Angelina Jolie in "Wanted"
courtesy of Universal Home Entertainment
“Angelina Jolie Is Always Wanted”

It is amazing to watch a stick thin Angelina Jolie in a movie like “Changeling” and then grab the DVD of “Wanted” and watch her play a full fledged action character. This woman can do it all – and does. Somewhere in another universe women like Jolie live just like us other mortals. They get food at the grocery store, go out to eat with friends, and shop at the local mall. But in this world they only in movies where they play out roles that leave us bug-eyed with awe. At least such is the case with Jolie’s new DVD. In this one Angelina is sleek, sexy and kicks butt big time.

In the film we meet a guy named Wesley Gibson. Wesley (James McAvoy) is one of those guys who life has beaten down. He has a dead end job, a cheating girlfriend, and no hope of things getting any better. That is until Fox (Jolie) comes into his life. She sidles up to him in the drugstore where he is picking up his tranquilizers. When she appears a shootout ensues and soon he is being dragged around and shot at by a mysterious man. He ends up in a warehouse where he is told he is destined to be a member of a team of assassins.

The leader of the “assassins” is Sloan (Morgan Freeman). He explains to Wesley that he has been selected because his father was an assassin, and he was recently killed. The group, including Fox, wants Wesley to avenge his father’s death. But first he has to go through a training program which is brutal to say the least. Still when he graduates he is a different man than he was before.

“Wanted” is a movie that never takes a breath. It races full throttle from beginning to end. McAvoy is the star of the show as Wesley and Jolie is more of a supporting player as Fox, but her impact is what the movie needs to make it something special. Seeing her driving a car while fighting off enemies is a hoot and what is more enjoyable is she makes it look believable.

This is not a DVD for the family but for those who like an adult actioner this is the one to see. Jolie and company jump start your entertainment quotient with a thrilling race against death in this must see DVD. In her past few roles Jolie has been playing woman of grace and power. In this one she is a raging animal who loves to hunt and kill.

Keep the kids out of the TV room but make sure you see this adrenalin fueled thriller. “Wanted” is the one you want to see.

You might think you want to see the new Will Ferrell movie on DVD, but you don’t. Just when you think Ferrell can’t debase his talent any further he takes it another step down. “Blades of Glory” started his slump. This was followed by the awful “Semi Pro.” Now we have the third nail in the coffin of his career “Step Brothers.” Not only is Ferrell bad in this film but he manages to drag John C Reilly, Mary Steenburgen and Richard Jenkins down with him.

Ferrell plays Brennan, one of two sons of Nancy Huff (Steenburgen). She also has a younger son named Derek (Adam Scott). Brennan lives with his mother although he is nearly forty years old. So when she meets and marries Dr. Robert Doback (Jenkins) he goes along to live at Doback’s house. This causes a crowd because Doback also has a stay at home son, Dale (Reilly), who too is almost forty.

Brennan and Dale hate each other at first sight and act like spoiled, petulant children. They bicker, hurl insults, and eventually come to blows. Their parents can only weakly ask them to stop, which they ignore. The arguments they have are at the most immature level and though silly aren’t funny.

Eventually the “brothers” bond and work together to avoid work. They are ambitionless males who seem to have stopped growing mentally around the age of twelve. Both parents are enablers and let the “boys” live lives of indolence and self gratification.

The humor in the movie is pure Judd Apatow (“Knocked Up”) even though the script was written by Ferrell, Reilly and Adam McKay (who also directed). The F word is hurled about like it should send the audience into peals of laughter, and male genitalia is once again exposed. Did I mention the movie is rated R?

Ferrell once commanded respect and adulation in the world of comedy. He was bright, inventive and totally charming. He was even on the verge of being considered a serious actor with his role in “Stranger Than Fiction.” Then came his triple slide into gross-out comedy. He has alienated general audiences and has now directed his career toward only those who appreciate the cruder side of his humor.

Because of Ferrell’s general likeability audiences were willing to accept an edgier side to his comedy. They laughed with him in “Talladega Nights” and embraced his co-star John C Reilly. But in “Step Brothers” the charm of those performances are nowhere to be seen and the crudity beats the audience to death.

Richard Jenkins has been on the verge of major stardom this year with his role in “The Visitor” but this performance negates that one. As for Mary Steenburgen, I guess a paycheck is a paycheck but there is such a thing as pride.

There will be those who think the gross humor is perfect, and the profanity is just the way we talk. But there will be others who will either get word of the content and stay away.

There have always been legends about the “evil stepmothers” in our society, well this is a tale of the “evil stepbrothers.” They are to be avoided at all costs.

In 2005 “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” was released and made a big splash at the box office. Many found it to be a perfect adaptation of C S Lewis’ popular series of books. A young cast headed by William Moseley, Anna Popplewell, Skandar Keynes and Georgie Henley led the audience on a visit to a magical world. There they found adventure awaiting them.

Now three years later the Disney Studio takes us back to the land of Narnia in “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian.” The four Pevensie children are once again our guides. Peter (Moseley), Susan (Popplewell), Edmund (Keynes) and Lucy (Henley) are magically transported back to Narnia when Prince Caspian (Ben Barnes) sounds a magic horn.

Caspian is the heir to the throne of the Telmarines but his evil uncle, King Mira (Sergio Castellitto) wants him dead. Caspian escapes into the woods but the king’s troops are in fast pursuit. Fearing for his life he sounds the “magic trumpet.” This causes the Pevensie children to be transported to the magical land of Narnia. They find that although only a year has transpired in their world since they left Narnia, it is now 1300 years later in that land.

Narnia is no longer a happy place and Aslan (voiced by Liam Neeson), the lion who delivered Narnia to safety from the White Witch (Tilda Swinton), has not been seen in years. The Telmarines plan to take over Narnia and enslave the people there. It is up to the Pevensie children and Prince Caspian to band together and rally the troops.

All of this is told in stunning dramatic effect and the battle sequences are quite spectacular. And there are plenty of battle sequences. It seems they make up over two thirds of the movie. So if you like the action of the first movie you will enjoy this one too.

But if you thought the first film didn’t give you enough in the way of exciting characters, well this one doesn’t either. The Pevensie children are a dull lot and the actors who play them are not very energetic either. Luckily Peter Dinklage is on hand in the role of Trumpkin, one of the more heroic persons in Narnia. He adds humor and heart to the story.

Also outstanding is the voice of Eddie Izzard which helps bring the mouse Reepicheep alive. This mouse looks and acts like the first cousin to “Puss N Boots” of “Shrek” fame. Reepicheep and Trumpkin almost save the movie, but the keyword there is “almost.”

The White Witch is seen for a few moments and then fades away; Aslan is not the key ingredient of this film that he was in the first; and the four child actors just can’t hold up the film even with the help of the handsome but dull Barnes/Caspian.

The first installment was only a so-so entertaining movie to me and this one is more of the same. People who saw the first film and those who have read the books will probably glean more pleasure from the film than those who haven’t. And those searching for religious symbolism will find what they are looking for.

“Prince Caspian” has beautiful scenery and soaring music. Aside from that the movie is pretty much a minor league version of “Lord of the Rings.” Your kids will probably want to see this DVD but in the end they might be less than charmed.
 

 

 

 

 

©2008 Jackie K. Cooper

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