Although the makers of Vacation are saying the film is a sequel and not a remake of its 1983 predecessor, “National Lampoon’s Vacation,” it’s difficult to see it as anything but. The plotlines are so similar it could be sued for identity theft: A goofy, but loving and cheery father (in this case, Ed Helms,…
The success of David Dobkin’s (“Wedding Crashers”) The Judge lies in its ability to sound just like every other story in which a successful prodigal son returns from “the big city” in the midst of personal turmoil to attend a parent’s funeral (“Elizabethtown,” “Garden State,” etc.) when summarized aloud, but play out on screen as…
The newest “fairy tale epic” production, Jack the Giant Slayer, when compared to others of its genre, fits neatly beneath “The Brothers Grimm,” above “Snow White and the Huntsman (thanks to the presence of British actors and the absence of Kristin Stewart) and FAR above last month’s travesty, “Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters.” It is…
Dare I say another fairy tale revisioning is coming to theaters in 2013? Okay, I’ll say it (just don’t accost me for doing so). Loosely based off of Jack and the Beanstalk comes Jack the Giant Slayer. The Warner Bros. movie uses most of the elements of the fairy tale — giants and a beanstalk…
Let’s cut to the chase — Olivia Wilde is a beautifully packaged woman and plays a part in many man’s fantasies. Even mine on occasion. But if you were hoping to see her naked in The Change-Up, you won’t (before she became a hot Hollywood commodity, she delivered the goods in “Alpha Dog”). There is…
The red-band trailer for the latest body swapping comedy The Change-Up has dropped. The swappers this go round are Dave, a husband and father of three, and Mitch an irresponsible, unemployed player. The producers are making it a point to let everyone know the braintrust behind “Wedding Crashers” and “The Hangover” are behind The Change-Up;…
