'Click'

Adam Sandler
Kate Beckinsale
Christopher Walken
David Hasselhoff
Henry Winkler
Julie Kavner
Sean Astin
Joseph Castanon
Tatum McCann


PG13          107min          2006

‘Click’ is about a workaholic archetect (Sandler) who needs a universal remote control. The only store open is the “Bath, Body and Beyond” and Morty (Walken) gives him a remote that controls his universe.

It has more depth than what you usual get from a ‘Happy Madison’ production. It a touching film that has a message that everyone can embrace. Sandler didn’t over play the moments like in his usual movie but brought a more real feeling to his character. If all you know about ‘Click’ is from the previews then this will certainly surprise you.

At first I thought this was another mindless ‘Adam Sandler’ film but he shot one out the park. It still has its ‘Sandler’ moments and SNL alums placed through but this one was a movie with a message. It’s touching and it brings an emotional touch rarely seen from Adam Sandler.

‘Click’ shows a more mature Sandler acting in this role. It still has his moments but this time around he didn’t over play them. He still needs work on dying though and that was probable the only bad thing from it I can say. When you see an Adam Sandler film you don’t really expect Oscar performances.

The touching family moments and the message it’s sending are what drive this film. This movie truly has some emotional depth to it. The comic moments are more organic in this film and they don’t over shadow the story being told. It made me glad that I saw this film. If you like ‘Adam Sandler’ you will love this film.

‘Click’ has commentary with the producers and director of the film. It has seven featurettes and four deleted scenes. But it features 11 movie previews. They are: The Benchwarmers, 50 First Dates, The Pursuit of Happyness, Casino Royale, Ghost Rider, Stranger Than Fiction, Spider-Man 3, The Holiday, Open Season, The Da Vinci Code, and Talladega Nights.

I give it 4/5 Gs.

'The Last Kiss'

Zach Braff
Jacinda Barrett
Casey Affleck
Rachel Bilson
Micheal Weston
Eric Christian Olsen
Blythe Danner
Tom Wilkinson

R       115min       2006

‘The Last Kiss’ is about the terrifying things you face when you’re on the cusp of adulthood.

It’s one of those films that you have to either have to be there or gone through it to full appreciate this film, but its still entertaining if you have not reached it yet. It’s a drama acted but it gives you that hopeful escapism. Being in this age range I really related to these characters and came to care for these people and hope for their best. It’s not just their journey it was my own journey that I was facing.

The actors were perfectly cast in their parts. I felt these were my friends facing these crises and I rooted for them. Even though it was a movie I found hope in their journey and could see friends and I facing the same things facing these characters. They actors made their character compelling and made you care for them. You made not have agree with their decision they were correct for them and left hope in there decision.

The story in ‘The Last Kiss’ is such that it’s compelling; reaching adulthood is a scary reality that every young person has to make. They’re added pressures and responsibility that you face. It shows the real consequences of decisions faced in adulthood and the story leaves you to figure out what their futures are and how hopeful will they be.

‘The Last Kiss’ is compelling, smart, and engaging. You will identify with one of the dilemma faced by the characters in this film. It has terrific acting from the entire cast. It’s one of those films that can be truly appreciated by a certain group but enjoyed by all who view it.

There are plenty of special features. There are show great features on the DVD. Two audio commentaries: one with the director and Zach Braff and one with the majority of the cast. There is a behind the scene featurette. It also has a music video directed by Braff, gag reel and deleted scenes.

I give it 5/5 Gs.

'GridIron Gang'

Dwayne ’The Rock’ Johnson
Xzibit
L. Scott Caldwell
Leon Rippy
Kevin Dunn
Jade Yoker
David V, Thomas
Setu Taase
Mo
James Earl
Trever O’Brien
Brandon Smith
Jurnee Smollett

PG13           1206min           2006

‘GridIron Gang’ is inspired by actual events, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, plays Sean Porter, a juvenile detention officer, who decides to start a football program at his juvenile facility to teach his inmates, focus, discipline, self-worthy, to keep them from going back to the life that got them there.

This is an entertaining film that also inspirational. You don’t want this film to end. This movie tugs at your heart. It shows that juvenile criminal don’t have to be written off. That if you give them hope and some guidance that you can change the outcome.

‘GridIron Gang’ showed how a sport gives individual a new perspective on life. It’s a story of a man realizing that the system is flaw and striving to make a difference. How the right motivation can change a person for the best.

It showed that given the opportunity anyone could change. That once individuals are incarcerated something needs to be there to facilitate change or once released an individual will fall back into their old destructive ways.

‘GridIron Gang’ is just as inspiring as ‘Rudy’ or ‘Invincible’. It’s about one man striving to help juvenile criminals over coming the statistic and makes something of their lives. Its not totally successful but it is more successful than the national statistic. It’s these changes that spawn other changes. No one knows how there life will make a difference to other individuals

The DVD is loaded with special features. There’s an audio commentary with the director. It has four interesting featurettes, and some deleted scenes. There are also trailers for ‘Stomp the Yard’, ‘Ghost Rider’, ‘Crossover’, ‘The Messenger’, ‘Facing the Giants’ and ‘Rudy’.

I give it 5/5 Gs.

'The Covenant'

Steven Strait
Laura Ramsey
Sebastian Stan
Taylor Kitsch
Chace Crawford
Toby Hemingway
Jessica Lucas

PG13           97min           2006

“The Covenant” is about a the four sons of Ipswich, the founding families of covenant of warlocks, and only the eve of one’s ascension, when his power become 1000s time more power, the heir of the banished fifth family returns for revenge.

This film is entertaining and interesting but the trailer made it seem their was more to the plot. It also felt more like a prequel to another film like this was the back-story to a further adventure for the ‘Sons of Ipswich’. This film could have used more money.

‘The Covenant’ as some much potential at the end of this film. An adaptation to and thing serial, such as books or television, would help the continuing story of the ‘Sons of Ipswich’. I would like to see a sequel to this film and the way it ends left the door open.

It’s a good popcorn movie in its own right. The wirework was cool. It’s their physical manifestation of their powers, I have a problem with, I felt I was watching Street Fighter, with Ken and Ryu fighting each other. For that reason it made the action sequence feel hokey and comical, something I could look over because special effects need money something I guess they didn’t have. If studio are going to back a horse they should give full commitment.

‘The Covenant’ DVD is a little bare on special features. It has no deleted scenes. It has one making of featurette. It has an interesting audio commentary by Reny Harlin, the director. It has trailers for ‘Stomp the Yard’, ‘The Messenger’, ‘Spider-Man 3’ and ‘Ghost Rider’.

I give it a 4/5 Gs.

Barnyard

PG           90min           2006

“Barnyard” is the coming of age story of a transgender cow leading the farm animals after coyotes kill his transgender father cow.

This film was totally uncalled for and was done better as the ‘The Lion King’. The target audience, children, doesn’t need to know about upright transgender animals. The theme of it is a little more for adults. It miss represented itself.

If I were a parent I wouldn’t want my child to know about transgender until they were old enough to understand the concept of a transgender. Even some adults have trouble understand transgender. If they were suppose to be male then animators should have represented them as bulls as they did have some in they group of animals.

This theme was represented more maturely than ‘The Lion King’ and was a little too mature for kids. The comedy was a little more moronic that it needed to be. Its as if the writers just thought of funny thing to put in a dramatic tale to lighten up the movie. Its like two different movies are taking place.

It starts out as a comedy, about barn animals that walking on their hind legs acting human. Then after the father cow dies in turns into a revenge action movie with comedy added to lighten the mood for kids. Several times the Otis the cow has a chance to make the farm safer for the rest of the animals by killing the head coyote and doesn’t.

The film was thrown together to cash in to the growing popularity of animated film. This proves that you can’t just take a story getting big name celebrities to voice the animation and it will be good. The story has to at least have something to offer and ‘Barnyard’ doesn’t in my opinion.

I give it 2/5 Gs.