Big Screen Blurb: Hall Pass

Take two dorks whose eyes serve as heat-seeking missiles for any eye candy within 100 yard radius. Add two frustrated wives. Throw in some doped up brownies…a jealous psycho…some chicks and some dicks, and you’ve got the set-up for a pretty funny flick: Hall Pass.

Your two dorks are Rick and Fred played by Owen Wilson and Jason Sudieki, who I thought was a math puzzle, but apparently not. The wives are Grace and Maggie, played by Christina Applegate and Jenna Fischer respectively. The latter two are fed up with their hubby’s wandering eyes and obsession with sex. So much so, that they agree to a hall pass. This pass gives both guys the right to essentially forget that they are married for a whole week. No obligations of family and relationships…nope…just live the single life for a week. This apparently means partying every night, a token appearance at work before surging to get laid once more. Hmm…if only I were single…wait, I am…but I digress.

Rick and Fred find the going tough in the single's scene. Suddenly, the chicks who were lining up to get banged a few moments ago, were it not for their pesky wives, have all but disappeared. Meanwhile, the ladies are not finding matters so difficult. There are plenty of young guys looking for a good cougar—or in Maggie's case a silver fox. While the guys are striking out, the ladies are striking up the band and yadayadayada everyone learns the lessons you would expect them to learn during an enlightening roller coaster ride of hilarity.

This is funny stuff. I’ll give it 4.0 Stars. My big fear going into Hall Pass was that it was going to be like Hot Tub Time Machine, a flick that I despised. This was mainly because it apparently had set its sights on being The Hangover of 2010. In route, Hot Tub knew it had to push the envelope beyond where The Hangover had left it. Well, Hot Tub pushed the envelope off the table. In other words, its humor was so over-the-top it just wasn’t funny. Yeah, Hangover toed that comedic line on numerous occasions, but did so brilliantly keeping a smile on my face as it did so—Hot Tub not so much. Hall Pass is not The Hangover, but is certainly a lot closer. Hall Pass effectively toes that line. Even with a few ‘oooh, I can’t believe what I just saw’ moments; they kept the smiles flowing.

I assumed going in that Sudieki could do "dorky" justice, but Owen nailed the nerdy role as well. Yeah, the story is a little predictable at times, as are the lessons learned by all parties involved. Even so, they are lessons worth noting. The humor…well, there are some classic moments in this one that I’ll be referencing with friends for a long time! All in all, Hall Pass is a fun hour and forty-five minute ride. Go ahead and see it BIG! It’s not The Hangover, but this flick will leave you smiling for days and beyond.

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Big Screen Blurb: I Am Number Four

I Am Number Four. I know what you’re thinking. “By the time these sequels get to number four they’re pretty damn predictable.” Yes, I would agree with that, with the exceptions of the Harry Potter series and Star Wars saga notwithstanding. But wait, when it comes to I Am Number Four, we’re not talking about a sequel. We’re talking about an original sci-fi action/adventure piece that will have you scrambling to IMDB to find out when Number Five will hit the screen.


Alex Pettyfer plays #4…let’s call him “John”. The dude has been forced to develop a series of aliases because he is, alas, an alien in hiding. Is he veiling himself from we humanoids who might just dissect him for fun-sies, you ask? Well, no. Actually, #4 has bigger fish to fry. He and eight of his fellow aliens are blending in on earth as the Mogadorians have invaded their planet. His job is to survive with his fellow aliens, but the Mogs are making that a tall order. They are hunting down each of the nine in sequence and ole John is, well, as they say in the assassin game, “Next!”

John tries to blend in and create a life of sorts, which he does…falling in sweet love with fellow high schooler, Sarah (Dianna Agron). However, John’s special talents make ‘blending’ a tall order and soon he’s got the jealous football players on his tail followed closely by the ole Mogs. Number Six (Teresa Palmer) eventually joins the fray and yadayadayada a war of worlds is waged right here on earth—Cleveland to be exact.

It’s good…very good actually. It tallies 4.5 Stars in my book. Fresh faces (for the most part) combined with a great story, solid acting, and fun action make for a thoroughly entertaining hour and fifty minutes. The story is unique and keeps the ole attention throughout. You’ve got a high school kid—who has powers beyond any earthling…that is living a microcosm of the ole high school experience. You know, trying to fit in with everyone, but still be himself and enjoy the ride despite the numerous ups and downs that high school presents. Sounds pretty much like my high school experience; although, admittedly, I didn’t have aliens trying to kill me—only a sister…and I didn’t enjoy the experience on an another world—although Salem, Indiana sure felt like it at times.

All in all, I Am Number Four is a fun ride and one you’ll enjoy if you have a penchant for science fiction…a love for an intriguing storyline…or just want to look at Alex Pettyfer for a couple of hours. See it and see it BIG!

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Big Screen Blurb: Unknown

It's The Fugitive meets Mission Impossible with a Hangover-esque twist…minus the hilarity, mind you. It’s Unknown, starring Liam Neeson as Dr. Martin Harris, January Jones as Mrs. Harris and the always frightening Frank Langella (I swear…this dude’s mom has to be freaked by his very presence) as Rodney Cole.

The good doctor is in Germany for a BioTech conference. Never fear…no need to grab a pillow and think about a much-coveted nap. No, there is no lingering talk of lysine and corn starch here. Maybe that’s because Dr. Harris is in a bad accident while making a mad dash back to the airport to retrieve his briefcase. He wakes up from a four-day coma with a little amnesia and a lot of panic. He’s a little fuzzy about who he is, but does know that his wife doesn’t know where he is…after all, she’s in a foreign city and undoubtedly scared stiff, right? Well, not exactly. You see, Doc finally catches up to his wife only to find out that apparently his amnesia is contagious. She doesn’t know who he is. To make matters far worse, is the new Dr. Harris (Aiden Quinn), who has arrived on the scene. Old Doc begins to question his sanity as New Doc seems to know as much about being him as he does. Plus, New Doc has the lil Mrs on his side, leaving German authorities to play a lightning round of To Tell the Truth…a game apparently lost by Old Doc.

Pretty soon, however, an identity crisis is not the only issue facing Old Doc. That’s right; soon, bullets start flying toward Old Doc and he’s left to piece together the whole scenario in the wake. Yadayadayada gun fights, car chases and explosions ensue as eventually an Unknown picture eventually comes into focus.

It was good. I’ll go with 3.5 Stars. Admittedly, for the premise of the storyline, it’s pretty predictable until you reach a floor-dropping twist. That little development makes the film work against that predictability and helps the flick stay with you past the lobby. The concept is interesting. Especially so, considering that we’re living in a time where an identity can easily be stolen.

The Director, Jaume Collet-Serra, has the audience collared and leashed, pulling us along the Identity Theft path every step of the way. In other words, we’re in dark right along with Old Doc Harris. We don’t know why these people are playing this game of “will the real Dr. H” stand up. We don’t know why these people are doing this and further, why they’re tying to kill him. We want to—which makes the flick work even before the ending. However, it’s the twist that makes it really effective for me—not another word on that, I promise.

I will give Unknown solid scores all around…from acting (I mean, this is Liam Neeson, right?) to plot. Sure, the chase scenes are nothing new, but they do contribute to the unfolding of a pretty good flick that you might as well see and see BIG.

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Big Screen Blurb: Just go With It

How ‘bout that? Just when you think that the ‘Romantic Comedy’ genre is all but extinct, here comes Just Go With It. This flick is a rarity in recent history: a romantic comedy that is actually funny, while just dipping a toe into the pool of drama. This is compared, of course, to all the recent so-called romantic comedies that seem hell bent on doing a cannon ball into drama's deep end, while throwing in a few laughs for good measure.

It’s the story of Danny (Adam Sandler), a successful plastic surgeon who has found his dating niche in a wedding ring. Well, ‘dating’ isn’t really the best description for this particular niche. ‘Hooking up’ is a more accurate depiction. Simply put, Danny wears a wedding ring to bed chicks. He discovered that donning a wedding band that accompanies a sob story about a horrific wife is the perfect way to get into a hottie’s pants. Interesting strategy, huh? It’s an effective strategy until he meets the girl of his dreams in Palmer (played by newcomer Brooklyn Decker). The two really connect before Palmer stumbles across Danny’s wedding ring and promptly ends the one night stand before it could become a doubleheader. Enter Katherine (Jennifer Aniston). She’s Danny’s office manager and friend. Danny enlists Katherine to play the role of his divorced wife to convince Palmer that his delusional marriage is exactly that and less. Katherine plays along…yadayadayada…her kids get involved and the group ends up in Hawaii where love blossoms.

Just Go With It is pretty funny and overall, I’ll give it a 3.5 on my scale. It was just nice to see a romantic comedy finally say, “I am what I am” and leave it at that. Lately these flicks that supposedly fall into the ole heart-filled humor category have been full of such serious drama that it has been tough to enjoy the ‘funny’ with all of the weighty, and overly heavy, emotional charge that has accompanied them.

Aniston is great. Decker looks like she just came off of a Sports Illustrated cover…oh wait, she did…and the kids nailed the cute funny roles to near perfection. Sandler is good too. Although he may not be completely believable as one of LA’s finest plastic-picker-uppers, he’s certainly credible as the rich guy throwing cash around in an effort to get the girl.

Go ahead and see it Big. Use it as part of your Valentine’s Day…you’ll take in a few laughs and who knows, you might just get lucky—of course that usually ends up with a few laughs too, right? Hell, it worked for me!

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Big Screen Blurb: The Rite

It's kind of odd that the devil would be less frightening than Hannibal Lecter, isn't it? But there you have it, The Rite. It's not a movie that will scare you into setting up shop underneath the bed for a week, but it has it's moments of suspense and intensity...all anchored by the ever threatening, "Inspired by true events..." tag.

Meet Michael Kovak (Colin Donoghue). Michael grew up around the family business. Not a scarring thought until you realize that the family biz is a mortuary and funeral home. Such a bleak home environment has created an equally bleak young man. With that, he's pressured to find a career path as either a priest or a mortician. Why flipping burgers at McDonald's was not an option, I'll never understand. With but two options, Michael picks seminary school, but he has his doubts. His doubts center on the reality of a divine presence, which of course sparks doubt in a demonic presence. Despite acing everything in school, with the exception of theology, he's considering leaving the church. That is, until he's told to pay back $100,000 in school bills unless he follows a directive that sends him to Rome. It seems that the church is experiencing an explosive growth in exorcism. Michael is sent to Rome to learn more, specifically under the tutelage of Father Lucas (Anthony Hopkins).

Under Father Lucas' wings, Michael sees more of, oh could it be...SATAN!?!...than he ever cared to--not that he's necessarily convinced. Actually, despite a demon-possessed girl telling him unknowable things from his childhood, not to mention, spitting up nails, Michael still thinks the chick is in need of a psychiatrist more so than divine intervention. Then, things get tricky. The ole demon leaves the girl in search of another home and Yadayadayada Michael is forced to find God in order to overcome the devil.

It's okay. I'll go with 2.5 Stars.  It's a story of finding one's self and one's faith. It's interesting and, at times, intense and suspenseful. There were even a couple of surprise 'make ya jump outta your undies' moments--I'm just glad I didn't go with my friend, Phillip, who has been known to kick me in the head in the midst of one of those 'Ah-AHH...GOTCHA!!!' moments. He's also been known to meow during a completely silent theatre, but I digress. Yes, I was geared up to leave the lights on all night in fright, but alas, no need. It's really not scary. Actually, it's more frustrating than scary. Within the context of the story, I would have liked to have slapped ole Michael upside the head at times. I mean, come on...you've got a chick spitting up nails and telling you things about yourself that she couldn't possibly know, then you sit down with the ole padre and tell him she just needs a shrink? If that isn't a benchmark, "Pull your head out of your ass" moment sonny boy, what the hell would be?

Anthony Hopkins is always amazing and he doesn't disappoint here. His signature character is Lecter, and this character comes no where near him. Alas, Hopkins is always going to do 'scary' well. Just one of his deadened, glazed looks is enough to make my hair stand on end. Meanwhile, newcomer Colin Donoghue is solid as well. Despite my frustration with his character as detailed above, Donoghue was good and quite believable as the dazed and confused man of the cloth.

No need to go BIG on this one, though. Just turn the lights out and hope for the best when it comes out on Blu-Ray in June.

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BLU-Ray REE-vu: Stone

Stone is difficult to watch. In fact, it should probably come with a disclaimer similar to those found on drug commercials. You know, the ones that are 24 seconds of horrible side effects and six seconds of benefit. "Some may experience nausea, diarrhea, suicidal tendencies, etc." Stone starts disturbing and essentially strives to stay disturbing throughout, which seems to be the point. Stone is a very human story. It works very hard to showcase the frailty of mankind as he battles himself within society; and it does so very effectively.

Robert DeNiro plays Jack Mabry. Jack works for the parole board. He reviews cases of potential parolee's to make recommendations to the parole board on their potential for release. Obviously, this would be quite a stressful and depressing vocation. Jack is nearing retirement and is seemingly just as wayward at the end as he was in the film's initial scene...which, without giving anything away, is pretty damn lost. I suppose it's understandable. It would be difficult to maintain a positive outlook on life if one spent decades staring at a procession of violent and dysfunctional stories one immediately followed by another.

One of Jack's charges is Stone (Edward Norton). Stone has served eight years of a 10-15 year sentence on an arson rap stemming from the murder of his grandparents. He's just as lost as Jack, if not more so. He's done plenty of time and it's taken its toll. Enter Stone's wife, Lucetta. She a free spirit who is one part child and one part slut. Lucetta tries to weasel her way into Jack's life in an attempt to motivate him to unlock Stone's shackles. Yadayadayada Stone and Jack both go through the process looking for a sense of direction and purpose in this thing called life. One goes through a reality check through a spiritual awakening of sorts. One doesn't.

Stone is a fascinating, albeit depressing, movie. It's going to connect with anyone who has ever questioned their purpose or been on a quest in search of self. That's probably the majority of us. That pretty much sums up my teens and twenties! With Stone, there is a thematic undercurrent of spirituality disguised by man's various views of religion. None of it makes sense to Jack, who goes along with his Episcopalian beliefs seemingly to fit in his inherent social circle. Stone is more open to explore and explore he does.

The acting was amazing. Edward Norton, who is already a staple in my 'incredibly talented actor' column, was outstanding. His character experiences a metamorphosis of sorts, that stills sees him being very much grounded in humanity and all the frailty that comes with it. Norton captures the essence of that evolution during every step of the process. He was outstanding. As for DeNiro, he's Robert DeNiro. Is there anything else I can say? Reminiscent of his portrayal of Dwight in This Boy's Life, DeNiro plays the lost Jack in sterling fashion. Jack is frustrated. He's angry. He's human. DeNiro captured it all.

All things considered, Stone is one of those movies that you won't necessarily enjoy, but it will stay with you. It will prompt you to think and to realize that we are all human. Futher, Stone will help you realize that we are more than human. We're just trying to figure it all out as we deal with each other. I'll go with 3.0 Stars on this one. It's not for everyone, just be mindful of the disclaimer before lighting up the ole Blu-Ray or DVD.

True...OUT!