Hot Tub Time Machine

Mar 2010, Steve Pink, 100 mins

Hot Tub Time Machine is a good, raunchy, crude R rated comedy. Although it doesn’t challenge the hilarity of The Hangover, it does serve as a perfectly fine 100 minutes of dumb sex jokes and drunken antics. And it has John Cusack going back to the ‘80s with his tongue fully in his cheek.

Cusack and his crew (Craig Robinson, Clark Duke, and the awesome Rob Corddry) travel back through time in a... you guessed it... hot tub. After waking up from a booze-educed slumber and puking on a squirrel, the guys hit the slopes of their ski lodge. They notice fellow skiers in neon ski suits and leg warmers, chicks with crimped hair, and dudes listening to their cassette players. Inevitably, they realize that they have been transported to the Reagan era. Confused and desperately trying to avoid making Hitler president (via “the butterfly effect”), comedy ensues.

What is worth talking about is Corddry and his star making turn as Lou. As a drunk, bald, divorcee, Lou is the brightest light in this starry sky of belligerence. From his off-color pop culture references, to his unyielding whisky pounding and womanizing, this character is great fun to watch. In a movie where nothing is politically correct, Lou still manages to stand out.

Does the movie flow well, no. Will any of the big laughs be memorable enough to be talked about after the films theatrical run, no. Was it a great way to spend the evening, yes. It was also nice to see a film that didn’t need a third dimension just to get you in the seat.

Two New Winter Thrillers Help 2010 Paint the Snow Red

Jan 2010, Martin Campbell, 117 mins

First is the quote, unquote return of Mel Gibson in Edge Of Darkness. Crazy, drunk, and racist are terms all too easily linked to Mr. Gibson over the past decade. With Edge of Darkness, some of the old school actor in him bleeds out to the point you’re actually able to forget the recent nonsense.

Gibson plays Thomas Craven, a Boston detective, gone rogue in the search for his daughter’s murderers. The action starts hot and heavy with a great splatter death that gives the restaurant scene in History of Violence a run for its money on the gore-o-meter.

As Craven picks apart the life of his daughter, he begins to unravel what may have been more than just a random act of violence. What seemed like a normal parental revenge flick, ala Death Wish and Death Sentence, shows slight signs of turning into a political minded thriller.

The film was a good choice for Mel as it gets back to his successful revenge-themed movies of the ‘80s and ‘90s. His dark, one minded character is heavy on the rugged intensity, light on emotion, and driven to madness. This madness makes for some of the film’s best scenes, as he stumbles, weathered and beaten through gun battle after gun battle. There is a craziness in his eyes that connects to the audience and allows the viewer into his mind process.

Darkness is aptly directed by Martin Campbell, who shows a knack at illuminating his protagonist’s inner battles in most of his films. Campbell is the same director who made James Bond a sadist, revenge driven man in Casino Royale. Here, there are similarities in the glare and the mood between Daniel Craig’s Bond, and Mel Gibson’s Craven.

Feb 2010, Joe Johnston, 102 mins

Also drenching the mid February snow with carnage is the re-imaging of the horror classic, The Wolfman. The film, a moody period piece, looks beautiful on screen. Director Joe Johnston (October Sky, Jurassic Park III) knows how sculpt an amazing imaginary world of Werewolves and curses. However, the films main curse is the screenplay by Andrew Kevin Walker and David Self. With every nerve awakening jolt, comes a soggy back and forth between the characters. The second curse was the casting of Benicio Del Toro as the title character. You sit, watching this fine actor, in bewilderment at how bad he is for this part. Again, he doesn’t have the opportunity for many good lines because of the poor script but it’s a far cry from his performances in Traffic or Usual Suspects.

Anthony Hopkins is devilishly good in supporting role and Emily Blunt proves again she can be relevant in any role given to her. But it’s hard to get away from the dialogue that seemed written for a modern day scare-fest and not rooted in the 1891 setting.

On the upside, there are chilling moments and it is fun to watch the transformation of human to Lycan but all of this was shown in the full length trailer of the film.

The Wolfman ends in less than stunning fashion with a face off of fur that seemed more like a cat fight than a junkyard dog brawl.

Sweeney Todd

Dec 2007, Tim Burton, 116 mins

OK, I knew it was going to be a musical but come on. I didn't know it was going to be that much a musical.

Johnny Depp is great, Tim Burton's set designs and effects were masterful but the story seemed to small and... well... musical for me. I wanted what the poster promised me, blood. Though there is a fair share of corn syrup splatter, the middling feel of watching a Broadway play, keeps me from fully liking this movie.

Perhaps my opinion is closed minded, I'm sorry, I thought I went to the movie theater?

All in all, its still a good final product, one that could have been great but was satisfied to just sing sweet nothings to the crowd.

Keep the music, give me my movie.

American Gangster

Nov 2007, Ridley Scott, 157 mins

There hasn't been a classic gangster movie in a long time, and unfortunately its going to be a little longer. That's not to say that 'American Gangster' doesn't have its better moments but the film is by no means the new 'Goodfellas' or 'Scarface'. The overly long 'Gangster' does offer a splendid performance from both of its leads. Denzel puts in his best work since 'Training Day' while Russell Crowe and director Ridley Scott have found a picture that can fully overshadow their collaboration of last year, the terrible 'A Good Year'.

This crime epic is at times flirting with perfection but at other times flirting with disaster. The understuffed 160 minute running time is filled with 3-5 solid scenes of crime drama but shot down by 5-7 10 minute periods of borderline filler.

'Gangster' should have been better. It had all the pieces it needed to succeed ( as a great film, box office is already cashing in), 2 A list stars, and A list director, and one of the most exciting genres. However, the film failed to be anything more than just GOOD ENOUGH.

Overall, the film could have benefited from more violence, less talk, and about a 40 minute shorter running time.