Mr. Bean's Holiday - 6 stars out of 10

Mr. Bean's Holiday - 6 stars out of 10

“Mr. Bean's Holiday” is a clever comedy full of slapstick gags and well-meaning mischief.  The film is exactly what you expect: a series of comical Mr. Bean situations tied together by a non-thought-provoking plot, which also happens to be exactly what we want when watching a film of this ilk.  It certainly isn’t “The Shawshank Redemption” but it is great for what it is.  The family-friendly Mr. Bean gets himself into all sorts of trouble as he travels through France, picking up a few friends along the way while managing to lose his passport and money.  Rowan Atkinson is marvelous with his over-the-top facial expressions and physical humor.  The film is criticized for repeating the same gags for 90 minutes but there are some wonderfully creative moments in those gags.  I was laughing out loud during Bean's French meal and the filming of the commercial.  Willem Dafoe goes beyond the call of duty with his interpretation of his character and manages to steal the spotlight away from Atkinson for a few scenes.  If you are looking for a masterpiece, look elsewhere.  But if you are looking for unoffensive family fun, “Mr. Bean’s Holiday” will surely have you laughing after a few scenes.

[Pictured: So many facial expressions, so little time]

Jiro Dreams of Sushi - 9 stars out of 10

Jiro Dreams of Sushi - 9 stars out of 10

“Jiro Dreams of Sushi” is a tribute to the art form of sushi.  At the onset of this film, it is hard to imagine any meal that could be worth $240.  But by the end, you will be ready to hop on a plane to Tokyo and pay your $240 to experience the artwork of this master sushi chef.  This documentary is great because it is part biography and part food catalogue.  In fact, this film was originally intended to highlight a diverse group of sushi chefs with different styles.  However, when director David Gelb experienced visited Jiro’s Michelin three-star restaurant, he realized that the sushi was beyond anything else that he had ever tried and that Jiro was a compelling character that deserved his own story.  You will learn so much about sushi during this documentary and will be making plans with friends for a sushi date before the end of the film.  I was particularly interested in the main character’s routine to get the best ingredients from the fish market and the size of the enormous tuna.  The sushi that this man crafts in his 10-seat restaurant is absolutely beautiful.  In addition to Jiro’s high standards for fish and rice, you will also see his high standards for his apprentices.  As he mentions, his front of the house part of the process is only 5% of the final product and the true quality of the experience stems from his team behind the scenes.  It is also interesting to see how his passion rubbed off on his two sons, one of which opened his own sushi restaurant and the other who will succeed his father in running the flagship restaurant someday (even though he is already 50-years-old).  “Jiro Dreams of Sushi” is a unique documentary, the likes of which we have never seen, as it combines a historical look at the development of sushi with a cooking tutorial and an expose on the life and career of Jiro Ono.

[Pictured: Jiro serves his 20-course sushi meal in his intimate restaurant]

The Cider House Rules - 7 stars out of 10

The Cider House Rules - 7 stars out of 10

“The Cider House Rules” is a critically acclaimed drama that tells a compelling coming-of-age story but I question whether it is worthy of six Oscar nominations.  Both of its settings, a WWII orphanage and an apple orchard in Maine, create an atmosphere that is very unique.  The details of the story are well thought-out as the childhood development and experiences of the main character shape his decisions.  For me, the main problem with this film is the casting of Tobey Maguire in the main role.  The cast is essentially a Who's Who Among Hollywood Megastars when they were just blossoming actors, but why couldn’t they have chosen another rising star?  Maguire had just gained attention from his role in “Pleasantville” but I just can't buy him as a dramatic actor.  The poignant last line of the film should stir up emotions and bring closure to his journey.  The only thing that I could think about was the superiority of Michael Caine delivering the same line through the film.  Maguire’s facial expressions are very limited and that vocal fry at the end of every line overtakes the poignancy of anything that he says.  Maguire-bashing aside, the young Charlize Theron offers a nice performance and Paul Rudd is so baby-faced that you almost don’t recognize him.  This is definitely not one of Michael Caine’s top two acting performances, even though his Academy Award collection would indicate otherwise.  I was not particularly impressed with his New England accent (afterall, we adore his English accent so much!) and he didn’t have that unforgettable moment that typically nets an actor a Best Supporting nomination.  There is not nearly enough J.K. Simmons but Delroy Lindo gives a standout performance that steals the spotlight for the majority of the film.  Perhaps he deserved the Oscar more than Caine?  You do need to prepare yourself for some strong content before watching this film as it has abortion, incest, and everything in between.  None of these things are shown in graphic detail but they are integral to the story and the development of its characters.  I appreciate that John Irving adapted his own novel into this Oscar-winning screenplay and opted to write a few characters out of the story instead of doing them the injustice of underdeveloping their characters.  It is nearly impossible for a screenplay adapter to preserve every aspect a novel.  When it is clearly an unrealistic goal, smart writers find a way to capture the heart of the story by choosing quality over quantity, even if sacrifices need to be made.  “The Cider House Rules” may not warrant a second watch but it has an interesting story and a few great acting performances that make it a one-time must-see.

[Pictured: I love Michael Caine and this may be cinema blasphemy, but I would have chosen Delroy Lindo for the Best Supporting Actor Oscar]

Walt Before Mickey - 3 stars out of 10

Walt Before Mickey - 3 stars out of 10

I wanted to love “Walt Before Mickey” because of its content.  I walked in with a low expectation but the film still managed to underwhelm me.  The story is incredible but it is told through wooden acting and a weak script.  To be blunt, this film feels like it had a lower budget than the animated shorts that put Walt’s first business into bankruptcy.  Walt Disney’s name is synonymous with the most well-known franchise worldwide, one of the most successful businesses in history, and the greatest innovator of animation ever to live; however, “Walt Before Mickey” tells a very different story.  The first half of Walt’s life was filled with rejection, financial failure, and the deceitful distribution deal that stole Walt’s rights to the characters that he created.  It certainly builds an appreciation for what Walt Disney would eventually accomplish after such a rough start.  It is magic to see the Alice cartoons being brought to life as well as the opportunity to observe his interactions with historical figures Ub Iwerks, Friz Freleng, Rudy Ising, his future wife Lilly, and his brother, Roy.  The film also contains a unique piece of Disney trivia.  Most people believe that “Steamboat Willie” was the first Mickey Mouse film because it was the first one released in theaters, but “Plane Crazy” (which was drawn completely by Iwerks) was the first Mickey film ever drawn and shown to a test audience.  Unfortunately, the cool historical characters and interesting story are negated by bad acting and a weak script.  The accents feel forced, Jon Heder delivers his lines as if he is still playing Napoleon Dynamite, Thomas Ian Nicholas doesn’t display enough emotion, and Jodie Sweetin is one of the highest billed actors but is in the film for less than five minutes.  The actors that I did like (particularly Kate Katzman as Lilly) were underutilized.  On the writing side of things, maybe the dialogue seems bad because of the acting but there are definite issues with the storytelling.  For example, it seems like Roy is married to Edna for the entire film, then Roy suddenly refers to Walt as his best man.  Walt and Lilly discuss the wedding in the next scene but we never  see the wedding, perhaps due to budget constraints, and it seems like it shouldn’t have been mentioned at all.  What left me more perplexed is that we have to assume that Walt and Lilly got married at some point during the film but it is never even addressed.  I love that this film is a tribute to the hardships faced by Disney and his never-give-up attitude, but I wish that it didn’t have such poor acting and scream “Low Budget!’  It is worth seeing “Walt Before Mickey” to absorb its historically accurate story, as long as your expectations are properly in place.

[Pictured: It's magic to see these famed characters portrayed at a young age, even if the acting leaves something to be desired]

Check out my review of Alice’s Wonderland for a YouTube link of this completely mind-boggling technical achievement in the 1920’s - http://jonnysdailymoviereview.blogspot.com/2012/04/alices-wonderland-1923-8-stars-out-of.html

Storage 24 - 3 stars out of 10

Storage 24 - 3 stars out of 10

“Storage 24” is infamously the lowest grossing American theatrical release of all time, bringing in a whopping $72 before being released on DVD.  In the movie’s defense, it did gross over $600,000 worldwide; still, it’s pretty hilarious that its entire American profit was $72 earned in a singular theater.   Outside of its infamous statistic, “Storage 24” is a formulaic horror film that falls somewhere between a big-budget and low-budget film.  Its storage facility setting is unique and it is fairly easy to buy into the far-fetched plot.  Even though it has a few unique aspects, it also has the stereotypical undeveloped characters who are picked off one by one with only a few standing at the end.  In this particular instance, we don't care about what happens to the characters. We just care about the answer to the mystery… which we never actually get.  I did like the ending but it feels incomplete without a few explanations.  Outside of the story, the CGI definitely exceeded my expectations.  When I heard the previously mentioned box office statistic, I was absolutely anticipating a film of “Birdemic” proportions.  In actuality, the film was made on a decent budget.  It just seems that the budget was spent on special effects instead of being invested in assembling a team of quality actors and writers.  “Storage 24” is honestly an okay scary movie.  Its story won’t blow your mind and its actors leave something to be desired, but it successfully builds suspense in a unique setting with a cool-looking villain.  This one is acceptable for horror fans that are looking for something different.

[Pictured: The film is not without its comedic moments.  This totally happens.]

The Beverly Hillbillies (1993) - 4 stars out of 10

The Beverly Hillbillies (1993) - 4 stars out of 10

“The Beverly Hillbillies” is a zany, family-friendly film adaptation of the iconic 1960’s tv show of the same name.  I use the term family-friendly in a loose sense because the film pushes the boundaries enough that it does not have a clear target audience.  The slapstick comedy is entertaining for all ages and the PG-rating/limited amount of profanity are a strong indicator of a family film; still, the running gag of the country characters mistakenly giving the middle finger to city folk will leave parents with a challenging explanation for their kids.  The critics hated it but it has an enormous appeal for older fans of the original and captures the style of the original in a modern setting.  It makes great use of fast-motion and the Clampetts’ ignorance toward modern conveniences like intercoms and pool tables creates laughs from start to finish.  Most of the film’s issues lie in its overly-cheesy script, though its light tone could be a result of the film’s family-friendly target audience.  The casting crew still managed to successfully replicate the characters from the original series.  Jim Varney (of “Ernest” fame) is a no-brainer for Jed, Diedrich Bader is great as Jethro (and even greater as Jethrine), Cloris Leachman has the perfect comedic timing as Granny, and Erika Eleniak captures the tomboyishness and beauty of Elly May.  New characters are played by Lily Tomlin and Rob Schneider, but I believe that the best performance in this entire film comes from Lea Thompson.  Her French accent is magnifique and she convincingly plays her role within a role.  One of the smartest decisions in this film was to give a cameo to Buddy Ebsen (the original Jed Clampett), but to incorporate him as his other classic character, detective Barnaby Jones.  “The Beverly Hillbillies” has some great comedic moments and clever one-liners, but it will fall short of expectations for fans of the original series and will seem incoherent for everybody else.

[Pictured: The Clampetts are great fun but the film gets trapped somewhere between "family film" and "appealing to the older generation"]

The Last Five Years - 9 stars out of 10

The Last Five Years - 9 stars out of 10

“The Last Five Years” is the type of movie that you have to watch twice before you can fully appreciate it.  I was disappointed after my first viewing but something kept drawing me back to it in the days that followed.  The story was simply too fascinating to stay away.  As the movie progressed the second time through, I fell more and more in love with everything about it.  The nonlinear story structure can be confusing at times but when you reflect on the concept as a whole, it is genius.  You need to be aware that Jamie’s songs move forward chronologically while Cathy’s songs move backward through time.  Aside from being a really cool storytelling technique, it helps to strike a balance between happiness and sadness throughout the story.  If we experienced both characters’ perspectives in a traditional chronological order, the latter half of the film would be unbearably depressing.  That being said, this story is still a complete downer.  I don’t care for all of the strong profanity but, particularly early on, it helps to establish the devastating circumstances of Cathy (since we don’t yet understand how she got to this point).  This two-man show requires a lot from its leads and they are certainly up to the challenge.  Anna Kendrick gives a powerhouse performance, perhaps the best of her career.  Her vocals are impeccable with her recitative style singing perfectly expresses her strong emotions.  Beyond her singing, her facial expressions and body language bring the character to life.  Jeremy Jordan is a bit less impressive but still delivers a memorable performance.  “The Schmuel Song” is his shining moment.  The original stage production calls for the characters to sing their songs as solos and it really comes through in this number.  I find his character to be a little annoying at times, but his voice is golden and he has great chemistry with Kendrick.  The decision to have the characters present for each others’ songs was a smart one in that it develops the chemistry, but they still manage to preserve the solo feel of each number.  Jason Robert Brown’s songs are incredibly catchy and very well-written.  The “na na na” section of Schmuel, the “Jamie-land” sections of A Part of That, and the cleverly-changed lyrics in “When You Come Home To Me” are just a few examples of what I love about this musical.  He even captures the grit of a severe argument in "If I Didn't Believe In You."  There is so much sheer beauty in the melodies throughout the score.  In many of these songs, a lush melodic line suddenly appears midway through and grabs your attention.  The highlight of the entire film is “The Next Ten Minutes,” which is the midpoint of the story and the only song that the leads fully sing together.  Honestly, it is one of my top 5 moments in all of musical theater.  “The Last Five Years” is a refreshing departure from your typical Broadway show, tackling brutally painful content through the shifting optimistic and pessimistic perspectives of its characters.  Even the sad moments are beautiful in a tragic way.  Be prepared for some strong content when you watch this film and realize that you will have to watch it twice to fully absorb its brilliance, but once you do it may change your opinion of modern musicals forever.

[Pictured: This is one film that gets better every time that you watch it]