House Cleaning

I know, I know, I'm way behind in posting promised movie reviews.

In an effort to make good though, I am gonna take this opportunity to complete unfinished business, by writing three capsule reviews for those few flicks. They may not be as in depth as the other reviews I have written for The Last Reel, but you will still be able to get the overall flavor of my opinion for each film. The dates at the start of each review signify when I saw them in the theater

Cars (June 15th 2006) The latest Disney/Pixar collaboration is indeed very entertaining--But...

Studio Synopsis: Lightning McQueen (voiced by Owen Wilson), a hotshot rookie race car driven to succeed, discovers that life is about the journey, not the finish line, when he finds himself unexpectedly detoured in the sleepy Route 66 town of Radiator Springs. McQueen gets to know the town’s offbeat characters- who help him realize that there are more important things than trophies.

As you might expect, the film is a marvel for your senses, employing top notch visuals to tell its story. The voice cast is tops too and includes Hollywood legend Paul Newman as Doc Hudson, Bonnie Hunt (I just love her) as Sally, and popular "Blue Collar" funny man Larry The Cable Guy is Tow Mater....All that said--the movie still somehow lags behind other Pixar fare like Toy Story and The Incredibles in terms of the "fun factor". The film revs up fine in the beginning, but then about midway through things seem to get stuck in second gear. Even the the humor of the film seems to slow down and peter out by then. Once that happens, I found myself looking at my watch...You would think a film about Cars would be better paced. It's almost as if the creators ran out of gas...The end of the film is exciting and cool to watch, redeeming things a bit. I just wish we didn't have to to take the scenic route to get there.

Stay tuned through the credits as Pixar has a little fun with voice over vet John Ratzenberger by taking us down memory lane. Cars rates a solid 7 (out of 10).

Click (July 5th, 2006) The film is a perfect example of what happens when a clever premise runs out of steam...As a comedy-drama hybrid, it loses itself as its message takes hold.

Yahoo Movies Synopsis Michael Newman (Adam Sandler) is a workaholic architect, who has been overlooking his family in favor of his career. While out shopping, he comes across a universal remote that allows him to perform TiVo-like functions on his life, such as pausing events or fast-forwarding over them. When the remote begins creating its own memory and choosing what to fast-forward over, the man sees how much of his personal life has passed him by and realizes the importance of spending more time with his family.

The film's major laughs come early, once Michael starts using the device, and learns to use it to his advantage. As Morty--the gadget guru, Christopher Walken, gives a surprisingly tame performance given his function in the film. The script by Steve Koren & Mark O'Keefe is pretty much by the numbers, once things turn serious on us. I saw the end coming a mile away... The best stuff the movie has to offer can be seen in the trailer Directed by Sandler's pal Frank Coraci, Click is really a TV movie of the week, dressed up to look like a feature film with wasted potential in between.

A real disappointment. The film rates a 4.5 (out of 10)

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (July 13th, 2006) Easily, the best film of Summer '06!!

Yahoo Movies Synopsis Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) is caught up in another tangled web of supernatural intrigue. Although the curse of the Black Pearl has been lifted, an even more terrifying threat looms over its captain and scurvy crew: it turns out that Jack owes a blood debt to the legendary Davy Jones, Ruler of the Ocean Depths (Bill Nighy), who captains the ghostly Flying Dutchman, which no other ship can match in speed and stealth. Unless the ever-crafty Jack figures a cunning way out of this Faustian pact, he will be cursed to an afterlife of eternal servitude and damnation in the service of Jones. This startling development interrupts the wedding plans of Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) and Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley), who once again find themselves thrust into Jack's misadventures, leading to escalating confrontations with sea monsters, very unfriendly islanders, flamboyant soothsayer Tia Dalma (Naomie Harris) and even the mysterious appearance of Will's long-lost father...

Like its predecessor, "Dead Man's Chest" is fun from start to finish, and despite a long running time of 2 hrs. 31 minutes--it doesn't feel that long. The action zips by and is well realized by series director Gore Verbinski. As Captain Jack, Depp is clearly having a good time, and that helps everything else work. The F/X are amazing and the prosthetic make-up is just beautiful, especially for Davey Jones. Bloom and Knightly continue to sparkle as star-crossed lovers, but ultimately work best when playing off Depp in a triangle It also helps the film that those responsible for the film's script, worked on the original as well.

The set up for a sequel is a bit cheesy but the final revelation is a surprise indeed. I don't know why critics have been hard on this film? It succeeds at being nothing more than a wild, adventurous romp on the high seas--no more no less. Bring on Pirates of the Caribbean 3: At The End Of The World (2007) The film rates an 8.9 (out of 10)

Ahhh.. I feel better now... All caught up.