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euroman1970
Reviews
Chasing Papi (2003)
Fun film
Basic premise of this movie is one guy dating 3 women in different cities. To surprise her man, all three women (independently of each other) decide to visit him at his home in Los Angeles. (Sidenote: why would a guy give all 3 women his home address in LA????) When they run into each other, they decide to stick around until their man makes a decision on whom he chooses. Of course, there is a subplot about the stolen money, a couple of bad guys, and a persistent FBI agent. While this is a fun film to watch, it isn't anything ground breaking. I found the character playing Papi to be very stiff. I couldn't really feel any connection between him and all three women. Considering all actors are Latin, I would have like to see more dancing, music, and more of Papi character behaving more like a man. Most of the film he is just sleeping while his women are caught up in some kind of criminal scheme. The only reason this movie worked for me was that it was only 80 minutes and it moved fast.
Ironiya sudby. Prodolzhenie (2007)
Good sequel
I just watched this film and I must say I enjoyed it. I am a big fan of the original and I thought Bekhambetov did a good job overall. The plot is similar to the original and very well executed. I felt the film was funny during many scenes and actors did a good job. I only wish they elaborated more on the lives of Kostya and young Nadya before their meeting. We don't even know what Kostya does or where Nadya works or lives; it felt a bit incomplete. It felt like the movie started somewhere in the middle. The thought that Zhenia and Nadya from original film didn't live happily ever after still doesn't sit well with me. I also didn't believe that Zhenia didn't keep in touch with Nadya and never knew about her daughter, or vice versa. Just not very believable. If 2 people love each other, they would find a way to be together, or at least, keep in touch. I also agree that the role of young Nadya wasn't well developed, she seemed a bit distant; still think she did a very good job. In the original film, Zhenia and Nadya were the center of the entire movie, it was all about them. Here, we have more characters which included police, Santa clause, neighbors, and of course, close ups on Camry and cell phones. A lot of time was devoted to many different characters and not enough time given to the main actors Kostya and Nadya. The movie needed probably another hour to get more into their story. On the other hand, I enjoyed the fast pace of the film. Not for a minute did I think it got boring or uninteresting. I thought it was more about Zhenia and his Nadya than their kids. I so wanted to have seem more of Zhenia, Ippolit, Nadya. Still, a very fun film to watch. Can't say that it is better than the original but considering that most sequels do not work, I have to give credit to all who worked on this film. Really enjoyed it....
Firewall (2006)
Great Movie
I was pleasantly surprised by the film "FIREWALL". Jack Stanfeld is a successful banker with beautiful wife and two children. He knows his job and he is respected by his co-workers. Then, suddenly, his family is kidnapped and held hostage in exchange of millions of dollars which Jack must wire to kidnapper's account. Harrison Ford nails the part beautifully, as always. From the very start to the finish I was captured by the film's intensity and action. Harrison Ford still got it... If you like action films, this film is definitely for you. The plot is not complicated and easy to follow. 5.7 rating does not do this film justice, it deserves at least a 7.
Date Movie (2006)
Another parody?
Saw previews for this movie several months ago and it promised to be a funny film. It just came out on DVD and I figured why not. Well, let me tell you something. The only good thing about this movie is that it is only 85 minutes (unlike some other horrible films that last over 2 hours such as Napoleon Dynamite or 40 year old virgin). In 85 minutes they managed to spoof Meet the Parents, Meet the Fockers, Napoleon Dynamate, Hitch, Bridget Jones Diary, My best friend's wedding, Wedding Planner, My big fat Greek wedding, Wedding Crashers, When Harry met Sally, Pretty Woman, Shallow Hal, Sleepless in Seattle, King Kong. Shall I continue? Oh, yes, how about Michael Jackson parody for his album Thriller. The movie is about a shy girl Julia Jones who works at her parent's Greek Restaurant and dreams about finding a prince. I have to admit that there were some funny moments in the movie. Case in point - Julia's dance in the very beginning of the movie, the scene with the cat in the bathroom, and the elimination round during the Reality Show. Some moments were flat out disgusting and very distastefully. Julia is fat... then she is suddenly "pimped out" to be this gorgeous woman. Some characters were totally misplaced and unnecessary. Why Chinese sister? If you are a fan of parodies, maybe you'd like this film. But I have to warn you the commercial for the movie is way better than the movie itself. Good luck
Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (2004)
Not as good as advertised
I feel cheated and ashamed at the same time that this country produces such crap. It was like watching SNL sketch with all the actors thrown in into the pile and told to do one liners. White Goodman is the owner of this high tech and very profitable gym while Peter La Fleur is his nemesis across the street who owns Average Joe's gym, which is, of course, on the brinks of bankruptcy. When White wants to take over Average Joe's gym, Peter and his club members need to come up with $50,000 in 30 days to keep the gym alive. What starts out as a promising film turns into an outrageous display of violence and stupidity. My issue with the movie is with the improper cast of roles. Vince Vaughn (Peter La Fleur) and Ben Stiller (White Goodman) would have made a better movie had they been in opposite roles. WHY? Because Vince is more convincing as a bad guy while Ben has always played positive characters. Vince has this evil look in his eyes even when he tries to be a nice guy. Most of the characters looked cartoonish? Nobody acts like that in real life. And what is with this sport Dogdeball? The only goal is to throw balls at each other? A couple of years ago there was a movie called Rollerball which I recall was way more entertaining that this one. At least, in that film they didn't try to make it funny. I think this is where Dodgeball suffers. Had they decided to make it a true Underdog Story without the stupid jokes and unbelievable characters, I think this film would have been much better. Think about this... can you imagine Rocky as a funny film? And what is with the throwing of wrenches. What the film tells is that it's OK to throw wrenches at each other? How insane. At the end of the film the underdogs win, of course. I didn't expect it to be any different. Anyway, to sum it all up, I don't recommend wasting your money on this movie. It is not as good as the advertisers want you to believe.
Category 7: The End of the World (2005)
Another one?
While I enjoy action and disaster movies, I must say that because of recent events (Hurrican Katrina) any film about a weather disaster should be banned from making. We have seen so many of them in the past several years and all of them seem to be the same - major cast is always trying to predict and stop the hurricane. This film does not offer anything new except for one thing, new name - Category 7. What's next? Category 8... I have a better idea, how come not to call it Category 100. What's the difference? The acting in this film is also nothing of spectacular scale. And how come Randy Quaid always portrays the same guy in all of these disaster films? I am beginning to think they make these films just for him. Today we saw the first part of the film. Next Sunday they will show Part 2. Chances are I won't be watching it. There is not a single character in the movie that I really care about. All the characters so far are underdeveloped and act just like predicted. I also don't get the weather center in D.C. I don't see anyone there over the age of 18. Our lives rest on their weather prediction skills? As for the action scenes, what can I say... average, been there, done that. Time to move on. Show us something we could truly associate with. Why not concentrate more on human side rather than on special effects? Overall, I give it 3 out of 10.
Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo (2005)
Another sequel - another failure
Here comes another sequel to a classic comedy Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo. If anybody ever wanted to see an 80 minute penis joke, then this movie is definitely for you. The first film which came out about 4 years ago gave us a new concept and introduced us to the most memorable characters. In fact, it is one of my favorite comedies. In the sequel we learn that Kate has been eaten by sharks (what a terrible way to kill off somebody) and that T.J. is working in Amsterdam. Somebody is killing off all male gigolos in Amsterdam one by one. T.J. calls on Deuce to help him find out who is the serial killer by becoming a man-whore decoy. From the very beginning to the last minute of the movie virtually every line contained a penis joke... While some moments are funny, they are very repetitive and at times offensive. If you watch many scenes carefully, it looks like the whole movie was done in front of the blue screen. This film is another proof not to make sequels of great films.
Monster-in-Law (2005)
Funny and entertaining
Funny and entertaining film about a free spirited young woman Charlie(Jennifer Lopez) who falls in love with a handsome doctor. Everything seems to be perfect until the moment she meets her future mother-in-law. Jane Fonda gives one of her best performances in this film as a psychotic mother who goes out of her way to protect her son from Charlie thinking she is in it for the money. Some may argue that it has a similar plot as Meet the Parents, but watching this film I never once thought of Meet the Parents. These are completely different films even though they deal with a similar topic. If you are for some laughs and clean fun, definitely go see this film. 9 out of 10 for me.
Guess Who (2005)
want my money back
Never intended to see this film but didn't want to disappoint my friends. Went in with extremely low expectations and was absolutely right. The movie is very predictable with the formula we have seen thousands of times before. A nice black girl brings home a white guy to meet her parents. Ashton Kutcher plays the part of the boyfriend Simon Green. Don't get me wrong but does anyone else think that Ashton Kutcher cannot act? Every time I see him in a film, he seems to portray very similar characters. I never felt any chemistry between him and his girlfriend. Bernie Mac who plays an overprotective father goes out of his ways not to like Simon from the start. The jokes are not very funny and at times offensive. Supposedly, this was a remake of a 1967 movie "Guess who is coming to dinner". I cannot comment on the original movie since I have not seen it but I sure hope it was a much better film. 3/10 for me.
Taxi (2004)
Not worth your time or money
I am so glad I didn't see this movie when it came out in theaters. None of the characters are believable especially police officer Washburn. What kind of a cop cannot drive a car? Isn't that a requirement in order to graduate police academy. In fact, they need to drive better than the average Joe. Jimmy Fallon who plays Washburn doesn't fit his character. Queen Latifah seems to get the same parts in every single movie. I think she is a good actress but she needs to explore her abilities as different characters. The taxi she is driving in this movie is cartoonish. The jokes between her and Fallon are not funny but rather pathetic. There is no chemistry between them. The car chases are subpar. We have seen way better chases in other films (Matrix 2, Speed, Ronin, Bad Boys I and II). If it wasn't for the 4 stunningly beautiful models, I would have given this film 1 out of 10. These 4 models play bank robbers and drive a BMW (a hot girl in a BMW - isn't that every man's fantasy... now imagine 4 hot girls). To sum up, this movie needed different actors and funnier more convincing dialogue to pull it off. Didn't work for me...
Hitch (2005)
Refreshing and funny
Here is a smart and funny comedy that is not based on stupid slapstick and horrible dialogue. I am very surprised that it has gotten such a low rating so far. Can anyone even tell apart a good film from a bad one? The story revolves around Alex Hitchens (Hitch) who is in the business of helping men to meet and date women of their desires. He doesn't advertise, he goes by the word of mouth. People don't know who he is, they only know of him as a "date doctor". Early in the film we meet several struggling men one of whom is Albert (Kevin James). I thought he did a good job. He is very shy and doesn't know how to approach Allegra Cole, his object of desire who happens to be his celebrity client. In the meantime, we meet Sarah, a gossip columnist whose life priority is her job. One day Hitch and Sarah meet in a bar. Very interesting dialogue in this bar makes Sarah think twice about Hitch. He has all the right moves and Sarah is intrigued. Soon enough they go out on a date which doesn't turn out exactly as Hitch planned. Later, purely by coincidence, Sarah finds out the true identity of Hitch and makes some hasty decisions. But can they make it work, will their love prevail? I really enjoyed watching this movie on the big screen and highly recommend everyone who likes romantic comedies to go see this film. If I did, however, have to change anything in this film, I would probably cast someone else for the role of Sarah... Eva Mendes just didn't do it for me. She didn't seem to have the chemistry going with Will Smith. I don't know if she is right for romantic lead roles. I am used to seeing her in action movies playing "tough, soldier like" roles.
For my final comment, truly refreshing comedy that deserves a much higher rating: 9 out of 10 for me.
Little Black Book (2004)
Not bad for a romantic comedy
I was pleasantly surprised by this romantic comedy. Most of the movies I've seen lately were disasters. This film started out slowly and for the first 30 minutes or so it wasn't clear which direction it would take. The story takes place in New Jersey. It is about a young girl Stacy (Brittany Murphy) who dreams of one day working side by side with Diane Sawyer. But she has to start somewhere and accepts a job at a local Talk Show. She thinks that she is in a great relationship with Derek (Ron Livingston) until he mentions about Lulu, a supermodel he used to date. When Derek leaves on business out of town, Stacy tries to find out more about Derek's past relationships by going through his things and his palm pilot (electronic black book). I won't go into more details because I don't want to spoil the film. There are several twists and the big one at the very end. This was a very satisfying film for me. Reading through some other reviews, I am shocked to see so many people dogging this movie. I would highly recommend anyone who's ever been in love to watch this film. Little Black Book deserves a much better review.
My Boss's Daughter (2003)
Silly but funny
If you overlook the fact of all the improbable events in this movie then you will definitely enjoy it. I was skeptical about renting it but I have to admit it was funny. The basic plot involves your average guy Tom who likes his co-worker Lisa who happens to be his boss's daughter. When she asks him to come over to her house he assumes they would go out together. As it turns out, she needed him to babysit her father's owl named O.J. while he went abroad on business. From the time Tom enters this house things go haywire. Who ever heard of an employee going back to their boss's house to get their job back. What makes this film entertaining is that it keeps on throwing jokes left and right, most of them silly, of course. Nevertheless, it keeps the film going. From the drug dealing brother to the ruthless gangster, to the girl next door, to Lisa's boyfriend. I mean, things just keep happening... Most of us would never experience so many misfortunes during our lifetime but yet this movie manages to lay everything on Tom. And the stupid bird keeps flying around... In the end of course, things get back to normal and Tom gets his girl. If you had to sit through a funny movie and not think about all the plot holes, this one is for you. Don't expect smart comedy, though.
Meet the Fockers (2004)
Not bad
I was skeptical about seeing the sequel 'Meet the Fockers' because generally sequels don't work. But I was pleasantly surprised that they kept the movie funny and interesting. This time around Byrnes family meets Fockers family. I absolutely loved that they paired up Dustin Hoffman and Barbra Streisand as Greg's parents. They were hilarious. I thought Dustin did a better job than Robert DeNiro. Some joke, I agree, were somewhat old, but they worked for me. I truly enjoyed this movie. I can't say it was better than the first but it wasn't that bad. The first film was more subtle on jokes, though. I also liked the little kid... I don't know if they used special effects to make him say his first word but it was very well executed. Overall, I would give this film 8/10.
The Prince & Me (2004)
Just OK and predictable
Rented DVD and watched this film last night. I thought the movie was OK for a romantic comedy even though it was very predictable. Prince Edvard of Denmark is tired of paparazzi following him everywhere and decides escape somewhere. Lucky for him he sees a TV commercial for "Girls gone wild" in Wisconsin. There he enrolls in local University and meets Paige (played by Julia Stiles). I don't know if it is just me but every time I see Julia Stiles she plays the exact same character - too smart and too proper. You kind of know what to expect from her. At first, they seem to hate each other but soon enough Eddie (as he is known in Wisconsin) and Paige hit it off. As their relationship grows, paparazzi expose the truth. Thinking she has been deceived Paige breaks up with Eddie. In the meantime, Eddie's father becomes ill and he has to pass the throne to his son. Prince Edvard leaves for Denmark. Realizing that she made a mistake, Paige drops everything and jumps on a plane to Denmark. Edvard proposes to Paige and they get ready for his coronation. But the longer she stays in the castle, Paige realizes she cannot handle being a queen. Hence, she leaves him and goes back to Wisconsin to finish college. But at the and during the graduation ceremony Edvard shows up, they hug and kiss, and he tells her he'd wait for her forever. That is essentially the plot. There are few other subplots that never get fully developed (eg. his help and protector Soren). There is also an alternate ending to the movie, which in fact, I prefer. In the alternate ending (available on DVD) Edvard never comes back for Paige. Instead, we see several pictures of Paige as she advanced through college and graduation. The reason I liked this ending is because it was more realistic. Now I will list the problems that I had with the film. First of all, I didn't think there was much chemistry between the main characters, they fight and then suddenly they are in love in a matter of few weeks? Seems to me that the story was underdeveloped. I also don't believe that Eddie could just fall in love with one woman especially after what we see in the beginning. Initially, he is shown as irresponsible gigolo. There are also several plot holes: how could Eddie enroll in college, wouldn't his identity reveal who he is? They also tried to make it a comedy which to be honest didn't work for me. His helper Soren was too stiff and out of place. And finally, did anyone notice how the plot of this movie is similar to "Coming to America" with Eddie Murphy? Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall did such an outstanding job in the film that I would take "Coming to America" over "The prince and me" anytime.
Around the World in 80 Days (2004)
Funny and entertaining
I personally enjoyed this film very much despite some negative reviews and low overall ratings. This is the film you can watch with your whole family and not worry about bad words or explicit scenes. A very famous book by Jules Verne is transformed into a very funny and entertaining film in "Around the world in 80 days". I especially enjoyed cameo appearance by Arnold Schwarzenegger. For those who are not familiar with the plot, it is very simple: English inventor/scientist (Fogg) embarks on a trip around the world as a bet that he can go around the world in 80 days. His sidekick Passportout agrees to help him. However, there is a slight twist to the story. They also meet a very beautiful French artist who joins them on their trip. I highly recommend that if you are a fan of Jules Verne and Jackie Chan to rent this adventure film. You won't be disappointed.
The Day After Tomorrow (2004)
Good Special Effects
All I have to say about this film is that it had good special effects. Everything else was another drama to show what could happen if there was a climate shift and half of the world suddenly froze. Many of reviewers claim this movie is unrealistic. Of course it is unrealistic... its made to entertain us just like other "disaster" films (e.g. Armaggedon). I can't say that I didn't like the movie at all. If I could rate it, I'd give it 6/10. I think we need to look at disaster films as a different genre, they are not designed to tell a true story or give you in depth character development. Instead, they rely on lots of Special effects and lots of unbelievable scenarious. If you accept this fact, then you will enjoy some of them.
The Terminal (2004)
Great movie for the whole family
I was very surprised of so many negative comments about the film. You can't expect everything to be true. Sometimes you just need to accept the story and go with it. The film is about Viktor Navorski (wonderfully played by Tom Hanks) who unexpectedly became stranded at JFK airport because the government of his country (made up country in Europe) was overthrown. Since the country no longer exists his visa to enter US got cancelled and all the flights back home were suspended as well. Not knowing what to do with him the head of airport security Dixon (played by Stanley Tucci) lets him stay in the airport until the situation is resolved. Viktor has very little English at first and does not grasp the situation. He has a goal to go to New York City to fulfill a promise to his father. As he settles in Gate 67 (which hasn't opened yet), he begins to learn how to survive. In the meantime, he befriends airport workers and even airport security. Being stranded in the airport myself, I can sympathize with Viktor. Even though the story is stretched a bit - living in an airport for more than 9 months is obviously impossible - it is still a very warm and at times funny story. Forget all negative comments and rent this film, you won't be disappointed. 10/10
White Chicks (2004)
Give me a break
The trailer was funny but the movie itself was a disaster. My wife liked it but I couldn't wait until the end. I can't believe it lasted almost 2 hours. I always enjoyed Wayans brothers but they are good for a quick 10 minute sketch. The plot of the movie was fairly straight forward: 2 cops go undercover as 2 women in order to prove themselves that they can catch bad people and not screw up in the process. I can't really say that it was all that funny. First of all, you could definitely tell that these were 2 guys dressed as women. Secondly, how come no one could detect that these were not the real sisters. Can one year of absence make everyone so blind that they can't spot what's real and what's fake? The jokes were off on timing and sometimes overdone. In essence, if you don't mind sitting through mindless film, then maybe this one is for you. But I would like to recommend better films: Mrs. Doubtfire or Big Momma's house.
Category 6: Day of Destruction (2004)
Waste of time
I was sitting at home and flipping channels when I ran across what potentially sounded like an interesting film. I like Destruction type movies and decided to watch it. I don't know why but I ended up watching it the whole 2 hours. We have seen this type of movie I don't know how many times.
Back in 1998 - 2000 there were dozen of films that dealt with global destruction of some sort. The best one on my list so far is Deep Impact which was more believable than this one. Here are my problems with this film: 1) cheap special effects, like something out of the old computer. 2) no background information or explanation on weather patterns. If you are going to make a movie about weather, at least have some decency to entertain the viewer with technical details. 3) How come only 2 or 3 people figure out that the storm is converging on Chicago... no more experts left in the field? 4) where are some interesting characters? I truly don't care for anyone except maybe the pregnant woman. I felt that there was no character development. 5) no thought provoking moment what so ever and factually incorrect theme. And this is only the first part of the film. I bet the conclusion will show us few destruction scenes and a search and rescue operation just like it has been done many times before. And judging by the special effects in the first part of the movie, I can only imagine what we are to expect. Of course, at the end, the main characters will survive and life will go on... how original
Johnson Family Vacation (2004)
TERRIBLE
This is by far the worst movie I have ever seen. Cedric the Entertainer and Steve Harvey are both very talented people but in this film there is nothing funny about their performances.
Basic Plot is this. Nate Johnson with his wife and 3 children set out on a road trip for a family reunion. As with any road trip movies, something has to happen to make us laugh. Believe me, whatever happens in this film, is not funny at all. It is more of a "what the hell was I thinking renting this film". Anyway, at the end they get to the reunion but by this time I truly didn't care. I would think it'd be funnier if they never made it there... Now, that would get me some laughs. So, we are forced to sit through this so called family gathering only to see two brothers, Nate and Mac, go for the trophy.
Here is a list of my problems with this film:
1) Why drive 3 days to the reunion and 3 days back just to be there for 2 hours??? Nate Johnson drives a Lincoln Navigator ($50,000 SUV by the way) but yet he can't afford to buy plane tickets for 5 people?
2) Several subplots never get developed... such is the example of Shannon Elizabeth's character. Johnsons pick her up on the road and end up getting her a hotel room??? What was the purpose? Nate is with his family, there obviously can't be any hanky-panky, then why even bother with this scene?
3) Why was Uncle Earl not invited to the reunion??? He is an uncle, after all. Other reunion members were never introduced as well.
Overall, the movie seemed to be missing its overall premise. Well, I hope they got someone to buy one of those Lincolns.
Just Married (2003)
Not worth the money
WHAT IS THE POINT OF THIS MOVIE? To tell us that love conquers all..?
The plot is relatively simple, a girl from a wealthy family Sarah McNerney (played by Brittany Murphy) falls in love with an average Joe by the name of Tom Leezak (played by Ashton Kutcher). They get married even though Tom's friends and Sarah's family are against it. They go on the Honeymoon to Europe. Actually, they go to France, to be exact.
Unfortunately, things don't go exactly as they had hoped. Due to Tom's stupidity they are evicted from their hotel in France. I felt really bad for Sarah. The comedy turns into a child's play from here on. Several more unbelievable subplots and the couple is on each other throats. But, at the end, of course, Tom and Sarah get back together... wow, how "unpredictable".
I want to make several points about the storyline: 1) Tom is an jerk who doesn't deserve Sarah. His pride and stupidity are the only blame for their honeymoon misadventures. Being spontaneous and being stupid are too different things. 2) Sarah is better off with Peter Prentiss (close family friend) who is going places and knows how to treat a woman. 3) I don't care how much too people despise each other, a guy does not throw carts at any girl, yet at his own wife.
CONCLUSION: This is rather a dark comedy or better yet an educational manual on 'how not to behave on your honeymoon'. Characters are unbelievable, story is too predictable and pointless. This movie had a lot more potential... but as usual, took a turn for the worst.
EuroTrip (2004)
Awesome...
I have to say that this must be the funniest movie I have seen in years. Basic plot involves 4 friends traveling to Europe for various reasons. Scott, who has been dumped by his girlfriend, is on his way to meet a beautiful pen-pal in Germany. His buddy, Cooper, is along for the ride on a hunt for anything female. And we also have twins, Jamie, the geek, and Jenny, a young hottie. Even though the movie is aimed at teenagers and young adults, there are very funny moments throughout the film for every age group to enjoy. I am not going to go into details on the film, you just have to watch it. The film also has a great soundtrack... just makes you want to sing along. Don't forget to view all the deleted scenes. I think most of them are hilarious and should have been left in a movie. A little sidenote: one of the movie writers is Alec Berg, the same guy who was writing for Seinfeld. It is a definite plus for the film. Jokes and misadventures are left short and sweet and not overdone. A lot of comedies try too hard and eventually get overdone. This one is perfect. Every character is unique and brings its own charm to the story. If you liked National Lampoon movies, and enjoyed Road Trip and The New Guy, you will definitely like this one. And remember David Hasselhoff from Baywatch? He is popping up in a movie as well, and not in a way you think. Great, relaxing, funny... a definite thumbs up for me.
Jersey Girl (2004)
Great and Fun movie
Despite some of the negative reviews I read here, I thought the movie was pretty good. Ben Affleck plays the role of Oliver Trinke who works as a publicist in NY city and is about to become a father. His girlfriend is played by Jennifer Lopez. When she dies during childbirth, Ollie is left alone with raising his daughter. All his attempts to continue his life as he knew it fail, and after he is fired from the job, he moves back to his father's house in New Jersey. The film is touching and makes a great date movie. The acting was done pretty well especially the young girl playing Ben's daughter. She is very adorable. After 7 years of living in New Jersey and working construction with his father, Ollie decides he had enough and wants to get back to NY city. He almost gets his wish but at the end he reailzes that the most important thing is family. Many may argue that we have seen similar plots before, and I agree... but I think that Kevin Smith did a very good job to depict and develop each character. There is only one comment that I would like to make. Ben is a respected publicist that I would imagine makes a lot of money. Why did he have to bring the child to his father and keep driving between NY and New Jersey to see his daugther? Why couldn't he just hire a full time nanny in NY to care for the child? Having said so, he would not have to bring his child to work, and hence, lose his cool and be fired from the job... which in turn... there would be no movie. Just a thought.
Starsky & Hutch (2004)
Surprisingly good film
I was pleasantly surprised by this movie. I never watched the original series by the same name and hence, I had nothing to compare or contrast it to. But the chemistry between Starsky (Ben Stiller) and Hutch (Owen Wilson) was undeniable. A lot of comedies try to outdo themselves. Here, we have a simple and somewhat predictable plot, easy to follow and very entertaining film. The plot is simple: two cops team up to solve the murder case with the help of a police snitch Huggy Bear (Snoop Dogg). There are no twists or turns. From the start we know who is who. David Starsky is a tough cop with a very cool car who does everything by the book whereas his partner Ken Hutchinson is more relaxed and easy going. The main focus of the film is not on the story but rather on the two main characters. There are many comedic plots throughout the movie, and at the end we get a cameo appearance from the original Starsky and Hutch. If you are looking for a simple police adventure, this movie should definitely be one of your choices.