Showing posts with label movie sites. Show all posts
Showing posts with label movie sites. Show all posts

Click (2006)

ClickIn this one Adam Sandler is self-absorbed architect Michael Newman who is married to the sweet and supportive Donna played by the beautiful Kate Beckinsale, of the UNDERWORLD films. He has 2 beautiful kids, Ben and Samantha, who he doesn't get to see much because he's working lots of overtime in an attempt to be made a partner by David Hasselhoff, his ungrateful boss. One night, tired, frustrated, unable to even figure out which remote will turn on his TV, he sets out to find a "universal remote." In an embarrassing production of product placement that would make a NASCAR driver blush, he ends up at "Bed, Bath & Beyond," specifically the "Beyond" room. Here he finds the resident eccentric genius employed there, called Morty, chiefly because Sandler loves having Christopher Walken, who plays the part, say "Morty." Morty gives him an unique experimental device to get his life under "control." Michael is now able to turn on any & all appliances with the a single "click." He gradually learns of the device's other functions: It can "MUTE" the bark of the family dog, PAUSE everything and fast forward through an argument with the Mrs. he can adjust his HUE as well. Wanting to learn more he visits "the Beyond" and Morty again. Morty tells Michael that he got exactly what he asked for "a remote to control his universe." Morty further demonstrates more features, including one that lets him flip through his existence at varying speeds. Michael is soon corrupted absolutely by the sheer power of the control, literally losing control. Before long he can't stop the remote from selecting what and when he will fast-forward, causing him to miss events he wants to experience, eventually leading the obligatory " It's A WONDERFUL LIFE" epiphany when does realize all that he's missed and sometimes it is and sometimes isn't a wonderful life, but that's okay, he gets the message and all is forgiven.

The film is light formula-fare with heart, like some of Sandler's weaker films, there are laughs to be found. Sandler is okay as the nice-guy with a crude streak. Hasselhoff is fun as the jerk boss. Some of the gags get repetitive and some aren't that funny the first time. Also an over-large amount of time is spent creating the progressively older Michael Newman.

Click is directed for Sandler's Happy Madison production company by Frank Coraci of the Wedding Singer, Waterboy and most recently Around the World in 80 Days (the Jackie Chan). And Sandler again uses Henry "the Fonz" Winkler (previously in the Happy Madison universe as Coach Klien, and as himself in Little Nicky) and Julie Kavner (best known as the voice of Marge Simpson) to play his unappreciated folks. If nothing else, Sandler is a loyal guy.

If you do not know who Adam Sandler is yet, then let me say "Wake up!" This is by far his best film yet, to go along with "Big Daddy," "The Waterboy," "Anger Management," and "Happy Gilmore." Oh, I was laughing so hard when I saw this in the big house. Not only is Adam Sandler great, but so is Christopher Walkin, who plays the guy who gives Adam Sandler this remote. Alright, let me brief you about this Blockbuster flick.

A guy who is down on his luck go to "Bed, Bath, and Beyond." There he goes to the way beyond section of the store, where he meets the creator of the universal remote control (played by Christopher Walkin) that is a remote control not just for electronics, but for everyday life. With this remote, one could mute sound entirely, skip a part of life (such as, let's say you are in high school. Every time it was test time, the remote would skip it for you. How it skipped it, I am not saying). All in all, it is about one lucky dude who found a very powerful remote (he got it for FREE).

So, get this film. You will not be disappointed, that is if you like Adam Sandler or if you just plain like comedy for comedy's sake. Hope I helped get you to laugh, because I sure did, as did the entire auditorium of the movie theatre I was at that day. Oh, and if you like this movie, check out "RV" with Robin Williams. Have fun and be ready to laugh out loud!

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The closest Adam Sandler has come to a great film to this point in his career is "50 First Dates." As far as I was concerned get rid of Rob Schneider as Ula and cut the vomiting Walrus and you would have a five star movie. "Click" is in the same mold in that it combines Sandler's romantic side with a unusual situation and still insists on adding raunchy humor (I suppose there could be worse things than your dog trying to have sex with a giant stuffed duck, but let us not go there). Consequently, "Click" is not an improvement on "50 First Dates," but I do not think that it constitutes a step backwards, which would be welcomed news.

Sandler plays Michael Newman, who has married beyond his reach the gorgeous Donna (Kate Beckinsale), and has two young kids who love him, his son Ben (Joseph Castanon) and his daughter (Tatum McCann), despite the fact that he is so busy trying to make partner at the architecture firm where he works that he is ignoring his family more and more each day. Every time he makes a promise to his family, he feels forced bo break it to satisfy John Ammer (David Hasselhoff) at work. Things are getting so bad that Michael suddenly decides that what he needs ia a universal remote, just like the O'Doyle's next door, so that at least he can turn on his TV instead of the overhead fan. So he heads off into the night and since Bed, Bath and Beyond is the only store opens, goes in to find his universal remote. What he finds instead in the Beyond part of the store is Morty (Christopher Walken), who indeed has a universal remote, and not just your ordinary universal remote, as I assume everybody knows from the previews.

I must say up front that I am pretty sure I could listen to Christopher Walken say anything, up to an including the instructions for using a universal remote or any other form of technology and be thoroughly entertained. I would also add that Morty is absolutely right about Donna's body. Anyway, with his amazing universal remote Michael quickly learns that he can use it to control his world and click away his problems, from muting his dog, fast-forwarding through fights with his wife, and pausing his boss so that he can slap the guy silly (although I think close-captioning would have been funnier for the scene with the Japanese businessmen at the restaurant). Then Michael discovers the catch.

It is not, as the trailer would lead you to believe, that the remote breaks. But rather, as Morty explains, that it functions like Tivo in that it pays attention to what he is doing with the remote and automatically does it again. So if you decide to fast-forward through an illness or foreplay with your wife, then that becomes the way it will be for the rest of your life. This is a fairly interesting idea given the premise of the film, and the only real flaw in it is that once you establish Michael is on "auto pilot" during the chapters of his life that are skipped, then I do not see how he could be so successful at his business given that he has to use the remote to save the bacon with the Japanese firm. But that is just because I pay attention to the rules of the game and like to take them to their logical extensions.

Sandler has gathered familiar faces for this film, with Henry Winkler playing Michael's father, Sean Astin as Ben's swim coach, and even a nice cameo by Schneider, whose understate performance encouraged my hopes for this film. Perhaps the biggest surprise here is that the raunchy humor got me to laugh out loud several times, even if a grown man striking back at the Eddie Haskell-wannabee who lives next door would be wrong, very wrong indeed (but still funny). However, my wife would like me to state in no uncertain terms that what I was laughing at was clearly guy humor, and I am pretty sure she rolled her eyes and shook her head more often than she joined in on the laughing (it was hard to tell, the theater was dark and I was trying to watch the movie).

Ultimately, the problem with the movie is the end, when Michael gets his second chance. That is because the screenplay by Steve Koren and Mark O'Keefe (the team who did "Bruce Almighty") invests so much in the big epiphany and final grace note at the end of the third act that they apparently have nothing much to come up with for the epilogue where we are assured Michael and his family will live happily ever after. "50 First Dates" had a great final payoff scene, and you can go all the way back to "It's a Wonderful Life" to see how well you can milk the return from Hell to the real world. Granted, you will not top the end of the Hell sequence, but then you are not supposed to. Still, there has to be a better payoff for what comes between that point and the start of the credits. I am still rounding up on this one, but I should have been in a position to round down. Final Note: Nice touch with getting Dolores O'Riordan from the Cranberries to show up to sing "Linger" live at the wedding.

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What would you do if you could pause, rewind, fast-forward (basically all of the functions you can do with a DVD player) with your life? Would you rewind through prior events to relive the glory days? Or would you skip ahead to avoid waiting in traffic or enduring a fight, or would you pause or slow-down a moment to make it seemingly last forever. Wouldn't it be nice if we had such capabilities, just imagine what fun a person could have with that kind of power. In Sony Pictures hit comedy "Click" Adam Sandler gets to experience what would happen with that power first hand, and sometimes the outcome isn't exactly what he had in mind.

"Click" is the story of Michael Newman (Adam Sandler), a man without a lot of spare time on his hands. He has a hectic, very demanding job, a boss (David Hasselhoff) who is ungrateful for everything that he does, and a beautiful wife (Kate Beckinsale) and kids that deserve more attention than he is able to give. After feeling like life is going nowhere fast for himself, Michael visits a local store and meets a very odd man (Christopher Walken) who gives him what may be the greatest gift of all time, a universal remote. The difference between this universal remote and all others is that this one can not only control electronics, but everyday life as well. Soon, Michael is using the remote to skip arguments or boring conversations, speed up certain activities, even going back through his life to relieve the good times as a younger man. However, the remote begins to go haywire and Michael finds his life spinning out of his control, and the more he tries to fix things the worse they get. Now, he must try to regain what he's lost before it's too late.

"Click" is a movie that I wanted to see from the get-go. I thought it looked funny, it featured Adam Sandler, so I knew that was a safe bet, plus it had a great supporting cast, and what appeared to be a unique story that we all could relate to (meaning all of us that would like to have this type of control over certain aspects of life). When I finally got around to seeing the movie, I must say that it wasn't all that much like I expected. Sure, it was laugh out loud funny numerous times throughout the film, but there was seriousness to the story that was unexpected, yet a welcome addition at the same time. When the remote begins to mess with Michael's life, the movie shifts gears and becomes mostly a drama, revealing the consequences of rushing through life and how eventually it will just pass you by. It's not often that an Adam Sandler movie actually features a moral or message to the story, but this one did, and it didn't feel out of place at all.

I was really surprised that for an Adam Sandler comedy, it was actually very different from his standard fare, there were his typical off-color jokes and remarks, but his character also had a sincerity to him that was uncommon for him to play. Watching him mature over the course of the film was interesting, because it forced Sandler to play more of his dramatic side rather than his slapstick side that he relies on the most. I haven't seen Adam Sandler's more serious movies "Reign Over Me" and "Punch Drunk Love", so I wasn't too sure how all of the serious elements were going to end up playing out when I saw that was definitely where the story was heading, but he handled it remarkably well. The rest of the cast was a mixture of sweet and caring (Michael's wife and kids), to somewhat strange (Michael's parents), to downright kooky and possibly on the verge of insanity (Christopher Walken's character). Each actor/actress was equally entertaining, and delivered very fun, interesting characters that were always enjoyable when on the screen. My favorite supportive character had to have been Chris Walken's, and I was happy that the writers gave him more than just a cameo of screen time. I believe he literally stole every scene he was in, and he did it so effortlessly, which is how it should be done.

If you are a fan of Adam Sandler movies you should enjoy "Click", it does start out kind of slow, but after 10 minutes or so it really picks up, but there is some seriousness to it as well, so don't just expect to be laughing the entire time. But if you're not a fan of Sandler's films, and I know there are plenty of you out there, this is definitely one of his movies that I think you should see. It's a different type of Adam Sandler comedy, one with much more depth and originality than most of his efforts. Though not my favorite Adam Sandler movie, it definitely ranks up there around the top with "Big Daddy" and "The Longest Yard".

"Click" is rated PG-13 for language and sensuality.

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Click is an anomaly of sorts. It isn't quite a comedy, but it's got too many funny moments to be a drama. I guess it's a dramedy, which is important to know if you go into it expecting a lighthearted, fun, family movie. It is each of those things, but at different moments. Adam Sandler plays a workaholic architect who is so busy trying to get ahead at work that his family life begins to suffer. When he is offered a "universal remote that controls your universe," he jumps at the chance to have a sense of control in his chaotic life. The next thing he knows his life is a DVD complete with commentary from James Earl Jones that he can pause, rewind, and fast forward at his leisure.

The moral of the story is that you should be careful what you wish for because when you get it, you might not want it anymore. Overall, this movie was fine, but I didn't think it was stellar. It's along the same lines of Bruce Almighty and that movie about disappearing poop with Jack Black. If you liked those, or the general message therein, I think you'll like this one. I wasn't expecting the middle part of the movie to be such a downer, but if you go into it expecting the somber moments I think you'll enjoy it more.

Also, David Hasselhoff plays Sandler's boss, a completely self-absorbed misogynist. Seeing Mitch Buchanon on screen again makes this movie worth watching in and of itself.

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Just Wright (2010)

Just Wright JUST WRIGHT

STARRING: Queen Latifah, Common, Paula Patton, Pam Grier, James Pickens Jr. and Phylicia Rashad

WRITTEN BY: Michael Elliot

DIRECTED BY: Sanaa Hamri

Rated: PG

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Release Date: 14 May 2010

Review Date: 25 May 2010

It's been refreshing seeing so many romantic comedies as of late, that were not only good, but clean as well. Leap Year, Letters to Juliet and now Just Wright, have all been very tasty films and were all rated PG.

The adorable Queen Latifah who is one of the few people in Hollywood you can tell has a good soul just by looking at her; stars as Leslie Wright. All of Leslie's life, she has been the `friend' to charming and available guys. No one has ever wanted to be more than that with her in the end, and to add insult to injury, guys tend to fall for her best friend Morgan (Paula Patton).

Morgan is indeed beautiful, but then so is Leslie, and only an idiot wouldn't be able to smell Morgan's BS from a mile away. But then again there are a lot of idiots in the world, so this makes it easier for those of us with two or more brain cells watching, to accept this in the film.

To call Morgan high maintenance would be the understatement of the century. At least she is honest with Leslie about her intentions however, which was one of two small problems I had with this great film.

The first being that I just can't buy that Leslie would after all these years be friends with someone so manipulative and deceitful. Morgan has made it her mission in life, to wed a cash flow. Whereas Leslie you see, is basically every bit as sweet as the real Queen Latifah.

After Morgan fills Leslie in on her plan to snag an NBA player as her ATM of a husband, Leslie just so happens to run into such a man at a gas station following a game. His name is Scott McKnight and he plays for the Nets; which coincidentally is the team that Leslie is nuts about.

Common plays Scott, and the enthrallment is there from the get-go between both the actors and the characters they portray and lasts all the way till the credits. Taken aback by Leslie's unique charm, Scott invites her to a party.

Naturally, Leslie brings Morgan along with her, and Scott finds her intriguing. Morgan plays Scott like a fiddle and soon enough they are dating. Being such a sweetheart, Leslie is happy for Morgan and allows this to go on when Morgan expresses that she is truly developing feelings for Scott.

Leslie is a physical therapist and when Scott gets injured on the court, he hires her to move in and take care of him. Based on the description of Morgan's character and the necessary formula of romantic comedies, you can guess where it goes from there.

And it does go there, but we really enjoy the ride it takes us on along the way. The film doesn't force the inevitable down our throats, but slowly and innovatively leads us to the romance of Scott and Leslie.

I mentioned earlier that there were only two small problems I had with the film. The second one takes place in the third act and involves a ridiculous decision made by Scott. It took my like for the character down a notch or two, but those are tiny notches and both of these problems I had were minuscule to the overall effect the film had.

I've had my eye on Paula Patton for quite some time now; ever since I saw her in Déjà vu. She has a rare quality to her and I think she will do big things in the world of movies. In the small handful of mainstream films she has done, you can see a vast variety of talent. She is enduring and the fact that she makes us absolutely hate her as Morgan in this film, shows how truly talented she is.

Director Sanaa Hamri has gone from Something New; to Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2; to Just Wright; and each of them compliments her well. Insert offensively cheesy Just Wright one-liner here:

Nothing about this film seemed any more unique than any other romantic sports style film. Boy chases girl. Boy gets girl. Boy dogs girl. Boy makes it better. The end. While other friends and family around me were just dying for the release date of this film, I wasn't going to see it. However, when I saw Common and Queen Latifah (fake?) flirting it up on "The Mo'Nique Show," I found them entertaining. They sure did look believable, so it made me want to see them in action. I saw the film. I won't lie to you. It is about as predictable as you would guess. Leslie is the girl's guy, the next-door-neighbor style lady who is chummy with all the guys but they don't really get a spark out of her. She's every guy's best friend who's a girl but not girlfriend material.

But her roommate Morgan (Paula Patton) knows what to wear and what to do to sink her teeth into a man. Her eyes are set on Scott McKnight (Common), and he of course chases her. She badly wants to be a basketball wife and is thrilled when he proposes. A little bit later, he has an injury on the court. Leslie is a physical therapist. Guess who ends up being his physical therapist? Whatever you believe happens after that is probably true. Now if I based my rating on the plot, it'd be one star, maybe two.

But what I did like was the chemistry between Queen Latifah and Common on film. I didn't think Paula Patton was very good at playing a golddigger and manipulator. She just looked too happy and had this glow on her face the entire time, that kind of glow pregnant women have or a woman who has been sexed up really good. I think she was great in "Precious" but playing the villain wasn't convincing. But again, it was entertaining watching the two rapper actors prove that they are just as talented at both. The jazz scenes were great for me. I loved those! I could've watched the piano and singing performance all day.

Another great part of the film for me was watching Phylicia Rashad (who played Scott's mother) and James Pickens Jr. (who played Leslie's father) on the screen. These two veteran actors were great to watch as usual, and I liked their movie relationship with the two main characters.

It was a cute film but if not for these particular characters, it would've been a bust. I will warn you that it's not worth paying evening rates though, stick to the matinee prices.

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I love this movie so much. I have watched this movie at least 4 times since I purchased it. Every time I watch it I always feel so positive about meeting the right man for me. Queen Latifah and Common had such great chemistry. Paula Patton was just too cute and funny. James Pickens Jr., Phylicia Rashad and Pam Greir were so good as the parents. The story was so positive. It is too bad that Hollywood doesn't produce more postive movies about African-American relationships like this.

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You know me. I'm very critical of romantic comedies. That doesn't always prevent me from enjoying them, however. I enjoyed "Just Wright" very much, in large part because of Queen Latifah, whose character, Leslie Wright, is caring, independent, warm, self assured, and genuinely likeable. Her only flaw is not being able to find a man that wants to be more than friends, and even then you can't really blame her because she is trying. Part of the problem is her godsister and best friend, Morgan (Paula Patton), a shallow man hunter who gets what she wants ... even if Leslie had it first. Morgan is classically beautiful and not yet thirty, and loves dressing fancy wherever she goes. Leslie is thirty-five and has curves, and while she certainly can dress nicely, she isn't opposed to casual clothing, either.

Movies like this are inherently contrived, so liking them really has nothing to do with believing in them. It has more to do with how they present themselves, if they're pleasant and fun and have good characters. "Just Wright" exudes such charm and goodwill that it entertains at a fundamentally emotional level. I also appreciated the fact that, while there's almost nothing plausible about what leads to the obligatory romance, the romance itself is compelling, focusing more on the process of falling in love than the end result. Anyone can capture immature puppy love on camera and call it a movie, but we don't often see older characters allowing something to develop naturally.

Here's the story. Leslie, a New Jersey physical therapist and Basketball fan, has a chance encounter with Scott McKnight (Common), a star player for the Nets and a recent free agent. He's decent enough and seems to like her. He even invites her to his birthday party. All prospects of starting a relationship are seemingly shot when Morgan tags along; her goal is to become a trophy wife and live out the rest of her days shopping, dining, and looking good for photographers. Almost as quickly as they met, Scott and Morgan become engaged. But then Scott injures his knee during the NBA All-Star Game, and it's bad enough to put his career in jeopardy. If he's to take part in an upcoming game, he must undergo weeks of physical therapy, and he must turn to someone good. His first choice of therapist is too pretty for Morgan to compete with, which is why she hires Leslie.

It turns out to be a very good move. Not only is she well trained, she's also a great motivator, taking a firm and no-nonsense approach. She takes care of Scott, but more to the point, she inspires him. A friendship develops rather quickly, although it takes a bit more time for them to realize that they're falling in love. Or perhaps they do realize it, but they're afraid to act on it for fear of actually finding what they've been looking for. Success, be it professional or personal, can be frightening, no matter how much one claims to want it. But what about Morgan? It shouldn't be too hard to figure out, but you should know that she isn't as shallow as she might seem. Misguided perhaps, although not without her good points. If only they weren't revealed at just such moments when they're the most convenient.

But what am I complaining for? That's how movies like this work. What I cared about most was that I liked the characters, and I especially liked Leslie. She has such a wonderful personality bright and accommodating yet not so desperate for affection that she allows herself to be trampled on. Perhaps she's an extension of the real Queen Latifah, who seems genuinely confident and good natured in all of her public appearances. As for the other cast members, they all hold their own, although some get less screen time than they probably deserved. Case in point: Phylicia Rashad as Scott's kindly mother, who seems to have a sixth sense when it comes to women like Morgan. She also has an affinity for people like Leslie, decent people who are strong, level-headed, and even a little opinionated.

There's also Pam Grier and James Pickens, Jr. as Leslie's parents, and while they play their roles as best they can, neither are given all that much to do except be supporting roles. Pickens' character in particular is nothing more than momentary comedy relief, a well intentioned but inept Mr. Fix-It who helps Leslie renovate her home. I can understand the renovation aspect, for it's symbolic of the change occurring slowly but steadily in Leslie's life. The parents, however, did not seem necessary to me. It's a good thing they appeared so infrequently. All we really needed was Leslie, a great character in a story that isn't quite deserving of her. It gets the job done, but still, was there no way to go for something less conventional? Romantic comedies are a dime a dozen effective, but often times forgettable. "Just Wright" entertained me because of its characters and tone, but the plot is just another face in the crowd.

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A simple wholesome feel good movie with a strong woman character. This movie leaves you feeling enthusiastic about love and life!

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Meet the Fockers (2004)

Meet the FockersI'm a big Barbra Streisand fan, but to be honest, even I lost patience with her last few movies. She seemed to play into this lofty image of herself as this sophisticate whom no man she meets can live without or is worthy. In The Prince of Tides, I thought that if she wasn't careful, Barbra the actress was going to do in Barbra the director. That was borne out in her last movie, The Mirror Has Two Faces. Happily, in her return to the screen here, she goes back to the kind of comedy that she does so well, that a lot of younger people have never seen. (Check out The Owl and the Pussycat and What's Up,Doc? kids.) Yes, some of them can't believe that they are enjoying her (it must be killing Mssrs Parker and Stone!), but Barbra hasn't been this loose and in over 30 years. And as if she isn't good enough, she works for the first time at long last with BOTH Hoffman and DeNiro! I will even committ an act or heresay and say that I think Hoffman stole the picture. However, his chemistry with Barbra is wonderful and a treat to watch. What the hell took so long?

The rest of the cast does fine, considering what they are working with. Yes, DeNiro has been slumming, but it is fun to see him and Babs have a couple of scenes along together, though one of my favorites was seeing Barbra reunited with Blyth Danner whom she directed in Prince of Tides, coaching her as a sex therapist!

OK, so maybe Babs, Dusty and Bob should have done something more topical and serious with Scorcese instead of this silly fluff with Jay Roach, but I'll bet it wouldn't be anywhere near as fun!

(2008 HOLIDAY TEAM)It shouldn't be too big a surprise that this movie is a fairly mediocre Hollywood confection, but I did have a whimper of a hope that this was going to be an edgier social commentary given the comedy potential of the situation. Alas, it would be too much to expect director Jay Roach to be in the same league as David O. Russell or Alexander Payne given that his track record is mostly made up of Austin Powers movies. I never saw the original Meet the Parents, so luckily I don't have that point of comparison, but one can easily fill in the blanks with this soft-centered sequel. Written by Jim Herzfeld and John Hamburg, the plot seems ready-made from an instant pudding mix. Having given permission to Gaylord Focker to marry their daughter Pam, the white-bread Byrnes family from Oyster Bay now prepares to meet their new in-laws in Florida (of course).

Simple enough, but the big surprise is that Dustin Hoffman and Barbra Streisand (third and fourth-billed, no less) seem to be having such a great time playing Bernie and Roz Focker that you can almost overlook the script deficiencies. Each had auspicious film debuts over 35 years ago (he in The Graduate, she in Funny Girl), and they have known each other since their struggling New York days in the early sixties. That history is helpful in explaining their natural chemistry here, and you're left wondering why these two never worked together before. Streisand, in particular, seems relaxed as a free-wheeling, caftan-wearing, opinionated sex therapist, which seems like a send-up of her self-important psychiatrist in her own The Prince of Tides. For once, she's not bathed in candlelight in some Harlequin romance with a blonde gentile unable to commit. Rather, she lends credibility to a grounded character in an often hilariously passionate marriage to a physical and intellectual equal, and at certain moments in this film, I don't think I've liked Streisand more onscreen.

If Hoffman seems less surprising, it's only because he has already proven to be a masterful comic actor with Tootsie and Wag the Dog. Even when the running gags (a passion for capoeira, overzealous displays of affection) get tired, he still imbues his caricature with a zestful spirit. The remaining elements of the film seem tired in comparison, and unfortunately I have to include the original stars. Perhaps it's because they are recycling behavior that would be hard to refresh a second time. Robert DeNiro's tiresome portrayal of Jack Byrnes, the intimidating ex-CIA spook, is particularly disappointing and not so much because the actor is slumming (which he is) but because his character works on only one motivation, to humiliate and eventually eject his future son-in-law from the "circle of trust". There are hints that the summit meeting of Hoffman, DeNiro and Streisand would turn into something more substantial, but the sitcom dimensions of the script quickly extinguish the possibilities. Ben Stiller, who is the actual protagonist of this comedy, seems to be sitting back as his character, Gaylord, recedes into the background. He has exactly one funny scene on his own, when he spouts his honest feelings after being injected with a "truth serum".

The whole subplot with Gaylord being accused of fathering his former family housekeeper's son seems tired and superfluous. I like Blythe Danner as Jack's wife, Dina, looking to resuscitate some spark in their marriage, and Teri Polo, who actually seems sharp and worthwhile as the fiancée at the center of the story. But neither is given much to do except a funny scene where Roz uses hand puppets to teach Dina how to get sex out of Jack. If seeing DeNiro wearing a homemade rubber "manary gland" sounds hilarious, by all means go see this movie. For me, it just made me think how it would be great to see Hoffman and Streisand re-team in a James Brooks comedy, how DeNiro should go back to Scorsese for career guidance and how Stiller may want to take a break before he plays yet another nebbish character. By the way, I'm guessing Streisand's "A Star Is Born"-era hairdo is an in-joke to her partner since her character's name was Esther Hoffman. Now that's the kind of subtlety this comedy needed.

The 2005 DVD features two versions of the film the theatrical cut and a completely unnecessary extended cut, which edits in several deleted scenes. Like the DVD treatment for Ray, the additions are announced to the viewer through a blinking gimmick and consequently inhibit the flow of the narrative. It's better to see these understandably excised scenes separate from the film. Roach and editor/co-producer Jon Poll provide a so-so commentary track, and there is also a fitfully funny blooper reel. Several disposable shorts are included, among them "Fockers' Family Portrait" featuring brief snippets from Hoffman, Streisand and Stiller; a behind-the-scenes look at Jinx the Cat ("Inside the Litter Box"); another behind-the-scenes look, this time at the infant ("The Adventures of a Baby Wrangler"); a five-minute featurette on "The Manary Gland"; and a Today Show interview with the entire cast.

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TWO-HOUR SITUATION COMEDY AT ITS FINEST!

This is a terrific modern comedy with a classic theme. Dustin Hoffman and Barbra Streisand brought added chemistry and welcome diversity which really helped this character-driven sit-com. Whereas "Meet The Parents" had numerous funny "gags" and a lot of comedic tension, "Meet The Fockers" takes embarrassment to a new level for Greg Focker. Although this movie is 115 minutes long, there is hardly a dull moment. I have already viewed this DVD about 15 times.

Yes, the film does resort to some cliched, overused themes, some of which are a bit vulgar and may even be offensive to some viewers. However, the enormous credibility that the all-star cast brings, and delivers, to this sprawling situation comedy, more than makes up for the predictable silliness, and occasionally irksome crudeness that sometimes gets tiresome.

ABOUT THE DVD:

The sound and visual quality of this widescreen DVD is about what you would expect from a new big-budget release ... about perfect. It does contain quite a few features that I found interesting, but the extended version option was by the best of them. Although it does make the movie 150+ minutes, it adds some new insights into the characters and their motivations. One such extended scene depicts Greg with the father of the boy that Jack wrongfully believed was his Greg's son. Of course, Ben Stiller played the very odd, minor league baseball coach meeting Greg [himself]. Sure it's a cliche, but it was funny. There were also deleted scenes and bloopers. They were mostly okay, but some seemed contrived.

There are three behind-the-scenes featurettes: one about the baby wrangler's role (pretty interesting), another about the mammary gland prop, and the third was titled "Inside the Litter Box" and was of course about that darn cat, "Mr. Jinx". The featurettes are a little over the top as features go, but it is, after all, a comedy.

BOTTOM LINE: ENTERTAINING, BUT OFTEN AT THE EXPENSE OF GOOD TASTE!

Is "MEET THE FOCKERS" as entertaining as "Meet the Parents"? I believe so, but unfortunately, in many instances, it is done so at the expense of good taste. After viewing the movie and all the features only one question remains in my mind (as well as in the mind of many others, I'm sure.) ... Will they all return in yet another sequel, "MEET THE LITTLE FOCKER"?

Read Best Reviews of Meet the Fockers (2004) Here

This is not burst your gut comedy but it was amusing and Hoffman, Streisand and DeNiro definitely had great chemistry. Lots of suttle humour. The extra features included a tongue-in-cheek documentary of Jinx the cat. I was satisfied with the use of my entertainment dollars.

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Seems to me that the extent to which "Meet the Fockers" is seeing such great box office success and popular acclaim is because of the all-star cast. An all-star cast can get you in the door, but the performances have to earn their pay. Since I saw this as a $5 discount matinee, I think they did. Granted, the movie is funny, and for my money, better than its predecessor, "Meet the Parents", but merely funny does not a blockbuster make. I'm not a Ben Stiller fan so maybe that's why I was underimpressed, and he doesn't do much for me here, either. DeNiro easily carries this flick for me, as he did in "Parents".

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Mamma Mia! The Movie (Universal's 100th Anniversary) (2008)

Mamma Mia! The MovieFrom what I know of the history of this play/movie the two ladies that worked so hard to get ABBA and others to put this together in GB are now two of the wealthiest women in England and from what I have seen it drives the critics nuts, ("lousy, bad camera work, Brosnen can not carry a tune etc., etc.,) the bottom line folks, this movie fits like that old comfortable shirt your wife (the critic) wants you to throw away because it looks "awful". Well, the heck with em, I like my shirt, and I like meatloaf and mashed potatos, and I like Mama Mia, maybe it is mind candy, maybe it does not reach the high brow standard, but it "feels good" so the pundants can take their "expert" advise and put it where "the sun don't shine", this movie makes me smile and who knew Meryl Streep could sing like that the "Winner Takes it All" maybe very poorly filmed according to the so called experts because the one I saw said "get me off the Merry-go-Round" but it sure sent chills down my back let the experts rave I know what I like, and this film made me laugh in times like these I will take that any old time over what the high brows think I should see!

PS as for Mr. Brosnan's singing and why he did the film straight from the horses mouth -

Q. What drew you to this movie? A. My agent called and said, "Meryl Streep, Mamma Mia!," and I said, "I'm in!" I didn't even know who I was playing. I kept thinking, I want to work with this wonderful actress.

Q. How did you fare with all the singing you had to do for the role?

A. I've never done anything as orchestrated or musically complex in my life. At first, I just made noises. Then I went to London and trained in the studio with Benny [Andersson] and Bjõrn [Ulvaeus] from ABBA. My family let me know that they were very worried for Dad when they first heard Dad sing. But sing I did.

This CD is a must-have just for the simple unadulterated pop culture value. This isn't one of those dramatic instrumental soundtracks with titles like "Wedding March" or "The Emperor is Dead", but instead is a lot of fun, especially for people who have grown up singing every word that ABBA ever wrote.

The eighteen songs (17 + hidden track) are all familiar ABBA hits, and you'll find yourself singing along with the likes of Meryl Streep, Colin Firth, Pierce Brosnan, Christine Baranski, Amanda Seyfried and others.

Some of these unlikely songbirds can actually carry a note (albeit not too far), and others will make you smile (You're a brave man Pierce), but there's no denying that this soundtrack would make a great stocking stuffer or just-because gift for your favorite baby boomer.

Tracks not to be missed (whether good or just rather ambitious) are:

"Honey, Honey" Amanda Seyfried

"Mamma Mia!" Meryl Streep

"Dancing Queen" Meryl Streep, Christine Baranski, and Julie Walters

"Our Last Summer" Amanda Seyfried, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, and Stellan Skarsgaard

"Lay All Your Love on Me" Dominic Cooper and Amanda Seyfried

"Super Trouper" Meryl Streep, Christine Baranski, and Julie Walters

"SOS" Pierce Brosnan and Meryl Streep

"Does Your Mother Know" Christine Baranski and Philip Michael

"Take a Chance on Me" Julie Walters and Stellan Skarsgaard

"I Have a Dream" / "Thank You for the Music" (Hidden Track) Amanda Seyfried

Buy this for one just for fun

Amanda Richards, July 24, 2008

Buy Mamma Mia! The Movie (Universal's 100th Anniversary) (2008) Now

I LOVED this movie. I saw it six times in the theater and laughed and bobbed my head as much the sixth time as the first. The music great!! Ok, so Pierce Brosnan isn't the best singer in the world. You know what? I've paid a whole lot more money to see people in concert that were suppose to be great singers and were so much worse than Pierce. Besides if you don't want to listen to him just watch him. He's showing some age(but then aren't we all) he's still quite attractive. I think Merryl Streep did an incredible job. Who knew she could sing like that?! And Donna's two friends are a hoot. And I think the girl that plays Sophie is adorable.

In today's times it's great to be able to sit down with a movie and not have to think about it. Just be entertained by it. It's a great "bad day" movie. Go home put your feet up and just veg out. Sure to improve your bad mood greatly!!

Read Best Reviews of Mamma Mia! The Movie (Universal's 100th Anniversary) (2008) Here

I sometimes wonder what movie the critics see because it rarely if ever matched the movie I see. I paid to see this movie five times and took my daughter four of those times, we LOVE it. I makes you feel good, the music gives you energy, to me the movie made me feel young and hopeful. The loctaion it was shot in was breathtaking, the chemisty on screen was wonderful! When it first came out it was not a trailer that grabbed me and I really had no interest in seeing it, but a friend of mine invited me and my daughter to go with her one night, and I am so glad we did. I shudder to think I almost missed one of the best big screen experiences I've ever had.

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Would have given this 5 stars without a doubt, except for those missing songs!!! I get REALLY tired of these marketing ploys that victimize customers. Now we all know that, in the near future, there will be an expanded edition of the soundtrack with the deleted songs and maybe some incidental music added as inticement. So ABBA fans, Meryl Streep fans, and fans of musical theater will shell out another 15 20 bucks to buy it. It angers me!!!