11/20/08

Bob's Big Screen

Summer comedies for fall viewing

By Bob Connally

Summer movies have a certain vibe that doesn't always translate well to the more serious fall season. These two comedies, both starring guys named Will, may fare better if viewed on a sunny day.

Hancock

(PG-13, Avail. 11/25)

In terms of what we, as Americans, like to do for fun on the Fourth of July, there are baseball games, barbecues, fireworks and, perhaps most popular of all, going to a Will Smith movie. I am a fan of all of these things.

Smith's latest Fourth of July offering was the superhero comedy "Hancock," in which he plays a lazy, drunken slob with superpowers who only seems to inspire hate among the very citizens he protects on a regular basis. From the very beginning, this film is interesting because Hancock's identity is known to the whole world. He doesn't sneak around like Peter Parker, Bruce Wayne or Clark Kent.

The opening sequence, which sees Hancock putting an end to a car chase in a way the police cannot, is a great introduction to the character. He gets the job done, but he manages to do more harm than good. The public outcry against him, while funny, is essentially ripped straight out of "The Incredibles."

No one seems to like Hancock at all. That is, until he saves the life of PR man Ray Embry (Jason Bateman). Over dinner with Ray's wife Mary (Charlize Theron) and their son Aaron (Jae Head), Hancock is told, "People should love you." It's apparent to Ray that this is what Hancock wants, even if the superhero doesn't show it. Ray is determined to take Hancock's image from reviled to accepted to loved.

Written by Vince Gilligan ("The X-Files") and Vincent Ngo, and directed by Peter Berg ("The Kingdom," "Friday Night Lights"), "Hancock" is a film that blends comedy and action mostly with success. The handheld cinematography is an interesting choice for this kind of film, though it doesn't always work.

The performances are all very good. Smith plays a variation on the character he usually plays, but the man is so charismatic that it just doesn't matter. I can't think of another actor working today who can bring an audience along with him so readily. We believe him, no matter what.

Even though she's an Oscar winner, Theron still seems to be underestimated and she does a terrific job here as Ray's conflicted wife. Bateman manages to make honest integrity genuinely funny, which is harder than it looks. For "Arrested Development" fans, the Bateman-Theron relationship will cause immediate laughter, though there is no sign of Wee Britain in "Hancock."

Finally, the movie offers a big plot twist that shows up about two-thirds of the way through. Suffice it to say, it is a very big surprise. I had a little trouble with it at first, but it eventually grew on me.

"Hancock" is a very entertaining movie with plenty of laughs and some good explosions. And when it's a Will Smith movie on the Fourth of July (or late November), that's all I'm asking for. 7.5/10.

Step Brothers

(R, Avail. 12/2)

There is a fine art to making dumb comedy work. "Dodgeball," "Blades of Glory," "Walk Hard," and the "Citizen Kane" of dumb comedy, "Pootie Tang," took a lot more skill to pull off than meets the eye. Of course, do dumb comedy wrong and you end up with "Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector."

Happily, "Step Brothers" is no "Larry." But it's no "Citizen Tang" either.

"Step Brothers" tells the tale of Brennan Huff (Will Ferrell) and Dale Doback (John C. Reilly), two middle-aged men who never grew up, and who end up sharing a bedroom when their parents get married. Brennan's mom Nancy (Mary Steenburgen) and Dale's dad Robert (Richard Jenkins) have each been able to put up with one slacker, sleepwalking son, but two proves too many. It doesn't help that the guys hate each other.

After a series of childish shenanigans in which the boys almost kill each other, the parents decide Brennan and Dale are going to get jobs and get out. Finally, the two bond when Dale punches Brennan's overachieving brother Derek (Adam Scott) in the face, which Brennan has clearly wanted to do for a long time. Unfortunately for Nancy and Robert, the guys becoming best friends only exacerbates the situation.

Ferrell co-wrote the screenplay with director Adam McKay ("Anchorman," "Talladega Nights"). Like those films, "Step Brothers" is a movie where a whole lot of gags are thrown at the wall. Fewer things stick in this movie than in the previous ones. As the title characters, Ferrell and Reilly play off each other well, but the man-child bit gets annoying more often than I would have hoped.

A few times I found myself sympathizing with Jenkins' character, who nearly gets the whole family into a collision reaching for the backseat to throttle the boys. Jenkins gives a funny performance in what could have been a thankless role.

The real standout is Scott as the smug Derek. He's made brief but memorable appearances in "Knocked Up," an episode of "Veronica Mars," and has a hilarious scene in the unfairly maligned "Art School Confidential." He really gets a chance to shine here and is easily the best thing in the whole movie.

This is not among Ferrell's better efforts, though it certainly towers over "Semi-Pro." Reilly is one of the most versatile actors on the planet and also one of the funniest. He's fine here, but he's done better things and most definitely will again in the future. Also, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Jon Brion's music. It's subtle, but as always, Brion does a terrific job.

It's not consistent by any stretch, but enough things hit that it's worth a rental if you're interested. 6.5/10.

Other New Releases

November 25

24: Redemption

Fred Claus (PG)

2008 Philadelphia Phillies: The Official World Series Film*

A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All

Bottle Rocket: Criterion Collection

Becket (Blu-Ray)

December 2

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (PG)

Wanted (R)

The X-Files: I Want to Believe (PG-13)

* Congratulations, Jamie Moyer!