Parental Guidance

We have seen this all before. A film playing at every theater that is full of stars wasting their talent and also our money. A film that does not know what it is. We saw it with the Cheaper by the Dozen films, and the Yours, Mines and Our remake. Parental Guidance is a film that closes out 2012 with the worst of the worst of everything.

Parental Guidance has an unoriginal story of grandparents staying temporarily with their grandkids while the parents are out of town and the outcome is not good.

The film has a great cast with Billy Crystal, Bette Midler, Marisa Tomei, Gedde Watanabe and Bailey Madison but really there isn't much to like about them here. Mostly, we get dry acting with some very plain writing. There are only about a dozen jokes that are laughable and that is it. After an hour and half with these dry and undeveloped characters, it hard to sit through much more.

There are a few original ideas including a recently fired baseball announcer who doesn't know what to do with himself and speech involving the famed Bobby Thompson home run call but really there is nothing special about this plot. It has the characters running around doing nothing and it is just not interesting. It does build up the idea of the Bailee Madison character going to a party but then the party is never shown.

Parental Guidance is also a film that really does not seem to know much about how the world really is. The film is set in a futuristic house that feels like it was made in Epcot which doesn't seen very real. They also have an X-Games scene which looks like it was shot in a small city park though the X-Games are really of course a very large spectacle. There is also a rain scene that couldn't look more phony.

                               A bright family but all lacking genetics


There really is no point to all of this. You could say that the movie is saying something about parenting but actually it is more about bad parenting.

Actually, I did not hate this movie as you might think and could sit through it again if I had to. That said I found it to be pretty useless and not a very smart movie, like a movie without a brain.

1.5/5

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Chillerama

There are a lot of things going on with Chillerama. It is a film that has four great directors (Adam Rifkin, Adam Green, Tim Sullivan, and Joe Lynch) and it is one of the most interesting films around and also an influential one in the horror genre. Chillerama is no doubt a dumb film that I can see some people not liking but to me it works. It shows heart, pays homage to other films and in the end is a very fun movie from 2011.

Chillerama is the story of drive-in movie theater which is showing four classic films that were never released. The stories includes a killer sperm, werewolves in the gay community, Adolf Hitler and one about zombies. While all these showings are going on, the drive-in is having an outbreak of horror on it's own with some killers on the loose.

The stories are a bit different in terms of perspective and quality but they are all good and work with what they set out to do. It is an original idea with great stories and actors that includes Lin Shaye. There is also some very realistic gore here which I found to be unexpected.

One thing in this film that does not work is the opening. It is confusing from the start and a little hard to explain. It makes you wonder what is going to happen in this film. Luckily, things do pick up later.

There is also some subpar humor in this movie. The movie is made for horror fans who usually can put up with this type of humor. If you are a horror fan and can get by these weaknesses, then this film might be for you.

3/5

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How the Grinch Stole Christmas

I can't lie. I haven't seen the 26 minute 1960's short of the Grinch in close to ten or fourteen years. I know that if I watched it today, it is something that I would like and it is something I liked back in the day. Ron Howard's more recent Grinch movie is one I haven't seen since the early 2000's and has a lot going for it. That said, it seems like it is lacking somewhat and should have been better.

This is the classic story of the chubby green Grinch who tries to destroy the Christmas spirit by stealing the presents and Christmas decorations from the people of a town called Whoville. Throughout this, the Grinch does eventually discover the Christmas spirit and learns to love this holiday.

It was a very interesting idea making the Grinch a live action movie. It works really well with the land of Whoville depicted with beautiful style and imagery. The film beautifully captures snow, a mountain and everything in between with this live action technique.

Considering the earlier version, obviously this is a familiar plot. It has a good setup that does well with it's running time, gives an interesting perspective on Christmas and has some decent music. There is also a cliche-type ending that does include a good message. That said, there is a sleigh concept here that is never really explained. All in all, the plot is kind of a mixed bag.

As the main character in the film, the Grinch sure does provide a lot of everything here. Jim Carrey offers up a very quirky and wild performance and he works well with Taylor Momsen who plays Cindy Lou in the film. The Grinch itself also looks really well put together. On the other hand, the laughs are sometimes a bit lacking and after an hour and a half of Jim Carrey's Grinch, the shtick gets a little old.

What gets lost in the middle is all the soft highlights. Anthony Hopkins does a great job with narration and there is an interesting back story with the Grinch that is original and fun. As with a lot of films, sometimes it is the little things things like this that make or break a film. In this case, they add to the film.

I do think though that there are some missed opportunities in this film. For just one example, there is no explanation of where the police are in this town. The little people in the town are also kind of interesting but not really explained.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas is a film that has it's heart in the right place but it is somewhat inconsistent and there seem to be things missed in the middle so in the end it is kind of a disappointing ride.

3/5

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Favorite Christmas movies

As with any holiday, Christmas has it's share of problems. It is a holiday that I liked a lot more when I was younger but is now just another holiday on the calendar. It's the same thing every year for me, which is a lot of busyness and living in Michigan we get a thing called snow which can be a pain. As with every holiday and any time of year, films help with the tough times. Here are my top Christmas films!

Everybody has totally forgotten about this foreign one called Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale. Fun, flashy, original, very sappy and not made for the little ones.

 

Not officially credited as a Christmas film but it definitively works as one. Edward Scissorhands is a very dark film from Tim Burton that really got me into him more.

 

Another film from Tim Burton. He again utilizes an original concept using Halloween this time around and mixing it with Christmas. It is another dark film that has a cult following for a very good reason.

 

 

Also a good horror film, Gremlins still holds up no matter what time of year it is. It has a very fun concept and a good film to introduce horror movies to young ones if the right age.

Really along with some other critics' lists, this list would not be complete without this film. This film is a fun ride that made us look at our own families and one of last good films from Chevy Case before they all went downhill.

This one barely made the list but it is not all that bad. A good buddy/cop film from the late 80's that was fun and has some good Christmas vibes to it.

 

This one made the list easily. A very memorable film from the 80's that at times is absolutely hilarious. A very strange film from Bob Clark.

 

 

I've become really tired of this one lately due how much it's on television but this was fun in in the mid 2000's. This really got Will Ferrell to where he is now and it works with a really good cast. I have nice childhood memories of seeing in the theater.

From a reviewing standpoint, it is not a great point to make because it is so obvious but Home Alone is truly a special film. A fun family that is memorable for about a dozen reasons and a film that made people love young Macaulay Culkin.

This one also barely made the list and I didn't love it like some people did but this film still has a lot to it. Tim Burton again brings justice to the world with this and this is the last good Batman movie before Christopher Nolan came along like fifteen years later with Batman Begins.


Well that is my list. I know I missed some classic Christmas movies and some I didn't put on the list as I just have not seen them in a while. These stood out for me anyway.

 

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2012

As the December 21st date comes up, there a lot of questions about this date that the Mayan calendar supposedly predicted would be the day the world ends. So what is going to happen on December 21st? What's up with this Mayan calendar? Will there be a December 22nd? My personal opinion is that nothing much will happen. That said, 2012 is an interesting film about people trying to survive on this day. Frankly, it is one of the most plainest action films I have ever seen and quite disappointing.

It does have a nice cast that includes John Cusack, Danny Glover and Woody Harrelson but there are just way too many characters in this film. You can still follow the movie but less characters would have been better here and maybe have caused it to be a little more realistic.

                    Some of the same looks I had watching this film

As a film idea, this is somewhat original and there appears to be a good amount of effort that was put into this film but frankly the screenplay is weak. It's an unrealistic film with characters doing too much and an ending that seems rather impossible. The first act of this film is also very slow without any excitement and it seems dead.

Billed as a big blockbuster, you would really expect some great action scenes. The action here is visually appealing but really the scenes are just ok and could have been better. There isn't much to the action scenes and these should have stood out more considering the subject of the film.

The ending has some worthwhile action to it and it also might be a bit scary for some. While the ending may have some problems, it might be one of the film's few highlights. It does show what this film really could have been and the potential that it had.

As doomsday comes, there are some questions without answers. The film 2012 provides it's answer but I didn't care for it. I see it as a film with bad ideas from 2009 that really missed it's mark.

2/5

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Election

If you know me, you would know that I am a sucker for high school and teen films. I grew up with The Brat Pack and also American Pie characters. Election is one of the last good teen films. It is a flashy film from the late 90's that is as watchable now as it was then.

The title speaks for itself and the film is based off a novel about a high school election that causes revenge issues, many breakups and many problems but at the same time the movie has warmth, heart and the student body that comes together.

The cast is good and includes Chris Klein, Reese Witherspoon and Matthew Broderick and with these actors you would expect fine performances but here their performances and characters are really out of this world. It is hard at first to like Reese Witherspoon's character but she really opens up during Act 2 and
gives one of the best performances of her career in my opinion. Chris Klein and Matthew Broderick both play interesting characters that are somewhat weird and both bring a lot to this film and I enjoyed them.

Comparing this to other teen films, I think Election comes off as one of the smartest and most realistic. There are probably one or two bad plot ideas that could have been avoided, especially one with the Witherspoon character and a teacher having a sexual relationship that really does nothing to the film. That said, you really can't not like this plot. It is smart, heartwarming and also full of sexual antics that work all around. I do think that it is quite an original plot that we are probably never going to see again.

Election is fun film that is full of insight and a movie to watch if you want to relive some old high school memories. It is a film that brings quite a bit to table and a film that probably shouldn't be missed.

4/5

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Attack the Block

I had some mixed emotions going into this movie. In the 80's, the films Stand by Me, E.T. and The Goonies did a good job of telling stories of rebellious teenagers going on adventures with no parents around but as times went on, those type of films have kind of changed. Since the 80's, we have had films like Super 8 that struggled quite a bit as it was so unrealistic and also Zathura and Jumanji having the same problem. Attack the Block has this type of plot idea and is about a group of British punk teens fighting aliens during the dark hours. Really, I think this film really goes overboard and was a bit different than my expectations. It does bring some very raw power for a film in this genre and in a way it creates it's own unique spot in the movie history books.

What is surprising about this film to me is the cast. Nick Frost is here who we've seen before and is his usual good self but in addition to Frost, there is a cast of new actors that really stood out for me. From John Boyega to Simon Howard, every one of these actors does a phenomenal job. They have a laid back feel making you root for them and I think all these actors have a shot at more work after this film due to their fine performances.

This film had a good deal of action which is where a film like Super 8 faltered. There is also some top level gore mixed in with great effects which compliments the cast. These are gold scenes as I would call them and especially these action scenes are hard to top. Another thing I really liked is how the creature is used here. It is used in an exciting way that fits right into the film's running time and adds to a great finish.

Also, the set-up to the film is a little different. Characters all are doing things in realistic motion. The attack scenes in particular have good motion and this includes the more minor characters too.

One thing that does not surprise me with this film is how little the parents of these kids are used here. I know it was going to be hard enough to add them to the story but at least there maybe could have been an effort. Without the parents, the story feels a little unrealistic and you even wonder if child social services should be involved here.

Attack the Block is a film that comes close to working at everything it tries to do. It is essentially a retro film that really could have worked in the 80's. It is a film that is almost on par with 80's teen classics, The Goonies, E.T. and Stand by Me and that says something in my book.

4.5/5

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