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Fantastic Mr. Fox: Lives Up to Its Title

BuzzSugar — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 08:30:00 -0800

For the past five years, Wes Anderson's wide fan base has been waiting for his first fully animated film. Would his adaption of Roald Dahl's children's book, Fantastic Mr. Fox appease the same crowd that holds Bottle Rocket and The Royal Tenenbaums near and dear to their hearts? The answer is an emphatic yes, and the best news is that you don't even have to enjoy Anderson's other work to fall in love with this film.

The story follows the wily Mr. Fox, a professional robber turned family man (er, fox) who just isn't satisfied with his quiet life working as a newspaper columnist. Even a move to prime real estate isn't enough to satiate his appetite for a little trouble making, and Mr. Fox (or "Foxy" as his friends call him) decides to take on the biggest adventure of his life. That's just the tip of the iceberg though, so read more.

Mr. Fox isn't your average wild animal; in fact he's just the opposite. He lives a civilized life with his wife Felicity (Meryl Streep) and 12-year-old son, Ash, making an honest living as a newspaper columnist. Like a kid who can't sit still, Mr. Fox has trouble curbing his desires to rebel and go back to his life stealing squab and running into trouble. Against his wife's wishes, Mr. Fox convinces his dim-witted but trusty sidekick Kylie (Wally Wolodarski) to take on one last hurrah. The crime? Ripping off the three biggest (and meanest) farmers around - Boggis, Bunce and Bean. When Mr. Fox starts an all-out war, he is forced to join forces with his family, friends, and neighbors - and that's where the fun begins.

The film's brilliance lies in the fact that Fantastic Mr. Fox is a movie for grown-ups disguised as a kiddie flick. Even with Anderson's name stamped all over it, there's no denying the furry animals dressed as humans. The animation makes the plot play out like a story book come to life; we're taken deep into the fox hole and beyond in a world that looks like a dollhouse made for fuzzy creatures. Kids will love the adventure and the colors, but the witty dialogue and quirky characters are made for the grown-ups.

The movie features a crew of lovable characters who deliver hilarious one-liners when they aren't breaking into impromptu dances. There's nothing new about a movie featuring animals acting like humans, but the actors make the movie the gem that it is. Jason Schwartzman playing a crabby 12-year-old but using his regular deep voice is genius. Clooney and Bill Murray (as badger, Mr. Fox's lawyer) bantering back and forth but replacing swears with the word "cuss" never gets old (as in "This place is a cluster cuss" and "What the cuss is wrong with you?").

Rare is the animated film with this much wit, cleverness, and chemistry between characters, but Fantastic Mr. Fox hits it right on the head. Score one more for Mr. Anderson.

(Don't forget that if you see a movie that you'd like to review, you can post your write-up in the Movie Review Group in Community - I may even post it here on the site!)

Owen Wilson to Bring Marmaduke to the Big Screen

BuzzSugar — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:30:18 -0800

Marmaduke, the comic strip about a giant-sized Great Dane and his owners, finally has a voice. Owen Wilson - who's no stranger to working with dogs, given Marley and Me - has just signed on to lend his voice to the trouble-making pooch in the half CGI, half live-action film set to hit theaters next Summer.

Generally speaking, I'm not a huge fan of the animated and live-person combo. It rarely works when actors are talking to cartoons (one exception being Who Framed Roger Rabbit?), but obviously I'm not the target audience here. Plus, Marmaduke does have some of my favorite people in it, including Judy Greer and Lee Pace who both play humans in the film, and hopefully the movie will offer us adults a dose of humor, too.

Do you think Wilson is a good choice to voice Marmaduke? Anyone you would've rather seen in the role?

Jack Nicholson to Play Paul Rudd's Dad in Rom-Com

BuzzSugar — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 10:30:19 -0700

This is fun to imagine: Jack Nicholson is in talks to join the cast of an untitled romantic comedy directed by James L. Brooks (Terms of Endearment, As Good as It Gets) as the blueblood father of a character played by Paul Rudd. The cast also includes Reese Witherspoon and Owen Wilson and the story "involves a love triangle, with Rudd playing a white-collar executive vying for Witherspoon's affections, and Wilson portraying a professional baseball pitcher who is also a love interest."

Nicholson's part was originally supposed to go to Bill Murray, but apparently "Murray's interest in the project waned and he fell out of touch," so Brooks asked Nicholson to step in. As Variety notes, Brooks' projects have led to two of Nicholson's three Oscar wins (one for Terms of Endearment and one for As Good as It Gets), so maybe this new comedy will bring Nicholson more good things.

Will Nicholson and Rudd make a good father-son team? Do you think Nicholson's a better fit in that role than Bill Murray would have been?

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Marley & Me: Sweet, Just as Expected

BuzzSugar — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 10:30:17 -0800

In many ways, the movie Marley & Me is itself like a sweet little squirmy puppy. It's good natured and earnest, funny and cute. It turns out to be pretty much exactly what you expect if you've seen the trailers and/or read the book on which the movie is based: Literally a story about a crazy, uncontrollable dog whose life impacts a young couple's marriage in unexpected ways.

That said, the movie is often just as much about the protagonist, John Grogan (Owen Wilson) and his relationship with his wife Jennifer (Jennifer Aniston) as it is about the dog. And it's about the sacrifices we make for the ones we love - even for the ones we love who are furry and four-legged. Much of the time is spent following this husband and wife as they go through the growing pains of marriage: Finding a home (and then trying to find new homes in better neighborhoods), figuring out what they need professionally, having children, and making decisions about work goals vs. family, etc. etc. It's all very simple and normal, but there's a kind of comfort in that. For more of my thoughts on this, read more.

In terms of the narrative itself, there's nothing new here. Marriage is harder than we thought it would be! Kids are stressful! I wish I had a different job! It's all the same old normal things that most people go through. The main difference is that all the while there's this wacky dog who makes the humans' lives even more complicated - but also ultimately more rewarding.

There's something inherently good-humored about watching the crazy antics of a dog. With human drama and relationships there's all the judging that goes on and the complex emotions, but most people really enjoy animals on a basic level so there's a sort of purity to the enjoyment that comes from this movie. However, you can be sure that the dog is used at times to symbolize things for the humans ("Time to let you off your leash . . . hey, I'd like to feel that free, too . . ."). And plenty of scenes are entirely about the human characters. These performances are good but this isn't a movie you see for the performances (though Alan Arkin's portrayal of John's no-nonsense, vaguely paternal boss is consistently a breath of fresh air).

Overall, it's just nice to have something so purely good that a whole audience can agree on: That dog is cute and funny. There are plenty of provocative, divisive films in the world and then there's this one that only asks you to relax and have a good time. It's an easygoing movie about things that feel relatable and normal to us. There's no reinvention of the wheel, but what better movie to open around the holidays than one that is so familiar and comforting?

Photos courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

Know What's Still Adorable? The Puppy in Marley & Me

BuzzSugar — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 16:00:29 -0700

The first glimpse of Marley & Me allowed us to watch a ridiculously cute puppy run on the beach. That actually seemed to satisfy many of us, but now we've got a real trailer for the movie, starring Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson, and we get to see the puppy do more things! Like chew on stuff and run into doors and spill dog food everywhere. From the trailer it appears that the whole story revolves around this couple chasing after Marley, "the world's worst dog."

That furry little scamp makes me laugh. Not much else about the trailer is very noteworthy, but the dogs playing Marley are worth the watch. Marley & Me opens Dec. 25. To check out the trailer, read more.

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Teaser for Marley & Me (Also Known As: Puppies Are Cute)

BuzzSugar — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 05:30:57 -0700

Puppy. Running along a beach. "Chariots of Fire." And. . . my morning is officially awesome. Does this video show anything substantial about the movie Marley & Me? No. But it's a pretty cute taste, anyway.

An adaptation of the book by John Grogan, Marley & Me stars Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson as the owners of a spirited dog named Marley who teach them "important life lessons." To check out the new teaser trailer for the film (opening Christmas Day), read more.

Box Office: Horton Hears a Lot of Ka-Ching

BuzzSugar — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 09:30:41 -0700

After shattering 2008 box office records last week, Horton Hears a Who once again took the top spot over this Easter holiday weekend. Variety reports that Good Friday was the strongest day for Dr. Seuss' Horton which took in $25.1 million over the weekend in addition to the movie's opening weekend earnings of $45 million.

Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns also performed well, coming in second place with a respectable $20 million.

Plagued by poor reviews and a lack of promotion for the film, the Judd Apatow-produced Drillbit Taylor earned a disappointing $10.2 million, putting the movie at No. 4 behind the thriller Shutter. Compared to how Apatow's comedies like Knocked Up performed last year, this kind of opening indicates that Apatow's attachment to a project doesn't guarantee box office gold. The top five was rounded out by 10,000 B.C. which dropped several spots from the No. 2 spot it held last week.

This weekend will bring several openings that will likely shake up the box office including Kevin Spacey's 21 and the war drama Stop-Loss.

Photos courtesy of 20th Century Fox

Drillbit Taylor: Slightly Amusing, Mostly Lame

BuzzSugar — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 12:30:49 -0700

Will the high school nerds-seeking-revenge story ever get to be annoying and old? Actually, yes, and soon, thanks to Drillbit Taylor. The universal themes of high school hierarchies and the oppressed having their day of triumph, along with the Judd Apatow stamp of approval, somehow can't save this thin, watery story. Inconsistent and jerkily edited, It's one of the sloppiest movies I've seen in a long time. It's not the worst thing ever - the verbal humor works in fits and starts - but mostly it's just messy and poorly thrown together. Toward the end it starts to drag considerably, and then gives up and becomes an endless series of scenes in which dudes punch other dudes.

Owen Wilson plays Drillbit Taylor, a homeless man who is hired by three high school kids to be their bodyguard against the fearsome school bully Filkins (Alex Frost) and his sidekick, Ronnie (Josh Peck). Drillbit, feigning extensive knowledge in combat and human psychology, "trains" the boys to defend themselves against the bullies. But when Drillbit's advice backfires, he's takes matters into his own hands and pretends to be a substitute teacher at their school in order to "protect" the boys from a closer proximity. The movie doesn't end there, though, so read more.

At school he meets a fellow teacher, Lisa (a totally underused Leslie Mann), and they start up a relationship under the pretense that he's a doctor . . . and a substitute teacher. Ultimately, however, it comes out that Drillbit's been taking everyone for a ride, and the boys, predictably, need to figure out what bravery means for themselves.

My favorite parts of the movie are Owen Wilson's scenes, which actually surprises me a little. I've always wondered if Wilson himself had any true talent, or if he was just one of those lucky actors to happen upon great material. In this case, he's the most enjoyable thing about Drillbit Taylor. In fact, it's disappointing how flat and empty the boys are (with the exception of the villainous Alex Frost who sometimes borders - deliciously - on psychopathic), when they could have been the heart of the story.

Skinny, awkward Wade is tolerable, and the littlest guy Emmit (David Dorfman) serves mainly to make high-pitched squeaks and scurry frantically around like Gollum. But Ryan (Troy Gentile), supposedly one of our protagonists, is such a truly unlikeable person I actually found myself longing for the tiresome hysteria of Seth (Jonah Hill) in Superbad, a recent high school comedy that worked successfully. And one of the most satisfying things about Superbad is that in the end, it's all about the relationship between Evan and Seth. The movie is funny and crude, but there is a genuine sweetness to that friendship. This is absent altogether in Drillbit Taylor, along with many other things.

Bottom line: If you're a 12 year old boy, this might be the funniest thing ever. But then again, I may be underestimating 12 year old boys everywhere.

To see the trailer and more clips from Drillbit Taylor check out movies.ivillage.com.

Photos courtesy of Paramount

Music Video: Willie Nelson's "You Don't Think I'm Funny Anymore" Featuring Jessica Simpson, Wilson Bros.

BuzzSugar — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 16:28:01 -0800

A little while ago, Pop spotted a bunch of famous Texans - Owen and Luke Wilson, Jessica Simpson, and even Dan Rather - racing lawn mowers at Willie Nelson's ranch while filming the video for Nelson's "You Don't Think I'm Funny Anymore." Well, now the video has arrived!

It's a cute, down-home country affair, with Jessica using her hot pink lawn mower (and matching helmet), crafty maneuvers, and some clever deception to prove who's really the best mower racer in all the land - much to the dismay of a sad-faced Owen. To check out the song and the video and see the gang kicking up some dust, just read more.

Movie Preview: Drillbit Taylor

BuzzSugar — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 12:30:04 -0800

Somehow, this movie, written by Seth Rogen (you know, the guy who co-wrote Superbad) and starring Owen Wilson, has been completely off my radar, despite the trailer coming out a few months ago. Now there are only a couple of months until Drillbit Taylor hits theaters and I'm surprised there's not more promotion for it - especially with Judd Apatow listed as a producer. What's weirder is that John Hughes (yes, The Breakfast Club John Hughes) has a writing credit for this movie.

The goofy comedy focuses on a man named "Drillbit Taylor" (Wilson) who's hired as a bodyguard by high school nerds, even though he's not really much of a tough guy himself. I predict Taylor helps the boys realize their own self-worth and confidence, etc. and they defeat the school bullies all on their own, with a bunch of raunchy humor and sight gags sprinkled throughout.

Drillbit Taylor opens March 21, so to check out the trailer, read more.

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