Category: Movie Reviews

Avatar

MPAA Rated – PG-13
It’s 2:42 Long
A Review by:
– The Dude on the Right

Avatar
Movie Stats & Links
Starring: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Michelle Rodriguez, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Giovanni Ribisi
MPAA Rated: PG-13
Released By: 20th Century Fox
Kiddie Movie: Lots of people and Na’vi get killed. Hire a sitter.
Date Movie: It’s got a love story and lots of Na’vi butts and the dudes get quality violence.
Gratuitous Sex: There is some jungle love and the Na’vi are in skimpy, jungle outfits.
Gratuitous Violence: Arrows are pretty brutal when they go right into your chest.
Action: There’s running, jumping, and flying bird-things.
Laughs: There’s some chuckles.
Memorable Scene: Pandora is cool.
Memorable Quote: “I’m probably just talking to a tree right now, but…”
Directed By: James Cameron

I will never admit how many times I actually went to the theater to see “Titanic,” but let’s just say that I went at least one time by myself, went to see it with a group of friends who hadn’t seen the movie yet, and then, well, I went, umm, never mind. Since “Avatar” and “Titanic” are both by James Cameron I thought I would mention my weird desire to see “Titanic” multiple times because as much as I liked “Avatar,” I suppose I would like to see it one more time, but not in 3-D, in order to compare the 3-D and 2-D versions, and sure, when it comes out on Blu-ray, I can see myself watching it again, but for me, as much as I enjoyed the movie, and I know it sounds cliché, it’s no “Titanic.”

Let’s start with the story…

“Avatar” takes us down the road a bit, into the future, at a world called Pandora. Pandora is occupied by these really tall, and really fit, blue creatures called the Na’vi. The problem for the Na’vi is that Pandora has a mineral called unobtanium, us Earthlings want it, but the Na’vi are content to be one with Mother Pandora, hunting with bows and arrows, while we have flying machines and bullets. As it would be, us humans, we suck, and rather than actually work with these people whose land we invaded, the corporate dopes decide to just bring in the bulldozers and gunships to move the un-cooperating “savages.”

Enter Jake Sully (Sam Worthington). He’s a marine who lost his ability to walk on Earth, but since his brother was a scientist and was going to be a part of the Avatar program on Na’vi (sorry, I forgot to mention a small group of scientists using these hybrid creatures, Avatars, that the humans can control while plugged into this MRI-looking device – kind of like being in The Matrix but not – to easier investigate Pandora and try to live with, and understand, the Na’vi), well, Jake gets to become part of the scientific expedition. As things would have it Jake gets indoctrinated into the Na’vi world, (Most people compare it to “Dances With Wolves” but I felt a weird connection to “The Air Up There” for whatever reason), and his mission/feelings, especially because he is now in love with a tall, blue chick, Neytire (Zoe Saldana), deviate from the operation the Colonel (Stephen Lang) wants him to take on, namely infiltrate the Na’vi and learn their weaknesses, and the scientific mission that the good Doctor is leading them on (Sigourney Weaver – still great), namely not to have sex with them. But, alas, it’s time for the corporate meanies to further invade the land, and Jake has to take sides. Guess which side he ends up on?

Okay, so the story is pretty straightforward, and the acting is up there on being good enough for this kind of movie, but what transcends this movie from just a basic story of foreign invaders overtaking the locals, intertwined with a love story, is, well, The James Cameron Effect. Yup, a James Cameron movie can’t just be a movie for the sake of it, it needs to be an experience, and as technology advances so does his vision, and he takes everything to a level that movies now have to achieve. How? Well, in “Titanic” he made you feel like you were actually there, on the Titanic, and in “Avatar,” dammit, you are on Pandora, in all of its mythical and glowy splendor, and it looks scary real for being a fictitious place.

Yup, technology and filmmaking has advanced, thanks in part to the visions of James Cameron, and as you get sucked into the story there will probably come a minute or two of simply being in awe of the world of Pandora, probably wishing you had a jellyfish-looking thing land on you hand or that you could scale mountains that seemed to hover over the land, and it is reasons like this why a movie like “Avatar” really needs to be seen on the biggest screen you can find, just maybe not in 3-D, yet.

Now, I have to admit that I haven’t seen the 2-D version of the movie yet so I can’t really compare, but as cool as the 3-D effect is, and maybe it’s because I’m weird, but for me the times the 3-D looks the best seem to be in the “landscape” shots rather than the close-ups because they don’t look real, yet. How to explain? Hmm, I guess the easiest thing I can say is that during a close-up the main action looks in 3-D and in focus, but if I shift my eyes to the background it doesn’t come into focus like things do in real life. I guess I’m just a visual person and when a movie looks in 3-D I want it to act the same as my eyesight, i.e., look behind the actor and see what’s behind them, but it doesn’t work. I know, that probably doesn’t make much sense, but the effect is close, just still not “real.”

Okay, so let’s combine everything…

In comparison to “Titanic,” I would say there just wasn’t something that totally clicked with the story in “Avatar” that would make me want to see it again, and even again, and enjoy it each time, and as I think about it, maybe it was because Jake didn’t make the ultimate sacrifice for his newfound love, like Jack did, or even the other way around. I guess the easiest thing to say is that the movie ended exactly as I thought it would, in a sappier way, and that doesn’t make it different. I’m not saying it’s not good, because I don’t want to explain how it ends, but it’s just a normal Hollywood ending, rather than the main dude drowning, which now that I think about it, really made the ending of “Titanic” just a little different. In the end, though, “Avatar” is totally a must-see movie, if you like movies, and as I was wavering on just giving it 4 stars out of 5, the more I think about the awesomeness of Pandora, that’s worth an extra star. So, it’s 5 stars out of 5, and after telling my BFF that she probably doesn’t need to see it until it comes to Blu-ray, now I’m wondering if I should try to change her mind, if only so I can see it on a normal screen to fully compare the two. Hmm?

Oh well, go see it, keep the little kids at home because it’s got some gratuitous violence and they would probably have to pee a couple of times during the movie, and just enjoy some quality time with your honey.

That’s it for this one! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!

Angels & Demons

MPAA Rated – PG-13
It’s 2:15 Long
A Review by:
– The Dude on the Right

Angels & Demons
Movie Stats & Links
Starring: Tom Hanks, Ewan McGregor, Ayelet Zurer
MPAA Rated: PG-13
Released By: Columbia Pictures
Kiddie Movie: There’s a lot of violence and they’d just be confused. Leave them at home.
Date Movie: My BFF enjoyed it, so I say bring them along.
Gratuitous Sex: Robert Langdon stays celibate, and keeps his clothes on, too.
Gratuitous Violence: Some people get burned, shot, drowned, etc., so yea
Action: There’s a lot of running and chasing.
Laughs: A chuckles here and there.
Memorable Scene: I still like the puzzle solving, and would love to visit the Vatican archives.
Memorable Quote: Nothing really.
Directed By: Ron Howard

I still can’t figure out what all of the hubbub was about that the Catholic Church originally brought up because my take on “Angels & Demons” is that the church might have their problems, but most of the problems in this movie are caused by a rogue priest, or maybe a couple of rogue priests, much like the problems in any religion, so Catholicism bashing aside, is the movie any good? You betcha!

“Angels & Demons” is actually a book that was released before “The Da Vinci Code,” but for the movie they shift it to being after the movie you probably saw, and you know what, you get the same kind of problem-solving, good looking girl, let’s try and save a life or two, and let’s get to the root of this problem to save something, kind of flick that you found in that Da Vinci film. And like that Da Vinci film, don’t try to hard to understand all of the story, just enjoy the ride.

Pretty much “Angels & Demons” involves a supposed plot from a group called The Illuminati (yea, you might also remember them from the Lara Kroft: Tomb Raider movie – I guess they get around, don’t they?). In any case, the Pope is dead, the Cardinals are getting ready to elect a new Pope, some Cardinal dudes get kidnapped, and a super-duper energy source also gets stolen. It seems that The Illuminati are pissed, looking for revenge on the Catholic Church for some atrocities years earlier, and to get their revenge, and fulfill an ancient prophesy, they are going to kill the four Cardinal dudes and then blow up The Vatican. Enter Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks). Sure, the Church is still pissed at Langdon for the whole “Jesus had siblings” thing from the previous movie, but they need the best, especially since there are only a few hours to get the puzzles solved, so in comes Bob, and with the help of Vittoria Vetra (Ayelet Zurer), the scientist who can stop the anti-matter bomb from exploding, well, it’s a race across Rome to find the places the Cardinals are set to be killed, and also find the anti-matter bomb.

Along for the ride are some police dudes, all in conflict with each other because the Swiss Guards don’t like the Roman police, etc., but keeping everyone together is the good Camerlengo (Ewan McGregor). The Camerlengo, kind of the person in charge in between Popes, seems to have it all together, but maybe something is up with him as well.

Look, like “The Da Vinci Code,” “Angels & Demons” is just a fun ride at the movies where I don’t think you are supposed to understand everything, just sit back and have a little fun while your brain gets confused, and like “The Da Vinci” code, most critics are bashing it, but not this one, I’m like the movie for exactly what it is – just a fun romp with some clues to solve so that the good people can be saved.

Tom Hanks does his normal, steady self in the Langdon role, although I liked him better with the hair in the Da Vinci film, Ayelet Zurer is good enough as the easy-on-the-eyes dudette who tags along for the ride, and Ewan McGregor is fine in his role as the Camerlengo. You do get a good chunk of violence in this movie as the Cardinals do end up dying in some pretty gruesome ways, but hey, the movie is about a sinister society, hell-bent on getting revenge on the Catholic Church.

I say, much like you did for “The Da Vinci Code”, ignore all of the critics except me and go see “Angels & Demons.” Yup, the story is kind of preposterous, you might see the ending coming even if you haven’t read the book, and you might have some fun. What you probably won’t get is coming out of the movie thinking the church is a bunch of anti-science, old-school farts who don’t care about the current world we live in. For me it’s 3 ½ stars out of 5. Go ahead and see it, and don’t worry if you don’t understand what anti-matter really is, it doesn’t matter that much to the plot other than it will explode if it touches real matter.

That’s it for this one! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!

The Andromeda Strain

MPAA Rated – Unrated
It’s ?? Long
A Review by:
– The Dude on the Right

The Andromeda Strain
Movie Stats & Links
Starring: Benjamin Bratt, Eric McCormack, Christa Miller, Daniel Dae Kim
MPAA Rated: Unrated
Released By: Universal Home Video
Kiddie Movie: Only if you want them to fear aliens.
Date Movie: She will probably snuggle with you.
Gratuitous Sex: Only a little talk.
Gratuitous Violence: There are some quality kills.
Action: Nah.
Laughs: A chuckle or two.
Memorable Scene: The “countdown to destruction” scene is stupid.
Memorable Quote: None.
Directed By: Mikael Salmom

Watching a “made for TV” movie on DVD is kind of weird, simply because the movie can’t fully flow as “commercial break” pauses are prevalent throughout, but I have to say that if you are looking for a decent “This is the end of mankind” kind of movie, in the spirit of “Star Trek: The Next Generation” episodes, put the 2008 version of “The Andromeda Stain” on your list of DVD’s to watch. And sure, I hate to put the “Star Trek” reference in there, but like most TV shows, “The Andromeda Strain” gives you about two hours and thirty minutes of set-up, conflict, theories, and then is able to wrap up the solution for the devastating problem in about fifteen minutes. Such is TV sometimes.

Here’s the story…

A satellite crashes to Earth and suddenly a small town of people finds itself dead. Also finding themselves dead are the first military folks to find themselves in the town. It’s now time to bring in the scientists, including Dr. Stone (Benjamin Bratt in a role I kinda like him in), Dr. Noyce (Christa Miller in full “I have to overact” role), and a few more, seeming to have to fight, of course, with the government folks, especially General Mancheck (Andre Braugher), who don’t want to give the scientist folks the necessary information to solve what might be something to destroy mankind.

Low and behold, as the story plays out, “The Andromeda Strain” deals with all kinds of things, like wormholes and creatures at the bottom of the oceans, and as our scientist folks decipher all of the clues, damn, wouldn’t you know it, they are in a super-sealed bunker where a simple accident might also destroy humanity.

This DVD review will be quick because I will simply say that as much as “The Andromeda Strain” has lots of potential as a “here comes the end of humanity” movie, it so much loses itself in becoming totally predictable, especially as a “made for TV” movie (although being an A&E TV movie does allow for some quality kills), complete with a “self-destruct” sequence, with countdown music, when Dr. Stone, thankfully, is able to save the world with only a couple of seconds left before we are doomed.

I’d say you should rent it, but the extras on the DVD aren’t that spectacular, so maybe you should just wait for A&E to replay the mini-series, and find out why we might want to pay attention to what is really going on at the International Space Station.

This DVD gets 2 ½ stars out of 5.

That’s it for this one! I’m the Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!

DVD: It’s got some extra stuff, but unless you are a total sci-fi geek, you won’t care.

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy

MPAA Rated – PG-13
It’s 1:35 Long
A Review by:
– The Dude on the Right

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
Movie Stats & Links
Starring: Will Ferrell, Christina Applegate, Paul Rudd, Fred Willard, Chris Parnell, Vince Vaughn
MPAA Rated: PG-13
Released By: Dreamworks SKG
Kiddie Movie: Only if you want to explain a boner joke.
Date Movie: It’s funny for couples.
Gratuitous Sex: No nudity, but Ron and Veronica get it on.
Gratuitous Violence: A very strange fight scene between anchormen including an arm getting chopped off.
Action: Nah.
Laughs: Tons.
Memorable Scene: The boner scene.
Memorable Quote: Too many to list.
Directed By: Adam McKay

Let me start this review with a letter to Will Ferrell:
Dear Mr. Ferrell,

I would just like to commend you on your latest comedy, “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy.” I found it very enjoyable and laughed a lot. Actually, you know, lately I’ve been laughing a lot at all of the movies you’ve been involved in. From your childish demeanor in “Elf,” to Frank the Tank in “Old School,” all the way back to Mustafa in the “Austin Powers” movie, you are showing that you have the versatility to bring comedy to every role you fill. In looking at your upcoming projects, at least according to IMDB, it appears that you are sticking to the comedic genre, and in my opinion, that’s good (although I am a little leery about the Woody Allen flick, but I’ll take a wait and see attitude on that right now). All I ask is one thing: Please, please, please stick to comedy. Look, down in your heart somewhere you might have this strange inkling to be a serious actor, and maybe you could be, but all I ask is please don’t pull a Jim Carrey on me like he did with “The Majestic.” You make people laugh, that’s your talent, and maybe it won’t get you a little gold statue, but you’re probably entertaining a hell of a lot more people doing what you do best than in any serious role you could fill. I mean, when was the last time a Robert Redford movie had me laugh so hard soda-pop came up my nose. Just my two cents.

Have a nice day,
The Dude on the Right

Okay, now to the review…

It’s the 70’s baby, when male chauvinism was at its peak, or at least it really seemed that way, especially because men kept treating women like the sex objects we all think they are, we just can’t act that way now because it’s not socially acceptable for a man to grab a woman’s butt and women can’t just go up and run her fingers through a man’s incredibly hairy chest on the street anymore. Anyway, enough lamenting about the old days when I was, well, approaching that impressionable age of 10. Well, for this movie we get Will Farrell as Ron Burgundy. He’s THE anchorman in San Diego, the anchorman all of the ladies love, yet he can’t really find love. But popularity is his game, and he holds that over the rest of the San Diego anchors like it’s a gold medal at the Olympics. But enter Veronica (Christina Applegate – looking just as great as ever). Her dream is to be a network anchor, something that in those days seemed like a total impossibility. She’s relegated to field reporting, things like an animal beauty pageant, and can’t stand it, but knows maybe someday, if she works hard enough, she might get her shot. But Ron is smitten with Veronica, and they begin an office romance destined for destruction. Now it’s war, with Ron and his anchor buddies set on bringing Veronica down, mostly because all of them feel threatened.

You know what, enough of the story synopsis. Will Ron and Veronica make nice, and will Veronica eventually become a network anchor? Will Brick (Steve Carell) say something that remotely makes sense, and will Jack Black be targeted by the ASPCA? All of these questions and more will be answered.

But is the movie funny? Hell yes, especially if Will Ferrell has ever made you laugh in any other movie. You get a wonderful cast of characters, especially Ron’s fellow newsmen, and some people complain about Fred Willard being wasted in his role as the boss, but I found him perfect, especially talking to the nun over the phone. If the trailer made you laugh, you’ll probably really like this movie, especially if you like a good boner joke, but if you just don’t get the humor of Ron doing a cannonball into the pool, stay away. It’s 4 ½ stars out of 5 for “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy.”

That’s it for this one! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!

Anaconda

MPAA Rated – PG-13
It’s 1:30 Long
A Review by:
– The Dude on the Right

Anaconda
Movie Stats & Links
Starring: Eric Stoltz, Jennifer Lopez, Ice Cube, John Voight
MPAA Rated: PG-13
Released By: Columbia Pictures
Kiddie Movie: Only if you want them afraid of snakes for the rest of their lives.
Date Movie: Good chance of your lady jumpin’ in your lap!
Gratuitous Sex: Nope.
Gratuitous Violence: It’s got some violence, and the Anaconda eats people.
Action: Some, but mostly suspense.
Laughs: Come on, it’s about a big snake that eats people.
Memorable Scene: When Sarone (Jon Voight) gets eaten, and then a little later, un-eaten.
Memorable Quote: Not really.
Directed By: Luis Llosa

I saw the previews, I saw the billboards, I saw the ads, and all I could figure was that the movie “Anaconda” was about some people who get stuck in a river and get scared by a big snake. What those previews didn’t show was that this movie ends up being more about deceit and naïve people, as well as about survival.

Let me put the story line to you like this. You’ve got these documentary filmmakers heading into Amazon territory in search of the legendary Shirishama Indians. All is going well until they pick up this stranded guy on the bank of the river. This guy, Sarone, played by Jon Voight, is a snake poacher, and ends up being one really bad dude. When the anthropologist, Steven Cale (Eric Stoltz), finds himself unconscious, it’s up to the crew to find the quickest way home. They listen to Sarone,

Sarone (Jon Voight, r.) playfully demonstrates the deadly grip of a baby Anaconda on Warren’s (Jonathan Hyde) finger. he says he knows the way, but his way is to find this big snake first, and then maybe lead the crew to safety. It takes a while, but the crew figure out his plan, unfortunately for them it’s too late because Sarone has a gun and holds them all hostage while he’s hunting (or would that be fishing?) for the Anaconda. Well, things go wrong, some people die, it’s a fight for survival and trying to get home before becoming dinner.

It may sound simple enough, and maybe a boring movie, but it’s not. Acting wise, there isn’t much to speak of, all except for Jon Voight. I haven’t seen a crazed psychopath on this level since most anything Dennis Hopper plays. Voight will have you hating him, but believing him, all the while having

The world’s largest snake: the Anaconda. his own agenda without any regard to who dies. He was great and I’d recommend seeing this movie for his performance alone. Now the other character who did a great job for this film was the snake. This gargantuan animatronic special effect, combined with some real life Anacondas as well, will probably give even people who love snakes the creeps. Yea, sometimes the big guy does look a little fake, but seeing the snake eat a dude and do some other natural things is pretty cool.

I didn’t think they could make a movie about a big snake, and you know, they didn’t. Sure, the Anaconda plays a big role in the action and suspense of this film, but even without the fear of being

Terri (Jennifer Lopez) struggles to help free Danny (Ice Cube) from the deadly grip of an Anaconda. swallowed whole this film could have made it as a suspense film nonetheless. Voight was terrific, so was the snake, I just really wish the rest of the cast could have been as convincing. Don’t get me wrong, they did alright, but the film could have moved up a notch on the acting scale.

So, should you see it? Sure. I haven’t jumped in my seat in a long time, and if any snakes give you the creeps than “Anaconda” will have you covering your eyes (the guy in from of me did). Not the greatest film of all time, but pretty creepy. It’s 3 stars out of 5 for “Anaconda.”

That’s it for this one, I’m The Dude on the Right!!! L8R!!!

Take Me Home Tonight

MPAA Rated – R
It’s 1:37 Long
A Review by:
– The Dude on the Right

Take Me Home Tonight
Movie Stats & Links
Starring: Topher Grace, Anna Faris, Dan Fogler, Teresa Palmer
MPAA Rated: R
Released By: Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
Release Date: July 19, 2011
Kiddie Movie: Send them to bed!
Date Movie: My wife said it was “Cute.”
Gratuitous Sex: It’s got a lot, complete with boobs and some weird voyourism in a bathroom.
Gratuitous Violence: Nothing gratuitous.
Action: Nah.
Laughs: Lots of chuckles from start to finish.
Memorable Scene: Nothing totally stood out.
Memorable Quote: Nah.
Directed By: Michael Dowse

Sometimes a movie is perfect for a certain age group, and from the variety of reviews I’ve seen of “Take Me Home Tonight,” you can probably gauge if the reviewer was in high school in the mid-eighties, maybe went to college during that same time period, also could have been a geek during said eighties and always wanted to ask out the hot chick in high school but never had their “in.” That person will probably love “Take Me Home Tonight,” while most everyone else might have a hard time relating and/or laughing.  I am that person who lived the 80’s, and I laughed a lot, but I do understand if you don’t get it.

“Take Me Home Tonight” gives us Topher Grace as Matt, and he’s got a sister, Wendy, played by Anna Faris.  Yup, it’s the eighties, Matt is in love with Tori (Teresa Palmer), but he’s a geek heading to MIT and she’s the cool chick.  Alas, college comes and goes, Matt finds himself still trying to discover his path in life, a path that now includes working at Suncoast Video, but upon seeing Tori again, it’s time for Matt to step up his game, and what better place to step up a game than at a weekend semi-reunion party at the cool kid’s house.  Yup, everyone is old enough to drink legally now, and Matt is on a quest to get Tori’s phone number.

So, sort of like “American Pie,” we have a get-together where lots of people are trying to maybe impress someone else, or just get through it.  On the ride is Matt’s friend, Barry (Dan Fogler), recently fired from his job but finding some cocaine in a car he “borrowed” from his previous employer.  With that we get a movie with drugs, boobs, sex, a look at high finance (It seems Tori made good, finding herself in the finance world which sets the stage for the second part of the movie as the party-goers end up in Beverly Hills), and oddly, something I could kind of relate to, and laughed a lot.

Look, the movie isn’t the funniest thing out there, and Chris Pratt plays a nice version of Stifler ala “American Pie,” but there is enough to keep the movie going that can make you chuckle from start to finish, that is if you can relate to the time-period of the movie.  Seriously, I can see someone being 55 years old thinking this movie is stupid, I can also see the twenty-something’s not really getting it, but for those of us old enough to remember how you always were trying to compete, how sometimes you did stupid stuff but now you grew up and live a little more vicariously through movies, and love classic 80’s music, you’ll probable enjoy “Take Me Home Tonight.”

I nice, little, solid comedy with some romance for people who can relate to graduating in the eighties, I’ll give “Take Me Home Tonight” 3 1/2 stars out of 5, though I can understand if you think it sucks.

As far as the Blu-ray bonus stuff, this isn’t a movie destined for a four disc box set, but the extras are nice enough with some deleted scenes (sure, most were better off deleted), and for music fans, it’s an eighties plethora of memories with quick access to songs during the movie, and a little cast get-together for good measure.

Go ahead, rent the Blu-ray, and put yourself back in the eighties where you sometimes wish you still were.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II

MPAA Rated – PG-13
It’s 2:10 Long
A Review by:
– The Dude on the Right

Harry Potter
and the
Deathly Hallows: Part II
Movie Stats & Links
Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson
MPAA Rated: PG-13
Released By: Warner Bros.
Release Date: July 15, 2011
Kiddie Movie: It’s pretty violent at times so be careful.
Date Movie: Even if you’re date isn’t a fan, they should be able to follow along.
Gratuitous Sex: Nah.
Gratuitous Violence: No real blood, but some gruesomeness occurs.
Action: There is a lot of chasing and people falling off of tall things.
Laughs: Some good chuckles, especially if you know the story.
Memorable Scene: The final revelation of Snape.
Memorable Quote: Nothing stood out.
Directed By: David Yates

I was a little worried going into “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II”, especially since I hadn’t seen the “Half-Blood Prince” nor Part I of the “Deathly Hallows,” but I’ll tell you what – For the final version all you really need to know is that there is this wizard, Harry, and his nemesis is this dude with a smooshed-in-face, Voldermort, and this is their final battle.  Ignore the rest of the stuff, the “who loves whom,” the “who is related to whom,” the “what is this stuff with snakes and gremlins and dragons,” and just enjoy a ride of a fun battle of good versus evil where magic wands control their world.

In any case, here it is, the finale, the end, the second part of a book that took two movies to tell the story, it’s “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II.”  Pretty much we find Harry, Ron, and Hermione (Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson), whom many of us have grown up with as we have grown up, coming upon the final quest of Harry’s life – to finally battle Lord Voldermort, and maybe find out the truth about his life.  Yup, there is adventure as they need to find these three things that can make Voldermort immortal, or something like that, and if they can destroy all of them, they can then, hopefully, get rid of Voldermort once and for all.  Through it all we get transported to the roller-coaster ride of the bank vaults that the gremlins protect, a dragon ride, and a really cool battle between statues and, oh, I can’t remember what the big dude are, as wizards throw spells and the army of Voldermort fights the do-gooders of Hogwarts.

As a movie, with maybe just a five minute intro, “Part II” could really stand on its own as a film because it’s got everything – Love, excitement, sadness, good, evil, and some kick-ass battle scenes, but really all you need to know is it’s Harry against Voldermort, and somebody has to die.

The visuals are stunning in the movie, and for a change I opted for a 3-D film and liked it because it wasn’t shot for “Oh look, this is 3-D,” but rather “Here’s a film with a great story, and the 3-D is there to just enjoy.”

I am a little sorry to see the series come to an end, but I think that one of the best things about the Harry Potter series is that it had a great start, followed the book story for the most part, and then came to an ending, rather than just trying to push out versions that seem like “Hey, we need to make another movie because the last one made so much money.”  I know this might be a little bit of blasphemy, but in terms of a movie series I think, in the grand scheme of stories, Harry Potter blows Star Wars out of the water as a full body of work. I know this is sort of a tangent for this review, but hey, it’s what I think.

A solid ending for Harry Potter is what I think “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II” is, and hey, you can probably see it even if you never saw and of the previous films – Enjoy the ride!  It’s 4 ½ stars out of 5, and I even say spend the extra bucks and see it in 3-D.

That’s it for this one!  I’m The Dude on the Right!!  L8R!!!

Blago Wants to Get Away, Flying Solo, Cedar Rapids is Okay, and Milo Done Good.

By: The Dude on the Right

Download and ListenDownload the Podcast!

Stu Gotz went M.I.A., so for this “Weekend Wrap-Up!” podcast I’m flying solo. Excitement was the name of the weekend, especially if your version of excitement is having to buy a new router (and I have to admit that, during the podcast, I hint that it was my BFF going bonkers without the Internet, when, yes, it was I who was going nuts not being able to play “Empires and Allies.” Sorry, Honey.), or getting your haircut, but it was kind of exciting, and along with telling you my Linksys woes, I do let you know if “Cedar Rapids” is a good rental for you and your honey.

I saw interesting people in Chicago, there was a little girl in church who needs a lesson in tithing, and low and behold, our dog, Milo, actually gets along well with other dogs! Who knew? And, oh yea, ex-Governor of Illinois, Rob Blagojovich, is guilty, a lot.

All of that and more, and thanks for listening!

That’s it for this podcast! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!

The Aviator

MPAA Rated – PG-13
It’s 2:50 Long
A Review by:
– The Dude on the Right

The Aviator
Movie Stats & Links
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Cate Blanchett, Kate Beckinsale, Gwen Stefani, Alan Alda, Alec Baldwin, Willem Dafoe
MPAA Rated: PG-13
Released By: Miramax
Kiddie Movie: Leave them at home.
Date Movie: It’s good for couples.
Gratuitous Sex: You get some, but it’s PG-13 sex.
Gratuitous Violence: No violence.
Action: A great crash sequence.
Laughs: There’s a few.
Memorable Scene: When Howard’s plane crashes into Beverly Hills, and Leonardo feeling up Kate.
Memorable Quote: None stand out.
Directed By: Martin Scorsese

I really don’t remember Howard Hughes, just heard some weird stories about the man, so I don’t know how true to life “The Aviator” is, but as a movie, it’s fantastic, but sometimes a little slow/long.

Let’s get to it…

In another Academy Awardable role, we get Leonardo DiCaprio whom I call one of the luckiest men alive. Why? Because in his role as Howard Hughes, he gets to feel up Kate Beckinsale who plays Ava Gardner, and I consider Kate as one of the best looking women alive. But enough of my jealousy, Leonardo, and quite honestly everyone in this movie is fantastic.

Well, “The Aviator” gives us this take on the life of Howard Hughes. We begin with an opening shot of a young Hughes being scrubbed clean by his mother, who enhances his spelling skills making sure he knows to stay away from houses with words like cholera and quarantine on their doors. We can surmise from this that maybe his germ-phobia developed because of his mother, but what do I know. Now shift to Howard a little older, blowing his riches on his first movie “Hell’s Angels,” which at first became the laughing stock of Hollywood because of how much Howard spent on the film and his directing style, but when the finished product proved amazing, Howard became a film icon. But the movie also introduced us to Howard’s other love, his love for airplanes.

And so, we shift the story away from Howard Hughes the filmmaker, now we see Howard Hughes the businessman in the aircraft industry, and we really start to see Howard becoming the germ-phobic eccentric that sadly became as much of his legacy as his movie and business practices. On the aircraft side we see Howard as the visionary, testing his designers to design what he sees in his mind, and he’s not afraid to test the designs himself, we also see Howard recognizing the opportunity of the industry as he acquires TWA and seeks to dethrone the politically connected Pan Am.

We also get Howard Hughes the ladies man, and this is where director Martin Scorsese shows his talent in picking the right people for roles because as the glamorous Jean Harlow Scorsese tapped Gwen Stefani, relatively unknown on the Hollywood screen, but she pulled off Harlow nicely. For the woman who was able to bring Howard out of totally losing his mind for a little bit, Scorsese gives us Kate Beckinsale as Ava Gardner. You already know how I feel about Kate, and in this role she is just as stunning as ever. But nothing against these lovely ladies, the one who really steals the show is Cate Blanchett as the feisty Katherine Hepburn. I don’t really know if she got the accent right, but even if not, she was perfect in my mind.

Yes, “The Aviator” gives us filmmaking at it’s best, and we really wouldn’t expect any less from Scorsese, but the movie is a tad long, tapping the over 2 ½ hour mark. Sadly, this did come into play for me and that will knock it down a little in the rating. The thing is I don’t really know why it seemed to play long, it was just that at one point the movie dragged a little, I looked at my watch and it said we were only about 50 minutes into the movie, and from that point on it just seemed a little long.

So, wrapping up, “The Aviator” for me is a fantastic film that just didn’t hold me fixated on the movie for the 2 ½ hours. I’ll only dock it half a star and still give it 4 ½ stars out of 5 just for the airplane scenes and Leonardo being able to slide his hand down the front of Kate Beckinsale’s dress. Everything else in the film just adds to that.

That’s it for this one! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!

Austin Powers in Goldmember

MPAA Rated – PG-13
It’s 1:34 Long
A Review by:
– The Dude on the Right

Austin Powers in Goldmember
Movie Stats & Links
Starring: Mike Myers, Sir Michael Caine, Beyoncé Knowles, Michael York, Robert Wagner, Seth Green, Mindy Sterling, Verne J. Troyer
MPAA Rated: PG-13
Released By: New Line Cinema
Kiddie Movie: Lots of sexual innuendo. Brings the teens, leave the youngins at home.
Date Movie: If she likes Austin Powers, sure, otherwise she just might be grossed out.
Gratuitous Sex: Cleavage and talk, even of an asian three-way, but nothing naked.
Gratuitous Violence: Fighting like you would expect.
Action: Action like you would expect.
Laughs: 92 minutes worth.
Memorable Scene: The opening sequence.
Memorable Quote: Too many to list.
Directed By: Jay Roach

After laughing my way through “Goldmember,” my initial reaction was “Who did Mike Myers pay off at the MPAA to get this thing rated PG-13?” Alright, there wasn’t any nudity, they didn’t really swear too much, but there was enough sexual innuendo that led me to my next reaction – I sort of felt sorry for those parents who brought their youngins, youngins who haven’t been told about the birds and the bees, as I’m thinking the parents are going to have a lot of explaining to do as to why they were laughing at certain times in the movie. Alright, enough intro, what about the movie?

Granted most of you really won’t care about the plot because it’s always the same – Dr. Evil tries to blackmail the government for some wrong amount of money or else he’ll destroy the world, in the meantime he’s trying to kill Austin Powers. Once again Mike Myers handles the wacky characters, namely Austin Powers, Dr. Evil, Fat Bastard, and now Goldmember. Personally, I think it was one too many characters because Goldmember really has no impact. Anyway, back in the mix are the rest of the familiar cast of characters, Number Two (Robert Wagner), Scott (Seth Green), and Mini Me (Verne Troyer), but this time we get treated to a new cast of supporting characters, like Michael Caine as Nigel Powers, Austin’s dad, Fred Savage as Number Three, and Beyonce Knowles as Foxxy Cleopatra.

Buried in the taking over the world storyline is the internal conflict Austin is having thinking he has never made his father proud. And that’s really all you need to know about the story.

What really makes this movie click are the scenes I’m not even going to reveal. The opening scene is a riot, you get a take-off on the penis description montage from the second movie, complete with making fun of itself for doing so, and there are some neat plot-twists that easily make you laugh. And, oh yea, there are so many star-studded cameos that are perfectly done.

There really isn’t a way to compare this version of the Austin Powers trilogy to the others because it really takes itself in a different direction. It knows it has to have the basic story of Dr. Evil vs. Austin Powers, but this time it tends to make fun of itself for rehashing the same jokes, and because of this those same old jokes seem fresh.

If you liked any of the other Austin Powers movies, you’ll probably enjoy “Goldmember” all the same. If you couldn’t stand him before, save your money, stay home, and don’t bitch that this movie was crap. I can’t call myself a huge fan of the series, but I’ll give credit to any movie that can keep me laughing for an hour and a half. It’s 4 stars out of 5 for “Austin Powers in Goldmember.”

That’s it for this one! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!