Bee Movie

Jerry Seinfeld returns to the screen, animated-style, in Bee Movie. It's been nine years since Seinfeld ended his sitcom, appropriately-named Seinfeld, to the tune of 75 million viewers. We really haven't seen that much of him, aside from the Seinfeld re-runs that net him a couple thousand dollars an episode. But when I saw the trailers for this, I literally yelled, "Woo-Hoo!" after Jerry Seinfeld turned up on the credits.


I had to see this. I repeat. HAD to see this. I begged Mom. I planned my 11th birthday party around it (yes, now I am 11). I purchased the $200 "Complete Series" Seinfeld box set. I went to the theater and saw it. What I saw was unlike the fart jokes of Shrek the Third or the pop-culture cracks of Happily N'Ever After, a witty movie that didn't rely on pop-culture references, but was actually propelled forward by a story that, albeit pretty unrealistic, was funny and original.

Barry B. Benson (get the pun?) is a bee living in a hive, who recently has graduated from college, and is very discontent for the sole future that awaits all bees: work in the hive till you die. That's it. He does a huge social stunt - he goes out of the hive, to New York City. And he actually enjoys it. There's a few funny scenes that show Barry becoming acquainted to his urban environment. Barry befriends a florist, Vanessa, (yes, you read that correctly), and they hang out together. Then Barry discovers that, well, we humans eat honey. See where this is going?

It's really boring in the last half until an action sequence aboard a plane, but it's still amusing to see Seinfeld still doing his thing - even though it's turned down for the kiddies. Recommended, but many, MANY times, you must suspend your disbelief. B-

Dan in Real Life

After meeting a girl in a book store, Steve Carell says to brother Dane Cook,
"I think this girl is already taken."
"Not my problem."
"Yes it is."

Thus sets the premise of Dan in Real Life, about during a stay at the family cottage how an widower advice columnist falls in love - with his brother's girlfriend. Steve Carell works up once of his best performances in the new romantic dramedy, Dan in Real Life. When you consider how terrible his recent film Evan Almighty was, you really appreciate how natural and easy Carell acts - and that goes for the rest of the cast. Juliette Binoche, an incredible actress, is given a surprisingly deep role, as far as romantic comedy roles go for women nowadays.

Dan Burns is an widower advice columnist, with three beautiful daughters and one big family. So for the weekend they go and stay at the family cottage, and he goes to a bookstore. Then he meets Marie. They flirt, they talk, they eat. They seem almost made for each other...Then they have to go. Then, back at the house, Dan's bro Mitch introduces Dan to his girlfriend. Marie.

It's a very indie-style, romantic, sweet, funny movie. The naturality of the performances is well to praise, and the script is witty and funny. It's really a rarity, especially when this time of year we get pigeon-holed with R-rated dramas, that we get a movie as honest and open as this.

It lacks that traditional Steve Carell edge, but makes up for it in it's humor, sweetness, wit, and performances. A-

Elizabeth: The Golden Age

Cate Blanchett reprises her Golden-Globe winning role in a commanding performance as Queen Elizabeth I in this sequel, Elizabeth: The Golden Age. The 1998 semi-classic put Cate Blanchett on the map as a real actress. 9 years later, Cate Blanchett has established herself as one of the greatest, most versatile actresses of our time and thus returns to this sequel. And what we get is kind of a mixed bag.

1585. Spain and England are on the brink of war. Catholic Spain sees Protestant England as a threat, and thus, plots to overtake the throne and make it their land. In England, a sailor named Walter Raleigh presents several new goods from the New World, including gold, potatoes, and tobacco. The queen immediately falls in love with Raleigh, however it is terrible for timing. Catholics plot an attempt on the Queen's life, in the hope that Spanish correspondent Queen Mary of Scots will take over. History would call it the Babington Plot. But Spain amasses a huge armada to attack England. Shall Spain triumph and England crumble? Or will England hold off the massive army?

The problem with this movie is it's basically a 2-hour segment of a 20-hour movie. The first movie was the first chapter, and now this sequel is the seventh. What happened in between they assume us to know, as it is a part of history. But still, I wish they filled the blanks in better. The action scenes show us what happened, but almost never show why. And some of the dialogue is just downright wooden.

But here's the upside. Cate Blanchett is amazing, repeat, AMAZING, as Queen Elizabeth. (again) She commands the screen with such grace and prescence...It truly feels like you're watching her. Clive Owen is very good as the explorer Walter Raleigh, and Samantha Morton is excellent in a few scenes as Mary of Scots. And the costumes, sets, cinematography, and design is downright beautiful.

Overall, in order to understand this, you should probably watch the first and do some reading on Queen Elizabeth I. Remember, Elizabeth I & II are partly fictionalized, so don't expect supreme accuracy. The muddled plot and dialogue are saved by the design and acting...But just barely. B-

The Game Plan

The Game Plan is so cutesy and typical my mother and I predicted the last half-hour line-for-line, and a shocking thing happened! We were right! For half the adults out there who've had to endure all the Disney movies with their kids over the last 15 years, you should see the trailer, then write a 2-page outline of the movie, bring it into the theater, and see if you're right! And also it suffers multi-personality disorder, one minute The Rock is doing ballet, next he's bringing his unconscious daughter to a hospital! And despite charismatic and funny performances from The Rock and 8-year old Madision Pettis and some funny gags, it just doesn't work.

Joe Kingman is a huge pro football star who seems to have it all - big apartment, cute dog, fame. But one day he discovers something he never knew he had - a daughter named Peyton. Her mother sent off to Africa for a month, a reluctant Joe takes Peyton under his wing. At first, naturally, he's mean and snobbish, and yet 20 minutes later he's performing ballet and chilling out at a doll store! And when it tries to get emotional (which happens often), it collapses under it's own weight, with the exception of a hilarious argument between Joe and Peyton.

Overall, it's fine for a $3 rental, but a $10 ticket? Heck , no. C-

3:10 to Yuma

Over the years, the Western has degenerated from a rousing, exciting drama (The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly) to a vehicle for veteran actors to pay off their water bill. (Uh...everything from the past 10 years). 3:10 to Yuma not only offers a thrill ride not seen this year since Die Hard 4, but a fascinating character study, an action-packed roller coaster, and excellent performances from Russell Crowe and Christian Bale.

Russell Crowe plays Ben Wade, a notorious outlaw, who gets caught looting in a town. Local rancher Dan Evans is a family man, whose financial and personal problems are escalated when people burn down his barn. And so, Dan is offered $200 to get Ben on the 3:10 train to Yuma, so he can be brought to justice. But when Ben begins to murder his captors, and his gang come after them, AND Dan's son tags along, AND, Ben offers Dan $1,000 dollars if he lets him go, many things go awry.

This truly is a fascinating movie, with a shocker of an ending that left yours truly in semi-tears. (For me, Titanic jerks head-on tears) The idea of good guy befriending bad guy, before bad guy is to be hanged worked 50 years ago, and works in this remake. Russell Crowe is my favorite 'appreciated' actor, and Christian Bale my favorite 'underrated' actor, the chemistry is very good. I have reviewed several entertaining movies, but at that not many excellent movies. This is one of the year's, no, the decade's, absolute best. A