four anthropomorphic turtles; these mutated, man-turtles walk and talk, and, like other teenagers, they love pizza.  They are also ninja warriors, according to their mentor and surrogate father, Splinter (Kevin Clash), a mutated, anthropomorphic rat who is also a master of the ninja arts.

Now, April and these four teenaged mutant ninja turtles:  Raphael (Josh Pais), Michelangelo (Robbie Rist), Donatello (Corey Feldman) and Leonardo (Brian Tochi) unite to unravel the secrets of the city's crime wave.  Street vigilante, Casey Jones (Elias Koteas), joins them, but will all of them be enough to stop The Foot and its leader, The Shredder.

1990s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was the first movie in a franchise that would yield a total of three films.  Years later, Warner Bros. Pictures would release a computer-animated TMNT film, also entitled Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2007), which I still have not seen.  In fact, I had not seen a TMNT movie since the second film, which was released in 1991.

With the release of Paramount Picture's reboot of the franchise, also entitled Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, earlier this past summer (2014), I decided to revisit the 1990 film.  I vaguely remember liking it then.  I was surprised to find that I actually liked it after recently watching it again.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 1990 is quaint, but irresistibly cute and likeable.  Everything about is 1980s cheesy:  the sets, the clothes, the music, the attitude, and the Turtles' dialogue.  It's as if every teen movie, good or bad, was strained of its slang and lingo to create the dialogue for these teenage mutant ninja turtles.  The entire movie also looks like it was shot in the ghostly, abandoned sets of 1980s break-dancing movies.

Still, if you like the Ninja Turtles, it is hard not to like this movie.  Back in 1990, I did like the Ninja Turtles, so I liked their hit movie debut.  A quarter-century later, I find that I still like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 1990.  I might even find myself watching it again.

5 of 10
B-

Tuesday, December 30, 2014


The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.

Review: "Charlie’s Angels" Pure Pop Pleasure

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 99 (of 2003) by Leroy Douresseaux


Charlie’s Angels (2000)
Running time: 98 minutes (1 hour, 38 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for action violence, innuendo and some sensuality/nudity
DIRECTOR: McG
WRITERS: Ryan Rowe, Ed Solomon, and John August (from the television series by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts)
PRODUCERS: Drew Barrymore, Leonard Goldberg, and Nancy Juvonen
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Russell Carpenter (D.o.P.)
EDITORS: Peter Teschner and Wayne Wahrman
COMPOSER: Edward Shearmur

ACTION/COMEDY

Starring: Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, Lucy Liu, Bill Murray, Sam Rockwell, Kelly Lynch, Tim Curry, Crispin Glover, Luke Wilson, Matt LeBlanc, Tom Green, LL Cool J, and John Forsythe (voice)

The subject of this movie review is Charlie’s Angels, a 2000 action comedy from director McG (the stage name of Joseph McGinty Nichol). The film is an adaptation of the television series, “Charlie’s Angels,” which was originally broadcast on ABC from 1976 to 1981. The film stars Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, and Lucy Liu as three women employed by a private investigation agency and working for the voice known as “Charlie.”

When I first saw Charlie’s Angels, the big-screen adaptation of the late 70’s television series of the same name, I was sure that it was the best action/comedy that I’d seen in years, if ever. Having seen it again in anticipation of the 2003 sequel, I’m sure that it is one of the best action movies I’ve ever seen and one of the best action/comedies ever made. Although the film’s tongue is firmly planted in the Angel’s cheeks and the film is geared towards men, it’s so very entertaining that everyone should get the joke.

The mysterious Charles “Charlie” Townsend (voice of John Forsythe) has three very special little ladies in his employ: Natalie Cook (Cameron Diaz), Dylan Sanders (Drew Barrymore), and Alex Munday (Lucy Liu). Under the supervision of John Bosley (Bill Murray), Charlie’s Angels use martial arts, high tech skills, and sex appeal in their investigation work for clients who can afford Charlie’s agency. This time the client is kidnap victim Eric Knox (Sam Rockwell) who runs a giant software company. The girls not only have to rescue him, but also have to retrieve Knox’s revolutionary voice-ID software. However, the girls run into more than they were told to expect, including a sleazy billionaire (Tim Curry) and his mysterious, tall, thin, ass-kickin’ bodyguard (Crispin Glover).

Directed by music video maestro McG (videos for Korn and Sugar Ray, among others), Charlie's Angels is a high-octane, comic book-styled, action movie parody and farce. None of it should be taken seriously, least of all its conspiracy-within-a-conspiracy script. This is played for fun, recalling the best action movie scenes and clichés: car chases, exploding buildings, pumping soundtrack, quick-cut editing, and Matrix-style “wire-fu” martial arts. Maybe the funniest thing about this film is that this time women do the butt stomping. Usually in action movies, the girls are just the hang-ons of the male stars, following them around and screaming at the appropriate moments during gun fights, fist fights, car chases, aircraft falling out the sky, explosions, etc. This time the girls are in control. This time their sex appeal rules the story instead of just being sex used to decorate the violence. The ladies kick the butts and leave the men panting.

It’s all done so stylishly, and it’s all good and so cool. The vapid material gets inspired performances from the cast, but the actors really make this fun to watch. Bill Murray is tired though. His Bosley is just him doing his shtick, but it is so uninspired that he should have been embarrassed to see himself in the finished product. He was wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, and wrong again.

But don’t let that keep you from watching this funny, exciting, and very wild action cartoon. Come on. Pull the stick out. Sit back and be entertained by this delicious serving of popcorn movie.

7 or 10
B+

NOTES:
2001 Black Reel Awards: 1 nomination: “Best Song” (Jean Claude Olivier-Writer, Samuel Barnes-Writer, Cory Rooney-Writer, Beyoncé Knowles-Writer, and Destiny’s Child-Performers for the song “Independent Women Part 1”)

Updated: Thursday, June 27, 2013

Review: "The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy" is Inventive, Odd, and Relaxed (Remembering Douglas Adams)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 146 (of 2005) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (2005)
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: USA/UK
Running time: 109 minutes (1 hour, 49 minutes)
MPAA – PG for thematic elements, action, and mild language
DIRECTOR: Garth Jennings
WRITERS: Douglas Adams and Karey Kirkpatrick (based upon the novel by Douglas Adams)
PRODUCERS: Gary Barber, Roger Birnbaum, Nick Goldsmith, Jay Roach, and Jonathan Glickman
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Igor Jadue-Lillo
EDITOR: Niven Howie
COMPOSER: Joby Talbot

SCI-FI/COMEDY/ACTION/ADVENTURE

Starring: Sam Rockwell, Mos Def, Zooey Deschanel, Martin Freeman, Bill Nighy, Warwick Davis, Anna Chancellor and John Malkovich, with the voices of Alan Rickman, Helen Mirren, Stephen Fry, Richard Griffiths, and Thomas Lennon

The subject of this movie review is The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, a 2005 British-American comic science fiction and adventure film. It is based on the 1979 novel, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, which was written by the late author, Douglas Adams. The film follows the adventures of a man from Earth and his alien companion who is writing a new edition of “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.”

Arthur Dent (Sam Rockwell) is an ordinary guy having what looks like another bad day, when he discovers that his house is scheduled for demolition to make way for an expressway. Then, his best friend, Ford Prefect (Mos Def), shows up and tells him that Earth is also scheduled for demolition by aliens to make way for a hyperspace expressway. Ford later whisks Arthur into space where they eventually end up on the super space ship, the Heart of Gold, captained by the dim-witted President of the Galaxy, Zaphod Beeblebrox (Sam Rockwell).

Arthur actually encountered Zaphod on Earth before, when the President stole the girl with whom Arthur had just fallen in love, Tricia (Zooey Deschanel). Tricia, now known as Trillian, is also on board, as is a chronically depressed android named Marvin (Warwick Davis with the voice by Alan Rickman). The unusual quintet search for the answers (and the questions) to the mystery of Life, the Universe, and Everything – with The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (voiced by Stephen Fry) as their… well, guide.

First published in 1979, Douglas Adams’ (1952-2001) novel, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, is one of the all-time best selling science fiction novels every published, and perhaps the most popular sci-fi humor book ever. The book became a cycle first known as “The Hitchhiker’s Trilogy,” after the publication of The Restaurant at the End of the Universe (1980) and Life, the Universe and Everything (1982); two more books followed, So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish (1984) and Mostly Harmless (1992).

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy began as a radio sci-fi comedy series, and the book series is a non-literal adaptation of the radio series. Hitchhiker’s has also been a British TV mini-series, a stage play, a comic book/graphic novel, record albums, and a computer game. A major motion picture had long been in the planning stages at various times over 20 years with such names as actors Jim Carrey and Bill Murray and directors Jay Roach and Spike Jonze attached to the project.

Finally, in mid-spring of 2005, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy debuted in theatres with director Garth Jennings and co-producer Nick Goldsmith as its filmmaking creative center. Jennings and Goldsmith are the music video directing team known as “Hammer and Tongs.” They directed videos for such musical acts as R.E.M. (“Imitation of Life,” one of my personal favorites as an all-time great music video), Fatboy Slim (“Right Here, Right Now”), and Blur (“Coffee and T.V.”).

Before he died, Douglas Adams wrote the script (a non-literal translation of the books as the books were also not literal translations the original radio show) and added new characters (Humma Kavula played by John Malkovich). Co-writer Karey Kirkpatrick (James and the Giant Peach and Chicken Run) came on to improve the script’s structure and make it more coherent. Not having seen any of Adams’ original script drafts, I can’t say how much or if Kirkpatrick improved on Adams’ work. The film does seem to lack organization and focus, and its plot seems rather inconsequential, but The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is about eccentric characters in odd settings and situations, not so much about plot. A viewer doesn’t have to have read the books, but being familiar with the various source materials may make him and her more open to the film. Hitchhiker’s is basically a film about a great big sci-fi/fantasy misadventure set in a universe of oddities and abnormal beings (except Arthur Dent).

The cast and crew so obviously love what they’re doing and really buy into the little world that they created, and that passes on to the audience. Martin Freeman makes a great Arthur Dent, playing him as a flustered man frustrated with his world being destroyed and not having the girl who is “the one” loving him back. Sam Rockwell and Mos Def make a great alien combo, with the former as a cocky and kooky, gun-slinging lothario and the latter as the best-dressed straight man/wise man in the galaxy. I enjoyed watching them and the rest of the cast, and while the voice actors don’t seem to be straining themselves to perform, they are oddly appealing.

Part Monty Python, part Jim Henson, part Mel Brooks’ Space Balls (with a much bigger budget), and part David Lynch, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is not an interstellar homerun, but it’s the most visually and conceptually daring sci-fi comedy – probably ever. And I really enjoy how unpredictable this film remains, even through repeated viewings.

6 of 10
B

--------------------

Review: Craig, Ford are Cool Cowboys in "Cowboys & Aliens"

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 10 (of 2012) by Leroy Douresseaux

Cowboy & Aliens (2011)
Running time: 118 minutes; MPAA – PG-13 for intense sequences of western and sci-fi action and violence, some partial nudity and a brief crude reference
DIRECTOR: Jon Favreau
WRITERS: Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, Damon Lindelof, and Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby; from a screen story by Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby, and Steve Oedekerk (based upon the Platinum Studios graphic novel written by Scott Mitchell Rosenberg)
PRODUCERS: Johnny Dodge, Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, Alex Kurtzman, Damon Lindelof, Roberto Orci, and Scott Mitchell Rosenberg
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Matthew Libatique
EDITORS: Dan Lebental and Jim May
COMPOSER: Harry Gregson-Williams

SCI-FI/WESTERN/ACTION

Starring: Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, Olivia Wilde, Sam Rockwell, Adam Beach, Paul Dano, Keith Carradine, Clancy Brown, Walton Goggins, Abigail Spencer, Noah Ringer, Buck Taylor, Ana de la Reguera, and Raoul Trujillo

Cowboys & Aliens is a 2011 Western and science fiction movie. This alien invasion film is based upon a concept created by former comic book publisher, Scott Mitchell Rosenberg, who also turned it into a graphic novel. Cowboys & Aliens is set in the Old West and pits a group of cowboys and Apaches against invading aliens. Steven Spielberg is also one of this film’s executive producers.

The story is set in the Arizona Territory, 1873. A man wakes up and discovers that he is injured and also cannot remember who he is. He stumbles into the hard desert town of Absolution, where he learns that he is Jake Lonergan (Daniel Craig), a wanted outlaw. He meets Ella Swenson (Olivia Wilde), a mysterious woman who acts as if she knows Lonergan. Also coming to town is Colonel Woodrow Dolarhyde (Harrison Ford). Apparently, Lonergan stole a large cachet of gold from Dolarhyde.

Lonergan’s punishment will have to wait, however; alien aircraft attack Absolution and abduct several citizens. Dolarhyde leads a posse into the desert to track the ships, and Lonergan only reluctantly goes along. He is somehow connected to the aliens; so says the strange metal band around Lonergan’s left wrist.

Movies that blend the Western genre with science fiction, fantasy, or horror are box office and/or critical disappointments. The two best examples are the science fiction/Western, adaptation of an old TV show, Wild Wild West (1999) and the horror/Western, comic book adaptation Jonah Hex (2010). Cowboys & Aliens is not so much a sci-fi Western as it is an alien invasion movie set in the Old West. The film never pretends to be a Western. Cowboys & Aliens is about a group of people who live in a time different from our own fighting invaders the way Attack the Block is about people in a place different from what many of us know who are fighting invaders.

Like many action movies, I found the first hour of Cowboys & Aliens to be mostly a misfire. By the second half, when the movie focuses on what it is about, the technologically disadvantaged humans versus the technologically very advanced aliens, the story slips into the comfort zone of fights, pursuits, and escapes. And the movie is very entertaining when you just sit back and let the sci-fi stuff thrill you. Yeah, this movie doesn’t require you to do a whole lot of thinking.

The performances are pretty good. Cowboys & Aliens affirms once again that Daniel Craig is a leading man; his interpretation of Jake Lonergan as the man-of-few-words and stoic cowboy makes the character more interesting than the screenplay does. Still, the biggest surprise may be Harrison Ford. Col. Dolarhyde is practically a villain, but there are moments in which Ford subtly uses emotion and Dolarhyde’s prejudices to create a complicated character that engages the imagination.

Cowboys & Aliens is not a classic Western or even a classic science fiction movie. It is an amusing film – at least half of it is.

5 of 10
B-

Wednesday, February 01, 2012

---------------------

 

Review: High Quality Ensemble Leads "Galaxy Quest" (Happy B'day, Tim Allen)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 118 (of 2006) by Leroy Douresseaux

Galaxy Quest (1999)
Running time: 102 minutes (1 hour, 42 minutes)
MPAA – PG for some action violence, mild language, and sensuality
DIRECTOR: Dean Parisot
WRITERS: David Howard and Robert Gordon; from a story by David Howard
PRODUCERS: Mark Johnson and Charles Newirth
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Jerzy Zielinski
EDITOR: Don Zimmerman

SCI-FI/COMEDY/ADVENTURE

Starring: Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman, Tony Shalhoub, Sam Rockwell, Daryl Mitchell, Enrico Colantino, Robin Sachs, Patrick Breen, Missi Pyle, Jed Rees, and Justin Long

For a period of 4 years from the late 70’s to the early 80’s, on a sci-fi television series called “Galaxy Quest,” the starship, NSEA Protector, and its crew set off on thrilling and dangerous missions in outer space, until the show was cancelled. Twenty years after the series began, the five stars of the classic show: Jason Nesmith as Commander Peter Quincy Taggart (Tim Allen); Gwen DeMarco as Lt. Tawny Madison (Sigourney Weaver); Alexander Dane as Dr. Lazarus (Alan Rickman); Fred Kwan as Tech Sgt. Chen (Tony Shaloub); and Tommy Webber as Lt. Laredo (Daryl Mitchell) are still in costume, making appearances at various Galaxy Quest shows and sci-fi conventions, making speeches and signing autographs for their rabid and die-hard fans.

However, a new group of fans that are a bit too “far out,” appear at one of the conventions, but it turns out they really are aliens – the Thermians from the planet Thermia located in the Klatuu Nebula. The Thermians, who saw Galaxy Quest when the TV transmissions of the show traveled through space and reached their planet, believe that Galaxy Quest was a series of “historical documents,” of the real events. They shockingly believe that Galaxy Quest was about a real commander and his crew. They’ve built an exact replica of the Protector, but it is fully functional and operational. The Thermians whisk the crew off into space on an adventure to help them in their all-too-real war against the vile and deadly General Roth’h’ar Sarris (Robin Sachs). Now, the original crew plus Galaxy Quest TV show extra Guy Fleegman (Sam Rockwell) have to use their wits and their acting talents to save the Thermians and their own lives.

Galaxy Quest is simply an ode to the ultimate cult TV series, the original 1960’s “Star Trek.” This movie plays on the notion of the original Trek cast trying to escape the fame (or infamy) that came with being on the show, although the series’ enduring popularity made them famous and kept earning them money. Galaxy Quest’s hook is to ask the question, “What if the cast of such a show really had to be interstellar space adventurers taking on deadly galactic threats?” Ultimately, the film takes this novel idea and turns it into a superb, comic sci-fi film – one of the best sci-fi comedies ever to hit the screen. Anyone who has ever seen Star Trek will get the jokes and in-jokes because this film is so obviously a riff on everything that has to do with Star Trek, from the series itself to the Trek actors and the rabid Star Trek fan base, known as “Trekkies.”

I don’t know if someone who has never seen Star Trek will get this flick (“Galaxy Quest” was the title of an actual short lived Canadian TV series), but those who know Trek will love the gentle reminder of what made the series good and what makes it fun to be a fan. When Galaxy Quest seems to ask, “What if this were real?” we can feel that and can dream of how much fun it would be, and this winning and charming film captures that sense of fun.

8 of 10
A

Saturday, May 27, 2006

--------------------

Review: "Iron Man 2" Doesn't Disappoint

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 32 (of 2010) by Leroy Douresseaux

Iron Man 2 (2010)
Running time: 124 minutes (2 hours, 4 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for sequences of intense sci-fi action and violence, and some language
DIRECTOR: Jon Favreau
WRITER: Justin Theroux (based on the characters and stories created by Stan Lee, Don Heck, Larry Lieber, and Jack Kirby)
PRODUCER: Kevin Feige
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Matthew Libatique (director of photography)
EDITORS: Dan Lebental and Richard Pearson

SUPERHERO/SCI-FI/ACTION

Starring: Robert Downey, Jr., Don Cheadle, Gwyneth Paltrow, Scarlett Johansson, Sam Rockwell, Mickey Rourke, Samuel L. Jackson, Clark Gregg, John Slatterly, Jon Favreau, Garry Shandling, and Paul Bettany (voice)

Back in 2008, the most anticipated superhero event movie was Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight, which certainly delivered on its promise and more. Many people were looking past the early May release of Iron Man; some had even been laughing at this film, which starred a superhero character that was probably C-list (at best) in the minds of the general movie-going audience. Iron Man was a surprise smash, grossing over 300 million dollars domestically. Now, the sequel, Iron Man 2, arrives with a bigger bang, and actually improves on the original – giving us more Iron Man-in-action.

As the new film opens, billionaire inventor Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.) reveals to the world that he is the armored superhero, Iron Man, whom people previously believed was Stark’s bodyguard. However, that only puts Stark under more pressure from the federal government, especially the grandstanding Senator Stern (Garry Shandling), to share his technology with the military. Stark is unwilling to divulge the secrets behind the Iron Man armor because he fears the technology will slip into the wrong hands.

When an unexpected adversary attacks Tony Stark using technology similar to the Iron Man armor, the public, the press, and Senator Stern are no longer willing to take no for an answer. In fact, this new villain, a Russian named Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke), has a connection to Tony’s late father, Howard Stark (John Slatterly), and Vanko even joins forces with Stark’s industrial rival, Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell). With his secretary Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) and his friend James “Rhodey” Rhodes (Don Cheadle) by his side, Tony forges new alliances – the mysterious Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and a shadowy new assistant, Natalie Rushman (Scarlett Johansson) – and confronts the two men determined to destroy him.

Watching Iron Man 2, one gets the feeling that the cast is having a good time, especially Robert Downey, Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man. Downey spent a decade sabotaging his career via drug addiction, which was sad, but made even worse by the fact that Downey was such a damn fine actor. Surviving the scourge of Lady Cocaine, Downey has resurrected his career, in large part by revealing his deft skills as a comic actor who can throw down droll wit and sledgehammer snark with equal power. Iron Man 2 simply reminds me that I could watch Downey all day as Iron Man or Tony Stark

Gwyneth Paltrow is equally good as Pepper Potts, but her good work only serves as a reminder that this is a sadly underutilized character. Don Cheadle is a better Rhodey than Terrence Howard. Cheadle is so serious and strong in his performance that he makes it believable that Rhodey is one of the few people Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark respects, takes seriously, and genuinely likes. I was also quite surprised at how good Mickey Rourke is as Ivan Vanko; in fact, Rourke’s Vanko is good enough to become Stark’s signature film rival.

Sam Rockwell is not good as Justin Hammer, an annoying character that seems out of place here and is actually a detriment to the film. Scarlett Johansson is actually good in this film, but her character, though fun, is a little extraneous. Pepper Potts could have done much of what Natalie Rushman did in the story. That said I wouldn’t mind seeing the Natalie Rushman in her own movie.

Iron Man 2, however, is so highly-polished and entertaining that I’m inclined to ignore the faults: the occasionally clunky pacing, too many superfluous or unconnected characters, and that isolated awkward Nick Fury/Shield sub-plot. The superhero fight and action scenes make Iron Man 2 seem like a superhero comic book come to life as a high-octane thrill ride. Robots, Iron Man armor, battle suits, rockets, and assorted big guns pound away at the senses. The big (and extended) final battle between Iron Man and Ivan Vanko is dazzling. Though not perfect, moments like that made me wish Iron Man 2 wouldn’t end.

7 of 10
B+

Monday, May 10, 2010

-----------------------------