Zookeeper

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Movie: Zookeeper (2011)

Studio : Columbia Pictures

Info : Click Here

Runtime : 104 min

Website : zookeeper-movie.net

Rating : PG

Trailer :

Click here to view the embedded video.

A mild mannered zookeeper Griffin Keyes (Kevin James) decides that perhaps taking care of the animals is not the most glamorous of jobs if he wants to catch the female of the species, in this case a very beautiful specimen indeed (Leslie Bibb). Having an offer on the table at a fancy car dealership, Griffin decides that it’s time to move on, but when the animals find out, they do the only thing they can do. Show him that they can talk and try to convince him not to go. And if he stays, they’ll teach him how mating works, even if it is a bit on the wild side.

It’s hard to review this film without referencing Mall Cop, Kevin James’ other comedy. In this, he plays basically the same sort of character he played in that, the poor schlep that just can’t get a break and is often the victim of the slapstick humor and degradation by his co-stars, who in this film are mostly wise cracking animals. But in all honestly, he really does excel at playing the bumbling chap with a good sense of comedic timing. You feel for the guy and this makes him a sympathetic character that you can root for, which is fun for the duration. It’s not as funny as Mall Cop, but it has enough laughs and good nature to keep both kids and adults interested.

The script is not inspired. At its heart, it is a romantic comedy and a bland one at that. Something we’ve seen hundreds of times before. Man loves girl out of his league and relies on friends, especially one particular girl who’s better suited for him then the one he’s trying to acquire. The difference is that his friends aren’t human. Keep in mind, that despite the marketing of the movie, including the above trailer, that like most stories of this nature, the friends are not the featured act. And this is the case with the critters. A good part is completely critterless, but thanks to some fairly decent pacing, it doesn’t slip into a sappy love story at any time, which the kids will appreciate.

The best choice in this film was not to fill it with cartoonish character animals like Hop or Alvin and Chipmunks, but with realistic zoo members voiced by some heavyweights in films and comedy such as Sylvester Stallone and Cher as the Lion and Lioness, Adam Sandler as the Monkey, Nick Nolte as the Giraffe, and the unmistakable Don Rickles as the insulting frog. It’s not hard to see why with a bevy of talented souls that the animals upstage their human counterparts in just about every scene they are in. It would have been nice to have seen them in a bit more of the film than we did.

I like Rosario Dawson because she seems natural in the projects she does. She can be that naïve sort of innocent young lady who is kind and caring, but also has that Latina spitfire that is ready to burst out when necessary. And it’s this persona that she has perfected along the way that made her a good fit for the role of fellow zoo worker Kate. The chemistry she has with James, although tempered due to what we suspect as bad scripting in places, is quite good.

Too bad we can’t say the same for the others. Leslie Bibb basically just overacts the somewhat shallow socialite to the point where she becomes annoying. It just seemed like just about any of 1000 actresses could have played the part and been much more delightful to watch. Ken Jeong plays his usual part as an Asian guy who is way out there and we don’t mean that in a good way, despite some of the laughs he got, and Donnie Wahlberg is just wasted in his role as Shane.

So how do we rate the movie? Well we actually liked it for what it was, which was a fun little comedy that is not full of belly laughs, but not boring and in some cases a lot of fun. But because of the high price of movies these days, we are going to give it a 3.0/5 and say that if you want to spend a lighthearted couple of hours at a matinee, it’s cool, but so is sitting at home with the DVD when it’s released.

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Funny People - Adam Sandler

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Movie: Funny People (2009)

Studio : Columbia Pictures

Info : Click Here

Runtime : 140min

Website : www.funnypeoplemovie.com

Trailer :

Click here to view the embedded video.

Review:

Funny People is the third directorial effort from Judd Apatow.  While this movie has the same amount and degree of laughter as Knocked Up and The 40-Year-Old Virgin, I felt this one was a lot deeper and darker than those two efforts.
 
Adam Sandler stars in this movie as George Simmons, a Sandleresque comedian who has achieved fame and prosperity, but is essentially a lonely man.  He begins to reevaluate his life when he’s informed that he is dying of a rare blood disorder.  Seth Rogen is Ira Wright, a struggling comedian who writes good jokes, but whose awkward on-stage delivery keeps him from progressing to the big time.

Simmons’ disease prompts him to return to his roots by performing at one of the clubs where he got his start, and by chance, he happens to catch Wright performing.  Seeing some potential in the young comic, Simmons decides to hire Wright as his joke writer/assistant.

The routines performed by the comics are hilarious, and the interplay between the two leads is fantastic.  Rogen slimmed down for this role, and he’s not playing the usual slacker he normally embodies.  He’s passionate and determined in his ambition to make it to the next level, and we root for him to do so.

I’ve always been a fan of Sandler’s work, and he conveys the same darkness and complexity that he brought to Punch Drunk Love.  His character has made some bad decisions in his life and is not a very nice person as evidenced by the way he treats his new assistant.  Still, we identify with his pain and loneliness, and we root for him to get what he wants.

His driving desire is to get back together with Laura (well-played by Leslie Mann), his ex-fiance whom he still loves, but lost several years earlier due to his philandering ways.  The final act of the movie involves Simmons and Wright driving up to San Francisco, where she’s settled into the domestic life with an absent husband and two daughters.  Her marriage has been tumultuous for years, and the arrival of the two comedians brings this tension to the surface.  At the risk of spoiling a plot point, I’ll say that this subplot ends on a surprising note, but one that’s entirely fitting to the behavior of these characters.

Funny People has a number of laughs, but the script also makes us think about human nature, mortality, and the essence of friendship.  It’s Apatow’s (and Sandler’s) best work yet. 

-Craig Wynne

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Bedtime Stories - Adam Sandler

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Movie: Bedtime Stories (2008)

Studio : Walt Disney

Info : Click Here

Runtime : 95min

Website : disney.go.com/disneypictures/bedtimestories/

Trailer :

Click here to view the embedded video.

Review:

I must say this movie really came at a surprise to me! I did not think that Adam Sandler could actual endure an entire film without making an adult joke or saying a foul word. But in the end I was actually “surprised”…

All the actors not only did a great job, but they connected well. Although the movie did seem too focused on the story of Skeeter Bronson, I would say it pinpointed the success of the film.

If you see the movie then think back through the scenes and lines the character’s say you could see that a few re-writes could have turned this film into a full on “Sandman” movie; but it’s the thought that counts.

If you plan on seeing this movie be prepared to laugh at Russell Brand’s lines quite a few times. Adam Sandler does get some good one-liners in that make you laugh in the oddest way as if were 5 years old again.

Overall, definitely an acceptable movie to see, but I’m not going to be dipping my hands in for seconds unless I’m offered a free viewing.

BUY Bedtime Stories on DVD

- Trent M.

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