SnakePlizzken Reviews

The Bear (2022– )

Ted Lasso meets The Wire meets The Trip

[10/10 · 15 July 2022]

I just finished Season 1. Looking forward to Season 2 when it comes out.

It's really good. Kind of a cross between Ted Lasso and The Wire and Steve Coogan's The Trip.

It's a very different kind of TV show with complex, interesting, and very human characters.

Much to its credit, The Bear steers clear of the typical woke Hollywood nonsense while telling very human stories of the dreams and challenges of small business owners and working-class Americans.

It made me think of my son's own fish-out-of-water tale. He's a tall, handsome, likable, charming white kid who put himself through college by waiting tables in a small family-owned and run Indian restaurant. He's got dozens of great, funny, curry-spiced stories about his co-workers and customers that are very much like episodes of The Bear. He loved working at that restaurant.

I highly recommend watching this show. It's a fun roller coaster of a TV show. I give it a refreshing 10/10.

The Ultimate Gift (2006)

Made me think of my Dad - in a very good way

[8/10 · 11 March 2007]

I regularly attend the $5-a-sermon Church of AMC, much to my wife's and kid's consternation. Well today I definitely got my money's worth. I saw the first Sunday showing of "The Ultimate Gift" at my local AMC here in Northern Virginia and I enjoyed it immensely. It's a great story with a wonderful cast. Big thanks to Fox Faith for getting it to the multiplex.

This is an engaging and highly watchable film. In a matter of minutes I was completely immersed in the plot and invested in the characters of the story. While a few where caricatures, I could relate to most of them as "real" people with real problems and blessings.

As I was watching Jason learn from the "gifts" that his grandfather was giving him, I couldn't help but think of my own father, who is wise and gentle and generous and loving. I'm lucky that he gave me some of these gifts in real life instead of from beyond the grave.

All of the performances in this film were rock solid. Big thumbs up to the casting director. Drew Fuller was superb as someone you want to hate but end up liking. The beautiful Ali Hillis also delivered an excellent performance. (I expect that her agent will be getting more than a few calls over the next few weeks). Abigail Breslin's performance was likewise outstanding (we already know that her agent's phone is ringing off the hook).

I encourage anyone taking the time to read my comments to seek out this film. It's really good. If you have kids, say 8 or years old and up, you should consider taking them to this movie for the lesson it teaches in a highly entertaining way. (Younger kids will probably be bored).

One more thing - this film may not last long on the big screen. I was in a 100 person auditorium with 2 other people this morning, which is kind of sad. I think Fox should have put a little bit more into the publicity machine on this one. I also noted that my local AMC didn't have it on the big board of show times at the box office, which I found odd. Perhaps they were trying to "kill" the movie in its first week due to low sales by purposely keeping it off the marquee. If so, that's really a shame because this is quite a nice little film that deserves an audience.

cheers,

Snake

The Astronaut Farmer (2006)

Field of Dreams meets October Sky

[8/10 · 1 February 2007]

I saw this wonderfully charming family movie tonight at a free preview in Washington, DC.

The Polish brothers and the Warner Brothers, taking a cue from Walden Media, have hit the family movie sweet spot with this fun, engaging film. I'm giving it an 8 on the basis of pure solid family entertainment value.

(If this movie were a car it would probably be a Toyota Camry)

At the start of the screening, Billy Bob Thorton proudly (and accurately, IMHO) characterized this film as a feel-good Frank Capraesque popcorn flick - the sort of film that would have been on the "A" side of a double bill back in the days of his youth.

Billy Bob and Virginia Madsen do terrific jobs with their characters. I think the timelessly beautiful Ms. Madsen is particularly effective as Farmer's patient, loving, and somewhat exasperated wife.

(and if I were Stephen Colbert interviewing Billy Bob Thorton, I would probably ask this question - "Virginia Madsen: hot co-star, or *the hottest* co-star?").

The story and the arc of the film bring strong elements of "Field of Dreams" and "October Sky" to mind; but absent the mysticism of the former and the somewhat dysfunctional family dynamics of the latter. As a large, tasty helping of pure western Americana I don't doubt for a minute that this film will be a huge hit in Japan.

This movie pays light homage to films like "The Right Stuff" and "Apollo 13." Space fanatics, rocket scientists, and other members of the pocket-protector crowd might experience a few "oh please, you've got to be kidding" moments, but because of its charm, likable characters, and strong acting, this movie requires a lot less disbelief suspension than a film like, oh I don't know, let's say "Armageddon," for example.

Speaking of baby-boomer asteroid wranglers, I was also pleasantly surprised to see Bruce Willis in a small, but key supporting role. I think it's really great when skilled, immensely watchable actors lend their talents to bright young film makers. At the Q&A after the film it was revealed that Bruce took the role as a favor to the Polish brothers and that he essentially worked for free. It was nice of him to do that.

All of the other members of the well-casted supporting ensemble (including some young members of the Polish tribe) delivered solid performances as well.

I won't give you a synopsis of the film here (others are better than me at that sort of thing); but I will tell you that I plan to take my wife and 4, 7, and 12 year old kids to see this film for the pure joy of watching a fun, happy, and slightly quirky movie together as a family.

United 93 (2006)

A brilliant film about good people. Powerful. You should see it.

[9/10 · 8 May 2006]

I just saw the opening-day 2:15 matinée of United 93 at a multiplex in Arlington, Virginia.

Thirty-six tickets were sold. The audience was mostly senior citizens and office-types playing hooky on a Friday afternoon.

I want to tell you and your readers that this is one of the most powerful movies I've ever seen.

Saving Private Ryan. The Passion of the Christ. United 93.

Everyone seemed to be in kind of a daze when they left the theater. No one said anything, or if they did, I couldn't hear them.

On the way out of the multiplex and into the mall we shuffled past a man in his late 20s or early 30s who appeared to be a first-generation immigrant.

He was a cheerful fellow working the ropes at the theater. He said he hadn't seen the film.

He was asking people what they thought of United 93.

"powerful...you should see it" "intense...make sure you watch it" "moving....you should see it" "really sad...but you should see it" When he asked me, I mumbled "it's really good, you should make sure you see it.." Right about then I must have got some dust or something in my eyes. They burned a bit...felt like saltwater or something.

And then I thought "good?" That can't be the right word for a film like this. Good? But it is the right word. It is a good film about good people. Actually, a brilliant film about good people.

I'll bet everyone who watches this film will actually see someone they love and care about deeply somewhere in the film.

I saw my Mom. She was on the plane. Not my real Mom, but a woman portraying a woman who could have easily been my Mom.

Well, I'm going home now. I've got some people I need to hug before the sun goes down.

Blizzard (2003)

A charming Christmas film for the whole family - rent it now!

[10/10 · 3 December 2005]

My family watched this last night during our Friday family film and pizza night. This is a really good, charming film! It's an engaging movie, with lots of positive lessons. It also tells a good Santa Claus tale that keeps the mystery of the North Pole intact for young viewers.

I'd put this in with the league of quality family films like "Because of Winn-Dixie." My kids are 3, 6, and 11 years old. We all loved it. It even made my 6 year-old a bit weepy (he said he had dust in his eyes ;) This will be a holiday staple in our house for years to come. If you have kids, go out and rent or buy this little gem from Canada. Levar Burton has made a sweet family film here; he certainly appears to have a sense for what family moviegoers want to see.

Yours, Mine & Ours (2005)

A light, funny, family film - true to its Nickelodeon roots

[7/10 · 7 November 2005]

This is a light, funny family film. Rene Russo and Dennis Quaid hit their roles just about right; and the kidz are all cute and charming, even when they are being brats.

This would be a better movie if it were a notch more emotionally serious at all levels in the vein of "Because of Winn-Dixie" or "Dreamer." What we have here is more of a "Slappy-and-the-Stinkers Krazy-Kidz-Kaos-Komedy" vehicle.

Russo and Quaid are engaging as widowed parents very much desperately in love (and lonely, after losing their spouses); they give good performances spotlighting the stresses of parenting and dealing with (super-sized) blended family issues; but the engaging "adult" moments are quickly and inevitably subsumed by the next 5 minutes of Nick-style juvenile slapstick mess-making. My kidz will love it and yours will too(and you will laugh with them). If you're a married adult with kids, you will empathize with much and laugh quite a bit; yet at the end of the movie you might feel just a little bit cheated. Or not. Who knows, you might end up with a little bit of dust in your eyes (which is what this Dad sometimes tells his kids at the movies).

PS. It's great to see the Coast Guard spotlighted in a film. Those guys rock!