Home About TMC Alphabetic Index Hall of Flame Other Film Sites Feedback

Monday:
Monster-in-Law (2005)

...has been done before...

Buy this poster at

Does anyone besides me like Wanda Sykes? Her comedy tours are amazing…okay I'm stalling, but in my defense she is in this movie. Monster-in-Law was not my favorite movie of 2005 and frankly, it didn't come close. It is more like a small distraction from life. You walk into the theater, have a decent hour and a half, and then leave with a smile on your face. If that is what you are expecting you will be given exactly that. Just don't expect the depth of the film to reach past your ankle.

Newly engaged Charlie (Lopez) believes that she has found "Mr. Right". He is charming and handsome, but maybe she should have met his mother first. Why? Well, the words manipulating, bossy, whiny, and overbearing come to mind. Viola (Fonda), a recently fired news anchor, stands firmly in the way of their happy relationship and Charlie must learn to fight fire with fire and make it through the wedding with or without her future mother-in-law's help.

Most the movie's laughs come from little spats (or not-so-little) that Viola and Charlie get into. There are even a few moments that show what they would really like to do to each other (such as banging their head against a cake). Truthfully, there isn't much more to see. Watch a fight, wait for Viola to plan something else, Ruby (Sykes) cuts in with a joke, and…well you get the point. Everything has been done before, but you will still get enjoyment out of at least one viewing.

My Rating =

Rent

Wednesday:
Scary Movie 4 (2006)

...no replay value...

Buy this poster at

I don't know if you've noticed or not, but I really like the movies that don't make sense (in a good way). Of course, they do have to be funny in a stupid way. Have I lost you? Anyway, if you haven't figured it out yet, Scary Movie 4 is one of those movies. It doesn't have to obey the laws of logic, yet you will laugh anyway.

The story (if that is what you'd call it) is very simple. Cindy (Faris) finds herself in trouble once again and must stop an alien invasion. This time around (after her husband's unfortunate death) she is joined by clueless Tom (Bierko). Spoofs of The Village, Superman Returns, Saw, War of the Worlds, and The Grudge are all present. Even Dr. Phil drops in to say hello during the intro. Just because he is in it doesn't mean it is any more meaningful. Trust me, Carmen Electra has a scene dedicated to her bowel movement (which just so happens to be the funniest part).

Faris is, as always, the spotlight of the Scary Movie series. There are more than a few laughs, but I was disappointed the second time I viewed this. Unlike the previous films, this has almost no replay value. Although this is a good movie, it has been done better. My suggestions: Kung Pow, Scary Movie 1& 3, and Dude Where's My Car?. Avoid Date Movie at all costs!

My Rating =

Rent

Friday:
Minority Report (2002)

...grand storytelling, great direction...

Buy this poster at

In a time before Tom Cruise went crazy, he graced us with one of the last great films we will ever see from him. War of the Worlds was really good, but it wasn't nearly as innovative as this. Usually, I would hear futuristic and run the other way. For some reason (thank God!) I stayed and watched Minority Report from beginning to end. I was met with a mix of grand storytelling, great direction, and special effects better than anything I had seen prior.

Cruise plays John Anderton, a futuristic cop that works with a special technology that predicts crimes before they are committed. When he becomes suspected of a future murder, he must try to find something to prove his innocence before an investigator (Farrell) catches him first. He "kidnaps" one of the precogs that has been a prime element in the Pre-Crime system that has kept Washington D.C. murder-free for years.

It may sound silly, but the story is much deeper than I could ever explain to you through the computer. There is another storyline that connects to this one about his son's untimely disappearance (which leads to the ending). I do admit, at times the camera effects left me feeling a little dizzy, but the interesting direction deserves some recognition. One thing that you will absolutely love, is the believable look into the future. Excluding the cars and highways, I could see the world looking like that in the next century. I may be crazy though. There is that one moment (it never fails) where Tom breaks down in tears over something. In every movie they must dedicate a scene to him crying. If you can get passed that, and a few camera issues then you should thoroughly enjoy this.