CARS
Everyone knows the story to Pixar's latest hit, right? Hot shot racing rookie Lightning McQueen is on his way to ultimate fame and glory at a race in California. However, he accidentally gets derailed and winds up in Radiator Springs, once a bustling town on Route 66, but little more than a ghost town populated by a few die hard citizens. Yes, the story is predictable. However, it is told so well and with such loving attention to the details (I did say it is a Pixar movie, right?), that predictability doesn't matter in the least. I have heard critics bemoaning the two-hour run time and a slow beginning. We noticed none of those things. By the way, his is where it helps to have a car buff sitting beside you through the movie to point out all the clever details. As with all Pixar flicks be sure to stay until the credits are done. Especially watch the fun they have with the cars at the drive in while the credits are running. Genius, pure genius! (HC rating: Nine thumbs up!)
BOTTLE ROCKET
A sweet and light hearted little movie, this is the one that launched the Wilson brothers and Wes Anderson. Owen Wilson plays the relentlessly intent leader of a group of quirky losers who plans a heist and can't see how absurd his plans are. Along the way the group falls under the tutelage of a real crime boss (James Caan). Meanwhile, the other members of the group are learning to deal with love and family members in their own ways. I can't really communicate just how goofy and funny this movie was but we all loved it. (HC rating: Good despite lack of flubber)
SHAOLIN SOCCER
A perfect balance of the absurd and sincere, Shaolin Soccer is the story of an old, lame soccer player who wants to coach and teams up with a young, intense man (Steel Leg) who wants to show that Shaolin Kung Fu can make life better for everyone ... oh, and he also needs work. They gather together Steel Leg's old kung fu brothers and embark on a journey to win the soccer championship against the local reigning champions (need I add that they are evil?). This movie somehow pulls off a sort of wacky cartoonish quality at the same time as sincerely telling a good story. Complete with Hollywood movie references, really funny lines at unexpected times, fantastical martial arts, and unworldly powers, this movie should not be missed. One caveat, the captioning is truly off at times, with such problems as "bald" being consistently spelled "blad" and "the soccer ball" being called "the soccer." However, this is not enough to detract from the magic of this tale which we loved. Now, I can't wait to rent Kung Fu Hustle, also by this director. (HC rating: Nine thumbs up!)
INSIDE MAN
Watching this riveting movie made me wish that Spike Lee made more "big hit, mainstream" movies. The trailers sold this all wrong. It really is about watching smart hostage negotiator Denzel Washington play a game of wits with crime mastermind Clive Owen (who never looked better, by the way). We don't know Owen's plan until the very end but our family was thinking out loud with Washington the whole time. This movie takes us for a great ride with a smart plot, great acting, and a welcome lack of violence along the way. The "R" rating is for liberal use of language. (HC rating: Nine thumbs up!)
Trailers that caught our eye...
Most of the trailers that we saw with Cars looked downright bad. "Flicka" especially enraged me as I loved that book as a child and to put a girl in the lead instead of the original boy is the height of political correctness. Aaargh!
However, these two looked good enough that we'll be checking out the reviews when they come out.
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