Anticipated films 2008

PINEAPPLE EXPRESS, Director David Gordon Green`s forray into buddy-action films (yes, this is the guy who made Undertow and George Washington) is a new breed of comedy... a style of which I have never seen before.

Its unique blend of reefer, laughs, subtlety, gunshots, and gore make for quite the wild ride, and James Franco surprisingly steals the show as soon-to-be classic stoner character Saul Silver. Seth Rogen comfortably does his thing yet again, while Danny McBride and hitmen played by Kevin Corrigan and Craig Robinson turn in some memorably quirky work aswell.

This is one of ther best films of the year... a fresh and original comedy that refuses to conform to genre standards, and in doing so, has become one of the very best Apatow comedies (yes, it IS better than SUPERBAD).

Advanced screening:

Tropic Thunder is a film I've anticipated (from it's trailers/ Downey Jr's "Blackface" controversy) for quite awhile, but knowing Ben Stiller's hit (Reality Bites) or miss (Zoolander) directing filmography, I kept my expectations relatively lukewarm. Luckily that wasn't necessary because it's Stiller's best effort as a director to date aswell as one of the best comedies of the year.

Starting with the best fake-trailers this side of Grindhouse, TROPIC THUNDER develops into the most uniquely wacky blend of satire/action/ and gross-out I've ever seen. At first it appears to be a straight-up spoof on popular war films, then it becomes a film within a film, then an attack on Hollywood and the film industry in general. Also present are some rather shocking (and hilarious) sight gags (exploding film-crew members, the brutal slaughter of an endangered species) that managed to catch everyone off gaurd.

The main reason TROPIC THUNDER works so well though is it's stellar ensemble cast. You have the likes of Ben Stiller, Robert Downey Jr, Jack Black, Jay Baruchel, Steve Coogan, and Nick Nolte all turning in terrific comedic performances that they obviously had fun with. Tom Cruise gives the extended cameo of the year as a studio executive, while Tobey Maguire and a slew of other actors make notable appearences. Ultimately it is Downey Jr. who steals almost every scene as the platoon's very white, African-American squad leader.

Rude, witty, and ballsy, TROPIC THUNDER is a great time at the movies. It's hard finding worth-while large budget comedies these days, but DIRECTOR Ben Stiller, supported by a strong cast and a great premise, has proved himself to be the right man for the task. 8/10

The Critics were really hard on this one, but I found the film to be consistently very funny and sporatically hilarious. Sure it's stupid, and some scenes go way over the top (especially with excessive physical violence), but STEP BROTHERS wasn't meant to be taken seriously, and it works as just that; an entertaining summer diversion.

Well, I've been anxiously awaiting this film adaptation for a good 6 years now because I consider the MAX PAYNE series my favorite in gaming. I was glad to hear that Wahlberg was cast as the title character, but John Moore (the Omen remake) in the director`s chair got me nervous. Now that I have seen the trailer, I think Moore has captured the game`s mood, grit, and atmosphere wonderfully. It may actually turn out to be quite the film. Here`s hoping.