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Movies

Hey Dan, so! Hey man, don’t keep me in suspense! Feed me the 411! Give me the info! Answer me, riddle me this: Are there any new films opening in theatres this weekend?!?! C’mon! Tell me!!!

Wow! That’s A Lot Of Punctuation!
Ah yes, it’s a weekend where I will be walking a walk for charity, but even though I can walk the walk, no charity will be given to the 2 new films bowing at a multiplex near you. Nope, if they deserve critical lambasting, then I shall be the lamb that bastes them!
The first lamb to the slaughter? Well, it’s the latest Tom Clancy book starring Jack Ryan to make it to the big screen. The Sum Of All Fears has Ben Affleck picking up where Harrison Ford picked up for Alec Baldwin and starring as Jack Ryan.
Now before I pass judgment on this film, I think I want to see it again. Y’see, everyone in the group I was in thought it was a great, interesting film. I thought that it was simply a grown- up, less cartoonish version of Independence Day. Now that wouldn’t be a bad thing if the film was clever, taut or gave us a reason to care other than the fact that we love the character of Jack Ryan.
But it doesn’t,…at least it didn’t the first time I saw it. I will definitely see it again soon as I love the character of Jack Ryan, but The Sum Of All Fears just didn’t hook me and I have to admit that at one point during the film I was thinking that if a studio put together a box set of director Stephen Frears’ films, they could call it “The Sum Of All Frears.”
But then the movie hooked me again…
So a mixed review on The Sum Of All Fears after one viewing, but consider me back in line already!
After I see Undercover Brother again, that is! I don’t suppose I’ll laugh harder this summer, at least until I see Austin Powers in Goldmember.
Undercover Brother was hilarious! Just hilarious! It is to Blacksploitation films (a genre I love) as Austin Powers is to the James Bond franchise. The trailers, which are aimed at a least-common denominator audience, make the film seem less clever than it actually is. Undercover Brother needn’t be a guilty pleasure – it’s made with enough savvy to be appreciated on its own terms. There are laughs aplenty, and, as a bonus, viewers don’t have to worry about being subjected to farts, urine, feces, semen, or any of the other foul substances that have overrun modern-day comedies.
As I said, and I quote: “I don’t suppose I’ll laugh harder this summer, at least until I see Austin Powers in Goldmember.
And that latter laughfest opens on July 26th!
In the interim, I am back in line this weekend to see if The Sum Of All Fears gets better the second time and to just laugh and enjoy myself watching the exploits of Undercover Brother. Maybe I’ll see you there!
Enjoy the popcorn and I’ll see you at the movies!