Throwback Thursdays - Mrs. Doubtfire

Mrs. Doubtfire
Director: Chris Columbus
Starring: Robin Williams, Sally Field, and Pierce Brosnan
Released: 1993
Box Office: $423,200,000 (Worldwide)
Throwback Review

The other day, I heard my dad laughing at something on TV in the family room. He insisted that I had to see what he was watching. What I saw was a classic scene from one of my favourite movies from when I was a kid: "Broke my bag the bastard". The line still gets me laughing after nearly 20 years. Yes, to all those who remember seeing this film on the big screen, Mrs. Doubtfire will turn 20 next year.

Mrs. Doubtfire stars Robin Williams as a recently divorced father of three who is desperate to spend as much time as he can with his children. However, his ex-wife, played by Sally Fields, seeks out a part time housekeeper/nanny to help her with every day chores and looking after the children after school. Williams' character, Daniel, learns of this and decides to rig Miranda's (Fields) hiring process so that a character he has created (Mrs. Doubtfire) is hired. Dressed in drag as an older lady, Daniel gets the opportunity to spend more time with his children and in the process, learns more about them, his ex-wife and himself.

The film is directed by Chris Columbus who directed numerous great films from my childhood including, Adventures in Babysitting, Home Alone (1 and 2), and wrote the screenplay for an iconic film of the 80s, The Goonies. He has gone on to director Harry Potter (1 and 2), and Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Lightning Thief.  

I remember seeing this film in theatre when I was a kid. I really liked it then but I absolutely love it now. Mainly because now that I am older, I actually understand the majority of the jokes. It's amazing the things Williams' (and Fields) got away with saying in this PG-13 rated film. (For example Daniel says of Stu, Pierce Brosnan's character, "Well, they say a man who has to buy a big car like that is trying to compensate for smaller genitals").

Williams, in true form, manages to get big laughs with his quick wit and interesting "voice" characters. The role even landed him a Golden Globe for Best Actor (Musical/Comedy). Fields holds her own opposite Willliams who can sometimes overtake his onscreen colleagues, and even manages to earn a few laughs all her own. ("The whole time? The whole time? THE WHOLE TIME?" - on a side note, that scene might be one of my all time favourite Fields' scenes. She shows how she can switch emotions effortlessly and still have them come off genuine and not hokey).

Final Verdict: See it. Have you seriously never seen it? This film was placed 67th in the American Film Institute's "100 Years, 100 Laughs: America's Funniest Movies" and 40th on Bravo's "100 Funniest Movies of All Time".  Plenty of laughs and plenty of heart. A great family film and and even better comedy. Prepare yourself for great one-liners such as "It was a run-by-fruiting!" and "I don't work with the males because I used to be one".

And did you know - Mrs. Doubtfire was based on a book called "Alias Madame Doubtfire" by Anne Fine?

Bryan Singer Confirms Big Names For X-Men Days of Future Past

Bryan Singer, writer and producer of X-Men: First Class, is set to return for the sequel in the newly established trilogy of the comic book-turned film series. This time, Singer will be at the helm of the film as the director.

According to numerous movie blogs and entertainment sites, Singer has confirmed, via his personal Twitter account, that Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen will be reprising their respective roles as Professor X and Magneto in the upcoming second film in the new trilogy entitled, X-Men: Days of Future Past. They will be joining their younger counterparts, James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender (respectively) in portraying the two iconic comic book mutant heroes (villain). You might be asking yourself: how is that possible? Well, after further research, one would discover that Days of Future Past is also the title of a 1981 X-Men comic book storyline which alternated between two tenses: a future in which mutants are living in internment camps and a present where mutants are fighting to prevent the future from happening. An interesting attempt at merge the two great portrayals of these characters and satisfying both groups of shippers. (Wondering what a "shipper" group is? Check it out here)

Singer also confirmed via his Twitter account that Jennifer Lawrence and Nicholas Hoult are returning as Mystique and Beast.

Excited for all the recent X-Men updates? Well, don't get too excited - the film isn't set to be released until July 18, 2014. But for all you fellow geeks out there - The Hobbit: There and Back Again is also being released on that date! What is a movie geek to do? And even more so, what is a McKellen fan suppose to do??? (Check out this fantastic picture of McKellen bragging about his two iconic characters).

Stay tuned to Don't Sit Next To Us for more updates on X-Men: Days of Future Past and The Hobbit: There and Back Again.

Trailer Tuesdays - Snitch

This week's edition of Trailer Tuesdays is action packed! Check out the trailer for Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's latest action thriller!

Well, The Rock (though he does not go by that name as an actor) is back in the genre that made him a film star with this upcoming action thriller, Snitch.

The film looks like a mash-up of Johnson's 2004 film, Walking Tall (which was a remake of the 1973 film of the same name) and Vin Diesel's A Man Apart. Johnson has solidified himself as an action star with previous films such as The Rundown, The Scorpion King, Faster, and recently, Fast Five. However, with this upcoming film, it looks like Johnson is ready to take on the challenge of a more dramatic action role (ala Diesel's turn in A Man Apart). 

Snitch also stars Jon Bernthal, Benjamin Bratt, and Susan Sarandon. This great cast rounds out what looks like your typical action thriller - everyday guy takes on the big baddies of the city alongside the good guys, then goes rogue when he becomes aware of the conspiracy surrounding him. We've seen this story a thousand times so the only thing that can make this interesting is good acting and good action. Johnson generally delivers on the action front - here's hoping the supporting cast can carry the acting part! Or maybe Johnson will surprise us all with a great all-around performance (again, like Diesel in A Man Apart - have you taken the hint yet? Watch that movie!)

Snitch is set to be released in February 2013 - great timing as February is usually a low month in quality films and audiences will be more likely to see this film if they are desperate for something to entertain them. I won't put this on my movie list, but I will rent it.

For more information on Snitch, check out the wikipedia page.

Men In Black 3 aka Will Smith Never Ages

Men In Black 3
Director: Barry Sonnenfeld
Starring: Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, and Josh Brolin
Box Office: $621,568,042 (Worldwide)
DVD Review

Originally, Christine and I saw MIB 3 in theatre when it was first released. It was put on the movie list simply out of good faith. We loved the first film; the second was questionable. We thought the concept of having Will Smith's character "J" travel back in time was genius as it would be a true trilogy (showing the audience that something we thought was true was in fact not the truth and then having it all come full circle). We were pleased with the outcome of this third installment in the Men in Black franchise. (On a side note - can you believe it has been 15 years since the first film was released? And Smith looks like he hasn't aged a day since then!)

Men In Black 3 begins with Boris the Animal, a menacing alien criminal escaping from his prison on the Moon. He begins his revenge on Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones) who had arrested him in 1969. Agent J (Smith) awakens to a world where Agent K no longer exists however, he remembers him and specific details of his life. Agent O (Emma Thompson) deduces from J's insistence that K defeated Boris (and did not die that day in 1969 like everyone now believes) that a fracture ihas occurred in the space-time continuum. J travels back in time on a mission to save K by ensuring he arrests Boris, as it was suppose to be.

It's always interesting to see how a film will carry out a time travel plot line. Generally, it is not done well (ie Timeline). However, the amount of effort that was put into developing this film indeed helped the effectiveness of the time travel plot line. The devil is in the details and the people behind Men In Black 3 clearly realized that when creating this film.

Smith is as funny as ever in this role. He certainly carries the film. But the rest of the cast manage to keep up with him, especially Josh Brolin who portrays the young version of Agent K. His voice and mannerisms are almost spot on with regards to those of Jones. Jermaine Clement as Boris the Animal might be one of the most disturbing evil characters I have ever seen. He is absolutely disgusting and I cringed every time he appeared on screen. Which to me, made a great alien-villain for this film. 

This film was far more superior than its predecessor and is everything you want in an action, sci-fi film. It revitalized the Men In Black franchise and due to its box office success, there is already talk of a fourth installment. Sometimes, movie production companies just don't know when to leave a good thing alone.

Final Verdict: See it. But definitely watch the two previous films first. You will be pleased with the final result in this film. If you love Will Smith, you will love him in this role that has become one of his most well known to date. Lots of laughs and lots of fun. Definitely enjoyable.

Rotten Tomatoes

Throwback Thursdays - Planes, Trains and Automobiles

In honour of the American Thanksgiving holiday, here's a review of the classic Thanksgiving themed film, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles.

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles
Director: John Hughes
Starring: Steve Martin and John Candy
Released: 1987
Box Office: $49,230,280 (USA)
Throwback Review

Let me first start off by saying that I don't know one person who has seen this movie and did not find it funny. This might be John Hughes' funniest film in his remarkable career. In classic Hughes fashion, he not only directed this film, he also wrote and produced it. The film also marked his second time working with John Candy, however this time as one of the lead actors, where their first collaboration had Candy as a bit character in the first Vacation film.

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles stars Steve Martin as the high-strung advertising executive Neal Page who is trying to get home to his family in Chicago for Thanksgiving after being on a business trip in New York. After being told that he would "never make the six" (which is one of my favourite lines from the film), Neal embarks on a doomed from the get-go journey that sees him consistently run into Del Griffith (Candy) who at times hinders Page's traveling and sometimes aids him in his quest to Chicago. Along the way, the two characters use all means of transportation (hence the title) and discover that you should never judge a book by its cover.

This film is without a doubt one of my all time favourites. Already a fan of Hughes' work, this film breaks the mold of his usual "brat pack", teenage angst type films that I love, but still maintains the Hughes' charm. Unlike the majority of comedies these days, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles takes its "one trick pony - cliche (in the case of this film, the "road" comedy) and gives it more depth and variety. Add in the use of real-life, believable characters who can carry the film on their own, and you have a receipe for success. The film provides both Martin and Candy with two of their best comedic roles and some of the most memorable scenes in film history (for example Martin's tirade on the rental car agency worker and Candy and Martin waking up in eachother's arms - "those aren't pillows!)

This film is not only a very well done comedy, it also has a well thought out storyline that pulls at your heartstrings. As much as I laugh at this movie, even after watching it for the millionth time, I find myself tearing up at certain points and rooting for the characters to make it at the end. It's a brilliant mash-up of comedy, heart, and drama all told in a down to earth, realistic way, that only Hughes could do.

Final Verdict: See it. A must see. If you haven't seen this film already, I have to wonder why? It is among the greatest comedies (especially in the holiday themed comedy genre) of all time in my books right alongside the Vacation series (mainly Christmas Vacation), Anchorman, Trading Places, Wayne's World, etc. The laughs and the smiles will be there guaranteed. And don't be alarmed if you catch your heart warming to the strong compassionate scenes.

"Six bucks and my right nut says we're not landing in Chicago"- Del Griffith, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles.

Wreck-It Ralph or Don't Forget to Blow in the Nintendo First!

Wreck-It Ralph
Director: Rich Moore
Starring: John C. Reilly, Jack McBrayer, Sarah Silverman, and Jane Lynch
New Release Review

What a great idea Disney! For a company that already has the upper hand when it comes to making animated films, Disney (who owns Pixar) came up with quite the gem for their latest release.

Wreck-It Ralph takes place mainly in the world of video arcade games (with the occasional view from the outside world) and focuses on the "bad guy" who wants to be a "good guy" (or hero as he mentions quite often). He embarks on a quest to earn a hero's medal in order to be recognized as a hero among his video game colleagues (in the game called Fix it Felix Jr.). While on his journey, Ralph ends up in the candy-coated Sugar Rush racing game where he meets fellow outcast Vanellope and the two decide to team up to conquer their goals.

Not a totally original storyline but the way it is executed is fantastic. The amount of detail that is put into each and every scene (and even the backgrounds of those scenes) is remarkable. Like Who Framed Roger Rabbit? and Toy Story before it, Wreck-It Ralph utilized numerous licensed characters (for this particular film it was video game characters) including Sonic the Hedgehog, Pac-Man and Bowser. For a kid that grew up in the 80s and 90s, it brought back a lot of memories. And laughs!

I had some high expectations for this film and I was happy to see that it lived up to them. The animation was impeccable. The specific detail of how these video game characters live and work in the arcade games was unbelievable. The background and execution of the storyline was very well thought-out and left little plot holes that go unseen by the general audience.

Like most Disney and Pixar films, Wreck-It Ralph had tons of heart and a great message behind it that was timely (bullying among today's youth). As well, Disney enlisted a great cast to voice the characters which makes the film that much more enjoyable.

Final Verdict: See it. If not for the laughs and great animation, then for the nostalgia it is sure to bring anyone who is familiar with video games in the 80s and early 90s, if not video games in general. Fun for the whole family!

Trailer Tuesdays - Parental Guidance

For this week's edition of Trailer Tuesdays, I've decided to look at an upcoming holiday film as we have now embarked on the "Most wonderful time of the year".

Parental Guidance stars Billy Crystal, Bette Midler, Marissa Tomei and Tom Everett Scott and looks like it should have been featured in the 90s with this ensemble cast.

From this trailer, it is easy to deduce what this film is about - crazy type-A personality parents need to leave town and leave their three kids with their grandparents. Parenting styles clash and cause some major (yet comical) issues for the grandparents while caring for the children. Pretty basic storyline but there's nothing wrong with that - sometimes you don't have to mess with the formula to have a successful and well done film.

What makes this film look decent is the cast. You can't go wrong with Bette Midler and especially Billy Crystal in a family comedy. They are sure to provide some great laughs. Team that up with the holiday release date (December 25th to be exact) and you're sure to have a decent holiday hit on your hands. Bravo, 20th Century Fox. Bravo.

On a further look into this upcoming film, I have discovered that Billy Crystal was part of the writing team behind this film. Only more reason to believe it will actually be a decent comedy.

This one won't make the Winter 2012 (2013 essentially) list but I would definitely watch it next Christmas when it is released on DVD. (Though that's not saying much as I am OBSESSED with any and all Christmas themed films - but still, it looks funny).

If you check it out this holiday season - let us know what you think!