movie reviews Archives - Page 27 of 31

Aeon Flux

MPAA Rated – PG-13
It’s 1:33 Long
A Review by:
– The Dude on the Right

Aeon Flux Movie Stats & Links
Starring:	Charlize Theron
MPAA Rated:	PG-13
Released By:	Paramount Pictures
Kiddie Movie:	Leave them at home.
Date Movie:	Leave them at home as well.
Gratuitous Sex:	There is a scene and Aeon is in a bunch of skimpy and tight outfits.
Gratuitous Violence:	Lots of killing, but only the PG-13 kind.
Action:	Lots of running and chasing.
Laughs:	Nah.
Memorable Scene:	Nothing really.
Memorable Quote:	None stand out.
Directed By:	Karyn Kusama
Produced By:	David Gale, Gregory Goodman, Gale Anne Hurd, Gary Lucchesi

The only thing I could come up with, as I sat there watching “Aeon Flux,” was that I’ll bet it looked a lot better on paper. The story was okay, Charlize Theron looked good, although I didn’t like her hair, but in the end, the movie just didn’t seem to click for me, and not having seen the animated series from which it was based, I don’t know if it was even supposed to. Anyway, here’s the basic story…

It’s 400 years from now and most of the human population was wiped out, well, about now, due to a way wicked disease. To save the world, some scientists came up with a cure, then built this walled-in city, kind of a Utopia, where all is supposedly well, although all really isn’t. Lately an underground movement has been afoot to overthrow the Goodchild family (they’re the ruling brothers, who helped develop the original vaccine). It seems the underground folk are becoming increasingly concerned that some citizens just seem to disappear, for no apparent reason, and it is time to take action. Spurring on this is Aeon’s, I believe her niece, being mistaken as a spy and killed by the government folks. Aeon now has nothing to live for but a mission, and as it turns out, her mission is to assassinate Trevor Goodchild (Marton Csokas), one of the ruling brothers. She’s ready to do the deed, but then starts finding out certain things, and suddenly she finds him more important to keep alive, and he quickly realizes that you can’t always trust your siblings.

As the story plays out, and I won’t ruin the “surprise” that explains the Utopian world, Aeon is now on the good side of Trevor, they have to escape, then get back in, she has to jump on an airship which holds all of the secrets of the world, and Sithandra (Sophie Okonedo), a dudette with hands for feet, goes from being Aeon’s ally, to Aeon’s nemesis, and back to Aeon’s ally, thanks to some weird telepathic powers that the underground warriors have developed.

So, what did I find wrong with the movie? I don’t know, maybe it was because Aeon was just too cold of a character. Her only emotion was really one of gloom, even in times of discovery, and her narration just proved droning. The action sequences were alright, but I suppose the other issue I had with the movie was that I wish movie folks would quit doing the “We shoot and kill lots of people yet since we don’t actually show them getting shot and killed and don’t show blood, well, we can still get the PG-13 rating to get the kids” thing and just make the movie an R movie. Aeon had skimpy outfits, but pretty much screamed to run around naked a couple of time, they could have had better quality kills by being R, and could have used dialogue that might be more appropriate, although maybe vulgarities don’t exist in a Utopian society. That, or maybe they should have really done this movie as an animated movie rather than live action, and just kept it true to the original roots of the movie.

“Aeon Flux” wasn’t horrible, but it seemed more like two hours rather than the hour and a half running time it actually had. It’s 2 stars out of 5 for “Aeon Flux.” Would have been better rated R.

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

Alvin and the Chipmunks

MPAA Rated – PG
It’s 1:31 Long
A Review by:
– The Dude on the Right

Alvin and the Chipmunks Movie Stats & Links
Starring:	Jason Lee, David Dross, Cameron Richardson
MPAA Rated:	PG
Released By:	20th Century Fox
Kiddie Movie:	It’s really for them.
Date Movie:	Only if you’re bringing the kids.
Gratuitous Sex:	Nope, but some skimpy outfits on the back-up dancers.
Gratuitous Violence:	Cartoonish.
Action:	Not really.
Laughs:	Mostly for the kids.
Memorable Scene:	Nothing really.
Memorable Quote:	Nothing comes to mind.
Directed By:	Tim Hill
Produced By:	Ross Bagdasarian Jr., Janice Karman

Maybe it’s just me, or maybe it’s because I’m old, but you would think that with the advances in technology that our beloved Chipmunks, namely Alvin, Simon, and Theodore, would still have the chipmunk voice but you would be able to understand them a little better. Not so. And you would also think that they could write a story a little more creative than the Chipmunks being seduced by a dirty record company executive. Not so. Even so, I didn’t think “Alvin and the Chipmunks” was all that bad.

As I eluded, the story for “Alvin and the Chipmunks” is pretty simple. Alvin, Simon, and Theodore are living in the woods when their pine tree gets chopped down for an office Christmas tree, and the boys come along for the ride. Seeking a life of ease, the boys then stowaway with Dave (Jason Lee), a struggling songwriter who is friends with the evil record dude, Ian (David Cross). Sure, Dave quickly accepts the fact that he has talking Chipmunks, especially when he finds out they can sing, but they are rambunctious creatures, messing up Dave’s pad, but all seems well when the boys have Ian record “The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don’t be Late), and Dave does his best to keep the boys grounded as they enter the rock star world.

But Ian sees an opportunity to exploit the Chipmunks for financial gain, he splits them up from Dave as sleazy record company people do, gives them a life of excess, and works them until they become tabloid fodder.

Can Dave save the heroes from a life of booze, drugs, and cheap women? Of course he can, this is a children’s movie, and he does so just in the nick of time.

And, oh yea, of course the movie has a love story built in for no real reason, namely Dave trying to woo his ex-girlfriend, Claire (Cameron Richardson).

For the kiddies they will probably really like “Alvin and the Chipmunks,” and most of the kids in the theater when I saw it seemed entertained, although they did start to become distracted during the romantic dinner scene. For the adults, it’s not horrible. Jason Lee does a nice job as Dave, keeping him friendly enough in a quirky sort of way, and David Cross is good as the sleazy record dude. The CGI of the Chipmunks themselves is done fairly well, giving each of the boys their own character, but I still can’t believe they are so hard to understand.

There’s nothing special about “Alvin and the Chipmunks,” but it seems okay in a kids kind of way, and of course what would a kid’s movie be without a fart joke. It’s 2 ½ stars out of 5 for “Alvin and the Chipmunks.”

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

Alpha Dog

MPAA Rated – R
It’s 1:57 Long
A Review by:
– The Dude on the Right

Alpha Dog Movie Stats & Links
Starring:	Ben Foster, Shawn Hatosy, Emile Hirsch, Sharon Stone, Justin Timberlake, Bruce Willis
MPAA Rated:	R
Released By:	Universal Pictures
Kiddie Movie:	Only if you want them on the wrong life path.
Date Movie:	Both you and your dudette have bodies to ogle.
Gratuitous Sex:	Nudity and sex!
Gratuitous Violence:	Mostly hand to hand combat, but sadly one gun scene.
Action:	Not really.
Laughs:	There’s a chuckle or two.
Memorable Scene:	Frankie trying to get Zack to leave the apartment.
Memorable Quote:	I hope I got this right: “Have a period or something.”
Directed By:	Nick Cassavetes
Produced By:	Sidney Kimmel, Chuck Pacheco

I think knowing the ending of “Alpha Dog” before going in to see it made me feel even worse for Zack Mazursky, the brother of Jake, because up until the end, getting kidnapped was the greatest thing that seemed to have happened to him. Here’s the basic story…

“Alpha Dog” is a fictional look at a true Hollywood story about a kidnapping gone bad, kids gone bad, and parenting that is mostly questionable, except, for, well, that of Sonny Truelove (Bruce Willis), sort of, who supposedly has mob ties and supposedly sets up his son with drugs to sell, yet tries to get Johnny (Emile Hirsch) out of a sticky kidnapping situation, but Johnny doesn’t listen. Such are kids sometimes.

Anyway, Johnny and his group of friends, including Elvis (Shawn Hatosy) and Frankie (Justin Timberlake), enjoy their days by selling drugs, getting high, drinking a lot, and sleeping with hot girls. Jake Mazursky (Ben Foster) owes Johnny money, and Johnny ain’t too happy about it, tries to beat up Jake, and now Jake is pissed. Jake and Johnny seem to go back and forth a bit, but Johnny doesn’t take it too well when Jake takes a dump on his living room carpet.

Meanwhile, Jake’s brother, Zack (Anton Yelchin) is a fifteen-year-old kid, not really happy at home with his over-protective mother, Olivia (Sharon Stone), looks up to his hoodlum brother, and decides to run away from home when he gets busted with having a bong in his room. So Zack is wandering around, Johnny and his crew spot him, and Johnny decides to kidnap Zack so that Jake will pay his debt. As things sometimes go when you don’t fully think about your plan, Johnny finds himself in a pickle, and now instead of just a person dealing drugs, he’s also a kidnapper.

Johnny assigns Frankie to take care of Zack, so of course Frankie invites some people over to party, the girls think it is cool that Zack is “Stolen Boy,” and Zack is having a pretty good time smoking pot, getting drunk, being “cool,” losing his virginity via a threesome in a pool, and figuring he would ride this out until his brother pays his debt, and all will be well. But little does Zack know that Jake, rather than just pay off his debt, intends to kill Johnny, Johnny is now freaked realizing kidnapping can lead to life in prison, and of course Johnny thinks his easiest course of action is to have one of his buddies kill Zack and leave him in a shallow grave, even though everyone and their aunt and uncle knows Johnny kidnapped Zack, and has partied with Zack.

I found “Alpha Dog” a really good movie, tapping into a world of people most of us wouldn’t have far to understand where the kids went wrong thanks mostly to some of the worst parenting out there. The sad thing about “Alpha Dog” is that it is based on some true events. Sure, I’m not exactly sure what was real, and what was Hollywood fantasy, but there were two scenes in the movie that really stuck in my head. One was Frankie, truly torn between his loyalty to Johnny and his liking Zack and wishing Zack would just go back home. In the scene, knowing the fate that awaits Zack, Frankie tries to get Zack to go to the corner store for him, possibly getting Zack out of the apartment long enough to keep him from getting offed. But Zack doesn’t to go, enjoying just relaxing and watching “Austin Powers” on the TV. The other scene is Zack, being driven to what he thinks is back home, talking to Frankie about how he thinks he might change his life, and maybe appreciate his mom more.

What works in “Alpha Dog” isn’t just a great story, but the performances by everyone were fantastic, and yes, especially Justin Timberlake. In the end it’s really a sad story, especially for Zack who, for a few days, enjoyed being cool, even impressing Frankie with his fighting skills, and losing his virginity with two cute dudettes. Then he finds himself dead, when sadly, if Johnny had just listened to his dad, Zack might have been able to learn to play guitar like he wanted to, and Johnny’s friends might have been able to avoid life, and even death sentences, for the kidnapping.

I liked “Alpha Dog,” but it might not be your cup of tea. It’s violent, it’s got sex, it’s really a sad story, but in the end I was gripped with the story and give it 4 stars out of 5.

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

Along Came A Spider

MPAA Rated – R
It’s 1:43 Long
A Review by:
– The Dude on the Right

Along Came a Spider Movie Stats & Links
Starring:	Morgan Freeman, Monica Potter, Michael Wincott
MPAA Rated:	R
Released By:	Paramount Pictures
Kiddie Movie:	Too adult. Leave them at home.
Date Movie:
Gratuitous Sex:	Nah.
Gratuitous Violence:	Some pretty gruesome killings.
Action:	A good chase here and there.
Laughs:	Nah.
Memorable Scene:	The ending.
Memorable Quote:	None.
Directed By:	Lee Tamahori
Produced By:	David Brown, Joe Wizan

Sometimes you go and see a movie and you leave going “Hmm, that was a pretty good movie.” Not “Wow,” not “Oh my God,” just “Hmm.” Such was the case of “Along Came a Spider” for me.

After seeing a series of movies that showed I’m too easily amused, it was good to see a movie that I could appreciate for just being a good action/drama. “Along Came a Spider” teams Morgan Freeman as Alex Cross, a good investigator brooding about the loss of his partner, with Monica Potter as Jezzie Flannigan, a secret service agent that let the girl she was protecting get kidnapped. Alex wouldn’t have anything to do with the kidnapping except that the kidnapper brings him in by leaving him some clues. And so the chase is on. Alex takes Jezzie under his wing because she feels like she screwed up but Alex sees her as a valuable ally because she could help profile the kidnapper (it was the teacher at the school where the little girl went – don’t worry, I’m not giving any important plot points away, this is part of the story).

Not the greatest of suspense films, there have been better, but “Along Came a Spider” does a good job of leading you through Alex’s investigative process and the relationship he develops with Jezzie. But the movie does have some flaws, like some too obvious foreshadowing of a couple of plot points, although also does a great job of mixing up how you might perceive the movie to end.

I can’t go into the story much more without giving too many things away. Freeman does a great job as Alex Cross, trying to put the pieces together, and Potter is good as the innocent secret service agent, but there is some lack of thrill that had it been there, it could have gone right up there with some of the great movies of this type. This one ends up being just a “Hmm, that was a pretty good movie” and with that a “Hmm” movie gets 3 stars out of 5 from me. Even so, if you’re looking for a nice thriller, go see “Along With a Spider” and you’ll get a “Hmm” too, or maybe a little better.

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

The Adventures of Pluto Nash

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

The Adventures of Pluto Nash Movie Stats & Links
Starring:	Eddie Murphy, Rosario Dawson, Jay Mohr, Randy Quaid, Joe Pantoliano, Illeana Douglas, Pam Grier
MPAA Rated:	R
Released By:	Warner Bros.
Directed By:	Ron Underwood
Produced By:	Martin Bregman, Michael Scott Bregman, Louis A. Stroller

Sometimes I wonder about Eddie Murphy. He’s such a great comic, and then he puts himself in something like “The Adventures of Pluto Nash.” The movie looks like it’s geared for kids, but being rated PG-13 for violence, sexual humor, and language is not a good sign.

It seems, for this one, that somehow Pluto Nash (Eddie Murphy) owns a nightclub on the moon. The mob wants to buy it, he doesn’t want to sell it, and somehow Pluto will probably save the day.

This movie has been on hold for too long for it to probably be good. There’s not much publicity for this especially for it being an Eddie Murphy picture, and from the initial words I’ve read this is pretty much crap and should go strait to video. I would probably suggest you wait until your friend sees it and tells you it is great before spending your bucks on this one. Too bad for what looks to be a great cast.

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

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice

An excerpt from The Dude on the Right’s review of The Sorcerer’s Apprentice on Blu-ray…

In terms of movies, I thought “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” was a good movie, especially for the getting-a-little-older kid crowd. It had excitement, it had a little bit of love, it had great effects, and I love Nicolas Cage in that kind of role. The only problem I did have, and sorry Jay, but Jay Baruchel as Dave didn’t seem like a good fit for the role. I wish I great reason why, but unfortunately the only thing I have to go with was in talking with my BFF while we were watching the movie and saying I didn’t like the kid playing Dave, to which she agreed and said he seemed like a young Garry Shandling.

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice

MPAA Rated – PG
It’s 1:49 Long
A Review by:
– The Dude on the Right

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice Movie Stats & Links
Starring:	Nicolas Cage, Jay Baruchel, Alfred Molina
MPAA Rated:	PG
Released By:	Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
Kiddie Movie:	Not too young, and probably better for the closer-to-teen-group.
Date Movie:	My BFF liked it, so go ahead and snuggle.
Gratuitous Sex:	Nah.
Gratuitous Violence:	Lots of flying lightning bolts.
Action:	There is some chasing.
Laughs:	Quite a few chuckles.
Memorable Scene:	I like anything with Tesla coils.
Memorable Quote:	Nothing really.
Directed By:	Jon Turteltaub

The good that I liked about “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice:” I like Nicolas Cage in that kind of role, and the effects were great.

The not-so-great-but-not-really-bad about “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice:” I didn’t think Jay Baruchel was a good fit for the role of Dave, a.k.a. The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, and neither did my buddy Stu Gotz who saw the movie in the theater, and neither did my BFF, who thought that he seemed like a young Garry Shandling, which normally isn’t a bad thing, just not for this role.

So let’s get to the movie first…

In “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” we get Nicolas Cage as Balthazar. In the old days, namely back in the 700’s, he’s an apprentice of the great wizard, Merlin, along with a few others. He’s also in love with Veronica (Monica Bellucci). But there is badness in wizard world, and Morgana (Alice Krige) goes after Merlin and wants to take over the world, but Balthazar and Veronica won’t have any of it, and in order to save humanity Veronica sacrifices herself and ends up in a jar, trapped for eternity with the soul of Morgana, or something like that. In any case, on his deathbed, or deathfloor I guess it really was, Merlin gives Balthazar a little dragon and tells Balth that the dragon will tell Balth who will be the next wizard person who can finally defeat Morgana, at which time it will be safe to let Morgana out because the chosen one has been found.

Enter almost present day… and here’s Dave as a young boy, having the little boy hots for a young girl, Becky, and a note back from Becky leads Dave on a wild good chase to Balthazar’s shop, and his destiny, only an accident gives him the reputation as a boy who pees his pants.

Enter present day… Dave’s back! Balthazar and some other magician/wizard type dude, Maxim (Alfred Molina), are let out of the vase they stuck themselves in (it makes sense in the context of the movie), Balthazar convinces Dave that Dave is the apprentice and they must find the jar his love is trapped in, in order to save the world, and Maxim also wants the jar so that he can let out Morgana and us mere mortals of human-kind can suffer at the will of Morgana. Whew.

And so, along the way, there is much peril as Maxim tries to get the jar, beat up Balthazar, and kill Dave, there is also some love as Dave still has the hots for Becky and Balthazar has the hots for his love stuck in the jar, and there is a lot of cool training and effects as, well, this is a movie about a Sorcerer’s apprentice which lends itself to things flying and lightning bolts sparking.

As far as the Blu-ray special stuff goes, there is a ton of “making of” bonus features, from the clothing to the car, as well as trying to link he science involved with some of the movie. As usual the deleted scenes were fine being deleted, and I’ve got to think there were better bloopers, but the montage feature was pretty lame. But the Blu-ray more for the fact that the movie looks great in Blu-ray, unless you are really a geeky fan, in which case some of the “making of” stuff will cause you to go back and re-watch for true geekiness!

3 ½ stars out of 5 for “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice,” it look great on Blu-ray, and for the fan there are enough “making of” stuff to make them happy as well.

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

The Sound of Music – 45th Anniversary Edition

MPAA Rated – G
It’s 2:55 Long
A Review by:
– The Dude on the Right

The Sound of Music Movie Stats & Links
Starring:	Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer
MPAA Rated:	G
Released By:	20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
Kiddie Movie:	Good for the whole family!
Date Movie:	Unless she likes lots of violence and nudity.
Gratuitous Sex:	Nope.
Gratuitous Violence:	Hinted.
Action:	Nah.
Laughs:	Some chuckles.
Memorable Scene:	Yes, you can sing-a-long to everything.
Memorable Quote:	Nothing stands out.
Directed By:	Roger Wise

Generally I’m not a fan of Blu-ray extras. Why? Because many a time they are useless add-ons, too complicated to play, or just seem like they are put there to make you feel better for spending extra bucks. This is definitely not the case with the 45th Anniversary Edition of “The Sound of Music” because, for a change, I thought they were a great addition, a real reason to upgrade to the Blu-ray generation if you’ve been waiting to do so, and the movie looks great, too.

I don’t know if I really have to explain the story of “The Sound of Music,” but the basic of this classic is simply that it tells the adapted for stage and screen story of the Von Trapp family, living their lives in Austria at the time Hitler is starting his rise. Maria (Julie Andres) ends up out of the convent and at the household to take care of the Von Trapp children while Dad Von Trapp (Christopher Plummer) attends to his Captain duties. Meanwhile, the good Captain is sweet on The Baroness (Eleanor Parker). While Maria works on taming the children and helping them learn to sing, she falls for the Captain, the Captain falls for her, the children love Maria, they become a family, and Hitler becomes a monster (though we don’t really see this part).

Torn between his duty and his family, we know how the good Captain wants to live his life, the Von Trapp singers woo a crowd, and freedom is right across the mountains.

Look, everyone knows this classic, even me, now, as for years I had never seen the movie in its entirety until I met my BFF (She loves the movie – and rightly so), and yes, even I think it’s a classic. Any other release of this movie would just lend itself to a “Yup, it’s a classic, go ahead and get the disc so you can watch it whenever the feeling strikes you,” but this Blu-ray release lends itself to, if you are any kind of fan of “The Sound of Music,” to full-blown Blu-rayness. For one, combine the Blu-ray player with your way-cool big screen that you are getting this Christmas, and this movie just looks great. It’s a scenic masterpiece to begin with, so put those aspects together and you’ll love the movie even more.

Along with its looking good-ness, the Blu-ray extras don’t stop there. Nope, you also get a sing-a-long track – adding the lyrics to all of the songs as the movie plays (Sure, you may think you know all of the words, but give it a shot!), a trivia track that gives you lots of little tidbits about the movie and the people involved, and some fun photos from while the movie was being made. Then, if that isn’t enough, there is a second Blu-ray disc with even more, like a very detailed “Making of” which also talks about the stage version, and also a nice feature on the Von Trapp family. Here is also where you will find more stuff about Rodgers and Hammerstein, screen tests, and more.

And yes, I know there is a basic DVD for those of you who still have one of those, so that’s nice, and it does give you some sing-a-long goodness along with some more, but for full 5 star out of 5-ness, the Blu-ray with your widescreen TV is really the way to go for this bundle.

And finally, for the uber-fan, the Collector’s Set gives you all of the DVD’s, but also the soundtrack, a 100 page scrapbook, a reproduction of the 1965 Souvenir program, and a letter of authenticity so you can bag to your “The Sound of Music” friends.

Look, in any case, if you have ever found yourself singing “The hills are alive, with the sound of music,” even in jest, this 45th Anniversary edition finally does a special release right by giving you tons of extras that you might actually watch, but most importantly, giving you a great looking version of the movie that yes, instead of renting, if you are a fan, you should really buy it.

I know I sound like a commercial, but for a change I really like a Blu-ray set, liked all of the extras even if I’m not an uber-fan of the movie, and think this release is really worth it for movie history.

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

The Accidental Husband

MPAA Rated – PG-13
It’s?:?? Long
A Preview by:
– The Dude on the Right

The Accidental Husband Movie Stats & Links
Starring:	Uma Thurman, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Colin Firth, Sam Shepard, Isabella Rossellini, Lindsay Sloane, Justina Machado
MPAA Rated:	PG-13
Released By:	Yari Film Group
Directed By:	Griffin Dunne
Produced By:	Jennifer Todd, Suzanne Todd, Jason Blum, Uma Thurman, Bob Yari, Anthony Katagas

I guess this might be a slightly more original take on the marriage movie genre, but in the end I’ll guess will have to wait and see. Anyway, the basic premise of “The Accidental Husband” has Emma (Uma Thurman) as a radio host who gives relationship advice. Patrick (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) is ready to marry, only his fiancé breaks it off after listening to Emma’s advice. Pissed at Emma, and wanting to get some payback, and with Emma about to marry her Mr. Perfect, Richard (Coling Firth), Patrick concocts already being married to Emma to mess with her life. Yup, you can guess it, and the trailer shows it, that what starts as simple payback turns into Patrick falling for Emma and Emma falling for Patrick. We know that eventually the truth has to come out, Emma will probably be furious with Patrick, and the only thing to find out is if the movie ends in romantic comedy fashion with Patrick being able to win Emma back.

I’m an Uma Thurman fan, I like a decent romantic comedy, and this one does look to have at least a slightly different twist, so I’ll probably do my best to catch it.

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

Accepted

MPAA Rated – PG-13
It’s1:30 Long
A Review by:
– The Dude on the Right

Accepted Movie Stats & Links
Starring:	Justin Long, Lewis Black, Johah Hill, Blake Lively, Maria Thayer, Columbus Short
MPAA Rated:	PG-13
Released By:	Universal Pictures
Kiddie Movie:	Lots of use of the SHIT moniker.
Date Movie:	Only if she enjoys childish humor.
Gratuitous Sex:	Lots of skimpy outfits.
Gratuitous Violence:	Nah.
Action:	Nah.
Laughs:	A few.
Memorable Scene:	Uncle Ben as the college Dean in front of Bartleby’s parents.
Memorable Quote:	Uncle Ben: “What’s wrong with saying ‘Nice tits.’?”
Directed By:	Steve Pink
Produced By:	Michael Bostick, Tom Shadyac

I suppose I’ll just hit you with the story for “Accepted” and then give more a commentary rather than if the movie is any good. Here’s the story…

Justin Long is Bartleby, or as his friends call him, “B.” He’s graduating high school, where he comes across as one of those “too smart for their own good but doesn’t pay enough attention in class to get the grades” students. Sadly for Bartleby, he applies for eight colleges and gets rejected by all of them. His parents now feel he is a loser, some of his friends are in the same predicament, and to appease his folks for a spell he creates the fictional “South Harmon Institute of Technology.” Yup, SHIT. He gets his buddy Sherman (Johah Hill) to build a fake website so his dad will actually think he got into college, dad buys it, even giving him the $10,000 tuition. Bartleby thinks he has duped his dad, but now mom and dad want to drop him off at school and meet the Dean. What to do? Well Bartleby, with the help of his friends who have also found themselves accepted to SHIT, lease an old psychiatric hospital, clean it up a little bit, and even convince Sherman’s wacky Uncle Ben (Lewis Black), to pretend he is the Dean. With his parent’s fully duped, Bartleby and his friends think they have the next few months to figure out what to do next, that is until it turns out Sherman made the website a little too functional, and a slew of loser-type folks show up at the doors of SHIT, with checks for tuition in hand. Not wanting to turn them away, Bartleby, after do some investigating at the real Harmon College, decides that if you are going to SHIT, you will decide what you want to learn, and how you want to learn it.

And college life is going well for our loser-types, especially at this school, but things can never be that easy as the bullies at Harmon College want to close down SHIT, and they figure out a way. But the SHITheads band together, and all live happily ever after.

Pretty much the movie tries to pit the loser-type folks against the hoity-toity folks at Harmon (which wants really to be Harvard), and tests the long-term friendships developed since who knows when.

“Accepted” had a great premise, creating a college where you can major in anything you want, even if that is a class that might be about how to be a good kisser, or another titled “Wingman-ing 101.” So pretty much you are spending tuition dollars to find yourself rather than have someone else tell you what you should be. And you have a killer time. The problem with the movie, and maybe there will be the unrated version when it hits the DVD market, but here is a movie about maybe the greatest college ever, but it’s a PG-13 college. Your target market is pretty much the 17 to 22 year old crowd, and yet no one gets naked. And you are stuck with the PG-13 rule of only dropping the f-bomb once, complete with the second occurrence by Uncle Ben being bleeped out. Sure, by keeping it PG-13, now the younger ones can see the film, but I’m guessing most high-school freshmen and sophomores can’t relate yet where there are going to spend their post high-school time partying. The movie just couldn’t push the envelope of being a college movie near-classic, on par with a “Revenge of the Nerds,” “Road Trip,” or even “EuroTrip,” first off simply because it got lost in PG-13 muck, and I would have actually preferred they show what some of the more creative classes like “Wingman-ing 101” were actually like. That would have had more potential than the typical “us versus the frat boys” story.

I did laugh a few times during “Accepted,” especially during a lot of Uncle Ben’s rants, but man, I think the movie folks really dropped the ball on this one by leaving it for the younger teen crowd. Personally I think they should have “R”’d it up, opened it in September when the college kids are back, and publicize the hell out of it to them.

Oh well, I’ll just wrap it up by saying “Accepted” as a PG-13 movie gets 2 stars out of 5. If they had ramped it up to the R side, it could have easily gotten 3 ½ or more.

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