Movie Review: The Incredible Hulk

Marvel has done it again. Early this summer it was the surprise hit Iron Man. The good folks over at Marvel followed up with another installment of The Incredible Hulk. A lot of people, including myself, were skeptical of this film because of the last failed attempt at this franchise. This Incredible Hulk is nothing like what we saw in 2003.

The movie opens as Bruce Banner (Edward Norton)a fugitive on the run who is living in Brazil, hiding from who he is, and trying to find a cure. Banner is quickly spotted by General Ross (William Hurt) and is on the run again. With no cure in sight Banner returns home to find some answers.

This movie reminds me of the old TV show that I loved so much. There are only going to be a few scenes with The Hulk. It was important that whoever played Bruce Banner could carry the film. I’ve been a huge fan of Edward Norton since Primal Fear and American History X. In this film Norton does such a great job of playing someone who does not want to be the Hulk. A man who is not happy with what he’s become and wants to find answers. Because of the Hulk he has to isolate himself from other people. You get the sense that he’s not sure he can control the monster within.

One of the great performances of the movie is Tim Roth as Emil Blonsky. An old soldier who wants who is obsessed with the power the Hulk possesses. His obsession with this power only grows stronger as the movie goes on. Blonsky reminded of the steroid issues in our sports today. A person who is past their prime who will inject themselves with anything for the opportunity to “win”.

My suggestion: Go see the Hulk. I don’t think this movie disappoints at all. If you are a fan of the comic book, it is a must see. I enjoyed every minute of it. Good script, great action and even a few laughs to keep the movie going. I loved what I saw out of this movie and I hope to see more. Not to mention there is a cameo at the end of the movie that had the whole theater buzzing. Can’t wait to see what Marvel does next.

Missing: Have you seen this man?

Let me start off by saying that I love Eddie Murphy. I grew up watching him on SNL and have enjoyed a lot of his work. I just wonder if that is really Eddie in all of those bad films. If so, he has the strange ability be involved in really great movies (see Coming to America, 48 Hours, Training Places, The Nutty Professor) and really bad ones. Here is a list of some of Eddie’s worst movies:


Beverly Hills Cop 3 (1994)

Axel Foley is on the trail to find who shot his boss. He stumbles upon a counterfeit money ring run out of a theme park called Wonder World.

This is one of those films I refuse to discuss. As a fan of the first to movies, Beverly Hills Cop 3 really upset me. This movie is a lot like Rocky V, if it wasn’t for the IMDB page, people would have no idea those movies were even made. What was he thinking making this movie? Did they pitch it as 48 Hours meets National Lampoon’s Vacation? He may have secretly been forced to make this movie. In this movie I swear he looked about as comfortable as those guys when they realize they are on Dateline’s To Catch a Predator. The poster in front of the roller coaster says enough.


Norbit (2007)

For some reason everyone I know has seen this film. Maybe they were attracted to see Eddie Murphy in a fat suit again. In this film Eddie stars as Norbit, a mild-mannered man who is trapped in a terrible relationship. He meets the girl of his dreams and tries to find ways to be with her.

Not sure how this movie missed the mark. There are a lot of talented people casted for this movie. For some reason they just couldn’t pull it together. I can see producers sitting around the table and saying, “I got it! Let’s put Eddie Murphy in a fat suit again.” This could easily be Eddie Murphy’s worst movie. The buzz around Oscar time was that this performance may cost him his Academy Award. It’s kind of ironic that one of the funniest comedians we’ve ever had is nominated for an Oscar, but loses because he has a terrible comedy come out the same year. Sounds like the plot for Eddie’s next crappy movie.

Vampire in Brooklyn (1995)

Murphy stars at Maximillian, a vampire who goes to Brooklyn to find a half vampire daughter.

Let’s see this movie is not funny, not scary, and barely entertaining. I didn’t want to see a 90’s version of Blacula. This movie is great if somehow you enjoy bad vampire movies. Vampire in Brooklyn is one of those movies that is so bad, you have to watch it. Eddie did show he could be good at playing a villain. Kudos to Eddie for trying something new, it’s just too bad I’ll never get those 2 hours of my life back.

The Adventures of Pluto Nash (2002)

The O.J Simpson You-Should-Quit-While-You’re-Ahead award goes to Pluto Nash. Murphy stars as nightclub owner Pluto Nash who, despite pressure from the mob, is trying to keep his club open in space.

Why did I see this movie? Two reasons: Rosario Dawson. Not even her beautiful smile could save this film. Mobsters in space? Really? It’s no wonder this movie was highly unsuccessful. What is surprising is that the films budget was estimated at $100 million (yes Dr. Evil $100 million) with a marketing cost of $20 million. According to Wikipedia as of 2008 this is the sixth-largest financial loss of any film ever made. I would hate to have my name attached to that project. I’m almost certain somebody lost their job behind this movie. I was recently roasted ay my birthday party. One of my good friends who lives out of town sent in a list of things she remembers about me. #10 on the list: Taking me to see Pluto Nash. This movie still haunts me today.


Holy Man (1998)

Eddie plays a man who is in search of enlightenment. During his journey he decides to help a man save his job.

Why make this movie? Was Murphy close to being an insurance salesman so he desperately needed money? I swear he spent 90% of the movie smiling like a crazed mental patient. I’ll stick by my theory that he signed on thinking Holy Man was a movie where he would be playing Jesus. At the last minute they change the script, but he had a legal obligation to make this movie. There is no other logical explanation for him to be attached to this film.


Showtime (2002)

You would think that Robert DeNiro and Eddie Murphy would be a sure hit. Not so much. When you look this movie up on IMDB one of the keywords is “Box Office Flop”. In Showtime, Murphy stars as Officer Sellars. After botching an investigation and shooting a camera the LAPD decided to let this reality TV show follow Sellars and Mitch (DeNiro) around filming what life is like for the LAPD.

Not only is the concept of this film utterly ridiculous, there is zero chemistry between the two stars. Eddie Murphy looked like he was being held hostage, and DeNiro had about as much joy on his face as Hilary Clinton did when she congratulated Barack. I know it’s hard to pass up an opportunity to work with legendary actor Robert DeNiro but maybe Eddie should have thought twice about this buddy cop movie. At least we still have 48 Hrs.

Dr. Dolitte 2 (2001)

Murphy returns at Dr. John Dolittle. This time he’s playing matchmaker for a Circus Bear.

Do you realize he spent all day working with animals, and talking to himself? There has to be footage somewhere of him sitting in his trailer depressed. What gives me a headache about this movie is that it was completely unnecessary. He played the worst movie doctor since Dr. Giggles. I hope a lot of kids loved this movie because I know a lot of people who didn’t.

Bowfinger (1999)

Eddie plays Kit and Jiff Ramsey. A struggling producer makes a movie for Kit. When he’s unable to cast Kit in the film, he cast his not so cool brother Jiff so he can secretly film the movie without Kit’s knowledge.

The movie never gets funny. It’s incredibly painful to watch. Mentioning this movie to Eddie may result in a fight. I saw this movie in Canada and it was beyond terrible. I remember thinking, “Maybe Canada gets different versions of movies. These Canadians are funny! There is no way Eddie Murphy would make this movie in America.” I almost asked for my toonies back. When I returned to the states I realized what I saw was the American version of Bowfinger. If I was Eddie I would use some of that Shrek money to buy the rights to Bowfinger and quickly destroy every existing copy. It only makes sense.

Movie Review: Sex and the City

There is good news and bad news for all male moviegoers.

The good news? There is less than two months until The Dark Knight opens in theaters.

The bad news? It looks like we will be hearing about Sex and the City until then.

The movie starts right where the show left off, following the lives of Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker), Samantha (Kim Cattrall), Charlotte (Kristin Davis), and Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) around New York City.

The movie picks up pace rather quickly as Big (Christopher Noth) and Carrie are set to be married. This would be the perfect ending for everyone’s favorite couple. Of course there is some drama that surrounds their pending nuptials. What would Sex and the City be without its drama? Miranda and Steve (David Eigenberg) have a few issues to work out, as well as Samantha dealing with her life adjustment and boyfriend Smith (Jason Lewis).

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not a huge fan of the show. I watched the first 2-3 seasons religiously, but found myself bored soon after that. With that said, the movie was surprisingly entertaining and well written. Some of the really tense moments in the film really pull you in and allow you to feel for the characters involved. The funny moments are well placed so you won’t feel like you are watching some serious drama.

Kristin Davis was great as Charlotte. She helped keep the movie light and fun for those of us who were not going to cry our eyes out. Jennifer Hudson plays Louise, Carrie’s assistant, adding some humor and a fresh face to the cast. Louise seems fit right in.

In the tradition of the show, there are some good scenes with the four women discussing their views on relationships. As a man I find these scenes very interesting. Do women really talk like that?

One of the glaring questions I had was, for the male characters in the movie: Where are their guy friends? I know the show doesn’t revolve around the men, but I didn’t see any groomsmen with Big. When I brought this up to my female friends they say “we’ll that’s just how he is” or “he’s always been a loner.” What successful guy has no male friends? The only guy I can think of is Michael Jackson. That’s really not good company for Big to be in.

I wonder if an Entourage movie would be just as entertaining.

My suggestion: If you are a fan of the show, you’d be a fool not to watch this movie. It’s a must see for all Sex and the City fans. Without giving away too much of the movie, I’d compare it to the Lakers making it through the playoffs and then I decide not to watch the NBA Finals. It’s entertaining and has a lot of good points in the movie. There is some nudity and some sex in the movie. If you are offended by that I’d wait for the edited version on TNT. The movie may spark some good conversation. I had a discussion with Ms. LA last night about different points in the movie. She was surprised we agreed on a major point in the movie. I’m not surprised at all; she’s a believer in love. I think most people will enjoy this movie. The film will at least provide you with some fun conversation with your friends at happy hour.

Exclusive Clip: The Fist Foot Way

Is this film box office competition for Sex In The City?

The Fist Foot Way is a comedy about a martial arts instructor whose life collapses after he finds out his wife is having an affair. This sends the our hero Simmons on a journey to find himself by battling undefeated champ Chuck “The Truck” Wallace. This clip is funny enough to make me go see it. In theaters May 30th.

Hollywood's Best Bet

Ev'ry gambler knows that the secret to survivin'
Is knowin' what to throw away and knowing what to keep.
'Cause ev'ry hand's a winner and ev'ry hand's a loser,
And the best that you can hope for is to die in your sleep-The Gambler, Kenny Rogers

With a lack of originality in much of Hollywood’s stories, there has been a major push towards reality television. What’s ironic is that the best original story Hollywood could have come up with is a reality for the NBA.

A gambling addict turned NBA ref fixes over 100 games. Just when we think it is a dead issue he blows the lid off the story by saying that other officials, coaches, and players were involved.
What studio is going to pass on that script? Think The Departed meets Hoosiers or Donnie Brasco meets White Shadow.

The 42 year old veteran referee plead guilty last summer to felony charges that involved taking cash payoffs and betting on games he officiated. He faces up to 25 years in prison and a $500,000 fine.

The story sounds straight forward enough. Here a few points that may make this a more interesting story and possible epic movie:

Tim Donaghy was not caught by NBA Security. He was overheard by the FBI on a mob wire tap, who then contacted the NBA.

During the time period he refereed 139 regular season games and 8 playoff games.

With the investigation still ongoing NBA Commissioner David Stern says at a press conference that he was a “rouge referee” and it was an “isolated instance”.

The NBA has not released a list of games Donaghy refereed from 2005-2007.

Sports gambling expert R. J. Bell tracked every game Donaghy worked from 2003-2007. He discovered that “during the two seasons investigated by the NBA the teams scored more points than expected by Vegas sports books 57% of the time. The odds of such a discrepancy are 1 in 1,000.”

Tim Donaghy told investigators that relationships among officials, coaches, and players “affected the outcome of the games”

Donaghy told investigators about the gambling activities of other NBA officials and about a referee that passed “confidential” information to an unidentified coach.

Donaghy’s attorney suggested that the NBA might have “pressured” the attorney’s office “into shutting down this prosecution to avoid the disclosure of information unrelated to Tim’s conduct.”

NBA referee Bob Delany is a former undercover state trooper with the New Jersey State Police task force on organized crime.

When Bob Delany was asked what illegal activities he participated in Delany said, “stolen property, loan sharking, gambling, purchasing of guns.”

Did he just say gambling? I wonder if Delany and Donaghy worked any games together. What if we found out they were in cahoots? What if David Stern was highly involved along with Lebron James and Steve Nash.

(Opening scene)
Donaghy: (in his car talking on the phone) Okay, Okay. I know I’m in the hole, but I’ll make up for it tonight. I’ll be sure not to make it look too obvious
Voice on the other end of the phone: The boss does not like to be disappointed.
(Kenny Rogers, The Gambler plays as a slow montage of NBA referee Tim Donaghy getting dressed for the game, walking on the court, half court handshake with NBA players. The camera surveys a crowd of cheering fans. One fan is still sitting in his seat with his eyes fixed on Donaghy. He’s there to protect his investment)

The NBA is Fantastic!