Boomerang (1992)

Review #1642: Boomerang.

Cast: 

Eddie Murphy (Marcus Graham), Robin Givens (Jacqueline Broyer), Halle Berry (Angela Lewis), David Alan Grier (Gerard Jackson), Martin Lawrence (Tyler Hawkins), Grace Jones (Helen Strangé), Geoffrey Holder (Nelson), Eartha Kitt (Lady Eloise), Chris Rock (Bony T), Tisha Campbell (Yvonne), Lela Rochon (Christie), and John Witherspoon (Mr. Jackson) Directed by Reginald Hudlin.

Review: 

"We wanted to tell stories that hadn’t been told yet. And for black audiences, they were like, “Oh my god, this is crazy — this is my actual life, and I’ve never seen that [on screen] before!”

Not many films exist where one could split the cast in half and have two decent potential films. This is exactly one of those films, particularly with the trajectories to come for a significant portion of its cast, whether involving film stars, television regulars, and futures in between. Think about it: You have a prime star in Murphy, who hadn't had a failure yet with audiences (critics is a different story, but who's counting?), and you have folks that were near the point of stardom with Berry, which goes right with television players in Grier, Lawrence, and Rock. One can't forget about the director in all of this. This was the second film of Reginald Hudlin, who had started his pursuit of filmmaking with study at Harvard University, as his eventual first film came from his thesis project short film in House Party, based on his experiences growing up in Illinois. He made the film alongside his brother Warrington (an occasional documentary maker who served as producer), and House Party (1990) turned out to be a huge hit, one that Hudlin found to be a take on films like American Graffiti and Risky Business but with a black focus. Shortly after that, he was sent a script by Murphy that dealt with a playboy that gets involved with a man-eater just like him. He responded to it well from the very get-go, liking that type of romantic comedy that Murphy had yet to really do for himself (Coming to America sort of did this, but that one also had Murphy play a whole bunch of characters). In short, Murphy wanted someone to help him do a film where he could be his whole self, not just a persona. This was the fifth film that Murphy would contribute in the writing department. He wrote the story while David Sheffield and Barry W. Blaustein (who wrote for Saturday Night Live during Murphy's tenure) did the screenplay (which occurred before with Coming to America four years prior). Believe it or not, the film did not have its original ending in the script retained for the final finish. It was originally supposed to end after the scene with the three friends (Murphy, Grier, Lawrence) reconciling on a rooftop, with no closing sequence involving romance, but Hudlin was convinced to make an ending where there had to be a definitive decision (this is a rom-com after all).

With a budget of $42 million, the film managed to pull in audience returns that were triple of the budget. I sure can see why, because I found it to be a fairly enjoyable rom-com, one that while predictable is at the very least interested in making a breezy film involving love and friendship with a few gags in between. Between this and Harlem Nights, it might prove a worthy double-header of films I liked that don't have as much attention to them as they probably should - one was a bit understated in its attempts at crime comedy, while this has some raunchy moments without becoming a parody of itself that I found pretty interesting, even if its 117 minute run-time (which incidentally matches the other film) could be a bit too much. In this sense, I think Murphy pulls off a well-to-do performance, mostly because his self-satisfied charisma seems more interesting to sit through than if it was just a role to make faces and instead play a rendition of Cary Grant, albeit for the 1990s. He proves to be quite interesting his contrasting sequences of pursuit with Givens or Berry, showing tenderness in its varied forms when looking at the prism of love. Givens (whose biggest role to that point was five seasons on Head of the Class starting in 1986) proves a formidable match. She plays the role with carefree confidence, one that springs to mind similarity to her counterpart co-star with cool detached spirit that works to what is needed without being treated for a silly gag or a moral handwave. Berry (in her fourth film role, having entered show business in 1989) seals the triangle of romance with grace and warmth that resonates well for some charming little moments. When it comes to the triangle of friends, Murphy, Grier, and Lawrence do pretty well with what is needed, for which the latter two play foils in their own respective ways. Grier (best known for Streamers and In Living Color) plays the square aspect with reason and fair timing to go with interesting moments, one of which involving the typical (at least for some...) embarrassing family Thanksgiving dinner with one-scene wonder Witherspoon. Lawrence (who had been featured in House Party while having his own sitcom premiere a month after the release of this film) proves quite spry in parts, such as one sequence involving pool and racial nature due to the the color of the balls used in the game that is a pretty good rant. As for Jones, the role she plays is one written specifically for herself (with nobody else in mind for the role). With a chance to do a few wild things that start with a great entrance, she does quite well in showing commitment to the parody, never quite winking at the camera but also not missing a chance to have fun at the same time, and Kitt also reflects that side of the coin as well in smaller portions (she had accepted the role after the script toned down some of the bawdier aspects of the role). To top it off, you have a right-at-home Holder playing a Dali imitation while Rock and Campbell play peanut gallery jokes to Murphy that land fine. On the whole, one will know where they are going pretty quickly with a film involving a lesson about one's place in commitment and honesty between loved ones that makes it worth the ride. It certainly pulled a ride worthy enough for its own television series, which was created for airing on BET (with Berry as an executive producer) over two decades after the release of the film that ran for two seasons. On the whole, I found this to be a fair gem in the aisle of romantic comedies, packed with a game cast that clearly seems to be in their element that overrides any detours of overwrought narratives or outdated notions to make for a fine time for those in the mindset for a fresh director and an established star trying to branch out. 

Next Time - No introduction necessary. Malcolm X.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

Monster's Ball.

Review #1530: Monster's Ball.

Cast: 
Billy Bob Thornton (Hank Grotowski), Halle Berry (Leticia Musgrove), Heath Ledger (Sonny Grotowski), Peter Boyle (Buck Grotowski), Coronji Calhoun (Tyrell Musgrove), Sean Combs (Lawrence Musgrove), Mos Def (Ryrus Cooper), Charles Cowan Jr. (Willie Cooper), and Taylor LaGrange (Darryl Cooper) Directed by Marc Forster (#384 - Quantum of Solace, #542 - World War Z, and #883 - The Kite Runner)

Review: 
"She came in and said ‘I know you guys don’t want me in this movie. You think I’m just a big pretty face, but I want this part.’ And she proved everybody wrong who thought that maybe she couldn’t do it.”

It can be a wonderous thing for a film to come together if the parts all sum themselves together to one good whole. The genesis for this film came from actors-turned-writers Milo Addica and Will Rokos. The two had written a draft by 1996, with the intent of finding interest from people they knew in the business while also angling for a small part themselves. The following five years was a parade of studio and writer struggles - while it attracted various stars in interest such as Sean Penn, it was mired in development over potentially lightening the script (including having one of the characters live rather than die) while the writing partnership between Addica and Rokos ended due to creative differences. Despite this, the film eventually came along with Lionsgate Films that had Lee Daniels (formerly a casting director and manager) as first-time producer. This was the third career work of Forster, raised in West Germany and Switzerland before deciding to do his studies in film with New York and its state university. Loungers (1995) was done on a cheap budget at the age of 26, but it was Everything Put Together (2000) that received attention from festivals and Daniels that helped Forster get his break.

"Monster's Ball" apparently refers to an old English term about a condemned man's old meal and his last night before execution in which his jailers threw him a "ball". But titles aren't everything in a movie, particularly when it comes to a film about desperate people and the bond that they share with each other despite all the odds, whether that means a cycle of violence or something else lurking deep in the surface. It is a dreary movie filled with people that nevertheless live in their surroundings with spoken and unspoken pain that does well with small-scale settings for raw intimacy that very much seems like it came from a novel of tragedy. It won't exactly hit all of the high points with emotional depth for everyone, and it may very well push itself to the limit at 111 minutes, but I generally liked what I saw in how it sticks to uncompromising melodrama with a fairly dynamite cast to go alongside it. Thornton leads the film quite well, weary and involving in a progression that hints at some form of redemption without necessarily becoming a caricature, instead finding himself wrapped between regret and moving on from it. Berry proves just as capable in delivering range of vulnerability and raw energy that makes for a great performance, one that invites a pondering of the soul in terms of what it means to be compelled to feel again, or to just feel something more than what has been felt before. Ledger doesn't have too many scenes, but he does make the most of it with tenderness that make a striking punch with Thornton, which make for a neatly wrapped ball of anguish. Boyle provides venomous conviction with his moments on-screen that work to where the film needs to go with a wince for what we don't see. What we have here is an executioner's song of nuance and hard-grained efficiency that touches upon what it means to lose someone and find something to reach upon without becoming infused with sentiment or movie hokum. This is especially true with the ending, which closes some of its loose ends while weaving an end for the audience to interpret for themselves in its true meaning. As an accomplishment for independent filmmaking, this is a stark film that one can't go wrong on if one is in the mindset for what it aspires to show in drama, complete with a well-picked cast to make things happen with honesty.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

Bulworth.

Review #1518: Bulworth.

Cast: 
Warren Beatty (Senator Jay Bulworth), Halle Berry (Nina), Oliver Platt (Dennis Murphy), Don Cheadle (L.D.), Paul Sorvino (Graham Crockett), Jack Warden (Eddie Davers), Isaiah Washington (Darnell), Christine Baranski (Constance Bulworth), and Amiri Baraka (Rastaman) Directed by Warren Beatty (#205 - Dick Tracy)

Review: 
"I think it’s crazy to take what aspires to be a work of art and loquaciously expand on what you think about it. Ideally you’d like a movie to speak for itself. It’s like giving subtitles to one, two or three years of work. But nowadays it’s such a mass medium you have to. Especially if you make very few films."

It is hard to state how much responsibility one can really have on a film if they have enough self-confidence and control in oneself to back themselves up. Warren Beatty certainly belongs in that category. By the time the New Hollywood era rolled around in the late 1960s, he had already worked with numerous respected directors while eventually growing an interest in becoming more than just a star in a production, such as producing the hit Bonnie and Clyde (1967). In a film career that started in 1961, he has starred in 23 films (with considerable time spent in other interests such as family), while also serving as producer on ten of them, directing six of them (starting with Heaven Can Wait in 1978) and writing for five (he does all three for this film). He has made his films his own way to his own interests like a good director does that has received quite a deal of attention, such as an Academy Award for Best Director with Reds (1981) and an Irving G. Thalberg Award (meant to honor creative producers such as him) in 1999.

One can only imagine what kind of film can be made on the pitch Beatty had for the film: "A man is depressed, makes a deal for life insurance, takes a hit out on his life, then falls in love with a girl, changes his mind and tries to call the whole thing off.” It only was after he was given the green light to go with it that led to what he wanted beyond that pitch (in other words, a lost idealist finding the words to what he really wants to say to everybody that involve race relations and class disparity). Beatty sought others who helped him in the past with ideas, such as James Toback (writer on Bugsy) and Jeremy Pikser (previously a historical consultant on Reds and credited co-writer on this film with Beatty) while Aaron Sorkin reportedly did a re-write on the script, and the approach of hip-hop came about because of Beatty favoring it as a "great comic contrast." In a way, I had to resist my first instincts when it came to approaching the film. It definitely is a strange film in terms of tone that will either seem really dated or somehow fairly prescient in what it means to society as a message film that verges away from others of its type by going off the rails at certain points with humor. It is an acrid film, one that argues for one to find the spirit in them to rise above market research and go against the grain to speak the straight truth - no matter how it may come out to some in its clash of ideal and compromise. Is it a prescient film about the nature of straight-talking politicians? I don't know if I would go that far (because just saying "It's the film for [current year] politics" is complete hokum), but it definitely has a bit of meaningful sting as a wakeup call of sorts for what matters most: Stick to the issues and just money compromises (whether Democrat or not). It certainly isn't perfect by any means, but I did find myself soon enjoying its attempts at satire that hit more often in striking lines with a beat towards the present without becoming too dated in outlandish histrionics.

One might come to see Beatty have his share of dialogue in rap, but they will generally also stay to see him engage in some straight charisma that will rally some insight alongside some decent timing that never seems too buffoonish, although the romance is debatable. His little jabs at everyone along the way in talking facts (or at least straight-edge ones for 1998, like supporting single-payer healthcare), for better or worse. Berry provides some intrigue, although really they seem more suited as a counteract than anything involving romance mostly because it also just happens to be interlocked with this assassin stuff very disjointedly - she has a good sense of careful charm while playing against a beleaguered (or perhaps strange) Beatty. Platt plays the sniveling type that surely was meant to be an amusing supporting counterpart to management, which he does fine despite not really being that funny (one almost would rather see a criminally underused Warden in that role instead). Cheadle makes fragmented appearances that likely deserves more to really do, which can be reflected with a just as quiet Sorvino in their deep presences within certain interests. On the whole, its first half seems more suited to more interesting moments of farce and perhaps some insight moreso than the stranger (if not still curious) second half that trades in a suit for contemporary clothing and becomes perhaps a bit more hollower than it really believes it should be. I can't say it really kicks in for all of its 108 minutes to be anything more than a passing curiosity of its time, because it really does dwell a bit all over the place, but the rails can go off and still click fine. The ending yearns to inspire a lasting thought about being a ghost with a song to sing for when it comes to saying (and being) what you believe in, and whether the film succeeds in actually generating a push for curiosity about certain aspects of society (race, and I mean more than just asking if you can solve racism by having everybody mix in as one race) is up to how much of it really resonates in the final margin call.

Overall, I give it 7 out of 10 stars.

John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum.

Review #1222: John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum.

Cast: 
Keanu Reeves (John Wick), Ian McShane (Winston), Mark Dacascos (Zero), Laurence Fishburne (The Bowery King), Asia Kate Dillon (Adjudicator of the High Table), Halle Berry (Sofia), Lance Reddick (Charon), Anjelica Huston (The Director), Saïd Taghmaoui (The Elder), and Jerome Flynn (Berrada) Directed by Chad Stahelski (#905 - John Wick and #906 - John Wick: Chapter 2)

Review: 
It goes without saying that these have proved to be entertaining movies to sit through. They have plenty of action to go around, along with good pacing and a fairly well-thought-out story that makes these more than the mindless entertainment pieces that they might have been under lesser hands. It certainly seems like Reeves is having a great time with this role, having plenty of discipline when dealing with a glut of action sequences and a fair bit of plot without seeming lost in the background. This remains true here, with no real sense of stopping the ride of entertainment in sight (after all, a sequel was announced not long after this film's release), and I certainly can't wait to see where they want to go from here. Stahelski returns to direct, with screenwriter and story writer Derek Kolstad now being joined by Shay Hatten, Chris Collins and Marc Abrams in the former department, and there is certainly a good degree of consistency from one feature to the next as it continues to do a bit of storytelling beneath just people trying to take down Wick over and over again, remaining energetic with its resemblance to hard-boiled film noir and western types without becoming a parody of them. Sure, the action is the key highlight, but the fact that it doesn't feel overbearing with a run-time of 131 minutes is the underlying part of what makes for a winning experience. When the focus isn't so much on its main character (or more specifically, when it wants to take a breather), at least there is some sort of interesting nature to this world of assassins without blathering on too much. Reeves plays the role with subtle relish as ever, having no trouble at all. Dacascos shines finely in the way an adversary should, fairly agile and imteresting to view when faced with a climax battle. Fishburne goes along with the fun for his moments once again. McShane comes off fairly interesting for his moments on screen, amusing and watchable.  Dillon does fine as a newcomer to the series; the film doesn't really have a big enemy at the end, but at least Dillon manages to play an adversary (a bureaucrat of penance, egads) with smarmy effectiveness that will I surely see again soon. Berry is fine for her time on screen, showing some agility even when not having too much time on screen for the first half. On the whole, the film has plenty of movement and energy to make for a quality thrill ride that keeps up mostly with the quality of the first two without losing the spirit of what makes a film with a force like its title character so fun to be watching. They make for good shows of weapon work, editing and look, but most importantly good shows of people to look around with every now and then.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

Kingsman: The Golden Circle.

Review #994: Kingsman: The Golden Circle.

Cast: 
Colin Firth (Harry Hart / Galahad), Julianne Moore (Poppy Adams), Taron Egerton (Gary "Eggs)" Unwin / Galahad), Mark Strong (Merlin), Halle Berry (Ginger), Elton John (Himself), Channing Tatum (Tequila), Jeff Bridges (Champagne), Pedro Pascal (Whiskey), Edward Holcroft (Charles "Charlie" Hesketh), Hanna Alström (Crown Princess Tilde of Sweden), Poppy Delevingne (Clara Von Gluckfberg), and Bruce Greenwood (The President) Directed by Matthew Vaughn (#042 - X-Men: First Class and #993 - Kingsman: The Secret Service)

Review: 
Sequels always seem like they have to try and live up to the original film, whether by having high stakes or anteing up the action/effects. In the case of this film, there is definitely an attempt at making a bigger piece of extravagant action and violence (complete with an extended Elton John cameo), for better or for worse. It is hard to not compare this film to the first one, and in that comparison this is the weaker installment, not seeming to have much in terms of cleverness, though it does retain most of the charm and style. It doesn't play for any kind of safe territory that other spy films might pull, and it certainly is daring to see the risks that the movie takes, even if it sometimes feels a bit much. Some might term the film's tactics as "overkill", but it definitely has an appeal for someone looking for a movie that will go off the rails and yet still have enough pull from its action sequences and humor to work. If there is any kind of film that this one might remind me of, it would likely be Men in Black II (#212), or even Die Another Day (#174) - take that for what you will.

Firth and Egerton are still a fine duo, even if they don't have that same kind of chemistry as before. Moore proves to be fairly entertaining, and her plan is definitely an interesting one, but I felt that her plot thread nearly went off the rails by the time the climax ended. The Statesman crew are fairly interesting, although they do not have too much screen-time (with Tatum's role feeling like a cameo) as compared to the main Kingsman, with Pascal being the key standout, mostly because he certainly comes off as the most interesting. The rest of the cast is fairly decent, with Strong being a fine highlight. Whether one is a big Elton John fan or not (I have two songs of his in my one of my playlists), he certainly has an interesting presence over the time(s) that he appears in the movie - which can either be charming or tiresome - I found him to be fairly entertaining on the whole. The run-time may be an easy issue for some (141 minutes, as opposed to the original's 129 minute run-time), in part because it may just seem too long for a movie that seems to want to pack in every sort of action and effect it can, which can come off as a bit tedious. The film strives to entertain, and it does on some level succeed in its goal, but whether it comes at the price of competency is up to the viewer to decide. I fall around the middle, it that I know the movie is somewhat inferior to the first film, but I also know that I had a fine time watching it.

Overall, I give it 7 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: X-Men: Days of Future Past.

Review #584: X-Men: Days of Future Past.

Cast
Hugh Jackman (Wolverine), James McAvoy and Patrick Stewart (Charles Xavier/Professor X), Michael Fassbender and Ian McKellen (Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto), Jennifer Lawrence (Mystique), Halle Berry (Storm), Nicholas Hoult and Kelsey Grammer (Hank McCoy/Beast), Ellen Page (Kitty Pryde), Peter Dinklage (Bolivar Trask), Shawn Ashmore (Bobby Drake/Iceman), Omar Sy (Bishop), Daniel Cudmore (Colossus), Evan Peters (Peter Maximoff/Quicksilver), Fan Bingbing (Blink), Adan Canto (Sunspot), Booboo Stewart (Warpath), Josh Helman (William Stryker) and Anna Paquin (Rogue) Directed by Bryan Singer (#008 - X-Men and #010 - X2: X-Men United)

Review
It's been a while since I've reviewed a X-Men film (The two I just listed along with #010 - X-Men: The Last Stand, #042 - X-Men: First Class), but here we are once again. This is a movie that tries to connect two timelines of this franchise and make them work (that and try and fix the problems of X-Men: The Last Stand), with the main connection being Jackman. With such a big cast and such a tall task, does this movie meet up to code? Of course. The movie manages to have good action scenes and a dynamic cast that you (mostly) forget all the confusing aspects of this movie (such as Cyclops being alive, but a quick Internet search always helps), and this is certainly an excellent X-Men film. The cast is good, though I'm still wondering how Cyclops gets more lines (2) then Rogue (0, which is a shame). Quicksilver is such an awesome character that is fun to watch, even if he's in the movie only for a few minutes, as Peters does a fine job overall. McKellen and Stewart don't get much time together, but they are fine as always. McAvoy and Fassbender are marvelous (see what I did there?) together, they work so well against each other, especially McAvoy, whose character undergoes so much change and still rocks a nice haircut. Dinklage does a good job being more than just a bad guy the X-Men fight to stop, and he shines among all the cast. This is a movie that certainly packs a punch when it comes to action, and it is excellent to watch, especially when backed up by a good cast like this. Is it a perfect movie? No, but it is a good, if not excellent comic book movie that certainly works in the right categories.

Overall, I give it 9 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: The Last Boy Scout.

Review #357: The Last Boy Scout.

Cast
Bruce Willis (Joe Hallenbeck), Damon Wayans (James Dix), Noble Willingham (Sheldon Marcone), Taylor Negron (Milo), Danielle Harris (Darian Hallenbeck), Halle Berry (Cory), Chelsea Field (Sarah Hallenbeck), and Bruce McGill (Mike Matthews) Directed by Tony Scott (#029 - Top Gun and #253 - Unstoppable)

Review
This film is like a checklist for action films in some senses. Longtime action star? Check. Second cast member who helps out the first action star? Check. 80s-90s feel? Check. Writer of a previous action film? Check. Director of previous action films? Check. But the last question is: Is it any good? Ehhh...sure. Willis tries his best given the limited range for this character, but I'll certainly say he does better than he did in Hudson Hawk. Wayans does okay, nothing really that special. The rest of the cast is okay, either being over the top or just okay.The action isn't all that bad, it has its moments. The film reminds me of Lethal Weapon, with its small bits of comedy and action sequences, both sharing the same writer, Shane Black, who coincidentally is directing Iron Man 3. It has its moments despite not really being any different from other action films, but it isn't that bad.

Overall, I give it 7 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: Catwoman.

Review #216: Catwoman.

Cast
Halle Berry (Patience Phillips / Catwoman), Benjamin Bratt (Detective Tom Lone), Lambert Wilson (George Hedare), Frances Conroy (Ophelia Powers), Alex Borstein (Sally), Sharon Stone (Laurel Hedare), Michael Massee (Armando), Byron Mann (Wesley), Kim Smith (Drina), and Peter Wingfield (Dr. Ivan Slavicky) Directed by Pitof.

Review
Catwoman has been one of Batman's long running adversaries, and she has been adapted to film before, being played by Julie Newmar, Lee Meriwether, Eartha Kitt, Michelle Pfeiffer, and most recently Anne Hathaway, so it shouldn't be hard to make a good Catwoman film. Shouldn't be. The first flaw is that it is severely dull at times, such as the beginning, where it trudges along slowly. Then the action comes in and it is...pretty boring. It isn't memorable by any means. The acting is meh, not really interesting, the only one who tries is Halle Berry, but not even she can save this film. The film is boring, undeveloped, and unsuccessful in its approach. After 8 years, it still is a big flop. One more question: Who names their kid Patience?

Overall, I give it 2 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: Die Another Day.

Review #174: Die Another Day.

Cast
Pierce Brosnan (James Bond), Halle Berry (Giacinta 'Jinx' Johnson), Toby Stephens (Gustav Graves), Rosamund Pike (Miranda Frost), Rick Yune (Zao), Judi Dench (M), Will Yun Lee (Colonel Moon), Kenneth Tsang (General Moon), John Cleese (Q), and Colin Salmon (Charles Robinson) Directed by Lee Tamahori.

Review
Greetings to any viewer who clicked the link from the review of Kingsman: The Golden Circle. Enjoy this review from 2012, to a movie that fails to live up to the other three Pierce Brosnan James Bond films, mostly because it just doesn't have the right spirit that other Bond films have, feeling more like a souped up version of a Roger Moore Bond film - for better or for worse. 

This is the last film to star Pierce Brosnan, and it is the 20th released on the 40th anniversary in 2002. The film has some of the same charm as the other three, but it is missing one thing: Plot. This film is basically action and just that, ignoring plot for over the top action. The one thing I find worse is the invisible car. Look, there's having high tech spy gadgets, but this is just ridiculous. The only thing more ridiculous is if Bond went to space-Oh, well. Ouch. Brosnan does do a good job as always, along with the others, but the film just doesn't have the spirit most films have. After this, the series would be on hold for 4 more years until a new actor was found. This film will be remembered as one of the middle of the road Bond films.

Overall, I give it 6 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: Robots.

Review #087: Robots.

Cast
Ewan McGregor (Rodney Copperbottom), Halle Berry (Cappy), Greg Kinnear (Phineas T. Ratchet), Mel Brooks (Bigweld), Robin Williams (Fender Pinwheeler), Amanda Bynes (Piper Pinwheeler), Drew Carey (Crank Casey), Jennifer Coolidge (Aunt Fanny), Harland Williams (Lug), Jim Broadbent (Madame Gasket), Dianne Wiest (Lydia Copperbottom), Stanley Tucci (Herb Copperbottom), Natasha Lyonne (Loretta Geargrinder), and Paul Giamatti (Tim the Gate Guard) Directed by Chris Wedge.

Review
The film starts out well, with an innocent plot, simple and standard, yet alright. The last part it gets better, albeit slightly predictable. Yet it's still a decent film. Why? The animation is well done, making it look like a robotic city, impressing you enough to just make you forget about the story a little, and with all the voices they used, it makes you like the film, even if it is short and slightly predictable. This ends Part II of Robot Week.

Overall, I give it 7 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: X-Men: The Last Stand.

Review #012: X-Men: The Last Stand.

Cast
Hugh Jackman (Wolverine), Halle Berry (Storm), Ian McKellen (Magento), Patrick Stewart (Xavier), Famke Janssen (Jean Grey), Anna Paquin (Rouge), Kelsey Grammer (Beast), James Marsden (Cyclops), Rebecca Romijn (Mystique), Shaun Ashmore (Iceman), Ellen Page (Kitty Pryde), and Vinnie Jones (Juggernaut) Directed by Brett Ratner (#305 - Rush Hour and #306 - Rush Hour 2)

Review
Well, the film is shorter then the second one, which gives it less time to make it's plots and points as the film seems a little rushed, though it seems to want to show more characters that end up appearing for a few seconds. The acting is fine, but Vinnie Jones stands out for the meme worthy performance, particularly: "I'm the Juggernaut, bitch!". It's so inane that it makes up for  The characters do great, except for some characters like Angel who are barely in at all, despite being on the cover of the DVD I have. The story is odd for the most part. It seems to come out of nowhere, while conflicting with Jean's arc, which probably would've been a much more interesting story to focus on exclusively.  Overall, the ending is kinda ambiguous, as the film leaves clues about a fourth film (the final scene, the scene after the end credits), though why hasn't there been one? It makes us want more, and that's the problem. It makes you wonder what could have been if they had got a better director for the job.

UPDATE: Thank you X-Men: Days of Future Past, for being a good installment, while also managing to erase a good portion of this film. Of course, that also means the other two films don't count either, but to hell with all of that, I stand by my rating for this film.

Overall, I give 6 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: X2.

Review #010: X2.

Cast
Patrick Stewart (Professor Charles Xavier), Hugh Jackman (Logan / Wolverine), Ian McKellen (Eric Lehnsherr / Magneto), Halle Berry (Ororo Munroe / Storm), Famke Janssen (Jean Grey), James Marsden (Scott Summers / Cyclops), Anna Paquin (Rogue), Rebecca Romijn (Raven Darkholme / Mystique / Grace), Brian Cox (William Stryker), Alan Cumming (Kurt Wagner / Nightcrawler), Bruce Davison (Senator Kelly), Aaron Stanford (John Allerdyce / Pyro), Shawn Ashmore (Bobby Drake / Ice Man), Kelly Hu (Yuriko Oyama / Lady Deathstrike), and Katie Stuart (Shadowcat) Directed by Bryan Singer (#008 - X-Men)

Review
This is the sequel to X-Men (already reviewed two reviews ago) and this might possibly be better then the 1st. It's a longer plot, which allows more depth and detail and it shows with a Plot of complications and heart. The cast does great and all, with good acting from Jackman and Stewart. While I don't approve of having Wolverine having to fight a technically evil version of him, it doesn't make the film have much effects. Anyway, with those things in the way, it's still a good movie, but is the third better? Or worse...?

Overall, I give it an 9 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: X-Men.

Review #008: X-Men.

Cast
Hugh Jackman (Wolverine), Halle Berry (Ororo Monroe/Storm), Patrick Stewart (Xavier/Professor), Ian McKellen (Magento), Anna Paquin (Marie/Rouge), Famke Janssen (Jean Gray), Bruce Davison (Senator Robert Kelly), James Marsden (Scott Summers/Cyclops), Rebecca Romijn (Mystique), Ray Park (Toad) and Tyler Mane (Sabretooth) Directed by Bryan Singer (#010 - X2)

Review
This film is a dramatic film with visuals of coolness that are a good adaption of the comic (With a clever reference to the costumes of the comic) The movie has good acting, especially from Jackman, Stewart, McKellan, and Berry. The action is allright, with the film not having an overload of action to make a film that while not being the most perfect movie, is still an useful film adapation that would make room for the sequels (Review #010, #012, #042)

Overall, I give it 9 out of 10 stars.