bedsitter23

I probably should start by saying that I did like this movie.

Now, if I recall correctly, this was supposed to be a blockbuster family-oriented comedy that would likely spawn a franchise.  It didn't, and watching it, I get why.

It has a rough go- in that it needs to set up an Oceans 11 storyline, wants to make social commentary on madoff-style scammers, and still wants to be a slapstick comedy.

It probably should have went for the funny.  The 'heist' part is too outrageous to be believed, and the movie spedns a good deal of time setting it up.

I was engaged the whole time, so I was satisfied.  I did enjoy the cast a lot- with Ben Stiller and Alan Alda keeping me tuned in. 

It's just it's not the instant family comedy classic it hoped to be. 

In its defense, it have a scene (in the mall, we will just say) that is as funny as anything I have seen all year.  Credit must go to a supporting cast complementing Stiller and Eddie Murphy that is a step above (Michael Pena, Casey Affleck, and Matthew Broderick).  Murphy (for his recent movie misfires) is one of the high points, but he is sparsely used.

The movie also sets up a good "good guy vs bad guy" premise.  it just has too much working against it.  It throws the movie into that unfortunate category of 'movie you'd enjoy if nothing else is on, and you've got time to kill."

I can only recommend with the reservation not to expect much out of it.

21 Jump Street - This has gotten a lot of hype as being the first great comedy of 2012. I hate to set unrealistic expectations, but it is.

On paper, a Channing Tatum/Jonah Hill buddy movie doesn't sound promising, but the previews were hilarious, and if you liked the previews, then you should like the film.

I found it as close to a laugh-a-minute comedy as I have seen for awhile.  Tatum and Hill were great together, and the supporting cast like Ice Cube and Rob Riggle all worked well.  It was a dumb buddy film, but still had plenty of 'movie smarts' like Zombieland.

Of course, I could be off, but the audience seemed to like it, so it seems to be this year's Hangover or Zombieland or Superbad.

For spoilers, there is a surprise, though it's not that big of a shock (nor will it likely stay secret).

By definition alone, this won't be for everyone, but I liked it alot.  Everything about it worked, and after seeing Project X last week, it was a good reminder, you can have a good dumb vulgar fun film, and still make it a must-see comedy.  It shouldn't work (We're sick of Jonah Hill, The premise isn't particularly original, there are 100 buddy films released every year, it's a "teen" movie, it's a 'remake'), but it does. 

Thumbs up.

Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance - I have to admit that I want to like the Ghost Rider movies.  Ghost Rider was one of the coolest comic book characters around when I grew up, but has not aged well (I am not sure if it is too 1980s or the appeal is too much aimed at 12-year olds).  It is such a blend of the fantastic, that it seems almost unfilmable as a concept.  I also want to like Nicholas Cage, though his career at this point is a punchline.  I still like and remember the guy from Wild at heart, Con-Air and The Rock.

The sequel/reboot actually appears to have made the right step in bringing in the directors of Crank (Neveldine and Taylor).  The first Ghost Rider film was (in my opinion and others) one of the absolute worst movies made in the last 5 to 10 years.  In theory, one couldn't imagine a movie with Peter Fonda, Sam Elliott, and Donal Logue to be that bad, but there you go.

Of course, I think that film failed by trying to put a supernatural hero who sold his sold to the devil and now has a flaming skull, and trying to make it as he could just show up in the real world, and everything would work.

Neveldine and Taylor make the correct move by making this over the top.  It occasionally (and at its best) crosses into Sin City territory.  By making that change, Nicholas Cage's over-the-top performance actually works more for the movie than it did in the first one.

The supporting cast is head and shoulders over the first (There's no terrible emo-stereotypes like Wes Bentley's charatcer in this one).  Violante Placido brings a lot more depth to the female role than Eva Mendes did (whose only role in the first movie was to appear hot).

It's probably little praise, but the best thing that can be said about this movie is that it is the Ghost Rider movie that should have been made in the first place.  At that, I still find it hard to recommend to anyone but the most hardcore fans of the genre.  I have spent a good part of the last two decades watching straight-to-video movies, and GR:SoV is essentially that with a bigger budget and a Hollywood lead.

Neveldine and Taylor get a lot of credit here.  This film has a lot going against it, but N&T make the most of it.  The script is a mess.  It takes too long to set up (which is a paperthin premise in the first place), the ending is predictable, and it seems too long even at 95 minutes.  I also suspect a lot of viewers would find it confusing.

The movie is also limited by Cage in the main role.  There are dozens and dozens of actors who could bring more depth to this role, but this movie (and if the series continues) will never rise above being "Nicholas Cage playing Ghost Rider" as long as he has the lead role.

War Horse - War Horse is like one of those Disney films(it is Dreamworks, but you get my point) that are pretty much by-the-book but appeal to everyone from 8 to 80.  I did like the previews though which showed that it was beautifully shot, and personally I will check out anything Steven Spielberg puts his name on (My hipper than thou friends disagree- likening it to 'I get excited by any product Coca-Cola launches' Still, I don't care).

I also don't say that as a bad thing.  I like feel-good entertainment as much as anyone now and again.

The premise of course is preposterous - a British boy grows up with a horse, loses it, and then finds it in the midst of World War 1 in France.  It is too a lot of credit, that the story generally works.

The first part of the film is completely formulaic, though it is hard not to like at least a little.  However, as the action moves to France, that is when the movie really takes off.  It feels a bit like an indie movie with a huge budget (I mean that good and bad- an indie film would have probably had been more fleshed out, but it probably would not have succeeded when it came to action).  The war scenes, are of course incredible, and the characters are all generally likeable.

Trying to keep it spoiler free, the scene that takes place in the midst of WW1 is one of my favorites in awhile.

I think most people will like this one (and even hardened indie-movie guy will eventually be won over by picture's end).  There's some good twists and turns that make it rise above similar movies, and only the completely heartless won't cheer.  It's likely not a movie you will want to add to your collection, but it is worth seeing the once.