Dean's Reviews: "Blades of Glory", "Meet the Robinsons", "Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf"?
BLADES OF GLORY
While the world is watching "Dancing with the Stars", the first movie today has to do with “skating with the stars.” “Blades of Glory” is about two competitors from opposite worlds; bitter foes for all of their lives.
Will Ferrell is Chazz Michael Michaels, a hard living, off the cuff, over sexed cowboy while Jimmy McElroy, “Napoleon Dynamite's”, Jon Heder, is prim, proper and fastidious. Neither is happy when they tie for a gold medal and have to share the spotlight.
After the tragic fire that sets the game’s mascot ablaze, they’re both stripped of their medals and banned from singles skating for life until a coach, Craig T. nelson, devises a plan to put them back on ice...as the world's first all male pairs couple...something neither of them want...but reluctantly agree to.
There’s nothing groundbreaking in "Blades of Glory" but I don’t need much to make me laugh in a Will Ferrell movie. Whether it was spoofing the sport, skintight outfits on not-so skintight bodies, or hilarious evil nemesis's played by Will Arnett and Amy Pohler, it did keep a smile on my face throughout.
It’s no “Talladega Nights” but it’s a far cry from Will’s “Kicking’ and Screaming.”
A solid, Dean’s List “B.”
Meet The Robinsons
The new Disney film, "meet the Robinson’s" is a stylish-looking animation about a young orphan who wants to find his biological mother. He’s a bit of a science geek who invents a machine that sets off a series of events that sends him to the future where he meets the crazy Robinson clan...and discovers a whole lot more than just his roots.
I liked the sweet story that’s cleverly written but it's also the crazy characters and concepts that sets the movie apart. The movie is playing in select theaters in 3-D...a really discrete 3-D that's not overdone...and with comfortable, attractive glasses.
Another Dean’s List “B.”
“Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf”?
There’s also some theater to tell you about this week. A classic drama that debuted in 1962 being brought back by Oscar nominee, Kathleen Turner and Tony winner, Bill Irwin.
It’s Edward albee's, brilliant "who afraid of Virginia wolf", a disturbing, yet hilarious drama, about a boozed up, old married couple's love hate relationship that spills over onto a young couple who come over for a visit.
The words that Albee writes are like listening to music. Kathleen Turner over plays the notes taking the subtly out of her character while Irwin hits his notes with perfectly milking every drop of emotion out of them. I can see why he won the Tony for his performance of this role in New York.
See this classic. It’s good but not heartbreakingly great; through April 7th at the LaSalle Bank Theater.