Idlewild - Movie Review

In the 1930s, Idlewild was the hottest speakeasy in the South thanks to the impressive showmanship of flamboyant manager/lead performer Rooster and the notable talents of introverted pianist Percival. Everything changes, however, when a powerful gangster and his ruthless henchmen move in on the scene with every intention of landing a healthy portion of the club's considerable profits.

This film was a hip-hop musical drama which was a bit too long and way too "busy." There were so many supporting characters and extras that it was hard to focus on the main story with all the other distractions. The story itself was a bit weak and uninteresting as well, but I don't think that was the main purpose for the film. The film was more of a showcase for OutKast (Andre "Andre 3000" Benjamin and Antwan Andre "Big Boi" Patton) to display their acting and musical skills. That said, their acting was OK - not bad, but not great. The music was the real star of this show. Not surprisingly, with OutKast's cutting edge, fresh style and Patti LaBelle and Macy Gray solidifying the lineup, it was a musical conquest. If fact, I probably would have liked it better if I just listened to the music and turned off the visual noise.

Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Andre Benjamin, Antwan Andre Patton, Ving Rhames, Terrence Howard, Patti LaBelle, Macy Gray

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

Night at the Museum - Movie Review

Larry Daley is a kind-hearted dreamer who always knew that he was destined for greatness, he just never quite knew how. None of his ideas or inventions has panned out, so with a heavy heart, he takes a regular job as a lowly graveyard-shift security guard at the Museum of Natural History in order to provide a more stable life for himself and his ten-year-old son. His first night on the job, however, he finds that guardianship of the museum is far from stable - at nightfall, an Egyptian spell brings the artifacts and wax figures to life! With Attila the Hun charging to war through the hallways, the diorama miniatures embroiled in a deadly feud, and a two-ton Tyrannosaurus Rex nagging to play fetch, Larry has half a mind to turn tail and run. On top of cleaning up after two million years of historical chaos every night, he also has to make sure that not a single museum piece leaves the building - from the bratty Capuchin monkey in the African exhibit, to the life-sized Neanderthal in the prehistoric display - because if morning light falls on an escaped artifact, it will turn to dust.

With Ben Stiller, Robin Williams and Owen Wilson all in the cast, I was expecting it to be funnier. There were some comedic moments, but it was more of an action/adventure film than a comedy. That doesn't mean it was necessarily a bad movie - it was just different than what I had imagined. The story was original and was a childhood fantasy come to life. Any kid who has been to a museum had to have imagined what it would have been like if the displays came to life. Well, this film answers that question and it's not as pleasant as I would have thought. Some of the characters and interactions were cheesy and seemingly pointless ("Give me gum gum you Dum Dum"), but I did enjoy the T-Rex and monkey who provided some comic relief. If you liked Jumanji and want to just sit down, relax and be entertained, this is a film for you - just don't expect a classic you'll want to watch more than once.

Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Ben Stiller, Dick Van Dyke, Mickey Rooney, Robin Williams, Owen Wilson

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

The Thirteenth Tale - Book Review

Margaret Lea, a London bookseller's daughter, has written an obscure biography that suggests deep understanding of siblings. She is contacted by renowned aging author Vida Winter, who finally wishes to tell her own, long-hidden, life story. Margaret travels to Yorkshire, where she interviews the dying writer, walks the remains of her estate at Angelfield and tries to verify the old woman's tale of a governess, a ghost and more than one abandoned baby. With the aid of colorful Aurelius Love, Margaret puzzles out generations of Angelfield: destructive Uncle Charlie; his elusive sister, Isabelle; their unhappy parents; Isabelle's twin daughters, Adeline and Emmeline; and the children's caretakers. Margaret, who has family secrets of her own, must unravel the mysteries of the past in order to reconcile not only Ms. Winter with her ghosts, but also Margaret with hers.

As far as mysteries go, this isn't one of the best page turners, but it is full of deep secrets that must be revealed over the course of the book. It is slow at times since most of the action isn't happening real-time. The mysteries are revealed through the story Vida Winter is telling to Margaret Lea in her home. As the book progresses, Margaret leaves the house to do some investigation on her own and uncovers some pieces to the puzzle, but it's mostly a story about a story being told.

That having been said, there are some pretty heavy and shocking twists that are revealed. It just takes a bit of patience to get to those parts. Overall, the author did a great job of thinking the whole story through and then dropping bread crumbs along the trail to lead you to the final answers. She begins by keeping you in a cloud of darkness where you have way more questions than answers, but over time, reveals nuggets of information that will eventually complete the puzzle and leaves you saying "a-ha, now it all makes sense." I'll add that even though there's mention of a ghost in the overview, the story doesn't center around the supernatural and the final revealing of the mystery doesn't rely on magic to connect the dots. The ending justifies the journey, but it could have been a bit more condensed.


Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Would I read it again: No

The Thirteenth Tale
by Diane Setterfield
Hardcover: 406 pages
Released: 2006

Dreamgirls - ACE Train Movie Review

The time is the 1960s, and singers Effie, Lorrell, and Deena are about to find out just what it's like to have their wildest dreams come true. Discovered at a local talent show by ambitious manager Curtis Taylor Jr., the trio known as "the Dreamettes" is soon offered the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of opening for popular singer James "Thunder" Early. Subsequently molded into an unstoppable hit machine by Taylor and propelled into the spotlight as "the Dreams," the girls quickly find their bid for the big time taking priority over personal friendship as Taylor edges out the ultra-talented Effie so that the more beautiful Deena can become the face of the group. Now, as the crossover act continues to dominate the airwaves, the small-town girls with big-city dreams slowly begin to realize that the true cost of fame may be higher than any of them ever anticipated.

If nothing else, this film has great music. Of course, since it's based on a Tony award-winning Broadway musical, that shouldn't be a surprise. Jennifer Hudson has an amazing voice which was on full display and deserved all of the buzz she received for her performance. Beyonce and Jamie Foxx added their flair to the film which helped solidify the cast. The biggest surprise to me was Eddie Murphy's performance. He did a great job playing a dramatic role after making his career in action and comedy flicks. On top of that, he can actually sing and held his own next to established musical talent - well done. The plot wasn't anything special, but the music made up for it. After all, this was a musical...

Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Jamie Foxx, Beyonce Knowles, Eddie Murphy, Jennifer Hudson, Danny Glover

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

Spiderman 3 - Movie Review (Theater)

Peter Parker has finally learned to walk the middle ground between being the superhero that his city needs, and the man that Mary Jane loves. All is well in New York City until one night, as Peter and M.J. set gazing at the stars, a falling comet streams across the sky and crashes into the ground close by. But this isn't any ordinary shooting star, and upon impact the mysterious space rock is split open to reveal a shape-shifting symbiote with the power to overtake anything that it comes into contact with. Later, as Harry Osborn acquires his late father's flying board, engineers a powerful new Goblin outfit, and takes to the sky to avenge dad's death, the mysterious space sludge infects both Peter's Spider Man suit and ambitious street photographer Eddie Brock. His strange new suit giving him a newfound sense of power as it gradually overpowers his personality, Peter discovers that escaped convict Flint Marko was in fact the man responsible for the death of Uncle Ben. Unfortunately for Peter, Marko has recently acquired the power to morph at will and quickly completes his transformation into the dreaded Sandman. As the Sandman gives in to his darkest criminal instincts and the slithering space symbiote transforms Eddie Brock into the nightmarish fanged villain known as Venom, the citizens of New York City must once again call on Spider Man to fend off destructive forces that are far too powerful for the likes of mortal man.

This is a great movie... if you're looking to take a snooze. For an action film, there's wasn't a whole lot of action - mostly drama and a disjointed plot. The storyline was pretty boring and totally not what I expected for a film that's breaking all the box office records. The scenes where Tobey Maguire played the "bad" Peter Parker were laughable - literally. It was comedic seeing Tobey try to act edgy and cool - it didn't work at all. Also, they chose the guy from "That 70s Show" to play the evil villian - give me a break. Overall, there was a poor script, poor casting and questionable acting. The only upside to the move were the special effects which were top notch (the Sandman character was impressive). This film is proof that massive hype can overcome poor quality at the box office.

Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Topher Grace

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

Superman Returns - ACE Train Movie Review

Some time has passed since the events of Superman II and the world has gotten used to life without Superman ever since his puzzling disappearance years earlier. Upon his return, he finds a Metropolis that doesn't need him anymore, while Lois Lane has moved on with another young suitor, Richard White, in the meantime. As the hero begins to tackle the fact that life on Earth has continued without him, he is forced to face his old arch-nemesis Lex Luthor and restore the life that was once his.

This film didn't capture my imagination like the first two Superman movies did. I'm not sure if I'm just getting older or if this film wasn't as good as the Christopher Reeve versions, but it certainly wasn't as exciting. The first half was very slow and picked up toward the end, but not enough to be called "action packed." Brandon Routh did a good job portraying the man of steel and Kate Bosworth was a passable Lois Lane, but I didn't particularly buy Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor - he wasn't sinister enough. Of course, the ending left open the possibility of another Superman film, but if they do make another one, I sure hope they do a little more with the special effects and add a bit more action. Overall, I had higher hopes for this one, but ended up being disappointed.

Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Brandon Routh, Kate Bosworth, Kevin Spacey

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

Smokin' Aces - ACE Train Movie Review

Buddy "Aces" Israel is a small time scammer who has somehow managed to get the goods on big time mobster Primo Sparazza. Upon discovering that Buddy is about to deliver the evidence needed to get him thrown in jail for life, Primo takes out a sizable contract on Buddy that entices every two-bit thug, grizzled bounty hunter, deadly vixen, skilled assassin, and ladder-climbing Mafioso within a hundred mile radius into taking a shot at the prize. Now holed up in his luxurious Lake Tahoe hideout with only two FBI Agents standing between him from a virtual army of money-hungry rogues, Buddy is about to find out just how far this motley crew of killers is willing to go in order to take him out and hit the jackpot.

There is a lot of action in this film. It's pretty much non-stop from beginning to end and requires that you pay attention since there are a bunch of supporting actors you need to keep track of if you want to understand the story. All the actors did a great job and the plot was thick enough to be interesting - maybe a bit too thick. There's not much I can say without giving anything away, but I'll say that the ending fit the storyline as it was surprising, packed with new information and satisfying. Overall, this film is worth watching at least once (maybe twice if you weren't paying attention the first time).

Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Ben Affleck, Andy Garcia, Alicia Keys, Ray Liotta, Jeremy Piven, Ryan Reynolds

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.