Shrek 2

Directed by Andrew Adamson

Starring the voices of Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, John Cleese, Julie Andrews, Antonio Banderas, Jennifer Saunders, and Rupert Everett.

Let’s get one thing straight before I begin.  I liked Shrek.  It was a pretty funny movie.  But, I really, really wish that people would just say what it is.  Most people like to hold it up as the brilliant, witty satire of fairy tales.  But, sit down and watch it.  Someone will do something that you see in every fairy tale or animated film, and one of the characters will roll his/her eyes and go, “Oh, like in every fairy tale!  Well, stop that!”  That, folks, is not satire.  That is sarcasm.  Shrek is a sarcastic fairy tale.  But I liked it.  So, when I heard they were doing a sequel, I said, “Oh my.  They really don’t need to make that movie.”  But I went to see it anyway.

Shrek and Fiona are coming home from their honeymoon, and they find that Donkey has been swamp-sitting.  But, before Shrek and Fiona can settle into domestic bliss, a messenger comes.  Fiona has been invited to come home to Far, Far Away so her parents can meet her new husband.  So, it’s off to Far, Far Away for Shrek, Fiona and Donkey.  Naturally, the meeting with the parents doesn’t go so well.  Shrek wasn’t Prince Charming, you see.  Turns out that Fiona’s father cut a deal with Fairy Godmother and Fiona was betrothed to FG’s son, Prince Charming.  So, the king hires Puss in Boots to do away with Shrek and, before you know it, Puss in Boots has sided with Shrek and Donkey, and the three of them are off on a magical quest to try to turn Shrek into Prince Charming.  To say anymore would give away the ending.

The humour in Shrek 2 is the kind that you’ll find on reruns of Family Guy or in my beloved Twisted ToyFare Theatre.  It’s not so much about writing jokes and crafting witty satire as it is about cramming in as many pop culture references as you can.  Don’t get me wrong.  When done right, it can be brilliant parody.  When not done right, it’s just sad.  Shrek 2 is a film where it’s mostly done right.  But after a while, it really doesn’t compensate for, you know, good jokes.  And yes, Antonio Banderas does steal the show as the voice of Puss in Boots.  Too bad all the good scenes are in the commercials.  It was mildly amusing, but ultimately, you got the “Been there, done that” vibe from the film.

2.5 Nibs

I arrived in Japan in mid-June of 2002.  I saw my first film in early July.  I just love movies, and even though they cost twice as much in Japan as they do back in Canada, I still want to see as many as I can.  Because my Internet access has been somewhat limited over the past few months, I haven’t been able to keep doing movie reviews as much as I liked to.  So now, we’re playing catch-up.  These are all the films I’ve seen from July through November.  Hopefully, starting with this, movie reviews can become a regular feature on the site again.  In case you’re curious, the actual order in which I saw these films is: Men in Black II, The Powerpuff Girls Movie, Pokémon 5, Austin Powers in Goldmember, Signs, and Minority Report.  The order I wrote the reviews in, however, is the order in which I remembered them.

And for those new to my movie reviews, a quick review of my patented Nib system.  It’s a simple 4-point system.  One nib means it’s crap, four means it’s one hell of a cool movie.  So, please, enjoy the reviews!

Continue reading Catching Up on Movie Reviews: July 2002 – November 2002 →

Star Wars Episode II:  Attack of the Clones

Directed by George Lucas

Starring Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Hayden Christensen, Ian McDirmand, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, Christopher Lee, and Samuel L. Jackson.

Three years ago, I remember standing in line with about a dozen people, as we were all hoping to be the first to see Episode I. It was a grand day, ending in what I thought was a good movie. Most of the world (and a few of the people I went with) felt Episode I to be quite the let-down, and only I remained to be defender of the faith. But now, as Episode II approached, most of my friends just weren’t as hyped as they were three years ago. Even I found myself lacking in excitement, and instead of gathering a dozen followers of the faith, I decided it was better to just go with one close friend. The build up for Episode II was different that the one for Episode I, and that resulted in my views becoming a little more mature.

It’s 10 years after The Phantom Menace. Unrest once again grips the Senate. A fromer Jedi by the name of Count Dooku (Lee) is leading a seperatist movement. The Jedi find their resources stretched to the limit defending the Republic against this seperatist foe, and so the Senate is considering the unthinkable: raising an army. Things come to head when the leader of the opposition to this army proposal, Senator Amidala of Naboo (Portman) barely escapes an assination attempt. To defend the senator, a Jedi Knight and his padawan learner, two people she is very familiar with, are assigned to protect her: Obi-Wan Kenobi (McGregor) and Anakin Skywalker (Christensen). Anakin is now all grown up from when we last saw him, and is harboring a deep secret: he is madly in love with Amidala. But, the Jedi forbid romance. When Obi-Wan and Anakin foil the second assisnation attempt, the duo is split up for the first time. Obi-Wan is ordered to track down the assasin, while Anakin is ordered to safely see Amidala back to Naboo and continue protecting her. Obi-Wan soon traces the assasin back to a bounty hunter named Jango Fett, and the chase is on through the galaxy. Meanwhile, Anakin and Amidala, holed up together on Naboo, soon make their true intentions known to each other. But they cannot live in peace, as Anakin is haunted by nightmares of his mother, and is driven to return to Tatooine. In what condition will Anakin find his mother? Will Anakin and Amidala find love and happiness? Can Obi-Wan capture Jango Fett? It all builds up to a massive showdown in which even Jedi Masters Mace Windu and Yoda must pick up a lightsaber and defend the Republic.

There’s only one thing I’m sure people are hoping to hear abou this film: it’s better than Episode I. The plot seems to be more consistent, and the action scenes are just bigger and better. I’m sure that, when you first heard of Yoda’s fight scenes, your first instinct was that it was going to look ridiculous. Well, it actually comes across quite cool. There’s even a chase through a droid factory that seemed like it came from that other trilogy George Lucas gave us, Indiana Jones. There are some flaws. George Lucas just doesn’t know how to do romance. When Anakin begins professing his love for Amidala, brace yourself for some of the cheesiest pick-up lines ever! But, since that’s the only complaint I have, I’m willing to overlook it. Besides great action, there’s also wonderful little character moments between Anakin and Obi-Wan. There is even a few strangely appropriate “cute moments.” (Like a 1950s style diner, complete with droid waitresses that say “What can I get ya, hon?”) Better than Episode I. Better than Spider-Man I dare say. Go see it.

4 Nibs

Spider-Man

Directed by Sam Raimi

Starring Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, Willem Dafoe, James Franco, Rosemary Harris, Cliff Robertson, and J.K. Simmons.

It was February of 1996. I had been at university for a month. A few members of the computer science faculty had recently given a beginners course to getting onto the Internet. After playing with Netscape for a week, I was getting confident with this Internet thing. I started thinking, “Gee. I wonder if I could use the Internet to find movie news?” I decided to use the Internet to find out the truth on one movie I had always heard rumors and whispers about. I went to my favorite search engine, and entered these simple words: “Spider-Man Movie.” And thus, a man’s addiction with movie gossip websites was born. So, as you could imagine, I have been waiting for this film for a really long time.

I’m sure we’re all familiar with the plot by now. Peter Parker (Maguire) is your average high school geek. A loner, an outcast, and hopelessly in love with the girl next door, Mary Jane Watson (Dunst). Peter’s only friend is Harry Osborn (Franco), who has grown distant from his billionaire father and scientist, Norman Osborn (Dafoe). But, on one fateful field trip, Peter is bitten by a radioactive spider, and soon strange things begin to happen. He gets super-strength. He can climb walls. He can shoot web out of his wrists. He can sense danger. Peter decides to use these powers to make himself some money, and becomes Spider-Man. Meanwhile, across town, Norman Osborn is desperate to win a military contract. So desperate, that he tests an experimental strength enhancing chemical on himself. This turns Norman insane, and he becomes the Green Goblin. A personal tragedy later, Spider-Man decides to become a superhero instead, and soon Spider-Man and the Green Goblin are battling over the streets of New York. Will Peter win the heart of Mary Jane? Will Harry reconnect with his father? Can Spider-Man learn the true identity of the Green Goblin, or will the Green Goblin learn the true identity of Spider-Man? Does great power really come with great responsibility?

I only have one complaint about this movie: I wish it were longer. There are so many aspects of the Spider-mythos that they could have dabbled in, but they didn’t. Instead, they just touched upon the big ones: the origin, the Green Goblin, and the romance with Mary Jane. All in all, a great start. As the beginning of a potential epic, this movie just plain rocks. Maguire captures the heart and sould of Peter Parker/Spider-Man perfectly. Dafoe is wonderfully insane as the Green Goblin, and Dunst is just wonderfully unattainable as Mary Jane. And J.K. Simmons, in his brief scenes as J. Jonah Jameson, just steals the show. I just loved everything about this movie, and I hope (actually, I know) that I won’t have to wait as long for Spider-Man 2. My mother thinks I paid this film the highest compliment when I said these words as soon as I got home: “I must see it again.”

4 Nibs

Blade II

Directed by Guillmero Del Toro

Starring Wesley Snipes, Kris Kristopherson, Luke Goss, Ron Perlman, Leonor Varela, and Norman Reedus.

I’ll never forget the fall of 1998. I had just returned to Augustana to start my final year, but there was still one last movie I wanted to see to complete my summer vacation: Blade. For months, I had been reading about this Marvel comics movie on the horizon when and was looking forward to it. I became even more excited when word came that it was actually good. But, I was back in school, and it looked like I wouldn’t get to see it. Lucky me, though, the Augustana Students Union had rented the local multiplex for a “welcome back” evening and one of the five films available to me was…Blade. I saw it. Loved it. Dragged Chuck to it a few weeks later. And now, four years later, the sequel is upon us.

It’s two years after the first movie, and Blade (Snipes) has tracked his mentor Whistler (Kristopherson) to Prague. Turns out Whistler didn’t die at the end of the first film. He was turned into a vampire, and other vampires kept him barely alive and beat the crap out of him whenever they felt like it. After his daring rescue, Blade takes Whistler back to his lair, where we meet Blade’s new weapons designer, Scud (Reedus), who has a penchant for The Powerpuff Girls and always has a joint dangling from his lips. But, just as this trio is about to go out and kill some vampires, they meet up with Nyssa (Valera), a representative of the vampire nation. There is a new threat on the streets: the reapers, led by Nomak (Goss). Reapers are a new strain of “super-vampire” that can feed on the blood of both humans and vampires. Nomak and his reapers must be stopped, and the vampires can’t do it alone. So, they enlist the help of Blade. Blade soon finds himself fighting along side a group of vampire commandos originally trained to kill him, and led by the sadistic Reinhart (Perlman). Can Blade and the vampires stop Nomak? Will the reapers overrun the Earth? Will Blade fall in love with Nyssa? Was Whistler successfully turned back into a human, or does he still have “the thirst?” And what does Eli Damaskinos, leader of the vampire nation, have to do with it all?

Aliens with vampires is a good way of summing up this movie. There’s a lot of walking down corridors with reapers preparing to jump out at you. And that’s not a bad thing. You can also tell that The Matrix has come out since the first Blade because the martial arts are truly more advanced since the last film. The reapers themselves are a cool concept, and Goss is particularly creepy as their leader. It’s also nice to see Blade has loosened up since the last film, and it starts to look like he’s having fun with his job. However, my only one problem is, just as we’re coming to the end and gearing up for the explosive finale, it starts ripping off the first film! That’s just the curse of sequels, I guess. But, when all is said and done, this film is just a good, scary, fun movie.

3 Nibs

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

Directed by Peter Jackson

Starring Elija Wood, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortenson, Liv Tyler, Cate Blanchett, Sean Astin, Sean Bean, and tons of others.

Reading The Lord of the Rings is one of those geek rights of passage I have yet to complete. I’ve read The Hobbit numerous times, and it stands as one of my favorite books, but The Lord of the Rings is just a lot slower than The Hobbit. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve attempted to read The Lord of the Rings only to get bored and quit. But, since I have attempted to read it so many times, I’ve wound up reading The Fellowship of the Ring quite a bit. I was a little bit nervous, however, when I read one review that had the exact same complaints about the film that I had about the book: long, slow, and boring. Would the movie be faithful to a fault? Only one way to find out.

The film opens at the 111th birthday of Bilbo Baggins. Bilbo has decided to leave Hobbiton to finish his book, and leaves in a grand exit. He leaves everything to his nephew Frodo (Wood), including his magic ring. But something Bilbo says about the ring tickles the brain of his old friend, the wizard Gandalf (McKellen). After some research, Gandalf discovers that the ring is The One Ring, forged by the evil Sauron and is just pure evil. The One Ring must be destroyed. So then, with his hobbit friends of Sam, Merry, and Pippin along for the ride, Frodo sets out to Mt. Doom to destroy the One Ring. But, who said that this would be easy? Along the way, Frodo must do battle with the Ring Wraiths and the forces of the evil wizard Saruman. To protect The One Ring on its way, a Fellowship is formed, consisting of our four hobbits, the elf Legolas, the dwarf Gimli, the wizard Gandalf, and the humans Borimor and Strider. Will they be successful in destroying the ring? Well, it’s the first of three movies, so probably not this time….

I found this movie not be overtly magnificent, but…satisfying. Don’t get me wrong, it was good, with a great plot, some magnificent special effects, and some great acting, but it wasn’t “bang, zoom, pow” spectacular. From what I remembered from my last attempt to read Fellowship, everything was pretty dead on to how I pictured it in the book: Bilbo’s Birthday, the journy through the Mines of Moira, how the wraiths appeared to Frodo when he put on the ring, and the final battle with the orcs. I am pleased to say that the movie moves a lot faster than the book. All in all, it was a good movie, although I sill can’t see why people worship this work of literature. Maybe it’ll all make sense after I’ve finally read it. Let’s see if I can finally get through it before The Two Towers comes out.

3 Nibs

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone

Directed by Chris Columbus

Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Richard Harris, Maggie Smith, John Hurt, Alan Rickman, and Robbie Coltrane.

I have yet to succumb to Potter-mania. True, it seems that you can’t spit nowadays without hitting some kind of Harry Potter merchandise. I’ve read the debates, about how all this merchandise is good because it’s for a book, and how all this merchandise is bad because it’s for a book. But, even with all this stuff in the media right now, I will admit that I had no idea what to expect when I went to see the first film, based on the first book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Sure, we all know the basic premise: British boy goes to wizard’s school. But, besides that, what is it about? I mean, there’s more to the plot than that, right? So, I went into the theater, trying to get some glimpse of what this Potter is all about, without actually have to pick up a book.

We are introduced to the young Harry Potter (Radcliffe), and man does his life suck. His parents died when he was just an infant, and he has been raised by his sadistic aunt, uncle, and cousin, who make him live in the cupboard under the stairs. But, all that changes as his 11th birthday nears. He begins getting flooded with letters, saying that he has been accepted to the Hogwart’s School of Wizardry and Witchcraft. It turns out that Harry’s parents were great wizards, and they died battling an evil wizard by the name of Voldemort. Harry then sets out for Hogwart’s, to follow in his parents’ footsteps. Along the way, he makes fast friends with fellow Hogwart’s students Ron Weasly (Grint) and Hermione Granger (Watson), plus the “Groundskeeper Willy” of Hogwart’s, a friendly giant by the name of Hagrid (Coltraine). As Harry, Ron, and Hermione begin slowly accepting life at Hogwart’s, with the ghosts that roam its halls, its ever-changing stairs, and Quidditch matches, they find that there is something amiss at Hogwart’s. That mystical item, the Philosopher’s Stone, is locked away deep in the bowels of Hogwart’s. It seems that a member of the faculty is plotting to steal the stone for dark purposes. Who is masterminding the theft? Can Harry and his friends stop it? And what’s the connection to Voldemort and the death of Harry’s parents?

Everything about this movie is just…right. It’s been a long time since we’ve had a really good fantasy film, and this is it. The world of Hogwart’s is a rich one, with its ghosts and moving paintings and wide array of eclectic staff. And, if I may say so, the Quidditch match just ROCKED! That’s one hell of a sport, leading to one hell of an action sequence. John Williams again provided one of his kick-ass scores, and all the FX, from a wide variety of studios, were top notch. I’m the last one to judge acting, but I liked the performances. Young Radcliffe was pretty good as Harry, but I really enjoyed Alan Rickman as the dark and brooding Professor Snape. This film was just right. It warms the heart and tingles the toes. But, if I have one complaint, it’s that it wasn’t quite the epic I was expecting it to be. I mean, with all the merchandise, you’d think it’d be pretty epic. But then, remember. This is the first of a proposed 7-part saga. This is just the start of an epic. Am I right, all you Potter fans who may be reading this? I guess I may have to pick up a book after all.

3.5 Nibs

Monsters, Inc.

Directed by Pete Doctor; Co-directed by David Silverman and Lee Unkrich

Starring the voices of Billy Crystal, John Goodman, Mary Gibbs, Steve Buscemi, James Coburn, and Jennifer Tilly.

I’ve grown to be a big fan of computer animation. And, since Pixar made the first computer animated film, Toy Story, they are always looked upon as the industry leaders. They are the ones who continuously raise the bar and set new standards. They make the films that both adults and kids can laugh at. Riding of the high that was their last film, Toy Story 2, we all knew their next film was going to be great. And so, here we are, with their latest in theaters, Monsters, Inc.

As we all know, monsters live inside of closets and scare little kids as they sleep. But, there’s good reason to that. For you see, children’s screams are what powers the monster world. When we first arrive in the monster’s city of Monstropolis, we find that they are currently in the midst of an energy crisis. Thanks to the growing desensitization of kids, they just aren’t as easy to scare as they once were. But that hasn’t slowed down Sully and Mike of Monsters, Inc. Sully (voice of Goodman) is the top scarer at Monsters, Inc., and can be counted on to get the screams night after night. Mike (voice of Crystal) is his best friend and assistant, and they are an unstoppable team. Of course, this incurrs the wrath of the chameleon-like monster Randall (voice of Buscemi), who seeks to become the new top scarer. But, all this changes when Sully discovers that Randall was putting in some overtime one night. For you see, monsters also believe that children are toxic. When one of these monsters accidentally brings back a child’s possession, all kinds of monsters in detox suits come in to destroy the offending object. So, you can imagine what happens when Sully discovers that Randall has accidentally brought back a child. Some how, Sully and the child, whom he names Boo (voice of Gibbs) manage to bond, and Sully starts to think that maybe children aren’t so bad after all. So, enlisting the aid of Mike, the quest is soon on to get Boo home. Will our heroes succeed? Will they find out exactly what Randall was doing after hours? And will they discover a new energy source even more potent than screams?

I like Pixar. They know how to do sweet without piling on the sugar, and this is just one sweet movie. The animation, as always, is spectacular, as are the voice performances. Crystal and Goodman really have a good chemistry together. It also helped that Boo reminded me a lot of my niece. This film doesn’t have the same number of “Woah, cool!” moments that were in Toy Story 2, but it’s still above average as most animated films go. And I must really be starting to turn into a Pixar geek, as I pretty much got all of the little references to their past films. Anyway, this film is just good stuff. You should go see it.

Oh, and I forgot to mention. Like most Pixar films, this one begins with a Pixar short called For The Birds, about some snotty birds sitting on a telephone wire. It’s good, too!

3 Nibs

Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back

Directed by Kevin Smith

Starring Jason Mewes, Kevin Smith, Shannon Elizabeth, Will Ferrel, Deidrich Bader, Ben Affleck, Jason Lee, Mark Hamil, and many cool cameos and guest appearances.

I remember when I became a Kevin Smith fan. It was in my freshman year, and I was just hanging out in the floor lounge watching TV on a Friday night. Someone and his girlfriend came in, and they wanted to watch this movie they had rented: Mallrats. I found it to be the funniest movie I had ever seen. Since I had just discovered the Internet, I began using it to seek out more on the film’s director, Kevin Smith. His first film was Clerks. The name was familiar because Siskel & Ebert were constantly raving about it. I found out that his next project was called Chasing Amy, about a man who falls in love with a lesbian. I rented Clerks, and, since there were no art house theaters in Camrose, I had to wait over a year for Chasing Amy to come out on video. I followed the development of Dogma, but managed to miss its theatrical run. And finally, with eager anticipation, I was ready to finally see Smith’s “View Askewniverse” on the big screen.

Jay and Silent Bob (Mewes and Smith) are hanging out in front of the Quick Stop as usual. But, those intrepid clerks Randal and Dante finally have enough of their antics and get a restraining order, keeping them away from the Quick Stop. As they unload their woes on their former fellow mallrat Brodie, they learn that their comic alter-egos, Bluntman and Chronic, are getting their own movie. So, they go to comic artist Holden McNeil to try to and get their share of the royalties. Holden reveals that he no longer has any involvement with Bluntman and Chronic, having sold out his half to his former partner Banky. But, Holden introduces Jay and Silent Bob to the Internet as they try to find out the latest scoop on the movie. At one movie gossip site, they find a whole bunch of people saying how much they hate Bluntman and Chronic and their “secret identities” of Jay and Silent Bob. Disturbed at how their good names are being dragged through the mud, the real Jay and Silent Bob decide to sabotage the movie so people will stop saying bad things about them on the Internet. So, the road trip from New Jersey to Hollywood begins! Along the way, they run afoul of an all-girl gang of thieves, liberate an orangutang from an animal research lab, get pursued by a somewhat slow-witted wildlife marshal, and Jay finds true love with woman named Justice. Will Jay and Silent Bob stop the Bluntman and Chronic movie? Will Jay and Justice live happily ever after? Will Silent Bob speak?

I dare say that this is the funniest movie of the year. But, it comes with a condition. To get a lot of the jokes, it really helps to be a Kevin Smith fan. Just about every character from a Smith movie makes an appearance, and there are tons of subtle references to previous Smith films. But, don’t get me wrong, there are plenty for the non-Smith fans to laugh at, as Smith goes about ripping on Batman, Scooby-Doo, Charlie’s Angels, The Matrix and even The Fugitive. Oh, and there are the Star Wars jokes, which has become a Smith trademark. Mewes is really enjoyable as Jay, as everyone’s favorite drug dealer finally shows us his soul. Shannon Elizabeth is wonderfully sweet and innocent and Justice, Jay’s true love. As many a critic has pointed out, this isn’t the poignant, thoughtful, comedy-drama of Chasing Amy. It’s just one huge movie by geeks for geeks. And since I am a geek, and a Smith fan, I found that it just rocked.

(And on a side note, I don’t know what was cooler: seeing Mark Hamil meet the same fate that he did in Empire Strikes Back, or seeing Mark Hamil actually deliver a few lines in his Joker voice from Batman: the Animated Series)

4 Nibs

Osmosis Jones

Live action directed by Peter Farrelly and Bobby Farrelly; animation directed by Tom Sito and Piet Kroon

Starring the voices of Chris Rock, David Hyde Pierce, Laurence Fishburne, Brandy, William Shatner, and, in the live action segments, Bill Murray, Chris Elliot, Molly Shannon and Elena Franklin.

This film will always have a special place in my heart. I submitted a trailer description to Corona’s Coming Attractions, and they ran it. This is the only movie where a movie news site ran my news on it! But that’s not the only reason why I was looking forward to it. I had been greatly impressed with Warner Brothers Animation’s last product, The Iron Giant, and was looking forward to see what they’d cook up next. The premise was intriguing, and I went into the theater with an open mind.

We meet up with Frank (Murray), and he’s a complete slob. He scratches himself, he doesn’t shave, and he eats whatever he can get his hands on. His daughter Shane (Franklin) tries to get him to change his ways and eat healthy, but she’s had little success. Then, one day, Frank eats a hard boiled egg that he fought a monkey for, and we’re taken to the animated world that’s inside Frank’s body. Inside, we meet up with a renegade cop/white blood cell, Osmosis Jones (Rock), who’s working the beat in the mouth. On that egg, Jones spies what appears to be a virus, and goes chasing it down. This, of course, ends in disaster, leading Frank to take a cold pill. Back on the inside, Jones finds himself saddled with Drix the cold pill (Pierce) as his new partner. They go chasing down the virus, but find it to be, not a cold, but Thrax (Fishburne), a deadly strain who’ll stop at nothing until he kills Frank. The Mayor of Frank, Mr. Phlemming, (Shatner) wants to avoid a body-wide panic, but his chief adviser Leah Estrogen (Brandy) wants to be more honest with the people/cells. Can Jones and Drix stop Thrax? Will Jones’ smooth talking win him Leah’s heart? Will this whole incident finally get Frank to clean up his act and start taking better care of himself?

This seems to be two movies, as we follow animated plots inside Frank, and live-action plots about Frank’s life. The live-action bits are only so-so, with the Farelly Brothers (who did Dumb and Dumber and There’s Something About Mary) giving us more of their trademark gross-out humor. The fun part of this film is truly the animated plots. Rock is hilarious as the white blood cell who comes across as the kind of cop that’s in all these cop movies. Fishburne is a wonderfully menacing villain, and Shatner himself is pretty good as the mayor. The animated bits were very imaginative, full of dazzling visuals, and fascinating ideas. It makes me wish that there were more animated segments. And, since all animators are geeks at heart, the animated bits are full of jokes/references to The Matrix, T2, and even Titanic. Oh, and that Ron Howard cameo was just very cool. Since this is turning into one of the bigger bombs of 2001, I suggest you go see it while you still can. It’s just cool.

3 Nibs