Starsky & Hutch

Ben Stiller
Owen Wilson
Vince Vaughn
Juliette Lewis
Fred Williamson
Jason Bateman
Chris Penn
Carmen Electra
Amy Smart
Snoop Dogg

PG13           101min           2004

David Starsky (Stiller) and Ken Hutchinson (Wilson) are paired together and are lead on the trail of the biggest drug deal by lovable snitch Huggy Bear (Snoop Dogg).

Starsky & Hutch is a pretty good movie, not to camp and it didn't take itself too seriously. Having never watched the original television show I can't say how close to the show it is. I found that this version appealed to me.

It didn't camp itself as more of paying homage to itself. Cameos by Paul Michael Glaser and David Soul were icing on the cake. Their scene with Wilson and Stiller was as though they were passing the baton.

Other sevenities remakes are The Brady Bunch and S.W.A.T. These are just some of the several made.

I give it 3/5 Gs

Lords of Dogtown

John Robinson
Emile Hirsch
Victor Rasuk
Heath Ledger
Nikki Reed
Rebecca De Mornay

PG13(Unrated)           107min           2005

Lords of Dogtown chronicles the birth of the skateboarding in Venice, CA in the 70s.


Lords of Dogtown is what I call a sleeper hit. I overlooked this movie but was overwhelming pleased with it.

How much of this is really true, as it is from someone's point of view, I don't know. It is a great movie and everyone should watch even if you're not a skater. This movie chronicles the birth of a cultural phenom that still today affects suburbs everywhere.

I give it 4/5 Gs

Hide and Seek

Robert De Niro . . . . . . . . . . . .Dakota Fanning
Famke Janssen. . . . . . . . . . . . . Elisabeth Shue

R 101min 2005

A widower (De Niro) moves his daughter (Fanning) to the New York country in hopes of gaining stability in his life, as she finds comfort in her imaginary friend.

For starter, Hide and Seek must be bought. Trying to watch all alternate endings without watching the different cut is strange. Their are some subtle changes made to each film to give clues to the ending. The theatrical version is genius in its own right but each ending has its own flavor and all should be savored.

The highlight of this film and what made it so good is the acting. Dakota Fanning and Robert De Niro are two of the finest actor to everf be own screen. I was capivated to the very end. This is instantly a suspense thriller classic.

Other films that keep with this film are The Sixth Senseand The Secret Window. Both these film find us finding an amazing surprise that give the viewer a WTF moment.

3/5 Gs

Saw 2

Donnie Wahlberg . . . . . . . .Shawnee Smith
Tobin Bell. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Franky G
Glenn Plummer . . . . . . . . . Dina Meyer
Emmanuelle Vaugier. . . . . Beverley Mitchell

R 93min 2005

The continued choronical of Jigsaw. This time a round he locks up a few people and they must get out before they breathe in too much nerve gas.

Saw 2 is more story driven this time around. It still has its suspenseful and it still has gore but not to the degree of the first. This time around the twist is more suttle and less in your face until it is revealed. There are still clues to be found and questions to be answered and not all will.

This movie is just as The Ring and The Ring Two are. The first was in your face with suspense and gore, the second was more story driven. In the end this movie accomplishes what it set out to do... Make money and tell a twisted scary movie.

3/5 Gs

The Ring Two

Naomi Watts . . . . . . . . . . .Simon Baker
David Dorfman . . . . . . . . .Elizabeth Perkins
Gary Cole . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sisy Spacek

PG13 110min 2005

The Ring Two finds Rachel and Aiden facing Samara in a even menacing form six months after the events in The Ring.

Not as scary as the first the one still has its kick. This time around symbolism is the what gives this one its potency. It backstory is still a bit confusing but still succesful at its job. This is an entertaining horror flick.

The deaths are as shocking as the first. The surprising twist keep you a gasp. The Ring Two will needed to be watched several times to get its full meaning. But if your in for the scare then watch The Grudge or The Ring did better jobs at scaring this SH*T out of you.

3/5 Gs

Ray

Jamie Foxx . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Kerry Washington
Regina King . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Clifton Powell
Harry J. Lennix. . . . . . . . . . .Bokeem Woodbine
Larenz Tate . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Terrence Howard

R 178min 2005

Ray is the chronicle of Ray Charles' life, a blind piano playing musical genius and a pivotal figure in the landscape of musical history.

This is an extraordinary tale of a man that over came his disabilities, the hardships of life, and went on to lead a life shrined with astronomical highs and lowest. His life is a great example of success marred by obstacles. He should be an inspiration to everyone.

This movie is spectacularly acted and beautifully shot. Jamie Foxx stood out, in a cast of outstanding performances and deserved the awards he received. Kerry Washington stood out as the female lead and should have ganiered also won awards. Ray's cast should have won for outstanding cast.

5/5 Gs

Pootie Tang

Lance Crouthier . . . . . . . . . . J.B. Smoove
Jennifer Coolidge . . . . . . . . .Reg E. Cathey
Robert Vaughan . . . . . . . . . .Wanda Sykes
Chris Rock

Pg13 70min 2001

Pootie Tang is the story of a fictional ghetto hero's rises up against corporate America to give pride to the young black kids of ghetto America.

Although it is funny. It took stupid one step too far. This movie is not as funny as the skits from "The Chris Rock Show." Something and not just his speak is lost in translation. This is not a wide audience appeal movie. Black people will find it funny.

One funny accorance that found was the one and only Kristen Bell has asmall but rememberal part in Pootie Tang

Better ghetto movies are Shaft (1971) and Coffy. These are two of the best of gehttoplotiaion movies.

Final Destination 3

Mary Elizabeth Winstead . . . . . . . . . . Ryan Merriman
Amanda Crew . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Kris Lemche
Texas Battle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Gina Holden
Alexz Johnson

R 115min 2006


Third time is a charm. To me Final Destination 3is the best of the three. This time around death is angrier and more vengeful. When death comes, it comes full blast take no prisoners. The deaths in this one are even more elaborate and gorier than the second.

This related more in story to the legend born in the first. Here is a spoiler... This time around they only used Tony Todd's voice. It's his voice that is the devil and on the train. This disappointed me that it’s the only way to work him in.

I've been told I'm morbid and maybe it’s true. These death scenes made me laugh and laugh hard. Not because they are silly but because they are so gorily. All through the movie you know who is going to die but it was the fashion in which they die that kept Final Destination 3 moving.

This hour and 15 minutes goes by fast. The pacing in this movie is excellent. James Wong and Glen Morgan did a great job of capturing the original without the repetitive being redundant. From the ending I think the trilogy is complete. After watching this one I don’t think there is any where more that they can go.

But I do hope to be proven wrong. Don’t forget to check out Final Destinationand Final Destination 2 or purchase the Final Destination Scared 2 Death Pack.

4/5 Gs

The 40 Year Old Virgin

Steve Carell . . . . . . . .Catherine Keener
Paul Rudd. . . . . . . . . .Romany Malco
Seth Rogen . . . . . . . . .Elizabeth Banks

Unrated 133min 2005

Being lead by his friends, a nerdy 40 year goes on adventures to lose his virginity, until he meets a single mother.

The 40 year old Virgin is one funny movie. The situations that arise are hilarious and sometimes just too funny to be believable but everyone knows someone that it happened to.

Steve Carell shines in this part and in the right projects he could be the next Steve Martin.

3/5 Gs

Cinderella Man

Russell Crowe . . . . . . . . .Renee Zellweger
Paul Giamatti . . . . . . . . .Craig Bierko

PG13 144 min 2005

Cinderella Man chronicles the personal and professional struggles of James J. “Cinderella Man” Braddock, during the Depression on his rise to height weight champion.

“Cinderella Man" is a rousing, uplifting and emotional drama. This movie was beautifully acted. Russell Crowe and Renee Zellweger anchor an outstanding drama that will become timeless. Paul Giamatti leads an outstanding supporting cast that helps round it out.

This story makes me want to be a better man. This story shows that men can stand up and fight for his family. Crowe’s performance as Braddock showed that a man can defend his family with his life. It also upset me that my own family wasn’t half the man that Braddock was and he can’t even defend his actions.

This should be seen by everyone. I don’t know what awards it was nominated or who was it competition but it couldn’t have been as strong as this film. James J. Braddock was a man’s man and a hero to all. This is an awesome movie and not be missed.

Two other movies by Russell Crowe that should not be missed is "Beautiful Mind" and “ Gladiator”. One of Crowe’s earlier pictures is “Virtuosity”.

5/5 Gs

The Perfect Man

Hilary Duff . . . . . . . . . . . . Heather Locklear
Chris Noth . . . . . . . . . . . . Mike O’Malley
Ben Feldman . . . . . . . . . . Vanessa Lengies
Caroline Rhea . . . . . . . . . Carson Kressley
Kym Whitley

PG 100min 2005

Hilary Duff plays a teenager that is frustrated with her mother (Locklear) always moving after a break-up. Finally fed up Holly (Duff) creates a fictional man to date her mother until it’s ruined when the “perfect” man does exist played by Noth.

Watching “The Perfect Man” I can see why Hilary thought that Heather Locklear could play her mother. It’s a touching fluffy movie. A friend of mine said that half of all “chick flicks” secretly appeal to men. Maybe it appeals to women but I found it just a little bit too “chick flick”. It has its charm but it doesn’t touch me like it did females that I know.

It’s a better outing for Hilary Duff than "Raise Your Voice”. I’m guessing since I made it this far I might as while finish with “The Lizzie McGuire Movie”. What I have found is that Hilary is making progress in her acting and that always an accomplishment.

2/5

Raise Your Voice

Hilary Duff. . . . . . . . . . . .Oliver James
David Keith. . . . . . . . . . .Dana Davis
Rita Wilson. . . . . . . . . . . Kat Dennings
Jason Ritter . . . . . . . . . .Rebecca De Mornay
John Corbett

PG13 103min 2004

Young woman (Duff) loses her creative light, after losing her brother in an accident, just before her entrance into a pretentious musical school. Now she must over come her lost and rise to the occasion and reach her potential.

Although I can see the message they wanted to portray the packaging was all wrong. “Raise Your Voice” is Fame, extremely lite, on the Hollywood Starlit Diet. It just didn’t work for me. The movie came off emotional forced and contrived, a waste of movie resources and time. This movie was made to show case Hillary Duffy, was probably the only one not faking but was the least talented of music heard. She brought no emotion I didn’t feel the pain and grief.
The parents are just thrown in to have parents in the movie. It was just a waste of three talented Hollywood veterans. The supporting cast is full of up a coming Hollywood making the television rounds.

The highlight of this movie is the music. There are some creative and interesting musical spot. There are also the pops songs thrown in for good measure. A movie with the same message but better packaging is "Save the Last Dance”. I can say it’s better than “Crossroads” and “Glitter”.

1/5 Gs

Big Momma's House 2

Martin Lawrence. . . . . . . . .Emily Proctor
Nia Long. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kat Dennings
Marisol Nichols. . . . . . . . . . Sarah Brown
Mark Moses

PG13 99min 2006

Agent Turner (Lawrence) must go back undercover, as a nanny, to solve a murder investigation of some close to him.

When most people think of sequels most think been there done that, but Martin and "Big Momma" came we something funny and entertaining. Big Momma's House 2
is funnier than the original. The stuff "Big Momma" gets into is funny, although nobody in their right mind would get into some of these things, they are hilarious.

The movie industry tells actors not to do movies with animals and kids and this holds true. The kids stole the show from Martin, "Big Momma" and the rest of the adults. Kat Dennings plays a convincing 15 year old but it’s the younger two children and the dog that shines and steals the show.

These children have the same boilerplate dysfunctions as other kids do in these movies but funnier. See the movie and you'll understand. These kids are off the wall hysterical and should not have been let out of the asylum.

If you haven't seen, Big Momma's House 2, then its well worth the price of admission. Go have a bucket of popcorn to eat, a soda to wash down the popcorn from choking and don't play the stupidly rigged video game machine at the theater, waiting for the movie. So go check out "Big Momma's House" and some other funny nanny movies are “ The Pacifier” and “Mrs. Doubtfire”.

5/5 Gs