Gil Mansergh’s Cinema Toast

New Releases 8/15/08

Tropic Thunder (PG-13)
Starring: Ben Stiller, Jack Black, Robert Downey, Brandon T. Jackson, Tom Cruise
Director: Ben Stiller
Political correctness is thrown out with the baby’s bathwater in this war movie spoof. The set up is that a group of actors are sent to the jungle thinking they are filming an action movie but are dropped into a real war zone where the bad guys are shooting live ammo. Robert Downey plays an Australian who has dyed his skin and coifed his hair so he “becomes” an African-American. Tacky, tasteless but funny
3 and 1/2 pieces equal opportunity grossness toast

Clone Wars (PG-13)
Starring: Ian Abercrombie, Anthony Daniels, Samuel L. Jackson, Christopher Lee, Matt Lanter
Director: Dave Filoni
A female Jedi? Gasp. So, something needed to be different and this is all they could come up with. I wonder if she rides a motorcycle wearing a helmet and you don’t know it’s a girl until she takes the helmet off and shakes her head to release her long, beautiful hair? Wow. How original. The animation is crisp and oddly off-putting with the characters looking like the puppets in “Team America.”And the story? I forget “snnnorrrrr.
1 and 1/2 pieces of ho hum toast

Bottle Shock (PG-13)
Starring: Alan Rickman, Chris Pine, Bill Pullman, Rachael Taylor, Freddy Rodriguez
Director: Randall Miller
Alan Rickman steals the movie as a British wine snob who historically travels to California “Wine Country” to discover wines which will compete with French varietals in a blind tasting. To the surprise of almost everyone, a Napa-Sonoma Chardonney won. This film ils a Hollywoodized version of the events at Chateau Montelena in 1976. Hobbled by a weak, clichéd script, the film is still enjoyable because it beautifully depicts familiar landmarks and stars hundreds of locals as extras.
2 and 1/2 pieces of modest toast

Vicky Cristina Barcelona (R)
Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Penélope Cruz, Rebecca Hall, Javier Bardem, Chris Messina
Director: Woody Allen
Woody lets his characters escape the indoors and flouresecent lighting for sunny, sunny
Spain where everyone gets mixed up in love triangles, quadrangles and quintangles? While getting sunburned in the process
3 pieces of sunny Woody Allen? toast

Henry Poole Is Here (PG-13)
Director: Starring: Luke Wilson, George Lopez, Cheryl Hines, Radha Mitchell, Adriana Barraza
Director: Mark Pellington
When a man receives bad news on his medical tests, he chucks everything and head to California where he buys a house, his female neighbors all try to “help” him settle into the neighborhood, and a religious icon mysteriously appears on his living room wall.
Sounds more interesting than it really is.
1 and 1/2 pieces of gives indies a bad name toast