Junto Boys

DUDE REVIEWS

My last installment garnered no comments, not even a certificate of completion from Biff, so these are scaled down reviews of ten films I have seen, all from last year, ranked in order of enjoyment:

JUNO (2007) - the best and most original film of the year that I have seen. I know Ellen Page from HARD CANDY and now she is a few years older and funnier. She creates a character impossible to forget. The script is also unforgettable. I learned that you do not have a story without an antagonist but here it is achieved. There are no bad guys in this story. The dad and stepmom are real people and not caricatures as they would have been in any other teenage movie. The kids are real too with real thoughts and emotions. The situations are funny and true and it never takes the route you expect. Movies like this just feel good to watch.

SERAPHIM FALLS (2007) - FIRST BLOOD meets JOSEY WALES. I liked it a lot despite the peculiar third act in which delusions appear to affect reality. It is mostly Liam Neeson chasing Pierce Brosnan through treacherous terrain - they begin in the snowy mountains, nearly freezing to death, and wind up on the barren plateau with nary the strength to fight. A movie for guys who love movies.

THE LOOKOUT (2007) - interesting study of a one-time golden boy who got himself a little brain damage and now sweeps floors in a bank. He is preyed upon by a band of bank robbers who make him their inside man. The dude from 3rd Rock proves that he has the acting chops to stick around for awhile by creating a nifty character.

3:10 TO YUMA (2007) - it's a good mix of action and psychology that goes terribly haywire in the closing minutes. I know it was written that way long ago, but change it anyways if it sucks that bad. If Ben Wade simply gets on the train, knowing that he will escape later, then it is genius. Instead, we lose the guy we love and Wade kills all his buddies even though he still plans to escape later. I don't get it.

300 (2007) - the visual look of this film is simply astounding. There were a few scenes I played over and over just to look at again. Included in this ritual were the sexy scene with the babely wife and the slow-motion raptuous dance of the nymph. There were also some incredible battle sequences. It is truly a visual delight but I could have done with fewer beasts and mutants. It's basically BRAVEHEART for teenagers.

LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD (2007) - sure, it's ridiculous but all guys love a good action pic when handled with care. The plot is a decent shade of realistic armageddon and Justin Long is good as the sidekick. It is the height of silliness when McClain takes out a chopper with a squad car but there are some riveting action sequences to make up for that.

SUPERBAD (2007) - here is a movie made by teenagers for teenagers. It was written by Seth Rogen and his pal when they were thirteen and shelved until they had the power to get it made. It is ten times more crass than it needs to be and there has rarely been a more unlikeable lead character. This is somewhat made up for by the iconic McLovin character who is twice as funny as Napoleon Dynamite. I liked that it was a night-in-the-life tale, which was a SuperCrass version of DAZED AND CONFUSED.

THE SAVAGES (2007) - overrated by a mile but fun to watch two of everyone's favorite actors as siblings. The better film is YOU CAN COUNT ON ME in which Laura Linney plays the sane sibling. In this one, she's kind of nutty. It's a mildly interesting character study but not as good as you are being lead to believe.

1408 (2007) - it's fairly interesting until the way-over-the-top third act. I understand that the Stephen King short-story is mainly the conversation between John Cusack and Samuel Jackson. That is a great scene but it almost doesn't belong in this film since Jackson never reappears after that encounter. Cusack can carry a movie and he does here for long stretches.

THE BEE MOVIE (2007) - it had some good buzz but I was less than charmed. I actually nodded off for a few minutes in the middle. The Seinfeld humor works onstage and in sitcom format but drones on at feature length. If you are a critter that can talk, then just talk to one person, don't go on CNN - that is stretching credulity beyond repair.