Real Milwaukee Visit -- 11/23/11

I made a rare Wednesday visit with the Real Milwaukee family on Wednesday, yes I'm behind in posting links with the holiday...

So check out what I said about The Muppets, Arthur Christmas, Hugo and that film that keeps making lots of money with Vampires and Werewolfs and .... (oh yeah...Twilight).

Let me know what you think.



Why...why????

Trailer - Titanic 3D

Meant to share this last week, but a bit behind on things --

Check out the trailer for Titanic 3D below -- doesn't Leo look young!





What do you think?

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Review -- The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1

It Just Breaks My Heart – And Not In A Good Way

It’s time for the wedding of the century. Bella (Kristen Stewart) and Edward (Robert Pattinson) have decided to make it official; they’re getting married. And that means that within one minute Jacob (Taylor Lautner) will be running without a shirt through the woods in anger. This, folks, is The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1.

So our basic story begins with Bella having some mild cold feet about the impending nuptials. She’s having some pretty wild dreams about how the whole thing might go down. I mean, come on, she’s marrying into a vampire family.

The wedding is just the first step, for this film as soon after the drama surrounding the wedding, it’s off to the honeymoon on a remote island. Bella and Edward can finally consummate their marriage and it is a bit wild. They also get to have some fun playing chess on the beach. But Edward is worried that sleeping with Bella will harm her and he tries to stay away. Bella will not be denied, and the result is a pregnancy between a human and a vampire.

Now the two must cope with hiding this strange occurrence from family and friends as only the Cullen’s will understand. Now, staying with the Cullen’s, they will work to find out what happens next and keep everyone alive. With Jacob there to help, can the Cullens figure out who or what is growing inside Bella and keep everyone safe? And how will we ever prepare for Part 2?

I’m not the target market for the Twilight films; that’s a given! But I can lead you to a good film from time to time, even if it’s not in my wheelhouse. Twilight is not only NOT in my wheelhouse; it’s not in the wheelhouse of passable good films.  I know many enjoy the heck out of these films, but I don’t get it.

The acting is all marginally set in a soap opera feel that I just couldn’t quite handle. Music goes over the top and sequence looked better suited to a television screen than on the big screen. So what is it; what will draw people to this film.

I understand there is a love story that is running rampant here. The triangle between Jacob/Edward and Bella is ready to meet its end, but really it doesn’t end with the wedding of Edward and Bella. The over the top performances and lines are just a bit weird. And there were many sequences that left me a bit baffled.

This will proceed to make millions; there is no question about that. I would like to understand. I would like to know what is so special about this series. Many would compare me to a vampire with the schedule I keep, but I still don’t get it. If you are a fan, don’t let me stop you from seeing this film. If you aren’t a fan; don’t start here. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 just breaks my heart, and not in the way the author and director intended.

Someone PLEASE explain the attraction here to me...I really want to know!

D

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1

Summit Entertainment

Director: Bill Condon

Cast: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner

Rating:PG-13 for disturbing images, violence, sexuality/partial nudity and some thematic elements.

Runtime: 1 hour 57 minutes

Review - Happy Feet Two

Happy Feet Two Keeps You Moving

Mumble (Elijah Wood) is back and this time he’s all grown up. With his female penguin Gloria (Pink) in tow, they are now raising their son Erik (Ava Acres). Erik is having trouble trying to find his place in the world. He’s not a big dancer and even though the song and dance that fills his home is infectious; he remains unmoved.

So Erik sets off with two of his friends on a journey away from his home. As they meet up with the lovable Ramon (Robin Williams)they find out; penguins can be special in very different ways.

The journey that takes them to look for who they are leads them to a “different” kind of penguin named The Mighty Sven (Hank Azaria). He can do things penguins have only dreamed of for years. He can fly! And his prophet like quality is looked up to within the herd.

Now while Erik is trying to find himself, and Mumble is looking for Erik, the Earth has moved and Gloria and the rest of the penguins are trapped. It will take some quick thinking and real unselfish behavior to get them free. Can they?

Happy Feet Two is quite frankly, just as enjoyable as the first film. Where the first film went wrong was delivering its heavy-handed eco message after a light and enjoyable film. Here there is definitely a message, but it’s peppered throughout and is a lot of fun.

Songs and dancing are just a lot of fun here and everywhere. But probably my favorite aspects of Happy Feet Two were the Krill (Matt Damon and Brad Pitt). It’s too bad these guys didn’t have more chance to shine, but they are set for their own adventure!

Overall, it was pleasant enough and a decent time at the theater. Happy Feet Two will keep your feet tapping and more.

B

Happy Feet Two

Warner Brothers Pictures

Director: George Miller

Cast: Elijah Wood, Robin Williams, Pink (Alecia Moore), Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Hank Azaria

Rating: PG for some rude humor and mild peril.

Runtime: 1 hour 40 minutes

Review - Jack and Jill

Did Jack and JillBreak Adam Sandler’s Crown?

Jack Sadelstein (Adam Sandler) is working hard to keep his business afloat. As a commercial producer, he is full of clients but about to lose one of his biggest accounts, Dunkin Donuts. He needs to land Al Pacino for their new product or they will walk.

As he starts his quest to land the big fish, he needs to welcome his twin sister to town for some “twin time”. Yes, his twin, Jill is also played by Sandler. So Jack and Jill don’t go up the hill much in this film, it’s more of the tumbling down the hill that takes place.

As Jack tries to bond with his hard to get along with sister; he finds out that Al Pacino is in love with Jill. Well there is the opening he can’t miss as he would easily sell his sister down the river for an account, but in this case, the guy really likes Jill!

How can the man who dislikes his sister so much get her to see the man who might be his only chance to keep his business afloat? Can he be civil with her, or will this be the end of his relationship with his twin AND his business?

When I first saw a trailer on this film a while back, I really wondered if it would be a good move for Sandler. I’m one of those critics that really likes him, yeah I know, memberships are being revoked everyone for me as you read this. But it’s true; Sandler knows how to get at my funny bone. Jack and Jill swung and not only missed the funny bone, it missed more than that.

I was amazed at the small roles in this film, and that is what did have me laughing. A birthday party for the twins sees the likes of Jared Fogle(The Subway guy), Vince Offer (The Sham-Wow guy), and even Billy Blanks(Tai-Bo Master). I had the most laughs there during the entire movie. Sure the normal standbys show up as well including David Spade as, well his/her own version of Jill, named Monica. But instead of being filled with laughter it came up short.

At least with this kid at heart, Jack and Jill didn’t live up to the family friendly PG rated romp of the season. The premise took away from the whole film and the simple demeaning of everything around the ridiculously played Jill made things feel a bit mean spirited at times. Jack and Jill didn’t break Adam Sandler’s crown – he’s still a very funny guy, it just tarnished it a bit.

C-/D+

Jack and Jill

Columbia Pictures

Director: Dennis Dugan

Cast: Adam Sandler, Al Pacino, Katie Holmes

Rating: PG for crude and sexual humor, language, comic violence and brief smoking.

Runtime: 1 hour 31 minutes

Real Milwaukee Visit -- 11/11/11

Yes I popped up at Real Milwaukee last Friday...talked about Jack and Jill and some of the family friendly fun coming the next couple of weeks to theaters... Take a look --

Real Milwaukee Appearance - 11/4/11

Last Friday I dropped by Fox 6 in Milwaukee for a look at Puss in Boots and Tower Heist -- plus new DVDs like Cars 2, Winnie the Pooh and MORE....take a look at the appearance below... 


 

Review - Tower Heist

Tower Heist Steals Some Laughs

Josh Kovacs (Ben Stiller) is the manager of the luxurious Tower in New York.

The Tower is the place to be for some of the highest rollers in the city, and Josh knows how to treat them with the utmost respect and discretion. He demands the same type of attitude from his entire staff, understanding and catering to every need of the residents of the building.

When the FBI takes one of Josh’s tenants into custody, everything changes. Arthur Shaw (Alan Alda) is this films Bernie Madoff. He has “invested” the money of a number of individuals and there is nothing to show for it. But there is a bigger problem at the tower, he also has all of the retirement accounts of all the employees there as Josh had invested it with him.

Now, it’s personal, especially after reality hits the employees that have lost everything. Josh can’t look beyond these indiscretions any longer. After confronting Shaw, he finds himself jobless. He knows that if it weren’t for his trust in Shaw’s character, the employees of the Tower would not be out all of their retirement.

He recruits a crack team of criminals to get the money back for his employees. Unfortunately only one of them has any criminal background and Slide (Eddie Murphy) hardly knows any of the crew. Can they reclaim what is there’s? Or will this be just another crash and burn experience for Josh?

First and foremost let’s get this out of the way; Tower Heist will make you laugh. I know many of my critical brethren will look at this film and immediately discount it. But they can’t knock the fact that it’s funny.

We’ve waited for years for Eddie Murphy to have some of the restraints taken off of him to return to his funniest and although this doesn’t go far enough to really unchain him, it DOES give a glimpse of that old school Murphy humor.

It’s not only Murphy, with a cast like this, you can’t help but find a variety of funny moments. From roles for Casey Affleck and Matthew Broderick to the “villain” Alan Alda and small moments for Gabourey Sidibe and Tea Leoni, this film is loaded with talent.

Some uneven sequences do exist and I have problems with the structure of the film at times, but this isn’t Citizen Kane, nor does it pretend to be.

Tower Heist is a solid funny buddy film that will have you giggling until the end all while yearning for someone to really let Eddie Murphy go again.

B

Tower Heist

Universal Pictures

Director: Brett Ratner

Cast: Ben Stiller, Eddie Murphy, Casey Affleck, Alan Alda, Matthew Broderick

Rating: PG-13 for language and sexual content.

Runtime: 1 hour 44 minutes