Charlie St. Cloud (2010)

What a great movie, a little predictable, but not too much. It had a happy ending, and in this case predictability was a good thing, I was hoping it would end the way it did. Charlie St cloud is a kid who seemed to have it all going for him. He loved sailing and practised it religiously. He got so good at it that he recieved a scholarship to Stanford University. But when a car accident takes his little brothers life, Charlie's guilt and loss cripples him mentally. He now has the ability to communicate with dead, specifically is little brother who he meets everyday before sundown to play catch. This movie is a tear jerker, the love between the brothers was too much to bear. I guess it helps that Zac Efron is just so damn gorgeous you simple can't not love him. Great movie, Fabulous performance by Zac Efron as Charlie St Cloud, this is the beginning for Zac, I hope he stays away from silly movie roles and moves forward and up with dramatic parts, he is VERY good at it.

Having gone to see this movie last night, I went home and ordered the book, and signed up to be notified when the movie becomes available on Amazon. Going in to see the movie, I had looked up the details on the plot. It looked like a good movie. I was not disappointed. The main characters were great, Charlie, his brother Sam, the woman who comes into his life, all were great. After Sam dies, Charlie stops going forward with his life. He can see Sam in spirit, and spends every afternoon playing ball with him. After 5 years, a woman comes into his life and shakes up his world. He is torn between hanging onto the past,time with Sam, and getting into a relationship with her. There is a boat accident, and much more. Towards the end of the movie, it can tug on the heartstrings. The ending is great. If someone is hanging onto the past that need to be let go, this would be a movie to help it happen.

Well worth going to see, and buy for the home collection.

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Overview: Charlie and his younger brother, Sam, are enjoying the last few weeks of summer before Charlie goes to college on a sailing scholarship. Tragedy strikes and Sam's life is lost while a tormented Charlie's life is saved. Instead of going on with life, he lives alone in the woods and starts working at the cemetery. Why does he stay behind? Because he can see his dead brother and promises to meet him every day to practice baseball. Thus begins the story of Charlie St. Cloud, a young man who "stops living" because he can see dead people and does not want to let go of the memory of his brother.

Good Content: Charlie's dedication to Sam (alive and dead) is a good example of being a good brother. Even when Sam has died, Charlie keeps his promise to Sam. Later in the film Charlie turns out to be a rational young man as he makes a choice between "himself" and another person's life.

Spiritual Content: The fact that Charlie can see dead people is not necessarily creepy. It's more of a psychological thriller than anything. Charlie and Sam have a conversation about what would happen to Sam if Charlie broke his promise and stopped visiting him. Sam is concerned he will "cease to exist". Charlie's life was "saved" by a paramedic who is a strong Catholic. Later in life the two meet and the paramedic asks Charlie why he was "given a second chance to live" and if he will use this second chance for a good purpose. The paramedic believes saving Charlie was a heaven-sent act. He wears a pendant of St. Jude around his neck.

Sexual Content: Charlie and his girlfriend Tess spend a night together in the cemetery. Nothing is seen because the camera cuts out right before anything happens but cuts back in afterwards. Same tells a few crude jokes (I only got one of them because another audience member was laughing as if it was a dirty joke).

Violent Content: We see some aspects of the car crash that Charlie and Sam are in. We see them while they are in the ambulance-Charlie's face is somewhat bloody. Charlie gets in a fist fight with another young man.

Profanity: a total of about seven or eight profane words ranging from h-to s--

Conclusion: Unnecessary elements (such as the cemetery scene, some language) make this a PG-13 film. While the idea of the plot seems "iffy"-a young man spending time with his dead brother-it doesn't really touch on anything spiritual in terms of life and death. Rather, it is more of a psychological, "think about it" film. Borderline tragedy, chic-flick, drama, this film is recommended for mature audiences who are not opposed to somewhat "unrealistic" stories.

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I was surfing channels and caught the beginning of Charlie St. Cloud on HBO. stopped to watch a few minutes and didn't move for the entire movie. Never followed Zac's career before (I'm a little older than he is ;D ) but I found myself absolutely n love with him, the character of his little brother and the entire cast (huge fan of James Franco so u can imagine how shocked I was when I fell for the character Lt. Sully, actor brother of James, Lord have mercy...haha). I found the movie addicting. I can't pass the channel if the movie is on now! no matter if the the movie is starting, in the middle or near the ending...gotta watch. AND YES, I have ordered the movie and it's on the way. I would recommend this movie before all others to all my fellow movie lovers. The story line is mesmerizing. I loss my sister several years ago and although we are much older than the characters in this movie, I still find myself wishing that the ending to her life and life as I knew it with her in it could have had an ending like Charlie and Sam's (meet at sunset cannons, come hell or high water,I promise!!)...if only for a while. RECOMMEND THE MOVIE 100%!!!! LOVED IT...LOVED EVERYTHING ABOUT IT...I ACTUALLY THINK IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN OSCAR WORTHLY BACK DURING IT'S TIME OF RELEASE. LOVE IT!!!!!

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Zac Efron has solidified himself as a leading man in Hollywood with his masterful portrayal of Charlie St. Cloud. Without giving too much of the plot away, Efron absolutely shined throughout the film. You felt every single bit of his angst, heartache, emptiness, and sadness.

I never read the book, but I'd imagine this movie more than did it justice. What a beautiful, heart warming film. I can't say enough good things about it.

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Hunt to Kill / The Stranger (Steve Austin Double Feature) (2012)

This is a double feature movie and let me tell you I love Steve Austin. To me his movies are right up there with the Rock,& John Cenna. His premire movie was Condemed. Now he he is the Star.

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Race to Witch Mountain (Three-Disc Edition: Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy) (2009)

You'd think a Las Vegas cab driver had seen it all, especially with that UFO convention in town, right? Almost right, until two solemn children show up in his car. They have a wad of cash that they don't seem to understand very well, an urgent need to reach some desert destination, and a schoolbook way of speaking. It seems as legal as anything in Las Vegas and the money's green, so they're off.

So, a moment later, are the government goons in their black SUVs, in hot pursuit. The kids turn out to be something pretty special. The big bad gov guy calls them "illegal aliens," without stating just which laws they broke or just how alien. Then the chase is on with a few extras thrown in, like a killer robot and the only UFOlogist in the world who actually has a clue.

There's plenty of action, a bit of bloodless violence, some ominous but ambiguous threats against the kids, and a steady stream of one-liners to keep the mood from getting too grim. Maybe this isn't one for the ages, but it provides some popcorn entertainment where no one gets killed and everyone keeps their clothes on. Enjoy!

-wiredweird

More action than the original! A new step forward for the popular sci-fi Walt Disney film.

As a fan of the original 1975 film "Escape to Witch Mountain", I have to admit that I felt a bit standoffish about a retelling of the film series. With Dwayne Johnson cast as the primary character in the film, it was evident to me that the new film "Race to Witch Mountain" would be a more action-based film but over 35 years since the first film, you can only wonder how far special effects would go for and how campy but yet entertaining and family friendly, the new storyline would be.

Taking on the helm as director for "Race to Witch Mountain" would be Andy Fickman (producer for "Anaconda" and director of "The Game Plan", "Who's Your Daddy"). The screenplay would be written by Matt Lopez ("Bedtime Stories") and Mark Bomback ("Deception", "Live Free or Die Hard" and "Godsend"). Music by Trevor Rabin ("12 Rounds", "Get Smart", "National Treasure: Book of Secrets", etc.) and cinematography by Greg Gardiner ("Herbie Fully Loaded", "Elf", "New York Minute", etc.).

The film would star Dwyane Johnson ("The Scorpion King", "Gridiron Gang", "The Game Plan" and "Get Smart"), Carla Gugino ("Sin City", "American Gangster", "The One", etc.), AnnaSophia Robb ("Bridge to Terabithia", "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" and "Jumper"), Alexander Ludwig ("The Sandlot 3' and "A Little Thing Called Murder"), Ciaran Hinds ("The Sum of All Fears", "Lara Coft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life", "The Phantom of the Opera", etc.) and Garry Marshall ("Pretty Woman", "Chicken Little" and "Murphy Brown").

"Race to Witch Mountain" continues Disney's dedication of a 3-Disc release with the Blu-ray, DVD version of the film and a Digital Copy.

VIDEO & AUDIO:

"Race to Witch Mountain" is featured in 1080p High Definition (with an aspect ratio of 2:40:1). Overall, picture quality is good but where many other Walt Disney films tend to utilize more daylight scenes, "Race to Witch Mountain" is shot indoors in dark spaces or outdoors during the night. There are daylight scenes but more the most part, you find the main characters trying to utilize darkness in order to give a sense of the group trying to hide out. So, for the most part, the film is not exactly vibrant or colorful but you can expect a lot of blacks and blues being utilized during the darker scenes in the film.

During the daylight scenes, there is a little softness (not by digital noise reduction) but picture quality is not as vibrant as other recently released live-action Disney-related films but I think the somewhat muted colors was a personal decision by cinematographer Greg Gardiner. But overall, picture quality is good, it's just a film that leans more towards darkness with a lot of shadows.

As for audio quality, the audio is well done. The English 5.1 DTS-HD lossless soundtrack really capture the action. There were several scenes that I just had to replay because it really shook my living room (a scene where Jack and the kids are riding on the railroad tracks), there is serious LFE in this film and you can expect your subwoofer to be utilized. Where the dialogue is crisp and clear through the center and front channels, there is also a lot of surround and rear surround usage during the action scenes.

Frankly speaking, "Race to Witch Mountain" was quite pleasing to listen to. It's an aggressive soundtrack and maybe not as aggressive as a film like "Transformers" or "Quantum of Solace" but still a lossless soundtrack that you can expect metal shrieking, car crashes and deep explosions that you can feel through seat. This is one of the most aggressive lossless soundtracks I have heard from Disney (for a live-action film) thus far.

Subtitles are featured in English SDH, French and Spanish.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

"Race to Witch Mountain" comes with the following special features presented in HD and standard with English 2.0 Dolby Digital audio:

* Deleted Scenes (23:21) Optional introduction by Director Andy Fickman, the following deleted scenes are featured: Intro, Extended Opening Ray's, Extended Ray's Telekinesis, Jack Beats Up Zacha, Tina Meets Siphon, Sara Foils Security Fence, Alex Foils Guard, Extended Goodbye Scene and the Original Ending. It's important to note that the alternate ending which is literally an extended version is quite important and would build up to a sequel. Personally, the alternative ending would have worked but Director Andy Fickman decided to keep it simple which is understandable.

* Bloopers (3:37) The blooper reel featuring Dwayne Johnson, Carla Gugino, AnnaSophia Robb, Alexander Ludwig and Garry Marshall having fun and messing up their lines.

* Backstage Disney (8:20) Director Andy Fickman reveals hidden references to the original movies "Escape to Witch Mountain" and "Return from Witch Mountain" and other Disney tie-ins.

* Learn How to Take Your Favorite Movies on a Go (1:04) Your typical Disney information trailer of what digital copy is.

JUDGMENT CALL:

With the recent release of "Escape to Witch Mountain" and "Return from Witch Mountain" on DVD, it was good to rewatch the classic films since so much time has passed since I watched those two films and prepare me for "Race to Witch Mountain".

For the most part, "Race to Witch Mountain" has no similarities to the original with the exception that the antagonist are going after the children. And also, in this case, also Jack Bruno. The other major difference is that the children in "Escape to Witch Mountain" are orphans who just want a loving family and are blessed with supernatural abilities which they don't know why. It's not revealed of what they are until the end of the film, whereas "Race to Witch Mountain" reveals what the kids are right after the beginning and from then on the film becomes more action-based and a more aggressive cat vs. mouse type of film.

So, needless to say, the film is not the same type of film that children in the 1970's grew up with. Where the older films were definitely crafted as innocent family films, "Race to Witch Mountain" is a film that was created to appeal to both children and adults. You know that with Dwayne Johnson, you're going to see some major butt kicking and with these two extraterrestrial kids, really take advantage of their power and of course, with modern technology, definitely giving the film a much more modern spin to their powers, the look of their spacecraft and of course, everything looks quite slick.

It's important to note that despite the film being much different than the previous two films, director Andy Fickman who was a big fan of the original knew that there should be some tie-in to the original. So, the original characters that played Tony (Ike Eisenmann) and Tia (Kim Richards) in the first two films, have a significant part in this film rather than short few second cameos. Also, Fickman made sure to put a lot of references of the original film, in this new film as well (note: there is a special feature dedicated to director Andy Fickman showing the various homage paid to the original film).

For parents who are wondering if the film is safe, I watched this film with my six year old and we both enjoyed the film. If anything, its the aggressive soundtrack that I think that freaked him out (of course, I loved it) because there are plenty of explosions and action sequences that will utilize your home theater but might be a bit too much for the kids. There are scenes with the kids being manhandled by the alien Siphon and since it is an action film, there is many chase scenes and fighting. So, there is violence in that regard. But for the most part, the film doesn't show any blood. In fact, despite the beating Jack Bruno (Dwayne Johnson) goes through, he's not bruised and bloody. Disney made sure the film is kept tame for families to watch.

Overall, I understand that if some parents who felt the wholesomeness of the original films has been thrown out the door with this new film "Race to Witch Mountain". Personally, I enjoyed this film and enjoyed the hidden tie-ins of the original film and to see the original talent in this film... that was fun!

But this is a more action-driven film that focuses on a man who has had his troubles in the past, keeping his promise in making sure that these kids get to their destination. Of course, Dwayne Johnson's Jack Bruno is no Eddie Albert's Jason O'Day but there is a feeling of guardianship that both Jack and Dr. Alex Friedman feel for the children and are willing to sacrifice their own lives to protect them.

As for the Blu-ray release, "Race to Witch Mountain" sports one of the most aggressive Disney lossless soundtracks that I have heard so far. But it's also important to note that the picture quality was good but not as magnificent and unlike other Disney releases on Blu-ray, there are far less special features included. But you do get the two other discs which include a DVD and a digital copy of the film.

"Race to Witch Mountain" is an enjoyable film and definitely a step forward in bringing the "Witch Mountain" to a more modern time for today's audiences. But for those who enjoyed "Escape to Witch Mountain", personally I feel that director Andy Fickman did the best thing by leaving the original alone and let that film be known for its merit and not copy it but showing his own respect for the original film film his way and it worked. I can also understand those who loved the originals, as they were more character driven, feel-good family storylines whereas this film goes in another direction and focuses primarily on the action. And it's also important to note that the sequel "Return from Witch Mountain" is also a film that is very different from the original film and a bit more darker in its storyline as well. So, in a way all three "Witch Mountain" films are quite different in presentation but yet they all retain a sense of family, it's just presented differently.

Overall, "Race to Witch Mountain" is a fun, enjoyable film definitely worth recommending!

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Jack Bruno (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson) is a cab driver. He has a shady past but is trying to put all that behind him. It's time for the annual science fiction convention in Las Vegas, which means his cab is filled with weirdos, including Dr. Alex Friedman (Carla Gugino), one of the speakers.

Yet the trouble comes in the forms of two teenagers. Seth (Alexander Ludwig) and Sara (AnnaSophia Robb) appear in his cab at the start of one shift. They offer him a wad of cash and ask to be taken to an undisclosed location. When they arrive, Jack discovers it is an abandoned cabin in the middle of the nowhere. Not wanting to leave them alone, he discovers something he never imagined. Is he in over his head? Can he help Seth and Sara complete their mission?

I hadn't watched the originals growing up, but I did watch them earlier this year to prepare for this one hitting theaters. It turns out it really didn't matter. They could have slapped any name on this and it would have been just as enjoyable. That's not saying they didn't acknowledge their roots. Original Witch Mountain kids Kim Richards and Ike Eisenmann make cameos in a diner scene as Tina and Anthony. There are another couple fun nods to the original.

The movie got going pretty quickly and only increased in intensity from there. Our heroes have several different groups hunting them, so there is never a dull moments. Yet the comic moments are plentiful as well, especially any time Garry Marshall is around as a science fiction writer. And the movie made me truly care for these characters.

The special effects were impressive with several truly mouth dropping moments. The preview pretty much gave those away, but I still loved them. There is plenty of action and stunts, too, which are probably what earned the movie its PG rating. It is intense at times, so kids who frighten easily should steer clear. Every one will enjoy it.

I do have two minor gripes about the movie. The first is a scene that preaches to us about global warming. It feels a little out of place and gratuitous instead of a real part of the film. Secondly, a sub-plot about Jack's past coming back to get him is dropped near the end.

Just so you know, there are a few scenes during the credits you'll want to catch.

Despite the dropped plot point, I had a smile on my face when the movie was over. In fact, I was kind of surprised at just how much I enjoyed it. If you are at all interested in seeing it, do. You'll have a good time with an enjoyable movie.

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As I continue to smell what the Rock is cooking, it strikes me that it's been a while since I've thought of him as a wrestler in WWE. Nowadays dude is doing big things in Hollywood. The trend seems to be that wrestlers don't become movie stars, their over-the-top ring personas being hard to translate into serviceable movie acting chops. 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin and Hulk Hogan both fell on their faces, and John Cena doesn't impress me. Before the Rock, I think only 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper had successfully parlayed his wrestling cachet into a noteworthy flick (and that would be John Carpenter's cult classic They Live). Oh, and Andre the Giant had a small cute part in the quite awesome The Princess Bride (20th Anniversary Edition).

But it's looking more and more as if Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson really is here to stay as an actor and a big box office draw, and never mind that he seems to have put the people's eyebrow on ice. RACE TO WITCH MOUNTAIN is his latest flick with Disney (after The Game Plan (Widescreen Edition)), and sure enough it garnered the number one spot in its first week of theatrical release. Not that it's so overwhelmingly a terrific picture, mind you. It's got its flaws. Suffice to say that overall I liked enough about it to give it a semi-warm recommendation. But the key reason the movie works is that the Rock is in the thing. As always the Rock brings in his reliable physicality, along with a certain comfort level in front of the camera and an easy-going sense of humor.

Did you know there were three Witch Mountain pictures before this one? I grew up on Escape to Witch Mountain Special Edition (1975) and Return from Witch Mountain Special Edition (1978), and as a kid I had a serious crush on Kim Richards who played Tia (I remember having one on Pippi Longstocking, as well). So it's particularly gratifying to see Kim Richards here in a cameo role as a helpful diner waitress. Ike Eisenmann, who played her brother Tony, also resurfaces as a sheriff in the same scene. I missed out on the third Witch Mountain project, a failed pilot that aired on the Wonderful World of Disney and was intended to lead into a television show, except that the series never got off the ground. Anyway, back on point...

I think the best word to describe RACE TO WITCH MOUNTAIN is "nice." It's a nice sci-fi adventure movie for the family, but it won't blow you away with its scope or special effects or acting. But neither does it suck arse. It's middle of the road stuff, with the Rock turning in another ingratiating performance, Carla Gugino again being criminally underused, and the kid actors showing enough range to sorta kinda make you care about what happens to them. There's nothing here that's too disturbing or violent or inappropriate for de kids. Yeah, it's nice. It really could've used more of an edge.

Dwayne Johnson plays Jack Bruno, a former wheelman for the Las Vegas mob but currently a cabbie in Sin City. Bruno's trying to stay on the straight, even though his shady past keeps trying to pull him back in. So any more grief is not what he needs. It's what he gets, though, when two odd kids suddenly show up in the back seat of his cab, sporting formal speech patterns and with a desert destination in mind and waving fistfuls of cha-ching. And there goes Jack Bruno, embarking on a very strange, very dangerous journey.

If you've caught the trailer or seen the prior Witch Mountain films, then it's no spoiler that the two kids, Sara and Seth, turn out to be extra-terrestrial children. Sara is a telepath who also happens to be telekinetic. Seth is able to adjust his molecular density and can therefore phase thru solid objects or stop an SUV cold with his superdense body. Sara and Seth's planet is dying, and they've come to Earth to retrieve their scientist parents' rejuvenation device. This device, hidden in an isolated cabin in the Nevadan desert, can in theory save their world. However, their planet's military has its own pretty insidious plans for Earth.

Jack Bruno, a bit (or a lot) out of his depth, still finds himself channeling his inner dad or inner older brother. That, or he's a really dedicated taxi driver because the man intends to carry on until the kids get home, and that means making sure Sara and Seth end up in their spacecraft, which is currently being heavily guarded and poked and prodded by the government in full-on paranoid mode. The movie is pretty much Bruno and the kids and, later on, a sexy down-and-out astrophycisist (Carla Gugino, natch!) scrambling like crazy and trying to stay one step ahead of an unstoppable alien assassin, a shady government agency focusing on extraterrestrial threats, and Bruno's former hoodlum associates.

As said, the special effects are decent, and I got a nostalgic kick out of the diner scene. The Las Vegas science convention sequences are also a hoot, even if I feel that the movie could've mined more comedic/satiric gold out of those scenarios. An unexpectedly touching emotional core is built around the rapport and warm interplay between Dwayne Johnson and AnnaSophia Robb, who was so good in Bridge to Terabithia (Widescreen Edition) and she does pretty okay here as well, as the more appealing kid alien. Sorry to say, but Alexander Ludwig as Seth remained somewhat of a cold fish.

Disney, the bastion of fluffy family friendly fare, plays it safe, and the result is a tepidness to the film, a lack of punch, despite all the glitzy swagger onscreen. I saw RACE TO WITCH MOUNTAIN during an eighteen hour overseas flight, and I'm forever grateful that it kept me engaged enough that I wasn't as miserable as I would've been (because I really loathe flying!). The film is basically an extended chase scene, with several pit stops made so that the Rock and the kids can bond and the Rock can crack jokes. In the final say, I had fun in watching it, and wouldn't say no to a sequel, which going by how the movie ends (check out the end credits), seems very likely. The Witch Mountain franchise continues...

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This was a really fun movie to watch. Dwayne Johnson is perfect as the reluctant hero, slowly going from driver to protector. Carla Gugino is the true scientist who so wants to prove ETs really exist, beyond the scifi world. Great fun for those of all ages.

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Judy Moody and the NOT Bummer Summer (Three-Disc Edition Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy) (2011)

I loved this movie and so did my children. The movie was clean I did not have to worry about any nudity, profanity,it was funny, we cant wait for it to come out in dvd.If you can use your imagination and go with the flow,not be criticle,loosen up, and you too will have fun watching it.I took my son (10) and he wants to see it again, so even though it is a girl flick boys will like it too. I took my daughter (7 1/2) another time and she laughed the whole movie. I guess to each his own.What prompted me to write this is the negitative reviews I read and thinking this is a great movie what are they saying. Any way we loved the movie.

Last Saturday, my son graduated from elementary schoolYEAH!. We had an exciting day which included not only the graduation ceremony, but also attending an advance screening of the new kids movie "Judy Moody and the NOT Bummer Summer". This movie is based on the Judy Moody book series by author Megan McDonald.

In the movie, school has just ended and Judy Moody (Jordana Beatty) is determined not to have a boring time this summer like in years past which included trips for her and her younger brother to visit grandma's house. Judy is a force unto herself in that she dresses in crazy colors, wears pajamas to school and never combs her flaming red hair. Now I don't know how many folks out there remember the 1990's TV show "Blossom" staring Mayim Bialik, but Judy Moody could definitely be the new age version of Blossom crazy clothes, mood rings and all.

Judy decides that this summer, she and her friends will have a race to see who can have the best summer ever by doing a series of daring challenges that earn "thrill points". Whoever gets to 100 points first wins the title of having the best summer ever.

When Judy's grandma has an accident, Judy's parents leave her and her brother for the whole summer with their crazy gorilla artist Aunt Opal (Heather Graham) who is a grown up version of Judy. But what Judy does not count on is that all her friends are going away for the summer to exciting places like circus camp and swimming with the whales, that her little brother Stink (Parris Mostelleris) is spending the summer looking for Big Foot in the woods by their neighborhood, that her Aunt Opal has no idea how to drive a car, and that her best friend Frank (Preston Bailey) has an inability to do anything exciting without throwing up. Their adventures make for a summer that the movie audience will definitely not forget.

I have to say that I really enjoyed this movie. It was a total overload of silliness from beginning to end. If you think this is a prissy girly movie, you would be very mistaken. My 11 year son was laughing his head off since this movie contains lots of dumb jokes involving gas passing and animal dung. Even actor Jaleel White (think Urkel) is in the film as Judy's crazy teacher Mr. Todd. This movie is all about kids using their imaginations to have a good time and that made for a totally NOT bummer film.

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This movie was about what I expected. Full of hyper kids trying to have a fun summer. Jordana Beatty was a pretty good choice for Judy. When Judy Moody's friends go away for the summer, she tries her best to have fun with her aunt Opal, and brother Stink. They try to get 'thrill points' by hunting for Bigfoot, riding a rollercoaster, and watching horror movies. If you like silly kids movies, you might like JUDY MOODY AND THE NOT BUMMER SUMMER!!!

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I figured this would be another 90-minute nightmare but found it surprisingly tolerable. If directed towards adults it would not receive 5 stars, but as the father of a 4 and 5-yr-old, I can honestly say I've seen this twenty times over the past month. My young son and daughter absolutely adore this movie and would watch it morning, noon, and night if we allowed it. Remarkably enough, I can tolerate it too.

As a parent, I am in continual search of wholesome entertainment for my children. We don't have cable TV and are very strict as to what we let our children view. I feel I'm more lenient than my wife in this regard, but I want to warn would-be buyers in my situation that there is some material you might find objectionable. A child pukes into another's face, a piece of animal poop is accidentally squished into sandwiches and nearly eaten, and the word "crap" is used a couple of time (although one of the children points out that "crap is a swear"). Personally I had no problem with these portrayals but to each their own.

Overall this is a charmingly colorful family film that won't entirely rot your young ones' minds. I found it harmless and entertaining. And hey, if the kids love it, it can't be all bad.

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Wahoo! It's the last day of school, and summer vacation looms enticingly on the horizon. Judy Moody has big plans for the best summer ever. So, it seems, does everyone else. Her teacher, Mr. Todd, teases his class by announcing he will be doing something special during vacation. He promises a prize for anyone who can find him and gives them a clue: "COLD."

Judy gathers her friends in the T.P. Club tent to declare that they will have the most "NOT bummer summer ever." She has prepared a chart that she claims will be sure to ward off any issues with boredom. It's filled with dares for club members Rocky, Frank, Amy and (of course) Judy. For each dare accomplished, the dare-conqueror will get 10 thrill points, and bonus points are available for really crazy feats. Judy tells the group that if they reach 100 points, they've had the best summer possible.

That's when Judy gets a double whammy of bad news. Rocky won't be around to work on his thrill points because he's headed off to circus camp. Amy won't be at home either, as she and her mother are traveling to Borneo. Although Frank will still be around, Judy is starting to get a bad feeling about summer. Even Stink has an exciting project for the upcoming vacation: he plans to catch Bigfoot. Somehow, her brother's excitement only makes her feel worse.

The following week finds Judy saying goodbye to Rocky and Amy. She warns Rocky that he's sure to shovel tons of stinky elephant poop at circus camp, but she can't dim his enthusiasm. Amy doesn't even let Judy call Borneo "Bored-e-o." After all, Amy's mother is going to write an article on a lost tribe living in the rainforest. Judy has to admit that sounds like the opposite of boring.

The days ahead are just as dull as Judy predicted they would be. While Frank gets to go to an exciting day camp, Judy has nothing much to do. Then she has a glimmer of hope. Mom says she has something to tell her. They won't be visiting Grandma Lou during vacation after all. Instead, her parents plan to fly out to California to help Gramps and Nana move to a retirement community. The bad news is that they're leaving the kids behind. Judy gasps in horror as she realizes that she and Stink will be staying home with Aunt Opal. Opal is Dad's sister, and Judy hasn't seen her since she was a baby. Judy's verdict: "This is the way-worst, double-drat, down-in-the-dumps summer EVER!" She immediately nicknames her unknown aunt "Aunt Awful."

Aunt Opal's visit is off to quite a start when dinner catches on fire just as she arrives. Judy tries to help with her squirt gun, but only manages to hit Aunt Opal between the eyes. That's when Judy notices that her aunt is not at all as she imagined. Opal has long red hair, bright blue boots, and cool bracelets --and she gives Judy a special bracelet, along with the best mood ring Judy has ever seen. And that is just the beginning, as Judy gears up for a summer filled with her aunt (who is likely to strike readers as an adult Judy Moody), Bigfoot trivia, the intriguing mystery about Mr. Todd, a messy ride on the Scream Monster, a dark-of-night stakeout, a dare race, secret art, and much more.

Judy Moody is now a movie star! This book, based on the screenplay for the movie Judy Moody and the NOT Bummer Summer, remains true to the Judy Moody spirit. Judy discovers that, even when a summer doesn't go the way she planned, it can still be filled with plenty of adventure and fun.

--Reviewed by Terry Miller Shannon

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NFL: Pittsburgh Steelers - Road to XLIII (2009)

The first disc the NFL produced for this season teased us a little, but now we can watch the whole post-season + a great Baltimore-Pittsburgh late-season battle in high-definition. Hopefully the NFL will be putting out their "America's Game" for Superbowl XLIII and that will be when the players tell more of the story of the whole season, these discs only have the games, but what FANTASTIC games they are!

The first disc has Game 15 of the regular season-a hard-fought Steelers-Ravens game for the AFC North title in Baltimore as well as the Divisional Playoff game where the Steelers face off against the Chargers. The second disc has the absolutely brutal defensive fight for the AFC Championship-a grudge match of the Steelers vs. Ravens, followed by arguably the best superbowl, the Steelers vs. the Cardinals in Superbowl XLIII. The under-respected and unexpectedly great Cardinals fight tooth & claw against the Steelers from start to stop. The Steelers show why they are the #1 defense watching Harrison's 100-yard interception return for a touchdown NEVER gets old. The Pittsburgh offense puts together the most memorable finish (maybe the Giants from the year before could lay claim to an equally-impressive run) as they move from deep in their own territory to make a huge last minute drive ending with a Roethlisburger-Holmes reception in the corner of the endzone.

There aren't too many extras (in fact there's only two) but I was really excited to to see that they have an alternate audio track for the Superbowl featuring the WDVE broadcast. So if you've ever enjoyed listening to the Pittsburgh guys calling the games, it might just warm your heart a little to hear the game called by the unashamedly partisan WDVE crew. The only other special feature is a trivia track that pops up during the superbowl. Watching these games in high-def is definitely an improvement and the Steelers look better and better each time I see these games.

I am a diehard Steelers fan through and through. For any Steeler fan this is a must have to your collection of Steeler DVDs. I went to the Steelers Sideline Stores which have it priced the same as Amazon for it. The DVD consists of....

Week 15 vs. Baltimore Steelers clinch division

AFC Divisional Playoff vs. San Diego

AFC Championship Playoff vs. Baltimore

Super Bowl XLIII vs. Arizona

This collection is a near perfect collection...what I don't like is

*You have 2/3 of the classic matchups with Baltimore this past season. EACH game was a classic. Why did they omit the Monday Night thriller against Baltimore? This series has done this before. For the Giants Road to XLII DVD which I have they added the Week 17 loss to the Patriots and the 4 playoff games so the 5th disc has happened and I would have added that game

*You have minor hesistations in the presentation of the Super Bowl and some minor skips in the other games but they are not big enough to complain about but you will notice them (esp. SB XLIII) but it should not disappoint

*There are no special features...which is terrible...what I loved about the Road to XL DVD was the featurettes about the Steelers, the Giants Road to XLII DVD for the Super Bowl had an option of Michael Strahan doing his commentary on the game..there are no Special Features on this DVD

What I like about this....

*Those Steeler fans that bought Road to XL remember the Steelers Radio Team of Bill Hillgrove, Tunch Ilkin, and Craig Wofley do the play by play well its not the case, you get the TV annoucers so you get John Madden's last game as an analyst, historic there. NFL Films started this with the Colts Road to XLI dvd

*These are the actual games...not NFL Films cutting material or NFL Films tapes like the "Road to XXXIX Patriots"

Overall If you love the Steelers, if you love football, if you love John Madden this is an absolute must and for $25 $30 you get to relive in my eyes 2 great games with the Week 15 Baltimore and Super Bowl, and two ok games in the AFC Championship (which you can relive the Troy Polamalu touchdown return) and San Diego game.

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I'm disappointed with this "Super Bowl XLIII" DVD set. Sure, it contains four football games as advertised, but that's about all the good I can say about it. In almost every way this set is inferior to the "Pittsburgh Steelers Road to Super Bowl XL (Post-Season Collector's Edition)" DVD box set.

The video quality is quite similar and almost exact. However, the video presentation seems quite rushed on the XLIII set, as if the on-field action was cut even shorter than the XL set. (The DVD menus are "flashier" this time around, although you look at them for about three seconds.)

The XLIII audio track features the inferior television commentary as opposed to the superior radio commentary used for the XL set. The XLIII set also uses an audio track that seems to have been mixed in a studio with a four-year-old child constantly pushing buttons. The audio track is very uneven and distractingly so. (The crowd noise keeps rising and falling although nothing is happening on-screen and it occurs too often to be replays on the "Jumbotron".) BOTH sets, XL and XLIII, feature English-only subtitles. (But considering the target audience, I'm not surprised.)

The XLIII set is without any extras. NO extras. None. Zilch. Zip. Nada. This is a major disappointment. The XL set had one documentary per disc.

The packaging is different and less eco-friendly. However, I personally prefer the hard plastic XLIII packaging to the cardboard XL packaging for long-lasting presentation.

Here's the short version:

Super Bowl XL (40) set

VIDEO DVD

AUDIO Radio commentary

EXTRA One documentary per disc

PACKG Cardboard

Super Bowl XLIII (43) set

VIDEO DVD

AUDIO TV commentary

EXTRA None

PACKG Plastic

While I believe that the video quality of the XLIII set "MAY" be better due to the fact that a Blu-Ray version was produced, it's imperceptible on DVD. I also believe the extras were cut to make room on the discs for this imaginary "improved video quality". The audio commentary difference is one purely of preference and is obviously inferior to me. The omitted extras are a disappointment.

Aside from having four more football games on DVD, this set is almost a WASTE OF MONEY. (A DVR-version would be better, at least then I'd have the commercials.) The XL set is far superior. Buy that. (Pittsburgh Steelers Road to Super Bowl XL (Post-Season Collector's Edition))

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As a long time Steeler fan, and an owner of the Road to XL dvd set, I was looking forward to getting this set. The quality of the dvd's is great. The video and sound is fantastic. If all you want is the same old, tired commentary of Al Micheals and John Madden, then by all means, buy this set. However, if you have a dvd recorder, you could have done just as well, except for editing of commercials, of course, but I kinda like them

If, however, you are like me, and were looking forward to hearing the Steelers radio announcers, as in the Road to XL set, you will be VERY DISAPPOINTED, as I am. While the quality, as I said earlier, is great, the decision to include NO BONUS MATERIAL...NONE!!!, is a MAJOR disappointment. If you didn't record the games, these are worth having, if you did record them, save your money.

I hope the NFL corrects this mistake soon and releases another set of discs soon. I am sending them a request, and my opinion of this set, tonight.

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this is exactly what i was looking for. four entire games, including the super bowl win. no commercials, just every minute of the games. the win against baltimore to win the division, the two playoff games and the super bowl. every steelers fan will love this.

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War of the Arrows (2011)

Set during the second Manchu invasion of Korea, a lethal archer goes up against the Qing Dynasty to save his younger sister who was dragged away by invaders. Fans of kick-ass archery will be in heaven here. Both the protagonist and the antagonists use bows and arrows almost exclusively. The pacing is very fast, with the entire second half consisting of a footchase/shootout in a forest. Most of the action is grounded and realistic, with a few exceptions. Acting is solid too. Very exciting and totally entertaining.

"You're now Ja-in's father, you must take care of your sister until you die." After getting into an argument with his sisters fiancé Nam-Yi leaves his village before her wedding. When he returns he is told of the attack and kidnapping of his sister and sets out with his bow to get her back and exact revenge. As many of you may know I have never really been a big fan of these epic martial arts type movies. There have been a few I liked but not many. This one may be the best one I have seen since "Hero". This movie grabs you from the opening scene and is action packed and keeps you interested the entire time. The story and action are very well done and there is not a dull moment in this at all. There are some very brutal scenes in this but it's not over the top at all and it helps the story. For fans of this genre this is a must see. For those like me who can go either way this is still a movie that is very much worth watching. Overall, one of the best of this genre I have seen. I give it an A.

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This movie is very well done. The action is intense and riveting. From beginning to end, the movie will keep you glue to the screen. A rare telling of Manchurian attempted invasion of Korea.

Read Best Reviews of War of the Arrows (2011) Here

Without a doubt, WAR OF THE ARROWS is one of the finest period `actioners' I've seen in years; in fact, the last time I remember being this excited about a period adventure piece was probably CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON. It's technically accomplished on a level with the best films that the cinema has to offer audiences. I understand from some of my reading on the film that WAR made buckets of money at the box office, and it's not hard to see why: it's a rousing adventure one with multiple heroes waging personal battles against obvious villains set at a breakneck pace, all coupled with a unique love story between a young couple as well as one between a brother and a sister.

The story begins in the heat of a battle Manchurian barbarians are raiding a mountain village where a young boy, Choi Nam-yi (played by Park Hae-il), tries to keep his sister, Choi Ja-in (played by Moon Chae-won) safe from all of the danger. Quickly, they're both rescued by their father, who implores his son to raise his sister as if he were her own daughter, before the elder archer is killed by the forces destroying their home. The siblings flee, and they're soon captured and taken in by a community of men and women. There, they find safety and grow into adults, with Nam-yi becoming a skilled archer and his sister destined to wed Kim Seo-gun (played by Kim Mu-yeol), the son of the group's leader. However, the Manchurian invaders eventually strike again, destroying the city and taking everyone hostage except Nam-yi, who escapes but soon arms himself with his deadly bow to rescue his people from the forces of evil.

WAR OF THE ARROWS is brilliantly structured. It combines popular textural elements of myth and fairy tale, feeling at times as though the story may've been lifted from a story book, and sets those elements up against the harsh, grim reality of born out of foreign occupation. The innocent are captured, their spirit broken, their villages destroyed, and the victors play incessantly torturous tricks on them, dashing all of their hopes of finding peace or complacency again. As an audience, you cheer their inevitable comeuppance once our hero sets his lone bow against theirs, becoming a kind of unstoppable, medieval `Dirty Harry.' All he wants to do is save his sister, but, before it's all said and done, he's liable to save an entire people from being destroyed. Along the way, he finds a few companions, and, together, they brave the odds to put right what's been torn away from them. It's the kind of film that's best seen with a crowd a collective experience to hiss at the scoundrels and cheer on the heroes.

Well Go USA's presentation is sharp and crisp as the colors pop and there's very little grain to distract from the entire film. There's a sequence with a short action sequence involving a tiger (a narrative `loop' from a part early in the film's story to later events) that involves some less-than-stellar CGI composition that could've used another brush or two from the special effects department, but it's a forgivable sin as any reasonable person can understand and appreciate the danger of having a live animal attacking live actors onscreen. Also, I think it's worth noting that there's some exceptional editing throughout WAR; the pacing especially during the action sequences, of which there are many is superb and tight. Additionally, there are some unique tricks with sound worked on the film's track the film is replete with sequences involving several archers that keep the viewers interest and elevate the storytelling to accomplished levels.

Sadly, the disc comes with very few extras. There's a short, basic `making of' snippet it plays out like a featurette and doesn't really offer any revealing information, feeling more like an ad piece. Given the fact that the story deals with moments of history between Korea and Manchuria, I would've liked to have known more; sure, I can always Google or Wiki some additional information, but it would've been nice, at least, to have some basic direction of where to begin researching some of this period on my own as I'm a history junkie when it comes to stories tied to history like WAR OF THE ARROWS is. Better luck next time, producers! Give us more than just an A+ story!

Highest recommendation

In the interests of fairness, I'm pleased to share that the kind folks at Well Go USA provided me with a screener copy of WAR OF THE ARROWS for the purposes of completing this review.

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Having seen news reports that interest in archery has dramatically increased since the release of "The Hunger Games," I would suggest that "War Of The Arrows," would start an archery epidemic. Comparing the two films is like arguing that "Dumb and Dumber" is better than "The Godfather." One is simple (not to suggest stupidity) and the other is complex (without being difficult to understand).

If archery is your thing, "The War Of The Arrows" will completely satisfy that hunger. If you want nothing more than a great entertainment, you will not regret the time invested.

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Night of the Living Dead

The five star rating I gave Night of the Living Dead is, of course, for the original, uncut, unadulterated edition. The original is, quite simply, the most terrifying movie I've ever seen, even when compared to horror classics like Diabolique (the original French version), Psycho, Rosemary's Baby, Halloween and The Shining. I saw NOTLD when I was 9 years old on Creature Features at midnight after a funeral. I had nightmares for the next two nights. The film still gives me the chills whenever I see it (usually at Halloween).

When the 30th Anniversary Edition came out, I bought it on VHS as I was curious to see what they termed as "new footage." What I got was a horrible mess that butchered the original film, removed the original music for a terrible synthesizer score and added pointless footage that makes the viewer want to grind his teeth down to the gums. One of the additions is a new character: a fire and brimstone preacher. While the acting in the original is amateurish, at best, the "actor" who plays the preacher makes the original cast look like Oscar winners by comparison. He snarls, and howls and gnashes his teeth like he has rabies. Even more ridiculous is the extra footage of Bill Hinzman -the "cemetary zombie" in the original. The extra footage shows Hinzman's character emerging from the grave, then cuts to the original 1968 opening footage with Judith O'Dea and Russell Streiner. It's absolutely ridiculous as Hinzman looks 30 years older in the new footage. In addition, there are more zombies and a new ending to the film that makes no sense whatsoever. This "new" version is a piece of trash that desecrates the most frightening film of all time. Avoid it like the plague!

ORIGINAL VERSION: *****

30 Anniversary version: No Stars

This review pertains only to the Millennium Edition DVD of Night of the Living Dead.

Okay...as I'd feared, my negative review of the John Russo-massacred "30th Anniversary Edition" of Night of the Living Dead has been lumped unwittingly into this product's review, so I' m writing this one to clarify.

This DVD edition is the best edition I've seen of the film yet. Anchor Bay may have raised the ires of legions of Living Dead fans by releasing the sacrilegious 30th Anniversary Edition, but Elite Entertainment did right by this new edition.

George A. Romero's personal appreciation appears in the back of this DVD -this immediately restores our faith. And the contents don't disappoint -the picture and sound are good, and though this doesn't exactly contain the richest batch of bonus materials (sets like the excellent 3-disc edition of Dario Argento's Suspiria and the recent double-disc Re-Animator both feature loads of extras), it is a nice solid collection. You get a Duane Jones interview (sadly with only audio and no image, but still great); an on-camera chat between Judith Ridley (Judy) and Marilyn Eastman (Helen); the hilarious student-film spoof "Night of the Living Bread" by Kevin S. O'Brien (which also appeared in the double-cassette VHS edition); two commentary tracks with Romero, Russo, Russ Streiner, Eastman, Karl Hardman and others. One very illuminating portion of this DVD for non-film-scholars is visually boring but informative -several histories outlining the beginning of Romero's Latent Image company, on Hardman and Eastman's company, and how the two were married to produce Night of the Living Dead.

THIS is the right edition of Night of the Living Dead, the one to get for both fans and non-fans alike. It includes all the necessary people (notice that Russo, Streiner and Bill Hinzman were included in this release, despite their criminal participation in the 30th Anniversary Edition), and it presents the film the way it wants to be seen.

Now I'm waiting for a deluxe release of Dawn of the Dead and Day of the Dead...

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This review pertains only to the "30th Anniversary Edition".

I had been collecting George A. Romero's "Living Dead" trilogy on DVD and had purchased this without paying enough attention. Big mistake.

Night of the Living Dead has had some colossally confusing release patterns thanks to a copyright gaffe which had enabled every company under the sun to release the film and profit from it. But of the 'rogue editions' I've seen, nothing is worse than this one.

Notice the list of personnel involved in this project: John Russo, Russ Streiner, Bill Hinzman...anybody missing? That's right: George A. Romero himself. This "30th Anniversary" edition is a collaborated effort by Romero's former colleagues in the Night of the Living Dead crew to rip off Romero's work and make a profit from it.

The result is disastrous indeed. The new footage written and directed by John Russo serve to butcher the original film. Not only do the new scenes not contribute to the story, they look amateurish, mostly due to horrible writing. Russo had always wanted to claim more credit for the success of Night of the Living Dead than was due him; this attempt at appropriating credit for the original film only shows that Romero is the only one who understands the concept of the Living Dead films. Russo's heinous, childish writing and direction -which are no better than that of the tongue-in-cheek soft-core videographers of, say, Seduction Cinema -barely rise above the level of beginner film students. And his claim that the new footage matches the old is just ludicrous. Basically Streiner, Russo, Hinzman et al. have raped Romero's film, trying to use their involvement in the original to steal credit from Romero's work, desperately trying to put as much of their handprint onto the original as possible with this 'new footage'. Well, one minute watching Dawn of the Dead will show you that Romero was the filmmaker, and the others were the hacks.

Yet another guilty party in this whole enterprise is Scott Vladimir Licina, who had composed a new score for the film and plays a priest in the new scenes. The new score jars terribly with the old footage, and Licina's acting is atrocious -reflective of the all-around low quality of the Russo footage.

Skip this one, crucify it, and leave it out for the zombies to chew on. This edition is a disgrace to Romero's legacy. Night of the Living Dead is one of the greatest horror films ever made; don't allow this sacrilegious edition to mislead your perception on the original film.

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Yes, Night of the Living Dead is an excellent, classic zombie movie, but the 30th anniversary edition is a sham with new footage, sound effects, and music haphazardly sandwiched in along with the original film. I have no problem with remaking a good movie. The 1990 remake of Night of the Living Dead was fantastic. Remakes or remasters are one thing, but adding brand new scenes to such a beloved film makes no sense. The producers of this final product (George Romero was not involved) should be ashamed of ruining a classic movie.

The new footage, and when I say new, I mean new, shot 30 years after the original, has little to do with the original and really disturbs the flow. New sound effects and score are so heavy handed that they distract you from actually enjoying the movie.

Please be aware that you are not buying a remastered Night of the Living Dead, but a remastered Night of the Living Dead with several new unrelated scenes, music, and sound effects. I just don't want anybody else to get burned on this like I did.

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There are plenty of DVDs out there for George Romero's original classic "Night of the Living Dead," most of which are just as nasty as those VHS versions you used to find in the discount bin at your local video store: scratchy, grainy, unfocused video with muddy, muffled audio. There is also the now-infamous "30th Anniversary" DVD, which needlessly jams new scenes into the original movie (kind of like George Lucas's "Star Wars Special Editions," but with more flesh-eating).

But the only--I repeat, ONLY--DVD of "Night" worth touching is one released by Elite Entertainment. This gorgeous DVD is essentially the same package as the one Elite released on VHS through Anchor Bay a few years back: a pristine print of "Night," along with trailers & an amusing parody film called "Night of the Living Bread" (get it? get it?). This DVD also includes two audio commentary tracks featuring various members of the cast & crew & commercials that George Romero directed back in the '60s! All in all, this is far superior to anything else on the market. Seek it out--it's well worth the effort!

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Hitch (2005)

Will Smith stars as Hitch, a counselor for men who are having trouble making that first move toward a relationship. One of his main focuses during the movie is an accountant played by a thinner Kevin James (compared to the first couple of seasons in King of Queens). Kevin's character is attracted to a beautiful heiress played by Cameron Diaz-wannabe Amber Valetta.

Enter sub-plot #2: Eva Mendes portrays a gossip columnist headstrong in the belief that, sooner or later, every guy with lie to you, cheat on you, or both. Hitch tries to convince her otherwise while convincing himself that not all women are eventually evil either.

The movie's greatest feature is being able to show just about every aspect or viewpoint one would have about starting a relationship, from the lovesick to the downright sick of love individuals.

The writing and acting are very well done, mostly because they keep Amber's lines to a minimum.

The reason for my ALMOST perfect title to this is because, toward the end, the movie gets WAY too Hallmark card-ish. If you see the movie, you'll know where it starts. This plus the Ellis Island scene could have had some of the documentary part trimmed a bit.

I would highly recommend this movie for a date, especially a first date. I would not advise bringing the kids to this one due to all of the sexual innuendo.

Warnings: profanity, sexual innuendo, people doing the 'robot' dance, and pigheadedness from both sexes. Like I said, it's a great date movie. :)

Final note of the movie: if your movie is being sponsored by, let's say, Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, it's probably not a good idea to represent them as a source for suicide inducing and heart failure.

Until the final ten minutes of HITCH, this was one of the best romantic comedies I had seen in a long time. The premise was fairly original, though in a way an inversion of the Cyrano de Bergerac theme. The difference here is that instead of an ugly man capable of great love who gives voice to a less deserving, but handsome surrogate, Will Smith's Hitch is a man who is afraid of love enabling somewhat unattractive men who are capable of a great love, an opportunity to express it. Hitch is a date doctor, someone who corrects the errors in a person's dating style that prevents his meeting the woman of his dreams. The film revolves around two poles: Hitch's efforts to help the hapless Albert--an overweight, clumsy accountant with bad taste and music and a hopeless dance style--woo the woman of his dreams, the socialite and heiress Allegra Cole on the one hand, and Hitch's own attempts to get to know (but not to love) Sara, a gossip columnist. I like the way the two story lines intersect and complicate one another, so that at the end of the film Hitch ends up with not one but two disasters to correct. Like in so many romantic comedies, the way to true happiness is paved with misunderstandings, and this is no exception. My only problem with the movie is the way Hitch takes care of his own problems at the end of the film. The person I saw this with hated the ending even more than I did, and she was quite upset that Sara had not taken what she considered to be the minimal steps that should have been expected for Hitch to be able to forgive her before trying to win her back. I didn't hate the ending as much as she did, but I do agree that the final ten minutes of the film are much, much weaker than the rest of it. On an intellectual level I understand why the decided to portray Hitch as temporarily bumbling and inarticulate, but I just couldn't buy the particular way that they pulled it off.

How nice to see Will Smith in a romantic role! And how refreshing to see Hollywood present an interracial relationship! Granted, Eva Mendes is a dark complexioned Hispanic of Cuban descent, but it is one of the very few times we've ever seen a romance between an African American and a person of European descent. Interracial relationships are common today, so it is nice to see Hollywood stop pretending that they don't occur. Smith has never been funnier than in this one, and the scene in which he suffers an allergic reaction to shellfish is about as funny as I have seen in a while (the make up is exceptional in that scene). Eva Mendes I had only scene previously in a film I absolutely detest, TRAINING DAY (as Denzel Washington's wife) and in the mess that was ONCE UPON A TIME IN MEXICO. She is much better served in this film, and she acquits herself admirably. She has a feistiness and projects a confidence that I really like. Kevin James is a stitch as Albert, and reveals himself to be one of the more physically graceful large actors to appear in some time. Model Amber Valletta is fine as Allegra, the object of Albert's affections, but since she is quite attractive in an arm-trophy sort of way, she was perfect for the role. Special mention must be made of Jerry Donovan, who is excellent as the reptilian Vance, who wants to hire Hitch to help him "bang" a girl he had met (Sara's best friend) so that he could forget about her and move on.

I will confess that my own personal favorite type of film from the birth of the sound film to the present is the romantic comedy. I wish as much effort was expended in the making of romantic comedies as in the production of movies based on comic book heroes or remakes of classics or TV shows. That day may never come, but in the meantime I will be happy to see the occasional excellent representative of the genre such as HITCH.

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I cannot believe that Will Smith had never done a romantic comedy before "Hitch". He has so much charisma that it would seem that he would have done about 10 of these type of movies by now. But as it turns out, his first one "Hitch" is not bad and Will gets a little help from his co-star Kevin James.

"Hitch" is a man named Alex Hitchins (Will Smith). He is a "date doctor," meaning he helps pathetic guys to get really hot chicks that they would normally would not be able to get. He has helped many men, and then comes Albert (Kevin James). Albert is basically the type of guy that spills everything, says the wrong thing every time or does not have the nerve to say anything at all. Albert wants to be able to get the movie star Allegra Coles. So Hitch helps him and along the way he meets Sara Meles (Eva Mendes). He falls for this girl and forgets everything that he teaches all of his clients by making a complete fool of himself. Obviously thats where the humor comes in and then the dramtic climax of whether Hitch gets the girl or not.

Will Smith does a great job as this character. As mentioned earlier, his on-screen charisma makes him the perfect choice for this character. The person that steals this movie from him is Kevin James. Being a big "King of Queens" fan, he is the reason that I saw this movie and he did not disappoint. Most of the movie's big laughs came from his antics. I didn't really like Eva Mende's character. She was too much of a pain in the neck (to put it nicely).

This movie would be definately worth the watch, especially if you have a significant other to view it with. It is funny and romantic, but I wouldn't say that its a chick flick. So there you go guys, this one is okay to watch.

Read Best Reviews of Hitch (2005) Here

Will Smith is a cute, funny, and charismatic actor who has charm to spare. It is, therefore, surprising that Hollywood has never before cast him as the lead in a romantic comedy. I doubt that this oversight will occur again, as Mr. Smith takes to the genre like a duck takes to water and makes it his own. His seemingly effortless, laidback style of acting strikes pay dirt as the romantic lead in this film. I am sure that Hollywood has now taken notice that Will Smith has what it takes to be the lead in a romantic comedy.

Will Smith is cast in the role of Alex "Hitch" Hitchens, a young, suave, successful, sophisticated, smooth talker who has devised a career out of his ability to show even the most clumsy and shy, geeky guy how to get hitched to the woman of his dreams. He takes on clients whom he then coaches in the mysteries of finding one's way into the heart of a beloved, but seemingly unattainable, woman.

Our erstwhile dating consultant is hired by Albert (Kevin James), a chubby, earnest, tongue-tied accountant, who has fallen for one of his firm's own clients, socialite-heiress Allegra Cole (Amber Valleta). She is a trophy type of woman who, one would think, would not even given Albert a second look. Under Hitch's careful coaching, however, even our unlikely, lovesick accountant seems to be on the road to true love.

Of course, them that can, do, while them that can't, coach, and Hitch is no exception. While he can successfully coach his clients to attain the love of their lives, Hitch runs into a whole host of problems in his life when dealing with his own romance. It appears that he has fallen for the gorgeous Sara (Eva Mendes), a local gossip columnist. Despite his ability to ensure that the path of true love runs smoothly for others, he himself runs into many roadblocks and bumps in the road.

Will Smith is simply terrific in the role of "Hitch", playing the role with insouciant charm. His likeability quotient can't get much higher, and he certainly infuses the role with his effortless charm and humor. Hollywood would be remiss in not casting Will Smith in other romantic comedies, as he is such an ingratiating performer that the viewer cannot help but fall in love with him. As his love interest, Eva Mendes is certainly a gorgeous leading lady, although her character is not always likable. Still, she makes the most of her role as the feisty Sara, and I look forward to seeing her in more films.

I totally enjoyed seeing Kevin James in the film. He is the star of the long-running, hit television series, "The King of Queens", a show that I love and wish would run forever. I was not disappointed by his transition to the big screen, as I really enjoyed his performance. He is simply a big, cuddly, teddy bear sort of guy that you can't help but love, which helps make his on-screen pairing with Amber Valleta believable. They are simply adorable together. Amber Valleta successfully infuses her character, Allegra Cole, with a certain vulnerability that makes her very likable.

Kudos also go to director, Andy Tennant, whose deft direction contributes to the success of this film. This is a well-written, well-acted romantic comedy that is highly enjoyable. Co-stars Will Smith and Kevin James have great chemistry in the film and are excellent foils for each other. I would love to see them paired together in a buddy movie, as I think that they would be sensational. Fans of romantic comedies, however, would be well-advised to see this film. They will be glad that they did.

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Okay I'm a guy who likes Will Smith in comedies and action films. I love to share a good romantic comedy with the Mrs. but unfortunately WAY too many romantic comedies are not good. I saw the ads for "Hitch" back when it came into the theatres and what I saw didn't make me want to see it.

The Mrs. rented it last night, and we're both glad! Will Smith plays the title character, a high-priced consultant who turns romantic, but unskilled men into objects of desire. An opening montage shows hapless klutzes scoring with babes and we buy that "Hitch" must be good at his job. Eva Mendez is the saucy Sara, a gossip columnist who is so busy and successful at her job that she hasn't thought about romance for years. Kevin James meets Smith's comic chops every step along the way as the chubby bumbling accountant Albert who secretly pines for his high-profile client, zillionaire heiress Allegra Cole.

For a movie like this to work, there has to be a generous and believable dose of "heart" and "Hitch" has it. The central conflict in the movie comes from the perception about the mysterious "Date Doctor" Hitch. The actual character has professional morals and ethics. He doesn't train his clients to deceive their objets d'amour, he just "gives them opportunity". We meet a jerk early in the film who hires Hitch to get tricks to bed women. How Hitch sidesteps the guy is the right mixture of heart and machismo. Wouldn't you know that "Mr. Wrong" later goes out with the best friend of Hitch's romance Sara? Certainly it makes sense that Sara the gossip columnist would be tracking every move made by Paris Hilton surrogate Allegra. It even makes sense to question why beautiful Allegra is being seen about town with dumpy Albert.

The movie is not perfect. But there were some honest belly laughs, and more thought than usual into the wittier than usual script. The Mrs. and I give 2 thumbs up!

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The Wiz (1978)

This, the 30th Anniversary release of THE WIZ, is a far improved print from the earlier DVD release. The colors of each scene are bright and crisp, and the graininess has been cleaned a great deal. Included with this edition is a soundtrack CD featuring SOME of the songs from the film. Those expecting the entire soundtrack may be disappointed to see that they only get a small percentage of the original songs.

I know I've already reviewed the old DVD, but I would like to have a good read for the Anniversary (even though I'm late for it).

If you've read my old review, you'll notice that I like this movie, even though I agree there could have been some improvements.

"The Wiz" movie was released into cinemas on October 24 1978, so now the film IS over 30 years old.

This New DVD, with a great new cover AND SHINY Slipcase better than the one I designed in a letter to Universal mentioned in the old review is both a great gift, and a slight disappointment:

GREAT: As said before the Picture and Sound have been Restored, so that you can see the shots and hear soundtrack more clearly until now I never even noticed Dorothy/Diana removing her ear-rings upon deciding to kill Evilene! and the colours certainly do appear CLEANER. You'd be surprised at how much better this new picture is compared to before!

DISAPPOINTMENT: I was hoping to see a slightly wider and longer version of the picture, but close comparison and attention have shown that the image is slightly zoomed in look at the edges (sides and top/bottom) in the wide shot of Dorothy in her Emerald City Motel room for example, and you'll notice a bit missing. And when we see Dorothy and Toto being transported across the screen from New York to Oz, that is the one time it looks more-or-less the same as the old DVD (despite better detail and cleaner picture).

And as Diana finishes singing "I wish I was . . . " in 'Soon As I Get Home', I noticed how her lips mouth 'home'; Unfortunately, it seems she didn't say 'home' and that moment remains unspoken even in restoration.

Again the Chapter List stays the same: 20 scenes for the opening title, each song and end credits but here they are presented by 4 screenshots instead of 3 like before.

The Menus, though quiet and simple, do have a bit of animation and Much more Colour to them. MAIN reuses the front cover characters (but rearranged, words appearing in afterwards), while SPECIAL and SET-UP use the back cover movie moments. Again, great English specific subtitles, audio selections are English 5.1 in Dolby and dts, with French 2.0 and subtitles.

When "PLAY" activated, there is a (unavoidable to skip or speed-up) new classification screen and the Universal Logo. When you do see the movie's (old) Universal opening with the Wiz music, you'll be surprised at how well the restoration shows! Unlike last time, there is no 'Universal on DVD' video-promo, and the menu comes up before the movie allowing you to choose what to do first.

Special Features are once again the Trailer and Making-of "Wiz on Down the Road", and unfortunately that's it. Still, they are fun to watch and hear.

Another disk with MORE Special Features (Galleries, music videos, trivia-facts using the old DVD notes, interviews, LOTS of things on the Original Broadway, etc.) would definitely have been welcome and made this DVD a better winner, but . . .

The only other bonus is an 8-track '30th Anniversary Edition Music CD' (inside DVD-case, unattached to anything with own slip-cover) with movie songs "He's the Wiz" by Thelma Carpenter, "You Can't Win" Michael Jackson, "Ease on Down the Road" Diana Ross and Michael Jackson, "Slide Some Oil to Me" Nipsey Russell, Ted Ross' "Mean Ole Lion", Emerald City, the Winkies' "Brand New Day" and "Home" with Diana Ross some of which are fun and great to listen to.

The front cover of the characters (except Diana, of course) are from/can be seen in "the Wiz Scrapbook", and the Back cover of the DVD and slipcase are the same, except for the area with the barcode and an oval-like shape above the 'Special Features'.

Picture and Sound have been Restored Superbly (despite slight zoom in), and although the Special Features are a downgraded repeat (and slight overstatement) these are still fun videos to watch.

Once again, a very enjoyable DVD for a could-have-been-better movie, a "bad" movie which is still FAR BETTER than that of the 1976 Australian horrified modern-day "OZ (A Rock 'N' Roll Road Movie)" version, terribly unsuitable for children and families!!

Checking out this 30th Anniversary DVD is worth it, for the quality picture and sound, and simply good menus.

Look and . . . See a . . . Brand New Film!

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If you are a fan of Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Disco Music and Broadway Musicals, then this is a must-see film.

Based on the 1975 Broadway show and filmed entirely on location in New York City back in 1977, the film was released in 1978 to mixed reviews. Even though it was not a box-office smash, this film has become somewhat of a cult-classic over the years to millions.

The Quincy Jones-produced score still sounds as fresh today as it did 30 years ago, and the visual effects were way ahead of their time when this film was made.

The film's "Emerald City Sequence" musical number, which featured most of the main cast and hundreds of dancers, was shot in the plaza between the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. Like so many films that were shot over the years on or near the now "Ground Zero" site in Lower Manhattan, prior to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, this film may bring back memories of that fateful day. But at the same time it should also be a reminder of how much more at peace the world seemed to be all those years ago.

I have always enjoyed watching this film over the years, but like so many films that we have come to love, that were filmed on that site prior to 9/11, it is sad that even our culture in movies has been tarnished by the events of 9/11 as well.

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That's the song that introduces Michael Jackson's Scarecrow in The Wiz! I love this movie. It's cheesey as hell and a camp classic the songs are top notch fair and in some cases beat out the lyrics from The Wizard Of OZ! Just listen to Ms. Ross belt out "Home" or when michael and her team up for "Ease on down the road"! The plot is also fun it takes the premise of the original and places it in New York. The dialogue is great with slang and refrences to black pop culture. Lumet paints the film with a colorful glaze of magic and distress by making the colors pop off the screen and the use of glow in the dark images is astonishing. The soundtrack is also a must buy this film is a complete child's fairy tale and it's beautiful. After hearing "Don't Nobody Bring Me No Bad News" you'll be easing on down the road and humming the tunes for days!

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OK, OK...I will admit that I trashed this movie over in the VHS section, but understand my only copy was one that I taped from a television showing and it had been badly butchered (edited) by the network to fit the time slot. So my most recent memory of The Wiz has been this terrible copy of this 1978 musical.

I recently decided to give it another chance to win me over. I purchased the DVD version, and I must admit this new, crisp, complete film with its remastered soundtrack, is a much more watchable and entertaining experience.

We all know the story, Dorothy goes to Oz via whirling snowstorm, meets up with band of misfits who through their harrowing experiences together learn they can all be better than they had ever imagined. And that life can be good no matter where you live.

In the past, the cropped version diminished the entire focus of the story, and made it feel dark, and claustrofobic but now

the Widescreen format greatly enhances the scope of the movie, giving it a more important feel. The color is so much brighter than before that I couldn't believe all the details I had missed that are now clearly visable. The scene where the Munchkins come alive off the Grafitti wall, is really very cool.

There are entire scenes I had forgotten about that are now included, like the one where Dorothy and others are in the OZ motel room talking about having to kill Evilene. I had not seen that one since 1978, and had forgotten it entirely.

I still have problems with some of the performances, and I still believe that it was poorly edited, but all in all I was very impressed with the brand new feel of this movie and if you have not seen it in the DVD format, do so, you will be suprised at the difference. I am now looking forward to seeing it again and again.

The extras on the DVD, are pretty standard, with Trailers and the like. There is a very dated special presentation about the making of the Wiz in which Sidney Lumet discusses his vision of this timeless tale.

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The Bourne Ultimatum Blu-ray SteelBook (Blu-ray / DVD / Digital Copy) (2007)

A satisfying conclusion to the trilogy? That would be like crediting "The Matrix" with a satisfying level of originality.

Everything the makers, cast and crew have learned about what makes the Bourne formula tick, and click, is revved to supercharged perfection in this pinnacle of a movie.

More is not always better (Matrix 2?), but with careful attention to detail and a plot that works like a Rolex, Ultimatum's unrelenting pace never feels overblown. Matt Damon's impenetrable oasis of razor focus and quiet, seething menace, now seeming to melt glass, finds a new level of counterpoint in this movie. Damon has become so riveting in this role, it's almost possible to overlook the stellar cast around him, matching step for step in a multi-threaded, multi-tiered, multi-national locomotive of twists and action played out with the orchestration of a Beethoven score.

There's something just plain admirable about a movie franchise which insists on digging deeper, finding something more, when a cruise-control third installment would have sufficed and certainly made bank anyway.

(4 1/2 *'s) `The Bourne Ultimatum' is a non-stop thriller ride that easily propels itself to the top of 2007's three-peat super summer. The third in the series, Jason Bourne (played superbly by a tough and tormented Matt Damon) still suffers his same identity crisis, this time criss-crossing his way across the globe with breakneck speed. Suspenseful for more than the thrill of the chase, we are given a gripping sense of drama as CIA director, Noah Vosen (played with tough officiousness by David Strathairn in another great performance) and his sparring co-leader, Pamela Landy (Joan Allen in an admirably complex role) come to grips with Bourne and his alleged treason against their assassination operation. Hooking up with a fellow operative Nicky Parsons (a sleight-of-hand Julia Stiles), Bourne and associates provide enough development to keep us guessing throughout.

Besides all of the identity intrigue, the action is relentless without being predictable. All the scenes of chase and violence are fresh and invigorating. Flashbacks from Jason's fragmented memory add substance to the fray, and the board room tension at control central, both at the CIA and the UK are formidable. Creeping into his memory at various times, senior CIA figure, Dr. Albert Hirsch (in a welcome sunset role by Albert Finney), gives the mystery proper credence. While I found Greengrass's direction a mastery of timing, drama, and movement, I do have a quibble with the editing. Although an acquired taste, too many scenes are presented as an enhanced blur, both in the thick of the chase and with the flashback sequences. Just as an observation, the revelations presented are satisfying with the resolution of his identity being one of the least compelling.

`The Bourne Ultimatum' deserves approximately the same accolades as 'Casino Royale (2-Disc Full Screen Edition)' with its stunning development, pace, and execution. For those who love action pictures, this film is a list-topping must-see movie.

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Jason Bourne (Damon) is still searching for his true identity, and is once again becoming a thorn in the side of the CIA. Noah Vosen (Strathairn), head of black ops targets him for elimination, and soon he is on the run again. This time around agents Pamela Landy (Allen) and Nicky Parsons (Stiles) are on his side, offering their assistance to stop the darker aspects of the CIA as well as help him find himself.

"The Bourne Ultimatum" is an excellent action movie, and a fitting end(?) to the Bourne trilogy. The best of the three and the best threequel of the summer, "Bourne" is nonstop action with a smart story. Matt Damon falls back into Bourne's shoes easily, and the supporting cast is once again top notch. The "Bourne" series has delivered top notch stories and action from the beginning, and it would be a shame if it didn't continue beyond this point. This is one of the best action trilogies ever made. I highly recommend this film.

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The Bourne Ultimatum DVD

The Bourne Ultimatum is the third installment of the popular Borne seriesThe Bourne Identity (Widescreen Extended Edition)The Bourne Supremacy (Widescreen Edition) featuring Matt Damon as an amnesiac CIA assassin who is on a quest to discover his true identity. This is the probable end of this trilogy, but who knows, if the public keeps buying it, Hollywood will keep pumping them out.

Highly recommended for fans of Matt Damon, Robert Ludlum on whose novel it is based and the Bourne series of movies.

Gunner March, 2008

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While it certainly is important that the characters be believable in this kind of film (and they all are quite believable), the star of this film is the incomparable Paul Greengrass who directs this as he did the last and each of his films with a pace and presence that ratchets upwards your gut reaction to the story.

The story itself is the same story as each of the other two: Bourne is pissed about being used and either he's after the CIA or they are after him. There is some discussion now of an Oedipal subtext to the overall story, and while there is a passing resemblance to that tragedy, it is not anywhere nearly so definite as it was in the last Bond film. Dench and Joan Allen represent Oedipal type mothers, but there was an almost Medea like quality to Dench that took the chemistry between her and Craig someplace else altogether. That isn't quite the story here, but even were it so, all of that becomes subsumed to the way Greengrass tells the story. This is a thrilling ride that never lets up, and as such, when there are moments of pause, such as those between Stiles and Damon in Morrocco, it is clear that they have nothing to really say. These are characters driven by action they seem to have warped the Cartesian motif into I act, therefore I am, and more I am only when I act.

You may remember the German film with Famke Jansen, RUN LOLA RUN. Bourne is an American version of that. Greengrass makes the run transcendent. It's a great film for the summer, now I'm off to Jackie Chan....

Parental Guidance (2013)

Being an avid fan of Billy Crystal, I eagerly awaited his return to the silver screen. I was not disappointed. Coupled with another veteran actress in Bette Midler (his doting wife), they made we 'older' parents appear archaic with their 'tough love' approach (didn't all Baby Boomers experience this as children?). The story goes on to explain how they are 'the only' set of grandparents available, to care for their 3 grandchildren, 12, 8 and 5, much to their daughter's reluctance. Their daughter (played by Marissa Tomei) is all about 'new age' parenting and frowns heavily upon any strayings from her teachings. Therefore laying down her set of rules and opening the door to laughter.

Naturally, things are going to go wrong, as Billy and Bette strive to keep the peace and understand their charges. As not only do the 'Oldies' react to each situation in an uninitiated new age-old age way causing havoc, but are also victims to a completely automated house which initially sees them as intruders, much to their grandies delight. PARENTIAL GUIDANCE is a movie worth taking a look at and taking your grandkids to. It's a feel good movie. And without giving away the plot, Billy Crystal plays his usual affable self, who belts out an unexpected Acapella duet with Bette, along with some great co-stars of all ages, who end up loving him in spite of his mistakes.

I saw it the other day, and it was so funny, I laughed so much. It really hit home, about being grand parents. I just loved it.

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***This review may contain spoilers***

The trailers advertising "Parental Guidance" (hereafter PG) were not only unpromising, but borderline appalling. It emphasized the tired, painful slapstick and saccharine sentiment of so many other formulaic family comedies, that I was determined to avoid it. But, visiting my mother and deciding to take in a movie before lunch at Bugaboo Creek Steakhouse, we decided upon PG because it was the only movie that had subject matter my Mom (not particularly keen on hobbits, 40-somethings, or even Lincoln) was interested in. After seeing it, we were pleasantly (if surprisingly) entertained, despite the dilapidated old "Clash of the Generations" plot. Our amusement was largely due to those reliably schticky comedy workhorses Billy Crystal and Bette Midler.

Crystal and Midler play fairly (but not completely) old-fashioned Artie and Diane Decker, parents to Type-A, harried upper-class daughter Alice Decker Simmons (Marisa Tomei). Alice is married to Phil Simmons (Tom Everett Scott) a basically easygoing engineer who, like Rick Moranis's Wayne Szalinski in the "Honey, I.." movies has converted their home into a technological, computerized, self-sustaining "house of tomorrow". Their children are Harper (Bailee Madison), who is as neurotically driven as her mother, Turner (Joshua Rush) her more levelheaded, technologically savvy brother who has a stuttering problem, and certainly not least, the mischievous, irreverent, red-haired Barker (Kyle Harrison Breitkopf) whose best friend is an invisible kangaroo named Carl (not Harvey).

Unlike the paternal grandparents, Artie and Diane have not seen their grandchildren in months, if not years. They are "the other grandparents". But they get a chance to bond with the tykes when Alice and Phil leave for a week for a scientific convention and, somewhat reluctantly, call on the "out-of-it" folks to baby-sit. As they say, hilarity (amazingly) ensues.

Artie and Diane, although sharp and game, have their work cut out for them. Besides the aformentioned baggage (and yuppified names!) each grandchild carries, and the mechanized Jetson-like home, Artie and Diane have to contend with the permissive parenting their charges are used to and their high-maintenance demands (e.g., each kid gets his own meal at suppertime, and Barker doesn't like his food touching other food). Furthermore, Artie is despondent over his firing from his minor league baseball announcer job, and he fears telling Alice. All sorts of slapstick hijicks, misadventures, and misunderstandings ensue. Examples, Artie has to bribe the bratty Barker to do anything, Artie's advice to Turner to stand up to the bullies making fun of his speech impediment gets the kid a shiner from the bully's sister, the kids get an amped-up "sugar high" from some forbidden birthday cake, Artie protests at a little league baseball game that has no strikes, timeouts, or scoring and gets a bat in the crotch for his troubles, Barker gets indelible day-glo paint on Artie's face just before Harper's violin recital, and of course Artie sneaks off with Barker to an X-Games announcer's interview where Barker's escape and urination ruins an X-games skateboard stunt (and is broadcast nationally) as well as Artie's job prospects. Diane has a confrontation with Harper's demanding, martinet East European violin instructor, calling her "comrade". The comedy of errors keeps on coming.

In the hands of inexperienced actors, PG would be a groan-fest. But in Crystal's and Midler's capable, vaudevillian, borscht-belt hands, they are surprisingly funny. Crystal's cynical comments and one-liners wryly commenting on the insanity of their grandkids' lives, even more than the predictable slapstick, keep the laughs coming, because we agree with their disapproval of the grandkids' overwrought, permissive, but also perfectionist lifestyle. Even so, they love their grandkids and incrementally not only get to know them better, but also to overcome their handicaps and neuroses. At first shocked at Artie's and Diane's interference, Alice gradually gets reconciled to their ways of doing things, and to them as general. In unrealistic but satisfying sitcom fashion, everyone's issues get resolved and everybody's happy.

Yes, PG is unsophisticated and predictable and even a bit low-brow. But Crystal's and Midler's tried-and-true comic personae wring out the laughs and make you feel reasonably good.

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We were so pleasantly surprised to see how clean and funny this movie was! I don't even know if there was one cuss word in it! We loved it so much we saw it twice at the theater! And just yesterday, when my husband saw it was still there he said, "We could go see Parental Guidance again." Haha! For those who choose movies that are clean and moral, this was one of them! A definite rarity in today's entertainment industry!

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PARENTAL GUIDANCE seems to have it all with a great cast that includes Billy Crystal, the lively Bette Midler and the gorgeous Marisa Tomei. Unfortunately, these three great talents are lost in a very cliche and predictable script. This story has been done over and over and there is nothing new to make PARENTAL GUIDANCE anything more than a cute little movie without much purpose.

Alice and Phil Simmons have a chance to attend a conference and finally have some alone time away from their three kids. Alice's parents Artie and Diane (Crystal and Midler), are hesitantly asked to fly into town to stay with the three young Simmons kids. It's not clear why Alice has distanced herself from her parents and why babysitting duty seems like a bad idea. Who would love feisty Bette Midler as a grandparent?

The Simmons household is a modern one. They live in a voice-activated home that caters to their every wishes. Inter personal communication is a thing of the past. It's sort of cute for all of 5 minutes and then it just becomes annoying. Phil and Alice are modern parents who live in a world where baseball games are always a draw. There can be no winners and no losers. A kid at bat stays at bat until he makes a hit. No one ever strikes out.

Artie and Diane are old school parents who rebel against this modern parenting.

The predictability is strong that we know what is going to happen when Artie and Diane are told the kids cannot have sugar and cannot watch scary movies. Anyone knows what will happen next along with Artie telling the middle son how to handle a bully. There just is no middle point here. Anyone could guess how this movie will play out so in the end the question is, "what is the point?"

Midler does light up the screen and it seems like she is working hard to shine in a bland script. Cystral just seems tired throughout the film. Even Tomei seems like she would rather be somewhere else. PARENTAL GUIDANCE is pleasant but just so disappointingly predictable. It's not a bad film. It's just not a good film.

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