Robin Comes Bobbin

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Cheryl Hinds and Robin Williams in "RV"
courtesy of Columbia Home Video

"Robin Comes Bobbin"

For a while now it seems Robin Williams has been on a serious kick, showing that he is a true actor in the dramatic sense. That is all well and good but most of us prefer our Robin Williams heart-warming and funny. That is where he got his start and that is where his major successes have been found. In the new to DVD film "RV" Robin Williams comes back to his roots and plays a character we can love and laugh along with from beginning to end of the movie.

In this film Williams plays an overworked businessman. He never gets to spend time with his wife and two kids as he is always busy with work, work, work. He has planned a family vacation for this year but then his boss tells him he has to go to a business meeting out west. Williams doesn't tell his family about the meeting but rather says they are going on a vacation across country in an RV.

Of course all kinds of calamities and adventures befall the family as they travel in the RV and most of them are super funny. Williams is at his loveable, laughable best while Cheryl Hines, Jo Jo Levesque and Josh Hutcherson are a good supporting cast as his wife and kids. Jeff Daniels and Kristin Chenoweth provide laughs as a couple they meet on their travels.

This is the kind of Robin Williams movie his fans adore so it is good to have him back doing what he does best. Get "RV" and see why Williams is one of the most celebrated comics in movies today. Plus look for the DVD extras such as a gag reel, alternate scenes and featurettes.

The film "Hoot" is based on a novel by Carl Hiaasen and has music by Jimmy Buffet. It is a sweet story about three kids who band together to protect some owls who are in danger of being forced out of their habitat in Florida. The message is good; the movie is not.

Teenager Roy Eberhardt (Logan Lerman) moves with his family from Montana to Florida. On his first day of school he spies a kid running barefoot beside his school bus, and he also gets attacked by the school bully. Later he learns the barefoot kid is called "mullet fingers" (Cody Linley) and doesn't attend school. Mullet's sister Beatrice (Brie Larson) confides this to Roy.

The three youngsters become friends and decide to take a stand when a local developer wants to bulldoze a property where small owls have their habitat. They take on the man (Tim Blake Nelson) standing guard at the property, the police (Owen Wilson), and the owner (Clark Gregg) of the property.

The film is harmless but it just isn't very good. It seems a bit amateurish and silly. Still it is an easy way to teach your kids an environmental lesson. Plus on the DVD you get extras such as commentary by Director Wil Shriner and author Carl Hiaasen, plus featurettes on the making of the movie.

For those of you in the mood for a teen horror flick you might want to pick up "I'll Always Know What You Did Last Summer." This is another movie about a group of kids who are involved in an accidental death. Rather than report and explain it they keep it a secret, but as we all know secrets don't stay hidden for long. Soon someone is coming for revenge and the group is being diminished one by one.

The cast is composed of young actors looking for their big break (I don't think this is it). They include Torrey DeVitto, Ben Easter and David Paetkau. They are earnest enough and the film is interesting, but just not as suspenseful as you would hope it would be.

Much more interesting is the drama "Don't Come Knocking." Sam Shepard stars in this film as a star of movie westerns whose career has faded. As he leaves Hollywood he talks with his mother and finds he may have a son from a previous relationship. He meets the boy and his old flame and tries to make some sense of his life. But complications arise that prevent him from having the ability to straighten everything out.

This is not an easy film to understand or enjoy but if you let yourself get caught up in the story you will find some real entertainment there. Shepard is always interesting as an actor and as a writer. He and director Wim Wenders co-wrote the script. Eva Marie Saint, Tim Roth and Jessica Lange co-star and each makes an able contribution to the flow of the story.

Take the time to sit through "Don't Come Knocking." It will be worth the effort if you give it a chance to involve you completely.

For the kids, McDonald's has helped create a series of DVD's for their entertainment. They are titled "McKids Adventures Volume 1: Get Up and Go With Ronald" and "McKids Adventures Volume 2: Treasure Hunt With Ronald." As the titles suggest these are adventures with Ronald McDonald and a group of his friends.

The intent of these videos is to inspire, entertain and educate kids in different aspects of life. It is all done through music, fun and other means of entertainment. Ronald McDonald is a good role model for kids and he is centerstage in both of these videos. So get them for your kids and let the fun began.

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