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Director: Jon Favreau

Starring: Will Ferrell, James Caan, Bob Newhart, Edward Asner, Mary Steenburgen, Zooey Deschanel

This is a fairly typical Will Ferrell feature; silly, over-the-top, but with a gentleness that can win over viewers by the end. The story is simple and is mostly motored by Ferrell’s acting like an oversized third grader experiencing modern NYC for the first time. The feature is helped along by the veteran talents of James Caan, Bob Newhart and Ed Asner.

Will Ferrell is Buddy. The orphan baby, Buddy, grows up as an Elf at The North Pole, but struggles as a full-sized human in an Elf world, and eventually leaves his adopted Elf father (played by Bob Newhart) to find his birth father in NYC. Life in the big city is a lot different than The North Pole, and Buddy struggles with escalators, perfume and pedestrian crossing rules before his finds his father played by James Caan. It all leads to a pleasing conclusion, as every Christmas movie should.

Will Ferrell fans will find this to be a wonderful festive addition to his body of work, but those who have not enjoyed his previous films are unlikely to be won over by this one. Still, as far as formulaic Christmas movies go, you could do worse, so unless Home Alone or Scrooged is on another channel, this one will do.

Director: Chris Miller, Raman Hui (Co-Directed)

Starring: Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, Antonio Banderas, Julie Andrews, Justin Timberlake, Eric Idle

This is the “third” installement of the now supernova, Shrek Franchise. It places our hero as the Ogre who would be king. The story is that Fiona’s Dad, who after all his self realization in the first two movies seems to be okay with living the rest of his soon-to-end life as the frog he actually is, instead of the human form king he led everyone to believe he was for so long. Shrek is having the same inner struggle he has had in every edition so far, and decides that he cannot be king because he is an OGRE (Ogres are not like cake or Parfait). So he, and the ever present “Donkey”(Eddie Murphy), set off with their new pal, Puss, to find the only other living heir (Justin Timberlake). During the first part of the story, you also find out that Fiona(Cameron Diaz) is pregnant (reinsert Shreks previously mentioned struggle only this time about being a father) and the prince charming is pissed off about not getting to marry a princess and become the next king himself (gift wrapped villian). I don’t understand the whole Charming story line though because from what I remember from the first 2 movies, he was never going to marry Fiona which is really the only way he can become king, but, hey, you need a villain, right?

So, good gets temporarily stomped by evil only to realize that good is not completely finished yet. Look out evil because while you were gloating about your win, good hits you over the head with a shovel. Everyone learns something and they all live happily ever after.

I have to say, I went into this movie expecting it to fall into all the familliar trappings of every sequel, same characters and the same old, tired gags (don’t move dirtbag, I’ll be back, add a few yourself). I was pleasantly surprised. The script was very well done. They did what all sequels should do. Let the storylines and characters develop so that the overall series can progress. I really enjoyed the way they have made “Far, Far Away” and absolute satire of Beverly Hills, complete with “Versarchery” and palm tree lined streets. I also really appreciated the way the relationships have changed and developed without losing the integrity of the original dynamic and without sacrificing the brand. Puss in Boots, who Antonia Banderas portrays brilliantly, has now become the co-sidekick. This allows a combination of hilarious Donkey-Puss gags that will keep the kids occupied. It also allows the main relationship between Shrek and Fiona develop without losing the comic relief. There is also a deeper look into the secondary characters like the portrayal of Cinderella, Snow White and Rupunzel and bitchy, catty, stuffy, superficial Paris Hiltonesque socialites who are all about climbing the ladder of the public eye.


This was a very enjoyable 2 hours. A word of caution to parents who are planning to use this as an escape from their 4 year old: The little ones will not get most of the references and you will spend most of the movie saying “be quiet and sit down” while the kids are saying ” WHAT IS GOING ON?? and where is the DONKEY” The Teens and adults will laugh non-stop at the mature content and never-ending mature references, while younger kids will spend the whole time looking forward to the Bee movie with Jerry Seinfeld that previewed before Shrek started.

Director: Steve Bendelak

Starring: Rowan Atkinson, Emma de Caunes, Willem Dafoe, Max Baldry, Karel Roden

Mr. Bean is back to give us ninety minutes of nonsense that is mainly dependent upon physical comedy. This, the second Bean movie, is more European than the first. The movie starts out weak, but does get better as it goes on, though the humor is more likely to elicit a chuckle than a laugh, even among Bean fans, which I admit I am not.

The man with a thousand faces starts out here by winning a trip to Cannes in a church raffle. On his way to the legendary beaches of the Riviera, he ruins the day of a few people before accidentally separating a father and son on their way to Cannes. The hero then tries to help the poor boy, Stepan (Baldry) re-unite with his father and soon has plenty of problems of his own, before he meets an aspiring actress named Sabine (de Caunes) after disrupting American film director, Carson Clay’s (played by Dafoe) film efforts. There is a chicken chase, an opera performance, and a film festival premiere, but most of all, there is constant Bean idiocy and camera mugging that has gained Atkinson millions of fans all over the world.

This film was not to my taste, but my companion, who was a Bean fan, suggested that four stars would be a fair rating. Her assessment, notwithstanding, I went lower than that. Not only because I didn’t get too many laughs out of this one, but also because I didn’t see any uproarious response from the crowd, which I would expect included a good number of Bean fans. So, there it is. Bean fans will probably enjoy it, while their companions will probably feel like they are proving their loyalty/love/friendship, etc. by going along.

Starring: Tim Allen, Courtney Cox, Chevy Chase, Spencer Breslin, Dylan West,
Kate Mara, Ryan Newman, Rip Torn.

Director: Peter Hewitt

It is movies like this that turn TV has-beens into TV has-beens and Tim Allen and Courtney Cox both took a giant step in that direction with this dud. I would give one of the numerous examples of former TV stars who have had this fate befall them, but I can’t remember any of their names.
This is intended to be a family comedy version of the X-men series and that is not a bad idea. The problem here is that the movie is poorly written and Allen, who has built a career on playing likable characters, is saddled here with Jack Shepard, a former teen superhero who was taken advantage of by the military and now lives a bitter life of obscurity. Shepard is not very likable since he is bribed into training a new batch of teen talents into a super hero team to undertake a secret mission for a military commander that no one trusts, played by Rip Torn. Courtney Cox is Marsha Holloway, some kind of naïve liaison for the team, whose humour seems come chiefly from tripping over stuff. Yeah, real clever, that’s a gut-splitter, that is. Anyway, the four young stars do ok with the lame script, but there isn’t enough humour to make it funny, and the story is too poor for it be interesting, so all you have left is Ryan Newman, a really cute kid playing a little girl with Hulk-like strength. Still not strong enough to carry this movie, though, I’m afraid.
Hmmm, whom can I recommend this movie to? Well, lets see there is an old boss that I can’t stand. Nah, she never listened to me then, why would she listen now? I guess if you have little kids and there is nothing else on the rental shelf that they want, and you have something else to do while they watch. Yeah…then this movie is perfect.

Director: Tom Shadyac

Starring: Steve Carell, Morgan Freeman, Lauren Graham, John Goodman, Jonah Hill, Wanda Sykes, John Michael Higgins

Sequels are a dicey business. Even if you do manage to bring back all the old cast, writer, director, etc. which didn’t happen here, it is never certain that you will be able to re-capture the magic of the original film. Writer Steve Oedekerk (who shared credit on Bruce Almighty) returns, as does director Tom Shadyac. The cast is largely new except for Morgan Freeman who shines again as God and Carell, who moves from a bit part into the starring role this time out. Carell is still a bit new to this leading man thing, so I will offer a little un-requested advice. When they offer you the most money, make sure they are also offering most of funny lines, too. Freeman has the best written role here and it is was so much better that I started to feel a sense of relief anytime I saw his character return. Carell spends too much of the movie gasping in shock, surprise, or dismay. In Bruce Almighty, Carrey’s comedic talents drove the movie, but Carell is more of a straight man and doesn’t have that one-man-show talent. There are a few laughs but not enough and the story is ok, but nowhere near enough to make up for the lack of chuckles.

Carell plays TV anchorman, Evan Baxter, who has just been elected to Congress, where the environmentally-challenged, self-absorbed, oblivious Washington rookie is quickly sucked into the sphere of the powerful Congressman Long, played masterfully by veteran actor, John Goodman. Everything seems to be looking rosy for the Baxter clan, when God (Freeman) shows up to tell Evan Baxter to forget all this and build an Ark. Evan is understandably reluctant to do this, but God can be quite persuasive and soon Evan begins the project as stunned staffers and concerned family members look on. For humor, we are fed a steady diet of slapstick building mishaps, animal schtick and a Santa Clause-like transformation. It’s not much, but that’s what we’ve got. There are a few laughs, a somewhat suspenseful ending and some good effects.

This is a safe, bland, family viewing choice that is unlikely to be either hated or loved, although it had one scene that offered far more nasal care coverage than any movie needs. In this flick, God appears to have pretty low expectations for behaviour compared to how things seemed to have worked in the Bible days. There is some kind of goofy message about the importance of family and God giving opportunities for us to help ourselves and make good choices, but God-Freeman pretty much only offers one choice then rewards his followers for making that choice. There was probably more to the message, but I’ve already forgotten it, just as I will soon do with the rest of this movie.

Starring: Dominic Scott Ray, Julia Roberts, Dakota Fanning, Steve Buscemi, John
Cleese,

Director: Gary Winick

Okay, I admit a soft spot for Charlotte’s Web. Mrs. Winters read it to my fifth grade class and it holds a special place in my lexicon of children’s literature. Besides, I have to review some kids’ movies, so why not start with this one? This movie is well done and loaded with big names doing little voice over roles of the animals.
This is the story of a charming, young runt pig, Wilbur (voice of Scott Ray), who is saved by a soft-hearted little girl (Dakota Fanning) and finds friendship with the other animals in the barn, particularly with a female spider named Charlotte (voice of Julia Roberts). Early on, Wilbur learns of his seemingly inevitable fate as lunchmeat, but Charlotte promises to find a way out of this inevitable bovine danger. The tale is as charming as ever, but the real treat here is dialogue of the animals that makes up much of the film and included enough clever jokes to keep me entertained.
Kids should like it. Parents should find it entertaining and the graduates of Mrs. Winters grade five class will find it a lovely reminder. As for the rest of you? There is a touching story about friendship and some clever if-animals-could-talk jokes. Even you were not in Mrs. Winters’ grade five class, maybe this story holds some special place in your lexicon, as well. This review is dedicated to Mrs. Winters and all the other teachers that each of us remembers in tiny ways all the time.

Director: Bob Clark

Starring: Peter Billingsley, Melinda Dillon, Darren McGavin, Ian Petrella, Scott Schwartz

Director Bob Clark, whose career both before and after this film, consisted of forgettable TV work and movies that we try to forget, somehow put it all together, like a Christmas miracle of his own, when he took this Jean Shepard semi-autobiographical screenplay (Shepard also wrote the novel and provided the film‘s narration) and turned it into a Christmas classic. The wonderful story, brimming with gentle authentic, humor and a mood that is sure to remind viewers of their own Christmas memories, combines with excellent acting and appealing Wonder Years/Stand By Me narration to make this one of the best Christmas movies of all time.

The year is 1940, and Peter Billingsley is Ralphie Parker, a nine year old with a desperate Christmas wish for a Red Rider 200 Shot Range Model Air Rifle. His mother (Melinda Dillon) quickly dismisses her son’s request to begin weapon training with the curt response of mothers everywhere; “You’ll put your eye out”. Ralphie doesn’t give up, though and tries to come up with a plan that will result in his cherished dream appearing under the Christmas tree. What follows is some amusing writing, a ballet of bullying, a long-legged lamp and the most elaborate winter scene of a tongue-metal meeting that i have ever seen. The whole thing is pretty entertaining.

This film is all over television every December, so if you have managed to miss it all these years, it won’t be hard to find it. All of your channel surfing efforts will be rewarded with a charming seasonal flick that will guarantee that you have something to discuss at your next boring Christmas party.

Director: Joe Roth

Starring: Tim Allen, Jamie Lee Curtis, Dan Aykroyd, M. Emmet Walsh

Now, here is something I’ll bet you didn’t know. The writer of this film, which represents much of the very worst of the Christmas movie genre, is none other than the Ernest Hemmingway of courtroom literature, John Grisham. All I can say about this one, however, Mr. Grisham, is I object. I usually like Tim Allen, but his guy-next-door humor couldn’t save this one. Jamie Lee Curtis overacts and the story is all over the place and largely unconvincing.

Empty nesters, Luther and Nora Krank decide they will save the money and work involved in celebrating Christmas, and head off on a cruise, instead. It seems like a good idea, until they find themselves facing resistance from their neighbors, lead by Vic Frohmeyer (Dan Akkroyd), who find this anti-social behavior unacceptable. Militant tree-selling Boy Scouts, commando carolers, and persistent Frosty fans all make life tricky for the non-conformist couple.

The strong experienced cast here is wasted by a meandering script, that can’t decide if it wants to be edgy or sweet. The idea of suburban characters resisting the status quo is a good one and could have made for a comical, Chocolate War, kind of battle of wills feature, but for dark humor to work, it needs more courage, and a sharper edge, than we have here. The result is a bland, messed up attempt at a formula film.

Director: Robert Zemeckis

Starring: Tom Hanks, Eddie Deezen, Nona Gaye

Robert Zemeckis has a new toy and its called Enhanced Motion Capture. This film is completely digitized and is an impressive achievement, but the end result is just slightly creepy looking. That is not the big problem here, however. The story is flat and try as they might to spice it up with lots of fast-moving, out-of-control wild race scenes, but it doesn’t change the fact that little happens here and that the characters are poorly developed. Tom Hanks is a talented actor, but lacks the high-energy, chameleon ability to pull off the challenge of multiple characters.

An unnamed boy is faltering with his belief in Santa one Christmas Eve and finds himself being invited onto a magical train for a trip to The North Pole. Along the way, he meets a stern, but kind, conductor (Tom Hanks reads both roles) and a clever girl (Nona Gaye). There is not much of a story, here and the whole film lacks impact.

Many people were impressed with this technologically advanced feature, but the accomplishment in that area is not enough. The boring, undeveloped story ultimately results in a disappointing end result.

Director: Rob Reiner

Starring: Carey Elwes, Robin Wright Penn, Mandy Patinkin, Chris Sarandon, Andre The Giant, Christopher Guest, Wallace Shawn, Fred Savage, Peter Falk

The Princess Bride is a funny, and well-written family classic that will be enjoyed by all. Sure, there are some parts that undeniably cheesy and silly, but that’s part of its charm. The direction is outstanding and the acting is good, but what really shines here is the writing! The characters and dialog take this simple story to another level, and are the main reasons for its enduring popularity.

This movie starts out with a kindly grandfather (Peter Falk) reading a story to his under-the-weather and reluctant grandson (The Wonder Years, Fred Savage). The medieval-fantasy story is about a farm boy named Wesley (Carey Elwes), who falls in love with a beautiful girl (Robin Wright Penn). The two are separated, and she, believing him to be dead, is engaged to marry the Kingdom’s evil prince. When she is kidnapped by three not-so-bad, and very funny, characters, however, it is Wesley that rescues her. It is not happily ever after, yet, however. The story is just starting! Look for great roles by Mandy Patinkin as Inigo ‘You-killed-my-father-prepare-to-die’ Montoya and by Andre The Giant playing, you guessed it, a giant. There are also several cameos by the likes of Billy Crystal and Carol Kane. The end result is a captivating and wonderfully entertaining family-friendly story of torture, betrayal, revenge and, most of all, true love.

This is a must-see. If you have never seen it despite all the recommendations that you have no doubt heard, it is time for you to take the trek to video store and pick this one up.