Not Family-Friendly

Surrogates

PG-13 for intense sequences of violence, disturbing images,
language, sexuality and a drug related scene.

Running Time: 1 hour 29 minutes

Originally posted on Frame by Frame: A Family-Friendly Guide to the Movies Blog

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People are living their lives remotely, from the safety of their own homes via robotic surrogates – sexy, physically perfect, mechanical and consequences don't exist. But, when the first murder in years jolts this utopia, FBI agent Greer, played by Bruce Willis, discovers a vast conspiracy behind the surrogate phenomenon. As a result, he must abandon his own surrogate, risking his life, to unravel the mystery.

Who's real...and who can you trust?

Imagine A World With No Pain

Years ago John Lennon sang about a world with no pain and nothing but peace. In Lennon's Imagine, everything was perfect. But, the scriptwriters of the new Bruce Willis flick Surrogates point out that might not be the best place to live.

I went to Surrogates not really knowing what to expect. The trailers looked interesting and it seemed to have that bad-good-cop Bruce Willis feel to it. I like seeing Willis play the role of a cop with an attitude. He just does that so well. But, I must also admit I was really surprised when Willis first appeared on the screen!

He looked plastic and young!

He almost looked like a big G.I. Joe type doll with a plastic face that seemed to crack when he talked. It was just really, really, really strange! I found my mind racing wondering what in the world they did to him. Why would he take a role in which he would be made up to look so young, and plastic?! I also want to point out, I do not remember seeing any trailers for Surrogates where Willis looked like this! The oddity really sent me for a loop and I spent the first part of the movie trying to figure out why he looked so bad. As a result, I missed much of the plot-line and dialogue. Not that it really mattered, this script is pretty much a re-hash of things that have gone before.

Of all those involved in this futurist sci-fi-flick, the star looking the most out of place is Bruce Willis. I suppose that's probably because he's the most recognizable star in Surrogates that really did need some kind of a stand-in double to make him look young. As a result, the first 45 minutes of this movie is very plastic. The acting seems sub-par and many of the supporting actors and actresses seem to lean on Bruce Willis to make this movie come to life.

It finally does come to life with about 45 minutes left.

Once Willis steps away from his surrogate and starts his investigation in his "old" body, the movie seems to come to life. Up to that point, I found myself wondering why Willis even agreed to do this movie. I must admit if it hadn't picked up soon, I was about to leave the theater and totally write Surrogates off as a mistake made by Willis to be ignored.

I like Bruce Willis, and I really did want to like all of this movie. But, in the end, if it hadn't been for the last 45 minutes, I would have said it's best to ignore this movie.

I, Robot on Steroids

As for plot-line – Surrogates can best be described as I, Robot on steroids. There's really not a lot new here when it comes to robotics and what can happen if robots are allowed to take over our lives. Something will always go wrong. It doesn't matter if it's Will Smith crusading for humankind without robots, or Bruce Willis trying to figure out why the surrogate robots are going bad. In the end, it's all the same – we are supposed to live life ourselves, not through a robot.

The 2004 flick I, Robot featured shiny looking machines meant to keep humanity safe from all danger. But, something goes terribly wrong and Will Smith must save the day. In Surrogates, while the technology seems more advanced, the purpose remains the same. Robots, or in this case, surrogates, are supposed to keep humanity from all danger. This time around, it's Bruce Willis to the rescue.

But here's the really interesting twist with Surrogates. Not only is the plot-line and theme similar to I, Robot, but the actor who plays the Doctor responsible for inventing the surrogates is the same inventor from I, Robot! While the character name is different, we find James Cromwell showing up again playing the similar, and familiar role of robot creator.

Overall, I must admit Surrogates was a disappointing experience for me. As already mentioned, I like Bruce Willis when he plays these roles. But, this has more of a low-budget feel to it than anything else. It's almost like those involved in the flick knew they needed a big name to carry the sub-par script, sub-par acting, and sub-par concept. As a result, they turned to big name actor Bruce Willis to carry the movie somewhere. While I'm not sure where they wanted the movie to go, if it weren't for Willis, I would have totally ignored this Surrogates.

As for rating, it says PG-13 for violence and disturbing images. At least they got that right! But, this is far from a PG-13 movie. This is not family-friendly at all, and once again we discover the need for a mature audience rating. While I do give it a 1.5 Lloyd rating, keep in mind that's a mercy rating simply because I like Bruce Willis.

Best to wait for the DVD!
Dr. Rus

Ghosts of Girlfriends Past
3 Lloyds – Not Family-Friendly
PG-13 for sexual content throughout, some language
and a drug reference.
Running Time: 1 hour 40 minutes

New on DVD - September 22, 2009

Originally posted on Frame by Frame: A Family-Friendly Guide to the Movies Blog

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Celebrity photographer Connor Mead, played by Matthew McConaughey, loves freedom, fun and women. In case you’re wondering, he also loves them in that order. A committed bachelor, who thinks nothing of breaking up with multiple women on a conference call, Connor’s mockery of romance proves a real buzz-kill for his kid brother. While surrounded with a houseful of well wishers, Paul asks his brother, Connor, to give a toast at his wedding. It’s here that we suddenly see what appears to be a match-made-in-heaven, fall apart.

The Informant!

Rated R for language.
Running Time: 1 hour 48 minutes.

Originally posted on Frame by Frame: A Family-Friendly Guide to the Movies Blog

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What was Mark Whitacre thinking? A rising star at agri-industry giant Archer Daniels Midland, Whitacre suddenly turns into a whistle-blower. Even as he exposes his company's multi-national price-fixing conspiracy to the FBI, Whitacre envisions himself being hailed as a hero of the common man and handed a promotion. But, before all that can happen, the FBI needs evidence. As a result, Whitacre eagerly agrees to wear a wire and carry a hidden tape recorder in his briefcase, imaging himself as a kind of de facto secret agent.

But, unfortunately for the FBI, their lead witness hasn't been quite so forthcoming about helping himself to the corporate coffers. Whitacre's ever-changing account frustrates the agents and threatens the case against the company as it becomes almost impossible to decipher what is real, and what is the product of Whitacre's rambling imagination.

Let Me Introduce Agent Double 0-14

Matt Damon plays Mark Whitacre in Warner Brothers new movie The Informant! While this flick is Rated R, it's also described as a spy comedy. James Bond he's not, but he does consider himself to be twice as good as 007. Whitacre calls himself Agent "Double 0-14″.

George Clooney is the Executive Producer for The Informant! Honestly, you can tell. It has his old-style filming touch all over the it. While he was not involved in the production of movies like Leatherheads and Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?, he seems fascinated with what really looks like an out of date and out of touch filming style. Apparently Clooney likes the technique of others in those movies which he starred in. However, The Informant! is based on a true story from 1992 through 2002. While the old-style film technique looks cute in the beginning, stretched over close to 2 hours, it ends up making this movie somewhat flat. The style worked for Leatherheads and Oh Brother, because those flicks were set in an historical past. But, for this movie, it misses the mark.

My wife said maybe the technique was used to express the idea that the lead character, Mark Whitacre, was somehow stuck in the 1970's. While this may be true, in the long run, I found it more of distraction. At times I didn't know if I was watching a story from the 1990's, or a really bad spoof of the old TV shows The Mod Squad, Mission Impossible and Laugh-In.

A Movie I ‘Wanted' To Like

I have to admit I really wanted to like The Informant! At first I had little to no interest in it at all. I figured it would be nothing more than another vulgar-language-filled-flick looking for an audience shock factor. But, when I viewed the trailers and discovered it's labeled a comedy, my thoughts changed. I liked the trailers and was looking forward to a great comedy with lots of laughs. Unfortunately, I went in with high expectations, but came out with disappointment.

As already mentioned, the filming style, while intriguing at first, quickly became old. On top of that, the lack of music added to an overall flat feeling too. I usually applaud filmmakers when they don't bury good scriptwriting with loud music. But, in the case of The Informant! the scriptwriting, while at times good and funny, does not pass the test of time in this close to 2 hour movie! The lack of music led to a sleepy feeling from time to time.

On A Positive Note – Acting & Message

It was nice to see Scott Bakula on the big screen playing the part of FBI Special Agent Brian Shepherd. The quick appearance of Dick Smothers as a Judge was nice to see too. As for Matt Damon, who plays Mark Whitacre, he starts out strong in this somewhat comedic role, but again, it quickly becomes old. Whitacre comes off as an out-of-touch-with-reality nerd who just doesn't have a clue about what's going on around him. The narrative style of The Informant! works for a while, But once again, it's a tool that becomes over-used. By the movies end, it even appears as though Damon himself is bored with the part.

As for an over-arching message of The Informant!

"Oh what a tangled web we weave,
When first we practice to deceive.

The words of Sir Walter Scott do sum up the main premise and theme of this movie. Mark Whitacre gets lost in a sea of lies. He becomes detached from reality where he simply cannot tell the difference between fact and fiction. In the end his life totally falls apart as his house of cards made of lies comes tumbling down. But again, on the bright side of the story, we also see devotion and commitment from his wife who truly does stand by his side through thick and thin.

As for the rating, while it's not family-friendly with it's R-rating, The Informant! is really a soft-R. It carries that rating for language. There's no nudity and there's no violence. But, there is language. However, in all honesty, even the language is tame for an R-rated movie. We've heard worse in PG-13 flicks.

In the end, while I did laugh at The Informant!, it really did not live up to my expectations. This movie might best be left in the "Wait for the DVD release" pile.

Dr. Rus

X-Men Origins: Wolverine
3 Lloyds – Not Family-Friendly
PG-13 for intense sequences of action and violence,
and some partial nudity.
Running Time: 1 hour 47 minutes

How it all began…

New on DVD - Tuesday, September 14, 2009

Originally posted on Frame by Frame: A Family-Friendly Guide to the Movies Blog

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This new Wolverine flick uses several resources, including Marvel Comics lore, along with the more recent Weapon X graphic novels by Frank Miller. X-Men Origins mixes action with an origin story about how Logan emerged from a barbaric experiment as an indestructible mutant with retractable razor-sharp claws.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine explores the wild past of Logan. We discover his epically violent and romantic past. The movie also reveals his complex relationship with Victor Creed, and of course, the ominous Weapon X

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra

PG-13 for strong sequences of violence and mayhem throughout.
Not Family-Friendly
Running Time: 1 hour 47 minutes

Originally posted on Frame by Frame: A Family-Friendly Guide to the Movies Blog

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Paramount Pictures and Hasbro, whose previous collaboration was the Transformers, join forces with Spyglass Entertainment for another action adventure, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.

From the Egyptian desert to deep below the polar ice caps, the elite G.I. Joe team uses the latest in next-generation spy and military equipment to fight the corrupt arms dealer Destro and the growing threat of the mysterious Cobra organization to prevent them from plunging the world into chaos.

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra is directed by Stephen Sommers, who also directed The Mummy and The Mummy Returns. This new cartoon come to life big screen flick also stars such notables as Dennis Quaid and Channing Tatum.

Not Your Childhood G.I. Joe

Right out of the gate I have one question to ask...

"Why is Hasbro so fascinated with connecting with such violent movies all in the name of toy sales?"

Once again Hasbro should be ashamed of themselves for putting their stamp of approval on such a violent movie, all in the hopes of targeting kids with the G.I. Joe franchise. They blew it with their association with the new Transformers franchise, and once again they've blown it with their association with the new G.I. Joe franchise.

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra is rated PG-13. But, this is far from family-friendly and far from being a kids movie.

This is not your childhood G.I. Joe!

If you like gadgets, special effects, lots of action and senseless violence, then you will like this movie. If you can put up with sub-par acting and some over the top acting, you will like this movie. But, if you're looking for substance and something that vaguely resembles more than a cookie-cutter plot line, you will not be impressed with G.I. Joe: The Rise of the Cobra. But then again, since the movie is predictable, at least it's easy to figure out the plot line in the midst of over-done special effects and too much green screen shooting. At some points in the movie you can almost tell the stars were standing in front of green screens with no idea of what the surrounding environment would be in the end.

As for the acting, Dennis Quaid looks like a robot. Did he take this part because he needed the money? He certainly puts in a sub-par performance. He's plastic like the old G.I. Joe doll and acts like he's a cardboard box. Then there's Channing Tatum of She's The Man and Step Up fame. This guy just doesn't know how to act. He's emotionless and robotic. Maybe he should have stayed with his job as male dancer. He may look like a tough guy, but her certainly does not know how to act the part. It's a good thing his name was Duke in both She's The Man and G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. At least he didn't have to learn a new name to go with the role. His portrayal of the tough guy G.I. Joe is almost laughable.

When it comes to plot and story line, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra tries to fill in gaps of character development, but in the end it too confusing. The flashback scenes, while they fill in some gaps, become predictable and boring at times. At least the writers tried to make connections, but ultimately they're lost in the midst of the special effects glitter. It also appears the filmmakers are blatantly trying to set up the movie for numerous sequels. As a result, some details are left hanging. If you're not careful you will miss some important pieces of plot development sprinkled in along the way. Again, while this is an admirable attempt at building suspense, there's simply too much going on. In the end, the movie becomes too complex and confusing to follow.

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, is a movie in search of an identity.

The filmmakers are trying to re-launch the whole G.I. Joe franchise, but in my opinion, they miss the mark. This is not a war film. It's more like a mish-mash of X-Men, James Bond and a touch of Star Wars tossed in for good measure. In an attempt to update the war persona of G.I. Joe, the identity of the popular action figure is lost in the midst of special effects and glitz.

Wait for the DVD!
Dr. Rus

Dragonball Evolution

PG for intense sequences of action/violence
and brief mild language.
Running Time:1 hour 24 minutes

Now on DVD!

Originally posted on Frame by Frame: A Family-Friendly Guide to the Movies Blog

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Based on The King Piccolo Saga, Dragonball, also known as the Piccolo Daimaoh Saga is from the line of the anime Dragonball series. The Japanese anime series tells the story of an alien sent to destroy Earth. However, the alien has a change of heart and decides to join the humans in their fight against various aliens and bad guys.

In Dragonball Evolution we find the storyline picking up after the Tien Shinhan Saga, and preceding the Piccolo Junior Saga. The movie includes the battle between Goku and King Piccolo's sons. It also depicts Goku's first encounter with the Samurai warrior, Yajirobe, Goku's quest to find the Holy Water, his final battle with young King Piccolo and the birth of Piccolo Junior.

Dragonball Evolution hit the big screen on April 10, 2009. It was one of those movies that didn't hang around for very long either. At it's widest release it was only on 2,181 screens. It debuted at number 8 on the box office, and quickly disappeared from the top 10 list. A mere 8 weeks later, it was gone.

The DVD release is July 28, 2009.

A Jackie Chan Wanna Be Movie

This movie really looks like a Jackie Chan movie gone bad. While the idea is cute, and while it had potential as a movie, it simply falls flat by the time the movie ends. It had a very short run on the big screen when it was released in April of this year. It only lasted on the big screen for 8 weeks and pulled in box office receipts of slightly more than $9 million. Now, it's on DVD. While I wasn't extremely interested in the movie when it was on the big screen, I decided to see it with our middle son. He knew a little bit about it and said the movie had been in the planning stages for a while. It may even have been filmed a few years ago and stuffed in a can somewhere because the producers may have known it was a flop.

Whatever the case may be, Dragonball: Evolution might have been best released straight to TV or DVD. I said it before, but it's worth saying again, this movie falls flat. It appears one of the characters, Master Roshi, was written for Jackie Chan. But, they couldn't cast him so instead they cast Chow Yun-Fat in the role. To his credit, Yun-Fat does have the 2007 Pirates of the Caribbean flick under his belt. But, unless your name is Johnny Depp, any role in the Pirates franchise is a minor role. Yun-Fat overacts in Dragonball: Evolution and is simply too much over the top trying to be a Jackie Chan wanna-be.

But, the problems with this movie don't simply end with actor choices.

Dragonball: Evolution also suffers from an identity crisis. It lacks originality and ends up being a mish-mash of Jackie Chan type movies and Karate Kid movies. Some of the scenes and lines are taken directly from the Karate Kid playbook! While it is true there is nothing new under the sun, any writer who thinks they can steal from such a huge franchise as the Karate Kid needs their head examined.

As for length, Dragonball: Evolution barely clocks in at an hour and a half. By the time the movie finished I found myself sitting in my seat as the credits rolled saying - Is that it? - There are far too many lose ends left hanging! But then again, I'm sure the movie was produced with the idea of sequels. All we can do is hope and pray there will be no such sequels. The whole Dragonball movie franchise needs to be left alone.

In the beginning of the movie, the special effects are pretty cool. But, by the time they arrive at the end of the flick, they special effects are pathetic. In the final epic battle between good and evil, it appears the producers had used up all of their special effects budget. It looks like they said -

"Oh no! We have a big scene to finish the movie off with, but we have no more special effects money left. Quick, roll in the green screen!"

As for our rating, Dragonball: Evolution is far from family-friendly. There's simply way too much violence in this movie to make it family-friendly. Even though the entire ends up being laughable, this is not for young kids.

After reading this review, you may wonder why I gave it 1.5 Lloyds in our 5 Lloyd rating. It's pretty much a mercy rating and a slight kudo for the ultimate message behind Dragonball: Evolution. In the end, the final message of "you don't have to succumb to the evil desires in your life" is a winner. Not only is this a classic Good Vs. Evil theme, it also taps into the Good Vs. Evil built inside of each one of us. It's a journey through life where one must ultimately make a choice. Will be be good? Or will we be bad?

If such a theme intrigues you, be thankful you didn't waste your money on the big screen version of Dragonball: Evolution, and go out and rent it from the dollar rack at the video store.

Avoid the show!
Dr. Rus