In the movie industry, the month of August has become the place where Film Studios dump the Summer flicks that they don’t think have the gusto to survive the brutal competition that May, June, and July usually bring. This year, however, it seems to be the month they’ve decided to unload their Comedies. The last three weeks saw the release of STEP BROTHERS (ok, so it was late July. Just work with me on this, k?) and PINEAPPLE EXPRESS, and then in the next two weeks we have TROPIC THUNDER and HAMLET 2 all coming out vying for the chance to tickle the funnybone of the masses. So far, things have gotten to a pretty good start…

STEP BROTHERS

The Official Studio Line:

“Brennan Huff, a sporadically employed thirty-nine-year-old, lives with his mother, Nancy. Dale Doback, a terminally unemployed forty-year-old lives with his father, Robert. When Robert and Nancy marry and move in together, Brennan and Dale are forced to live with each other as step brothers. As their narcissism and downright aggressive laziness threaten to tear the family apart, these two middle-aged, immature, overgrown boys will orchestrate an insane, elaborate plan to bring their parents back together. To pull it off, they must form an unlikely bond that maybe, just maybe, will finally get them out of the house.”

Since ANCHORMAN, Will Ferrell’s flicks have been pretty hit or miss. Most of the time, they’re so-so like TALLADEGA NIGHTS or SEMI-PRO. And other times, they’re pretty awful missteps like BEWITCHED or BLADES OF GLORY. Like I’ve mentioned previously, his sense of humor can be really irreverent or downright goofy. Sometimes,with the help of talented writers and directors that know how to rein him in, he strikes a perfect balance that is capable of inducing side-splitting hilarity. Other times he simply comes off as a buffoon, and that rarely works in his favor. One of the shinning beacons of comedy gold in the aforementioned TALLADEGA NIGHTS (which was also directed ANCHORMAN and STEP BROTHERS co-writer/director Adam McKay) is the surprisingly potent chemistry generated between Ferrell and his co-star John C. Reily.

With Comedy Powerhouse Judd Apatow along for the ride as a Producer, Ferrell, Reily, and McKay have capitalized on that chemistry with STEP BROTHERS. This is about the closest Ferrell has come to recapturing the Comedy gold of ANCHORMAN. If you thought Ferrell’s aptitude at playing goofballs was unparalleled, wait till you get a load of Reily joining in on the absent-minded schtick. It doesn’t hurt that Mary Steenburgen (SUNSHINE STATE) and Richard Jenkins (THE VISITOR) bring actorial credence to their straight-man roles. The film works despite itself because it so thoroughly embraces its irreverence, never pulling any punches as you would imagine a mainstream comedy would. At times it can get beyond vulgar and crude, but there’s never an instance of questioning. Not one moment where the characters sit back and say, “waitaminute, this is craziness”, they accept every moment as the one and only truth. It’s that unflinching dedication to the impudence that won me over.
Bobert’s Gives It… Argyle Vests! (RECOMMENDED!)

PINEAPPLE EXPRESS

The Official Studio Line:

“Lazy stoner Dale Denton has only one reason to visit his equally lazy dealer Saul Silver: to purchase weed, specifically, a rare new strain called Pineapple Express. But when Dale becomes the only witness to a murder by a crooked cop and the city’s most dangerous drug lord, he panics and dumps his roach of Pineapple Express at the scene. Dale now has another reason to visit Saul: to find out if the weed is so rare that it can be traced back to him. And it is. As Dale and Saul run for their lives, they quickly discover that they’re not suffering from weed-fueled paranoia; incredibly, the bad guys really are hot on their trail and trying to figure out the fastest way to kill them both. All aboard the Pineapple Express.”

PINEAPPLE EXPRESS (another film taken under the ever-so-nurturing wings of Judd Apatow) is nowhere near as irreverent as STEP BROTHERS is, but makes up for it with a hilarious eye for 80′s Action flicks. It kinda follows in the footsteps of movies like HOT FUZZ (which I think is more an Homage than Parody in my opinion), with the scales tipping on the side of parody. Clichéd elements like over-the-top action sequences with massive shootouts, highly destructive car chases, a seemingly unkillable protagonist, and even gun-totting ninjas are thrown in all in an effort to cover all bases. In the center of the violence and mayhem are two stoners with some seriously good reefer that they can’t help but smoke while on the run. In an interesting bit of casting James Franco of SPIDER-MAN fame plays the clueless but essentially sweethearted drug dealer to Seth Rogan’s stoned process server, making a weird and sometimes awkward Buddy coupling. Throw in Gary Cole (OFFICE SPACE) as a ruthless drug kingpin, Rosie Perez as his right-hand woman, Craig Robinson (THE OFFICE) as a bloodthirsty thug, and Danny R. McBride (THE FOOT FIST WAY) as the stoned duo’s sometimes spineless but always indestructible pal, you have yourself a fairly explosive comedy ensemble.

Some folks might be thrown off by the continuous and sometimes graphic nature of the violence on display here, but I for one was up for as much as I could get. The humor is definitely slanted a bit on the sick and twisted side. I only wish the flick had taken those final steps over the edge and embraced those darkly humorous moments I love, but screenwriters Rogan and Evan Goldberg always managed to pull it back just enough to prevent the film from ultimately turning to the darkside. That kinda cowardice leaves me feeling somewhat unfulfilled, but for folks simply looking for a good time it works. Also at times the film spouts some seemingly mixed messages regarding the nature of our heroes’ predicaments. The filmmakers have no qualms over embracing the inherent hilarity and fun that comes with following a couple of tokers on life-threatening adventure, but they also seem to be saying that all this marijuana-smoking may be the cause of all of this current distress. Then there are character revelations that center around the nature of love, maturity, and friendship that may feel sorta superficial to viewers. But, then again, that may be the thinly-veiled point the filmmakers always intended to make in the first place. Who knows? All you need to know is that PINEAPPLE EXPRESS is truly one of the funniest Stoner Comedies to come out in recent years and deserves your attention this summer! Go see it!
Bobert’s Gives It… Blunts! (RECOMMENDED!)

The Tsuj Tirade!
Top Ten Reasons I Hate Myself for Owning a Wii!

What’s the Point?
All my friends own one anyway. Why should I own a Wii when the best games are multiplayer anyway? Do you play the Wii by yourself? If you do you probably don’t have an Xbox 360, or a Playstation 3, or cable.

I Paid for an HDTV Dammit!
Twilight Princess looks just as good on my crappy 27” standard definition Sony as it does on my 46” Samsung LCD TV. That just ain’t right.

Online Multiplayer is Not Optional…
Nintendo’s online multiplayer is a disgrace. No voice chat? Seriously? The ability to reach out and kill your best buddy across the country is an integral part of gaming that is sorely missed on the Wii and woefully mishandled on games like Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Mario Kart Wii. Friend codes are cool though…..

Where the Games At?!
Quality titles are few and far between. This month Wii owners can look forward to an inferior version of Madden, another Mario baseball game, and another Harvest Moon title. I will be playing Too Human, Mercenaries 2, Pixeljunk Eden, Soul Calibur, etc.

“I Haven’t Heard of That Game so it must be pretty Hardcore”…
Just because a game is obscure doesn’t make it appealing to the hardcore audience. The Wii is not hardcore. The Wii is saturated with crap. If you would like me to list said crap then I will need to submit another full length article.

Peripherals are Unnecessary and Ridiculous…
First is the Wii Motion Plus. This device is an admission of failure on the part of Nintendo. Second is the Mario Kart wheel which is a cheap piece of plastic that makes you look more ridiculous playing than you already did, which was a lot. And third, I don’t know anyone who owns a Wii Fit and I know a lot of Wii owners. I wonder if that means something…

I Love Smash Bros. Brawl but…
Games that play better with the classic controller turn the Wii into an overpriced Gamecube. Why pay for the innovation and unique gameplay that the Wii offers when blockbusters like Mario Kart and Smash Bros. Brawl are arguably better without motion control at all?

Wii-Ware. Take What Nintendo Gives You…
You can buy and download every old-school game under the sun but where’s the option to download additional content (i.e. Rock Band tracks)? The downloadable games are some of the greatest titles ever to see the light of day but I don’t think I need to play Ocarina of Time again for the umpteenth time. I like new content, but Nintendo does not.

Third party support, or lack thereof…
It’s nice that small-time developers have somewhere finally to peddle their wares. Without the Wii these developers would be forced to release a quality product. Thank you Wii. Without you I wouldn’t be able to play the new Mummy game.

Thing I like that the Wii Does Not…
I like trophies. I like Achievement Points. The Wii does not like these things.

Metaldy’s Missives!
Top 10 Reasons to keep your Wii: A Response to the Tsuj!

1. Price
The Wii costs less than the other two major consoles. On top of this, games for the Wii on average cost less than any other console. Could the Tsuj honestly argue against saving a little cash?

2. Game functionality
From the Wii mote to the balance board, Nintendo has created a system that if used in the right manner can create an incredible gaming experience. No one can argue (especially the Tsuj) that the standard controllers packaged with other consoles pale in comparison to the Wii mote’s functionality. Case in point, the sixaxis controller packaged with the PS3. I suppose sixaxis control might increase my enjoyment of games if I were going through heroin withdrawals and shaking uncontrollably.

3. Best Peripherals
The Wii fit balance board is just another in a long line of innovated peripherals that allow the Wii to offer gamers completely original gaming experiences. Who wants to watch me hula-hoop? It’s okay to watch, you know you want to.

4. Third party games
Nintendo has shown that they are willing to allow just about any game on their system. While this does lead to some truly horrible offerings available on the Wii, I’m looking at you Balls of Fury, the Wii has shown the capacity for some great third party titles like Resident Evil 4: Wii edition.

5. Wii Motion Plus
Why must we always tear down companies that admit there was a problem and then try to fix said problem? I think Nintendo should be applauded for trying to improve the functionality of the Wii by improving the precision of the Wii mote. Granted, the Wii mote has some issues with accuracy, but when compared to the functionality of other controllers its current ability is far greater (please see #9).

6. Good for families
Yes, I know how much your nana loves setting ladies of the night on fire in GTA or being called some homophobic slur over XBL, but not all parents and grandparents are as enlightened as yours. I know it’s probably a very low percentage but I’m pretty sure some members of your family might have fun just playing a nice round of golf or bowling a game or two in Wii play.

7. Best downloadable games
You’ll find no argument here that all three systems have great downloadable games, but the Wii’s library out classes them all. It really isn’t even fair to bring up this point with Nintendo’s ability to bring out their big guns like Mario, Zelda, and Metriod. Some might argue that Nintendo’s advantage in this category is due only to their classic franchises, but how can you sit there ideally when there are princesses to be saved and mushrooms to be eaten?

8. Best Drunken Party Games
Jagermeister + Wii Boxing = Best night of my life

9. Best Franchises
If you’re not excited about the next iteration of Mario, Zelda, or Metriod you are either too stupid to learn from almost thirty years of video gaming history or you have no soul. Tsuj is probably a case of both.

10. Originality
As excited as I am for the upcoming 360/PS3 releases, Space Marine shoots Aliens in the head: Volume 384 and WWII Marine shoots Nazis in the head: Volume 867, my soul yearns for just a bit of originality. Games like Super Mario Galaxy have proven the Wii’s capability to reinvent a game play style and take it in a completely original and innovative direction.

Hey folks, Bobert here! I’m gonna have to side with The Tsuj on this one. The Wii has been one of the most underused systems I’ve ever purchased. It was fun at first, especially when folks came over and played Wii Sports, but once the gimmick wore off the Wii was revealed for what it truly is: a shallow update of the Gamecube. It’s a party machine, that’s it. Its fun to have one when people come over and wanna play some silly multiplayer games, but any one-on-one interaction with the Wii is utterly unsatisfying. The graphics are subpar, the Wii-mote isn’t very good, and the game selection may be more varied but it also features a lot more rubbish than worthwhile titles. Sorry boys & girls, Nintendo’s Wii is a flop (critically speaking at least, because financially the piece of junk is selling like hotcakes. The Great Unwashed continue to inexplicably pick up units). So with that said—anyone interested in purchasing a Like-New Wii?

THE SIGNAL

The Official Studio Line:

This Is Not A Test. It’s New Year’s Eve in the city of Terminus, and chaos is this year’s resolution. All forms of communication have been jammed by a mysterious transmission that preys on fear and desire, driving everyone in the city to murder and madness.

I’m sure a lot of folks screamed “Rip Off!” when news about THE SIGNAL, a film about a “signal” that sends people into a bloodthirsty rage ala Stephen King’s CELL: A NOVEL, began surfacing on the internets. I know I did, feeling especially sore about it since I was fully aware that a film version of Stephen King’s thinly disguised ode to Romero Zombie movies was in fact stuck in film development hell. So when the flick finally started popping up on screens and was followed by accolades, my curiosity was obviously piqued. With its release on Blu-Ray, I decided to take the plunge and check it out for myself. To my surprise, THE SIGNAL is really nothing like King’s 2006 novel. Even though both works follow the events of an unexplained electronic signal sending folks into a murderous rage, THE SIGNAL’s victims are far less animalistic about it. The participants are fully aware of what they’re doing and feel justified in their actions, suggesting a darker and more insidious bloodlust transpiring. The film is made up of three “transmissions” or segments that are directed by three different filmmakers, each one approaching the characters and material in very different ways. The first transmission is exactly how you would imagine the start of a Zombie movie, with people slowly becoming infected and overrunning the city. This is easily the most visceral of all the entries, a real roller coaster ride once it gets underway. But the second transmission is by far my favorite of the three, revealing a twisted and dark funnybone. It strikes a perfect balance between bloody Horror and depraved Humor that so precious few films can, tapping into that undeniable truth that life is just made up of one comedic and/or tragic moment after another, all strewn together for our enjoyment/misery. The third and final segment gets to the heart of the matter, dealing with the apparent survivors of a post-apocalyptic world. What do you hold on to when the world has come to an end? For the lead character in this transmission, it’s all about love. This is where things start getting deep and even metaphysical, with discussions of perception and reality in the forefront of the drama playing out. But don’t let all this talk of romance and philosophy scare you away kiddies, the last entry still gives ya the good stuff with plenty of gore and violence to keep you sickos satisfied. The flick looks pretty bad, even in the Blu-ray format. That’s to be expected, seeing how this is a pretty low-budget production. Personally I think that the gritty and dirty look really works for the flick, bringing out some raw and potent visuals. The disc has a pretty in-depth featurette that explores the film’s beginnings and eventual execution. Also included are some short but sweet webispodes that paint a fuller picture of the widespread effects of the insidious “signal”. I really liked THE SIGNAL, mixing humor, drama, and straight-up horror in a way that really works. Its approach to an overplayed and cliché-ridden Horror subgenre is novel and witty, and totally appreciated by this avid viewer of Horror movies. I highly recommend seeking this one out!
Bobert’s Rating: – HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

VANTAGE POINT

The Official Studio Line:

During an historic counter-terrorism summit in Spain, the President of the United States is struck down by an assassin’s bullet. Eight strangers have a perfect view of the kill, but what did they really see? As the minutes leading up to the fatal shot are replayed through the eyes of each eyewitness, the reality of the assassination takes shape. But just when you think you know the answer, the shattering final truth is revealed. Vantage Point is a mindbending political action-thriller starring Dennis Quaid, Matthew Fox, Academy Award Winner Forest Whitaker (Best Actor 2006, The Last King Of Scotland), with Sigourney Weaver and Academy Award winner William Hurt (Best Actor 1985, Kiss Of The Spider Woman).

VANTAGE POINT is a movie that lives and breathes on shock value. Obviously different things are shocking for different people, but I’d wager that the assassination of a U.S. President and subsequent terrorist bombings transpiring within minutes of one another would shock even the most heartless of Mo-Fo’s (like yours truly). So in the department of shock, the film succeeds in simulating the heart-pounding chaos that would unravel amidst events such as the ones depicted in this Thriller of a flick. A shame its so gundam predictable all the way through. I don’t want to ruin it for anyone that actually plans on seeing the movie, so I’ll just say that moments that are obviously constructed to be mind-bending plot twists are so utterly apparent that the best that they can elicit from viewers is an exclamation of “I KNEW IT!” For me, however, they generated groans and eye-rolling. Luckily for the film, it is blessed with far too good of a cast. With heavy-weights like William Hurt, Sigourney Weaver, and Forest Whitaker along for the ride, its an ensemble that cannot be ignored. Dennis Quaid pulls it all together as the quintessential American Secret Service Agent. Thanks to a huge and recognizable body of work, we’re immediately drawn to his character and root for him right from the start. Matthew Fox of LOST fame gets a small bit as his partner-in-arms and does a good job of underplaying his larger role in the overall scheme of things. All the film’s so-called “baddies” are played by relative unknowns that fit the stereotypical profile of terrorists. The film shines during its Action film moments, which includes a pretty cool car chase sequence late in the flick. And be prepared for a pretty heavy body count, on both sides of the fight. Which brings me to another pet peeve of mine: What’s with these Law Enforcement agents killing every suspect they come across? I mean, as an Officer of the Law and in the prevailing pursuit for Justice, wouldn’t you want to keep at least one of these poor bastards alive to interrogate? How are you supposed to figure out what their master plan was if all of your suspects are kicking it with the Grim Reaper? Bah, whatever! Rant over. The Blu-ray disc looks great of course and comes with some pretty nifty extras like the standard making-of featurettes and not-so-standard in-movie supplement. The GPS Tracker feature, where you follow the events and characters via a GPS tracking-like interface, is fun and really helps illustrate how coordinating this operation was undoubtedly a daunting mission. VANTAGE POINT is definitely an entertaining ride while it lasts, despite some major flaws and missteps, but I’d still just give this one a rental first.
Bobert’s Rating: ½ – CHECK IT OUT!

THE BANK JOB

The Official Studio Line:

Terry Leather (Jason Statham) and his dodgy friends aren’t London’s great criminals. But when they’re approached by the beautiful Martine Love (Saffron Burrows) and asked to plunder a local bank’s priceless safe deposit vault, the small time hoods see the job as a chance of a lifetime. But what they don’t know about the true purpose of the robbery may kill them as they quickly find themselves embroiled in a scheme involving a Black Power leader, the MI-5, corrupt detectives, a local porn king and even the Royal Family in this pulse pounding crime drama, based on the greatest heist in British history.

It’s nice to see Jason Statham in a smart thriller for a change. There was a time where one could have argued that he was easily in the running for this generation’s Steve McQueen, an Action man of immense cool. But after one mindless tard of an Action flick after another, like TRANSPORTER 2 and WAR, that hopeful possibility slowly faded away. I doubt he’s going to regain that title any time soon, especially with dreck like DEATHRACE and CRANK 2 just over the horizon, but at the very least THE BANK JOB proves that the dude has some good taste after all. These kind of smart, sexy, and cool Action Thrillers have become a major rarity, so the fact the film got so little love over at the Box Office is disconcerting. What more can you ask for? Double-crosses, intrigue-galore (the fascinating MI-5 stuff stretches this flick into Spy Thriller territory), a complex and ever-twisting plot (with Political Thriller undertones), and a few bits of action here and there. It’s even based on a True Story, which should’ve won over the Joe Six-Pack crowd. I guess all those cockney English accents scared everyone off. A shame really. This is some really great stuff with Statham providing a rare subdued performance where his main asset isn’t his ability to kick ass, but his overpowering aura of cool. I especially like what he does with the Love Triangle (between lovelies Saffron Burrows and Keeley Hawes) he’s embroiled in, getting to stretch his dramatic chops ever so slightly. Director Roger Donaldson knows how to shift the tone to ensure the best and most entertaining results. The flick isn’t afraid to go from humorous romp to deadly serious, giving us a Thriller that has honest-to-goodness thrills! And It’s just nice to get a decent Crime Caper flick in here that feels old fashioned but not outdated. Not that the Caper film is in short supply in Hollywood, but it just seems that the majority of them are either played for laughs (WELCOME TO COLINWOOD) or are just subpar remakes (every OCEAN’S ELEVEN flick and THE ITALIAN JOB). Plus, the flick looks damn good on Blu-ray. That’s probably because it was filmed with Digital cameras, capturing every crisp detail and color. The visuals are helped immensely by a costume and production design that perfectly captures the period era without feeling like an outright Period flick. There’s the usual collection of filmmaker commentary and deleted scenes, both of which I didn’t access so you’ll have to tell me if they’re any good. The disc also contains some cool extras like a making-of and an exploration of the real-life Baker Street Bank Robbery the film is based on. THE BANK JOB proves that as long as you put in your best efforts, a straight-up Caper film can still be entertaining and relevant no matter what era it takes place in. Bobert recommends it!
Bobert’s Rating: – RECOMMENDED!

This week we usher in the month of August, better known as the month Madden comes out. I refer to August as the month I question why I keep buying NCAA Football every year. What did you guys think of the Madden 2009 demo released this past Thursday? With my brief two-minute drill controlling Eli Manning I am considerably underwhelmed. Damn if that game isn’t pretty and full of bells and whistles (although I could have done without the Madden IQ test) but the gameplay is far too familiar for my taste. With two weeks till Madden takes over our country, disrupts the workforce, and ruins relationships, we must look elsewhere to satisfy our need for fresh games

The big release this week is of course Soul Calibur IV for Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 (sucks to be Wii). The fighting game genre tends to be one of if not the most polarizing genres for most gamers so I’m sure most minds are already made up about this one. Fans should expect a very polished product that’s as deep as it gets. This depth not only refers to the fighting mechanics which one could spend months perfecting, but also the number of collectible items and customization options. My created character is a samurai of questionable sexual orientation. While I could happily spend my entire week in practice mode with Darth Vader and still suck, I find that my attention is drawn elsewhere.

The brilliant artistic style, pulsating ambient music, and unique gameplay of Pixeljunk Eden on the Playstation 3 has captured my attention and sucked another ten dollars out of my wallet. To describe the premise of this game is to belie the sheer enjoyment I have found in playing it — but here goes: The player must jump or swing by spider-like web from plant to plant destroying floating balls known as “Prowlers”. This releases pollen which floats towards nearby seeds causing more and more plants to grow. These plants allow the player to access previously unreachable areas of the level. The ultimate goal is to collect “Spectra” which are, well hell I don’t know what they are but you want to collect them. Pixeljunk Eden will be most appreciated by those with decent home theatre set-ups and a love of something different and unique. It’s not for everyone though so download that demo and give it a spin.

As if this wasn’t enough time and money spent on videogames, Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2 had to come out this past Wednesday as well. Almost universally loved, this dual stick shooting pioneer (I know Smash TV came out first) on the Xbox 360 gives gamers more of what they love and damn if it isn’t fun as hell. The new game modes really separate this title from its predecessor and feel fresh and fun as opposed to forced and gimmicky. One of my personal favorites is “Pacifist Mode” where the player can’t shoot and can only destroy enemies by flying through the colored barriers. Like Pixeljunk Eden, this game will burn your retinas in a good way with all the colorful eye-popping action on-screen. The pace is much more frenetic than in Eden of course, and there is much more happening on-screen at one time.

If you want to kick back and chill with your significant other then Pixeljunk Eden is the way to go. However, if you’re looking to get your palms sweaty and rack up a high score then download Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2. I can only recommend Soul Calibur IV to fans of the genre which makes my opinion useless because you’ve already bought it! Three very different gaming experiences, each brilliant in their respective genre, and I still came out spending less than one hundred bucks. What a great week.