More Bigfoot and a Very Average Set

THE "NEW" STUFF:

Fool's Gold (2008)(3.5 Stars) Treasure hunter Ben Finnegan (Matthew McConaughey) has sacrificed his relationship with wife Tess (Kate Hudson) in search of the Queen's Dowry, a legendary treasure lost at sea. When he discovers a fresh clue, hope for riches -- and his marriage -- is rekindled.

Gets an extra half star just for the theme - I LOVE treasure hunt stories!

I was surprised to see Malcolm-Jamal Warner. He played a fairly minor character VERY well. I haven't seen him in anything since The Tuskegee Airmen (5.0 Stars). Donald Sutherland put in his typical fine performance and Alexis Dziena's portrayal of his ditsy daughter was wonderful. She was obviously there for comedy relief - but unlike most, she pulled it off well without coming off as an annoying buffoon. As for main stars, McConaughey & Hudson, they performed nicely, too - they were just overshadowed by their supporting cast.


The Sasquatch (Dumpling) Gang (2007)(3.0 Stars) Sci-fi lover Gavin (Jeremy Sumpter) sparks a media frenzy when he discovers evidence that Bigfoot lives nearby. While Gavin sets out to find the creature, a local loser (Justin Long) tries to cash in, and Bigfoot authority Dr. Artimus Snodgrass (Carl Weathers) arrives to investigate.

I'm still curious why the word "Dumpling" was dropped from the title. Mostly dropped, that is - it still appears in the end credits and half of the internet movie sources include it. I suspect Disney wasn't amused with the name sounding so similar to their 1975 The Apple Dumpling Gang. Especially considering that in the context of this movie, a "dumpling" is a term used for the stinky evidence "bigfoot" left behind in addition to his footprints.

This is often compared to geeky-nerd comedies such as Napoleon Dynamite or the Benchwarmers. Yes, everybody is nerdy and/or quirky to the point of being cartoonish. Justin Long is apparently trying to star in all the terrible bigfoot movies made this century (such as the 1-star Strange Wilderness.) I will admit it was fun to see him as a be-mullet-ed, Trans Am driving bully instead of the (stoned?) laid back Mac guy from the PC vs. Mac commercials.

Of all the nerd varieties, the "Medieval Fair"culture is the funnest to make fun of - even for an ultra-nerd-dork like me. And the movies heroes lean a bit toward the Dungeons and Dragons camp.

I'd rate this at least a half-star lower except Joey Kern's shirtless character, "Shirts", made me laugh every time he was on screen.



The Mist (2007) (3.0 Stars) After a brutal thunderstorm pounds a small town, the residents discover a malevolent mist hangs over their homes, killing anyone who remains outside. Trapped in a grocery store, a band of survivors must make a stand against the deadly fog. Based on a short story by Stephen King.

It's amazing how often the acting (or lack thereof) ruins or diminishes most Steven King movies. There must always been that one super-ultra-stereotype-caricature of a real human being who is so over-the-top that the viewer is rudely jarred out of the story. It's so disappointing because this really was a creepy, suspenseful story with more than one bug-your-eyes out moment.

However, and I'll probably get hate mail from King fans... I have the distinct impression that King is also a fan of the Doom or Half Life video games. The plot started seeming very familiar as the movie progressed.


Flawless (2007) (3.0 Stars) On the eve of his retirement, a British janitor (Michael Caine), angry over his company's refusal to pay an insurance claim for his ill wife, persuades an unhappy American executive (Demi Moore) to join him in a jewel heist. The two hatch a daring plan to steal the gems from their employer, the London Diamond Corp. Set in 1960 London, this compelling crime drama directed by Michael Radford is loosely based on actual events.

I think this was a good movie, but I'm not sure. I was distracted by my jackass neighbor's constantly barking dog to such a degree that I wasn't able to follow the story.
I love the time period and location 1960s London, but due to, "bark-bark-bark, bark-bark-bark, bark-bark-bark" I had little comprehension of the story - heck I got more out of the plot description above. (Yes, the dog war has officially started - the police have now been in contact with the neighbor - more on that in a separate article.)

I'll have to watch again later.


Zathura (2005)(3.5 Stars) After discovering a mysterious game in the basement of their house, brothers Danny and Walter (Jonah Bobo and Josh Hutcherson) are sent flying into space, where they must finish the game by reaching the planet Zathura -- or be trapped in galactic limbo forever.

Sound familiar? It is based based on another children's book by Jumanji (and The Polar Express) author Chris Van Allsburg. This is a fun story with a sci-fi theme replacing the jungle theme of the previous movie. I rate it nearly as highly as Jumanji. I liked the early movie better because it seemed "bigger" - possibly due to the surrounding town also being caught up in the story's events while, in Zathura, we never leave the house.

I vividly remember the buzz surrounding Jumanji in 1995. I think most of the adults I knew enjoyed it at least as much as their kids. I was surprised to learn of "Jumanji 2" and wondered why I had never heard about it.

Although made a decade apart, Jumanji and Zathura each cost $65 million to produce. Jumanji brought in $263 million - Zatura's results were $64 million. Why? One theory revolves around poor marketing and a bad trailer. I watched the trailer right after the movie and must agree, some of the more exciting scenes were somehow made completely uninteresting and made the movie look very boring. Something that can not be disputed is that it opened one week after the blockbuster Chicken Little and one week before the super-ultra-blockbuster Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. It never had a chance due to bad timing.


Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, The (2005)(3.5 Stars) After Robert Ford (Casey Affleck, in an Oscar-nominated role) joins the most notorious gang in the West, he grows tired of the charismatic Jesse James (Brad Pitt) and begins to resent his fame. But by hatching a scheme to gun down James, Ford risks forever being branded a coward. Sam Shepard, Sam Rockwell, Mary-Louise Parker and Michael Parks also star in director Andrew Dominik's riveting Wild West drama adapted from Ron Hansen's acclaimed novel.

Not bad. Casey Affleck did a great job of coming off as a slimy character that should NOT be trusted for one second. I think the plot description above is a bit overreaching. It's really not so much about how people resented or felt jealousy toward James, but more about distrust and fear toward a very bad man.


Holes (2003)(3.5 Stars) Nerdy teenager Stanley Yelnats (Shia La Beouf) is sent to a Texas detention camp for stealing a pair of sneakers. At camp, Yelnats and the other delinquents are forced by the sadistic warden (Sigourney Weaver) to dig holes for some mysterious reason.

Fun movie. I don't know why I like it so much - it's kind of silly and some of the characters are silly. Hmmm. Maybe that's exactly why. It really does have a good, unique story.


Luther (2003)(3.5 Stars) This epic movie follows the life of Martin Luther (Joseph Fiennes), author of the then-controversial 95 Theses and founding father of the Protestant church who, with the courage of his convictions, faced the wrath of the church in the 16th century, all in the name of religious freedom. Co-stars Alfred Molina as John Tetzel, Jonathan Firth as Girolamo Aleander, Claire Cox as Katharina von Bora and Sir Peter Ustinov as Fredrick the Wise.

Big story - very interesting.


The Garage (2003)(3.0 Stars) A mechanic at his father's garage during the late 1970s, Matt (Gabriel Marantz) dreams about leaving his small town existence and pursuing grander ambitions. But strong feelings for a new girlfriend (Tania Raymonde) and deep family ties may prevent Matt's ultimate escape, despite pressure from best friend Schultz to take off immediately.

One of these days I'm going to learn that I usually don't like independent films. Typical coming-of-age, teen-angst film that is just not very memorable. It was nice to see that Alex from Lost got off the island - too bad she wound up in this.


AND THE OLDER STUFF:

Once Upon a Time... When We Were Colored (1995) (3.0 Stars) Based on Clifton L. Taulbert's autobiography, Tim Reid's heartfelt directorial debut profiles an African-American coming of age in the segregated South. Growing up in Mississippi, Cliff witnesses both Ku Klux Klan marches and overt discrimination. With the help of his uncle (Richard Roundtree) and great-grandfather (Al Freeman Jr.), he becomes an honor student and helps his community stand up to racism.

Hmmmmm. This has such a STELLAR cast and the description was very intriguing. I made the mistake of expecting to see a serious drama about racism and the potential horrors of growing up in the South during the early half of the last century. Sure, there are plenty of inferences and even some mild examples of racism that are shown. However, overall this is much lighter fare filled more with humor and wistful sentiment regarding loved ones the author knew during his youth than social commentary about the evil men bring to their fellow man. I think I would have enjoyed this more had I known that but I was expecting to see more biting commentary such as that of Ghosts of Mississippi, The Long Walk Home or Mississippi Burning.


Serial Mom (1994) (3.0 Stars) Kathleen Turner plays Beverly Sutphin, the suburban-mom-turned-serial killer who slays those who fail to uphold her idea of suburban perfection -- for instance, women who dare to wear white shoes after Labor Day.

Some funny parts - Turner sure plays "crazy" well!


The Last Emperor (1987) (4.5 Stars) Recounting the last years of China's Ching Dynasty through flashbacks and fast-forwards, this drama from director Bernardo Bertolucci won nine Oscars. The lavish epic charts the transformation of Pu Yi (John Lone) -- who ascended the throne at age 3 -- from coddled aristocrat to enlightened insurgent to ordinary citizen. With the help of his Scottish tutor (Peter O'Toole), the young emperor learns about the world outside the palace walls.

I love a good epic. This has everything - terrific acting, colorful and exotic settings, beautiful cinematography and an incredible story. The transfer to 16x9 widescreen DVD is great.