My Nerdiness Is Showing

I'll admit it, I got a little excited while watching this Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows sneak peak...

My Two-Cents on Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

So, I watched Half-Blood Prince again (yes, I'm a nerd), and it was drastically better the second time around. I'm still not going to claim that it's the best of the series, but it did become one of the better installments once I had the chance to sit back and enjoy it again.

I still feel that the movie is uneven because there is so much time spent on the angsty teenage love stories. The whole Ron-Lavender-Hermione love triangle started to wear a bit thin, and I could have done without a few of the scenes like the necklace/vomit scene. Sure, it was short but it was unnecessary and it chewed up valuable screen time.

Also, I felt that the Harry/Ginny relationship was awkward and forced. I knew it'd be tricky to pull off the subplot since a lot of it takes place in Harry's head, which is hard to translate to the screen, but some of the scenes were just odd (who ties someone's shoes?!?!). There were a few highlights though, like when he stands for her when she approaches the table, and I think the kiss was better than it was in the book.

I'm not against the romantic elements per se, but they just took up too much time which could have been spent on giving more of Tom Riddle's backstory (two memories were not enough), and more of the Half-Blood Prince mystery. The same can be said about the quidditch scenes. I've never been a huge fan of quidditch in the movies, so I was a little bummed that some of the more important plotlines were sacrificed in the end.

The end was also a little anticlimactic. I know that Yates decided against putting in the first Battle of Hogwarts to avoid repetition in Deathly Hallows, but the end needed an epic action sequence to set up Dumbledore's death. Instead we see him fall, the Death Eaters walk through the castle with zero resistance, and Harry gives a brief chase. Even the reaction to Dumbledore's death lacked something. Heck, Cedric's death seemed to affect people more than the Head Master's.

With all of that being said, I was won over by the movie because it had some well-timed humor that rivaled Goblet of Fire, and the story is still one of my favorites. Also, I was glad to see that most of Luna's appearances were kept in tact because she's hands down one of the best characters in the books.

I even like the tacked on attack on the Burrow. I know most purists probably didn't care for it, but I thought it worked perfectly because it makes the danger real. It's one thing to see the bridge collapse, but it's a totally different thing when you see these characters you have grown to care about be attacked in their own home. Plus, it added some well-timed suspense due to the fact that the Death Eaters were concealed by the field. Also, it's a good replacement for the wedding scene in Deathly Hallows since it's pretty clear that it's going to get cut.

Another positive was Alan Rickman's evolution as Snape. The character lost some of his edge in the movie, but Rickman's performance set up Snape's storyline in Deathly Hallows, and it will make him more sympathetic, which will make it easier for casual movie goers to get behind him. Kudos should also go to Jim Broadbent (Professor Slughorn) and Jessie Cave (Lavender Brown).

So, Half-Blood Prince is far from perfect (but which adaptation is perfect), but it has definitely moved up on my rankings of the films. Right now, it's neck and neck with Goblet of Fire, but I wouldn't be surprised if it makes a jump in the future.

My Harry Potter Knee-Jerk Reactions

I had the chance to see Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince today, and my initial thoughts are torn. On one hand, this installment had a great combination of light comedy and dark elements. One the other hand, it just felt too uneven due to all of the romantic scenes. I didn't have the chance to re-read the book prior to seeing the movie, and it might have been heavy on the PDA, but some of the lovey dovey stuff in the film just felt unnecessary and forced. Also, my favorite parts of the book, Tom Riddle's backstory and the Half-Blood Prince plot, were glossed over. I would have gladly traded some of the Ron-Lavendar-Herminoe love triangle stuff and the Quidditch scenes for more Half-Blood Prince and memory scenes.

With all of that being said, I know that I need at least one more viewing before I officially make up my mind about the flick. All I can say is I wasn't as wowed by Half-Blood Prince like I was when I saw Order of the Phoenix or Prisoner of Azkaban. Then again, part of me was expecting to not like the movie, so maybe my biases are just taking over.

My Two-Cents on the Harry Potter Movies

In honor of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince opening wide in a few hours, I decided to repost my rankings of and opinions on the first five Harry Potter movies. I'll also be adding my thoughts on HBP sometime after Wednesday.

1. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - Oddly enough one of my least favorite books in the series has become the best movie to date. OotP is by far the most grown-up movie so far, not just in terms of theme and story, but it terms of how the film is shot. David Yates really made the Harry Potter Universe his own and has created the most visually appealing film. Sure, it's not a perfect adaptation because there were elements that had to sacrificed, but overall this latest installment is by far the best.

2. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - The PoA movie will always be my all-time favorite HP flick mostly because it was the movie that got me hooked on Harry Potter. Up until Prisoner of Azkaban I had only watched the movies. I did try reading the book prior to this movie, but I couldn't get in to it. This story had some great themes and plot twists that just drew me in. I read the book after watching this movie (at least 5 times in the theaters) and I was a goner.

3. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - GoF is by far my least favorite book in the series. I was not intrigued by the Tri-Wizard Tournament stuff and don't get me started on the whole SPEW subplot. I just felt the book strayed too far away from the whole basis of the series, Voldemort. Sure he's there at the start and the end, but very little is said about him throughout the book. So why is the GoF movie so highly ranked? First, the visuals were fantastic. While the book was a bit boring, I always knew the movie would be action packed, and I wasn't disappointed. I also applauded the graveyard scene because I feel that's where the series really takes off. Also, the scene where Harry brings Cedric's body back still gives me chills. Sure, I would have kept the whole Impostor Moody twist closer to the book, but that's just me being nit-picky. Plus, it's the HP movie with the most humor.

4. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - It was Chamber of Secrets that convinced me that the Harry Potter stories were not just for kids. This film shows how dark the world of Harry Potter can be. The ending of CoS will always be one of my favorites. There is just something uber creepy about Tom Riddle and how he uses the diary to posses Ginny.

5. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - The movie did a decent job at translating the book on to the screen. Chris Columbus did a good job at setting up the foundation with a fairly spot-on adaptation of the book. Overall, it was a decent film but nothing too spectacular in my opinion.

I'm excited for the new film, but I did hear that there is a lot of romance, and I'm not quite sure how that's going to work itself out. In the end, I really liked the book, and I just hope that the movie does it some justice.

My Brothers Bloom

I stumbled across the trailer for The Brothers Bloom on Hulu, and it looks pretty entertaining. Too bad it's coming out this summer, and will probably be buried by all of the big budget blockbusters.



I'll definitely be checking out Bloom because con-man movies are always a pretty safe bet, and the sneak preview kind of reminds me of Pushing Daisies, which is also can't miss unless it's on network TV that is.

My Fanaticism is Back

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Trailer


All I can say after watching the new Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince trailer is, "wow". It looks pretty intense, and it has the chance to become the best HP movie yet, but then again I said the same thing about The Order of the Phoenix. Either way, I'm really impressed with what David Yates has done with the franchise. I'm excited to see what he has in store for Deathly Hallows, but that would mean the end...

My Movie Marathon

So, my weekend's pretty free aside from some research that I have to do for my final paper (which I'll probably put off despite telling myself not to), and I've decided to have a male-angst movie marathon.

Now, there are tons of things that men have to be uneasy about, but one takes the cake...the ladies. So, for my marathon I've picked a few movies that depict how crazy guys can get over a woman, and they cover multiple life stages:

Pre-teen/Teen: Little Manhattan
Early 20s: I'm Reed Fish
Mid/Late 20s: Garden State
Early 30s: The Last Kiss
Mid 30s: Numb
Late 30s: Stranger than Fiction
Early 40s: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

I'm in for one heck of a weekend.

My Must-See Vampire Flick - Part 2

For my birthday, I watched Let the Right One In for the second time with a friend, and I'm still convinced that this movie was the best vampire film (if not one of the best overall films) of 2008. I posted my initial review a few months back, but I just wanted to show it some more love.

P.S. - It's coming out on DVD this Tuesday, so everyone had better put it in your Netflix queue!

My Public Enemies

Looks pretty sweet...

My Half-Blood Prince

I don't want to sound like all of those other fanboys, but I'm getting excited for the new HP movie.

My Whocaresies (aka Oscar Night 2009)

So, the 2009 Oscars are done, and I almost missed them because I forgot that they were this weekend. Whoops.

Overall, it was an adequate awards show. There weren't any shockers when it came to the winners, but the show itself was entertaining despite being long and a bit over done. The biggest change that I really enjoyed was how they had five former winners in each of the acting categories name the nominees and winners. It was like they were welcoming new members into the brother/sisterhood, and it was a better approach than having last year's winners present the opposite award (e.g. Best Actor presenting Best Actress). I could have done without some of the musical numbers, but the comedy was sharp, and I had a good time watching.

Hugh Jackman was OK as the host. He was a little more topical and broad compared to Jon Stewart and Chris Rock, but he was more of a showman which made it slightly more lively.

Outside of the actual production, nothing else really shocked me. I predicted that Mickey Rourke was going to win for The Wrestler, but I was far from surprised when Sean Penn took the prize for Milk. Slumdog Millionaire's dominance just completed the film's clean sweep this awards season, so nothing out of the ordinary there. I guess the biggest surprise was Waltz with Bashir not winning Best Foreign Film, but that was about it.

So, it was a fun although bloated night for the Academy Awards, and I'm excited for 2010 after seeing the closing montage of upcoming releases.

My Two-Cents on 'The Wrestler'

THERE WILL BE SPOILERS:

All I can say about "The Wrestler" is that I'm torn about it. On one hand Rourke deserves all of the hype and praise for his performance. The same can be said about Tomei, but maybe to a lesser extent. It also was a slice of real life, but maybe it was a little too real.

On the other hand, I didn't quite agree with all of the plot points. For example, we see Randy "The Ram" trying to make amends with his estranged daughter, and he wins her back with this heart-wrenching speech just to let her down once again. I know this is supposed to be a gritty, character drama about a flawed man, but why did he have to be the stereotypical "deadbeat dad"? I even remember saying to myself, "Don't f-ck this up", and of course he did.

Then, he spends the rest of the movie trying to woo this stripper, and when she finally tells him that she's there for him in order to keep him from potentially killing himself in the ring, he just blows her off. Why should we care about this guy when he obviously doesn't care about anyone else? Yes, he's tragic, and yes he's at a crossroad, but he clearly goes down the wrong path. I was expecting more focus on his relationships, and maybe a bit more feel-goodiness.

Now, I don't think all movies should have happy endings, heck I usually love movies with down endings, but I was expecting to feel a little bit better than I did when I walked out of the theater. Also, the ending left me a little unsatisfied, which is a little odd since I usually like unconventional endings (like No Country for Old Men). I guess I just had a different movie in my head, and I felt that the trailer really jerked me around.

Overall, it was good movie with amazing characters and performances, but I wasn't as emotionally invested like I was expecting to be.

My Knee-Jerk Oscar Thoughts

REVISED: 1/24/09
Best Picture
I'm glad that The Dark Knight was left out of the Best Picture race, but I was expecting the film to get nominated for directing. Ah well, I'm just glad that all of the fanboys have their panties in a bunch, but they shouldn't be surprised because TDK never had a shot.

My Predictions: 5/5

Best Director
Again, I was a little surprised that Nolan didn't get any love for TDK, and Stephen Daldry (The Reader) got the nod instead, but that's probably because I haven't seen The Reader yet. Maybe he did a better job.

My Predictions: 4/5

Best Leading Actor
I'm kicking myself because I took Richard Jenkins (The Visitor) out of my top 5, but I knew I was going to be wrong one way or the other when I picked Clint Eastwood (Gran Torino). I'm actually glad I was wrong because Jenkins was a part of a smaller film that was released really early in the year. I'm glad the Academy remembered him.

My Predictions: 4/5

Best Leading Actress
I was also a little surprised that Kate Winslet received only one nod for The Reader. I was expecting the double nomination, but I'll live. Usually, Best Actress is my weakest category when it comes to predictions, but I didn't do too badly this time around. I'm a little surprised that Sally Hawkins (Happy-Go-Lucky) didn't make it, but that's because there was a lot of buzz around that performance versus very little for Melissa Leo and Frozen River.

My Predictions: 3.5/5

Best Supporting Actor
I wasn't really surprised that Dev Patel didn't get a nomination for Slumdog Millionaire, and I haven't seen Revolutionary Road yet, so I can't comment on Michael Shannon's nom. Again, it really doesn't matter because Heath Ledger's going to win this one.

My Predictions: 4/5

Best Supporting Actress
Damn the Academy for only giving Winslet one nomination because they messed up my Supporting Actress picks. Had I known she was going to get a Leading Actress nom for The Reader, I would have totally put Henson (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) in my top 5.

My Predictions: 4/5

Best Original Screenplay
My best category in the past became my weakest this year. To be honest, I wasn't expecting to do that well this time around. I'm glad In Bruges got some love.

My Predictions: 2/5

Best Adapted Screenplay
I did surprisingly well with my picks for Adapted Screenplay, but I was expecting more love for The Dark Knight. Again, I haven't seen The Reader, so I cannot comment on it's nod.

My Predictions: 4/5

Best Animated Feature
I'm kicking myself again because I had Bolt on my preliminary list, but was sure Waltz with Bashir was going to pull a Persepolis. In the end, I'm sure Bashir is happier with its Best Foreign Language nom over the less prestigious Animated one.

My Predictions: 2/3

Overall, I didn't do to badly with my predictions this year, and I'm fairly happy with what the Academy nominated this time around. Sure, people are going to be all pissy because of The Dark Knight's "snubs", but I'm sure the geeks and nerds will live. For the record, I really liked TDK, but I never thought it was an Oscar contender.

I'm going to go out on a limb and predict that this is going to be Slumdog Millionaire's year, and while it may not sweep like it did at the Globes, it will probably be going home with Best Picture, and I'm OK with that.

My 2009 Oscar Predictions

Every year I feebly attempt to predict the Oscar nominations, and I do a decent job for the most part. With that being said, I'm not too confident with this years picks, mostly because I still haven't seen a lot of the buzz-worthy films compared to years past. But tradition is tradition, so here goes:

Best Picture
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire *WINNER*

NOTES: It was really tough to put together the final five for this year's Best Picture. I went back and forth between having The Dark Knight on the list, but I couldn't make myself do it. I don't think TDK was one of the five best movies this year. The final battle was between The Reader and Doubt, and Holocaust movies tend to be preferred by the Academy. Then again, WALL-E could surprise us all and do what only Beauty and the Beast has done before, and I'd be on board with that.

Best Director
Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire *WINNER*
David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard, Frost/Nixon
Christopher Nolan, The Dark Knight
Gus Van Sant, Milk

NOTES: I feel pretty good about this category. I could possibly see Nolan being snubbed in favor of Darren Aronofsky (The Wrestler), but I do feel that Knight will have some praise even if it doesn't get a Best Pic nod. Eastwood could also end up being a major player with Gran Torino, which I'd be OK with since Torino was way better than Million Dollar Baby in my opinion.

Best Actor in a Leading Role
Clint Eastwood, Gran Torino
Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn, Milk
Brad Pitt, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Micky Rourke, The Wrestler *WINNER*

NOTES: I was really close to having Leonardo DiCaprio (Revolutionary Road) on my final five list, and then I switched him our for Richard Jenkins (The Visitor). I went back and forth, and finally took them both out for Clint Eastwood. The Academy loves Dirty Harry, and since this may be his final on-screen work they might honor him with a nom.

Best Actress in a Leading Role
Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky
Angelina Jolie, Changeling
Meryl Streep, Doubt
Kate Winslet, Revolutionary Road *WINNER*

NOTES: The Actress categories have always been my weakness, so I'm never expect to do well. I'm pretty sure Jolie, Streep, and Winslet are locks, so I'm hoping to go 3 out of 5 which isn't too bad.

Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Josh Brolin, Milk
Robert Downey, Jr., Tropic Thunder
Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Doubt
Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight *WINNER*
Dev Patel, Slumdog Millionaire

NOTES: I struggled to put Brolin in over Franco since they were both great in Milk, but I don't see both of them getting in. Personally, I'd like to see Franco get the nom, but Brolin's character was more tragic which may give him the edge. I also put Dev Patel in at the last minute because I think the world is in love with Slumdog, and he's been getting a lot of other nominations so he may sneak in. In the end it doesn't matter because Ledger is pretty much guaranteed to win.

Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Amy Adams, Doubt
Penelope Cruz, Vicky Christina Barcelona
Viola Davis, Doubt
Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler
Kate Winslet, The Reader *WINNER*

NOTES: I actually feel pretty confident with these picks. The only hiccup maybe Tomei being left out for Taraji P. Henson (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button).

Best Original Screenplay
Burn After Reading
Milk *WINNER*
The Visitor
WALL-E
The Wrestler

NOTES: This is usually my strongest category, but I'm not too confident this year mostly because there were a lot of good screenplays. I could see WALL-E being snubbed, but that wouldn't make sense to me since it was better than Ratatouille which got a nom in this category. There's not a clear cut favorite like last year's Juno, so it could be an interesting year for the writers.

Best Adapted Screenplay
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Doubt
Frost/Nixon
Slumdog Millionaire *WINNER*

NOTES: I'm pretty confident with these five, but I could see Doubt being swapped out for The Reader or maybe Revolutionary Road (albeit less likely). Slumdog is the heavy favorite in this category.

Best Animated Feature
WALL-E *WINNER*
Waltz with Bashir
Kung-Fu Panda

NOTES: The Animated category is no longer just for kiddie fare thanks to last year's Persepolis getting the nod. I think Waltz with Bashir could do the same this year, but it's going to be hard to beat WALL-E.

So, there you have it. We'll see how well I did in a few hours. I can't wait!

My Oscar Predictions...

...are coming soon. I'm planning on a Oscar Buzz Movie Marathon later today, so hopefully I'll have a better idea of which films are going to get the nod.

My Two-Cents on Let the Right One In

I was finally able to catch Let the Right One In, and I'm glad I did since it's only at one theater at a time here in Portland, which is kinda sad since you can spit and hit a showing of Twilight. Now, I can't objectively say anything about Twilight because I haven't read the book, and probably will never watch the movie, but I cannot understand why someone would pick that movie over the superior Let the Right One In. Well, if you're a tween who cannot name a quality movie, then you'd might prefer Twilight, but I digress.

To label Let the Right One In as just a vampire movie is a huge disservice. This film is ultimately a bittersweet, coming of age, love story that has some vampirism thrown in for good measure. The movie is set in a stark, yet oddly beautiful Swedish landscape that really becomes a character unto itself, and it revolves around the budding friendship and romance between two twelve year olds, Oskar and Eli. Throughout the film, you feel the pain and isolation that sometimes comes along with growing up. You get to know these characters, and you feel for them, even though you know the deck is stacked against them. The relationship between the youths is organic and real, which makes you forget that you're watching a movie about a vampire.

The vampire components were almost secondary to me. Sure, there was some creepiness, violence, and gore throughout the film, but it all took a backseat to the bond that was developing between Oskar & Eli. Once you wipe away all of the blood, you get to see the heart that is the foundation of the movie.

I mentioned earlier that the landscape becomes its own character because you really experience the frigidness that the characters must be feeling, but the way it is shot is magnificent. The setting is cold, white, bleak, but beautiful at the same time. The cinematography in this film was phenomenal and probably the best I've seen in a long time.

The acting was good, but nothing too outstanding with the exception of Lina Leandersson who played the vampire Eli. She was able to create a character that was creepy while still being endearing, which is not an easy task.

Overall, Let the Right One In is probably one of the best movies (not just the best vampire movie) that I've seen in the last couple of years; definitely one of the best of the year. If you want to see a good vampire love story, PLEASE seek out this movie over Twilight.

My Fanaticism is Returning

For a while there I was ashamed to call myself a Harry Potter fan after geeky fanboys and girls raised a fuss about Warner Bros. deciding to push back the release date for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. I still don't mind that WB made the move, but the HP fan inside me was pumped after seeing the new trailer:



It would have been cool to see the flick a week ago, but at least I have something to look forward to this July.

My Pick for Must-See Vampire Flick

Why watch Twilight (which looks like a vampire version of The Covenant), when you can see Let the Right One In

My Two-Cents on Bond, James Bond

This afternoon, I checked out the new James Bond film, Quantum of Solace, and I wanted to share a few thoughts, but I also wanted to re-visit my take on Casino Royale, so I skimmed through my blog on Myspace to find my initial review of CR:

I was a little surprised that Casino Royale was able to rack up a 94% fresh rating according to rottentomatoes.com. The reason I was a little surprised is because I've never seen the appeal of James Bond. The 007 Franchise is one that I've never been able to get behind. To be fair, I've never really given the movies much of a chance. Casino Royale is only the second Bond flick I've ever watched (the other one being GoldenEye). I've always pictured Bond as a stuffed shirt, pretty boy with some really cool toys. The older movies either seemed too silly and unbelievable, so I never paid them too much attention.

Casino Royale changes all of that. This Bond movie is grittier, darker, and more realistic. Daniel Craig works because he does not look like your cookie-cutter Bond, and this is not your cookie-cutter Bond movie. Craig is still charming, but his Bond has depth, baggage, and a mean streak. He's pretty much a badass.

This flick also works because it focuses more on story and character development and less on cool gadgets and blowing stuff up. I liked the reboot approach that was taken with Casino Royale because it makes Bond human. We get a little glimpse at what makes Bond click. We get to see a little bit of his back-story. We get to see the man before he puts on the tux. This is similar to the approach that we saw with Batman Begins. We get to see James Bond become 007 just like we saw Bruce Wayne become Batman.

The lack of toys and ludicrous action sequences does not mean that this movie is boring. There are some great fight scenes (the chase through a construction site was worth the ticket alone), some good chuckles, and a love story to boot.

There are some flaws with this installment. The movie went a little too long and had a Return of the King feel because it could have ended two or three times before the actual credits rolled. The opening credits seemed a little too campy. I also did not like Texas Hold'em being substituted for baccarat. Sure, poker's more popular but there's something iconic about seeing Bond play baccarat.

Overall, I enjoyed Casino Royale. It didn't make me want to go out and watch the previous 20 flicks, but I will be watching Bond 22 when it comes out.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Now, on to QoS. This was a nice follow-up to Casino Royale, but it did not reach the high bar that was set by its predecessor. Sure, this installment has some great action sequences, fights, and amazingly hot women, but it really didn't add much to this new Bond.

The story was a little weak, and the villain was not as menacing as other baddies that have been introduced to cinema, but they serve their purposes. It's been said that QoS is the second part of a Bond trilogy, and that's what it feels like. You get some closure, but ultimately it's a bridge to the next chapter, which should be on par with Casino Royale.

Solace's strength relies again on Daniel Craig's portrayal of Bond. He's still brooding, vengeful, and dark but still a badass. He's also able to toss in some well-timed dark humor, which is never a bad thing. I know that I'm totally biased and uninformed, but Craig's Bond is by far the best in my book (NOTE: I've never seen a Connery Bond film, so let's not even debate). This is not your father's Bond, but that's a good thing because the character has new life. I love how people are bitching about the new Bond is more like Jason Bourne than the Bond of old, but wasn't that the point of the reboot? I have three words for them: get over it. It's kind of like people saying they prefer George Clooney's Batman over Christian Bale's.

Overall, Quantum of Solace is no where close to being as good as Casino Royale, but I was still entertained, and I'm looking forward to Bond 23, and isn't that the point of a good franchise.

My Two-Cents on Zack & Miri

This flick is probably the filthiest romantic comedy ever, and one of Kevin Smith's better movies. Zack & Miri has more laugh-out-loud moments than Mallrats & Clerks II combined. Right now, I'd have to rank Z&M up there on my list of Smith movies, probably at No. 3 behind Chasing Amy and Jersey Girl, and only slightly ahead of Dogma, but I'll probably have to watch it one more time before solidifying the final rankings.

The story was pretty straight forward and predictable, but the movie's strength relies on the performances. Rogen pretty much plays the same character that's made him a star, but the biggest surprise is Elizabeth Banks. She is able to combine the raunch with the heart, and she comes off as charming and cute. Banks is by far the best leading lady in any of Smith's films, but then again she doesn't have too much competition (I'd say Liv Tyler is the only person to give her a run for her money). Craig Robinson ("The Office") steals the show as Rogen's friend and producer, and the View Askew alums (Jason Mewes & Jeff Anderson) have some decent post-Jersey performances. There are some memorable cameos to boot. Let's just say I won't look at a Mac ad or Superman the same way again.

Overall, it was exactly what I expected. It was raunchy, obscene, but with some sweetness thrown in there for good measure. My only gripe is how people are going to say Smith is making an Apatow film, when we all know Smith was making these kind of flicks way before The 40 Year Old Virgin was a hit. But it was kind of cool seeing the two Comedy Families (View Askew & Apatow & Co.) meet on screen. Hopefully, this is the first of many collaborations.