A warning though, while there is no frontal nudity, there are a lot of sexual references and innuendos that may not be appropriate for younger audiences.

Another warning, if you see this movie with your wife/girlfriend/date, you may end up discussing any “problems” or “issues” in your relationship.
 

(My spoiler free review)

The sights in Bora Bora are amazing, the cast is really good, and the script is well-written… but as I’ve wrote before, for me the greatness of this movie may be a victim of its marketing campaign – some of the funniest moments are in the trailers and tv spots.

Don’t get me wrong, this movie is funny, and most audiences will be hearing and seeing these jokes for the first time, but there are some jokes that are also predictable… its a good thing this movie also has a story like “The Hangover” and is not just a series of jokes and pranks, but unlike “The Hangover” this movie doesn’t really surprise or create something we haven’t seen before in other comedies.

Vaughn, Bateman, John Favreau, Faizon Love, Malin Ackerman, Kristen Bell, Kristin Davis and the rest of the cast are great… everyone creates a memorable character and the movie delivers a ton of one-liners.

The movie does entertain and does make you laugh, but its not my favorite comedy of the year, it could make my top five… we’ll see with 4 months left… its on the bubble.

FYI – While there are no bloopers during creditrs like some comedies, there is a short scene at the end of the credits.

THE BOTTOM LINE:

A fun and entertaining movie, with a great cast of comedic actors, but it falls a little short of expectations… I give it 7.5 out of 10 … the one-liners and some very funny moments elevate this movie a half-point.

“Couples Retreat”

(2009) (rated: PG-13 on appeal for sexual content and language (originally Rated R for some sexual material))
(1 hr, 47 min)

Starring: Vince Vaughn, Jason Bateman, Faizon Love, Jon Favreau, Malin Akerman, Kristen Bell, Kristin Davis, Kali Hawk, Carlos Ponce, Peter Serafinowicz, Jean Reno, Temuera Morrison, John Michael Higgins, Ken Jeong, Charlotte Cornwell, Amy Hill

Director: Peter Billingsley
Writers: Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn

Genre: Comedy

The Plot: A comedy centered around four couples who settle into a tropical-island resort for a vacation. While one of the couples is there to work on the marriage, the others fail to realize that participation in the resort’s therapy sessions is not optional.

So what did you think?  Please post a comment!

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“Couples Retreat” poster courtesy Universal Pictures

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“Star Wars” nerds, geeks, dorks, freaks, … or… fanboys, as I would more loving call myself… are going to love this movie.

Eventhough this movie took years to be released from concept to 5 different release dates (see below)… I think in the end for anyone with legitimate Star Wars interest and also children of the 1980’s… this movie was worth the wait.
 

(Spoiler-free !!!)  The core intended audience of “Fanboys” are fans of the Star Wars franchise… but even those with a love of Star Wars without the “geek” level knowledge of the Star Wars universe will also enjoy this movie.

Its a road trip movie about Star Wars fans, produced by and starring some Star Wars fans, devoted to Star Wars fans… which means Trekkies should be on alert.

The movie centers on two friends who lost touch but reunite in 1998 in the months before the release of “Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace” and their journey is motivated by one of the friends’ diagnosis of terminal cancer… making the trip to Skywalker Ranch essential because the friend may not live to actually see the movie in theaters.

The film was originally scheduled to be released in August 2007, but it was pushed back to January 2008 because of a larger budget allocated to director Kyle Newman to shoot additional scenes.  But, as the story goes, the re-shoot director cut out the cancer motivation in the storyline, but it was later added back in after Newman compiled the final cut of the movie.  The new release date was scheduled for September 2008, but two weeks before its release, another new release date was announced for November 2008.   After being pushed back again, the final release date was moved to February 6, 2009.

“Fanboys” has all the right “Star Wars” references, cliches, and cameos (I won’t spoil it here)… and not too many that could make it cheesy or a flat out joke aimed at “Star Wars” fans.  This movie had us laughing throughout, but not just for the non-stop “Star Wars” references (and even the pop quizes that I aced)… but also for the 1980’s references and the settings that transported us back to 1998.  

The one-liners and “Star Wars” references will keep you laughing and so will the references to movies like “Top Gun”, “Dirty Dancing”, ”THX 1138″, and “Back to the Future” and TV shows like “Alf”, “Night Court”, “G.I. Joe” and “Scooby Doo”.

The cast that was put together were mostly unknowns at the time, but since shooting this movie, Kristen Bell has gone on to “Heroes” (NBC), Craig Robinson and David Denman are known for their roles on “The Office” (NBC), Ethan Suplee is Earl’s brother on “My Name is Earl” (NBC), and Will Forte is an even bigger name these days on “Saturday Night Live” (NBC).     Seth Rogen has starred in “Superbad” (2007), “Knocked Up” (2007), “Zack and Miri Make a Porno” (2008), “Pineapple Express” (2008), and “Kung Fu Panda” (2008)… Jay Baruchel starred in “Tropic Thunder” (2008)…   Dan Fogler was in “Balls of Fury” (2007) and “Good Luck Chuck” (2007)… and Sam Huntington is in “Tug”, a movie shot in Holland, Michigan and produced by TicTock Studios, set for release sometime in 2009.

THE BOTTOM LINE:

 This felt like a real group of friends and a real group of “Star Wars” fans on screen and behind the camera that wanted to take special care that this movie would be great.  As a devoted fan of the “Star Wars” franchise, I no doubt like this movie more than the general public… I give it 8.5 out of 10… probably a full rating point higher than most of you would give it.    I’m just being honest.    Sure its not cinematic masterpiece, but it is a fun ride with some funny jokes for anyone who gets “Star Wars”.

 ”Fanboys”

(2009) (rated: PG-13 for pervasive crude and sexual material, language and drug content) (1 hr, 30 min)

Starring: Sam Huntington, Chris Marquette, Dan Fogler, Jay Baruchel, Kristen Bell, David Denman, Christopher McDonald, Seth Rogen, Danny Trejo, Ethan Suplee, Will Forte, Craig Robinson, Danny McBride, and several cameos I don’t want to spoil !!!

Director: Kyle Newman

Genre: Comedy/Adventure/Road Trip

The Plot: “Star Wars” fans travel to Skywalker Ranch to steal an early copy of “Episode I: The Phantom Menace”.

So what did you think?  Please post a comment!

 
“Fanboys” poster courtesy The Weinstein Company

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“Forgetting Sarah Marshall” – Hard to Forget

“Forgetting Sarah Marshall” is a fun *adult*-comedy… more than just raunchy jokes and sexual inuendos from a cast of familiar young faces from many of TV’s top shows….  this ranks right up there with “There’s Something About Mary”, “Knocked Up”, and “Superbad” in R-Rated Comedies….   but I do have one problem… a problem that makes this movie fall just short of a 7/10 rating…

 “Forgetting Sarah Marshall”

starring Jason Segel (”How I Met Your Mother”), Kristen Bell (”Heroes”), Mila Kunis (”That 70’s Show”), Russell Brand, Bill Hader (“Saturday Night Live”), Jonah Hill (”Superbad”/”Knocked Up”)