Review: "Kangaroo Jack" Jacked-Up, but Fun

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 133 (of 2003) by Leroy Douresseaux


Kangaroo Jack (2003)
Running time: 89 minutes (1 hour, 29 minutes)
MPAA – PG for language, crude humor, sensuality and violence
DIRECTOR: David McNally
WRITERS: Steve Bing and Scott Rosenberg, from a story by Barry O’Brien and Steve Bing
PRODUCER: Jerry Bruckheimer
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Peter Menzies Jr. (D.o.P.)
EDITORS: William Goldenberg, Jim May, and John Murray
COMPOSER: Trevor Rabin
Razzie Awards nominee

COMEDY with elements of Action/Adventure/Crime

Starring: Jerry O’Connell, Anthony Anderson, Estella Warren, Christopher Walken, Marton Csokas, Dyan Cannon, Michael Shannon, Bill Hunter, and David Ngoombujarra

The subject of this movie review is Kangaroo Jack, a 2003 comedy starring Jerry O’Connell and Anthony Anderson. The film follows two childhood friends, who are forced by the mob to deliver $50,000 to Australia and then, forced to chase a wild kangaroo that ends up with that money.

Hollywood mega-movie producer Jerry Bruckheimer isn’t strictly a producer of gargantuan action flicks that “blow us away” during the summer and holiday seasons. Although known for films like Top Gun and Armageddon, he’s also produced films like Flashdance and Remember the Titans, as well as television programs like “C.S.I.: Crime Scene Investigation” and “Amazing Race.” The latest bit of diversity in his oeuvre is the comedy Kangaroo Jack.

This movie is a tale of two hapless schmoes, Charlie Carbone (Jerry O’Connell) and Louis Booker (Anthony Anderson) chasing a kangaroo in the Australian outback because the marsupial has “stolen” 50 thousand dollars from them. It’s a funny, but mostly lame, film with some very good moments. There’s a sexy girl, and we get a few shots of her nipples, particularly in a wet t-shirt moment. The film winds down with a really convincing and heartfelt moment of two guys, one black and one white, pledging their undying friendship for each other.

I want to be cynical about the whole relationship, but it’s good to see that a white man and black man can really be best buds, even if it’s just in a movie. Don’t expect anything great because Kangaroo Jack is pure tripe straight from the film factory and made by some of Tinseltown’s brightest filmmaking hacks. It’s acceptable and likeable low quality funny, much in the way you might accept off-brand crystallized ice cream in a moment of desperation.

4 of 10
C

NOTES:
2001 Razzie Awards: 2 nominations: “Worst Supporting Actor” (Christopher Walken-also for Gigli-2003) and “Worst Supporting Actor” (Anthony Anderson)

"Erased" with Aaron Eckhart On Demand April 5th

Radius and TWC presents

Erased

ON DEMAND FRIDAY, APRIL 5, 2013 - through your cable or satellite provider

IN THEATERS MAY 17TH

Starring: Aaron Eckhart, Liana Liberato, and Olga Kurylenko

A film by Philipp Stölzl

When ex-CIA agent Ben Logan (Eckhart) discovers that he and his daughter have been marked for termination as part of a wide-reaching international conspiracy, a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse ensues as Logan tries to outsmart his hunters and uncover the truth.

Rated: R

DreamWorks and Participant Acquire "Boston Globe" Priest Scandal Story

DreamWorks and Participant Acquire Drama about Boston Globe Exposé on Cover-up of Catholic Priest Scandal

Tom McCarthy to direct and co-write with Josh Singer

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--DreamWorks Studios and Participant Media have acquired the feature film rights to the story of the Catholic Church's decades-long cover-up of its pedophile priests in Massachusetts as uncovered by a year-long investigation by the Boston Globe, it was announced today by Holly Bario, DreamWorks President of Production, and Jonathan King, Participant Executive Vice President of Production. Tom McCarthy has signed on to direct and co-write the script with Josh Singer. Anonymous Content's Michael Sugar and Steve Golin and Rocklin/Faust's Nicole Rocklin and Blye Faust will produce. David Mizner, who originally brought the project to the producers, will serve as a consultant and associate producer. King and Jeff Skoll will serve as executive producers.

Life rights have been acquired to the Boston Globe's "Spotlight Team" of reporters and editors, including then-Globe editor Marty Baron, special projects editor Ben Bradlee Jr., Spotlight Team editor Walter "Robby" Robinson and reporters Michael Rezendes, Sacha Pfeiffer, and Matt Carroll. The team spent a year interviewing victims and reviewing thousands of pages of documents and discovered years of cover-up by Catholic Church leadership. Their reporting eventually led to the resignation of Cardinal Bernard Law who had hidden years of serial abuse by other priests and opened the floodgates to other revelations of molestation and cover-ups around the world which still reverberate today. For their efforts, the Globe team won the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service in 2003 "for its courageous, comprehensive coverage of sexual abuse by priests, an effort that pierced secrecy, stirred local, national and international reaction and produced changes in the Roman Catholic Church."

"The Boston Globe's coverage of the Catholic priest scandal opened the door to a bigger story that had worldwide ramifications," said Bario. "The story of how this team of editors and reporters came to uncover the truth will make a dramatic and compelling film, especially with the talents of our director Tom McCarthy and his co-screenwriter Josh Singer on board."

Said King, "It's great to be back in business once again with our friends at DreamWorks and Anonymous, especially on such a powerful and still-evolving story. We have been eager to do another movie with Tom McCarthy ever since 'The Visitor.'"

This will be the sixth collaboration between DreamWorks and Participant, having previously partnered on Steven Spielberg’s “Lincoln,” the 2011 Academy Award-winning smash “The Help,” “The Kite Runner,” “The Soloist,” and this year’s “The Fifth Estate.” With a focus on real issues that shape our lives, Participant creates social action and advocacy programs to transform the impact of the media experience into individual and community action. Some of their other films include Tom McCarthy's "The Visitor," “An Inconvenient Truth,” “Good Night, and Good Luck,” “Food, Inc.,” “Charlie Wilson’s War,” “Waiting for ‘Superman,’” “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” and the recent Academy Award nominee for Best Foreign Language Film, “No.”

In addition to "The Visitor," Tom McCarthy wrote and directed “The Station Agent” and "Win Win." He was nominated for an Oscar for co-creating the story of Pixar’s “Up." McCarthy also wrote the screenplay for the Disney film "The Million Dollar Arm" starring Jon Hamm that begins shooting next month. He is repped by the Gersh Agency and attorney Andrew Hurwitz.

Josh Singer wrote the Wikileaks drama "The Fifth Estate" for DreamWorks, which was directed by Bill Condon and will be released later this year. A veteran TV writer, he has worked on such shows as "The West Wing," "Law & Order: SVU," "Lie to Me," and "Fringe." Singer is repped by WME and Anonymous Content.


About DreamWorks Studios
DreamWorks Studios is a motion picture company formed in 2009 and led by Steven Spielberg and Stacey Snider in partnership with The Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group. The company’s recent releases include Spielberg's "Lincoln," starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field and Tommy Lee Jones. The film has grossed over $180 million at the U.S. box office and was nominated for twelve Academy Awards® with Daniel Day-Lewis winning for Best Actor. Other releases include "Real Steel," starring Hugh Jackman and directed by Shawn Levy, Steven Spielberg’s "War Horse," based on Michael Morpurgo’s award-winning book and was nominated for six Academy Awards® including Best Picture, and "The Help," which resonated with audiences around the country and earned over $200 million at the box office and received four Academy Award® nominations with Octavia Spencer winning for Best Supporting Actress. Upcoming films include the comedy "Delivery Man," starring Vince Vaughn, the WikiLeaks drama "The Fifth Estate," and car racing actioner "Need for Speed."

DreamWorks Studios can be found on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/DreamWorksStudios and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/dw_studios.

About Participant Media
Participant (participantmedia.com) is a global entertainment company founded in 2004 by Jeff Skoll to focus on feature films, television, publishing and digital content that inspire social change. Participant's more than 40 films include GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK, SYRIANA, AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH, FOOD, INC., WAITING FOR 'SUPERMAN’, THE HELP, CONTAGION and LINCOLN. Participant’s social action campaigns and digital network TakePart.com continue the conversation and connect audiences to a wealth of content and actions. Its new millennial television network Pivot (pivot.tv), launching this summer in 40 million-plus homes, is TV for The New Greatest Generation.

VIZ Media Announces "Berserk" Event

VIZ MEDIA BRINGS A DOUBLE DOSE OF MEDIEVAL ACTION WITH BERSERK: THE GOLDEN AGE ARC DOUBLE FEATURE EVENT ON MAY 11th

First Two Installments Of The Action-Packed Trilogy, Including The North American Premiere Of BERSERK: THE GOLDEN AGE ARC II – THE BATTLE FOR DOLDREY, Will Screen At NEW PEOPLE Theater In San Francisco And Simultaneously Air On Neon Alley Channel

San Francisco, CA, April 4, 2013 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of anime and manga in North America, brings a very special anime theatrical presentation with a double-feature premiere of BERSERK: THE GOLDEN AGE ARC I – THE EGG OF THE KING and the North American theatrical premiere of BERSERK: THE GOLDEN AGE ARC II - THE BATTLE FOR DOLDREY. The double feature event will be held on Saturday, May 11th at the NEW PEOPLE Cinema, located inside the dynamic Japanese pop culture entertainment venue in San Francisco’s Japantown at 1746 Post St. A special galley exhibit featuring original BERSERK production art from Studio 4℃ will also be showcased in the theatre lobby. The double feature will simultaneously air on VIZ Media’s own Neon Alley channel, accessible by fans in North America.

Two double-feature showings (presented with dubbed English dialogue) at NEW PEOPLE Cinema are scheduled for Saturday, May 11th, beginning at 3:00pm and 8:00pm. A short intermission will take place between each movie. Tickets are $25.00 and are available online at: http://www.newpeopleworld.com/films/films-5-2013/. Each ticketholder to the event will also receive an exclusive BERSERK gift pack upon arrival to the theater with chance to win very special items from Japan.

VIZ Media also invites Neon Alley members to catch back-to-back airings of the BERSERK: THE GOLDEN AGE ARC I – THE EGG OF THE KING and BERSERK: THE GOLDEN AGE ARC II - THE BATTLE FOR DOLDREY on the same day at the same times – Saturday, May 11th – at 3:00pm and 8:00pm PST. Neon Alley is VIZ Media’s new 24-hour, subscription-based anime channel, available for the PS3 game console and Playstation® Network, and the Xbox 360 and Xbox Live®, featuring many of the world’s best anime titles (dubbed in English and uncut) and presented in HD (when available) for a low monthly subscription rate of only $6.99. More details at: www.neonalley.com.

A variety of exclusive BERSERK: THE GOLDEN AGE ARC memorabilia – including collectable figures, a special artbook, cell phone charms, and Japanese theatrical pamphlets autographed by Studio 4ºC CEO Eiko Tanaka – will be raffled at the NEW PEOPLE Cinema event. Neon Alley viewers will also have a chance to watch and win one of 50 one-of-a-kind pieces of BERSERK: THE GOLDEN AGE ARC production art available exclusively during the premiere event. Please visit www.facebook.com/neonalleynetwork for more details and update on the special giveaway items.

As a special bonus, both the NEW PEOPLE Cinema and Neon Alley presentations will feature a video of musician/composer Susumu Hirasawa performing the BERSERK: THE GOLDEN AGE ARC theme song "Aria.”

“The BERSERK: THE GOLDEN AGE ARC trilogy possesses all of the great elements for an epic and vicious action saga,” says Charlene Ingram, Senior Marketing Manager, Animation. “We invite fans from the Bay Area and beyond to join us for an exciting theatrical event at NEW PEOPLE Cinema, or to catch the back-to-back premieres, completely uncut, on Neon Alley. And also don’t miss the chance to score some one-of-a-kind and highly collectable BERSERK production art pieces that we will give away in a special contest!”

BERSERK: THE GOLDEN AGE ARC I – THE EGG OF THE KING (rated TV-MA) follows lone mercenary Guts as he travels the land where a hundred-year-old war is taking place. His ferocity and ability to take down enemies attracts the attention of Griffith, leader of the mercenary group “The Band of the Hawk,” and Guts is recruited to the unit. Thanks to their continued victories on the battlefield, the bond between Guts and Griffith deepens, but despite all their success, Guts begins to question his reasons for fighting for Griffith’s dream. Unknown to Guts, this unyielding dream is about to bestow a horrible fate on them both.

BERSERK: THE GOLDEN AGE ARC II - THE BATTLE FOR DOLDREY (rated TV-MA) picks up the story as Guts believed, for three years, that his mission was to pursue Griffith’s dream together with him. But in order to become Griffith’s equal and truly be called his friend, Guts realizes he will have to leave the Band of the Hawk. At the same time, a bloody battle to capture the impenetrable Fortress of Doldrey from the Empire of Chuder is about to begin. The Band of the Hawk will face an army 30,000 strong!

The BERSERK manga series, by Kentarou Miura, debuted in Japan in 1989 and quickly drew a devoted following, going on to sell more than 30 million copies worldwide. The series, still ongoing in Japan, has been published in North America and the UK, as well as in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Russia, and Latin America. The BERSERK manga has also inspired a popular anime television series and has spawned a variety of related video games, collectable figures and toys, and music soundtracks, as well as the current BERSERK: THE GOLDEN AGE ARC film trilogy.

For more information on the BERSERK: THE GOLDEN AGE ARC film trilogy, please visit the official Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/BerserkFilm.


About VIZ Media, LLC
Headquartered in San Francisco, California, VIZ Media distributes, markets and licenses the best anime and manga titles direct from Japan. Owned by three of Japan's largest manga and animation companies, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media has the most extensive library of anime and manga for English speaking audiences in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland and South Africa. With its popular digital manga anthology WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP and blockbuster properties like NARUTO, BLEACH and INUYASHA, VIZ Media offers cutting-edge action, romance and family friendly properties for anime, manga, science fiction and fantasy fans of all ages. VIZ Media properties are available as graphic novels, DVDs, animated television series, feature films, downloadable and streaming video and a variety of consumer products. Learn more about VIZ Media, anime and manga at www.VIZ.com.

"Jurassic Park" Returns in 3D

Universal Pictures' Jurassic Park To Be Released In IMAX® 3D For The First Time Ever On April 5

Steven Spielberg's Classic Returns to the Big Screen in IMAX® Theatres

PRNewswire/ -- IMAX Corporation (NYSE:IMAX; TSX:IMX) and Universal Pictures announced that Steven Spielberg's epic Jurassic Park will return to the big screen with a one-week 3D engagement in IMAX® theatres worldwide simultaneous with the film's wide release beginning April 5, 2013.

With his remastering of this epic film into a state-of-the-art 3D format, Steven Spielberg introduces the three-time Academy Award®-winning blockbuster to a new generation of moviegoers and allows longtime fans to experience the world he envisioned in a way that was unimaginable during the film's original release. Starring Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Samuel L. Jackson and Richard Attenborough, the film based on the novel by Michael Crichton is produced by Kathleen Kennedy and Gerald R. Molen.

"Jurassic Park is the quintessential film for fans to experience in IMAX 3D," said Nikki Rocco, President of Distribution, Universal Pictures. "Jurassic Park was groundbreaking when it was originally released, and The IMAX 3D Experience® will allow today's audiences to become fully immersed in one of the most breathtaking epics Universal has ever released."

"Steven Spielberg's films resonate uniquely with audiences," said Greg Foster, Chairman and President of IMAX Filmed Entertainment. "We're thrilled to offer moviegoers an opportunity to see this fan favorite back on the big screen and transport them - for the first time through the power of The IMAX 3D Experience® - into the world of Jurassic Park."

The IMAX release of Jurassic Park has been digitally re-mastered into the image and sound quality of The IMAX 3D Experience® with proprietary IMAX DMR® (Digital Re-mastering) technology. The crystal-clear images, coupled with IMAX's customized theatre geometry and powerful digital audio, create a unique environment that will make audiences feel as if they are in the movie.

You can learn more about Jurassic Park in IMAX 3D by visiting the film's official site at http://www.jurassicpark.com/.


About IMAX Corporation
IMAX, an innovator in entertainment technology, combines proprietary software, architecture and equipment to create experiences that take you beyond the edge of your seat to a world you've never imagined. Top filmmakers and studios are utilizing IMAX theatres to connect with audiences in extraordinary ways, and, as such, IMAX's network is among the most important and successful theatrical distribution platforms for major event films around the globe.

IMAX is headquartered in New York, Toronto and Los Angeles, with offices in London, Tokyo, Shanghai and Beijing. As of Sept. 30, 2012, there were 689 IMAX theatres (556 commercial multiplex, 20 commercial destination and 113 institutional) in 52 countries.

IMAX®, IMAX® 3D, IMAX DMR®, Experience It In IMAX®, An IMAX 3D Experience®, The IMAX Experience® and IMAX Is Believing® are trademarks of IMAX Corporation. More information about the Company can be found at www.imax.com. You may also connect with IMAX on Facebook (www.facebook.com/imax), Twitter (www.twitter.com/imax) and YouTube (www.youtube.com/imaxmovies).

Renowned Film Critic Roger Ebert Dies at 70

by Leroy Douressaux

A crappy day for me just got even crappier. Roger Ebert, one of the few film critics known to the general public, died today, Thursday, April 04, 2013, at the age of 70.

Ebert was the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize, winning the “Pulitzer Prize for Criticism” in 1975. Ebert began writing a film review column for the Chicago Sun-Times beginning in 1967. Later, he also began posting his reviews online.

Ebert is likely best known for his association with fellow film critic, the late Gene Siskel. For 23 years, Ebert and Siskel hosted three television series in which they reviewed and discussed films. Sneak Previews began in 1975. The two launched the syndicated series, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, in 1982. In 1982, the duo created Siskel & Ebert & The Movies, which was syndicated by a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. The two men were known for their “thumbs up/thumbs down” review summaries. Siskel died in 1999.

Ebert had been battling thyroid cancer since 2002. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Ebert died of complications from cancer.

Negromancer sends its condolences to Roger Ebert’s family and friends. Rest in peace, Mr. Ebert.

"Pokemon the Movie" No. 15 Now on DVD

VIZ MEDIA EXCITES FANS WITH THE DEBUT OF POKÉMON THE MOVIE: KYUREM VS. THE SWORD OF JUSTICE ON DVD

Latest Feature Film From The Leading Kids Entertainment Franchise Also Complemented By VIZ Kids Release Of Tie-In Manga Edition

San Francisco, CA, April 2, 2013 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of anime and manga in North America, brings an exotic new animated POKÉMON adventure to fans of all ages with the DVD release of POKÉMON THE MOVIE: KYUREM VS. THE SWORD OF JUSTICE. Debuting today, the new film can be enjoyed by the entire family (rated ‘TV-Y7-F7’) and carries an MSRP of $19.97 U.S. / $24.98 CAN. A tie-in manga edition is also available now in stores under the VIZ Kids imprint, rated ‘A’ for All Ages and carrying an MSRP of $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN.

In the latest exciting POKÉMON feature film adventure, Ash and friends spot an injured Pokémon they don’t recognize during a train trip. They’re planning a rescue when the train is attacked by the Lengendary Kyurem! Ash and the others manage to get the unfamiliar Pokémon to safety, and they learn its story… The Mythical Pokémon Keldeo is on a mission to rescue its friends – Cobalion, Terrakion and Virizion, the Swords of Justice – from Kyurem’s icy clutches. But Kyurem has other ideas, and when it transforms into Black Byurem or White Kyurem, for greater power, things look grim! Can Keldeo find the courage to stand up to this menace?

“Fans won’t want to miss the latest riveting adventure of hit franchise, POKÉMON THE MOVIE: KYUREM VS. THE SWORD OF JUSTICE,” says Charlene Ingram, Sr. Marketing Manager, Animation. “Anticipation for this feature film has built ever since Keldeo was revealed in the latest POKÉMON video game. Follow Keldeo, Ash, Pikachu, and friends as they embark on a dangerous quest in an exotic land to rescue the Swords of Justice!”

For more information on VIZ Media’s POKÉMON manga and anime titles, please visit www.VIZ.com/Pokemon/.

For more information on other VIZ Media kids titles, please visit http://www.vizkids.com.


About VIZ Media, LLC
Headquartered in San Francisco, California, VIZ Media distributes, markets and licenses the best anime and manga titles direct from Japan. Owned by three of Japan's largest manga and animation companies, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media has the most extensive library of anime and manga for English speaking audiences in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland and South Africa. With its popular digital manga anthology WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP and blockbuster properties like NARUTO, BLEACH and INUYASHA, VIZ Media offers cutting-edge action, romance and family friendly properties for anime, manga, science fiction and fantasy fans of all ages. VIZ Media properties are available as graphic novels, DVDs, animated television series, feature films, downloadable and streaming video and a variety of consumer products. Learn more about VIZ Media, anime and manga at www.VIZ.com.