http://www.smart-popcorn.com/atom/reviews.xml SMART-POPCORN.com SMART-POPCORN.com provides movie reviews on two separate scales: "Smarts" (Artistic Merit) and "Popcorn" (Entertainment Value). All contents Copyright © 2002-2005 SMART-POPCORN.com and its respective authors. 2008-07-03T06:03:19-06:00 Sean Kernan

Combined Rating: 18% (S:18%; P:19%) - The weeds that surround the ruins, sucking bodies into them, hissing at our heroes, crawling into and out of their bodies could be seen as some kind of marijuana parody. Like the heavyhanded ONDCP ads that show kids burning their possessions or building weed coccoons and emerging as middle aged fat guys, The Ruins could be positing an anti-pot message that says if you smoke weed it invades your entire body, eating you from the inside out as Mexicans hold you in a containment zone to keep your weed infestment from infecting them and their children. Or it could just be a statement about the need for a good gardener, it certainly is one nasty overgrowth.

http://www.smart-popcorn.com/reviews/1779/ 2008-07-03T06:03:19-06:00 2008-07-03T06:03:19-06:00 Sean Kernan

Combined Rating: 78% (S:78%; P:80%) - Hancock is entertaining and involving if more than a little uneven and lacking in depth. There are a wealth of possibilities for a story such as this but with little care for creating believable back stories, or as the comics call'em, origin stories for the hero and his various nemeses, Hancock becomes merely a series of well planned effects and stunts and not much more. Those effects and stunts are fun but not entirely satisfying and thus Hancock is only good and not quite great.

http://www.smart-popcorn.com/reviews/1778/ 2008-07-02T08:18:41-06:00 2008-07-02T08:18:41-06:00 Sean Kernan

Combined Rating: 69% (S:71%; P:69%) - Despite the troubles of lead Norah Jones, My Blueberry Nights has a charm and sweetness to it that is undeniable. Wong Kar Wai is far too talented for this film to become an outright trainwreck. It's just a shame that with a pair of actresses like Ms. Portman and Ms. Weisz at his disposal, Wong Kar Wai chose an overwhelmed first time actress. The role of Lizzie needed the skill and finesse of a veteran to teach it's valuable, if quite familiar lesson, about living for the romantic moment.

http://www.smart-popcorn.com/reviews/1777/ 2008-06-30T17:56:25-06:00 2008-06-30T17:56:25-06:00 Sean Kernan

Combined Rating: 48% (S:45%; P:52%) - And yet, even as you are rubbing your eyes and ruing the thought of another flashback, when Dennis Quaid returns to center stage late in the third act you are momentarily drawn back in. Dominating a pretty terrific car chase through the narrow, brick and mortar streets of old town Spain, Quaid ever so briefly distracts from the flashbacks and goofball twists to deliver a rousing action sequence that in any other film could have been a game changer, a scene so cool it makes the movie better. Nothing, unfortunately, not a car chase or even the resurrection of Steve McQueen driving Bullitt directly over one of the terrorists, could save the goofball mess that is Vantage Point.

http://www.smart-popcorn.com/reviews/1776/ 2008-06-30T17:25:42-06:00 2008-06-30T17:25:42-06:00 Sean Kernan

Combined Rating: 76% (S:69%; P:84%) - Wanted is pure brain free entertainment for the videogame and energy drink crowd. Skip it if you like your movies with a little more meat on their bones. If however, you are searching for a movie that will be in and out of your consciousness like a freight train, Wanted is the movie for you.

http://www.smart-popcorn.com/reviews/1775/ 2008-06-30T17:00:38-06:00 2008-06-30T17:00:38-06:00 Sean Kernan

Combined Rating: 31% (S:31%; P:33%) - Oddly enough dear reader, if Drillbit Taylor had starred Adam Sandler and not Owen Wilson, it might actually have come out better. Wilson simply isnt cut out to play Drillbit who is called on to be a rude, uncaring, brute who learns to care. Wilson is better suited to playing con men with a heart of gold who can only be redeemed by a good woman as he was in Wedding Crashers or The Big Bounce (not a great movie, but not bad either). No, Drillbit is perfectly suited to Sandlers manchild, raging id persona who can be believable as an uncaring jerk, as a brutish enforcer and as the teddy bear who learned a valuable lesson. That is likely due to the direction of Brill who has only really known how to direct Sandler. He was at a loss trying to find a Sandler-esque character in the dismal 2005 comedy Without A Paddle and he is further at a loss in trying to turn Drillbit Taylor into a Sandler movie without Sandler. What you get when he attempts to bend Rogan, Apatow and Wilson to his will is a trainwreck of slapstick violence, low key deadpan and genital based character humor. Oh what an ugly wreck it is.

http://www.smart-popcorn.com/reviews/1774/ 2008-06-30T09:54:16-06:00 2008-06-30T09:54:16-06:00 Sean Kernan

Combined Rating: 95% (S:95%; P:96%) - Pixar has done it again. I love, love, love, love this movie. Andrew Stanton, Brad Bird and John Lasseter working under the Pixar banner have delivered the most consistent quality product of any studio in the business. Even as that business tries to limit them by labeling animation a kids genre, these brilliant artists have done more to advance the artform of feature length film than any group of directors you can name. When Oscar comes around next year it will be a herculean effort for the academy to limit WALL-E to the mere animation Oscar category. WALL-E is a serious, undeniable candidate for the big prize and don't be surprised when it becomes the first Pixar film to break the ranks of live action domination of Best Picture. WALL-E is that damn good.

http://www.smart-popcorn.com/reviews/1773/ 2008-06-30T09:35:24-06:00 2008-06-30T09:35:24-06:00 Sean Kernan

Combined Rating: 27% (S:15%; P:45%) - In a career of really bad movies, Roland Emmerich has finally hit his career low. If he can make a movie more ludicrous and amateurish, I hope we never see it. 10,000 B.C is a brutal, mind numbing, unintentionally humorous trip back in time.

http://www.smart-popcorn.com/reviews/1772/ 2008-06-23T12:15:15-06:00 2008-06-23T12:15:15-06:00 Sean Kernan

Combined Rating: 91% (S:91%; P:92%) - Definitely, Maybe doesn't necessarily break the mold of the traditional romantic comedy. Rather, like the best of the gentrified genre lot, it takes the typical and improves upon it. The formula is familiar, it's just better performed, filmed and crafted in Definitely, Maybe. Rather than limiting himself to what is expected of the romance genre, Adam Brooks goes in slightly off kilter directions. He tweaks the formula, changes the expectations and by creating wonderful characters with just the right actors he changes the dynamics of the formula romantic comedy, bends it to the will of his story and creates something special. Indeed, Definitely, Maybe is something special in the romantic comedy genre.

http://www.smart-popcorn.com/reviews/1771/ 2008-06-23T12:01:09-06:00 2008-06-23T12:01:09-06:00 Sean Kernan

Combined Rating: 79% (S:79%; P:81%) - Alright Steve Carell now its time for you to show us something. Get Smart was alot of fun now let's find a new comic persona and do something different. It was a good run as the genial doofus, now I want to see something closer to your Little Miss Sunshine character, though less suicidal. It doesn't have to be too radical a departure, just something slightly less doofusy. You've done well with the doofus thing, but now you can effectively leave it behind. Atleast on the big screen, a couple more seasons on The Office is fine with me.

http://www.smart-popcorn.com/reviews/1770/ 2008-06-23T11:31:13-06:00 2008-06-23T11:31:13-06:00