Dell's Good, Bad & Ugly Movie Reviews

[dell71]

The Other Guys
<strong>Directed by Adam McKay.</strong>
<em>2010. Rated PG-13, 107 minutes.
Cast:
Will Ferrell
Mark Wahlberg
Eva Mendes
Steve Coogan
Michael Keaton
Damon Wayans Jr
Rob Riggle
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson
Samuel L. Jackson
Natalie Zea</em>​

After the death of the city’s two most heroic cops, Det. Hoitz (Wahlberg) decides it’s time for he and his partner Det. Gamble (Ferrell) to step up and fill the void. The problem is heroism doesn’t come easy for these gents. Hoitz is a hothead, itching to get into some real action while Gamble’s name is pure irony since he’s perfectly content to sit at his desk all day, every day.

The vast majority of people reading this will either love this movie or hate it to no end. In other words, it’s a Will Ferrell comedy. Over the top stupidity is the default mode of humor. Occasionally, something slyly intelligent sneaks onto the screen. If you’re already laughing at the stupid stuff, you’ll howl when something smart happens. If you’re not already laughing, these will be the few occasions you’ll chuckle, just a bit.

Ferrell returns to the familiarity of his best known characters. He’s well meaning and high-spirited, but also a bit neurotic and certainly naïve. Of course, in every buddy cop flick, the buddies have to be polar opposites. Therefore, Wahlberg plays Hoitz as high strung, ready to jump into the fray, but still generally down on himself for some mistakes he’s made. Their contrasting personalities is just the first of the action flick clichés put through the ringer. There are many to be skewered and <em>The Other Guys</em> tries to hit as many of them as possible. My favorite being Gamble’s rant on people coolly strolling away from explosions in the movies.

Knowing that this movie is aware how dumb it is may be the key to enjoying it. If you take it seriously, either as an action flick or a comedy, you’ll be severely disappointed. If taken as a riff on the action-comedy genre then you might have fun with it. Even so, I will grant that some jokes either go on too long or simply fall flat right away. While it’s not one of Ferrell’s best, it definitely has its moments. This movie succeeds in most areas where Kevin Smith’s <em>Cop Out</em> tries and fails miserably. <em>TOG</em> actually works in some areas.

There is one thing <em>TOG</em> takes seriously. Unfortunately, that one thing is product placement. The brand-name dropping and label shots reach distracting proportions. Perhaps worst of all, it often feels like a really long commercial for the Toyota Prius. Everyone in the movie cracks jokes about it, but when push comes to shove, she performs like a champ. I’m still not even thinking about buying one, so there.

In the end, this is a take it or leave it sort of picture. It’s exceedingly dumb, but in enough of the right spots. If you’re a glass half full type and think dumb can work, take it. If you think that dumb is just dumb and should be ignored, leave it. Better yet, how much do you like Will Ferrell?

<strong>MY SCORE: 6.5/10</strong>​

 

[LiquidLarry2GhostWF]

I saw The Other Guys on HBO...was awful.

 

[Rivers17ncsu]

ehh I though The Other Guys was pretty good, better than I thought it would be. And this is coming from someone who dislikes majority of WF's movies

 

[dell71]

Abar: The First Black Superman
<strong>Directed by Frank Packard.</strong>
<em>1977. Rated PG, 87 minutes.
Cast:
Tobar Mayo
J. Walter Smith
Roxie Young
Dee Turguand
Gladys Lum
Tony Rumford
Rupert Williams
Tina James</em>​

Let’s get this out of the way, immediately. <em>Abar: The First Black Superman</em> has as much in common with the Superman you’re thinking of as your dear old grandma slipping on a banana peel and breaking her hip. Aside from the Blaxploitation habit of interjecting the word ‘black’ into the title whenever possible (<em>The Black Godfather, The Black Six, The Black Gestapo</em>, etc), I’ve no idea why it’s given such a name. It could’ve easily been simply called “Abar”. This begs the question, what is this about, anyway?

It all starts with a subject that, if treated properly, can make a really good movie. Obviously, it’s the 1970s and Dr. Kincaid (Smith) has just moved his family into a brand new home in an affluent neighborhood.The problem is he and his family are black while all of his new neighbors are white. Within minutes, the white residents form a picket line in front of the Kincaid home and start engaging in menacing behavior. This is a situation that occurred with regularity across the U.S. during this era, so examination of such a topic feels warranted. Hindsight tells us those occasions when the black families were not successfully run off led to the phenomenon that became known as “white flight.” Basically, whites moved out of neighborhoods when blacks moved in. With all of this going through my head, I’m thinking this could be interesting. It certainly is, just not quite the way I expected.

By the way, Dr. Kincaid’s first name is not Abar. Abar (Mayo) is the leader of the local Black Panther styled organization the B.F.U., the Black Front of Unity. I’ve already told you it was only a few minutes after the Kincaids moved in that picket lines formed. Well, a minute after that it was announced on whatever radio station the B.F.U. was listening to that a black family moved into New Meadow Park and is having serious issues with the white folks. Abar and his crew mount their motorcycles and head over to help out the good doc. When they get there, all the Caucasians scatter. For the next 45 minutes to an hour Abar, who gets hired to be a live-in bodyguard for the Kincaids, takes care of anyone trying to do harm to them. Mind you, he has no superpowers so the title is starting to fade from our consciousness.

What keeps the entire movie from fading away is the massively inept filmmaking. Unintentional humor is off the charts in this one. It starts with the dialogue. Whoever wrote it apparently never had a real conversation. All of the words do sound like words people would actually say, but not at all the way the would say them. Each person dutifully waits his or her turn to speak while the other person completes their entire point. It doesn’t sound like much, but if you see it you’ll understand. To make matters worse, most of the actors deliver their lines as if they’ve no idea what they’re saying. It’s clear they’ve memorized their lines, but lack the chops to make them believable. On the other hand, Smith as Dr. Kincaid is overacting mightily. You can literally see him “acting”. When contrasted with the rest, it’s like he’s trying to do Olivier’s “Hamlet” in a fifth grade drama class.

The dialogue isn’t only to blame. Judging from the exterior shots, the Kincaid home seems to be about three different houses. The movie seems to have been shot using several different types of film as the look vacillates between them. The fight scenes are laughable. The B.F.U. mostly does nothing. Oh, and just to bring it back to the dialogue, Abar often uses a lot of words to tell Dr. Kincaid “I don’t like you, I’m only helping you out because you’re black.” This brings us to MLK. From time to time the filmmakers inject excerpts of his “I Have a Dream” speech while some character appears to be in deep though. It’s jarring because it is such a great speech in such a bad movie.

What about this whole Superman thing? The reason Dr. Kincaid bought this troublesome house is because its close to the hospital where he works. He’s engrossed in inventing some sort of serum that will better mankind. Ohhh…kkkkaaaayyyy…shouldn’t that make this “The First Black Captain America”? If you don’t get it, you will whenever that movie comes out. Anyhoo, Kincaid has been testing this on his lab rabbits, PETA be damned. He’s also decided that Abar is the perfect specimen to be the first human given the serum. He propositions Abar and assures his would-be guinea pig that he’s serious by shooting the rabbit. No worries, animal freaks. The rabbit doesn’t even blink. Abar examines the gun himself and responds with this gem: “You know I don’t believe this, right?” Huh?

Long story short, unlike this review, Abar eventually drinks the serum and flees Dr. Kincaid’s house. The doc suddenly think Abar’s gone mad and goes after him, looking to kill him before serum takes effect in three hours. Needless to say, this fails and we get a look at Abar’s new found abilities. Forget about flying and heat vision and all that stuff, though he does start dressing in a snazzy blue suit with a red shirt. Yup, that’s as close to a Superman reference as you’ll get. Take it and like it. Abar can now control your thoughts and actions. He actually makes a purse-snatcher run back a number of blocks to the old lady he robbed and give her purse back. That’s just one of many moments that aren’t meant to be, but are uproariously funny.

The whole movie is simply bonkers in its execution. If you really try to do a serious examination of all the things wrong with it, you’ll give yourself a headache. You’re much better off resigning yourself to the fact it’s so bad, it’s awesome!

<strong>MY SCORE: -10/10</strong>​

 

[dell71]

Green Lantern: First Flight
<strong>Directed by Lauren Montgomery.</strong>
<em>2009. Rated PG-13, 77 minutes.
Cast:
Christopher Meloni
Victor Garber
Tricia Helfer
Michael Madsen
John Laroquette
Kurtwood Smith
Larry Drake
Olivia d’Abo
Richard McGonagle</em>​

An alien crash-lands on Earth. Speaking to the very special ring he’s wearing, he tells it to go forth and find his successor. The ring picks pilot Hal Jordan (Meloni) and brings him to the fallen visitor. Just before the visitor passes away, he informs Hal that he is now a “Green Lantern,” one of the defenders of the universe. He also tells Hall that The Guardians will send for him. By the way, the rings gives him all sorts of powers and allows him to do pretty much whatever he can think of, including flying. The next day, four other Green Lanterns show up and whisk Hal off to another planet so The Guardians can evaluate him.

Hal is thrust into the middle of the investigation of the murder of Abin Sur (McGonagle), the guy that flew all the way to Earth to die. High ranking Lantern Sinestro (Garber) offers to take the earthling under his wing to “see what he’s made of.” Hal discovers Sinestro is a bit aggressive in his interrogations and feels handcuffed by The Guardians, limiting his abilities in cleaning up the universe. Hal is also informed that someone has stolen the precious Yellow Element which is the only thing that can overpower the Green Element that powers the Lanterns.

From there, we get a police procedural trying to ascertain the identity and whereabouts of the thief who’s taken the Yellow Element. It is made abundantly clear that whoever is responsible can, and certainly will try to gain control of the entire universe. With all of that on their collective plate, you can imagine the Lanterns get testy with one another from time to time. In particular, new guy Hal draws the most ire, basically because he’s the new guy.

<em>Green Lantern: First Flight</em> is solidly written and has some entertaining action scenes. Of course, the action really cranks up near the end as our villain and his cause become known. The problem is the movie goes against its own logic in order to achieve the prerequisite happy ending. It’s not a deal-breaker, but questions are easily raised.

Overall, this is a solid entry into the DC canon. It gives us an origin story without dragging us through all the years of Hal Jordan’s life prior to getting the ring. The twist in the investigation is spotted a bit too easily, but still leads us to a fun finale. The lingering question is, will the live-action version starring Ryan Reynolds as our hero be better or worse?

<strong>MY SCORE: 7/10</strong>​

 

[St. Francisco]

I am still patiently awaiting your Ink review. Where is it on your infinite list?

 

[dell71]

I am still patiently awaiting your Ink review. Where is it on your infinite list?

Not sure exactly where but it's patiently waiting in line...trying to get to "The Fighter," "Easy A," "The American," this weekend, then maybe "Tron: Legacy" or "Tangled" and another classic or two. I'm only one guy but I'm working on it.

 

[Buzzman]

I propose you watch all those movies first. Really can't wait to hear what you have to say about The American. One of my most anticipated movies last year that just fell flat on its face.

 

[Rivers17ncsu]

If I liked PA2 "way more" than you then you must have thought it was the worst thing going. If I had to sum up my review of it in one word, I would say "meh" (if that's really a word). I actually did really like the original. This one, not so much.

I thought both were very bad IMO. Neither was entertaining IMO. I'll admit that I can be easily scared so I expected to be scared watching those movies when thinking bout the hype of them. However I just found myself very bored with both, felt like I wasted time with both of them. Only part in the first movie that got me was the ending. I actually watched both with my dad because he has been a horror fan since he was a kid, he found both movies hysterically bad.

I guess it is just a different opinion, me and my close friends both thought they were very bad, but then I saw people who actually found them scary.

 

[stevsta]

I thought both were very bad IMO. Neither was entertaining IMO. I'll admit that I can be easily scared so I expected to be scared watching those movies when thinking bout the hype of them. However I just found myself very bored with both, felt like I wasted time with both of them. Only part in the first movie that got me was the ending. I actually watched both with my dad because he has been a horror fan since he was a kid, he found both movies hysterically bad.

I guess it is just a different opinion, me and my close friends both thought they were very bad, but then I saw people who actually found them scary.

I think that in order to be entertained and frightened by the PA movies you have to go in accepting that there are such things as spirits, demons, and whatever as well as putting yourself in the shoes of those in the movie

Its completely understandable if a person looks at the movie does not believe in paranormal stuff and only sees things as props being moved by a machine or person

of course their could be other reasons people have, but from the people who told me why they didn't like it I have picked up the above usual answer along with it being boring watching nothing happen and looking at the time clock

 

[Rivers17ncsu]

i am a true believer in spirits/demons/ghost, thats the thing :tongue:

 

[dell71]

Easy A
<strong>Directed by Will Gluck.</strong>
<em>2010. Rated PG-13, 92 minutes.
Cast:
Emma Stone
Amanda Bynes
Alyson Michalka
Thomas Haden Church
Lisa Kudrow
Stanley Tucci
Patricia Clarkson
Penn Badgley
Dan Byrd
Malcolm McDowell</em>​

Keeping up a lie usually involves telling more lies. One mistruth simply begats the next. For most of us, this continues until the entire house of cards comes tumbling down on our own heads. Olive (Stone) is going through just such a thing.

It all starts innocently enough. She tells her best friend Rhiannon (Michalka) that she’s got a date this weekend when she really doesn’t in order to avoid going camping wither Rhi’s eccentric family. By the time Monday rolls around Rhi wants to know the juicy details of said date. Even though she’s done absolutely nothing at all since leaving school Friday afternoon, she tells Rhi that she lost her virginity to a college guy. Though said in confidence, this happens to be overheard by the wrong set of ears which, of course, share a head with the wrong set of lips. Olive suddenly finds herself to be the most scandalous girl in school. A select few know the tale to be false. However, most of these are boys who help perpetuate the myth, plus create more falsehoods. These guys are in search of changing their own rep and soon they’re lining up to pay Olive for the privilege of saying they slep with her, even though they hadn’t. As you can imagine, Olive soon comes to be viewed as the school whore.

Of course, this all coincides with Olive’s English class reading Nathaniel Hawthorne’s classic novel “The Scarlet Letter.” She is inspired by the plight of Hester Prynne and embraces her new found notoriety since before she was never talked about at all. She also yearns to piss off Marianne (Bynes), the school’s “Jesus freak.” Olive not only dons progressively sluttier outfits, she adorns them with a giant red “A” just like Prynne was made to wear. Things are going great, until she realizes they really aren’t.

Brazenly, but wisely, <em>Easy A</em> juxtaposes itself with the Hawthorne classic. It even takes the time to note the similarities and differences for us. It goes so far as to defend not only the novel, but the original film version while throwing barbs at the much more recent cinematic attempt starring Demi Moore. The movie gets much mileage from this, even filling in the uninformed on what happens in the book nearly as much as telling its own story. This makes the correlation between the two easily accessible and not just an in-joke to those of us who actually did the reading assignment in school.

The film doesn’t hide from its other major influence, John Hughes movies of the 1980s. Olive blatantly tells us she wishes her life were helmed by the famed director. We also get plenty of references and even short glimpses of those movies. As with “The Scarlett Letter,” this aids our audience, presumably mostly made up of teens and twentysomethings, get the jokes. However, this also highlights the one major flaw I find in <em>Easy A</em>. Our BFFs are too good looking. Part of the charm of movies like <em>Pretty in Pink, Sixteen Candles</em> and <em>The Breakfast Club</em> is that stars like Molly Ringwald and Ally Sheedy looked and felt like awkward teens relegated to high school’s lower social class, unsure whether they would ever blossom into the beautiful butterflies they so longed to be. It helped they were actually teenagers. Stone did a fine job with the role. She just can’t possibly give off that type of vibe. Her age, she’s 22 may have something to do with it. The natural confidence of someone already past the painful stages is difficult to contain. In addition, Michalka (also 22) as Rhiannon looks anything but the sexually frustrated, unable to get a boy co-ed we’re told she is. Let’s be honest, if she went to almost any high school in America looking the way she does here, she’d be constantly surrounded by an ever-widening swarm of athletes, rich kids, pretty boys and local college underclassmen. Beating them back with a stick might be a literal action for her instead of just a figure of speech.

The looks of the cast aside, I find <em>Easy A</em> funny in enough spots and very smart. It doesn’t often cause out loud laughter, but extracts the grins and soft chuckles that come from being able to relate to what we’re seeing. It may resonate more with females because their reputations are generally touchier topics. Still, I enjoyed it and had no problem becoming vested in the fate of our hero.

<strong>MY SCORE: 8/10</strong>​

 

[Rivers17ncsu]

Really good movie. I liked it a lot as well. Also love me some Emma Stone

 

[Palooza]

oooh oooh spell it with your peas!

 

[dell71]

The American
<strong>Directed by Anton Corbijn.</strong>
<em>2010. Rated R 105 minutes.
Cast:
George Clooney
Paolo Bonacelli
Violante Placido
Johan Leysen
Irina Björklund
Filippo Timi</em>​

Hitman/weaponeer Jack, or Edward (Clooney, the character goes by both), is on the run from “The Swedes” and contemplating a career change. His boss Pavel (Leysen) moves him to a small, remote Italian village while things are either smoothed over, or another job arises. He merely has to lay low and not make any “friends.” Not finding the town to his liking, he actually relocates to another small town. Laying low seems easy, at first. He has serious trouble with not making friends. First, there’s Father Benedetto (Boncelli), who takes a shine to him. Additionally, our hero has cast his own shine upon Clara (Placido), the prostitute he’s getting way too close to. Meanwhile, the next job comes. He’s tasked to build a special weapon for a hit someone else will make.

We spend day after day with Edward, learning his idiosyncracies and understanding his loneliness. Most of all, we feel his paranoia. We don’t mind that he sleeps with a gun. In fact, we’re glad he does. We realize there’s a serious possibility of danger around every corner and in every dark place or hiding behind every obstruction. The movie achieves this mostly through tension, only occasionally resorting to action. Tension sticks with us, appearing in a number of different guises. Sometimes it carries the threat of death, other times it doesn’t. When it does give us action, there are no Bourne style superhuman feats and no extended shootouts where hundreds of rounds are fired. Our action comes in short bursts of violence. If you’re looking for tons of car-chases, fist-fights, gun battles and explosions, look elsewhere. In my opinion, the reason this movie doesn’t get its just due is because we were led to believe it was packed full of these things. People went in expecting eye candy and other than Clara’s frequently naked body, they got food for thought. The lack of visual thrills fosters the belief this is a real guy in the real world, albeit a clandestine segment of it, but certainly more real than most other movies based on hitmen.

Another thing that helps us suspend belief is the lack of humor. This is no clever dark comedy like the similarly themed <em>In Bruges</em>. That is a great movie, but its over the top antics make it feel like an artistic interpretation of a bad situation. <em>The American</em> feels like it has been ripped from some poor slug’s life. Clooney is the perfect vessel to channel this guy’s angst. He just looks so worn and antsy, we get the idea that any types of jokes are lost on him. He can only think of what he wants to do next and what may actually happen next. Both scenarios scare the hell out of him.

All of this leads to a finale we sort of know is coming, but hope is not. Even worse for our emotions, its so close to not happening we can’t stand it. What could be teases us with how close it is, yet how far away it must have really been.

<strong>MY SCORE: 8/10</strong>​

 

[dell71]

Tron
<strong>Directed by Steven Lisberger.</strong>
<em>1982. Rated PG, 96 minutes.
Cast:
Jeff Bridges
Bruce Boxleitner
David Warner
Cindy Morgan
Bernard Hughes
Dan Shor
Peter Jurasik
Tony Stephano</em>​

Kevin Flynn (Bridges) tries to hack into his former employer’s network to find proof he created the company’s biggest selling video games. In the process, he is literally sucked into the system and has to fight his way out. It’s an odd watch due to a meandering plot and dialogue convoluted with pseudo-techno jargon. The actors are indeed afterthoughts to the special fx. All the bad guys simply keep a stern look on their faces while the good guys use an expression that says either “gee willikers,” or “holy moly.” Even future Oscar-winner Jeff Bridges just looks wide-eyed and goofy most of the time. It’s just another movie in which computers try to take over the world. Ironically, it crumbles under the weight of showing off its own technology.

Still, it’s the technology that makes Tron an essential movie. By today’s standards it looks primitive and can be outdone by any teenager with a desktop at home. However, it represents the cutting edge of its day. This is the first movie by a major studio to extensively use cgi. Summer blockbusters, as we know them are often traced back to <em>Jaws</em>. However, they were changed forever by this film. As a result, <em>Tron</em>’s importance far outdistances it’s actual artistic merit.

<strong>MY SCORE: 5.5/10</strong>​

 

[dell71]

Tron Legacy
<strong>Directed by Joseph Kosinski.</strong>
<em>2010. Rated PG, 126 minutes.
Cast:
Jeff Bridges
Garrett Hedlund
Olivia Wilde
Bruce Boxleitner
Michael Sheen
James Frain
Beau Garrett
Anis Cheufra</em>​

Kevin Flynn (Bridges) disappeared in 1989 and has been presumed dead ever since. In news flashes from that era, we learn that he put technology company Encom on the map and was working on the biggest, bestest thing ever when he vanished. This follows the events of the original <em>Tron</em>, a goofy but groundbreaking 1982 movie that didn’t do as well as anticipated at the box-office but has since developed a huge following. It’s following is huge enough Disney thought there was money in giving us a sequel almost thirty years later. In the original, Kevin accidentally finds a way to physically get inside the inner most workings of a computer. Once there, he finds programs to be like a group of very angry people. It’s like everyone’s hemorrhoids all flared up at once, or something. A few of the less angry folks became the good guys. So, of course, there were villains and Kevin had himself a grand adventure. It was so grand, he began to feel that the answers to all of mankind’s problems were in this world. I told you he was working on the bestest thing ever, right?

Mr. Flynn left behind a very young son who had already lost his mother. His name is Sam (Hedlund). Fast forward to the present. As you can imagine, growing up without either of his parents has left him with some issues. By the way, he was taken care of by his grandparents until they died a few years later. Of course they did, they looked to be in their early to mid thousands when they got him. Basically, what all this means is that Sam likes sabotaging Encom’s best laid plans even though he’s the biggest shareholder in the company. After his latest stunt, his dad’s old buddy tells him that someone paged him from Kevin’s old office from a number that’s been disconnected for over twenty years. Yes, I said someone paged him. For you young’uns who don’t know what a pager is, it’s a miniature version of that giant thing they give you at restaraunts when the waiting list is ridiculous. Only when someone dialed the number to your personal pager, you then broke your neck trying to get to the nearest phone and call them back. If you weren’t at home or work that actually meant resorting to finding a pay phone since most of us didn’t have phones in our pocket. Pay phone? Do they even have those anymore? Do doctors even use pagers nowadays? I dunno. Let’s move on.

Sam goes to check out dad’s old digs. Whaddya know? It’s the arcade from the first movie, only it is now abandoned and has been sitting there for two decades. Nothing has been touched, except for tarps being thrown over everything. Other than some dust, it’s all in tact. Even the electricity still works. Kevin must’ve wrote the power company a massive check before he got missing. Anyhoo, Sam wanders around, finds the secret passageway leading to pop’s still functioning computer. After a few tries, he guesses the old man’s password and voila! He’s actually inside the computer on “the grid.” I hate when that happens.

Well, programs are still angry so as soon as he gets there, Sam is dropped into some gladiator type games. He survives and is taken to his father. Not so fast, my friend. He’s actually taken to Clu, the program his father made in his own image. Yes, there are lots of allusions to Christianity. Imagine a movie that examines religion, includes a guy with a God complex and pumped full of special fx. Wait a sec. How did you know I was thinking of <em>The Matrix</em> or <em>Superman Returns</em>, or <em>Tron</em>, or…n-n-nevermind. I want to get through this. Eventually, Sam is taken to his real father, often referred to as “The Creator.” See? Since Clu is the fallen angel type trying to take over things Kevin, Sam and Quorra (Wilde) trying to escape through the portal ensues. I haven’t mentioned Quorra, yet? She’s the sexy program that hangs around “The Creator” and does his dirty work. You see, Kevin is much more New Testament benevolence than Old Testament wrath so he prefers to avoid all the conflict. Besides, she not only completes the trinity, she reminds us a lot of Trinity, too. Yup, I’m referencing <em>The Matrix</em> again. The movie does this a lot, as well.

The rest of the film falls into many of the same traps as the original. The visuals are fascinating, often stunning and sufficiently drive the action sequences. Those action scenes can be lots of fun, especially the ones involving the light-cycles and later light-planes. What’s between those scenes is convoluted to the point of incoherence. It’s logic is often faulty and some things aren’t nearly transparent enough. For instance, it comes to light that Clu wants to take over the real world by escaping through the portal himself. Huh? Someone please explain how this works. When my pc repair guy pulls out a motherboard does he risk being attacked? To make matters worse, <em>Legacy</em> takes itself way too seriously. There’s no humor, the score is ominous and the landscape is bleak. By the way, I had no idea the inside of my computer looked like a post-apocalyptic wasteland somehow filled with neon lights. The overwhelming silliness doesn’t match the tone. The original does offer some humor, realizing its own inherent absurdity. Seriousness works in something like <em>The Dark Knight</em>, which actually did have lots of humor, because despite it being about a guy dressed as a giant bat fighting a psychotic clown, its world resembles our own. The world of <em>Tron Legacy</em> does not. This world is a mashup of a number of other sci-fi flicks through the years including its predecessor.

At long last, I’ve finally come to the end of this review but do so with much consternation. I’ve been clueless about what’s really going on with every keystroke I make. Wars may have been fought because I backspaced over characters I didn’t mean to type. My Microsoft Word may be mounting a revolt right now. I work it like a slave. Finally, my heart is heavy. I deleted a program this morning. Did it die peacefully in its sleep? Or did I unknowingly send my system’s stormtroopers to perform a violent killing?

<strong>MY SCORE: 5/10</strong>​

 

[padman59]

Nice review. It looked good, sounded good, and Olivia Wilde is some nice eye candy. Not really much of a story though.

 

[tigstah]

graphics were great, dont understand why there was a 3d version. the movie itself...blah.

 

[dell71]

The Fighter
<strong>Directed by David O. Russell.</strong>
<em>2010. Rated R, 115 minutes.
Cast:
Mark Wahlberg
Christian Bale
Amy Adams
Melissa Leo
Mickey O’Keefe
Jack McGee
Melissa McMeekin
Bianca Hunter
Frank Renzulli</em>​

Micky Ward (Wahlberg) has lost his last three fights and is at a crossroads in his professional boxing career. He is trained by his brother Dicky (Bale). Dicky is a local legend, having been a former fighter himself. He’s quick to tell anyone within earshot that he once knocked down Sugar Ray Leonard (who has a brief cameo as himself). Dicky is also extremely unreliable due to his addiction to crack. His pro career combined with his drug habit have brought him to the attention of cable network HBO. They have a camera following him around. He tells everyone they are making a documentary about his comeback, though he doesn’t seem to be working towards one. He is the center of attention, just the way he likes it. However, his demons threaten to sabotage his brother’s career.

Micky’s mom, Alice (Leo) also serves as his manager. She’s well meaning but not the best at either job. She’s often preoccupied with Dicky’s misadventures. With everyone except Dicky, she’s a domineering matriarch ruling her clan with an iron fist. In Dicky’s case, she’s a pushover. The entire family is this towards Dicky. This includes a litter of sisters. Micky’s dream of being a champion is in their hands.

The family dynamic plays itself on a loop in Micky’s life. He’s at the gym, ready to work, but his brother is nowhere to be found until hours after they were supposed to have started training. Alice gets him bad fights with little or no strategy for actually building his career. Micky’s father George (McGee) tries to be the voice of reason. He clearly sees that what’s going on isn’t benefiting his boy. Unfortunately, he’s always shouted down by Alice. Eventually, Micky has to fend for himself. More accurately, he has to have better people fend for him. When this starts to happen is when the family suspects there is a problem. How dare he go outside their numbers for support without him?

We watch this drama unfold in a fashion that feels excruciatingly real. This is where the power of <em>The Fighter</em> lies. We’re either a part of, or have known families exactly like this. If we’re a part of such a family, our empathy for Micky is boundless. If we’ve only know families like this, he has out sympathy. We wish we could save him. We root hard for Charlene (Adams) because she is obviously trying to do just that. We cheer her every action during her run-ins with Alice and the sisters.

Carrying out such a display of not always humane humanity requires great acting. This movie has it in spades. Much has been made of Christian Bale’s work as Dicky. It’s well deserved, he’s magnificent. However, it’s the battle of wills between Alice and Charlene that drives the movie. Leo and Adams each play their roles with undeniable conviction. Every rolling of the eyes, raising of the voice, expressing of concerns, swilling of a shot and puffing of a cigarette rings true. More than becoming familiar with them, we really know them. We know that they both feel they are right beyond a shadow of a doubt. In the lead, Wahlberg gives a perfectly subtle performance. When he finally explodes emotionally, it’s not some overly showy display of acting. It’s completely within the realm of how we think he would behave.

For the uninformed, this is based on a true story. I don’t think I’m spoiling anything by saying there is an eventual triumph. In this way, it’s much like hundreds of other sports movies. <em>Rocky</em> leaps to mind, for obvious reasons. So too, does <em>Invincible</em>, another Wahlberg flick and <em>The Blind Side</em>. They’re both football movies based on true stories. Those two are built one cliché after another until the inevitable feel-good finale. <em>Invincible</em> is more or less average in every way. <em>The Blind Side</em> has the benefit of a remarkable performance by Sandra Bullock. They both feel like a Hollywood version of what really happened, smoothed over and watered down. <em>The Fighter</em> utilizes many of the same conventions. Somehow though, it makes them feel much more real.

<strong>MY SCORE: 9/10</strong>​