Gary Wolcott's "Mr. Movie" column has appeared in the Tri-City Herald since 1992. The Tri-City native now lives in Portland, Ore., and watches about 250 movies each year. This member of Portland's association of movie critics, Far From Hollywood, believes movies are made to be seen on theater screens and should be seen there and not on television screens. Have a question for Mr. Movie? Click on "Add Comment" below. Mr. Movie has joined Twitter. Follow him here.
Shorts doesnt have farts, but it does have a booger monster from one flicked into a germ generating machine by Nose Noseworthy.
Combine that with villainous Mr. Black whose do everything techno gadgets that are combination phone, iPod, can opener, etc. looks like Legos and a wishing rock that turns crocodiles into walking monsters and but I get ahead of myself.
So does Shorts. It bounces all over the place outlining the outlandish adventures of Toe Thompson and buddies Loogie, Laser and Nose and their nemeses Helvitica and Cole Black. Poking fun of adults, Shorts takes shots at how kids view the world.
The playground pecking order of life at school, best buddies, Mom and Dad (Jon Cryer and Leslie Mann), clueless and glued to careers and cell phones, their awful boss done with silken slime by James Spader, obnoxious older sisters and adventures that only kids can have.
Kid movies usually take one of two paths. Theyre simple and aimed at the lowest denominator kid or theyre made for adults, claim theyre for kids and bore children to death. Shorts is a kids movie for kids. Completely. Adults are welcome to come along for the ride.
Mr. Movie rating: 5 stars
Rated PG for some mature themes. It opens Friday, Aug. 21 at Regals Columbia Mall 8 and at the Fairchild Cinemas 12.
5 stars to 4 1/2 stars: Must see on the big screen
4 stars to 3 1/2 stars: Good film, see it if it's your type of movie.
3 stars to 2 1/2 stars: Wait until it comes out on video.
2 stars to 1 star: Don't bother.
0 stars: Speaks for itself.
That includes big dance numbers with soaring vocals. We learned that in Happy Feet in 2006. Mumble — the main character — couldn’t sing. As you remember, all he could do was dance and acceptance came from another tribe of the Antarctic birds.
Now Mumble is all grown up, married to the best singer of them all, Gloria. Now everyone sings and dances. Their cute kid Eric can’t find his rhythm. Eric not only doesn’t sing but he also doesn’t tap.
You can legitimately call Big Miracle the feel good movie of the year.
Never mind that the year isn’t very old. It is hard — however — not to like an “inspired” by a true story flick about saving endangered whales.
An inspired John Krasinski — from TV’s The Office — anchors the movie and leads an equally inspired cast of who’s who actors. Best known are Drew Barrymore and Kristen Bell. Supporting them are Ted Danson, Tim Blake Nelson, Dermot Mulroney and others.
Mary Elizabeth Winstead ( Scott Pilgrim vs. The World ) is Kate Lloyd, a paleontologist asked to accompany a not-so mad-acting mad scientist on an expedition to Antarctica.
They’re checking out the discovery of a frozen alien and its ship. The movie is The Thing and other than Winstead, the only other slightly recognizable actor in the cast of mostly unknowns is Joel Edgerton, whose star rose recently in Warrior . He’s an American helicopter pilot and as close as the characters get to a love interest.
UPDATE: Battelle Film Club cancels Friday's showings
EDITOR'S NOTE: Gary Wolcott said this week's snowstorm has prompted the Battelle Film Club to cancel Friday night's program from Aesthetica Short Film Festival.
Short films is an interesting genre. Some are hits. Some miss. Most are mediocre.
What makes the genre so odd is that even the miss and the mediocre shorts have something about them that make them irresistible.
35th Annual Portland International Film Festival begins
The 35th Annual Portland International Film Festival has begun. It runs through February 25. For film fans this one is loaded. There are 140 films from 36 different countries — 93 are features and 46 shorts.
Portland isn’t that far from Tri-Cities art film lovers. This entry reviews a few films from the first weekend and Monday. I’ll be posting reviews throughout the series until its conclusion February 25th.
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