Solitary Man

Instead of trying to cling to those last remaining Summer moments, why not prepare yourself for cooler nights in with a few new DVD releases? This week brings a trio of comedies, but read on to see which one suits your sense of humor.

MacGruber

Will Forte takes his MacGyver spoof from Saturday Night Live to the big screen in this action comedy about a bumbling former special operative that gets called back for a mission when a nuclear warhead goes missing. As with any MacGruber skit, explosions and a whole lot of hijinks ensue. Along for the ride are Kristen Wiig and Ryan Phillippe, while Val Kilmer plays MacGruber's nemesis. I thought the film was a bit violent and over-the-top, but it definitely has its funny moments. DVD extras include commentary with the filmmakers, a gag reel, and a deleted scene.

48%

Killers
Katherine Heigl plays Jen, yet another gorgeous-but-tragically single character, whose luck changes when she meets a perfect man named Spencer (Ashton Kutcher) during a vacation. They get married and lead a quiet life. . . until Jen learns that Spencer has been keeping his job as a professional assassin a secret. The movie didn't even screen for critics, and the overall consensus is that what you see is what you get with this formulaic romantic comedy. DVD extras include a featurette.
12%

One more DVD when you read more

Hollywood's latest archetype appears to be the older man in search of himself. We witnessed it most recently with Ben Stiller in Greenberg, and now comes Michael Douglas ready to give the role a go in Solitary Man.

Douglas stars as Ben Kalmen, a 60-something divorcee and former car magnate who now uses his smarmy sales techniques to pick up women half his age — some as young as 18. He has no discretion, often ogling the prospective one-night stands in front of his ex-wife (Susan Sarandon), daughter (Jenna Fischer), and even his grandson (who he insists should never call him "grandpa" in public). It's an obvious case of Peter Pan syndrome, spawned by a heart scare. You almost want to feel bad for the man for his desperate attempt to reclaim his youth, but it's hard to do when he'd rather bed women than get his health checked.

And there is the rub. Douglas could give the performance of his life in Solitary Man (and trust me, he is excellent), but the character of Ben is so hard to like — and unfortunately, the movie is all about him.

For more on what I mean read more

The first trailer for Solitary Man is making the rounds, and I'm admittedly confused about what to expect from this one — is it a May-December rom-com a la Woody Allen, or a drama about one man's midlife crisis? Perhaps both?

The film follows an aging Casanova (Michael Douglas) who dates a woman (Mary Louise Parker) to boost his car business — only to ruin things when he sleeps with her daughter (Imogen Poots). Along the way, you also have his own daughter (Jenna Fischer in a non-Pam role!), his ex-wife (Susan Sarandon), an old friend (Danny DeVito), and Jesse Eisenberg, who appears to be his mentee of sorts.

The thought of Douglas romancing someone in college gives me gag reflexes, and there seems to be some sort of mafia/hitman tie-in, too. (Groan.) Still, how can such a good ensemble cast be wrong? I'm really hoping to like this one, but check it out and give me your early opinion when you read more