Ed's Review Dot Com

Aldamisa Entertainment, Kilburn Media,

Jon Favreau, Sofía Vergara, John Leguizamo, Scarlett Johansson, Oliver Platt, Bobby Cannavale, Dustin Hoffman, Robert Downey Jr

Carl Casper (Jon Favreau) is a chef. He’s always been a chef, but now he’s starting feel cramped. He works for Riva (Dustin Hoffman) who insists that he server his menu and Carl has no room to be creative anymore. But when he has a run in with food blogger, Ramsey Michel (Oliver Platt) he ends up getting fired. His ex-wife Inez (Sophia Vergara) thinks he ought to get a food truck, but he’s not even considering that, until things get really desperate and he has to find his heart again.

This is a very good little film, funny in parts and very touching in other parts. The key to this film is the cast, as every single one of them is really good, and it’s quite an ensemble. The humor is right on target, and the situation is rather unique and quite fitting in these days of dozens of cooking shows on TV. If you think the food critic’s name is Ramsey Michel by accident, I’m certain it wasn’t! The cast really dives into this script and everyone delivers at top notch. I found the time flying by, and I thought after it was over how much I enjoyed the time I spent watching this. Everyone in the large ensemble cast is really good, and every one of them is very well cast. Each one adds to the enjoyment. This is a small part for Dustin Hoffman, but he really adds a great deal to the enjoyment of the film. This is perhaps the best fun I’ve had watching him since “Hook”. The relationship between Carl and Inez is hysterical too, with much of that due to Sophia’s characterization. It’s spot on. Every now and then you find one of these little films that didn’t gather much momentum and it’s a real pleasure to get to find one of those. The screenplay was superb, very well written and directed, and the settings in the south from Miami to New Orleans to Texas and so on were really fun. All in all it was a pleasure to watch this film. I’m not really sure why it pulled the R rating. That seems a bit harsh, but perhaps there was some language in there that didn’t catch my attention, but this is more grown up humor anyway and probably not as much fun for the younger folk. If you are in the mood for an intelligent comedy with a great cast, I can recommend this one for you!

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United Artists, The Guber-Peters Company, Star Partners II Ltd.,

Dustin Hoffman, Tom Cruise, Valeria Golino, Gerald R. Molen, Jack Murdock, Michael D. Roberts, Ralph Seymour, Lucinda Jenney, Bonnie Hunt

Charlie Babbitt (Tom Cruise) is a fast talking LA businessman who is estranged from his father since he was a young man. When a sudden call tells him his father has died, he heads back East because he thinks he hitthe motherlode. But he’s in for a few surprises. He finds out he has an older brother nobody ever told him about, Raymond Babbitt (Dustin Hoffman) who is in an institute with severe autism. His father has left his fortune to Raymond setting off many questions in Charlie’s mind, the largest being, “Why didn’t they ever tell me I had a brother”. But his greed kicks in and he kidnaps Raymond from the institution and heads of on a cross country journey thinking if he takes his brother, he’ll have access to his father’s fortune. Dustin Hoffman won an Oscar for his portrayal of Raymond in this classic film from 1988.

My daughter is studying psychology in college and she had never seen this film. So I decided to get it for her and me to watch together. I had not seen this film since 1988, and although I really enjoyed it very much back then, I was amazed at how much I’ve changed since 1988. This film has a lot of heart, and we both enjoyed it and my comment when she said what a jerk Charlie Babbitt was, is “Yes, he’s got an awful lot to learn”. And learn he did. It’s amazing how little we knew about autism back in 1988 when this was made. We’ve made lots of progress since then. But it’s nice to see how things were understood so little back then. There have been some criticism of Dustin Hoffman and how it was portrayed, but personally I think he did an excellent job. Tom Cruise was also very good in making the transformation. Based on a true story, back in those days, meant a lot of poetic license to make it more dramatic, but all in all it was a great film. I decided to put it in my blog because it’s one of those films that you ought to pick up again if if you haven’t seen it in almost 25 years, or especially if you’ve never seen it.

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DreamWorks Animation,

Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Gary Oldman, Seth Rogen, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Jackie Chan, Dustin Hoffman, David Cross, Lucy Liu, Michelle Yeoh, Dennis Haysbert, Victor Garber, James Hong

Dragon Warrior Po (Jack Black) has learned that he was adapted. Mr. Ping, the goose (James Hong), is not his real father. A new bad guy has come to town, an evil peacock who wants to wipe out the Furious Five and take over China. But he holds the key to Po’s past and his real parents. It’s up to Po to lead the Furious Five and find his ‘inner peace’ so that he is able to defeat the enemy and save China.

I finally found the time to watch this film. I’ve been waiting anxiously since I accidentally walked in on the Red Carpet premier at Graumman’s Chinese Theater in Hollywood last spring. The characters were well developed in the first film, but I have to say that I was really disappointed in it. Perhaps it’s a case where I simply expected to much for it to deliver.

The characters are fun, and the action is furious. But we’re not really involved in any of it. Another reviewer described it as like “watching someone else play a video game”. That is right on. That’s exactly what it’s like. The film was all jokes and action, but did not pull me into it in any way. I have to admit I was bored through most of it. About half way through I realized that I had stopped paying attention and had missed a half hour of the film by daydreaming, so I waited another day and started it over again. I still was not involved in the story, and it just couldn’t keep my mind on the story.

All that being said, I didn’t hate the movie, I was just disappointed as I expected more from Dreamworks. The characters are still lovable and friendly, and there is some real humor in them. James Hong is especially funny as Mr. Ping who’s obsessed with noodles and radishes. I am sure the younger folk will no doubt love the movie, and anyone who’s a big Jack Black fan, or really into Kung Fu cartoons will as well. I liked it, but was not by any means blown away by it. Worth a watch if you’re interested

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Serendipity Point Films, Fandango, Harold Greenberg Fund, The

Paul Giamatti, Rosamund Pike, Minnie Driver, Scott Speedman, Dustin Hoffman, Jake Hoffman, Mark Addy, Saul Rubinek, Rachelle Lefevre, Bruce Greenwood

Barney Panofsky (Paul Giamatti), a Jewish Canadian television producer, reflects in flashbacks on three strange decades and three wives. Clara (Rachelle Lefevre), a free-spirited proponent of free love was the first. “Mrs. P” (Minnie Driver), a self-centered princess who cares for things and is very demanding was the second. Miriam (Rosamund Pike), the right woman who comes along at the wrong time. Barney led an interesting life, and as he is entering his golden years, he it taking time to look back at the events in his life.

I found this to be a very interesting look at the life and loves of one man. There are many parts that are quite humorous, some downright funny. In his younger years Barney was a carefree fellow. As time passes, he makes a few very bad decisions. Barney’s job as a producer of very mundane and useless television program who drinks too much, smokes too much, and is an extreme hockey fan, lives an ironic life. With all his excesses, he’s still a decent guy and when he meets the love of his life at the wrong time, he hangs in there trying to be close to her regardless of the consequences. The irony in the end of his life is not lost either as slowly he loses everything that was important to him. Mostly a sad and frustrating life, Barney still tries to make the best of everything that gets thrown at him.

This film also makes use of one of the longest standing urban legends which results in a moment that is kind of hard to follow. You’ll know what I mean when you see it, and if you keep “snopes.com” in mind you’ll get what finally happened to Barney’s best fried.

I enjoyed this film, and found it surprising. It’s all about Barney, and basically someone wrote a book about his life and how he got away with murder. The whole film is “Barney’s version” of what happened to rebut the book. If you’re a fan of strong character development stories, this is a good one, and although a bit sad, especially in the end, it’s got it’s funny moments and is a very entertaining life.

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DW Films, DW Studios, Everyman Pictures

Robert DeNiro, Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Dustin Hoffman, Ericka Jensen, Barbara Streisand, Blythe Danner, Teri Polo, Jessica Alba, Laura Dern, Kevin Hart, Daisy Tahan, Colin Baiocchi, Thomas McCarthy, Harvey Keitel

Greg (Ben Stiller) and Pam (Teri Polo) are ready to celebrate the twins 5th birthday.  They want the whole family to gather for the event.  Greg and Pam are planning a move to a new home, and the plan is to hold the party with a bounce house and all in the back yard of the new house.  But contractor Randy (Harvey Keitel) is dragging his feet and everything else he can drag.  Plus Dad Focker (Dustin Hoffman) is in Spain on some kind of mid life crisis learning how to dance the Salsa.  Meanwhile, Teri’s father, Jack Byrnes (Robert DeNiro) who was also a fan of Doctor Bob (Thomas McCarthy) since he was so much better than Greg, but Dr. Bob has cheated on Teri’s sister and now is divorced leaving Greg in line to manage the family.  Meanwhile, Greg and Teri are trying to get the twins into a very expensive private school called “The Early Human School” run by Prudence (Laura Dern).  The only thing that could mess things up worse is if Kevin (Owen Wilson) (who just loves Teri, his ex) would show up, and of course he does.  The final straw is a sexy drug rep name Andi Garcia played by Jessica Alba who seems intent on seducing Greg.

Little Fockers is the third in the series.  It’s much better than the last one (Meet the Fockers), but not near as good as the first (Meet the Parents).  That first entry falls into the category of one of the funniest movies of all times!  The characters were really well developed and played off each other wonderfully. With characters so well developed, the only thing that could really go wrong is if they have nothing to do.  I think that’s what happened here.  After the third movie with the “circle of trust” and Jack misinterpreting what Greg is doing, and Greg’s parents being over sexed and crude, and so on, it’s the same recycled jokes.  That is the problem with this film.  It’s like a comedy series that has already run it’s course and run out of new jokes.  Most everything here has been used before.  But still it’s very funny, as always, and these are the same characters we know from before.  It’s like going home again in a way.  Owen Wilson has a slightly longer part this time around, and we get to know him a little better.  Jessica Alba is a good add, as we haven’t seen Greg tempted before.  Greg is supposed to be the one to carry on the Byrnes family crest as “the Godfocker”, and immediately he gets stressed and starts losing it and proving he’s not worthy.   It’s comfortable around this time, and I think a good deal better than the last go round.  If you don’t want to see it in the theater, watch it on DVD when it comes out. It should make the move to small screen very well.   Oh, and one last thing.  Take note of the PG-13 rating very carefully.  Though nothing is shown, there are quite a few crude and rude jokes and gags that, although not shown, may be tough to explain to a small kid.  I was unhappy to see a lot of 8-10 year olds in the theater which made me very uncomfortable for them.

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