Archive | April, 2013

School of Rock (2003)

17 Apr

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Smith’s Verdict: ****

Reviewed by Tanner Smith

“School of Rock” is a fun family movie that actually rocks! This is a terrific entertainment for people of all ages—but why is the movie rated PG-13? The MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America) gave the movie that rating for “rude humor and drug references.” This is harmless enough for kids and adults all around, and there probably isn’t a kid in the world who wouldn’t be entertained and delighted by this entertaining and delightful rock-fest. I mean it—it’s that good.

The key to the film’s success is in the film’s star Jack Black, who knows just what to do to get some big laughs. He’d already made his mark with memorable parts in “High Fidelity” and “Shallow Hal.” He is so hilarious with his sweaty charisma and loud but talented comic timing. Here, he delivers an exuberant and gleeful performance that helps make “School of Rock” wildly entertaining.

Black plays Dewey Finn, an energetic, 30-year-old slacker with a passion for rock n roll. Dewey is kicked out of his rock band for being too showy. He shares an apartment with a nerdy substitute teacher (Mike White, who also wrote the film), who has the strange name “Schneebly.” Dewey needs to come up with some money to pay his rent so when a prestigious prep school calls for his roommate to be a sub for a few weeks, Dewey goes to the school and masquerades as a teacher for a fifth grade class that is rewarded for following the rules. Dewey can’t believe how stiff these kids are.

When he hears them practice in band class, he realizes that they can really play. So he comes with a half-baked idea—turn the kids into a rock band and enter them in a “Battle of the Bands” contest to win the prize. Dewey turns the school days into lessons of rock music and culture and they practice music. The kids have fun with their Peter Pan teacher as they “create rock fusion.”

The kids transform from ten-year-old robots to ten-year-old rockers—Zack (Joey Gaydos, Jr.) plays the electric guitar, Freddy (Kevin Clark) bangs it out on the drums, and preppie Summer (Miranda Cosgrove) is assigned as band manager.

The whole movie, from start to finish, is a lot of fun. I can’t think of another comic actor to carry this movie better than Jack Black. He has this sweaty but charismatic personality that makes us laugh but also makes us like and root for him. I liked that the movie didn’t go for the basic stereotype—even the strict principal of the school, played by Joan Cusack, likes to party. I like how Dewey takes her out for a drink (he has to have a relationship somewhere in this movie) and she does a Stevie Nicks impersonation. The kids are all good comic actors—they’re not condescended upon, which is a good thing. Writer Mike White is suitably wimpy as Dewey’s roommate, and Sarah Silverman is funny as Mike White’s girlfriend who knows a slobbish loser when she sees one. But overall, Jack Black is this movie.

Also, this movie takes music seriously. We truly believe that Dewey knows a lot about rock music and truly the best scenes in the movie are the ones in which Dewey teaches these kids how to rock. They talk about music and it seems very real. These kids are played by actual musicians so they know how to play already. But they’re also good actors in which they act like this is the first time they picked up an electric guitar, keyboard, or bass. I also should point out that they really create some memorable tunes in this movie. I liked the songs they performed, even the bad one Dewey writes midway through the film. The best song comes in a heartwarming ending in which the School of Rock performs at the Battle of the Bands competition.

“School of Rock” is just a great entertainment for people of all ages. It’s a showcase of fun led by the lovable Jack Black who brings us in on all the music and all the fun. His Dewey Finn is an original character and Black makes it his own. I love “School of Rock” because of the performances, the music, and the clever script. It just rocks!

Bad Santa (2003)

17 Apr

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Smith’s Verdict: ***1/2

Reviewed by Tanner Smith

“Bad Santa” is not your typical Christmas movie and that’s an understatement indeed. This is the vilest Christmas movie since “Silent Night, Deadly Night.” But there are differences between the two. One is, “Bad Santa” is a comedy; “Silent Night, Deadly Night” was not. Another is, “Bad Santa” is supposed to be funny; “Silent Night, Deadly Night” was unintentionally funny. Name a Christmas movie like “A Christmas Story” or “It’s a Wonderful Life” or “Elf.” Those films are made for children and families. “Bad Santa” is not for everyone; in fact, it may hardly be for anyone. This is a cruel, vulgar, vile, profane film set around Christmastime with a crude, vulgar, and profane mall-Santa Claus. This movie is not for children or for the faint of heart—and especially not for those who don’t enjoy the shot of a drunken Santa vomiting on a wall while the title “Bad Santa” fades into place.

The title character is Willie and is played by Billy Bob Thornton. This is the role Thornton was born to play. He’s a smoking, drinking, vulgar sex fiend who is unfriendly to everyone and has respect for himself. He is not afraid of anything, especially not of looking like a complete idiot. Thornton does not call off any bets in making this guy extremely unlikable. This would be a mistake if the movie wasn’t so funny.

Every Christmas Eve night, Willie and his assistant “elf” Marcus (Tony Cox, brilliant) knock off a department store and then prepare for their next heist next Christmas. But in order to be able to get inside the department store, Willie has to dress up like Santa Claus for the children. He would make the Santa in “A Christmas Story” look like a buffoon. He drinks, swears in front of the kids, and even wets himself in the Santa seat. And so Marcus is the one who has to pick up the pieces that Willie leaves behind. About now, he is starting regret helping this guy out again…and again…and again. He is really ticked off at this guy.

Willie’s unusual behavior (for a Santa) catches the attention of the mall manager (John Ritter), a sleazy store detective (Bernie Mac), and an attractive bartender (Lauren Graham) with a Santa fetish and a catchphrase that should never be uttered on TV or in another Christmas movie, for that matter. He also attracts an overweight, friendless little boy named Thurman Merman (Brett Kelly)—the kid is a cross between Joe Cobb (of the Little Rascals) and Ralph Wiggum of “The Simpsons.” This kid is even weirder than Willie and stalks him everywhere to the point of saving him from a mean dwarf and inviting him to his house, where he lives alone with his senile grandmother (Cloris Leachman). Willie’s attitude doesn’t change around this kid, but the kid just doesn’t leave him alone. And he thinks he’s really Santa. This is not the cute kid you see in other Christmas movies—this kid is a creepy little tyke.

This is not a heartwarming film—it’s as crude as you could get. And yet it works because the actors are game and the script is hilarious. We also don’t get the kind of happy ending you would expect in a Christmas film—in fact, nothing you’d expect in a Christmas film is found here. Billy Bob Thornton is excellent as Willie, with a mix of hopelessness and grisliness that is very welcome and hilarious. Tony Cox, John Ritter, Bernie Mac, Lauren Graham, Brett Kelly, and Lauren Tom (as Marcus’ wife) are very funny as well.

“Bad Santa” is R-rated—like I said, it’s definitely not for children. And if you decide to check it out, I have to share this quote from Richard Roeper when he reviewed this movie—“Don’t see it with someone you don’t know very well.”

The Final Destination (2009)

17 Apr

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Smith’s Verdict: *

Reviewed by Tanner Smith

I knew the “Final Destination” series was bound to sink this low. I knew that sometime sooner or later, the series would run out of ideas and sink into the same old story with nothing new or particularly exciting…and it’s shown in 3-D (that much desperation). This is the worst entry in the series—yes, worse than “Final Destination 2.”

Now, I liked the first “Final Destination.” I found the second to be dull as dishwater and the third to be somewhat of a guilty pleasure with its talented cast and even more creative death scenes. But they’re all carrying the same storyline—a teenager has a premonition of death, she saves a few people, she and the others slowly die in bizarre freak accidents. So why should the fourth one (called “The Final Destination,” which probably means this is the last entry—I seriously doubt it) be any different? But while “Final Destination 3” had more going for it than the same storyline as the original films, this one has almost nothing. It’s a pointless, repetitive, terrible waste of time.

In “The Final Destination,” a young man named Nick (Bobby Campo) is at a stock-car race track with his friends, who are the same, usual alcoholic bratty types. Already I’m sick of these characters because they resemble many characters in slasher movies that actually deserve to die. Where’s the fun or suspense in that?

Anyway, Nick has a premonition of a car crashing into the stands, killing a lot of people. When he wakes up, he freaks out, gets his friends and several others off the stands, and the vision becomes real. But it’s not over for them. Because Death is coming for them…

OK, I really don’t feel typing anymore. I know it’s not professional but I’d rather not type the same things about the plot that I’ve said the last three times. It has tired me out, even to think about it again. Just do me and you a favor—avoid “The Final Destination.”

I mentioned before that the movie is in 3-D—that, of course, is to try and hide the fact that there isn’t anything original…and of course, to distort the images of the fake-looking CGI explosions.

Big Shots (1987)

17 Apr

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Smith’s Verdict: ***

Reviewed by Tanner Smith

“Big Shots” comes across as a sort-of modern-day retelling of “Tom Sawyer” and “Huckleberry Finn.” The film features two young boys from opposite sides of the tracks—one (who’s white) is from a nice suburban home (he reminds me of Tom Sawyer in some sense) and the other (who’s black) is a street kid in Chicago (he, of course, reminds me of Huck). They team up to have all sorts of improbable yet enjoyable adventures and also become the best of friends.

We start off getting to know the suburbanite kid named Obie (Ricky Busker), who is about eleven years old. The film opens with him and his father going fishing in a boat on the lake. His father is trying to tell him about the birds and the bees but Obie disgustedly complains, “How come you gotta tell me this sick stuff all the time?” His father replies, “My father never told me at your age.” Obie asks, “Then why do you have to tell me?” In a few days, the father dies of a fatal heart attack, leaving Obie distraught with the only heirloom that his father would love for him to have—his watch. Obie runs away from his safe urban home and drives his bike into the streets of downtown Chicago. It isn’t long before he gets mugged, with his bike and his father’s watch stolen.

He meets Scam (Darius McCrary), a boy about the same age as Obie. He’s a homeless kid who lives in the basement of a hotel, lying to the desk clerk that his father is coming. He’s a smooth-talking, wise-cracking kid with a lot of tricks up his sleeves—like carrying cap guns to pose as threats and lying a lot. He decides to help Obie get his watch back. This leads them to a character named Johnny Red (Paul Winfield), a jive-talking hustler, and a crooked pawn shop owner (Robert Prosky). It also leads them to a series of adventures that would fit in at a lineup of TV cop shows. These two eleven-year-old kids are driving like they’re in a TV cop show. They have a chase scene where they race to escape the oncoming cops after they rob that pawn shop with realistic-looking cap guns.

Those scenes are improbable and ultimately ridiculous. And the movie shows a lot of adventures for these kids to overcome, like driving all the way to Louisiana with a car they stole. They search for Scam’s father but all they have to go on is an old driver’s license. Anyway, the stolen car belongs to two mobsters (Robert Joy and Jerzy Skolimowski) who chase the kids down to get their car back. Why? Because the car has a dead body in its trunk. The kids don’t know that. They just know these two guys are bad news.

Like I said, this is completely ridiculous. What I liked about “Big Shots” were the performances by Ricky Busker and Darius McCrary and the friendship their characters develop. They’re fun to watch, even through the action sequences. And there’s a heart to the story when the kids actually take time to talk about their own fathers—how one of them is dead and the other is gone away. Obie lost his own father and really wants to help Scam get to his—so there’s a sense of redemption. I liked these two kids. Ricky Busker is a bit annoying as Obie at first but as the movie progresses, so does he. Darius McCrary is appealingly wise-cracking as Scam.

I’m giving “Big Shots” three stars. It’s not a great movie but an enjoyable one. If the director Robert Mandel wanted a better movie, he would’ve actually told a story about these two kids instead of surrounding them with all sorts of ridiculousness.

D.A.R.Y.L. (1985)

17 Apr

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Smith’s Verdict: ***

Reviewed by Tanner Smith

If there’s a kid who can win video games at the first try, hit home runs in his first baseball game, and even correct test answers before they’re given, you can already guess that there is far more to this kid than meets the eye. “D.A.R.Y.L.” is a sweet little movie about a boy who is the perfect kid. The kid’s name is Daryl and he is just one sweet, caring, and very talented little boy.

As the movie opens, Daryl (Barret Oliver, “The Neverending Story”) is found in the woods. He lost his memory; he doesn’t remember his family, his friends, his school, but he remembers his name and how to speak. He’s taken in by a nice couple who have fostered young children for quite some time now. Mary Beth Hurt is Joyce Richardson, a loving piano instructor; and Michael McKean is Andy, Joyce’s husband who coaches a local little league team. Joyce and Andy take a care to Daryl and the kid across the street, named Turtle, becomes his good friend. Daryl surprises his new family and friends by being extremely nice without forcing himself, getting a high score on “Pole Position” on the first try, and hitting home runs at Andy’s little league team’s game.

But once everything goes perfect, Daryl’s real family comes along to take him back. As they take Daryl away from his loving foster family, it becomes discovered by the audience (this is not necessarily a spoiler) that Daryl is in fact a government experiment. Daryl is taken back to the lab he was created in. What is he? Well, “D.A.R.Y.L.” stands for Data Analyzing Robot Youth Lifeform. That’s right—the perfect kid is in fact…a robot (or a cyborg, to be more specific).

The D.A.R.Y.L. experiment was originally planned and funded by the military to be a soldier of advanced proportion. A scientist freed him because he knew that there was more for him to learn. Daryl has absorbed more about love and interaction to his family and other kids and the military consider him a failure. Their decision—to have him “terminated.” However, Dr. Stewart (Josef Sommer), one of Daryl’s designers, knows that Daryl is more than what he was created to be, so he decides to free him and take him back to the Richardsons…with the authorities hot on their trail.

“D.A.R.Y.L.” opens with some genuine sweetness. It’s a great portrait of the world’s greatest kid moving in with a new family and making a great impression. Also, the friendship between the kid and Turtle is sweet—there’s a really good scene where Turtle gives Daryl some advice about grownups. There’s also another great scene where Daryl believes he upset Joyce because he’s so perfect, so he strikes out at the game on purpose.

Then, the movie escapes that mode when Daryl is taken back to the facility where he was created and soon targeted for determination. It turns the movie into a thriller and surprisingly enough, it works. We fear for the kid’s life while he’s being chased by the government. As a thriller, “D.A.R.Y.L.” surprisingly works because it feels like there’s really something at stake. It helps that Barret Oliver plays the kid with credibility, and Josef Summer is quite solid as his protector.

People may complain that “D.A.R.Y.L.” doesn’t quite live up to its opening but not me. I liked where “D.A.R.Y.L.” went, although I sort of wonder how I would’ve went from the wonderful beginning if I made the movie myself. But mind you, that’s not a criticism but more of a thoughtful self-question. “D.A.R.Y.L.” is a nicely-done movie.

The Antagonist (Short Film) (2010)

17 Apr

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Smith’s Verdict: ****

Reviewed by Tanner Smith

Even though I’m aware that the same filmmakers don’t make all the short films by Spy Hop Productions, I always have high expectations for the newest films every time I go to the yearly T Tauri Film Festival, an Arkansas film festival for young people. I’ve seen a lot of films presented by Spy Hop Productions and they all had intriguing filmmaking styles and a surprising amount of intelligence that comes when bright teenagers, such as the ones who make the films, work together to make a short film. It really feels like the films have real production value.

My favorite Spy Hop production is a documentary called “Touching Sound” (a documentary featuring a deaf boy getting a Cochlear implant), but my second favorite is a narrative film called “The Antagonist.”

“The Antagonist” is a postmodern fantasy in which the “antagonist” is actually the protagonist. You see, the story features a creepy man with a burlap sack over his head, a top hat, a tricycle, and a wooden board with a long nail sticking out of it. He’s like a character in a slasher film. But the twist here is that he really is a character in a slasher film. He’s being manipulated by a young screenwriter who doesn’t know (at least, I don’t think he knows) that his antagonist exists in his world and is being controlled by whatever his writer types for him.

That’s a wonderful premise and the film features the “Hat Man” as he rides his tricycle through town, finding more victims. Meanwhile, the screenwriter takes breaks to ask other people (including a little girl) what they think of what he’s just written. It works for comedic purposes. But then, “The Antagonist” becomes even more special when it goes deeper into drama. The Hat Man meets a woman at a Laundromat and they strike up an interesting relationship. This is even more remarkable, considering what the filmmakers had to work with because the Hat Man has no dialogue. The scenes involving the Hat Man and the woman are handled delicately. And, as you can tell, it gets even more complicated when the writer goes back to manipulating the Hat Man to create his idea of an artful thriller.

For a twenty-minute film, “The Antagonist” has plenty of surprises. It starts as a quirky comedy and ends up being an even more compelling piece of work. I named it one of the best films I’ve seen in 2010, and I don’t care how short it is; don’t ignore it if it works, no matter what the length.

You can see the film at https://vimeo.com/49177543

Forget About It (Short Film) (2006)

16 Apr

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Smith’s Verdict: ***1/2

Reviewed by Tanner Smith

We usually have a bunch of movies where street kids are robbing stores and banks just to get themselves some dough. But “Forget About It” tells us why it’s not such a good idea because thieves will get caught. No, this isn’t a drama about teenagers robbing a bank and what happens afterwards. Instead it’s a comedy about two bored teenaged guys who sit in a Jeep one night and imagine robbing a bank and talk through small (or huge) situations.

Zac Larsen plays Andrew and Levi Whitlock plays Spencer, both of whom I’m guessing were voted “most likely to be seen in a Judd Apatow comedy” in their high-school yearbook. These two idiots (wait I’m sorry—“misunderstood teenagers”) just have this idea to rob a bank and think about it first. Very smart, I guess. Through fantasy sequences, Andrew and Spencer try sequence after sequence to get into the bank and into the vault without being shot by the smirking (and utterly hilarious) security guard (Matt Lopez). No luck, and they just try again and again and again, and you know what? I was laughing out loud the whole time.

These sequences are fun to watch because you know that it’s a bad idea to rob a bank because something will happen every time. First they try it dressed in black—they get shot. Then they try it just by showing the teller the gun—they got shot when she turns on the alarm. A lot happens here and I was really interested and laughing all the way through.

Spencer has some of the funniest moments, such as when he first walks in with a sniper rifle and when he gets shot by the guard and usually goes “Oh, man! I got shot! Dude, let’s do it over again!” Levi Whitlock is very funny here and Zac Larsen is the brain who also has a couple of funny moments, such as when he freaks out when things go wrong. The guard is the funniest character in this movie. It’s a small role, but his smirks and dialogue makes him look like a cross between Clint Eastwood and Will Ferrell.

The screenplay is great and the direction is good also. James Bereece is the director and Spencer Stuard is the writer. They don’t disappoint. The idea is very good to have two guys in a car imagining robbing a bank and then get to see fantasy sequences about their many attempts to succeed. And the dialogue is just funny. These two seem to be channeling Kevin Smith comedic work and they pull it off here very well.

This film was made by a youth production company in Utah called Spy Hop Productions, who have made some of my favorite short student films, including the short documentary “Touching Sound.” This company founded by youths makes such great short films and I look forward to seeing more of whatever they have to offer.

You can see this film at https://vimeo.com/48849032

Jaws (1975)

16 Apr

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Smith’s Verdict: ****

Reviewed by Tanner Smith

You would think that a movie like “Jaws” is an easy film to make. All a filmmaker needs (or “wants”) is a mechanical shark, then to arrange for a bigger mechanical shark, and then to make a b-movie about a giant shark that attacks unlucky swimmers in a lake in which cardboard-stiff characters are the ones who stand against it. Oh yeah, and it would also come from outer space. Don’t ask me how I came up with this horrible idea for a movie, but I can imagine what “Jaws” would have been like if it followed that arrangement, and I would cringe if that really happened. But “Jaws” is a superior movie that features a regular great white shark that attacks near an island and three truly interesting characters that must set out to kill it.

Adapted from Peter Benchley’s popular novel, “Jaws” lets us know right at the beginning just what we’re in for—a shark is on the attack and in a terrifying opening scene, it tears apart a swimming woman—but then it becomes something more and isn’t merely a shark-attack movie but a character piece as well. The scares are all there, as the shark continues to kill, but there is plenty of running time for character development. It kind of reminds me of “The Exorcist”—just as frightening and also with real characters that we care about. First in “Jaws,” we meet Martin Brody (Roy Scheider), the police chief of Amity who comes from New York and moved to the island with his wife and children to get away from city life. Then we meet Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss), a rich kid who became an oceanographer simply because he loves sharks. And at last we meet Quint (Robert Shaw), a Capt. Ahab type of crusty person—he’s a caricature but he has his own dark past as well.

The first half of this movie is mostly about the attacks and the investigation behind them. I mentioned “The Exorcist” above, but with “Jaws,” which is as frightening, is also more fun because we’re not being frightened on the devil but more of that feeling of “something” in the water. When Brody and Hooper are fully convinced that a great white shark is behind this, they hire Quint to take them out on his boat called “The Orca” to set out to find it and kill it. That brings us the second half of the film, which is an hour of “man versus beast.” This is really exciting to watch because we watch these characters go to many lengths to try and capture this thing, which turns out to be bigger than they thought (“You’re going to need a bigger boat,” Brody nervously declares). How these three main characters are developed makes “Jaws” an all the more effective thriller and action picture. These are people we feel that we know and therefore, we care for them and fear for their lives as they try to outwit this horrible creature of the sea.

Director Steven Spielberg does a sensational job at bringing the movie its realism and fright. For one thing, he shows the characters as they truly could be. And for another thing, he borrows from Alfred Hitchcock in bringing in more suspense by keeping the monster/villain out of sight for a whole hour and a half into the movie (when the shark attacks, we only see glimpses of it). And another nice touch is how the real villain (in the first half, anyway) is not the shark but the mayor of the island (Murray Hamilton). He knows that something is wrong in the water. But he doesn’t want to lose his summer tourists, so he says it’s OK for everyone to go into the water.

The performances are all excellent—Roy Scheider’s character in particular is the character that most of us identify with because he just feels like somebody we know and he’s just sort of the everyman. And we believe him when he becomes nervous out on the water after we all knew from the start that he was afraid of water and not exactly thrilled about going after a shark. Robert Shaw is cheerfully wild as the old man who walks around like the “man at sea” and then gives a compelling monologue about how he was aboard the Indianapolis. Richard Dreyfuss is an inspired casting choice to play the oceanographer and brings some comic timing with his subtle wit.

As for the shark, I believed the illusion that a great white shark was on the attack, though I’m not quite sure I believe that’s a real shark that attempts to destroy the ship and attack the men on board near the end. But for the most part, it feels like a real shark. “Jaws” is a sensational adventure directed with masterful standing attention by Steven Spielberg, well-acted by the three main characters, and genuinely frightening.

Scream 3 (2000)

16 Apr

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Smith’s Verdict: *1/2

Reviewed by Tanner Smith

Midway through “Scream 3” (the final chapter in the apparent “Scream” trilogy), we are informed of the rules of the trilogy by a posthumous video message from Randy, the film-knowing victim in “Scream 2” played by Jamie Kennedy. He tells the ways of the trilogy and references “Godfather” and “Jedi,” while saying plot twists are revealed, the past (preferably events in the first film) will haunt the characters, and basically, anything goes.

This video is viewed by returning characters Dewey (David Arquette), Sidney (Neve Campbell), and of course, the cutthroat (so to speak) reporter Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox-Arquette). This is convenient because the killer in the Grim Reaper costume and ghostface mask is at it again and maybe for the last time. This time, the killer plans to finish everything and everyone. Randy’s video is help for Dewey, Sidney, and Gale, but not for the audience of “Scream 3”—what Randy forgot to mention was that the final chapter of a trilogy is sometimes the weakest one. That is certainly true of “Scream 3” itself, which is most disappointing. I really liked the first two “Scream” movies and found them scary and satirical of the slasher movie genre—the satire really worked. Here, in “Scream 3,” we get some amusing lines of dialogue (though the script is not written by Kevin Williamson this time, but by Ehren Kruger), a couple of funny cameos, and some points of somewhat true emotion. But ultimately, the movie sinks because it mainly just descends into the very clichés it was trying to satirize in the first place. The fun is gone. In a trilogy, nobody is safe and all bets are off. Don’t get me wrong—this could create a huge amount of suspense, but the story is not well-executed for us to be on the edges of our seats.

As you recall from “Scream 2,” a movie franchise was brought in, based on the events in the first film which were written into a best-selling novel by Gale. The movie-within-the-movie was called “Stab.” In “Scream 3,” we have “Stab 3” in development—strange how no one ever mentions a “Stab 2.” This brings the attention of another killer who strikes right before production is about to start. So now, young police detective Kincaid (Patrick Dempsey) recruits Gale and Dewey to help figure out what the killer will do now. This time, there are clues—near every body is a picture of Sidney’s mother who, if you recall from the previous films, was murdered four years before. What could they mean? And which of the actors in “Stab 3” is next to being killed? Are you still with me?

One of the problems with “Scream 3” is that the characters are so thin and dull that I didn’t care who lived and who died. Even Gale, who was so feisty in the previous films, is reduced to being just a target. Parker Posey does what she can, playing the actress who was supposed to play Gale in “Stab 3,” showing spunk and selfishness. And then there’s Sidney, the star of the previous films. Here, she is barely seen in the first half and is given nothing special to do when she shows up on the set of “Stab 3.”

And of course, you need to watch the previous films to understand much of what is happening here. But the better idea would be to just watch “Scream” and “Scream 2” and accept them as individual films because “Scream 3” has lost the series its energy.

Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010)

16 Apr

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Smith’s Verdict: ***1/2

Reviewed by Tanner Smith

I’ve read the entire “Percy Jackson & the Olympians” book series by Rick Riordan, which has gained a huge fan base. I am among those fans. Why? Because this book series gives an interesting modern look at Greek mythology, a series of thrilling adventures set in modern times and places, and most importantly, a strong, likable hero we can identify with and root for. Percy Jackson is a confused kid whose life is changed; throughout the book series, he grows into his strange surroundings and ultimately does battle with what he knows, only for the safety of his friends and family.

But I’m reviewing the books when I should be reviewing the film adaptation of the first in the series—“Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief.” The filmmakers have made some changes and omitting a few parts from the book for the movie version, but I didn’t mind so much because the same mood of the original story remains the same. And I must say after I saw the movie, I was actually relieved that the filmmakers didn’t use everything. The book had a lot—and I mean a LOT—of situations that definitely work well in a book, but by omitting some of the situations and working their own way around them (but like I said, a lot of parts remain the same as in the book) makes “The Lightning Thief” work as a movie by making the situations that follow in the film simple enough to follow along and piece together. “Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief” is fun and thrilling with a likeable cast and nicely done action sequences.

Oh yeah and I think I should also tell you exactly who Percy Jackson is. Well, he’s the son of the Greek god Poseidon (god of the seas) and mortal Sally Jackson. You see, as the story of “Percy Jackson” makes itself abundantly clear, the Greek gods are real, and every once in a while, they have kids with mortals. These kids are called demigods and they live among us. Percy Jackson is a demigod but doesn’t realize it until it’s almost too late.

Played by Logan Lerman, Percy is a teenager (he was twelve in the book but 17 in the movie) leading a dull life and not doing well in school because he is dyslexic and has ADHD. His best friend is Grover (Brandon T. Jackson) and his teacher is wheelchair-bound Mr. Brunner (Pierce Brosnan). His mother Sally (Catherine Keener) is a kind woman who has to put up with her husband Gabe (Joe Pantoliano), who is both a slob and a jerk. Percy has absolutely no idea that he’s a demigod nor does he even know his real father (Poseidon)…until the plot gets underway.

Percy is accused of stealing Zeus’ lightning bolt and is chased by monsters (including the Minotaur). It is then that Percy is taken to Mr. Brunner’s training camp for demigods. Mr. Brunner, you see, is actually Chiron, a centaur (he has the bottom half of a horse). Oh, and Grover is a satyr (half-man, half-goat). Anyway, Percy did not steal the lightning bolt. (To explain why he’s accused is too much to explain.) But if it isn’t returned in matter of days, there will be a war among the gods, which could bring disaster to the world.

Percy, Grover, and Annabeth (Alexandra Daddario)—the daughter of Athena—go on a cross-country quest to piece everything together as the movie turns its fun scale up a few notches with a series of thrilling adventures for the kids to go through. My most favorite is when the kids wind up in Medusa’s lair—a gnome emporium; that idea itself is fun. Medusa is played with seductiveness and with a head of snakes by Uma Thurman. She has fun with this role.

OK, I’ve said too much of the plot for you to go and have the fun the movie wants you to have. Director Chris Columbus also directed the first two Harry Potter movies and I guess it’s because of his presence and the story of a hero in a world-threatening situation that many critics are already reviewing the film as a “Harry Potter knockoff.” I sincerely don’t think it’s fair to make that comparison because “Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief,” while not having that same sense of wonder that the first Harry Potter film had, is something rarely seen in other movies considered to be “Harry Potter knockoffs”—pure magical fun with good acting, well-done special effects, and a great sense of adventure. Logan Lerman is well-suited and charismatic as Percy, Brandon T. Jackson and Alexandra Daddario are likeable as his friends, and the supporting cast is wonderful—Catherine Keener as Percy’s mother; Pierce Brosnan as the centaur; Uma Thurman as Medusa; Sean Bean as Zeus; Kevin McKidd as Poseidon; Steve Coogan in Mick Jagger getup as Hades (he shows how scary he can look when he’s not dressed that way); Rosario Dawson as Hades’ abused wife Persephone; and Jake Abel as Luke, the helpful son of Hermes. Oh, and of course, nobody plays a selfish slob better than Joe Pantoliano.

The movie also does well at tapping into the emotional side of the kids. Since one of their parents is a Greek god and therefore never gets to see them, then why did they bother meeting their mortal parent in the first place? And do the gods even care about them? Actually, if you think about it, those are very good questions.

One other thing—I can’t tell you how pleased I was when this movie, while the sequels to the “Lightning Thief” book are also expected to made into films if this first one does well at the box office, did not end with a cliffhanger. I’ve seen many book-to-film adaptations (two, for example, are “The Golden Compass” and “Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant”) that end as if saying to us, “See you next time!” “Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief” didn’t have to.

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