Mini-Review: "High School Musical

Review by Fat Jack
My Rating 4 stars out of 5
Now available on DVD
Rated G

Rotten Tomatoes: 60% fresh

Netflix: 3.8 stars out of 5
IMDb: 6.4 stars out of 10




Wondering why you want to see this teeny-bop Disney flick? Well you probably won’t unless you have a kid. If you have youngsters, then this is the GREASE for their generation and it’s sure to be remembered by them for years to come. Once you rent it, you will likely want to buy it, but be prepared for multiple viewings and lots of sing-alongs.

The DVD is especially nice as it has a karaoke feature where you can watch the DVD and when the musical portions come on, then the words play at the bottom of the screen: a perfect addition for the aspiring actor or actress in your household.

SHARPAY: “We need to save our show from people who don't know the difference between a Tony Award and Tony Hawk.”

Fat Jack's Summer Preview 07

GRINDHOUSE
In Theaters: April 6, 2007
Rated R
You Must See the Trailer!

Cult fan favorites – Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez – bring what promises to be a bloody good time with GRINDHOUSE. Back from the days of yore when the old movie palaces hosted gruesome and grinding double features of sex and blood, these two directors bring us their version of the non-stop action. Each director presents a 60-minute feature back-to-back with fake trailers in between. Tarantino, a personal favorite of mine, brings us DEATH PROOF and Rodriguez directs PLANET TERROR in one explosive show.

These are meant to be exploitation, B-movies with lots of sex, violence and gore. That should be enough to warn you. Faint at heart and easily offended should steer clear. Those who are cool; however, will want to be sure to catch GRINDHOUSE in the theatre. Don’t wait for it to come out on DVD. I suspect these will be good enough, or bad enough depending on your point of view, to be a part of your personal DVD collection.

DEATH PROOF is a slasher movie with a car as the weapon of choice. PLANET TERROR takes place on an alien planet that is a nice parallel to our own. As the tagline states: “Welcome to the Grindhouse – It’ll tear you in two.”

PATHFINDER

In Theaters: April 20, 2007
Rated R
See the Trailer

From the Apple trailer site: “An action-adventure set in the time when Vikings tried to conquer North America, PATHFINDER tells the heroic story of a young Norse boy left behind after his clan shipwrecks on the Eastern shores. Despite his lineage, the boy is raised by the very Indians his kinsmen set out to destroy. Now, as the Vikings return to stage another barbaric raid on his village, the 25-year-old Norse warrior (Karl Urban) wages a personal war to stop the Vikings’ trail of death and destruction. Forging his own path, his destiny is revealed and his identity re-claimed.

This reminds me of the very cool, but a bit ridiculous Schwarzenegger movie PREDATOR. Based on the trailer, I think you are going to have to suspend your disbelief a lot to enjoy this film. Not necessarily a bad thing, but don’t get bogged down by historical inaccuracies or plausibility. This action-adventure movie is for fun.

JINDABYNE
In Theaters: April 27, 2007
Rated R
See the Trailer

From the Apple Trailers site: “On an annual fishing trip, in isolated high country, Stewart, Carl, Rocco and Billy (“the Kid”) find a girl’s body in the river. It’s too late in the day for them to hike back to the road and report their tragic find. The next morning, instead of making the long trek back, they spend the day fishing. Their decision to stay on at the river is a little mysterious - almost as if the place itself is exerting some kind of magic over them.”

SPIDER-MAN 3

In Theaters: May 2007
Not Yet Rated
See the Trailer

From IMDb: Peter Parker has finally found the balance he's longed for between his love for Mary Jane Watson and his responsibilities as Spider-Man. The city of New York and it's citizens are at last coming around and appreciating everything he has done as his crime-fighting alter ego, and Peter is in the running for a staff job at the Daily Bugle. However, everything Peter has worked for is about to unravel. Flint Marko, while fleeing prison, is caught in an accident that displaces molecules and is transformed into the Sandman, a new super villain who is able to change his body into any shape of sand he sees fit. When Peter learns of a connection between The Sandman and the murder of his uncle, Ben, he will stop at nothing as Spider-Man to capture him; but before Peter can do so he discovers a mysterious black substance has made his suit black, and has brought forth a darker side of Parker and Spidey nobody has seen before. He starts to abandon the ones he loves and forces his best friend Harry Osborn to take up his late father's mantle as The New Goblin. Peter now has to decide which life he wants to lead... the strong-willed hero he once was or the new dark-minded villain that he is becoming. Little does Peter know the black substance has its sights set on somebody else as well, a rival Bugle photographer, and a troubled young man, by the name of Eddie Brock, turning Brock into Venom, a foe Spider-man may be unable to stop.

NANCY DREW In Theaters: May 15, 2007 Rated PG See the Trailer

If you’ve grown up in the last few decades then you’ve no doubt heard of the Nancy Drew books. Young Nancy goes to California with her Daddy and finds herself smack dab in the middle of an unsolved mystery. Go figure. A girl power movie, it would be a great way to get young girls into reading.

DAY WATCH
In Theaters: June 1, 2007
Not Yet Rated
See the Trailer

This is the second film of a Russian horror/fantasy trilogy that began with NIGHT WATCH, which was a hit in the former Soviet Union. Forces of light and darkness come to blows after centuries-long truce. If you like horrors and underground films, then this second installment should be right up your alley.

HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX
In Theaters: July 13, 2007
Not Yet Rated
See the Trailer

Everyone knows this film is coming out. What else is there to say? If you are a fan of the series, then you have already read it and know what’s going to happen. If you haven’t read the books but have watched the movies, you have probably picked up on the fact that Harry is growing older and his world is becoming ever-darker. That was a good move by J.K. Rowling and gives the character real life. This will be the darkest of the movies so far, so beware and have fun.

THE SIMPSONS MOVIE In Theaters: July 27, 2007 Not Yet Rated See the Trailer

The Simpsons finally made it to the big screen. Will this mark the end of the franchise or will it propel them to a new level? Only time will tell. As a Simpsons lover, I am hoping that it is great.

UNDERDOG

In Theaters: August 3, 2007
Not Yet Rated See the Trailer

From the Apple trailer site: “After an accident in the mysterious lab of maniacal scientist Dr. Simon Barsinister (PETER DINKLAGE), an ordinary beagle unexpectedly finds himself with unimaginable powers and the ability to speak. Armed with a fetching superhero costume, UNDERDOG (voiced by comedian JASON LEE) vows to protect the beleaguered citizens of Capitol City and, in particular, one beautiful spaniel named Polly Purebread (voiced by Academy Award nominee AMY ADAMS). When a sinister plot by Barsinister and his overgrown henchman Cad (PATRICK WARBURTON) threatens to destroy Capitol City only UNDERDOG can save the day.”

This is a live action film with cgi. I don’t know what to make of it, but the kids will probably dig it. It can surely lead to a good introduction of the old cartoon to a younger crowd.

Entertainment site- Flixster

I had a friend send me a link to a new entertainment site. It is called Flixster. It has information about upcoming movies, photos celebrities (No John there is not nudity), news, and a great trivia game. Check them out and let me know what you think.

Mini-Review: "300"

Review by Fat Jack
My Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5
Rated R

Rotten Tomatoes: 61% Fresh
Netflix: 4.4 stars out of 5
IMDb: 8.2 stars out of 10
Richard Roeper: 4 stars out of 4





What do I say about 300 that hasn’t already been stated? You know it is highly stylized and that it’s by comic book great Frank Miller. This is a man’s movie. It is about all things male: territory, protection, honor and bravado. It is bloody – bloody good, that is.

That isn’t to say that it doesn’t have its problems. It does. If you are a history junkie, then I hear tell that this is not very accurate. There were also a lot of persons with disabilities who were portrayed, as often happens with Hollywood films, as evil, corrupt, beastly, or treacherous. There were more, but most of it has already been talked about.

Spartan King Leonidas: We Spartans have descended from Hercules himself. Taught never to retreat, never to surrender. Taught that death in the battlefield is the greatest glory he could achieve in his life. Spartans – the finest soldiers the world has ever known.

300 As Republican Propaganda?

The movie wasn’t over and two people out of the group of five, were whispering about conspiracies of the republican propaganda machine. After the movie we continued to debate the issue: Was the movie, 300, a piece of right wing extremist propaganda?

I did not think so then and I defend that position now. Just like V for Vendetta, the story was written well before September 11, 2001. In this case, creator Frank Miller had his comic book published by Dark Horse in May 1998, which garnered him three Eisner Awards.

I do acknowledge that there are very interesting political parallels that can be drawn about the current war in Iraq and the imperialistic President Bush, but to say that this is right wing propaganda is to dismiss the value in the story. It is to miss the point.

Left wing or right, anti-war or pro-war, there are ideologies that are important to understand. The phrase from the movie “Freedom is not free,” may very well have been right out of the Karl Rove playbook. That does not make it conservative propaganda and it does not make it an invalid statement. Karl Rove may indeed be one of the most corrupt men on the planet, but people have died in order to preserve freedom. That may sound like a Martine recruitment mantra geared to take advantage of the uneducated, and it may be. It is also true.

300 was not about President Bush’s war in Iraq, nor was it a movie about joining the Marines. It was about soldiers who were born and bred to fight and defend their country. Boiled down, every man worth his salt loves his family and will do what he can to defend them against the evils of the world. This movie was about universal feeling of protection that every father and husband has. Protection is a genetic instinct, which explains why it grossed $70 million in the first weekend. Men can relate to the feelings that the Spartans held dear.

There are more lessons to be learned here than warmongering or corrupt senates. To see 300 as a mere mouthpiece of political propaganda inspired by the war machine is to miss the point entirely.

Mini-Review "Borat"

Review by Fat Jack
My Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5
Rated R

Rotten Tomatoes: 90% Fresh
Netflix: 4.4 stars out of 5
IMDb: 7.8 stars out of 10
Roger Ebert: 4 stars out of 4





Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan was quite the humorous fakeumentary. Sasha Baron Cohen certainly came up with an interesting character and script, raising the bar for comedies.

If you didn’t already know, it is an offensive piece, but like good comedies, it is humorously offensive to all types of protected groups. The script had a hard time keeping up during the whole of the movie, which is why I gave it a lower rating than it may have deserved. That is not to say that I didn’t laugh. I did. It’s just that toward the end, the writing gave way to the length requirement of a feature film. Still, I would recommend watching it, especially with a group of friends who all have a strong sense of humor.

OXANNA: “What? What? What did say about me, you skinny piece of shit? Why don't you go do something useful and dig your mother a grave, you tall piece of shit!”

BORAT: “We support your war of terror.”

BORAT: “Although Kazakhstan a glorious country, it have a problem, too: economic, social, and Jew.”

300 is Not to be Missed

You do not want to miss this film. Based on the epic graphic novel by Frank Miller, 300 is a ferocious retelling of the ancient Battle of Thermopylae in which King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) and 300 Spartans fought to the death against Xerxes and his massive Persian army. Facing insurmountable odds, their valor and sacrifice inspire all of Greece to unite. It opens on March 9. It should be a bloody good time, but don’t take the kiddies. This is not meant for them. I won’t have a chance to see it opening weekend and that next week I will be taking midterm exams. So I will plan on catching it over Spring break (march 16-25). Sounds like a great boys night out to me.

Mini-Review "The Protector"

Review by Fat Jack
My Rating 1 stars out of 5
Rated R

Rotten Tomatoes: 52% rotten

Netflix: 3.6 stars out of 5
IMDb: 6.9 stars out of 10





I am a big fan of martial arts movies, not so much for the plots but for the action and adventure. I love good martial arts, and Tony Jaa is able to deliver that without the use of wirefu. Even I didn’t care much for this. The plot was just so ridiculous and half-hearted that it ruined the rest of the film and that says a lot as most karate flicks are not that plot driven.

Even Tony Jaa’s gymkata was not good enough to make this an enjoyable movie. His last flick, Ong Bak: The Tai Warrior was an explosive and interesting bit of film. It was great and it really showed off his tai boxing prowess. Not so with The Protector. Don’t bother unless you are drunk. It might be okay then … maybe.

KHAM: You killed my father, and you stole my elephant!

Mini-Review: "Jesus Camp"

Review by Fat Jack

My Rating 4 stars out of 5
Rated PG-13

Rotten Tomatoes: 87% fresh
Netflix: 3.8 stars out of 5
IMDb: 7.4 stars out of 10





Jesus Camp is about the current Evangelical Christian movement. Specifically, the documentary shows how the movement teaches-indoctrinates-brainwashes children into the fold. I say “teach-indoctrinate-brainwash” because each word could be correct depending on your own point of view. The focus of the camp is on children, and the administration and parents push hard for their children to be saved, many of which are saved at very young ages (as young as 5 years old). The kids are told to be ready and willing to lay down their lives for Christ. They take the children out and encourage them to stop strangers on the street and try to convert them. Actually I should say they celebrate the fact that God speaks directly to the children and it is God that encourages the children to convert the strangers.

Jesus Camp promotes the speaking in tongues and hearing the word of God speaking to you about every issue, including how well you bowl at the bowling alley. Children frequently cry during the ministry because of their own sins. This happens over and over during the camp experience, which makes me wonder: How many sins is a 10-year-old committing while at a Christian Camp, that they would need so much forgiveness? It is an interesting film. Certainly, there is strong connections between religion and politics and the impact of the Evangelical Christian movement in this film.

BECKY FISCHER: “It's no wonder, with that kind of intense training and discipline, that those young people are ready to kill themselves for the cause of Islam. I wanna see young people who are as committed to the cause of Jesus Christ as the young people are to the cause of Islam. I wanna see them as radically laying down their lives for the Gospel as they are over in Pakistan and Israel and Palestine and all those different places, you know, because we have... excuse me, but we have the truth!”

BECKY FISCHER (Referring to President George Bush): “He has really brought some real credibility, um, to the Christian faith.”

Click here for the trailer.