Flushed Away (2006)
MPAA Rating: PG
Starting: Hugh Jackman, Kate Winslet, Ian McKellen, Jean Reno
Running Time: 84 min

Flushed Away is an animated (claymation) film produced by DreamWorks Animation (Shrek, Over the Hedge, Madagascar). The story is about an uptown, but lonely, English Rat who is living in Kensington – Roddy St. James (Jackman). When Roddy gets flushed down the sewer to a world under the streets of London, the adventure begins. Roddy desperately wants to get back home and eventually enlists the help of Rita (Winslet). Rita is a street-smart spunky boat captain who happens to be in a feud with the evil Toad (McKellen). Rita steals an important part of the Toad’s evil plan and after a number of chase scenes through the sewer and Kensington, Rita and Roddy finally foil the evil plan.
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We first saw this movie in the theater and I was pleasantly surprised. When the movie came out on DVD we purchased it. The film is entertaining and there are plenty of jokes and spoofs to keep even adults amused. There is no bad language, but there is a lot of name calling (idiot is a favorite word of the Toad). Numerous crotch injuries and other violent scenes are present in the movie. However, most fit well with the story line. Roddy finally learns that family and friends are more important than living in a fancy house.

Two characters were particularly entertaining – the slugs and Le Frog. The slugs are creatures that appear throughout the movie singing various clips of different music. My kids and I found them quite amusing. I suggest you check the video for two short “slug songs.”

Le Frog is voiced by one of my favorite character actors – Jean Reno. He does a perfect job of getting the French personality into the character.

If you love Wallace and Gromit humor, you will definitely enjoy this movie!

out of 5
Vulgar Language/Content: None
Age Appropriate: 3+
Other: Some violent scenes and potty humor.

With the release of the trailer for “Pirates of The Carribean 3; At Worlds End“, I felt obligated to pull another pirate film out of the vault and run a review on it. Back in 1983, Graham Chapman and John Cleese (Monty Python), Cheech and Chong, Peter Boyle, James Mason and other comedic heavyweights were brought together for Mel Damski’s “Yellowbeard“.

“Yellowbeard” is based on the adventure of a pirate who is imprisoned by the British for 15 years. The imprisonment brought on in an attempt to make Yellowbeard divulge the location of his buried treasure. Unfortunately, nobody not even Yellowbeard knows or remembers the exact location of the treasure, however Mrs. Beard tattooed a map on the head of “their” son Daniel two minutes after birth… The quest for the treasure is a non-stop raunchy laugh fest that includes your typical pirate marauders, hilarious clichéd characters and even an outrageous cult led by Cheech and Chong.

Being an aficionado of both the pirate and comedy genres, what better film to bridge the gap between the two. “Yellowbeard” is one of the most outrageous films I have ever seen. Released in the early eighties, this British film boasts a band of the greatest comedic actors of the time. If you enjoy the antics of “Monty Python“, and are not afraid to laugh out loud, then go pick up “Yellowbeard” today! 

Directed by Ridley Scott, Legend is a breathtaking fantasy adventure starring Tom Cruise as Jack, a young mystical forest dweller who takes on a quest to rescue an enslaved maiden Lilly (Mia Sara). With his fantasy realm flung into chaos, young Jack must do battle with the Lord of Darkness (Tim Curry) to rescue Lilly and restore order to the universe.

Legend is rated PG and is an all around entertaining story. Ridley Scott creates an incredibly believable and realistic world for his characters in this film. The special effects in this 1985 film are second to none in the fantasy genre of the time. I would even go as far to say that the characters are as richly detailed as those of Peter Jackson’s Lord of The Rings trilogy.

Ridley Scott’s Legend has been around for over twenty years. If you are a fan of the fantasy genre then there is no reason why you wouldn’t enjoy it. The characters are lovable, their interactions are entertaining and the epic struggle of good versus evil will not disappoint. As I said earlier, if you are a fan of the fantasy genre you will love this film, check out the trailer then go out and rent it today.

On Sunday I went to the Regal Entertainment Group Cinema in Hooksett for a matinee showing of “The Hills Have Eyes II“. As I mentioned on Friday, I had a good idea what I was getting into but had no idea how anticipated this film was going to be. During a typical matinee, about half of the seats are empty and the other half has folks with their feet up. The cinema was full this afternoon and the smell of butter saturated air blown popcorn hung heavily in the air. The audience was comprised of late teens, early twenties with a generous sprinkling of minors.

The previews for this film were right on. It is true, the lucky ones die first, and in my humble opinion the lucky ones went to see another movie. This film is a renter, no “and”, “ifs” or “buts”.  ”The Hills Have Eyes II”, was one of the most disturbingly violent and gruesome movies I have ever seen, however it was way to drawn out and predictable. The audience really seemed to enjoy it, so the film has carried with it the success of the genre.

In conclusion I would rank “The Hills Have Eyes II” as two stars out of five. I have to give credit to director Martin Weisz for his effort, but strongly recommend he leave well enough alone, and quit while he is ahead. All in all, another film for the genre and a rentable film, but not memorable. Here is what other viewers had to say about “The Hills Have Eyes II“.

“The Hills Have Eyes II” will open tonight in theatres nationwide. Although the first film was deeply macabre, sadistic and utterly disturbing, the sequel promises even more mutation-laden carnage than its predecessor (”The Hills Have Eyes“). The film takes place out in the barren hills of New Mexico, where a group of radiologically mutated hillbillies terrorize a small group of National Guard members.

Having seen the first film, I can tell you that the sheer magnitude of carnage and disturbingly disgusting mutations and images will make it impossible to turn your head. If you are a fan of the slasher genre, then you should see this film in the theatre. If you are on the fence, add “The Hills Have Eyes” to your netflix list and check it out. If you enjoyed the first film, you undoubtedly will enjoy the second installment.

I will likely be checking out “The Hills Have Eyes II” over the weekend and will have a more detailed review on Monday. In the meantime here is the trailer.

Other films of interest being released this weekend include; Reign Over Me, TMNT and The Last Mimzy. All of these films and others will open on the 23rd.

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Well the much anticipated trailer for Disney’s summer blockbuster “Pirates of The Carribean; At Worlds End” has finally been released. The much anticipated conclusion of, what is being dubbed as the most successful series since Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy, the pirate saga will be released on May 25th.

Gore Verbinski’s final installment of the franchise is expected to gross higher than box office records set by “Curse of The Black Pearl” and “Dead Mans Chest“. With the additions of Yun Fat Chow and a cameo appearance of Rolling Stones legend Keith Richards as Teague Sparrow (Jack’s father), “Pirates of The Carribean; At Worlds End” will boast a deaper, richer storyline and an ending which is said to leave an opening for more high sea adventure.

I have been anticipating this film for what feels like forever, it is hard to believe it has only been a year since the release of “Dead Mans Chest”. Four years ago when Captain Jack Sparrow first stepped off his sinking ship onto the docks at Port Royal, who would have thought he would be the most beloved pirate in all the Carribean? Whether it is the inane babbling, drunken swagger or his excessive use of his own name, I hope the franchise doesn’t end “At Worlds End”.

Jonah – A Great Fish Story
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Running Time: 25 minutes

I bought this claymation movie for my 4 year old son for Christmas. The claymation is based on the artwork of fantasy artist James Christensen. The story follows fairly closely the biblical story of Jonah. An addition to the story is a hermit crab who serves as Jonah’s conscience. The hermit crab wants Jonah to follow the Lord and tries to lead him in the right direction.

My son throughly enjoys this movie and will watch it more than one time at a sitting. My 7 year old and 13 year old daughters also found the movie very entertaining.

out of 5
Age Appropriate: 2+

Although one of director John Carpenter’s lesser known films, Big Trouble in Little China doesn’t disappoint. This action film features Kurt Russell as Jack Burton; truck driver with a knack for trouble. When Burton travels to San Francisco’s Chinatown to rescue his best friends fiancée, from David Lo Pan and his vast criminal syndicate of Chinese street gangs, supernatural warriors and a 2000-year-old magician, he finds a dank underworld ruled by an un-dead warrior.

The 1986 film directed by John Carpenter is truly an entertaining action film that draws on ancient Chinese mythology as well as the martial arts. Big Trouble in Little China is rated PG-13, contains mild language and violence.

I have seen Big Trouble in Little China a number of times and would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys the action/sci fi genre. Although Carpenter didn’t win any awards for his work on this film, it is still one of my all time favorite non-summer-blockbuster films. The character development is solid, the special effects are great and the fighting scenes are phenomenal. So check out the trailer then go rent John Carpenter’s Big Trouble in Little China today.

There is nothing like a good zombie movie, especially when the zombies aren’t in a daze like freshman stumbling into an Introductory Psychology class at the local community college. This film is part of the new generation of survival horror. This new generation of survival horror boasts terrifying zombies that maintain their physical capabilities of speed, cunning and stealth, while appearing as demented and disturbing as ever.

The film is slated for release in America on May 11th this year, and is the sequel to the film “28 Days Later” which was released in the summer of 2003. The new film will pick up; yes you guessed it, 28 weeks after the original film. The United States has taken on the task to clean up and help repopulate and rebuild Britain. The fledgling franchise will no longer be directed by Danny Boyle, but instead Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, a heavyweight of English film. There will also be no returning actors from the previous installment, not even Cillian Murphy who was cast the starring role as Jim. An official trailer has yet to be released, however some production footage is available. 

The film has no official rating, however “R” would be a safe bet for a movie as graphic as this. I believe the film will enjoy moderate success, but will be unable to compete with the scheduled summer blockbusters. For all intents and purposes “28 Weeks Later“, will most likely find its way into the libraries of aficionados of the genre next to its predecessor “28 Days Later” and films like “Dawn of the Dead“.

The Ultimate Gift
MPAA Rating: PG
Starting: James Garner, Abigail Breslin, Drew Fuller, Brian Dennehy, Ali Hillis and Bill Cobbs, Lee Meriwether
Running Time: 114 min

The Ultimate Gift is loosely based on the book by Jim Stovall with the same name. It is about a young rich man, Jason Stevens (Drew Fuller) who discovers that his wealthy deceased grandfather, Red Stevens (James Garner) may have left him a small fortune. In order to claim that fortune, Jason must receive a number of gifts. Each gift teaches Jason an important lesson in life. The first gift is the gift of work. Jason works for a month on a cattle ranch owned by Gus (Brian Dennehy) setting fence posts. In the beginning he is really annoyed, but when finished he has learned to take pride in his work. Other “gifts” follow including the gift of money (or lack thereof), friends and family.

I took my entire family to see the movie. The whole family enjoyed the movie (except for my 4 year old son who slept through most of the movie). I had read the book previously and was a little disappointed. The film is great, but don’t expect it to be a true representation of the book. I suggest seeing the movie and then reading the book to delve further into the meaning of each of the twelve gifts that the grandfather wants his grandson to receive. (In the book it is a grand uncle, grand nephew, relationship.)

The Ultimate Gift has its own website where you can read more about the movie and the movement. The movement is about enriching your own life and the lives of others. The site has helps for families, youth and individuals and is really worth reading.

I highly recommend this movie. It is a great family find!
out of 5
Tobacco/Alcohol use: Two small scenes with tobacco use. A large number of scenes with alcohol consumption by adults.
Vulgar Language/Content: None
Sex: One scene about living together without marriage, two scenes with implied infidelity. One scene implied pregnancy without marriage. Not glamorized.
Age Appropriate: 8+ only because smaller children would be bored.
Other: The girl in the movie (Abigail Breslin) is a bit sassy, but this is somewhat understandable given her situation. She is also very tenderhearted.