10,000 BC (Opening Friday, March 7)

Rating: 6 out of 10
Cast:
Steven Strait as D'Leh
Camilla Belle as Evolet
Cliff Curtis as Tic'Tic
Joel Virgel as Nakudu
Affif Ben Badra as Warlord
Mo Zinal as Ka'Ren
Nathanael Baring as Baku
Mona Hammond as Old Mother
Marco Khan as One-Eye
Reece Ritchie as Moha
Joel Fry as Lu'kibu
Omar Sharif as Narrator
Kristian Beazley as D'Leh's Father
Junior Oliphant as Tudu
Louise Tu'u as Baku's Mother

Summary:
Despite a predictable plot and flat acting, "10,000 BC" manages to be somewhat entertaining thanks to its elaborate production design, cool action sequences, and CGI prehistoric animals.

Story:
In "10,000 BC," a group of hunters struggle to survive despite a lack of migrating woolly mammoths. But their problems are greatly increased when they find Evolt, a young girl who brings warning of invading 'demons'.

As the tribe readies themselves over the years to face the 'demons', D'Leh falls in love with Evolet. Just as they are about to be married, the 'demons' arrive and are revealed to be slavers from a faraway land. They capture Evolt and a number of the tribe and take them away. D'Leh, Tic'Tic, and others follow in hot pursuit. But along the way they must face prehistoric dangers the likes of which they've never seen.

"10,000 BC" is rated PG-13 for sequences of intense action and violence.

What Worked:
Right before I went to the screening of "10,000 BC," I hit a couple of comic shops and mentioned that I was going to see the film. I was greeted by eye rolling and universal declarations that it would suck. So as I entered the film, I was preparing for the worst. But as the story progressed, I never found it hitting the level of suckage that I expected. Sure, it had some problems, but in the end I was entertained.

Roland Emmerich has crafted a story that's basically a combination of "Apocalypto" and "Stargate." It follows the "Apocalypto" formula of an advanced society stealing slaves and transporting them through the wilderness to an amazing pre-historic city. It follows the "Stargate" formula in that this advanced society has pyramids, it has a mysterious ruler who is hailed as a god, and it shows primitive characters running through the desert in revolt. If you liked either of those films, you may find yourself being a little more receptive to "10,000 BC" than other moviegoers.

One of the notable things about "10,000 BC" is its use of CGI extinct animals. We're treated to scenes of hunters stalking a herd of wooly mammoths. (This scene is arguably the best of the film.) We see giant prehistoric…turkeys…killing hunters like the "Jurassic Park" raptors. We see a saber-toothed tiger facing down our hero. (Unfortunately, the tiger is the weakest of the CGI creatures.) Whenever these creatures appear on the screen, this film is at its most entertaining.

What Didn't Work:
"10,000 BC" is your typical "hero's journey" story. A boy from humble beginnings fights evil and becomes a hero revered by all. That formula has been followed by everything from Greek myth to "Star Wars." Unfortunately, here it results in a rather predictable film. You can guess who lives, who dies, and how it will end pretty easily. This just leaves the visual spectacle and production design to entertain you.

The story also has a lot of magical elements in it. At times the story seems reality based and all this magic business just seems like it's in the character's heads. Other times the film implies that there's real magic going on with these prophecies, connection to animals, etc. I think "10,000 BC" would have been stronger if they simply eliminated the magical element.

Unfortunately, while all the actors look great in their respective roles, they don't do much to make their characters unique or appealing. Steven Strait as D'Leh and Camilla Belle as Evolet both look beautiful as prehistoric hunters (with perfect teeth), but they're given little else to do. They needed more humorous or character defining moments to make the audience bond with them more and care about them as they were put in jeopardy. And the few moments where they get very sentimental talking about stars and hearts and love, it kind of falls flat.

Finally, I can't help but mention some audience reaction to this film. There was a batch of guys sitting behind me who were in their late teens or early twenties. Any time a character appeared in a bizarre costume or they said an odd tribal name, these guys would snicker and make snarky comments. Chalk it up to American cultural ignorance or whatever, but I bet you can expect this type of reaction in every theater in the US. It's annoying.

The Bottom Line:
If you don't overanalyze it, "10,000 BC" can be an entertaining film. If you like CGI creatures attacking people, you'll find it worth checking out. Just don't go in expecting an Academy Award winning film.

The Bank Job vs. Flawless (Opening Friday, March 7 and Friday, March 28)

The Bank Job's trailer

Flawless's trailer

Rating: The Bank Job: 6/10 Flawless: 8/10
"The Bank Job" Cast:
Jason Statham as Terry
Saffron Burrows as Martine
Stephen Campbell Moore as Kevin
Daniel Mays as Dave
James Faulkner as Guy Singer
Alki David as Bambas
Michael Jibson as Eddie
Richard Lintern as Tim Everett
Don Gallagher as Gerald Pyke
David Suchet as Lew Vogel
Kasey Baterip as Julie Leather
Peter Bowles as Miles Urquhart
Andrew Brooke as Quinn
Trevor Byfield as Jack Jessell
Peter De Jersey as Michael X
Craig Fairbrass as Nick Barton
Rupert Frazer as Lord Drysdale
Michael Haughey as Mr. Darke
Keeley Hawes as Wendy Leather
Sharon Maughan as Sonia Bern
Hattie Morahan as Gale Benson
Johann Myers as Stanley 'The Knife' Abbot
Alistair Petrie as Philip Lisle
Carolyn Pickles as Valerie
Colin Salmon as Hakim Jamal
Taelor Samways as Catherine Leather
Georgia Taylor as Ingrid
Robert Whitelock as Alfie Hook
Angus Wright as Robert Rowlands

Directed by Roger Donaldson

"Flawless" Cast:
Demi Moore as Laura Quinn
Michael Caine as Mr. Hobbs
Lambert Wilson as Finch
Joss Ackland as MKA
Jonathan Aris as Boyle
Simon Day as Boland
Constantine Gregory as Dmitriev
David Henry as Sir Edmund Gottfried
Nicholas Jones as Jameson
Derren Nesbitt as Sinclair
Nathaniel Parker as Ollie
Ben Righton as Bryan
Peter Rnic as Honest Alfred - The Bookie
Claire Thill as Secretary
Kevan Willis as Lewis

Directed by Michael Radford

Analysis:
The resurgence of heist flicks has created a booming market in recent years with the most memorable offerings putting a modern humor-laden twist on classic British heist films of the '50s, '60s, and early '70s. Based on original scripts, Roger Donaldson's "The Bank Job" and Michael Radford's "Flawless" are both period pieces set in London, one based on a true event, the other entirely fiction, and yet, the latter is done in a more believable and realistic way than the former.

Based loosely on the 1971 "Walkie-Talkie Robbery" which held the interest of London's newspapers until a "D Notice" gag order was put on the story by the government, "The Bank Job" stars Jason Statham as Terry Leather, a car dealer with a seedy reputation given a tip by his model ex-girlfriend Martine (Saffron Burrows) that would make it easy for them to rob a prestigious bank. While Terry and his friends are in it for the big money, Martine has been enlisted by the government to get into the bank's safe deposit boxes to retrieve compromising pictures of Princess Margaret stored there by a two-bit hood named Michael X, who has been using the pictures as a blackmail to evade the law. Terry and his gang aren't aware of this, nor do they realize that many of London's shadiest individuals have used the bank's safe deposit boxes to store their own skeletons.

Despite being set in London ten years earlier, "Flawless" is a very different film from "Bank Job" as well as a different film from what we've seen from Michael Radford, especially following his adaptation of Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice." Set in the world of British diamond trading, as partially seen in "Blood Diamond," the aptly-titled "Flawless" revolves around Demi Moore's Laura Quinn, one of the few women working at the London Diamond Corporation, who learns that she's been set-up for a fall by her sexist boss. Out of frustration, she agrees to help the firm's janitor Mr. Hobbs (Michael Caine) with his plan to steal a small amount of diamonds "which will never be missed."

As is the case with most heist films--neither of these being an exception--the planning phase and how those plans are executed is half the fun with suitable oversights thrown in to add tension, though "Flawless" add a great little twist that takes what seems like a relatively small job turn into an impressive (though not entirely credible) achievement by the elderly janitor. Terry Leather's robbery seems more by-the-books, but the fun comes from the true aspects of the story where the real-life robbers communicated via walkie-talkies, which gave them away when a nearby Ham radio operator picked up their chatter. (Of course, no one knew which bank was being robbed at the time.)

"The Bank Job" has many fun moments like that during the preparation for the big job, but once they've succeeded, the film starts to go downhill, as it resorts to action movie cliches with Statham taking on all-comers and setting various parties against each other, always coming out unscathed. There are far too many characters for anyone to keep track of without a scorecard, all of them with a reason to keep the contents of the bank's safe deposit a secret, and by the second half, the film has piled on so many subplots, secondary characters and melodramatic overacting that it's hard to believe that any of it is based on reality, since so much seems fictionalized based on speculation and guesswork based on the little that was revealed about the case.

The beauty of "Flawless" is its simplicity with such a small cast of characters, and the fact that it's as much about their individual journeys as people, while also giving an interesting inside look at the diamond industry. Moore and Caine are both at the top of their game in the many talking scenes due to the riveting dialogue and character dynamics that makes it hard to fathom that they last appeared together in "Blame It On Rio" nearly 24 years ago. Lambert Wilson is equally good as the police detective assigned to the case of the missing diamonds.

Despite the presence of strong supporting actors like Daniel Mays ("Atonement") and Stephen Campbell Moore ("The History Boys"), so much is put on Statham and Burrows to carry this, and while Terry is not too far removed from past Statham roles—he does a good job playing a family man—Donaldson, the director behind "The Recruit" and "Species," doesn't have a reputation for getting strong performances out of his actors, which ultimately hurts the credibility of the storytelling. Instead, the latter half of the film involves a lot of overly melodramatic performances more appropriate to a soap opera than a true crime drama.

Both films are very British, possibly to a fault when it comes to American audiences, but they both do a fine job recreating the period outfits and environment, "The Bank Job" thriving from its cooler rock 'n' roll vibe of early '70s London, while "Flawless" being the London cliché of stiff upper crust Brits that's been depicted so often in films and British television. The one thing both films have in common is a dramatic scene of when the bank or diamond vault is discovered ransacked and empty by the manager the next day.

"The Bank Job" is filled with lots of sex and excessive violence--subtlety is not the film's strong suit--while "Flawless" essentially has neither, and while the latter might have benefited from a bit more excitement, the former takes things way too far including a nearly unwatchable torture sequence. It's made worse by an incessantly overbearing score that tries to build tension when there really isn't very much, the music being so non-stop that it gives the movie very little room to breathe. The biggest slap in the face in "The Bank Job" is when after sitting through all its ludicrous plot twists, the epilogue scroll ends with the disclaimer that names have been changed "to protect the guilty." Right, more likely to keep people from Googling the case and finding out the truth about it.

The ending of "Flawless," essentially returning to a modern-day framing sequence where Laura Quinn is telling the story of the great diamond heist to a young reporter, could have been better since it's an obvious and overused device, but it's a far more satisfying experience than "The Bank Job" otherwise, a simply gorgeous film that remains faithful to the times in every respect.

The Bottom Line:
It's a shame that Roger Donaldson wasn't able to do something more interesting with his source material for "The Bank Job," resorting to nudity and fight scenes to keep things interesting, but ultimately, it owes more to "Eastenders" than "The Italian Job" with its mostly implausible piece of fiction disguising itself as a true crime story. On the other hand, "Flawless" is a cleverly written and brilliantly made film that thrives on its simplicity and slow pacing and overcomes its own flaws. If you're a fan of heist flicks, especially the British originals these films attempt to emulate, each has some attributes, but "Flawless" is the type of classy and tasteful British crime-drama that Caine has long been associated with, and it's definitely worth waiting the three extra weeks to see it.

The Bank Job opens nationwide on March 7, while Flawless is playing on HDNet VOD right now and opens in limited release on March 28

City of Men (Opening Friday, February 29)

Rating: 8 out of 10
Cast:
Douglas Silva as Ace
Darlan Cunha as Wallace
Jonathan Haagensen as Midnight
Rodrigo dos Santos as Heraldo
Camila Monteiro as Cris
Naima Silva as Camila
Eduardo 'BR' Piranha as Fasto
Luciano Vidigal as Fiel
Pedro Henrique as Caju
Maurício Gonçalves as Cris's father
Vinícius and Vitor Oliveira as Clayton

Directed by Paulo Morelli

Story:
Ace and Wallace (Douglas Silva & Darlan Cunha) have been friends since childhood, but as they reach their 18th birthdays, their community on Dead End Hill is torn apart by rival gangs, putting them on opposite sides of the war. At the same time, Wallace is trying to find his father who left when he was just a baby, but finding him and being able to get him back in his life might be two very different things.

Analysis:
When Fernando Meirelles' City of God first introduced us to the violent world of the gangster-run favelas of Rio de Janeiro, it was a shocking awakening for non-Brazilians who had no idea that this level poverty can lead to even the youngest children to become thieves and even killers, but it showed that gangster violence was not confined to American cities like South Central, L.A. and that in fact, it was even worse in places like Rio.

Meirelles discovered an amazing pool of talent for the movie, many of whom return for this second feature which acts as a bookend to the overall project, concluding the stories told during the television show "City of Men," which aired in the United States in a heavily-condensed format on the Sundance Channel. With a script by Elena Soares, who penned the excellent "House of Sand," and directed by Mereille's long-time partner Paulo Morelli, "City of Men" is a different film experience from "City of God" in terms of look and feel, a simpler linear story that takes place over the course of a few days.

Friends Ace and Wallace aren't involved in the main gang of Dead End Hill led by Midnight, Wallace's cousin, though they're all friends. So when a lowly thug named Fiel is sentenced to death and Midnight's lieutenant Fasto sets Fiel free in return for his help deposing Midnight, the two friends get caught in the resulting firefight. The two young men are more concerned with their impending 18th birthdays where they have to get jobs and start being responsible. After his girlfriend leaves him to take care of the young son they had together, Ace agrees to help Wallace find his father, although it leads to a secret from the past that threatens to ruin the two boys' friendships.

Many of the actors from "City of God" have returned, though in fact, most of them have been playing these characters for the entire run of the television. Having not seen the show, it's sometimes hard keeping up with all of the characters and their relationships, but the story isn't so complicated that one can't figure out what's going on, and there are enough flashbacks to the show to get anyone that hasn't seen the show up to speed on who everyone is.

Douglas Silva, who played the younger Zé in "City of God," is deeply enjoyable as Ace, a smart and fun-loving young man who gets caught in circumstance, and he emits a lot more personality and charisma on screen then Darlan Cunha as his best friend Wallace. They do work well as a duo though, and the film has the added benefits of the television show to include convincing flashbacks of the two friends over the years without having to cast younger look-alikes. Still, some of the best moments are the ones with Wallace trying to connect with his estranged father, played by Rodrigo dos Santos, which offers genuine joy amidst all of the turmoil. It would have been nice to see more parallels drawn to the relationship between Ace and his young son considering the film's inherent themes of growing up without a father. It seems like a missed opportunity barely grazed upon in the film's opening and conclusion, but it should have played a larger part in the overall story.

There are only two of the signature shoot-outs seen in "City of God," and for the most part, the violence is kept comparatively minimal, being more about these two friends and the people caught in the crossfire. Even so, it's hard to forget while watching their story that most of the key players are kids, teenagers, getting heavily involved in the world of drugs, crime and violence, much of their involvement coming from the environment in which they were raised. Midnight is one of the film's more fascinating secondary characters in the sense he's in control only to the point where his arrogance as a leader ultimately leads to his downfall, much like Zé from "City of God."

A veteran of the television show, Morelli has a great eye for visuals and along with D.P. Adriano Goldman, he creates many gorgeous shots including a number of glorious aerial tracking shots of the favela portion of Rio that have rarely if ever been seen in this manner. With a terrific score by Antonio Pinto, it certainly looks and feels more like a big budget film with actors rather than the DIY feel of "City of God" that looked like it was documenting real lives. Some of the effectiveness of the film is lost because of this, but on its own merits, its a well-executed film that gives a more human look at the people living in Rio's favelas that doesn't have to resort on bullets and blood to keep the viewer riveted.

The Bottom Line:
"City of Men" is a brilliant piece of filmmaking comparable to HBO's "The Wire" in the way it contrasts the beauty of Rio de Janeiro with the violence that affects the lives of the teens living in the city's favelas. If you enjoyed "City of God" or happened to be one of the few people who saw the "City of Men" television show, you should enjoy this bookend feature that does a good job closing the story of Dead End Hill and the two friends who live there, though it works just as well as a stand-alone story. (In other words, you don't have to have seen "City of God" or the television show to enjoy it.)

The Other Boleyn Girl vs. Penelope (Opening Friday, February 29)

The Other Boleyn Girl's trailer

Penelope's trailer

Rating: The Other Boleyn Girl: 6.5/10 Penelope: 6/10
"The Other Boleyn Girl" Cast:
Natalie Portman as Anne Boleyn
Scarlett Johansson as Mary Boleyn
Eric Bana as Henry Tudor
Jim Sturgess as George Boleyn
Mark Rylance as Sir Thomas Boleyn
Kristin Scott Thomas as Lady Elizabeth Boleyn
David Morrissey as The Duke of Norfolk
Benedict Cumberbatch as William Carey
Oliver Coleman as Henry Percy
Ana Torrent as Katherine of Aragon
Eddie Redmayne as William Stafford
Tom Cox as Rider
Michael Smiley as Physician
Montserrat Roig de Puig as Lady in Waiting
Juno Temple as Jane Parker

Directed by Justin Chadwick

"Penelope" Cast
Christina Ricci as Penelope
James McAvoy as Max
Catherine O'Hara as Jessica Wilhern
Reese Witherspoon as Annie
Peter Dinklage as Lemon
Richard E. Grant as Franklin Wilhern
Simon Woods as Edward Vanderman Jr.
Ronni Ancona as Wanda
Jason Thornton as Shane

Directed by Mark Palansky

Analysis:
While comparing a light romantic fantasy and a heavy drama based on historical events might seem like an effort that serves little purpose, two movies opening this weekend have far more in common than might be apparent on the surface. Not only are they both ambitious first features by their respective filmmakers with a mix of known stars and young guns, but in an odd way, both films use arranged marriage as the basis for their plots.

The Boleyn sisters Mary and Anne (Scarlett Johansson, Natalie Portman) receive constant pressure from their uncle to elevate their family's status by seducing the married King of England Henry Tudor (Eric Bana) and winning his heart by giving him a male heir, though their carefully laid plans are plagued by misfortune that leads to misery for their entire family, causing an irrepairable rift between the sisters.

Wealth and status also plays a large part in the plot for "Penelope," starring Christina Ricci as the daughter of a wealthy family who suffers from a long-time family curse that's given her the snout of a pig since birth. Her overprotective mother (Catherine O'Hara) keeps Penelope holed up in their mansion, but desperately tries to find a wealthy suitor who can bear the sight of the girl to finally break the curse. A sleazy tabloid photographer, played by Peter Dinklage, sees a chance to exploit the family's standing by hiring an out of luck gambler (James McAvoy) to pretend he's a suitor and expose the poor girl's deformity.

"Boleyn" clearly has an advantage by being based on a popular novel by Phillipa Gregory and being adapted by Peter Morgan, the award-winning playwright and screenwriter of "The Queen." The sisters' interactions with the king are told in a fairly linear manner, as Anne's brash nature forces the king to set his sights on her younger married sister Mary, who is instructed to allow the king's advances because it's so important to the family's future. After being exiled to France, Anne returns and wins the king over with her newfound wiles, but her inability to bear him a son drives her sanity into a downwards spiral.

Both movies' influences are worn so openly on their sleeves that it's almost impossible to avoid comparisons with far better movies. The opening title sequence from "Boleyn" so similarly resembles the opening of "Elizabeth," a movie that's become a template for how to make a costume drama, and a reference that becomes clearer as the film progresses. Director Mark Palansky gives "Penelope" a distinctive fantasy world using clever and inventive visuals that resemble those of Jean-Pierre Jeunet ("Amelie") or Terry Gilliam, creating an environment that often traverses the line between the whimsical and the outright silly.

It's unclear who thought it would be a wise move to hide Christina Ricci's cuteness behind a hideous pig snout, but even without the distinctive make-up, she's not strong enough as an actress to carry a film like this, so the film relies more on a supporting cast forced to resort to embarrassing slapstick at times. The usually great Catherine O'Hara does a good job getting laughs, as does Richard E. Grant as Penelope's father, but neither has to fall quite as far into the general silliness suffered by James McAvoy, who is as charming as ever despite an awkward American accent.

With a much stronger script to work from, "Boleyn" is driven by another great performance by Natalie Portman that plays to her strengths as an actress, and the richness of her performances tends to overshadow the comparably flat and lifeless performance by Johansson. Eric Bana carries a suitably regal presence as King Henry VIII, but his dashing good looks take away from the illusion of this being the royal best known for his abuse of wives and mistresses alike. Justin Chadwick fills the smaller roles with some of England's finest young talent including Jim Sturgess from "Across the Universe," Eddie Redmayne from "The Good Shepherd" and Benedict Cumberbatch, who played McAvoy's rival in the underrated "Starter for 10." It's hard to find many likeable characters but David Morrissey as the sister's uncle comes closest to an antagonist as he acts like the King's pimp by finding him new women to bed, destroying the sisters' relationship in the process.

If the references to "Elizabeth" in "Boleyn" weren't obvious from the opening, then the closing title epilogue drives home the point by reminding us that the legendary queen was the illegitimate daughter of Anne Boleyn, making this movie somewhat of an unauthorized prequel. Being based on historic events and figures causes the most troubles for "Boleyn" because few will appreciate the film's inference that the current queen's bloodline was derived from Anne's rape by Henry Tudor. The second half of the film gets so dark and ugly as things go from bad to worse to keep with Anne's history, but it's a jarring departure from the romanticism of the first half. The film also sends off mixed messages by having Anne's feminism be overpowered and crushed by the misogyny of the times.

Needless to say, "Penelope" is a far more innocent film, and without having to work from historic groundwork, it's free to explore lighter fairy tale situations. So many characters and ideas are thrown into the mix that the film often feels out of control, even as it tries to maintain a strictly delineated three-act structure. Much of the first half of the movie deals with Penelope's mother trying to find a suitor and her courtship by McAvoy via two-way mirror, while the second act becomes a "fish out of water" story of Penelope leaving her sheltered life to explore the outside world. McAvoy disappears from the picture at this point, replaced by the film's co-producer Reese Witherspoon as Annie, a chatty fast-talking young woman who befriends Penelope. Despite the similarities between Annie and Tracy Flick from "Election," it's a mostly irrelevant character that distracts from the earlier fantasy set-up.

Visually, the films couldn't be more different, but "Boleyn" is surprisingly unflashy and not very glamorous compared to other costume dramas, while "Penelope" is an amazing achievement in production design with gorgeous sets that makes you wonder what Palansky might have done if he helmed "Boleyn" instead, since the extra effort in the visuals will likely be lost on the intended audience for "Penelope."

The Bottom Line:
"Boleyn" is an ambitious film that tries to tell a little known piece of history about two sisters involved with Henry the VIII in an entertaining way, but ultimately fails due to the dark and dreary nature of the final act. In the hands of a more competent director, Peter Morgan's strong script might have been turned into something more memorable. "Penelope" seems like a fairly misguided and flimsy premise, so the fact that it works at all is an achievement in itself, and however one can fault the execution, there's something ironic about its sweet message about accepting one's own faults. Ultimately, neither film is great, though neither is horrendous, and if one had to pick one to see, the strong script and Portman's performance in "The Other Boleyn Girl" allows it to win... but only by a nose.

Semi-Pro (Opening Friday, February 29)

Rating: 7 out of 10
Cast:
Will Ferrell as Jackie Moon
Woody Harrelson as Monix
André Benjamin as Clarence Coffee Black
Maura Tierney as Lynn
DeRay Davis as Bee Bee Ellis
Josh Braaten as Twiggy
Jay Phillips as Scootise Doubleday
Peter Cornell as Vakidis
Andy Richter as Bobby Dee
Andrew Daly as Dick Pepperfield
Will Arnett as Lou Redwood
Kate Luyben as Staci Moon
David Koechner as Commish
Jackie Earle Haley as Dukes
Rob Corddry as Kyle

Review:
Most basketball fans today don't remember the freewheeling days of the ABA, the upstart league of the seventies that tried to challenge the NBA's position as the basketball league with a frantic, streetwise style of play and out of their heads promotions. In "Semi-Pro" the most freewheeling, promotion heavy of them all is Jackie Moon's (Will Ferrell) Flint Tropics, from the unlikely basketball haven of Flint, Michigan.

"Semi-Pro" is an underdog sports comedy in the vein "Major League" but with a far more developed sense of humor. Its probably as close to an ensemble as Ferrell has gotten in a film, ceding most of the main plot points to co-stars Harrelson and Benjamin as a washed up champ and his protégé, which may not have been the best decision as he's still responsible for the majority of the laughs. The ones he's not responsible for come from color commentators Andrew Daly and Will Arnett. In fact, Daly often upstages Ferrell in his own movie with a natural, unassuming delivery that bothers noting the silly things he's actually saying.

Ensemble or not, it is still very much a Will Ferrell movie with a Will Ferrell sense of humor, some of which is more (intentionally) annoying than it is funny as Jackie (like every other Ferrell character ever) is often completely unaware of how ridiculous or outside of everyday norms his behavior is. The idea is to make him so obnoxious he's funny, but this old joke is probably too successful.

That said, first time director Kent Alterman and his screenwriter (and longtime Todd Phillips collaborator) Scot Armstrong have very good instincts. They understand to be truly funny a joke has to be taken to its most extreme conclusion, and then one step further again. Even the most obvious setups and punch lines are made to work when they get taken to the edge for one good unexpected laugh. It's also juvenile as all hell, and that has to be taken into account. If you don't like that sort of thing you'll never like "Semi-Pro," so don't even bother. Which is too bad, because there are a few moments of near brilliance in there, particularly the bear routine, and any time Daly is on screen.

At the same time it's also not as funny as many of Ferrell's recent films, though that has more to do with screen time than anything else. It spends a lot of time with Harrelson's attempts to get back together with his long lost love and recover his (and the team's) self-esteem, all of which is rarely funny (except for a brilliant running gag with Rob Corddry) and extreme perfunctory. It's rare that story gets in the way of the quality of film, but this is one of those cases, mostly because the story and the comedy aren't particularly well integrated. They're two completely separate parts of the film that don't connect at all and it shows.

It also doesn't take as much advantage of its supporting cast as it could. Talented comedians like David Koechner and Andy Richter are left playing straight men, which is just a waste of talent.

"Semi-Pro" isn't the most well-designed of comedies, it's far too disjointed without enough thought given to making it work as a whole, but there are enough genuinely funny moments, especially from upstart Daly, to make it worth a look.

Be Kind Rewind (Opening Friday, February 22)

Rating: 7 out of 10
Cast:
Jack Black as Jerry
Mos Def as Mike
Danny Glover as Mr. Fletcher
Melonie Diaz as Alma
Mia Farrow as Miss Falewicz
Irv Gooch as Wilson
Arjay Smith as Manny
Paul Dinello as Mr. Rooney
Sigourney Weaver as Ms. Lawson
Marcus Carl Franklin as James
Quinton Aaron as Q
P.J. Byrne as Mr. Baker
Blake Hightower as Chris
Chandler Parker as Craig
Gio Perez as Randy
Amir Ali Said
John Tormey as David Harley

Directed by Michel Gondry

Summary:
Not as quirky as Gondry's previous movies but not quite mainstream either, "Be Kind Rewind" has enough heart in the end to make up for the fact that it isn't nearly as funny as its premise might suggest.

Story:
Passaic, New Jersey video store Be Kind Rewind is in danger of being demolished, so its owner Mr. Fletcher (Danny Glover) makes a pilgrimage to find out how to save it, leaving his assistant Mike (Mos Def) in charge of the store, his only edict to "Keep Jerry Out." The Jerry in question (played by Jack Black) is a local troublemaker who proceeds to get himself magnetized and erase every video tape in the store. To keep the business afloat, Mike and Jerry, along with local dry cleaner Alma (Melonie Diaz), proceed to recreate all of the movies themselves hoping that Miss Falewicz (Mia Farrow), who Fletcher has spying on them, won't suspect how badly they've screwed things up.

Analysis:
"Be Kind Rewind" might be seen as filmmaker Michel Gondry's attempt at making a mainstream comedy, and if that was his intention, he still has some ways to go before he'll be seen as more than a quirky French video director with an odd sense of humor. This one has a stronger premise than "Science of Sleep" at least, one supposedly influenced by the story of three teens who made their own version of "Raiders of the Lost Ark"--a story being adapted for the screen by Gondry's pal Dan Clowes--and it offers enough entertaining gags that one can overlook the "everything but the kitchen sink" structure that keeps things from ever being completely coherent.

It doesn't take long to set-up the film's premise, introducing Mike the video store clerk (Mos Def) and his bumbling friend Jerry (Jack Black), who gets himself magnetized when an act of sabotage goes wrong. Once all of the tapes in the store have been erased, it's all about the home-made movies, starting with "Ghostbusters" and then "Rush Hour 2." These slipshod productions are an instant hit, and the idea steamrolls until the demand is greater than their ability to produce the movies, even after bringing in a local drycleaner named Alma (the always adorable Melonie Diaz) to help them in scenes that require kissing.

The very idea of these incompetent filmmakers--not Gondry, but Mike and Jerry--trying to remake these big budget movies including all of the stunts and effects, is pretty ludicrous, and there's a danger of that one central joke getting stale since it's not nearly enough to carry a movie. To make up for it, Gondry throws a barrage of twists into the mix to disrupt Mike and Jerry's thriving business, but it never takes any of these inventive ideas very far, bouncing around while trying to keep things light and whimsical. Surprisingly, a lot of the humor in the first half hour tends to be of the physical or bathroom variety, something unexpected considering the intelligence of Gondry's past efforts.

Even so, it's still very much a character-driven piece about the relationship between these two guys with their community, and Gondry's cast is solid with Mos Def laying back to play the unwitting straight man to Jack Black, who essentially hams it up the whole movie. They both play genuinely likeable characters, and when you add Danny Glover to the mix, you have a trio of strong characters to keep things grounded despite the silliness. It's hard to tell how tightly this film was scripted, since both Black and Def seem to be improvising a lot, especially in the scenes where they're making their movies. Though Mia Farrow is a fine dramatic actress, she seems completely out of her depth doing any sort of improvised comedy, and her character comes across as so dizzy that you might wonder what she is doing in this movie at all.

The film opens with a home-made documentary about local jazz pianist Fats Waller, who Fletcher claims was born in the building where the video store was located, and eventually, it gets back to that, as the entire community gets into the act to tell a story of their surroundings after they're given a wake-up call that their sweded videos are actually illegal. (That revelation comes in the form of a funny cameo appearance.) The whole thing leads to a warm and fuzzy ending, which ends the film abruptly, that you might be left wondering if anything really was properly resolved.

The Bottom Line:
While this clearly won't be to everyone's taste--a tolerance for Jack Black's schtick will go a long way--but those who enjoy quirky comedies should get enough laughs out of Mike and Jerry's antics to make this a fun experience. Anyone looking for something as deep and arty as Gondry's previous work might be confused by his attempted foray into mainstream comedy, although there's enough of Gondry's trademark filmmaking mischief to appease the art school crowd, as well as a sweet message about embracing one's neighborhood and community for everyone else

Charlie Bartlett (Opening Friday, February 22)

Rating: 8 out of 10
Cast:
Anton Yelchin as Charlie Bartlett
Robert Downey Jr. as Mr. Gardner
Hope Davis as Marilyn Bartlett
Kat Dennings as Susan Gardner
Tyler Hilton as Murphey Bivens
Ishan Davé as Henry Freemont
Megan Park as Whitney Drummond
Jonathan Malen as Jordan Sunder
Jake Epstein as Dustin Lauderbach
David Brown as Officer Hansen
Richard Alan Campbell as Dr. Costell
Lauren Collins as Kelly
David Fraser as Dr. Jacob Kaufmann
Judah Katz as Coach

Directed by Jon Poll

Summary:
A surprisingly strong addition to the high school comedy genre with more rounded characters and realistic situations than one normally gets, veering far enough away from the cliches to bring new ideas to a tired old genre.

Story:
After being kicked out of every private school in the area, Charlie Bartlett (Anton Yelchin) is sent to a public high school by his wealthy overly-medicated mother (Hope Davis). There, Charlie must find new ways to make friends and become popular, doing so by offering advice and prescribing medicine to his fellow students. Charlie immediately gets under the skin of the school principal Mr. Gardner (Robert Downey Jr.) but even more when he starts dating his daughter Susan (Kat Dennings).

Analysis:
There have literally been hundreds of high school comedies over the past few decades, so many that it's nearly impossible for any new offering to find its own identity, and in that sense, "Charlie Bartlett" might have some difficulty being seen as more than a throwback to John Hughes' "Ferris Bueller's Day Off."

Charlie (Anton Yelchin) is an industrious youth from wealth who always seems to be getting into trouble since his mother (Hope Davis) doesn't exert enough control over him since his father left the picture for reasons we'll discover later. After being expelled from his umpteenth private school, she sends Charlie to public school where he immediately gets caught up in the cliquish hierarchy of being the low man on the totem poll and an instant target for the school bully Murph (Tyler Hilton) due to his prep school attire, while becoming friendly with Susan, the daughter of the school principal (Robert Downey Jr.). Charlie's mother believes that therapy and medication is the answer to all problems, but Charlie establishes a new level of popularity after selling his prescribed ritalin to his classmates with Murph becoming his partner in crime.

On the one hand, the movie follows the usual high school formula with similarities to "Saved!," "Thumbsucker," "Mean Girls," "Heathers," "3 O'Clock High," but it also has its own distinct charm and personality, mostly coming in the form of Yelchin, who riffs and hams it up through the movie. Sure, when he gets excited, his whiny voice can get grating and hard to take over time, but he does a great job selling this character, offering equal doses of humor and pathos to the point where you can't help but like him, much like a young Tom Cruise or Matthew Broderick.

In possibly one of the better roles of his career, Robert Downey Jr. plays the school's alcoholic principal, nailing what made Paul Gleason and Jeffrey Jones so perfect in their respective '80s movies, but bringing more depth to the character than we often see from the principle in high school comedies. From dealing with a growing teen daughter to maintaining order at his school among students who listen more to Charlie than him, Downey nails this character, especially when he confronts his alcoholism--yes, there's some irony in there, which allows Downey some closure on that chapter of his life. In fact, Downey's very presence elevates the movie above normal Hollywood teen fare and he has some great scenes with Yelchin and with Katt Dennings ("The 40-Year-Old Virgin") who plays his teen daughter. The same can be said for Hope Davis as Charlie's batty medicated mother, not a particularly original character, but Davis gives it the much-needed edge to make her scenes very funny. At times, the movie seems to be as much about the relationship between Downey and his daughter than Charlie and his mom, but the comparisons are there to be made for those who choose to delve deeper into the contrasts.

Dennings is cute but annoying at times and her romantic scenes with Yelchin are the weakest moments of the movie—yes, the young actor once again loses his virginity in this movie as he has in every other one of his movies. It's also odd that they'd cast an actress who clearly can't sing in a role that includes a subplot about her singing. On the other hand, the most pleasant surprise comes in the form of singer/songwriter Tyler Hilton as the bully Murph, a well-rounded role with a full story arc that deviates from the normal high school bully types.

"Charlie Bartlett" is an impressive debut from Jon Poll, who co-produced and edited some of Jay Roach's comedies, and he keeps things entertaining by creating an intricate series of subplots involving Charlie and the supporting characters. This isn't entirely a comedy, since it also deals with the real issues faced by today's teens, but it understands how to keep things light and entertaining without veering so far from reality that you're taken out of the story.

At times, the movie tends to get predictable and preachy and by the end, things go into far darker territory than one might expect after the light humor from earlier. For the most part, every scene adds something to the overall story rather than merely being filler, adding up to a movie that's far smarter than the genre normally delivers. The film's R-rating for drug use and teen sex is a shame, since it's the type of movie that teens will be able to relate to, and sadly those who might get the most out of it might not be allowed to see it