“MOVIE REVIEW: 'Rango' — what do you expect when pirates make a kids movie? (video) - New Haven Register” plus 1 more |
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Associated Press photo: Johnny Depp plays the leading lizard in "Rango." Whose idea was it to turn those latter-day Caribbean pirates Johnny Depp, Bill Nighy and (director) Gore Verbinski loose on a cartoon, ostensibly for kids? Because "Rango" requires some explanation. It is funny, inventive and downright daft. But who is it for, what is it and most pointedly — what is the point? Many's the movie fan who would pay to watch/hear Depp riff on "ACTING" in a twisted opening monologue. He carries an umbrella-drink umbrella and wields a sword usually reserved for spearing the lime in your gin and tonic. "Acting is RE-acting," he bellows. "The audience thirsts for adventure. The hero cannot exist in a vacuum." Well, it's a terrarium actually. Not a vacuum. And the Depp delivering this monologue on the stage is a lizard en route to his owner's new home. Terrarium and lizard tumble out of the car and into the desert, where the reptile gets some instant life lessons/stay-alive lessons from assorted desert creatures — a squished armadillo among them. The mariachi chorus of owls croons about his future "untimely death." Our intrepid lizard stumbles into Dirt, a desert hamlet inhabited by tortoises, owls, crows, moles, other lizards and the like. The town is dry — no water. Some skullduggery is afoot. So when the lizard takes the name "Rango" and starts passin' himself off as the rootin'est, tootin'est varmint ever to roam the Old (New) West, they name him sheriff. Rango and the good gophers and gopher tortoises of Dirt both get more than they bargain for. Rango gets into shootouts. How these tiny critters got tiny firearms is anybody's guess. (Oh, right. Arizona.) Some of them drink and some smoke. Continued... Rango runs afoul of the mayor, voiced by Ned Beatty, the villain of "Toy Story 3." Rango flirts with Miss Bean (Isla Fisher) and wonders, wonders, wonders about the missing water. Depp fills the soundtrack with chatter that sounds so off-the-cuff it's as if they put him in front of a mic and animated a 3-D movie around his mutterings. Some of that must be true, as the film's soundtrack was performed like a play by a cast almost fully assembled in the studio at the same time. John Logan ("The Last Samurai," "The Aviator") is the credited writer. He's right at home with the occasional "Son of a ..." and sneaking in a Hunter S. Thompson joke (Depp played the druggie journalist in "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas") or a Man With No Name cameo. But what animated children's movie that you can think of has a character shout, "Go to Hell!" at a villainous snake? It doesn't matter that the snake (voiced by Nighy) answers, "Where you do think I came from?" Fitfully amusing or not, the whole demented enterprise of "Rango" comes into question when you're that tone-deaf about what's appropriate for children.
Associated Press photo: Johnny Depp plays the leading lizard in "Rango." Whose idea was it to turn those latter-day Caribbean pirates Johnny Depp, Bill Nighy and (director) Gore Verbinski loose on a cartoon, ostensibly for kids? Because "Rango" requires some explanation. It is funny, inventive and downright daft. But who is it for, what is it and most pointedly — what is the point? Many's the movie fan who would pay to watch/hear Depp riff on "ACTING" in a twisted opening monologue. He carries an umbrella-drink umbrella and wields a sword usually reserved for spearing the lime in your gin and tonic. "Acting is RE-acting," he bellows. "The audience thirsts for adventure. The hero cannot exist in a vacuum." Well, it's a terrarium actually. Not a vacuum. And the Depp delivering this monologue on the stage is a lizard en route to his owner's new home. Terrarium and lizard tumble out of the car and into the desert, where the reptile gets some instant life lessons/stay-alive lessons from assorted desert creatures — a squished armadillo among them. The mariachi chorus of owls croons about his future "untimely death." Our intrepid lizard stumbles into Dirt, a desert hamlet inhabited by tortoises, owls, crows, moles, other lizards and the like. The town is dry — no water. Some skullduggery is afoot. So when the lizard takes the name "Rango" and starts passin' himself off as the rootin'est, tootin'est varmint ever to roam the Old (New) West, they name him sheriff. Rango and the good gophers and gopher tortoises of Dirt both get more than they bargain for. Rango gets into shootouts. How these tiny critters got tiny firearms is anybody's guess. (Oh, right. Arizona.) Some of them drink and some smoke. Rango runs afoul of the mayor, voiced by Ned Beatty, the villain of "Toy Story 3." Rango flirts with Miss Bean (Isla Fisher) and wonders, wonders, wonders about the missing water. Depp fills the soundtrack with chatter that sounds so off-the-cuff it's as if they put him in front of a mic and animated a 3-D movie around his mutterings. Some of that must be true, as the film's soundtrack was performed like a play by a cast almost fully assembled in the studio at the same time. John Logan ("The Last Samurai," "The Aviator") is the credited writer. He's right at home with the occasional "Son of a ..." and sneaking in a Hunter S. Thompson joke (Depp played the druggie journalist in "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas") or a Man With No Name cameo. But what animated children's movie that you can think of has a character shout, "Go to Hell!" at a villainous snake? It doesn't matter that the snake (voiced by Nighy) answers, "Where you do think I came from?" Fitfully amusing or not, the whole demented enterprise of "Rango" comes into question when you're that tone-deaf about what's appropriate for children. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| New ‘Take Me Home Tonight’ Movie Delivered Tons Of Comedy & More - OnTheFlix Posted:
"Take Me Home Tonight' revolved around character Matt Franklin (Topher Grace) who's a 23 year old that has graduated from MIT,but has no direction in his life,and is working in a "Suncoast" video store. While working there,his highschool crush Tori Frederking (Teresa Palmer) walks in,so he sneaks out the back,and walks back in,pretending to be a customer. He,of course,lies to her about what he does for a living so he can impress her,and she ends up inviting him to a wild party that's going on later that night. Matt's crazy friend Barry Nathan (Dan Fogler) steals a Mercedes from a car dealership he just got fired from,so they can show up in style at the party. When they get there,things are awkward at first,but soon enough,this party starts to liven up in a crazy way. Matt ends up getting a chance to hang out with Tori,and finds out he has a lot in common with her,and they hit it off. So much,in fact, that they end up having sex,but not before he tells her the truth about where he works. Needless to say, that doesn't go ever to well,and leads to Matt doing a really crazy thing to prove he's more of a man than Tori now thinks he is,to finish up the movie. The film was highly entertaining and featured lots of funny moments including Barry having freaky sex with a weird lady who had her man watch them, a funny dance-off scene with Barry and some other dude,Barry and Matt getting in a car wreck because they tried to do cocaine while driving,and more. It was filled with a ton of "off the wall" scenes. It also had "Buffy The Vampire Slayer's" Michelle Trachtenberg playing a crazy,sexy goth chic named Ashley. She was pretty funny. The movie was never boring,and delivered a fast-paced,comedy,romantic,thrill ride that just wouldn't stop. I gave the movie a solid A score. "Take Me Home Tonight" movie is in theaters now. Get your "Take Me Home Tonight" movie tickets by Clicking Here. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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