Larry Crowne

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Movie: Larry Crowne (2011)

Studio : Universal Pictures

Info : Click Here

Runtime : 99 min

Website : larrycrowne.com

Rating : PG-13

Trailer :

Click here to view the embedded video.

Larry Crowne (Tom Hanks) is a Navy veteran who winds up being employee of the month at a large retail outlet after his military stint, where he works with those much younger than himself. But when he’s laid off due to downsizing, he decides to take a friend’s advice and go back to earn the college degree he never got. But his time in retail makes him sort of the cool guy that is still young at heart even if he’s older in appearance. And that gets the attention of a fellow student (Roxana Ortega) who invites him to join her scooter gang, much to the chagrin of her boyfriend (Wilmer Valderrama). But Larry has other plans when he develops an interest in a disillusioned professor (Julia Roberts) that teaches a speech course.

Often in our fast paced world where things move at the speed of the light, it’s hard to sit back and smell the flowers. This movie is the cinematic equivalent of doing so. It is a calm, quiet, and sentimental story that is definitely targeted at those looking for an escape. It has no 3D, no action, and is even shot in a kind of old school 70’s sepia tone, which might be annoying to some of the newer generation who aren’t used to seeing movies in that format. But the choice is appropriate, given that the film tries to accentuate the attitudes and calmer way of life in the past.

People often expect romantic comedies to be hilarious and some of them are, but generally they are misnamed as comedies at all. This is certainly not an all out funny movie about an older guy’s college experience like Old School or Rodney Dangerfield’s Back to School, both of which featured guys that wound up more in love with the teachers. Instead it is a touching, yet lighthearted drama that has some chuckles, but is really about the tribulations of Hank’s character as he copes with his new reality of unemployment and getting tossed back into a world that he’s uncomfortable in.

Hanks plays the part of the sometimes naïve Larry with a charm that we can still remember from Forrest Gump. It makes him pleasurable to watch and someone we can root for. We can relate to some of the antics he gets involved in, like crashing through a table with his scooter. Something my own father did one time. He makes the character extremely appealing and that draws us in.

On the other hand, Julia Roberts is tasked at playing the often drinking teacher who is down on her job and her life, and she plays the part well, even hamming it up a bit. So we can’t fault her for the lack of chemistry. It seems inherent in the script. The two have worked very well together in the past, but they lack cohesion here. Perhaps it is because Ortega, who plays Hanks’ younger college friend, seems to clique with him much better than Roberts does. So much so, you want to see them get together instead of where he ultimately winds up. This makes the story a bit awkward at times and is really our only big complaint.

Wilmer Valderrama (Fez on 70’s Show) is entertaining as the boyfriend who is a bit jealous of Hanks and his girl’s interest in him as a friend and George Takei makes for a very flamboyant economics teacher that lightens things up when on screen.

All in all, the film isn’t bad for what it is, the charming story of a man’s journey though his midlife crisis. And for those looking to let the kids go to Transformers or Cars, while the adults find a nice quiet film to relax and escape in, then this one isn’t a bad bet. It won’t win any awards, but it lives up to its promise. And for that, we give it a 4/5 stars.

Related posts:

1. Something Borrowed Rating: Movie: Something Borrowed (2011) Studio : Warner Brothers Info...
2. Jumping the Broom Rating: Movie: Jumping the Broom (2011) Studio : TriStar Pictures...

Angels & Demons - Tom Hanks

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Movie: Angels & Demons (2009)

Studio : Imagine Entertainment; Columbia Pictures

Info : Click Here

Runtime : 138min

Website : angelsanddemons.com

Trailer :

Click here to view the embedded video.

Review:

The action starts in the Vatican after the sudden death of the Pope; simultaneously, the Hadron Collider in Switzerland successfully generates anti-matter. Shortly after this remarkable scientific achievement, one of the vials of antimatter is stolen by a mysterious stranger. After four Cardinals are kidnapped, a mysterious ransom video and note show up brandishing the word Illuminati, an ancient group infamous for opposing the Catholic Church in the 1600’s. Harvard symbologist professor Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) and his team of investigators urgently seek meaning behind the Illuminati’s cryptic clues, in order to save not only the lives of the kidnapped Cardinals, but everybody in Rome as well.

Bits of history are sporadically spoon-fed to the audience about the Church/Illuminati strife, as well as each party involved; this method allows for viewers who have not read the Dan Brown novels to closely follow along. The movie is quite suspenseful, as each discovery the team makes only leads to yet another shrouded clue in the web of Illuminati references. This, however, gets a bit tiresome as it serves for the basic architecture for the entire two hours: the result being a lot of talk and sparse action.

The recurring theme acts as a metaphor for hot-button topics of today, issues that mostly boil down to religious vs. scientific beliefs. Within the movie are characters of vacillating mentalities, such as staunch Catholic priests in addition to more progressive-minded ministers. These sorts of characters essentially bridge the gap between religion and science, in an attempt to prove how each side has its utility.

Even if you do not follow the series of novels religiously (pun intended), Angels & Demons is guaranteed to deliver as thorough entertainment with remarkable suspense. It opened worldwide on May 15 with $152 million in earnings, and is now playing in theaters.

-Daniel S.

No related posts.