Archive for Comedy

Penelope – Movie Review

PenelopeMovie Mama Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Starring: Christina Ricci, Reese Witherspoon, James McAvoy, Catherine O'Hara, Peter Dinklage
Directed By: Mark Palansky
Running Time: 1 hr. 30 min.
MPAA Rating: PG for thematic elements, some innuendo and language.

Because of the Wilhern family's history of unabashed vanity, a curse befalls the family and poor Penelope Wilhern is born with the face of a pig. The only way the curse can be broken is if she finds true love despite her odd features. But Penelope's mother has kept her locked away from the outside world for the past 25 years. The only people allowed to see Penelope are a series of eligible, rich suitors who are interested in the enormous dowry they would receive if they consented to marry her. But after seven years of scaring every suitor away, Penelope decides to give up the search for love and tries to love herself just the way she is.

Penelope is a refreshing, modern fairy tale about growing up and learning to love yourself despite what others may think. It moves rather fast, but the pace is akin to reading a storybook aloud to your child. There is a delightful, surprising twist, plenty of moments to make you laugh, and even a few that might bring a tear to your eye. The acting from James McAvoy, Catherine O'Hara, Peter Dinklage, Simon Woods, and Reese Witherspoon is superb. I even loved Christina Ricci with a pig snout--it's very becoming on her! So if you have a middle school to high school age daughter, or a friend who is a young girl at heart, take her out to see this film. You won't be disappointed.

PROS
Once on her own, Penelope finds friends that stand by her side despite her abnormalities. Although the story line is similar to most fairy tales--a heroine seeking a husband to break a curse--in the end, it is not romantic love that Penelope needs most.

The themes in Penelope will no doubt ring true for every woman in one form or another. We have all been ridiculed, teased, and harassed, and we have all felt inferior for simply being different. Penelope's constant strength and perseverance is refreshing and inspirational. At the end of the film, we find that the moral of the story is not that "it's always the mother's fault," or "rich people stink," but rather "it's not the power of the curse, it's the power you give the curse."

CONS
There is one very brief scary image that gave most of the audience a jump. Most scenes include smoking and drinking and Penelope gets tipsy at one point. Max (James McAvoy) has a gambling problem and we see him gambling on quite a few occasions, but gambling is never glorified in the film and Max gives it up in the end. There are two fleeting sexual innuendoes which will most likely fly over your child's head--one of them flew over mine. At one point, Catherine O'Hara shows quite a bit of cleavage.

OVERALL
I thought Penelope was a delightful change of pace from the usual rubbish that comes out of Hollywood. Cleverly written, directed, and acted, the film is quirky and fun and will appeal to the young girl in all of us.

Megan is the staff family movie reviewer for pluggedinparents.com. For more parenting articles on health and safety, nutrition, baby, money and tech, family life, pets, and movie reviews, visit pluggedinparents.com today!

Popularity: 5% [?]

Semi-Pro Movie Review

Semi ProThis is the latest Will Ferrell film to hit the cinema and like his other films this is a comedy primarily aimed at a teenage audience and it is true much of the audience were teenage men. Will Ferrell plays Jackie Moon a coach, player and owner of the basketball team Flint Tropics. He aims to guide his team to glory and get large enough attendances to stay in the league. This film tries to be the story of the underdog prevailing against all of the challenges that he faces.

Like Mean Machine, The Longest Yard and Dodgeball the ending is predictable but that does not matter. There are some humorous moments as Jackie Moon performs stunts such as fighting a bear to draw in the audiences. However, for me some of the various stunts become tedious though a lot of the teenage audience seemed to be finding certain bits hilarious whether this was for effect or because actually found it funny i do not know. Some of the various insults hurled at each other mean the film warrants a 15 certificate. This film is along the same lines as the highly successful Dodgeball but for me this movie is not even in the same class. While Will Ferrell's performance is not greatly worse than Vince Vaughn the supporting cast really let this film down. The fact Andre 3000 is appearing in this film is indicative of how poor the acting is. Moreover, for a film of this genre the cast is all important as the plot and action are often lacking.

The directing is ok although this is not difficult film to coordinate but the script seriously lets this film down. There are just not enough classic funny lines that people will be saying for years to come like many other films in this genre. The humour is not sophisticated and the plot is easy to follow. I feel that i have lost half of my intelligence by watching this film. The one bit i did find really funny was Will Ferrell with a 70s hairstyle and him wearing basketball shorts. Ultimately, this is certainly not as good as Will Ferrell's other films or even films in this genre.

There was simply not enough humour or plot to keep me interested but some teenage cinema goers they may still enjoy this movie. It is a shame because this film could have potentially been good but it needed a better cast and a much better script. Even if you normally like Will Ferrell's films then you might this like this film but if you do not and if you are over the age of 21 then do not ever see this film!

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A new and unique film review website in which gives both a viewpoint from a male and female perspective. It provides opinions on whether the film is worth seeing as well as important details without spoiling the plot. All the new and up coming films are reviewed by people who have seen the films and try to give true, honest opinions in order to give their audience a genuine idea on whether to spend money on a ticket. By using a unique, never seen before film scale and their simple down to earth reviews it is possible to assess whether a film is worth your money.

Popularity: 4% [?]

I want to first start off by saying that this film is not for children.  They should not be any where around when this movie is playing.  It is for mature adults.  Now that is out of the way, here we go.

I want to start off by saying that this movie is very funny and has crude humor.  I have a little of a sick sense of humor so, take it as you may.  I have not laughed so hard in a while. 

Hats off to Steve Carell who plays a 40 year old virgin who just gave up on have relations with the opposite sex.  These stem from the terrible encounters that he had while in high school and college.  Steve hooks up with a bunch of guys from work and ends up playing cards with them.  Near the end of the card game the guys start talking about there sexual encounter.  What they liked and what they disliked.  Steve joins in by downing and talking about some the guys until the spotlight is put on him.  He tries to fake the funk but is caught out there and found out.  It is from this point the guys make it there mission to get Steve laid.

This movie is definitly a strong rent for friday night.  I don't know if your girl friend would appreciate.  I think any man would appreciate this movie.  Definitly rent this, you will enjoy it.

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Popularity: 5% [?]

Joe Kingman played by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is a self centered, ego centric superstar quarterback who has everything in life. He is rich, a superstar and is about to clinch a championship if he can keep his head in the game. But his superstar lifestyle is interrupted when he learns that he meets his 7-year daughter for the first time. He has to now learn how to become a father, how to keep the team focused and not disappoint his magnificent city and fans.

The Game Plan was not so much a surprised hit for me. I have followed Dwayne movies since he left the WWE and he has always delivered a strong performance with plenty of depth in his parts. This movie was not an exception. Dwayne delivered a heart filled act that left you either rooting or crying in your seat. I loved the scene where the Rock learns how to do ballet. I would not have ever thought I would have seen the Rock do anything like this. But he seems real focused on the task. This turns out to be a great comedy scene with the whole team.

Joe Kingman and Peyton Kelly (Madison Pettis) grow a bond that had me crying in the end. Don’t be surprised if a tear or two roll down your cheek. You will see what I mean when you see it.

I can’t forget to say something about Madison Pettis as Peyton Kelly. As a newcomer Madison had me rolling in the alias with her straight to the point logic. She was quick and was able to hang with everything that Joe Kingman could dish out.

Other supporting cast included Kyra Sedgwick as Joe’s PR manager and Roselyn Sanchez as the ballet coach and eventually a love interest with Joe Kingman. Other supporting casts include Morris Chestnut, Brian White, Gordan Clapp, Jamal Duff and many more.

This is definitely a must see for the whole family. I brought my daughter and 3 sons to see this one and they all enjoyed ever second on the movie. There is a lot of comedy and their aren’t any parts that could be offensive sexually. Cursing, you will not find one bad word in this film. This is truly a Walt Disney movie that will be a classic.

Rated PG - For the whole family

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Popularity: 6% [?]

Grumpy Old Men Movie Review

One of the most superb comedies ever filmed, Grumpy Old Men showcases the multidimensional talents of two of Hollywood's most accomplished actors, Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau. With the additional brilliant comic performance of Burgess Meredith, Grumpy Old Men transforms from a gem of a picture into one of the funniest movies ever made. A sweeping commercial success, the film spawned the sequel Grumpier Old Men - a rare breed of movie that almost lived up to the quality of the original.

In Grumpy Old Men, lifelong friends and neighbors John Gustafson (Jack Lemmon) and Max Goldman (Walter Matthau) trade jibes on a daily basis against the backdrop of the frozen Minnesota tundra. Maintaining a relationship that appears to be nothing more than a give and take of acerbic sarcasm, the two men actually enjoy a strong bond of kinship that has lasted all their lives. Widowed and retired, both men live a confined and comfortable existence, defined by routine ice fishing trips and visits from immediate family.

But John and Max both find new life when a rambunctious vixen named Ariel Truax (Ann-Margret) moves into the neighborhood. Ariel befriends both men who act as if they aren't interested in her because of their inner fears of leaving their comfort zone. It takes the actions of their friend, local fish store owner Chuck (Ossie Davis), to jar the two men from their comfortable, yet boring lives. When Chuck pays a visit to Ariel's house late one night, he rouses the jealousy of both men who instantly transform into competitors for Ariel's affections.

While Max seemingly has the upper-hand in the quest, the tables quickly turn in John's favor when Ariel communicates her feelings during a late night visit to the Gustafson abode… Meanwhile, John's daughter Melanie (Daryl Hannah) and Max's son Jacob (Kevin Pollack) develop a romantic relationship with one another.

With John and Ariel becoming an item themselves, a wedge is further driven between John and Max who continue their feuding unabated. Only a true father can break up these two fighting boys, which John's father does… But will their friendship be ruined forever?

Flooded with countless one-liners, perfect delivery of insults, and an endless number of comic scenes, Grumpy Old Men is one of the most hilarious films you'll ever have the pleasure of enjoying. The onscreen magic between Lemmon and Malthau is unsurpassed by any comedy duo before or since, and the screenplay is expertly written. In fact, the closing credits may actually be more entertaining than the film itself, which is quite an accomplishment. As the credits run the course of the screen, original outtakes from the film are shown. Burgess Meredith steals the show with his matter-of-fact, coarse utterances, such as "Looks like Chuck's gonna' bury his bone!"

With well-timed humor, and the ingenious performances of several Hollywood veterans, it's no surprise that Grumpy Old Men ranks as a definite must-see film. If you haven't seen it, you have no idea what you've been missing. Trust me, you could rent a hundred films before coming across something that's even close to being as funny as this one.

Also See:  Rental Movie

About the Author:

Britt Gillette is author of The DVD Report, a blog where you can find more reviews like this one.

Popularity: 6% [?]

BoratI wish I had something nice to say about this movie.  I wish I could sit down and laugh and give it a review that would give you and anyone else the warm and fuzzies.  But, I can't do that.  This movie was so overboard and had so many gay jokes that it almost made me throw up.  And to think that I actually brought this movie.  I wanted to go back to Walmart and demand a refund.

Don't get me wrong, I like a good joke.  And I would say that I have a worped since of humor but this movie took the cake.  Their is actually a scene were borat fights with someone naked and it looks like they went through every sexual position known to man in a fight!  That one scene had me almost turn this movie off before I could get to the end.  I see way so many people were trying to sue the producers of this movie.  If I was in it I would try to do the same.  This movie does not give a positive light to any individual in it.  And it seems that every joke is durty, no clean jokes here.

I do not recommend this movie, I would not buy it or rent it.  It is not for children and I definitly would not even want my mother to take a look at the movie.  Stay away from this movie...

Rated: R

Runtime: 84 min.

Also See:  Rental Movie

Popularity: 3% [?]

Forest Gump"Forrest Gump" is an amusing tale of a mildly retarded man who ends up meeting three presidents as well as making a fortune and participating in and influencing several key historical events. Tom Hanks does a terrific acting job as Gump. The use of computer graphics imagery (CGI), by which Gump is shown meeting the presidents and Lt. Dan Taylor (Sinise) is made to appear as if his legs have been amputated, is also impressive.

Forrest Gump is born in a small town in Alabama, but he's born mildly retarded and handicapped, for which his legs are put in braces. His mother has frequent guests at her house, including Elvis Presley, before he becomes famous.

Once Forrest starts school, he falls for a blonde classmate named Jenny. Kids at his school pick on him because of his condition, but Jenny tells him to run from them, so he breaks his leg braces and runs as fast as he can, his adversaries unable to catch him.

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The same thing happens to him in high school. This time, however, Forrest ends up running through the football field of the University of Alabama while a game is being played. The coach is so impressed that he puts Forrest on the team and gives him a scholarship, so he gets to attend college. Forrest plays exceptionally well, even getting invited to the White House to meet President Kennedy.

A few years later, Forrest gets drafted and sent to fight in Vietnam. There he meets Bubba, a black man whose family is in the shrimp business. He promises Bubba that he'll go into the shrimping business with him after the war. One day, the platoon is attacked by the Viet Kong and several soldiers become seriously wounded. Forrest carries several of them back, including Lt. Dan Taylor, head of the platoon, who'd had both his legs shot off. Dan is at first very upset with Forrest for saving his life since he now has no legs and he comes from a long line of soldiers who died in combat. Bubba becomes fatally injured.

During the war, Forrest learns to play ping pong and becomes an expert at it. As a result, he gets sent to China to compete and is given $25,000 to endorse a new set of ping pong paddles. President Nixon meets him and puts him up at the Watergate hotel, where Forrest witnesses the Watergate break-in and inadvertently reports it to the front desk, initiating the Watergate scandal.

Forrest uses most of the $25,000 he'd earned from ping pong to buy a shrimping boat and go shrimping with Dan, keeping a promise to Bubba. One day a huge storm hits, resulting in Forrest retrieving a boatful of shrimp. Furthermore, every other shrimping boat gets destroyed in the storm, giving Forrest a monopoly on the shrimp. As a result, Forrest makes a fortune. He gives most of the money to Bubba's mother, though.

Forrest returns to Jenny, whose life has been hell. He becomes intimate with her and wants to marry her, but she refused. Forrest becomes heartbroken and decides to run away. He ends up running continuously for three years, crossing the country several times and attracting a large group of followers. He then gets tired and decides to return home.

Back home, Forrest gets a call from Jenny, who now has a son whom she tells him is his. Forrest and Jenny get married, but she has a fatal disease (presumably AIDS), which she dies from shortly thereafter.

Rated: PG-13

Runtime: 142 min

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About the Author:

Forrest Gump - Dave's Top Movies

Popularity: 4% [?]

White Chicks – A Synopsis

White ChicksThe movie was an action comedy about 2 FBI detectives who were assigned to protect 2 daughters of a wealthy Wilson family from being kidnapped during a high profile Charity party. They were unsuccessful during their first assignment and were at the brink of losing their jobs. Determined to achieve success in their new assignment, the 2 detectives would have done almost anything to keep their job. Adept and well trained in the arts of undercover assignments the 2 FBI agents eventually decided to disguise themselves as the Wilson daughters after a driving incident hoping that the plan would have lead them to the potential kidnappers.

I thought the plot was shallow and the movie was meant to be taken as light entertainment. However, the movie did touch on the issue of satirical racism present in a real world scenario. There was a part in the movie where the two disguised FBI agents were at the front desk of a hotel lobby and their identifications and credit cards were requested from them as in any normal hotel front desk procedure. They were unable to comply with such requests as it would have blown their cover and decided to have a "bitch fit" . They said that they were of high social stature and as rich "white" women they didn’t deserve such "normal" treatment.

More hilarious incidents occurred as the 2 male detectives tried to blend into the lifestyle of the rich and famous for the weekend as the opposite sex and of the opposite "color". Coincidently, the 2 undercover FBI agents found out that they had made headlines in the local newspapers during the series of prestigious events with their new disguises hence fooling everybody including their own FBI chief. Soon, the 2 real women under protection in another hotel were perplexed to see that they were on the newspaper headlines without having attended the party themselves.

Realizing the situation, 2 other agents from the FBI manhandled the Wilson daughters thinking that they were their FBI colleagues in "white" female disguise. An embarrassing incident occurred where the two women were stripped naked resulting in the 2 disguised FBI agents along with their 2 other colleagues being relieved from their duty.

Another humorous part of the movie addressing the same racism issue was when a "black" basketball star commented to one of the FBI agents that he was not allowed to attend the all "white" party because the FBI agent was a "black" man. On the surface it seemed to suggest a racism issue. However, I thought in reality the term "black" and "white" best described in general a social and wealth status of a person instead of direct discrimination of their skin colors.

The movie climaxed when the FBI force, kidnappers, the 2 original women, and the 4 FBI "fired" agents were set on a collision course on the final day of the high profile Charity party that resulted in the capture of the potential kidnappers.

Rated: PG-13

Runtime: 109 min

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About the Author:

Abas Kamal bin Sulaiman is a movie enthusiast minus the ability to produce, act & the desire buy every new release movie DVD. He writes on a variety of movie based topics. Visit http://abassterinternational.blogspot.com

Popularity: 3% [?]

Wild HogsWild Hogs, the tail of middle aged men that are trying to find their identities once again after going through a number of ups and downs.  Wild Hogs starts out with four middle-aged men (Tim Allen, John Travolta, Martin Lawrence, William H. Macy) who decide to make a road trip across the united states from Cincinnati to the Pacific in order to get away from their lives which are leading them nowhere.  Hoping to regain what has been lost though the years the wild hogs find themselves drawn into a mishap with a local motor cycle gang called the "Del Fuegos". The "Del Fuegos" are a mean gang that does not approve of yuppy types from the big city pretending to be hard core bikers.  This interaction eventually turns into a all out war mainly because of a intentional mishap done that not only distroys a number of the "Del Fuegos" bikes but totally destroys their club house.

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Wild hogs is a great movie with a lot of twists.  The cast were able to interact together with not a weak part between anyone of the main characters.  The jokes were appropiate and could be heard by all in the family.  Their was only one part that was very suspect and I would not show to anyone of my children.  Overall, it was a great film for the whole family. 

If you are into biking and the whole outdoors thing as well as comedy then you will love this movie.  Definitly don't miss going to see this movie in the theater.  But if you do miss it.  It will be a great reatal movie or movie buy.

Don't miss  Wild Hogs....

Rated: PG-13

Running Time: 99 min.

Also See:  Rental Movie

Popularity: 3% [?]

Coach (DVD) Review

Nominated for 16 Emmys and 4 Golden Globes, Coach delighted fans of all ages during its celebrated nine-season run. One of the most underrated sitcoms of its era, the series covers the exploits of fictional Minnesota State Screaming Eagles college football coach Hayden Fox (Craig T. Nelson), the quintessential male chauvinist pig. But unlike many of his politically-incorrect brethren, Hayden has a heart of gold. It's this softer side that appeals to successful anchorwoman and girlfriend Christine Armstrong (Shelley Fabares). In the locker room, Hayden is joined by assistant coaches Luther Van Dam (Jerry Van Dyke) and Dauber Dybinski (Bill Fagerbakke), the perfect compliments to the coach's oftentimes sketchy logic. Between his estranged daughter Kelly (Clare Carey), her less-than-manly boyfriend Stuart (Kris Kamm), nagging athletic director Howard Burleigh (Kenneth Kimmins), and ladies basketball coach Judy Watkins (Pam Stone), Hayden is always dispensing sarcasm, trading barbs, or being aggravated by someone.

Craig T. Nelson is brilliant in his portrayal of the opinionated and overbearing, yet multidimensional Hayden Fox. His onscreen rapport with co-star Shelley Fabares creates the believable illusion of a true romance. But Coach boasts a cast replete with star power. The series is given a charming comic angle by the underappreciated and long overdue breakout role of Jerry Van Dyke, brother to Dick Van Dyke, who plays the role of Luther Van Dam, the stuttering and kind-hearted bungling best friend of Hayden. Jerry had a few guest appearances in the decades before Coach that were absolute show stoppers (both The Dick Van Dyke Show and The Andy Griffith Show come to mind), but Coach put his talents to use full-time so all the world could see just how funny this man really is. Overall, Coach is a fun and oftentimes brilliant comedy, and the first few seasons are by far the best. So grab yourself a chair and some official Minnesota State Screaming Eagle merchandise and enjoy watching one of the best comedies of its time...!

The Coach (Season 1) DVD features a number of hilarious episodes including the season premiere "Kelly and the Professor" in which Hayden learns that his daughter Kelly, a student at Minnesota State, recently went out on a date with a professor. The revelation drives Hayden crazy, and he'll go to any lengths to uncover the identity of the guilty faculty member... Other notable episodes from season one include "I'm in Love with a Boy Named Stuart" in which Hayden is introduced to Kelly's new boyfriend, Stuart, his future arch-nemesis, and "I'm Sorry I Told You My Wife Was Dead" in which Hayden compromises his integrity in an effort to coerce a widow into handing over the massive donation her dead husband had promised the Minnesota State football program.

Below is a list of episodes included on the Coach (Season 1) DVD:

Episode 1 (Kelly and the Professor) Air Date: 02-28-1989
Episode 2 (Love Me Tender) Air Date: 03-01-1989
Episode 3 (Kelly, Meet Christine) Air Date: 03-08-1989
Episode 4 (I'm in Love with a Boy Named Stuart) Air Date: 03-15-1989
Episode 5 (The Loss Weekend) Air Date: 03-22-1989
Episode 6 (Gambling for Meat) Air Date: 04-05-1989
Episode 7 (19 Candles) Air Date: 04-12-1989
Episode 8 (Parents' Weekend) Air Date: 04-19-1989
Episode 9 (I'm Sorry I Told You My Wife was Dead) Air Date: 04-26-1989
Episode 10 (Define Romance) Air Date: 05-03-1989
Episode 11 (Whose Team is It, Anyway?) Air Date: 05-17-1989
Episode 12 (Hoot, Hoot Hike) Air Date: 05-31-1989
Episode 13 (Dauber's Blow-Out) Air Date: 06-07-1989

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About the Author:

Britt Gillette is author of The DVD Report, a blog where you can find more reviews like this one of the Coach (DVD).

Popularity: 3% [?]