Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days

Posted on August 2, 2012 at 6:09 pm

Lowest Recommended Age:	4th - 6th Grades
MPAA Rating:	Rated PG for some rude humor

This is the third movie based on the wildly popular Diary of a Wimpy Kid series by Jeff Kinney. With each movie, the franchise becomes better at milking the formula that causes 4th graders to cringe with delight. The story is always the same: Greg Heffley (Zachary Gordon) suffers through the traumas and indignities of a young boy growing up. Tormented by his older brother, hounded by his younger brother, misunderstood by his parents and teachers, and haunted by Holly ( Peyton List), the unattainable pretty girl in his class, Greg muddles through one humiliating mishap after another, accompanied by his well-intentioned best friend Rowley (Robert Capron).

This episode, which is based on the fourth book in the Wimpy Kid series, begins at the close of the school year. The last day is of course excruciating (Greg’s father accidentally gave the school a humiliating baby picture of Greg for the yearbook) but Greg is looking forward to a long and happy summer of computer games and time with Holly. Alas, it is not to be. Greg’s father insists that Greg get out of the house and do something worthwhile. From this premise follows a summer full of catastrophes. Greg’s parents think he might become more responsible if he takes care of a dog. Then they try signing him up to learn outdoorsmanship with Wilderness Troop 133. They consider enrolling him at a disciplinary prep school for irresponsible children. Finally, Greg’s parents leave him alone when he tells them that he has found a summer job. In reality, Greg has no job; he spends the summer sneaking into a country club where he tries to impress Holly. This lie will not end well for Greg, yet like all of the Wimpy Kid movies, everything ends on a warm and upbeat note.

Greg describes his baby brother’s security blanket as “a couple of pieces of yarn held together by raisins and boogers.” One could describe the plot of this movie the same way. There is very little plot to hold together a string of contrived and embarrassing anecdotes. When Greg jumps off the high dive board in front of everyone at the country club, his swim trunks improbably catch on the diving board and come off. He is trapped in the pool naked until an even more embarrassing alternative presents itself: Greg slips on a girl’s bathing suit labeled “princess” across the butt, and hurries out of the pool while people laugh at him and call him “loser.” These episodes are all painful but consistent with the brand of Wimpy Kids, the film always turns away just before the situation becomes truly awful.
The children in the theater all seemed to enjoy being grossed out by Greg’s misadventures. They simultaneously laughed out loud and yelled “Eeewwwwwww.” But those who are old enough to have come to terms with normal bodily functions may be less intrigued.

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Total Recall

Posted on August 2, 2012 at 6:00 pm

B+

Lowest Recommended Age:	High School
MPAA Rating:	Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action, some sexual content, brief nudity, and language
Profanity:	Some strong language (for example, s-words, one f-word)
Alcohol/ Drugs:	Drinking
Violence/ Scariness:	Intense and sustained sci-fi action and violence, shooting, explosions, characters injured and killed
Diversity Issues:	Diverse characters
Date Released to Theaters:	August 3, 2012
Amazon.com ASIN:	B005LAII3A

Will the 2012 version of the story inspired by Philip K. Dick’s “We Can Remember it for You Wholesale” erase the memory of the Arnold Schwarzenegger sci-fi classic from 1990? Dick’s story is about a time in the future when a company named Rekal (Rekall in the films) implants false memories to order — vacations, heroic missions, romances –and a man who tries to buy a memory only to find that his own real-life memories have been imperfectly erased and he is neither what nor who he thought he was. Both movie versions are very loose adaptations, but both, like the story, are about heroes who have no memory of their previous lives as spies and assassins until an attempt to insert a happy memory of a vacation trip inadvertently jars loose some imperfectly erased memories of another life.

The original film is fondly remembered but even its fans admit that it is cheesy, with special effects that look like cardboard compared to today’s digital enhancements. The new version has vastly better effects and a vastly better actor with Colin Farrell as Quaid (Quail in the story). He is a factory worker (jackhammer operator in the earlier film) whose dreams seem more real to him than his waking life with a beautiful, affectionate, and sympathetic wife (Kate Beckinsale as Lori, memorably played in the original by Sharon Stone).

Director Len Wiseman (the “Underworld” movies and “Life Free or Die Hard”) and production designer Patrick Tatopoulos create a dazzlingly dystopic world. If it draws heavily on the brilliant work of Syd Mead in “Blade Runner,” at least it pays homage to the best and, after all, that was also based on a Dick story about a dark future and the exploitation of imperfect memory. As in “Blade Runner,” the setting combines the decay of edifices contemporary to our time that we still think of as impressive and useful with the imposition of harshly impersonal spaces and some mind-boggling technology that is matter-of-factly ordinary for the characters who use it. The hover car and the literally hand-held phone are great fun. There are some major logical inconsistencies in the story but it works as a popcorn pleasure.

Some people have strong attachments to the original movie and embrace the cheesiness and for them this re-imagined version is unlikely to replace that memory. While it honors the earlier version, sometimes directly, sometimes with a cheeky twist, this version works just fine on its own, with well-staged chases and confrontations and even a bit of existential rumination about memory, identity, and redemption. Beckinsale’s character is more prominent than Stone’s (yes, she is married to the director, with whom she worked in the vampiric “Underworld” series as well, but it works). Bryan Cranston, Bill Nighy, and Bokeem Woodbine contribute solid performances that keep things grounded. No Mars, no turban, no “consider this a div-ausss,” but it is an entertaining, visually striking adventure with a main character you will not want to forget.

Parents should know that this film includes a great deal of intense and sometimes graphic sci-fi action, peril, and violence, with many shoot-outs and many characters injured and killed. There are some disturbing images of mutants. Characters use some strong language (mostly s-words and one f-word), drink, and get drunk. There are some sexual references and a non-explicit situation and brief nudity (a woman with three breasts).

Family discussion: How did Quaid decide who to believe? If you had a chance to buy a memory from Rekall, would you? What would it be?

If you like this, try: “Blade Runner,” also based on a story by Philip K. Dick, and the original “Total Recall” with Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Smile of the Week: Marc Erlbaum’s Progress on “The Meaning of Life”

Posted on July 30, 2012 at 9:41 pm

I was delighted to get an update from Marc Erlbaum about what has happened since our interview about his new documentary on what people think about the meaning of life. Here’s his latest, a sweet reminder that while we sometimes focus on all that is wrong so that we can work to make it better, sometimes it is just as important to focus on what is right.

And here is an interview with a man who wants to help us see what — and who — we over look.

I’ve added my support to this wonderful project and if you want to find out more and look at additional stories about what people find meaningful, check out lifemeanswhat.com

The Story of the Costume Drama

Posted on July 30, 2012 at 8:00 am

One of the greatest pleasures of costume drama is, of course, the costumes. Stories set in different places and times invite us into their world and tell us about their characters through the details and artistry of the wardrobe. Whether it is a real-life couple who were world-renowned fashion icons like the Duke and Duchess of Windsor in Edward & Mrs. Simpson or a legendary bawdy heroine like Fanny Hill, the costumes are an integral part of the story-telling. Costume designers study fashion, history, and literature and actors often say that their performances are inspired by the feel of the clothes. Many work closely with costume designers to help create their characters. Whether it is the high collars of the Victorian era or the high waists of Jane Austen’s characters a century earlier, from the exquisite hand embroidery on a lace-trimmed ball gown to the correct placement of the sleeve buttons on a soldier’s uniform, from the lacing on the corset to the plume in a hat and the starch in an apron, the costumes help make the story real and enthralling. On this new DVD, the designers tell their stories, with comments and appearances from stars like Helen Mirren, Alex Kingston, Keira Knightley, Gillian Anderson, Jeremy Irons, John Hurt, Daniel Radcliffe, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Ioan Gruffudd, and Colin Firth. This is an outstanding behind-the-scenes documentary that is sure to give you a better appreciation of costume drama and remind you of favorites from the BBC you want to re-watch and new series you want to try.

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Behind the Scenes Documentary

Robert Downey, Jr. and Don Cheadle Talk About “Iron Man 3”

Posted on July 29, 2012 at 3:59 pm

One of the highlights of my time at Comic-Con was a press conference with Don Cheadle, Robert Downey, Jr., producer Kevin Feige, and Shane Black about “Iron Man 3.” Black (“Kiss Kiss Bang Bang,” “The Last Boy Scout”) co-wrote and takes over direction from Jon Favreau. Just after their appearance before more than 6000 fans in the cavernous Hall H, they met with journalists to talk about one of 2013’s most eagerly anticipated films.

Asked about pressure to top the action scenes in the previous chapters and the blockbuster “The Avengers,” Downey said, “There is an idea about being big. But for me it’s more about capturing and redoubling the intensity, like ‘The Avengers,’ that sort of lighting in a bottle, the thrills in a short space.” “We’re not looking for bigness, necessarily,” said Black, “We’re looking for different and fresh and new and change.” They talked about the “real, practical suit” — not CGI — that has made the “Iron Man” movies so mechanically satisfying. “More uncomfortable for the actors, more satisfying for the audience,” Downey smiled. And everyone agreed that most of the rumors and speculation online was wrong. Black said he was surprised about “how much generous help was available to me.” Favreau gave him “all kinds of tips and advice” and “the transitional feel I needed,” asking only for some salmon and blueberries. He also appreciated Marvel’s special effects help so he could “concentrate on story. It’s as self-contained a story as we’ve done since ‘Iron Man 1.'” They promised romance and some comedy, too. And Black said he appreciated Marvel’s letting him take some risks. “He’s a great story-teller, and he has a great relationship with Robert,” said Feige. “We’re confident in the infrastructure we can provide.”

Downey said that even he was surprised at the success of “The Avengers” and was looking forward to exploring the relationship between Rhodey and Tony with more depth, as the comics do, and seeing Tony Stark reconsider his role “in a post-Avengers world, what sort of limitations might be placed on him and what threat would make him, as usual, ignore those limitations.” “You have to find a way that the first two aren’t done yet, in other words, how has the story not yet been completely told, to make it feel organic and new,” said Black. “We seriously dug into Tony’s world.” “I do suit up,” Cheadle said, and promised some “additional iterations” for his character. “I liked in the comic there was a bit of suit envy,” said Downey, pointing out the difference between a corporate and military approach. “And for some reason or other, Tony is the one they trust!” “This film has a lot of breadth to it. There’s a way to enjoy all that kind of shadowy stuff” in Tony’s character.

“We’re not really going to China,” Black stage-whispered, though some scenes are set there.

Downey charmingly insisted on taking a question from a boy with a Sharpie Tony Stark goatee, who stood up, took a deep breath, and asked how it felt to be a hero. “I think I speak for any of us who get to live in this world. I take it as seriously as Shakespeare.”

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Actors Directors Superhero