Blended
[ Hits:3030 ]
Review: There's a place for throwaway feel good entertainment... the kind that balances precariously between the waste paper basket and a slam dunk. Adam Sandler and South Africa's very own Leon Schuster have built their careers around this lightweight sort of entertainment. We're momentarily exposed to something that elicits a smile, a laugh, wonderment, warmth or even a tear.
These base human moments justify the product and help smooth over a myriad of inadequacies. We reserve the "it is what it is" ...
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Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium
[ 2007 ] [ Hits:5606 ]
Review: Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium is a family film that dabbles in the realm of such films as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Toy Story. Zack Helm, who wrote Stranger Than Fiction, brings this charming little fantasy story to life. Eccentric Mr. Magorium (Hoffman) has been running the Wonder Emporium for centuries, and wants to hand over the magical toy store to talented pianist and store manager, Molly Mahoney (Portman). Although no one is ready for Magorium to leave, including his Empori...
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G Force
[ 2009 ] [ Hits:6514 ]
Review: G-Force is about guinea pigs. Now if you're still with me, you understand that this live-action/animated cross-over is not taking itself too seriously... they're not just guinea pigs, they're secret agent guinea pigs. If you were expecting something in the arena of Quantum of Solace, you'll be sorely disappointed... while the two have their similarities - G-Force is strictly for the kids. Jerry Bruckheimer aka the big cheese, has produced loads of films from Beverly Hills Cop to the hugely succe...
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Underdog
[ 2007 ] [ Hits:5670 ]
Review: Underdog is based on the popular ’60s cartoon of the same title. The dog flies, wears a garment and cape, talks and leaves a trail of destruction like the original. The big difference is that Underdog is a live action movie, unlike its animated namesake. Disney take the superhero to new heights by telling the prequel story of how he came to be. A simple lost pup story is translated into a voyage of discovery as Shoeshine and his adopted owners start to discover his hidden talents. The journey ...
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The Christmas Cottage
[ 2008 ] [ Hits:6114 ]
Review: The Christmas Cottage has more heart than a Christmas fruitcake has cherries. This gentle biographical chapter from Thomas Kinkade’s youth in 1977 is what inspired him to paint. The contemporary artist boasts a collection of architectural landscape works depicting quiet pastoral and urban settings, characterised by their soft lighting. The light eminates from city windows and fantasy castles to cottages nestled in the country. Thomas Kinkade’s The Christmas Cottage attempts to bridge his inf...
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Bedtime Stories
[ 2008 ] [ Hits:5832 ]
Review: Bedtime Stories is where Disney and Happy Madison collide… which means that Adam Sandler’s “growing-up-in-the-’80s” crowd must have had children. This is a bold experiment between the two houses as Sandler tones his comedy down and Disney drops the singing/dancing, which makes the choice of Hairspray’s director-choreographer Adam Shankman questionable. Disney proved they could make fun of themselves with Enchanted, and now this new confidence has spawned a “Waterboy in Wonderland...
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Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian
[ 2009 ] [ Hits:5410 ]
Review: Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian returns with the same team that brought us Night at the Museum, with Ben Stiller at the helm, writers Robert Ben Garant and Thomas Lennon in the engine room and director, Shawn Levy on the steering wheel. The movie is even bigger than Night at the Museum, by expanding into Washington’s Smithsonian museum, but this bigger is better ideology has its pros and cons. A bigger budget means bigger names, bigger effects and a bigger story, but that always...
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