August 29, 2010
July 24, 2010
Vampires Suck
Twelve
It’s been three years since Danny Ocean, and his crew–fronted by detail man, Rusty Ryan, up-and-coming pickpocket Linus Caldwell, explosives expert Basher Tarr, and safecracker Frank Catton–pulled off one of the most audacious and lucrative heists in history, robbing ruthless entrepreneur Terry Benedict of every dime stored in his impenetrable Las Vegas vault. After splitting the $160 million take, each one of the infamous Ocean’s crew has tried to go straight, lay low and have a legit life, but that’s proven to be a challenge–much to the chagrin of Danny’s wife Tess. When someone breaks rule number one and rats them out to Benedict, going straight is no longer an option; he wants his $160 million back–with interest, or else. And as the gang quickly discovers, Benedict isn’t the only powerful person in the world looking for Ocean’s Eleven.
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Widely reported as the worst reviewed film of the year, and currently on a less than 10% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, The Last Airbender was talked up as M. Night Shyamalan’s Indiana Jones (the filmmaker was once called the next Spielberg and this was to be his film to conquer the action/adventure genre), but it doesn’t seem like critical and general public opinion has taken to it as planned.
This should, however, still be a huge event. Based on the cartoon series Avatar: The Last Airbender (James Cameron’s own Avatar put pay to using the first part of their original title), considered by many not only as one of the best animated TV shows ever made, but one of the best TV shows full stop. The accompanying acclaim brings with it a heavy burden, but in equal measure, it left fans baying with anticipation for Shyamalan’s effort.
Set in a world where four nations dominate the world, each tied to raw element, gifted individuals have the ability to control their nation’s power, be it air, water, fire or earth. Twelve-year-old Aang (Ringer) though, learns he’s different. Able to manipulate all four elements, Aang is the cartoon title-centric Avatar, tasked with the job of maintaining peace between the four nations.
Somewhat predictably reluctant to take on his new mantle, it’s a lot of weight to place on such a young boy’s shoulders and Aang runs away from home before he has the chance to perfect controlling anything beyond air.
When the rogue Fire Nation attempt to take reign over the whole world, Aang, however, he has no option but to fulfil his destiny, and after first tracking down masters of earth, water and fire to learn each elemental way, must defeat the bold Fire Prince Zuko (Patel) and save each race from wanton destruction.
In interviews and press conferences in the run-up to the American release, Shyamalan talked about the widespread negative reviews, explaining that critics don’t get his storytelling accent and that all he can do is portray the visions in his head onto the screen. He likened moving away from his filmmaking touches as like asking an artist to change his style. But we are not asking him to change his style, and bar the visuals and set design, which on the most part work OK, everything else is a catastrophic failure. All we want is to keep doing what he does, but instead do it well.
His most successful film to date, The Sixth Sense, possesses many of the same storytelling accents, the qualitative difference between that The Last Airbender is a good script, a well-executed narrative and an entirely focused and confidently directed cast.
Some of the action and fight sequences in The Last Airbender are nicely choreographed and planned out but it’s all put together in such an incoherent fashion that not for a second do characters ever feel in danger, nor the element bending feel serious.
Controlling air, earth, fire and water looks so cool in the cartoon but doesn’t transfer at all well into live action. With the characters performing a 10 second kung fu for each elemental move, the fight sequences look ridiculous and lose any sense of realism they may have once possessed.
As similarly hit The Happening, The Last Airbender suffers from chronic, and often amateurish over-acting. Bar Dev Patel, who gives the only performance that might suggest that actually, they are taking this film seriously, the entire cast really struggles to portray believable roles in an ensemble that quickly escalates into farce. Shyamalan needs to rapidly rethink his on-set guidance because what he’s doing at the moment really isn’t working.
Moving away entirely from the cartoon, Shyamalan also cast an almost entirely white Caucasian cast, at least within those fighting for good, where as in the series, the central characters are generally Asian. In cinema today, where there is great acting talent on offer from all over the world, and especially given the performances the hired actors gave, it was a great misstep to not be faithful to the source and match the ethics and values in the cartoon.
The problems though go far beyond the talent in front of the camera. The dialogue is sloppy, unnatural and thoroughly ill conceived. There’s no emotional connection between the characters, no bonds, depth or emotional development, instead the interactions are based solely around exposition and detail purely what has happened, what is happening or what is going to happen, each multiple times over.
Despite a multi-angled plot, there’s a surprising lack of story to the film. Aang’s journey to all corners of the earth, with battles here and there, and cuts to scheming from ulterior enemies back at their own base, but you can describe the story in a couple of lines and still capture all of the major plot points.
For a $150m film, the CGI is passable if not revolutionary. Some of the set pieces look nice, even if the fire and other elements won’t blow you away. Releasing this film in 3-D, however, was a definite bad move. Adding nothing, in fact even more so than Avatar, this film is 95% in 2-D, poor implementation where it is used only detracts from the experience, and with the film already given a largely dark, mysterious look, the darkened tint 3-D specs give to the screen makes it almost pitch black at some points.
The first of a planned trilogy, be surprised if two and three get green lit, at least while Shyamalan wants to retain control. The Last Airbender possesses enough energy for this film and more but somehow it quickly grows drab and boring. If you aren’t a fan of the original cartoon series, prepare to be disappointed, and if you are, it’ll be even worse
The Last Airbender completes writer/co-producer/director M. Night Shyamalan’s fall from grace; once regarded as the most exciting talent in film, he now sits pretty as the laughing stock of Hollywood. Shyamalan certainly once had the vision to create great concepts and ideas, but he no longer possesses the oversight to follow them through, nor the structure or craft to produce an accomplished piece.
The trailers looked so promising, and the cartoon series is unabashedly brilliant, it’s a then that pity The Last Airbender can’t close the deal, instead it might just be the end for Shyamalan until he lifts his head from beneath the sand, and sees his recent efforts for what they really are; way, way below standard.
★★★★★
Step Up 3D
Everyone deserves a chance to follow their dreams, but some people only get one shot. Tyler Gage is a rebel from the wrong side of Baltimore’s tracks–and the only thing that stands between him and an unfulfilled life are his dreams of one day making it out of there. Nora is a privileged ballet dancer attending Baltimore’s ultra-elite Maryland School of the Arts–and the only thing standing in the way of her obviously brilliant future is finding a great dance partner for her senior showcase. When trouble with the law lands Tyler with a community service gig at Maryland School of the Arts, he arrives as an angry outsider, until his skills as a gifted street dancer draw Nora’s attention. Now, as sparks fly between them, both on and off stage, Tyler realizes he has just one performance to prove that he can step up to a life far larger than he ever imagined.
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“THE SUITE LIFE OF ZACK AND CODY: LIP SYNCHIN’ IN THE RAIN”
A few years back, I wasn’t all that interested in the shows that came on the Disney Channel. This interest was entirely fueled by the fact that I had boys instead of girls, and until just recently they weren’t old enough to find any interest in the regular sit-com programming.
Now my boys are old enough to surf for themselves, and while they’ve lost interest in “Hannah Montana,” they are all about the male-centric shows like “Corey in the House” and “The Suite Life of Zack & Cody.” The most recent release, “The Suite Life of Zack & Cody: Lip Synchin’ in the Rain,” has received quite a bit of play lately because my kids relate with the mischievous pre-teens who live in a hotel.
As an adult who gets the more subtle jokes (and who has seen all the possible versions of “High School Musical,” the best episode in this four-episode collection is the title track “Lip Synchin’ in the Rain,” in which the characters from the Tipton Hotel try out for a local rendition of “High School Musical.” The inside joke is that Maddie (Ashley Tisdale) has trouble convincing people that she would be perfect for the character of Sharpay (which is played by Tisdale in real life).
As the Sprouse brothers continue to age, their natural pubescent awkwardness will probably lead to the show’s fizzle, but right now it’s one of the best bets for boys interested in the Disney Channel. There’s also the unfortunate loss of the rather cute Ashley Tisdale as a series regular as her outside career takes off. She’s replaced by a rather obnoxious candy counter girl that is nothing more than a Raven wannabe.
Other episodes include “Arwin That Came to Dinner” (featuring the janitor Arwin trying to go on a date), “Orchestra” and “A Tale of Two Houses” (featuring the boys’ failed attempt to play both parents against each other). The special features include a gag reel, which is always fun for the kids, and a behind-the-scenes interview of the twins by castmate Brenda Song.
Two years ago, the teen dance movie “Step Up” took the box office by storm. This was one of those films that critics like me looked at in the upcoming release chart and dismissed without thinking much about it. And while it never hit number one at the box office, it scored a respectable second place to Will Ferrell’s “Talladega Nights” and went on to be wildly profitable.
The release of “Step Up 2 the Streets” had a similar success story, never reaching number one but scoring healthy ticket sales. It sold well at the box office this February and has paved the way for a 3D sequel, coming in 2010.
To say this film (and any other dancing competition film) is formulaic is an understatement. However, formalism is entirely forgivable when you look at the marketplace. Films like “Step Up 2 the Streets” plays to a particular audience and doesn’t try to reach out further than that. It definitely serves its purpose, and who can argue with that.
This film follows another wayward teen who is trying to break out of her low-rent neighborhood. She’s part of a street dance crew, and after getting in trouble one too many times, she agrees to go to an elite art school to stay straight. While there, her street dancing technique is downplayed by the classical artists, but with the help of a prize student, she’s able to assemble a crew and head to an underground dance competition.
The urban elements are a bit thick in this film, with so much slang thrown around by both players and wannabes, it’s a little hard for an old fart like myself to get into the characters. But the story is fluffy enough that I was able to handle it.
The dance sequences are the highlights, as with many of these films, and any heavy urban drama is overshadowed by the generally positive message to follow your dreams. Newcomer Briana Evigan is quite fetching in the lead (especially during the final dance sequence… why don’t more people dance in the rain?), able to balance her acting with her dancing talent. And fortunately, there’s only a cameo of Channing Tatum to deal with in this film.
Clearly made for the teenage crowd, “Step Up 2 the Streets” works for its target audience.
The DVD comes with deleted scenes with plenty of dancing, a slew of music videos, outtakes, a somewhat dry video prank by the lead characters, a spotlight on the dance crews and a general behind-the-scenes documentary.
Anyone who knows me and my tastes in movies is very familiar with my dislike for both Martin Lawrence and Raven-Symone. So, with that in mind, you might expect me to unleash a diatribe of hatred for “College Road Trip.”
However, after seeing the film on DVD for the first time (having missed the theatrical release due to a screening conflict), I have to say there was a certain charm to it.
Martin Lawrence plays Police Chief James Porter whose daughter Melanie (Raven-Symone) is looking at colleges for the fall. While Chief Porter is hoping Melanie will go to the nearby Northwestern, she’s got her sights on other colleges, namely Georgetown. She’s invited to DC for a visit to the Georgetown campus, and Chief Porter insists on driving her there in order to convince her to stay close to home.
What I respected about “College Road Trip” was its commitment. Not everything that happens in the film is funny, but the actors drive it home with relentless passion. At times, it’s a bit in-your-face and over-the-top, but this all works for the frothy and mercifully short 83-minute film. Toss in an annoyingly stupid Donny Osmond, and things work in a miraculous way.
Martin Lawrence and Raven-Symone strike a level of chemistry that makes the whole much more than the sum of its parts. As she’s grown a little older, Raven-Symone has come off her high horse a bit, from a screen presence perspective, and she is more generous on screen, which always leads to better comedy.
Along for the ride is Porter’s young son Trey (Eshaya Draper) who brings along the family’s pot-bellied pig. I know the cute pig is a ploy to enchant audiences, but I couldn’t help but be sucked in by the silliness.
Can you blame me if I though the pig was hilarious? Apparently Disney agrees with me, considering the little porker was the lynchpin to their advertising. If only the movie was about the pig… then it would have been a five-star film.
The bonus features include two commentary tracks – one with the director and Raven, and the other with the writers. There’s also a gag reel, alternate endings, deleted scenes, a music video with behind-the-scenes footage and Raven’s on-set video diary.
“College Road Trip” is a safe movie for families and kids. I still am a bit in awe that I enjoyed it as much as I did.
“PHINEAS AND FERB: THE FAST AND THE PHINEAS”
As my children have gotten older, mastered the remote control and figured out how to record their shows on our DVR, I’ve lost a bit of control of their TV viewing. It’s not like they’re watching classic episodes of “NYPD Blue” or buying adult favorites on the in-demand channels, but they’ve found their own shows they like on Disney Channel, the Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon.
Gone are the days that I watch “Tom and Jerry” or the various superhero cartoons. Now I have to deal with marathon sessions of “SpongeBob SquarePants,” “You Gabba Gabba,” “Chowder” and “Flapjack.” It’s enough to curl my toes.
However, a new cartoon has shown up on the Disney Channel that I enjoy watching with them as much as any of the aforementioned choices from my childhood. On the surface, it appears that “Phineas and Ferb” is another hyperactive, obnoxious flash animation cartoon. However, after watching it for a bit, it has really grown on me.
From the opening song by Bowling for Soup, the show hits the ground running with high energy. However, there’s a level of irreverence to this show, which is not surprising considering one of its creators (Dan Povenmire) used to work on “Family Guy.” References to pop culture figures like Evander Holyfield are lost on young children but make me laugh at least.
The show features two step brothers on summer vacation. Instead of wasting their time, they get involved in their own adventures. Each episode includes their sister Candace (voiced by Ashley Tisdale) trying to bust them for breaking the rules. As Phineas and Ferb enjoy outrageous antics – from becoming a one-hit-wonder band to building a haunted house to fixing a time machine and traveling back to the age of the dinosaurs – their mother always comes in after the fact and never believes Candace.
A cute subplot occurs in each episode which follows the kids’ pet platypus Perry who sneaks away to become Agent P. By connecting with his secret agent network, the show channels “Secret Squirrel” and “Kim Possible” as Agent P battles his nemesis Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz. This gives the show a beautiful balance but stays wacky in both storylines.
The first DVD release of the show comes in “Phineas and Ferb: The Fast and the Phineas,” which has five episodes on one disc. Each episode is broken into two parts, sometimes as a continuation and sometimes just two separate storylines. The bones features include the original storyboard pitch from Dan Povenmire and a set-top game.
If you haven’t seen the show, here’s a great way to start. And then you can allow your kids to DVR the rest of the episodes as they run on the Disney Channel.
“WIZARDS OF WAVERLY PLACE: WIZARD SCHOOL”
With the Disney Channel’s tradition of ending their live-action sit-com shows before they become too stale (and also before the plucky young stars hit their rebellious years and ruin their images), they have to continuously drop new shows onto the dial. One of the newer selections is “Wizards of Waverly Place,” starring the pretty, young Miley Cyrus nemesis, Selena Gomez.
The show is a clear attempt to capitalize on the Harry Potter craze, featuring a family of wizards that live in the heart of New York. While keeping their wizardness a secret, the characters try to live a somewhat normal life, as teenage Alex (Gomez) and her brothers face the struggles that face most kids today.
Disney has released a DVD compilation of four episodes in “Wizards of Waverly Place: Wizard School.” Like most Disney Channel shows, this single-disc presentation gives a good sampling of the show that allows viewers to test out the show without buying a whole season.
What I enjoyed about this compilation is that the two-episode arc “Wizard School” shows us its hand with a wink and a nod to the Harry Potter influences. Alex and her older brother Justin (David Henrie) head off to a wizard academy (complete with long robes and black-rimmed glasses). In another episode, the siblings encounter another wizard teen in town who has enchanted his parents to allow him to use magic whenever he wants to.
The episode that held the most interest of my sons was “Curb Your Dragon,” not just because it featured a cute dog, but because the dog (being a dragon in disguise) farted fire. You just can’t go wrong with a kids’ show that features a farting dragon-dog.
The DVD comes with a behind-the-scenes featurette “Work It Like a Wizard,” which gives a look at the cast’s take on the show.
“Wizards of Waverly Place” is a fun show and enjoyable for both boys and girls. Like “Hannah Montana” and “The Suite Life of Zack and Cody,” it has some humor in it for the parents as well and can be safe and fun viewing for the whole family.
Whats the Matter with Kansas
In the years before World War II, a Japanese child is torn from her penniless family to work as a geisha house. Despite a treacherous rival who nearly breaks her spirit, the girl blossoms into the legendary geisha Sayuri. Beautiful and accomplished, Sayuri captivates the most powerful men of her day, but is haunted by her secret love for the one man beyond her reach.
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Audrey the Trainwreck
David Dunn is a listless security guard returning by train to his home in Philadelphia. Though he loves his young son Joseph, he hasn’t felt good about himself in years and his relationship with his equally depressed wife, Audrey, is just about over. Into this uneventful life comes a terrible train wreck. More than 100 people die–everyone on that Philadelphia-bound train, in fact, with a single exception. David Dunn not only comes out alive, he emerges without a scratch on him. The notoriety of his survival leads directly to something left on his car windshield, an unsigned note asking if he’s ever been sick. Intrigued, Dunn not only investigates the history of his own health but also tracks down the man who left the message, comic-art dealer Elijah Price. Though Price suffers from a strange and rare bone disease that makes him fragile to the touch, it is the explanation as to why Dunn survivied the wreck that is nothing short of extraordinary.
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Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Halle Berry, Toby Stephens, Rosamund Pike
Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Halle Berry, Toby Stephens, Rosamund Pike, Rick Yune, Judi Dench, John Cleese, Michael Madsen, Kenneth Tsang, Will Yun Lee, Emilio Echeverria, Samantha Bond, Colin Salmon, Mikhail Gorevoy, Lawrence Makoare, Emilio Echevarría, Madonna
Director: Lee Tamahori
Director: Lee Tamahori
Screenwriter: Neal Purvis, Robert Wade
Producer: Barbara Broccoli, Michael G Wilson
Distributor: MGM Pictures
March 19, 2010
A Nightmare on Elm Street
A group of teenagers are terrorized by “Freddy Krueger”, an evil being from another world who gets to his victims by entering their dreams and killing them with gloves that have knife blades attached to each finger.
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| Cast and Credits |
| Starring: | Ronee Blakley, John Saxon, Heather Langenkamp, Amanda Wyss, Nick Corri |
| Directed by: | Wes Craven |
| Produced by: | Stanley Dudelson, Joseph Wolf (II), Sara Risher |
| See Full Cast and Credits |
| Critical Consensus |
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A Nightmare on Elm Street (Wes Craven / U.S., 1984):
The Sandman of Reagans dozy suburbia. (”Baseball bats and boogeymen. Beautiful.”) Fred (not yet “Freddy”) Krueger (Robert Englund) is not the rubbery vaudevillian of later installments but rather a maggot-bleeding visitor from Jungs “all-uniting depths,” the undead child-killer who comes back to shred the spawn of the lynch mob who barbecued him. Return of the Oppressed and Sins of the Father? The infamous razor glove is forged during the opening credits, and put to bloody use at teeny sleepovers — high-schoolers are his victims, the “incredible body hocus-pocus” of their dreaming consciousness is his highway. Puberty wounds and exhumed parental secrets inform the journey of the heroine (Heather Langenkamp), who defends herself with caffeine and learns of Moms (Ronee Blakley) vigilante past and the dangers of falling asleep to the Bard (”O God, I could be bounded in a nutshell and count myself a king of infinite space, were it not that I have bad dreams”). The oneiric topography allows Wes Craven to traffic in particularly gutty and erudite psychosexual frissons: Metallic talons emerge between the heroines legs during bath time, a centipede crawls out of the mouth of her body bag-cocooned friend (Amanda Wyss), and, above all, a gaping mattress swallows up Johnny Depp (TV set, stereo earphones and all) only to ejaculate him out as a tidal wave of raspberry gore. “Morality sucks.” Craven builds very scrupulously on Fuseli (or is it Redon?) and arrives at the bold image of the beautiful white suburban home with barred windows, a bottomless bathtub, and a damp subterranean labyrinth for a cellar. Elsewhere, there’s Royal Wedding for Wyss slaughter, The Exorcist for Langenkamps test, and Vampyr for the ultimate awakening. The new generation is roused from its slumber, even if Krueger has the last laugh (and the unending slew of wisecracking sequels). With John Saxon, Jsu Garcia, and Charles Fleischer.
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Oceans
What are the odds of getting even? Danny Ocean and the gang would have only one reason to pull off their most ambitious and riskiest casino heist–to defend one of their own. But they’re going to need more than luck on their side to break The Bank. Ruthless casino owner Willy Bank never imagined that the odds were against him when he double-crossed Danny Ocean’s friend and mentor Reuben Tishkoff, putting the distraught Reuben in a hospital bed in critical condition. But Bank miscalculated–badly. He may have taken down one of the original Ocean’s eleven, but he left the others standing and, worse for him, gave them a shared purpose: to take Bank down on the night of what should be his greatest triumph–the grand opening of his new casino, appropriately named The Bank. Their strategy is twofold. First they will ruin him financially by turning the tables on the precept that the house always wins. But that’s just money. The knockout punch will be to Bank’s personal pride and joy: his reputation as the only hotelier who has earned the Royal Review Board’s Five Diamond Award on every single one of his hotels. The plan is elaborate, dangerous and damn near impossible–but there are no limits when it comes to one of their own.
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Plot
A gang of World War II buddies – lead by Danny Ocean – plan to rob five Las Vegas casinos in one night.
Review
The Rat Pack! Broads! Mobsters! Gambling! And then they went to work!
Leaving aside the superior Soderbergh version, the making of Lewis Milestone’s 1960 Las Vegas heist caper would make a much more interesting movie than the knockabout comedy on offer here. Indeed, the double duties pulled by the principal cast during the shoot (playing two shows a night at The Sands) are evident in the sluggish pace, sleepy performances and narrative stitched together out of whatever scenes Sinatra showed up for.
Still, there are many incidental pleasures to be had, not least Sammy (cast as a garbage man, apparently because Sinatra was feeling spiteful) singing E-O-Eleven, Dean swinging the old Sahara lounge, Nelson Riddle’s sizzling score and some neat hipster dialogue.
Verdict
From smokes to suits, you get a real flavour of Las Vegas while it was still cool – all of it beautifully shot by the veteran cinematographer William Daniels.
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The Perfect Game
In 1957, in the poverty-stricken town of Monterrey, Mexico, a barefooted, rag-tag group of boys discovers the joys of sandlot baseball under the guidance of Cesar, a failed U.S. minor league ballplayer. Dreaming of playing a real Little League game, the young team members defy disapproving parents, bigotry, and an utter lack of resources to score their first Little League victory on U.S. soil only to find themselves at the beginning of a once-in-a-lifetime journey. Relying on their religious faith and their love of the game, the nine players and their coach embark on an incredible, record-breaking winning streak that leads them from southern Texas all the way to the 1957 Little League World Series in Williamsport, PA, where a miracle will cement their place in history and change their lives forever.
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David Twohy doesnât reinvent the wheel with A Perfect Getaway, the key to both the
filmâs minor successes and shortcomings. Interested in straightforward B-movie
suspense laced with a dash of wink-wink self-awareness, Twohyâs film concerns a
vacationing couple in Kauai â screenwriter Cliff (Steve Zahn) and new bride
Cydney (Milla Jovovich) â who, while backpacking in the mountains, hear that a
pair of newlywed murderers are loose on the island. Wouldnât you know it, they then
immediately find themselves faced with two sets of suspects: a menacing pair
(Chris Hemsworth and Marley Shelton) angry over being denied a hitchhiking
ride, and a super hunting/camping twosome (Timothy Olyphant and Kiele Sanchez)
who seem a bit too handy with a knife. Twohy lets his storyâs central guessing
game play out with patient tautness, and his castâs performances â whether
directly addressing the issue of âred herringsâ and âsecond-act plot twists,â
as Olyphant does, or merely exuding a playful âhow dangerous am I?â ambiguity â
keep the mystery lively. Itâs too bad that Twohy telegraphs his climactic
surprise from the opening-credits prologue, yet his otherwise capable
misdirections are sturdy enough to cast minor doubt on the final outcome, just
as his generally clean, gimmick-free direction keeps the action lean and swift.
A third-act filled with too much flash and sizzle, as well as dull flashback
exposition, mucks up the preceding tense atmosphere, but as far as modest genre
exercises go, A Perfect Getaway
nonetheless gets enough right.Â
Death at a Funeral
On the morning of their father’s funeral, the family and friends of the deceased each arrive with his or her own roiling anxieties. The son, Daniel, knows he will have to face his flirty, blow-hard, famous-novelist brother Robert, who’s just flown in from New York–not to mention the promises of a new life he’s made to his wife Jane. Meanwhile, Daniel’s cousin Martha and her dependable new fiancé Simon are desperate to make a good impression on Martha’s uptight father–a plan that literally goes out the window when Simon accidentally ingests a designer drug en route to the service, leaving him prone to uncontrollable bouts of delirium and nudity in front of his potential in-laws. Then comes the real shocker: a mysterious guest who threatens to unveil an earth-shattering family secret. As comedic mayhem and unfortunate mishaps ensue on every front, it is now up to the two brothers to hide the truth from their family and friends, and figure out how to not only bury their dearly beloved, but also the secret he’s been keeping.
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The Films of Frank Oz
The Muppets Take Manhattan
Little Shop of Horrors
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
What About Bob?
HouseSitter
The Indian in the Cupboard
In & Out
Bowfinger
The Score
The Stepford Wives
Death at a Funeral (January 31/10)
Directed by Frank Oz, Death at a Funeral follows several characters (including Matthew Macfadyen’s Daniel, Andy Nyman’s Howard, and Alan Tudyk’s Simon) as they converge on a country estate after Daniel’s father passes away – with problems ensuing as a stranger (Peter Dinklage’s Peter) arrives on the scene armed with some rather shocking news about the deceased. Oz has infused Death at a Funeral with a pervasively affable atmosphere that effectively compensates for the less-than-hilarious nature of the movie’s opening half hour, with the likeable vibe perpetuated by an eclectic selection of characters that are drawn into a series of increasingly off-the-wall situations (ie Simon accidentally consumes a hallucinogenic, Howard must contend with Peter Vaughan’s crotchety Uncle Alfie, etc). The progressively go-for-broke bent of Dean Craig’s screenplay ensures that the film only improves as it goes along, as the steady emphasis on farcical elements translates into a laugh-out-loud funny third act that’s rife with comedic misunderstandings and complications. There’s little doubt that a big measure of Death at a Funeral’s success is due to the efforts of a uniformly impressive cast, with Macfadyen’s solid work as the movie’s straight man matched by an eclectic band of supporting characters (and as effective as folks like Nyman and Tudyk are here, it’s clear that Dinklage earns the title of MVP). The final result is an ingratiating bit of energetic silliness that’ll surely delight fans of British comedy, although it’s worth noting that Oz does a superb job of ensuring that the proceedings remain accessible for all audiences.
