The Muppets

On vacation in Los Angeles, Walter, the world’s biggest Muppet fan, his brother Gary (Jason Segel) and Gary’s girlfriend Mary (Amy Adams) from Smalltown, USA, discover the nefarious plan of oilman Tex Richman (Chris Cooper) to raze the Muppet Theater and drill for the oil recently discovered beneath the Muppets’ former stomping grounds. To stage a telethon and raise the $10 million needed to save the theater, Walter, Mary and Gary help Kermit reunite the Muppets, who have all gone their separate ways: Fozzie now performs with a Reno casino tribute band called the Moopets, Miss Piggy is a plus-size fashion editor at Vogue Paris, Animal is in a Santa Barbara clinic for anger management, and Gonzo is a high-powered plumbing magnate. With signature celebrity
cameos, Disney’s “The Muppets” hits the big screen November 23, 2011.

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The Hangover Part 2

In The Hangover Part II, Phil (Bradley Cooper), Stu (Ed Helms), Alan (Zach Galifianakis) and Doug (Justin Bartha) travel to exotic Thailand for Stu’s wedding. After the unforgettable bachelor party in Las Vegas, Stu is taking no chances and has opted for a safe, subdued pre-wedding brunch. However, things don’t always go as planned. What happens in Vegas may stay in Vegas, but what happens in Bangkok can’t even be imagined.

Opens Thursday, May 27.

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Review – Due Date

Due Date is not a good film. It is gimmicky, predictable and full of one unfunny “joke” after another. This is definitely an opportunity missed, as both Downey Jr. and Galifianakis are very talented comedic actors. But sadly the situations are forced, improbable, unbelievable and worst of all, not funny.

The basic plot is that Robert Downey Jr.’s character is trying to get from Atlanta to L.A. on time for the birth of his first child, the wacky loser, wannabe actor (Zach Galifianakis) who he is forced to travel cross country with and the trouble they get into along the way. From the very beginning when Downey, Jr. and Galifianakis’ characters get kicked off a plane and put on a no-fly list, the film goes from one improbable situation to another. If it is that easy to get kicked off of a plane, watch out and don’t ever raise your voice on a plane or you’ll be in trouble. From that point on each shenanigan the characters got into, I found myself asking, “That wasn’t even remotely amusing, so what was the point?”

The biggest issue is that the filmmakers were not able to achieve the balance between the comic and dramatic moments that they were looking for. Occasionally, when the film slows down, stops being forced and lets Downey, Jr. and Galifianakis just interact with each other there are flashes of what a good version of this movie might have looked like. I wish they’d just stuck with just the “serious” side of this film with occasional comic interludes because those are the best bits in the movie and are the moments when Downey, Jr. and Galifianakis really shine.

Ironically, Due Date is the unfunny, cringe worthy train wreck I expected The Hangover to be. The ads may say “from the makers of The Hangover” but you’d never know the same people were behind that hilarious film and this one. What made The Hangover surprisingly entertaining was that it wasn’t just about the juvenile jokes (although it had those) but that there was some substance behind all of the nonsense. There are attempts at substance in Due Date but it is too much of a mess for those scenes to make a difference.

Fans of these two actors are advised that rather than seeing this film they can better spend their time watching Iron Man and Bored to Death where they can enjoy Downey, Jr. and Galifianakis at their best.

Due Date

From director Todd Phillips, “Due Date” stars Robert Downey Jr. and Zach Galifianakis as two unlikely companions who are thrown together on a road trip that turns out to be as life-changing as it is outrageous. Downey plays Peter Highman, an expectant first-time father whose wife’s due date is a mere five days away. As Peter hurries to catch a flight home from Atlanta to be at her side for the birth, his best intentions go completely awry when a chance encounter with aspiring actor Ethan Tremblay (Galifianakis) forces Peter to hitch a ride with Ethan on what turns out to be a cross-country road trip that will ultimately destroy several cars, numerous friendships and Peter’s last nerve.

The film will be released on November 5, 2010.

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It’s Kind of a Funny Story

World-premiering at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival. What’s a 16-year-old boy doing playing music and table tennis with adult psychiatric patients – on a school day? It’s kind of a funny story…It’s Kind of a Funny Story, adapted from Ned Vizzini’s 2006 novel of the same name, is the new comedy-drama from acclaimed writer/directors Ryan Fleck & Anna Boden.

It’s @5:00 AM on a Sunday in Brooklyn. Craig Gilner (played by Keir Gilchrist of “United States of Tara”) is bicycling up to the entrance of a mental health clinic; this bright 16-year-old is stressed out from the demands of being a teenager. Before his parents (Lauren Graham [of “Parenthood”] and Jim Gaffigan [of Away We Go]) and younger sister are even awake, Craig checks himself into Argenon Hospital and is admitted by a psychiatrist. But the youth ward is temporarily closed – so he finds himself stuck in the adult ward. One of the patients, Bobby (Zach Galifianakis of The Hangover), soon becomes both Craig’s mentor and protégé. Craig is also quickly drawn to another 16-year-old displaced to the adult ward, the sensitive Noelle (Emma Roberts of the upcoming Scream 4), who just might make him forget his longtime unrequited crush Nia (Zoë Kravitz of the upcoming Mad Max). With a minimum five days’ stay imposed on him by the adult ward’s staff psychiatrist Dr. Eden Minerva (Academy Award nominee Viola Davis), Craig is sustained by friendships on both the inside and the outside as he learns more about life, love, and the pressures of growing up.

Opens in limited release October 8th.

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Dinner for Schmucks

“Dinner for Schmucks” tells the story of Tim (Paul Rudd), a guy on the verge of having it all. The only thing standing between him and total career success is finding the perfect guest to bring to his boss’ annual Dinner for Extraordinary People, an event where the winner of the evening brings the most eccentric character as his guest. Enter Barry (Steve Carell), a guy with a passion for dressing mice up in tiny outfits to recreate great works of art. From Jay Roach, director of “Meet the Parents” and “Meet the Fockers” comes an unforgettable feast about two unlikely friends and one very memorable dinner.

Opens July 30th.

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