Jack Black Is At It Again...

Just saw the new trailer for the upcoming Jack Black film "Be Kind Rewind". The story seemed kind of strange when I read about it earlier this year but after seeing the trailer I am really looking forward to checking this one out.

Bourne Finishes Strong....

Over the past 5 years The Bourne Trilogy has very quietly become one of the most dependable spy franchises ever. Twenty years from now I expect to be talking about Matt Damon as Jason Bourne like people talk about Sean Connery as James Bond. No, Bourne isn’t slick and smooth like James Bond but he could kick Bond’s British Butt…probably with one arm tied behind his back.

Strolling into the theater on Sunday afternoon to see the latest in the series, Bourne Ultimatum, my only thought was hoping that this would finally end this summer’s sequels “dud” streak. The Dack could not have been more pleased.

The Bourne Ultimatum has everything you want in a sequel. It adds to the story, it doesn’t try to be bigger and flashier, and it’s a pleasure to watch. This film wraps all the loose ends up into a nice package while not shutting the book completely. Matt Damon once again does an excellent job as Bourne…a man of few words but a huge well of emotion and of course the ability to kick the crap out of every bad guy he comes across. Paul Greengrass is behind the camera again and starts right where he left off…..taking us on a trip across Europe chasing Bourne and this time around America as well. My one complaint of Greengrass is he relies a little too much on close up handheld camera shots during the action sequences to make the action feel faster. It worked brilliantly in United 93 but it gets a little old while Bourne is racing through the streets of New York. The rest of the cast, which includes David Stathairn and Joan Allen, do a satisfactory job, but this is Damon’s film and he proves he is a force to be reckoned with.

Do yourself a favor and go check this one out….if you haven’t seen the pervious two films, Bourne Identity and Bourne Supremacy, go rent them or borrow them from a friend today.

After seeing the film a friend and I discussed the possibility of Bourne being the best Trilogy ever. While I’m not ready to claim that….Bourne Ultimatum gets nineDacks.

When this comes out on DVD the Dack is totally hosting a Bourne night!

DVD Corner…

In the past 2 weeks some of the best movies from early 2007 have been released. The best of the bunch start with Hot Fuzz and 300. If you haven’t had a chance to see either now is the time to get to it.

Hot Fuzz was a hilarious action comedy that only found a small audience when it was released earlier this year. Apparently the DVD release got people’s attention because the Dack had to go to 6 stores to find a copy last week. If you want more to know more about the movie check out my earlier review.

300 was a shot of adrenaline in February. I hadn’t heard much buzz before its release and was a little worried that it might be a cool concept that was horribly executed. On the contrary this film is in my top 10 for 2007 so far and was Awesome! It even has half naked beefcake soldiers for the ladies to enjoy. Don’t listen to anyone who talks about the inaccuracies of the movie…..being accurate is not what this film is about. 300 is all about being a crazy fun non-stop action rollercoaster.

Other recent DVD releases are…

Zodiac – This was one I heard good things about but Dack only has limited time. I am really looking forward to checking it out.

Disturbia – Shia LaBeouf stars in this Rear Window update. Haven’t seen it but I will be checking it out soon.

TMNT – Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to the uninitiated. This was a fantastic shot in the arm for a franchise that was pretty much dead. If you have ever been a fan…check it out.

TV ON DVD

Two big releases coming out at the end of August.

Heroes – If you haven’t seen this show yet, do yourself a favor and check it out. The best super hero television mix I could have ever dreamed of. No, actually this show is better. I will be sure to pick this one up when it is released. If you like comic books or super heroes and haven’t seen this show…..WHAT ARE YOU THINGING!!!!!

Dexter – This is probably the best show on television you haven’t ever heard of. The best possible description is a mix between CSI and Silence of the Lambs. Imagine if the lead blood expert for the Miami Police department forensic team was a serial killer….that’s Dexter. Not for everyone but worth checking out if that description intrigues you.

Also be sure to check out future DVD releases in my DVD corner.

The Simpsons...

Yes, you’ve seen the ads and probably the television show at least once because it’s always on…..and now finally….a movie

I was so looking forward to The Simpsons movie, after 18 years on television now the genius writers would have the freedom of a movie to bring Homer and all the other wonderful characters to the big screen. The plot of the movie starts off with Lisa trying to save Springfield from its nasty polluting ways. The first 30 minuets truly feels like you are just watching a new episode on a Sunday night but soon enough a giant dome is placed over the town to protect the rest of the world from its gross pollution.......and of course Homer is mainly to blame. The highlight of the film is The Simpsons on the run to Alaska....this trip away from Springfield actually felt like a real movie but then they must go back to save the rest of the town from being blown up by the government being run by none other that PresidentArnold Schwarzenegger. The pacing felt rushed and I think the decision to keep this movie short was a mistake.

I will admit that although I believe The Simpsons to be a wonderfully written show that has amazingly been able to make fun of America for 18 years without losing it’s quick wit, I have never watched the show consistently because at least for me it starts to lose some of it’s freshness after a while.

Of course the animation does look far better on the big screen than it ever has in my living room, but that’s never been what the show was about anyway. If you love The Simpsons you will probably love the movie but in a summer that has been packed to the brim with rehashed ideas I was counting on the brilliant minds behind The Simpsons to save the day, but for me they didn't. I wanted to see The Simpsons make a splash onto the big screen or at least wrap its television show comedy into a awesome shinny new package. However, all I ended up getting was an extended version of something I could see on tv with Auto smoking a bong and Bart’s penis thrown in because….well, they could. Homer sums this up by saying "I can't believe we're paying to see something we can get on TV for free" while watching The Itchy and Scratchy Show Movie, at the beginning of the movie. It's a shame this joke actually came true.

Perhaps I had my expectations set a bit too high, for the Dack it only manages fiveDacks. Wait....SixDacks. The pig was genius!