New Movies Podcast: 'Rocker,' 'House Bunny' and 'The Wackness'

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Friday August 22, 2008, 12:02 PM

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20th Century FoxRainn Wilson finishes up a gregarious drum solo in "The Rocker."

James Sanford is taking a break this week, so Grand Rapids Press film critic John Serba joins us for this week's New Movies Podcast.

The Rocker

You probably know him as Dwight from TV's "The Office," but Rainn Wilson apes Jack Black with shades of Will Ferrell in "The Rocker," a comedy about a washed-up hair-band drummer who joins his young nephew's band.

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New Movies Podcast: Tropic Thunder, The Clone Wars, Fly Me To the Moon, Vicky Cristina Barcelona and Brideshead Revisited

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Friday August 15, 2008, 10:16 AM

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DreamWorks PicturesWith its audacious, no-holds-barred humor, "Tropic Thunder" is not for the easily offended.

Tropic Thunder

Ben Stiller's latest jab at self-aggrandizing professions is a satire of the typical Vietnam epic film. "Tropic Thunder" is a movie within a movie, and focuses on backgrounds and peculiarities of the actors involved.

Protests have surrounded the movie, but Kalamazoo Gazette film critic James Sanford says to give it a shot before listening to protests from many who haven't seen the film.

"It's a pretty edgy, kind of outlandish comedy," he says. "It really tries to push the envelope. And apparently it has."

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New Movies Podcast: 'Pineapple Express' and 'Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2'

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Wednesday August 06, 2008, 9:02 AM

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Columbia PicturesSide effects of "Pineapple Express" may include paranoia, the munchies and getting chased down by murderous thugs. James Franco and Seth Rogen learn this the hard way.

Pineapple Express

Seth Rogen tends to star in raunchy-yet-lighthearted comedies. Director David Gordon Green makes bleak, moody films that analyze the sordid side of human nature. What happens when you combine the two?

You get "Pineapple Express," a violent, occasionally jarring stoner buddy comedy. It takes some getting used to, but the risks it takes elevate it high above the Cheech and Chong ripoff it could have been. James Sanford says, "It gets you laughing, then smacks you upside the head."

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New Movies: 'The Mummy 3' and 'Swing Vote'

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Friday August 01, 2008, 12:09 PM

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Universal"Yipes," says Brendan Fraser's character in THE MUMMY: TOMB OF THE DRAGON EMPEROR, "If moviegoers see that Indiana Jones guy hanging around, they might not like me anymore!"

The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor

The first two "Mummy" movies did well at the box office, but neither of them had to share a summer with "Indiana Jones."

The third "Mummy" delivers more of what fans of the franchise have come to expect: Great special effects, interesting visuals, ridiculous story, borderline campy performances and lots of bad jokes.

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New Movies: 'Step Brothers' and 'X-Files'

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Friday July 25, 2008, 12:04 PM

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Columbia PicturesJohn C. Reilly and Will Ferrell nurse war wounds (and plug Pepsi products) in "Step Brothers."

Step Brothers

There may be more to Will Ferrell than off-the-wall performances as an idiot man-child, but he and "Anchorman" director Adam McKay are going back to the well in this comedy about a pair of forty-something losers forced to live as brothers when their parents get married.

But unlike "Anchorman," which blew minds with bits of out-of-nowhere hilarity, "Step Brothers" is fairly predictable. Its saving grace, however, is John C. Reilly's willingness to go way, way over the top.

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New Movies: 'The Dark Knight' and 'Mama Mia'

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Friday July 18, 2008, 10:00 AM

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Warner Bros.Heath Ledger deserves Oscar consideration for crafting Joker so psychotic you can't help but laugh in "The Dark Knight."

The Dark Knight

Best. Superhero movie. Ever.

With a title this big, we called in both James Sanford and Grand Rapids Press film critic John Serba for this week's New Movies Podcast, and they couldn't help but gush about the performances, the characters, the crime drama, the density and sophistication of the screenplay — even the action.

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New Movies: 'Hellboy II' and 'Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D'

by MLive.com movies

Friday July 11, 2008, 12:20 PM

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UniversalHellboy and his colleagues at the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense get ready to investigate a nasty tooth fairy attack in "Hellboy II: The Golden Army."

Hellboy II: The Golden Army

Batman's going to have his work cut out for him next week because director Guillermo del Toro ("Pan's Labyrinth") has followed up one of Hollywood's best comic book adaptations with a sequel that trumps the original in nearly every respect.

Here's the bottom line: If you like monsters, fantasy and/or comic books, "Hellboy II: The Golden Army" is required viewing. As a bonus, listen to the podcast to find out about the costume James Sanford owns from the original "Hellboy."

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New Movies: 'Hancock' and 'Kit Kittredge'

by MLive.com movies

Wednesday July 02, 2008, 12:17 PM

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Columbia PicturesWill Smith's superhero antics deal massive damage to municipal property in "Hancock." Listen to the podcast and find out why he's called Hancock in the first place.

Hancock

With hits like "Independence Day" and "Men in Black," Will Smith is the king of Fourth of July blockbusters. Unfortunately, this year's "Hancock" falls more in line with "Wild Wild West."

Here's the joke: When a drunk superhero tries to fight crime, he winds up doing more damage than the criminals would have. About the time the movie runs this joke into the ground, a plot twist takes "Hancock" from sassy superhero comedy to confusing superhero soap opera with notes of tragic romance that ape "Ghost" or "Titanic."

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New Movies: 'WALL-E' and 'Wanted'

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Friday June 27, 2008, 12:01 PM

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Disney/PixarWALL-E and his robot love interest EVE tour a futuristic cityscape in Pixar's "WALL-E."

WALL-E

Fans of Pixar classics like "Toy Story," "The Incredibles" and "Ratatouille" won't be surprised that "WALL-E" is a great movie. Once again, Pixar delivers action, humor, romance and a few unexpected twists.

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New Movies: 'Get Smart' and 'The Love Guru'

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Friday June 20, 2008, 10:00 AM

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Warner Bros.Easy there, Agent 99, that dude is like twice your age. Steve Carell and Anne Hathaway star in "Get Smart."

Get Smart

Hollywood won't rest until it has put the entire late-60s television lineup on the big screen. The latest is a take on the spy spoof "Get Smart," which features an all-star cast that includes Steve Carell, Anne Hathaway, Alan Arkin and Dwayne Johnson (aka The Rock). How can you go wrong with stars like that?

James says "Get Smart" finds a way. Carell's take on Maxwell Smart is more like his character in "the Office" than Don Adams' original. Carell is at his best when he gets to improvise, but the action-heavy movie doesn't leave him much room.

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New Movies: 'You Don't Mess with the Zohan' and 'Kung Fu Panda'

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Friday June 06, 2008, 10:00 AM

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Columbia PicturesWhen "You Don't Mess with the Zohan" isn't busy exploiting Middle Eastern stereotypes for cheap laughs, Adam Sandler gets lewd with old ladies.

You Don't Mess with the Zohan

Grand Rapids Press film critic John Serba isn't easily offended. A fan of "Borat," "South Park" and Sarah Silverman, he can appreciate edgy, uncomfortable satire. Keep that in mind then he says that Adam Sandler's "You Don't Mess with the Zohan" is hideous, unfunny mess of racist Middle Eastern stereotypes.

Sandler stars as the eponymous Zohan, a super-powered Israeli special agent with a funny accent who gives up fighting to work at a New York beauty salon. Sandler standby Rob Schneider, sporting a goofier accent and what amounts to a Palestinian version of blackface, antagonizes Zohan until the film's "Can't we all get along?" conclusion.

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New Movies: 'Sex and the City'

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Friday May 30, 2008, 11:53 AM

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New Line Cinema(From left) Kristin Davis, Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon and Kim Cattrall have no problem slipping back into their "Sex and the City" characters after four years.

Sex and the City

Many fans of HBO's "Sex and the City" were disappointed with the series finale after six seasons. Luck for the fans, the four main actresses have no trouble slipping back into their beloved characters after four years.

James Sanford says the movie is a better send-off for Carrie and the girls, and there's plenty of wit and charm. But much like the TV show, the drama is a bit flimsy, and it starts to wear thin after a whopping two and a half hours. Look forward to lots of Sarah Jessica Parker moping in designer clothes and staring out rain-spattered windows.

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New Movies: 'Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull'

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Thursday May 22, 2008, 10:16 AM

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ParamountIn spite of his age, Harrison Ford still has some moves in "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull."

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Nineteen years after the last installment, "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" brings the franchise back in a grand fashion that's every bit as good as "Raiders of the Lost Ark," James Sanford says — for the first 45 minutes.

From there, though, the plot of "Crystal Skull" takes a nosedive, and the ending seems to ape "Raiders" and "Last Crusade" with shades of "National Treasure."

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New Movies: 'Prince Caspian' and 'Married Life'

by MLive.com movies

Friday May 16, 2008, 3:00 PM

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Disney / Walden"The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian" is a wild ride.

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian

The children (and the original actors) from "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" return to Narnia a year later to find that 1,300 years have passed and Narnia has fallen into ruin. There, they must help an exiled prince overthrow his murderous uncle and restore Narnia to its former glory.

"Prince Caspian" boasts plenty of action and some fun new characters, but the movie also adds some character development that wasn't in C.S. Lewis' book. The young actors deliver more nuanced performances this time around, but the 2 hour, 27 minute runtime is a tad long.

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New Movies: 'Speed Racer,' 'What Happens in Vegas' and 'Redbelt'

by MLive.com movies

Friday May 09, 2008, 12:11 PM

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Warner Bros.Emile Hirsch and the rest of the all-star cast don't have much to do but look good behind the wheel in the flashy but insubstantial "Speed Racer."

Speed Racer

More people remember the 1960s Japanese import cartoon "Speed Racer" for its catchy theme song than its stories or characters. The movie adaptation, helmed by "Matrix" superstars the Wachowski brothers, follows the same track with little character development and not much story story.

Instead, the Wachowskis set out to create a eye candy with over-the-top races and a hybrid of "Matrix" martial arts and "Three Stooges" slapstick. This amounts to an exhilarating 30 minutes, James Sanford says, but the movie wears out its welcome as it stretches longer than two hours.

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