Chundles

Zack and Miri Make a Porno
(c) 2008 The Weinstein Company/View Askew Productions
Starring Seth Rogen, Elizabeth Banks, Craig Robinson, Jason Mewes, Jeff Anderson, Traci Lords, Katie Morgan & Ricky Mabe
Written and Directed by Kevin Smith

As I've noted before, I don't get to the movies too often having a 2 year old toddler running around the house. My wife and I are big Kevin Smith fans though, so when he comes out with a movie, we can't wait until it comes out on DVD. Zack and Miri--in which Kevin Smith directs up and coming stoner star Seth Rogen--didn't disappoint. It had all the elements of a classic Kevin Smith film: perverted humor, flawed yet endearing characters, inside jokes, and sharp, witty writing, coupled with a nice story about love and friendship that wasn't sappy at all. Don't let the title of this film, nor the MPAA's attempts to give it an NC-17 rating scare you--this movie is not about pornography. It's about friendship, love, and the comic tragedy that we all call life.

Zack and Miri Make a Porno tells the story of two lifelong friends--Zack and Miri--who find themselves down on their luck in the middle of a Pittsburgh, PA winter. Even though they're broke, you don't get the sense that Zack and Miri are losers. They're just underachievers who haven't found their groove yet. When the electricity and water both get shut off because they are too far behind on their bills, Zack gets the bright idea to make a porno film to make some money. Miri resists at first, but as the two are sitting in their living room (in the dark) warming themselves by an oil drum fire, Miri relents and decides to go through with it.

The story unfolds as the two recruit a motley cast for their film, including porn stars Katie Morgan and Traci Lords, Jason Mewes (who eerily looked like Neal Patrick Harris in the movie), Ricky Mabe, Jeff Anderson (from Clerks), and the guy who stole the show--Craig Robinson (from The Office). As movie production commences, the unspoken tension between Zack and Miri heats up. The two have been friends and roomates forever, but have never consummated their relationship. Naturally, when their scene in the movie finally arrives, it is glorious for both of them. They didn't have sex, they made love, and neither was prepared for what that meant.

Zack and Miri's relationship changes after they shoot their scene together, but the movie has a "happily ever after" ending for everyone involved. Because the characters are so endearing, it doesn't seem sappy at all. It's quite cute, actually. OK, maybe that is sappy, but whatever. It's Kevin Smith sappy, and I loved it.

Rating: 4 stars (out of 4)

Wanted
(c) 2007 Universal Studios
Starring James McAvoy, Morgan Freeman, Terence Stamp, Thomas Kretschmann, Common and Angelina Jolie

With a toddler running around the house, I don't get to the movies frequently. I didn't want to blow my wad on a crappy movie, so I had to choose carefully. Indiana Jones and Ironman? Those are DVD movies for me. Wall-E? Maybe that'll be the first movie I take Hannah too. Don't Mess with the Zohan? I probably would've enjoyed that, but it wasn't playing at the theater I wanted to go to. I've always been a fan of (good) Summer blockbusters, so I chose Wanted, a special-effects laden action flick with a good cast.

Since Angelina is a such a big star, and her hotness has the power to sell tickets, the previews made it seem like she (and her sex appeal) was the star of this movie, but that wasn't the case. She had an important role, and she looked good (if a little skinny), but this movie wasn't about her. Regardless, I made the right choice.

James McAvoy (The Last King of Scotland) plays Wesley Gibson, an unhappy, unfulfilled, paycheck-to-paycheck numbers cruncher at an unnamed corporation. The only eventful things happening in his life are his best friend banging his girlfriend, and his dump of an apartment that sits within a few feet of the subway tracks.

Early in the movie, Gibson is approached by Angelina's character, Fox, and told about a fraternity of assassins that Gibson's father (who was allegedly killed in the first scene of the movie) was a part of. Gibson, with his pathetic existence and low self esteem, doesn't believe it. Ultimately, he's convinced that he's the only person on earth who can avenge his father's death, so he decides to join the fraternity.

Through a series of brutal training exercises, Gibson hones the skills that lie deep within his DNA. As the ensemble cast trains Gibson to become a killer, the story of the Fraternity unfolds: thousand years old, carries out assignments to restore order to the universe, guided by fate, etc. When his training is complete, Gibson becomes a member of the Fraternity and is given the assignment to find and murder his father's killer.

While McAvoy does a great job playing the unassuming assassin, the real star of Wanted is the special effects. There were some amazing chase scenes, the methods used by the assassins was flat-out cool, and they used some nifty little tricks like making bullets curve like a Barry Zito curveball. I'm no special effects expert, but Wanted brought some new things to the table that will no doubt be copied by others in the next few years.

The story held my interest as well, although the background story of the Fraternity seemed to have borrowed a few elements from The Priory of Sion, detailed in Dan Brown's book The Davinci Code. The Fraternity's history was detailed by Sloan (Morgan Freeman), and even though pieces of it seemed familiar, Morgan Freeman stately voice and stage presence makes it easy to suspend disbelief.

All in all, I enjoyed Wanted, would recommend it to others and look forward to seeing it again when it comes out on DVD. It's a well-made, action packed Summer movie with a good cast, great special effects, and a story that will hold your interest. If you go in with the right expectations, you won't be disappointed.

Rating: 3 Stars (out of 4)