Comedy

Missed It By That Much

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Get Smart
  • IMDB: link

“I am not completely incompetent.”

Maxwell Smart (Steve Carell) is an analyst for CONTROL, a secret underground spy organization.  Although intelligent, Max is clumsy, awkward, and is known for the mind-numbing level of detail he puts into his job.

When CONTROL is attacked by the terrorist organization known as KAOS, the Chief (Alan Arkin) has no choice but to make Max an agent and pair him with Agent 99 (Anne Hathaway), who has recently gone through plastic surgery (the reasons for which make less sense than anything else in the film), for an important mission.

That’s the basic outline of the plot, which never really seems to get developed past the outline stage.  The film instead provides situations for Carell to get himself and 99 both into and out of danger, almost always making a fool out of himself in the process.  Carell is good here, and there’s a nice playful chemistry which slowly develops with Hathaway.  And Alan Arkin, and Dwayne “Stop Calling Me The Rock” Johnson provide some nice moments as well.

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Baby Mama

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Baby Mama
  • IMDB: link

“I just don’t like your uterus.”

baby-mama-poster

Kate Holbrook (Tina Fey) is a career businesswoman and a Vice President of a successful line of health food stores.  Her life, however, is incomplete.

Informed by her doctor (John Hodgman) of her inability to conceive, and unable to wait for adoption, Kate decides to go in a different direction.  She enlists the help of Chaffe Bicknell (Sigourney Weaver) who offers the service of uniting women wanting children with surrogate mothers.

Kate shells out $100,000 and finds white trash Angie (Amy Poehler) and her deadbeat common law husband Carl (Dax Shepard) on her doorstep.  Angie agrees to carry Kate’s baby to term and before you can say shenanigans things get crazy.

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Leatherheads

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Leatherheads
  • IMDb: link

“The game of professional football has come of age.”

The year was 1925 and professional football was a joke and losing money fast.  Out of money and options Dodge Connelly (George Clooney), the owner, captain, and marketer of the Duluth Bulldogs, comes up with a plan to save the sport by offering college stand-out and war hero Carter Rutherford (John Krasinski) a spot on the team.

The film has both big jokes and a sly wit.  Dodge, it turns out, is the game’s best promoter, and does what it takes to make his meal-ticket into a star even at the cost of his own glory.  Although the film takes pleasure in Dodge’s loosing influence over the team and the sport, if you watch closely you will also notice Dodge slowly helping out and making sure it’s Carter’s play which gets celebrated.

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Jog, Slightly Out of Shape Guy, Jog

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Run, Fatboy, Run
  • IMDB: link

“He runs marathons.”
“Why?”

run-fat-boy-run-poster
Um, isn’t he suppossed to be, you know, fat?

Dennis (Simon Pegg) is a loser.  He spends his days working as a mall security guard and his nights alone in his crappy basement apartment being scolded by his landlord Mr. Ghoshdashtidar (Harish Patel) and his buxom daughter (India de Beaufort).

It wasn’t always this way, however.  Dennis was once engaged to the beautiful and caring Libby (Thandie Newton), that is until he ran from their wedding leaving her pregnant and alone at the altar.

Years later Dennis, still not over Libby, faces her new boyfriend (Hank Azaria), a succcessful business man who seems both his ex and his son (Matthew Fenton) are starting to fall for.  To prove himself to Libby, Dennis signs-up for the charity marathon and attempt to beat Whit and win back his family.

The cast is pretty good across the board, and that’s a good thing because the writing leaves something to be desired.  Still, you really have to wonder about casting Simon Pegg, who is not fat, in the title role here.  I guess the title “Run, Jerkface, Run” didn’t have the same ring to it.

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Drillbit Taylor

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Drillbit Taylor
  • IMDB: link

“You look like a professor of faggotology.”

drillbit-taylor-poster

The film stars Nate Hartley and Troy Gentile as lovable losers and incoming freshman.  I probably don’t need to tell you the rest of the plot, but here goes.

The pair, along with a tag-a-along nerd pal (David Dorfman), on arriving at school the first day, instantly become the new objects of ridicule and torture for the sadistic school bully (Alex Frost) and his wacky pal (Josh Peck) who physically assault them on school property, try to run them down with their car, and make serious threats against their lives.

Sadly it seems the movie takes place in South Park, Colorado since every adult is a complete moron.  Complaints to the principal (Stephen Root) and to parents lead to only shrugs and laughs.

In order to protect themselves the boys hire a homeless veteran (Owen Wilson) to be their bodyguard.  Trouble is he’s more interested in mooching of the kids and scoring with a nymphomaniac teacher (Leslie Mann) than actually helping them.

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