Kathy Bates and Alfrie Woodard in "The Family That Preys"
courtesy of Lionsgate Home Entertainment
“A Preying Family”

Tyler Perry makes movies that are a mixture of comedy and drama. Usually they have a message, a moral, or a combination of both. But for too long Perry has been one of the best kept secrets of the entertainment industry. His movies consistently open up as either number one or number two and go on to earn a substantial profit. The subject matter of his films is generally simple and the delivery is totally entertaining from start to finish. A perfect example is his latest movie “Tyler Perry’s The Family That Preys,” a movie now available on DVD.

The film focuses on two matriarchs, Alice Pratt (Alfrie Woodard) and Charlotte Cartwright (Kathy Bates). Alice owns and operates a diner while Charlotte owns and operates a business empire. Despite their difference in financial status the two women are best friends. Alice has two daughters, Andrea (Sanaa Lathan) and Pam (Taraji P Henson). Pam works with her mother at the diner while Andrea has a big job with the Cartwright Corporation.

Charlotte’s son William (Cole Hauser) works for his mother but he is constantly trying to grab control. His wife Jillian (KaDee Strickland) loves him but senses she is not enough for him. The same is true of Andrea’s husband Chris (Rockmond Dunbar). He knows that in his wife’s eyes he will never be the equal of her success.

Tyler Perry wrote, directed and co-stars in the film as Pam’s husband. He is great in each aspect of his involvement but especially in the writing. The dialogue is sharp and dramatic when it needs to be, and glib and funny when that suits the story. He has created characters with whom the audience can identify and the story boils down to a simple good versus evil morality tale.

The acting, especially that of Woodard and Bates is excellent. All of the supporting roles add into the mix to make a compelling family drama. There are no weak points and wonder of wonders no slow points. The film moves quickly from one aspect of the story to the next but never feels rushed. You get a chance to learn these characters and to understand them...

Tyler Perry is the total filmmaker. He knows who the audiences are for his films and he makes sure they are all satisfied by the product he gives to them. “The Family That Preys” crosses over to all audiences as it is a film that touches us all.

“Tyler Perry’s The Family That Preys” is the kind of movie people ask for every day. It has good values, strong performances, and a strong script. It is the kind of movie that should be supported by strong DVD rentals/purchases. So get up, get out and get it.

Not as successful is Kate Hudson’s newest film on DVD. Kate girl, what were you thinking? Didn’t some alarm bell go off in your head when they mentioned one of your co-stars was to be the kid from “American Pie? And didn’t they nail the flop door shut when they cast Dane Cook? We are not talking Matthew McConaughey or Owen Wilson here. Jason Biggs and Dane Cook are losers at the box office and they are sure to drag you down with them. But no, you had to go ahead and make “My Best Friend’s Girl” with them. Well you deserve every moan and groan the audience gives you.

Hudson plays Alexis in the film, a woman who is dating a sweet guy named Dustin (Biggs). When she tells him she wants to keep their relationship uncomplicated Dustin hires his “cousin” Tank (Cook) to date her. Tank agrees too be so obnoxious that Alexis will come running back to Dustin in a panic.

Of course things are complicated by the fact Alexis responds to Tank’s brutish ways. And as Tank is with her more and more Dustin becomes the odd man out. It seems the cruder Tank can be, the more Alexis is attracted to him. Says a lot about her, eh?

The movie is just one long stream of profanity (which somehow seems to substitute for humor), with a few sexual situations added in for good measure. What is disappointing in the movie is that this seems to be what women want. Forget the nice guy, bring on the loser.

Just when you think the movie couldn’t get any more stupid or any more crude Alec Baldwin appears on the scene as Tank’s father. To prove the acorn doesn’t fall far from the tree, Baldwin’s character is even cruder and more profane than his son. Oh the horror!

You would hope Hudson would scrape together some dignity as Alexis but she doesn’t. Her character becomes more and more like Tank as the film progresses. And the final scene, well it is just a joke on the audience. Not a funny joke, but a joke just the same.

Kate Hudson has been a bright spot in many movies; but in this one she is just part of the cloud. One good thing, the DVD should fade from sight and mind quickly and Ms Hudson can move on to other things. As for Cook and Biggs, this is probably the high point of their careers.

“My Best Friend’s Girl” is a mess of a movie. It is crude, lewd and rude – but aside from that it isn’t funny or entertaining which is the reason it so totally fails.

If “My Best Friend’s Girl” is a disaster, well the new DVD “Disaster Movie” is more of the same. “Disaster Movie” is a comical jab at all the movies that were hits this past year. We get take offs on “10,000 B. C.,” “Iron Man, “The Incredible Hulk,” “High School Musical,” “Enchanted” and many others. What is amazing is that in having so many targets, not one single joke hits. “Disaster Movie” ends up being a big disaster of a movie.

The main characters are Will (Matt Lanter) and Amy (Vanessa Minillo). She is in love with him but he has commitment issues. On the day that disasters seem to be springing up everywhere he finally decides he does love her. Now all he has to do is get to where she is and declare his love

Along the way to get to her he joins up with his friend Calvin (G Thang) and his friend Lisa (Kim Kardashian). Later they meet up with the princess from “Enchanted” (Nicole Parker). She is the most annoying character in the film and being the worst in a terrible movie means she was really bad.

Carmen Electra makes an appearance early in the movie but wisely leaves quickly. Kardashian also leaves early, but that idiotic princess stays around forever. Of course Will and Amy are there to the bitter end. 

You could excuse a lot of the trash if any of it was remotely funny. But it isn’t. The jokes fall flat and the actors are inexcusably bad. You know you are in trouble when you miss Carmen Electra after she leaves because she brought a little class to the film.

One other thing, by trashing so many of the movies of last year, this movie makes you actually have more respect for them. Compared to this trash they were all classics. So maybe “Disaster Movie” had a purpose after all.

Long ago and in a galaxy far, far away, Kevin Costner was the crown prince of Hollywood. He was the golden boy who acted and directed. Then along came “Waterworld” and a series of other less than great movies and his career was in the toilet. He is still making movies but the glow has turned into a pale reflection of the career that once was. Movies like his latest movie on DVD “Swing Vote” show we haven’t missed much by his plunge into the unknown depths.

In this foul-mouthed, grating movie Costner plays Earnest “Bud” Johnson, a divorced dad raising a daughter named Molly (Madeline Carroll). Bud is a wastrel who neglects his daughter, can’t hold a job, and isn’t reliable in the least. His daughter is the opposite of him and tries to influence her father to do better. She even registers him to vote.

Bud doesn’t show up to vote so Molly votes for him. Then there is a problem with the voting machine and somehow Bud’s vote becomes critical to the Presidential election. While waiting for him to re-vote the two candidates for President (Kelsey Grammer and Dennis Hopper) begin to woo him for his vote. This insane plot might be tolerable if the movie were to have a point, but it doesn’t.

It seems Costner thought he was going to be a “Mr. Deeds” or some other Capra-esque charmer. The writers however paint Bud as a charmless loser and one no one wants to see for more than five minutes. The candidates are also losers as are Bud’s worthless friends. Only Molly is worth watching and she cries a lot. No wonder!

There is a scene towards the end of the film where Bud shuffles toward redemption but with all the worthlessness he has shown earlier it is not believable or convincing. Bud is too much of a loser to gain insight overnight.

Costner is repulsively stupid as Bud. He has an aw shucks demeanor but there seems to be a cruel streak underneath. He creates a character who makes no effort to be a stable parent for Molly and would rather drink and loaf than be any sort of adult. 

The one person you would like to see more of in the film is Mare Winningham who plays Bud’s ex-wife. You only get a brief glimpse of her but she piques your interest. Stanley Tucci and Nathan Lane who are usually interesting in any roles they take are not so in this film. 

Since we have just come through an election year a family comedy about trying to make the political system better could have been welcome. But having a drunken, profanity spouting dad trying to teach us something positive is a joke. And in the case of “Swing Vote” the joke is not funny.

Nicolas Cage gas been having a little more luck with his career than Kevin Costner, but a few more movies like “Bangkok Dangerous,” now on DVD, and they will be tied for has-been of the year. The problem with “Bangkok Dangerous” is it isn’t dangerous enough. It’s a little ominous maybe, but dangerous - never! Cage can make good movies. He has done so in the past, but this film is just bad from start to finish.

Cage plays Joe, a hit man who travels the world carrying out assignments. He is a loner who is getting tired of the game. He decides a four part killing job in Bangkok will be his last. And who among you don’t know how these “last jobs” turn out?

Joe hires a local named Kong (Shahkrit Yamnarm) to be his errand boy. He always has one in his “jobs” and usually kills them off when the job is finished so as to leave no loose threads. But in the case of Kong, he becomes attached to him and even begins training him to take over his line of work

Joe also meets a young woman who works at the local pharmacy. She is mute and for some reason Joe becomes fascinated with her. Again, violating his rule against involvement, he begins to date her. Maybe it is her innocence in contrast with his many sins that draw him to her.

The film moves to a fairly exiting climax with Joe going up against the thugs who hired him. Still by this time most members of the audience will have tuned out. Joe is not a character with whom you have any empathy. He is a killer pure and simple and he is never redeemed – at least not in any way that Cage plays him.

This is one of Cage’s worst performances in years. Watching him bring this character to life is a study in how not to act a role. He gives this man no humor, no heart, no warmth and no depth. You can’t get much worse than that.

The film itself is poorly lighted, poorly conceived, and muddled in the execution. Nothing about the man or the mission makes much sense. The audience is as unenlightened at the end of the story as it was at the beginning.

This is a movie that doesn’t live up to its title. If there had been a little more danger and suspense the film might have been worth watching. But there is no tension and not much excitement here. The color seems to have been drained from the film print as well as anything special to make the movie stand out. Nicolas Cage owes his fans a better product than this.

“’Til Death” is a TV series that seems to have a life of its own. Critics scream at and about it and the ratings are never too high. Yet thanks to Brad Garrett and Joely Fisher’s talent the series continues to survive. Eddie Kaye Thomas and Kat Foster also add to the fun. The show is a look at two couple’s and how they annoy and help each other.

Garrett is a very funny man and he has built up a huge fan base with the “Everybody Loves Raymond” series. Fisher made her mark with the old “Ellen” series and continues to grow as an actress and a comic. You will also recognize Eddie Kaye Thomas form the “American Pie” series of movies. He was the one involved with “Stiffler’s mother.

“’Til Death” was recently renewed for another season so you might as well get the DVD of “’Til Death: The Complete Second Season” and catch up.

“Brick Lane” is a movie, now on DVD, unlike what you are expecting. With a title like “Brick Lane” you expect it to be a racing movie or an action adventure of some type. Instead you get a touching movie about a young Bangladeshi woman moving to London as part of an arranged marriage.

As the walls close in around her she feels hopeless. But then some one enters her world and life has potential meaning again.

Tannishtha Chatterjee and Santis Kaushik star in the movie that will win you over if you give it a chance.
 

 

 

 

 

©2009 Jackie K. Cooper

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