Lewis and Wilbur in "Meet the Robinsons"
courtesy of Disney Home Entertainment
"Future Man"

Sometimes I think I underestimate the ability of small children to understand the plots of movies, but it seems to me the plot of "Meet the Robinsons" is a little too complex for them. The storyline involves time travel back and forth and eventually the young hero meets himself in a future year. I was confused myself so how is a five year old supposed to reason it all out! 

In the film Lewis is a twelve-year old boy living in an orphanage. He is a brilliant child who has met with prospective adoptive parents over a hundred times with no success. As he gets older he becomes more and more obsessed with his inventions. This leads him to work all night and keep his roommate Goob awake. 

One day at a science fair he meets a thirteen-year-old boy named Wilbur. Wilbur tells him he is from the future and is looking for a man wearing a bowler hat. The bowler hat guy wants to kidnap Lewis and use his invention for himself. 

Lewis and Wilbur end up in the future where Wilbur introduces Lewis to his family. They are an odd group of people but they are all very loving. Lewis is very impressed with them, but realizes he has to return to the present in order to correct some things that have happened. 

The time travel is the confusing part of the movie. Lewis lives in the present and the future, and his roommate Goob does too. Keeping it all straight would put an adult's reasoning capacity to the test so it might be overly complex for a pre-teen viewer. 

Stephen J Anderson, the director of the movie, voices a variety of characters in the film. Additional voice talent includes Angela Bassett, Laurie Metcalf, Adam West and Tom Selleck. 

One of the most impressive features of the film is the musical score by Danny Elfman. It gives it the right amount of sentimentality and adventure. There are also some fun original songs by Rufus Wainright.

Maybe now that the film is out on DVD parents can sit with their children and explain the plot, as they could not and should not do in a crowded theater. And maybe I can sit in and have someone explain it to me.

From family fare to mature fare there is "Emmanuelle." This was one of the first truly erotic movies intended to be viewed by the general public. Now don't get me wrong, I do not mean it was G rated. The DVD is "unrated." Still this movie starring Sylvia Kristel and Alan Cuny was meant to be seen by more people than just those who were looking for pornography.

It is a film that is beautifully photographed, adequately acted, and sexually enhanced. It is not for the average moviegoer. It is for those who want something more adult. It is the groundbreaking "Emmanuelle" and it is available on DVD.

Some of us are old enough to remember the name of Clifford Irving. He was the man who tried to pull off the Howard Hughes hoax and almost got away with it. Now this story has made it to DVD and it is great. 

Richard Gere plays Irving and gives an over the top performance. He brings to life the reasons for creating a fake autobiography and the letters and other documents to back it up. It was a grand scheme that was so outrageous that it almost worked.

Stanley Tucci, Alfred Molina, Marcia Gay Harden, Hope Davis and Julie Delpy are also in the cast. Everything comes together to make this film a shocker. Gere is at his best and so is the movie.

Are you getting in the mood for the holidays? Well the DVD "The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey" will help you. This film about the power of friendship and of love will touch your heart over and over. It is all about helping each other and in turn helping yourself.

Tom Berenger, Joely Richardson and Luke Ward-Wilkinson star in this truly enchanting movie about a reclusive woodcutter and the family he learned to love and help. It is truly a movie to put you in the Christmas mood.

This past week "Saw IV" was the big money earner at the box office showing that audiences still have a stomach for horror. "Gag" is out on DVD and it is more of this type of movie. In it some thieves are on a robbing spree when they get stopped dead in their tracks.

The movie is unrated meaning the scenes of horror are gross and explicit. Watch it if you dare. You have been warned!

If you thrilled when you watched Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds" then you will be anxious to watch "Kaw." This is another movie about birds on a killing rampage. In this 0one it is ravens that go crazy and attack a town.

Sean Patrick Flanery, Stephen McHattie and Rod Taylor star in this fun to watch film. Having Taylor in the cast is a bot of a homage to the original film as he was the star of that show. This movie is not up to the level of "The Birds" but it is still exciting and chilling. You may never look at a bird the same way again.

And to end on a totally bizarre note there is a DVD out titled "Fido." It is a movie about a boy named Timmy who has a zombie named Fido as a pet/friend. When the zombie gets hungry and kills the neighbor, mom and dad don't approve. Now Timmy has to find a way to save Fido from destruction. It's a comedy, folks.

Carrie Ann Moss, Bill Connolly and Dylan Baker star. It's funny if you get the joke. I never did.
 

 

 

 

 

©2007 Jackie K. Cooper

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