Land of the Lost

Spanks - 1

Director - Brad Silberling

Writer - Chris Henchy & Dennis McNicholas

Starring - Will Ferrell, Anna Friel, Danny McBride & Jorma Taccone

Release Date - 5 June 09

MPAA Rating - PG - 13

Land of the Lost is an absolutely terrible film. The story stinks, the dialog sucks, it isn't funny, and the sets look like they were taken from the original show. The only thing that made me laugh was the terrible writing. And I don't think that is what the writers were going for. At one part during the climax of the film Holly was talking to a Tyrannosaurs Rex about what just happened and it was supposed to be serious moment, but instead it was so bad it was the funniest part of the movie.

The film didn't know what it wanted to be. It was rated PG-13 mostly for a few little things in the dialog, but other than that it was a family film. They should have chosen one direction, either a "Step Brothers" like direction like Will Ferrell is good at or that of "Journey to the Center of the Earth" to attract the family.

The film's main antagonist is the Tyrannosaurs Rex that Holly names Grumpy. He has a vendetta against Marshall (Will Ferrell) because he said he had a small brain the size of a walnut. Grumpy than follows Marshall, Holly, and Will's as they search for the lost tachyon amplifier. The Sleestaks, who I researched to be the most famous of the creatures, were reduced to slaves of Enik and could have made for a much better group of bad guys.

I have never watched the original show from the 70's or the 90's remake, but I would recommend that if your in need of Land of the Lost fix, just watch them.

Drag Me to Hell

Spanks - 5

Director - Sam Raimi

Writer - Sam Raimi & Ivan Raimi

Starring - Alison Lohman, Justin Long, Lorna Raver & Dileep Rao

Release Date - 29 May 09

MPAA Rating - PG-13

Drag Me to Hell is the best new horror movie in years! It isn't a remake of an old horror flick or foreign film like they all are now. It isn't a silly slasher film were everyone gets senselessly killed in outrageous ways. It is just old fashion horror.

The film follows an ambitious loan officer (Christine Brown) looking to get a raise to assistant manager who gets cursed by an old gypsy woman because she wouldn't give her an extension on her mortgage. She is cursed by the Lamia and has three days to break the curse or it will take her soul to hell.

Drag Me the Hell finally has Sam Raimi going back to the lower budget horror movies that made him famous. Hopefully after Spiderman 4 & 5 he makes another one. It has its predictable moments, but I was on the edge of my seat the whole film waiting for Christine's fate. It uses a lot of cool shooting styles Raimi used in the Evil Dead trilogy and subsequent films.

If you want something different to go see, Drag Me to Hell is that movie. The ending was awesome, and made the movie even better.

The Hangover

Spanks - 3

Director - Todd Phillips

Writer - Jon Lucas & Scott Moore

Starring - Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Justin Bartha, Heather Graham & Ken Jeong

Release Date - 5 June 09

MPAA Rating - R

The Hangover was way funnier than I thought it would be from the trailer. It is about three friends and the brides' brother who go to Las Vegas for a bachelor party. When they wake up the next morning the groom is missing, there is a tiger in the bathroom, the room is trashed, a baby is found in the closet,and nobody remembers what happened the previous night. They have 12 hours to find the groom and get him home for the wedding.

I was surprised at how funny the movie was. I was expecting the only funny part to be the scene with Mike Tyson singing Phil Collins. Even when friends told me it was good, I still had my doubts. It is the funniest movie I have seen since Role Models.

Zach Galifianakis who plays the weird brother of the bride steals the movie. Everything he says doesn't make any sense but it is hysterical. Ken Jeong, who has had supporting roles in many comedies over the past year is great and I wouldn't be surprised if we saw him in some starring roles in the near future.

The Hangover is the movie to see if you want to just laugh and have some brainless fun.

Up

Spanks - 5

Director - Pete Docter

Writer - Bob Peterson

Voices - Edward Asner, Christopher Plummer, Jordan Nagai, Bob Peterson, Delroy Lindo & John Ratzenberger

Release Date - 29 May 09

MPAA Rating - PG

You would never think a movie about a crabby old man would be good or that you would care for this man, but Pixar's Up did it. Pixar once again creates an animated movie that is different and original. Up is about Carl Fredricksen's adventure he never got around to doing when he was younger. With urbanization closing in around him and his house and to avoid the Old People's Home, he ties thousands of helium balloons to his house to fly away to Paradise Falls in South America.

The animation of the film is nothing revolutionary. It is the story that makes the movie great. It doesn't follow the norm of animated family films where everything in the world ends in happiness and fantasy. The movie, yet far fetched with the flying house, is very real in the way it deals with life, humanity and relationships.

The film is very funny too. Dug the Dog has the funniest lines in the movie. The interaction between Carl and Russell is perfect for how an old man would talk to an annoying little boy. I laughed from start to end.