What drives the gamers we see in The King of Kong? I won the Vanguard game at Spaceport on the Ave by setting the high score on the machine over the course of a week-long tournament; and every time I walked into my living room, I could look over in the corner at that arcade machine and think, I am the best Vanguard player in Seattle—maybe the country. A couple of years ago, such thinking struck Steve Weibe. With an empty garage and a ton of free time on his hands, he bought an old Donkey Kong game; and when he caught wind of Twin Galaxies and Billy Mitchell’s record, he thought, Now here’s something I could really be the best at.

The Invasion, unfortunately, is an enormous disappointment, simply because the film completely fails to build any tension. Further, what little tension that is manufactured is often broken by humor that I’m sure was unintended by the filmmakers. When I’m watching a dinner scene and not listening to key dialogue because I’m too focused on the juxtaposition of the shots, the editing is too obtrusive. I had high hopes for The Invasion as I like the plot and was interested to see a modern spin on it. Unfortunately, I left the theater wishing they had just re-released the original. This is just another example of why filmmakers should use their creative intuitions to create good films, rather than attempt to remake bona fide classics.

It seems that just about every year a British comedy comes out of nowhere and turns into a huge success in the States. It happened with Four Weddings and a Funeral, The Full Monty, and Shaun of the Dead, and now it appears that Death at a Funeral is poised to be the next. […]

I know that movies like this will draw an audience, but honestly I think Superbad is the cinematic equivalent of junk food. It might be briefly satisfying but in the long run, it really doesn’t have anything substantial to contribute. Strong language and adult themes in a movie have their place—as when they advance the story and provide a contrast to which some evidence of the evolution of a character or plot can be drawn. In this case, it’s just immature kids giggling to themselves as they invent new words to describe body parts and sexual acts.

In the final analysis, I think Stardust is a solid movie and a good option for fans of the fantasy genre. It’s perhaps not quite as witty as The Princess Bride, but there’s enough humor and action to satisfy just about any movie-goer. Stardust doesn’t take itself overly seriously and that’s a good thing. The plot gets a little complex and there are several moments in the film that come off as contrived, but I think most people will be willing to overlook those minor quibbles and just sit back and enjoy the adventure. There is an awful lot going on, all of the time. That explains a running time of just over two hours. And even at that, the story was trimmed down from the original novella.

“For the most part, I work in the Burbank area,” says Warburton. “Half-hour TV shows tend to be short days, and voiceover sessions tend to be an hour, or half an hour to four hours max. So I’m home. My kids see a lot of me. Unfortunately, a lot of interesting projects and work experiences lie outside the town, state, or country you live in, and every now and then I’ll get those opportunities when I think I can handle it—and the family can—and I’ll take them. But certainly arranging time for me to go home, and time for my family to come out, because my family is very important to me.”

In Rush Hour 3, our inside-the-box social realities can be totally disregarded—and not only disregarded, but completely thrown aside—without repercussion. I think what makes this type of humor so effective and fun is that it exposes where so much social constraint really comes from: those who may be imposing their own preferences and ingrained racism, or worse, their presumptions of the veracity of the very stereotypes themselves. Actually, though, picking at our human foibles and traits may simply endear us to each other. We can truly rejoice in one another’s humanity and individuality. At least that is what our Rush Hour 3 Petri dish reveals.

Live-in Maid is a touching film and a very thought provoking one as well. How many of us can assume the unfamiliar role of friend and supplicant from a person who socially is many rungs below us? The embarrassment of the loss and the blow to your pride at having been “the boss” could be too much for many people to take. The film doesn’t tell us everything about the trip down from society, but it tells us enough. And Beba’s actions speak much louder than words. Excellent!

I found Rocket Science to be a very frustrating experience—not due to poor quality, mind you, but due to the realistic characterizations of high school kids. Often, films that portray teens and the issues they face tend to focus on sexual drive, beauty, and meanness. By contrast, Rocket Science tends to focus on the accidental—or more accurately, oblivious—ways in which teenagers navigate the wishy-washy waters of adolescence. Life doesn’t end at 15. Nor is it any tidier in the adult world. I have resolved only a few things in my adult life, but I am okay with that. I am okay with Rocket Science, too.

I’m sure the intent of Daddy Day Camp was to build on the success of its predecessor. Now, children don’t care so much that the entire cast is different from the first movie, but they are not stupid and know when they have been had. Director Fred Savage gets nothing from any of his cast. The acting—even of Academy Award-winning Cuba Gooding, Jr.—is stiff; the delivery of the lines is mistimed and unbelievable; and the dialogue, written by Geoff Rodkey and J. David Stem, is so awful that the large audience of children I viewed this movie with spent most of their time groaning instead of laughing. The adults were just silent and most likely praying for a quick end.