Dr Dolittle Film Review

Dr. Dolittle is a 1998 family comedy set in San Francisco. It stars Eddie Murphy as Dr. John Dolittle, Ossie Davis as Archer Dolittle, Oliver Platt as Dr. Mark Weller, and Peter Boyle as Calloway. The producers are John Davis (Garfield), Joseph M. Singer (Daylight), and David T. Friendly (My Girl). The director is Betty Thomas (I Spy).

The story is about a man named John Dolittle who lives in San Francisco. He can talk to and understand animals. His father thought there was something wrong with him and had the family dog taken away. Years passed and John never spoke to animals until one night after treating a patient, he accidentally hit a dog. When the dog got up and called him a "bonehead", he thought he was hearing things. The next day during a business meeting, he overheard some pigeons talking and panicked.

After the meeting he saw the dog from the previous night being taken to the pound and followed him to save him from being put to sleep. After he has a vet check the dog out, John decides to release it but the dog won't go away. He calls his family and, having overheard the dog barking, think he has bought them a dog. John takes Lucky the dog to his daughter's camp to show her. Later on, just before going to sleep, some animals come to John's door seeking help. They overwhelm him so he decides to help each of them, unbeknownst to his wife and daughter who are sleeping in the next room. After he finished, he was talking to Lucky about how alive he felt when he was treating the animals when an alcoholic monkey tells him about a suicidal tiger nearby. He agrees to help the tiger.

All is well until one day some rats outside his office ask him to help. John takes them into the office and treats one. That's when his wife and colleagues see him talking to the rats and think he is crazy. So they have him committed, temporarily. Meanwhile, the tiger is getting worse so Lucky rushes over to the hospital to tell the doctor but he doesn't want to hear it. He wants to block out all the animal voices and return to his normal life. But after overhearing a conversation between his daughter and father about being different, he has second thoughts.

There is a secret life message hidden in Dr. Dolittle. It is "Don't hide from who you are". Some people may think you are weird because of what you may be like or what you may do, but don't let it stop you. If you try to suppress who you are, you will end up miserable as John Dolittle was before he rediscovered his gift of communicating and understanding animals. At first, people thought he was crazy because he spoke to animals but soon they began to accept him for who he is and realize that this was his gift.

One other feature that caught my attention was the use of popular comedians as the voices of the animals. For example, Norm MacDonald was the voice of Lucky, the Dolittles' family dog. Ellen DeGeneres played Dolittle's dog when he was a child. Gilbert Gottfried appeared as the voice of the compulsive dog that Dolittle treats in the beginning. Chris Rock was Rodney's voice, Maya Dolittle's guinea pig. Paul Reubens also made a cameo appearance as the raccoon. This was probably done to add a sense of familiarity to the film and, thus, attract a wider audience.

To wrap, Dr. Dolittle is a film for the whole family. It entertains the old as well as the young audiences.

Kevin T. Dillehay has written nearly a hundred movie reviews from all genres. He provides a unique perspective on the movies you see all the time but may not stop and think about in depth. You are invited to check out his work at http://www.moviefilmreview.com/author/kmonk10.

Norbit Movie Review

Last weekend, I visited my sister Saundra for a Memorial Day celebration. Our normal time together is always fun and exciting because we tend to shop until we drop. Nevertherless, we did find the time to watch Eddie Murphy's movie Norbit. In fact, my sister insisted that the family watch it together, maybe to encourage some family bonding. Well, this is my Norbit movie review of the good, the bad and the ugly with a few suggestions of improvements.

First, I think Eddie Murphy is a talented actor and comedian. I appreciate that he is able to play so many characters in a movie and make it almost believable to his audience.

Eddie plays the main character Norbit, a dazed and confused orphan that grows up to marry a large possessive woman. Oh yes, her character is also played by Eddie Murphy. In fact, he plays a series of characters, such as the Chinese man who owned the orphan home, one of his wife's brothers and one of the senior citizens. I think it's creative to play other characters and to a younger audience this is the type of humor they want to see. However, to the adult movie viewer, I think Eddie sometimes plays with racial undertones, such as the Chinese man saying that he may want to open a dry cleaners towards the end of the movie. C'mon, why does it have to be a Dry Cleaning business? What are you trying to say? Again kids will not get the hidden messages but adults will.

Secondly, I think the movie has a great plot and subplot. The main plot is Norbit's childhood sweetheart is trying to buy the orphan home but his wife's brother's have other ideas for owning the property. The subplot is Norbit's unhappiness with his marriage and his inability to confront his wife. I think this contributes to the rising action and climax of the story. Not to mention, that it keeps you entertained throughout.

Another positive aspect of the movie is the casts. I am a big Cuba Gooding Jr. fan. So I would recommend watching the film to see him in a comedy. Cuba is a diverse actor that has tried various genres to increase his many talents.

Lastly, despite my issues with some of the undertones, I think Norbit is a fun and enjoyable movie that is great for families.

Sophie Jaclis exposes her readers to a wide range of topics, from Dating, Movie Reviews, Health and Fitness issues, Online Marketing tips, and New Affiliate Programs. Her motto is to keep things simple, informative and straight to the point. Please visit http://www.lisajac.com/dating-chat-room and http://www.lisajac.com/moviereviewsforfamilies for the latest information and free ebook downloads.

Beverly Hills Cop (Movie Review)

Starring in arguably his most memorable role, Eddie Murphy lights up the big screen with his 1980's blockbuster hit Beverly Hills Cop. Showcasing the unique comic talents of a young career on the rise, the former Saturday Night Live cast member's smiling humor and charismatic onscreen presence take an adequate screenplay and turn it into a smash film. Appearances by Paul Reiser and Bronson Pinchot (as the trendy 'Serge') combine with Murphy's antics to make Beverly Hills Cop a hilarious and highly entertaining movie...

Eddie Murphy plays the role of Axel Foley, a freewheeling Detroit police officer who witnesses the murder of a close friend on the force during a botched drug bust. Linking the murders back to Beverly Hills, Foley takes an extended vacation from his job in Detroit. But rather than relax, he makes his way to Beverly Hills where he plans on conducting his own investigation.

In pursuit of the murderers, Foley uncovers a massive drug smuggling operation run by one of the elite socialites of Beverly Hills. Digging for the truth, the Detroit cop is forced to butt heads with the Beverly Hills police department and confront the drug ring's various henchmen. Despite direct orders from their superior, Beverly Hills cops Billy Rosewood (Judge Reinhold) and John Taggart (John Ashton) eventually change from adversaries of Foley (attempting to halt his illegal investigations) to willing participants in his uncovering of the illegal drug ring. In the end, Foley finds the murderer, but will he get his revenge? Will the Beverly Hills police arrest him before he does? You'll have lots of fun finding out...

Complimented by a hit soundtrack which features four smash hits (Glenn Frey's "The Heat Is On," The Pointer Sisters' "Neutron Dance," Patti LaBelle's "New Attitude," and Harold Faltermeyer's breakthrough hit "Axel F"), the film's action and suspense sequences play out to the backdrop of adrenaline pumping beats and synthetic keyboard sounds. The music itself provides a small glimpse in the musical experimentation of an age that witnessed the convergence of high technology and sound. In a way, Beverly Hills Cop typifies the decade of the 1980s, but it does so without being so overly engrossed in the cultural fads of the day as to be outdated and ridiculous in the eyes of a modern audience. This is one of the core strengths of the film and one of the reasons millions of fans enjoy watching reruns of the movie on cable.

One of the more unique films of the 1980s, Beverly Hills Cop created a new sub-genre of film by splicing the serious action/suspense genre with the comedic personality/comedy genre. As a rare talent, Eddie Murphy is uniquely positioned to pull off the coup, carrying the film on the back of his personal likeability and hilarious brand of comedy. Performances by Judge Reinhold and John Ashton serve to compliment Murphy, and together, the three form a relatable, "average guy" click that audiences feel inclined to root for. As a result, the viewer is never bored, whether being entertained by mere suspense or hilarious comedy. Without a doubt, Beverly Hills Cop is one of the top ten comedies of its decade, and that's why it's a definite must-see movie...

Britt Gillette is author of The DVD Report, a movie review site [http://thedvdreport.blogspot.com] where you can find more reviews like this one of the Beverly Hills Cop (DVD) Review [http://thedvdreport.blogspot.com/2006/02/beverly-hills-cop-dvd.html].

Beverly Hills Cop Movie Review - Starring Eddie Murphy, Judge Reinhold, and John Aston

"Beverly Hills Cop" is a very funny murder mystery / comedy starring Eddie Murphy as Inspector Axel Foley, a former car thief turned cop. This is my favorite film starring Eddie Murphy. He does a terrific acting job in this film and his comdey routines are among his best.

The movie begins in Detroit, where Axel Foley is working as an undercover cop. He tries to bust a couple of drug dealers on his own and ends up getting mistakenly pulled over and stopped by his own department, following a huge chase involving a great deal of property damage. His boss is on the verge of firing him.

Shortly thereafter, Axel gets a visit from his old friend Mikey, who's still involved in crime. Mikey shows Axel some untraceable German bonds he's stolen from his new workplace in Beverly Hills, but Axel ignores him and the two go out to the bar. When they return, Axel is knocked unconscious and Mikey ends up getting killed by a hit man. Once he recovers, Axel wants to investigate the crime, but his boss won't let him. He tells his boss he needs a vacation, which he gets, but is told that if he investigates Mikey's murder, he can forget about coming back.

Axel drives his dilapidated 1969 Chevy Nova to Beverly Hills. He manages to get into a fancy hotel by fooling the clientelle. From the start, he suspects Mikey's boss Victor Maitland of the murder, so he goes to his office to interrogate him, but Victor's guards pick him up and throw him out the window. The police then come and arrest Axel, having been told that he jumped out the window. Shortly thereafter, the police learn that Axel is a cop, so they release him into their custody. Axel's friend Jeanette comes to bail him out.

During the next few days, Axel gathers up evidence of a drug scam organized by Maitland. Inspectors Taggert and Rosewood, two Beverly Hills detectives, try to follow him, but he manages to get away from them twice, first by secretly placing a banana in their tail pipe. The second time he sneaks up on them and persuades them to join him at a strip bar, where Axel stops an armed robber.

Axel manages to meet Victor at his private club, where he threatens him and ends up getting taken away once again. Axel nearly convinces the police to investigate Victor, but the chief of police insists they escort him out of town. While Rosewood is driving him out, Axel finally convinces him to investigate Victor. They go to his warehouse along with Jeanette, where they discover a crate full of cocaine. Rosewood is waiting outside in his car when Victor and his guard Mike enter the warehouse and discover Axel and Jenny. Victor kidnaps Jeanette while Mike tortures Axel.

After several minutes, Rosewood finally enters the warehouse and saves Axel. The two then follow Victor to his mansion. Taggert soon joins up with them there. He tries to stop them, but finally agrees to help them out. Taggert and Rosewood end up hiding behind a barrier and battling it out with a group of armed guards outside the compound, while Axel looks for Victor and Mike inside. Axel finds and kills Mike. Later he finds Victor with a gun pointed at Jeanette's head, but Axel manages to shoot him with help from Lieutenant Andrew Bogomil, who shows up at the last minute.

All ends well for Axel and Jenny. Lt. Bogomil cooks up a convincing story of how the arrest took place and writes a good report for him to send to Axel's boss in Detroit, so he can keep his job.

http://www.yourmoviepal.com/movies/daves-best-100-movies/Beverly-Hills-Cop.html Beverly Hills Cop - Dave's Top Movies

Movie Review - Tower Heist (2011) (PG-13)

They Just Want Their Money Back

Brett Ratner's Tower Heist is a triumph of casting and performance over plot, which is admittedly far-fetched and rather ridiculous. It is, essentially, a cross between a crime caper and a revenge fantasy - and a timely one at that, given the recent Bernie Madoff scandal and the current Wall Street protests, which has left so many people in a state of unrest. Here is a movie intentionally designed to be a crowd pleaser; it's not an enriching experience, but it provides you with several good laughs, and it ends on an immensely satisfying note. When you leave the theater, you're more likely to reflect on the humor and the action than on the logistics of the story, or lack thereof. If you do stop and think about them, you will inevitably find that the movie is not physically, dramatically, or rationally possible.

What I savored was the wonderful comedic chemistry between all of the leads, which is not easy to achieve. Apart from a return-to-form for stars Eddie Murphy and Ben Stiller (neither having been in a good comedy in years), we see great wit and energy from the likes of Casey Affleck, Matthew Broderick, Gabourey Sidibe, Michael Peña, Téa Leoni, and many of the smaller supporting players. I grant you it's an odd bunch of people. Some of them, including Broderick, might even seem like ill-fitting casting choices. But if you give them half a chance, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by what you see. Watching them perform, I sensed that they were genuinely having fun during the shoot. If they weren't, well, that only proves what they're capable of as actors.

The story, as it were, involves the staff of a New York City high-rise discovering that they have fallen victim to a Ponzi scheme concocted by one of the tenants, a wealthy Wall Street businessman named Arthur Shaw (Alan Alda). This would include the building's manager, Josh Kovacs (Stiller), who mistakenly trusted Shaw with not just his pension but also the pensions of the entire staff. Determined to get reparations, Kovacs assembles a team and plots to break into Shaw's penthouse suite and steal millions in stashed-away money. These include: Slide (Murphy), a petty criminal Kovacs regularly passes on the street; Charlie Gibbs (Affleck), the building's well-intentioned but bumbling concierge; Mr. Fitzhugh (Broderick), a desperately broke former Wall Street investor; Odessa Montero (Sidibe), a Jamaican maid on the verge of being deported; and Enrique Dev'reaux (Peña), a newly hired bellhop who's so likeable in large part because he's says such stupid things.

Breaking into the penthouse will not be so easy. Shaw is under house arrest, and the building is enforced with the world's best security and surveillance systems. The team must also sidestep the FBI, most notably Agent Claire Denham (Leoni), who has been assigned to Shaw's case. She and Kovacs will share some interesting if unnecessary scenes together, all of which hint at mild romantic feelings. At least, I think that's what was going on. It's also quite possible that Kovacs is trying to distract Denham in an effort to throw her off track. The possibility of a Saturday-night dinner date confuses matters slightly, and perhaps that was the point. I think it would have been better for Ratner to avoid this subplot altogether, since it's bogged down by its status as an obligatory plot device.

After some close calls and near double crossings - again, obligatory plot devices - all leads to Kovacs and his team trying to smuggle a Ferrari out of Shaw's apartment on Thanksgiving Day. I will not reveal how and why they do this, or even if they succeed, although I will say that part of this involves the car dangling from a window cable hundreds of feet above the streets, where the Macy's Parade floats by as scheduled. The best actor in this particular scene in Broderick, who, after doing it so well in The Producers, proves once again that people can be quite funny when they're in a state of panic.

It cannot be denied that the film gets sillier the further along it goes. But I can't overlook the fact that the movie gives us exactly what it promises, namely a tower and a heist. And I certainly can't forget about the performances, which may not be eligible for awards but kept me smiling all throughout (I was especially taken by Peña, who can play dumb with the best of them). It's amazing that this movie works at all, given the suspension of disbelief required of the audience; what it lacks in plausibility it more than makes up for in casting and performance, which are both integral to the success of any film. I can't say that I needed to see this movie, but then again, so few movies actually need to be seen. As escapist entertainment, Tower Heist does an adequate job delivering the goods.

Although Chris never officially studied film, film theory, or even journalism in college, his Bachelors and Masters degrees in Creative Writing has taught him to appreciate story, character, and the imagination - all aspects that apply to the movies, and if there's anything his years of living in Los Angeles has guaranteed him, exposure to movies would be at the top of the list. He has always appreciated the art of filmmaking, but it wasn't until 2006 that he began writing reviews on various websites for new releases. Still residing in L.A., his reviews can be read at his website, http://www.atatheaternearyou.net.

Movie Review of Tower Heist

Remember the days when a movie with Eddie Murphy in it was guaranteed to be hysterical? I know, it's been awhile. Aside from his 'Beverly Hills Cop' days, I feel safe saying that the last thing he was in that made me really laugh out loud was "Shrek"---there are a lot of "Donkey" quotes going on in my house, especially when someone mentions waffles or parfaits. Sadly, that little gem was followed by 'Daddy Day Care', and more disturbingly, 'Norbit', which I still haven't quite forgiven him for. I know he redeemed himself slightly in his 'Dreamgirls' role, but MY dream has been to see him get back to business and make me laugh. Well, welcome back Mr. Murphy---it's nice to see you again.

THE GOOD: The movie 'Tower Heist' is kind of like a modern day Robin Hood, only instead of taking down the Sheriff of Nottingham, it's Arthur Shaw (played by Alan Alda), the Bernie Madoff-esque character who has managed to line his pockets with his lowly employees pension funds. He surrounds himself with over the top luxury items and enjoys them all from his Penthouse apartment with floor to ceiling windows. And it's Alan Alda, so you'd like to believe that there's been some sort of a mistake and that he's actually a nice guy who's been wrongfully accused---the war cry of all Ponzi schemers. But it becomes increasingly clear that a nice guy he is NOT, and through a series of missteps and fueled by righteous indignation, the General Manager of the luxury apartments, Josh Kovacs (portrayed by Ben Stiller) takes it upon himself to lead a group of less than merry men to render a little vigilante justice to Mr. Shaw. Enlisting the help of Slide (played by Eddie Murphy), a small time criminal that Josh remembers from his childhood, the group set out to set things right for themselves and all the employees at the Towers. The concept of the movie, given the current economic climate and the lack of sympathy most people have for greedy people who take advantage of others so that they can own a Summer home in the Hamptons, is an intriguing one. Yes, we feel absolutely justified rooting for the people breaking the law, because THEIR illegal activity is only going to hurt the greedy piece of work that started the whole mess. And it seems more satisfying than just letting the court system slap their hands. Add to that some fantastic comedy from Murphy, who is allowed to return to his roots a little by using that old school humor that isn't always family friendly. A darker, more subdued version of Axel Foley, if you will. Another surprise of the film is the great one liners being delivered by Mr. Fitzhugh (Matthew Broderick), an ex Wall Street executive who is completely bankrupt and is looking to help out with the heist. His timing and deadpan responses were spot on, and I think it's safe to say that he was a big reason I found the movie as funny as I did.

THE BAD: A couple things worth mentioning here---although Murphy gives one of his better comedic performances in recent memory, he doesn't actually have that large of a role in the movie. He appears about midway through, and pops in from time to time. When he's onscreen, there is some real life in the film... but when he's gone, it lags a little. In fact, the cast is so large, that it felt sometimes like no one was getting their fair share of an opportunity to shine. As previously mentioned, Murphy and Broderick both had some great comedic genius going on, but because they had to share their screen time with others who weren't quite as funny, it seemed like a bit of a waste. The movie would have still worked with less character fillers, and quite possibly would have even raised the laugh factor a little. The other thing I found disappointing was the absurdness of the actual heist itself. I won't spoil anything for you, but it almost felt like the writers worked for MONTHS on the concept of the movie itself, and then 12 hours before filming said to themselves "well, we don't really have any ideas on HOW they're gonna get their money back, and we need SOMETHING... Anybody? Any ideas AT ALL? No? Alright, we'll just punt." And that's where it kind of fell apart for me personally. Had the laughs been a little more constant, I might have been able to overlook the improbability factor, but if I'm not laughing, it gives me too much time to think....and what I was thinking was "Really? REALLY?!"

THE UGLY: Dear Hollywood, there is actually a group of people in the world, however small you believe it to be, that don't find running jokes about the female anatomy all that humorous. We are the same people who stopped laughing hysterically when someone used the word "Boobs" when we were 9. Please attempt to bump up the bar just a tad. I'm not saying I don't enjoy a little immaturity now and then. I've been known to laugh at a lot of things after which someone will say to me "Grow up". But a 3 minute dialogue on childbirth and what it can do to a person's nether region is UN. NECESSARY.

If you can keep your mind open to the fact that this movie is definitely not intended to be based on realistic planning, and is purely for entertainment purposes, it's a safe bet that you'll be amused. And Eddie Murphy doesn't play a fat woman, so there's definitely that.

The Trophy Wife gives this movie 3 ½ trophies.

Tower Heist has a running time of 104 minutes and is rated PG13 for sexual humor and language (No F words---I was pleasantly surprised)

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Movie Review: Tower Heist (2011)

The premise of a group of disgruntled hotel employees robbing a corrupt investor of $20 million in cash doesn't immediately bring to mind the workings of a laugh-out-loud comedy, yet Tower Heist provides just that. A colorful array of characters and inspired offbeat dialogue blend together with hilarious effect to create a film that carefully fleshes out its subjects and then begins to build scene after scene of increasingly clever lunacy. Ben Stiller opts for more of a straight-man role with his lead character and allows his cohorts to deliver the majority of the comical antics. With veteran comedy actors Eddie Murphy and Matthew Broderick, plus notable turns by Michael Pena, Casey Affleck, and Gabourey Sidibe, Tower Heist has no shortage of star power or laughs.

Devoted Tower Hotel manager Josh Kovacs (Ben Stiller) loves his hectic job of catering to the building's demanding clientele. But when Arthur Shaw (Alan Alda), the hotel's penthouse resident and employees' pension investor, is exposed as a fraud and placed under house arrest by the FBI, Josh determines to get even. Devising a plan to take back $20 million from the extortionate businessman, Kovacs assembles a team of Tower employees including concierge Charlie (Casey Affleck), elevator operator Enrique (Michael Pena), and maid Odessa (Gabourey Sidibe), plus easygoing former finance wizard Fitzhugh (Matthew Broderick) and professional thief Slide (Eddie Murphy) to attempt his outlandish scheme.

It comes as no surprise that Tower Heist is both funny and genuinely suspenseful, especially with Brett Ratner (the Rush Hour films) at the helm. The mix of humor and adventure certainly has its appeal, and here he shows once again that he knows how to fuse the two without either quality eclipsing the other. While the introduction of characters reveals typical traits for Stiller (as the mild-mannered, mistreated nice guy), Alda (a coolly calculating elitist snob) and Pena (the wisecracking, fast-talking, unqualified novice), it's Broderick and Murphy that steal the show, with unusual characteristics for each actor; a mousy, disheartened math wiz and a foulmouthed, mean-spirited conman, respectively. Broderick provides some of the funniest comedy relief quips and Murphy snags the exotic role of playing a stereotypically over-the-top hood that slowly transforms into the cheerier Beverly Hills Cop persona audiences find most endearing.

But the two strongest aspects of Tower Heist are the music and the editing, which ties into the smartly constructed screenplay. The catchy score by Christophe Beck is impressively thrilling and pays homage to the oddly appealing discordance of an uncommon time signature (something other than 4/4, not unlike Lalo Schifrin's famous Mission: Impossible tune). The editing is equally consequential, including a number of unexpected cuts, as if to avoid filming either difficult scenes or ideas that might rapidly diminish in hilarity. During burglary training and the actual robbery, shots end abruptly; perhaps the setup was leading to a fizzle, the details were never meant to be shown, or the editor knew it would be funnier to leave the audience hanging. The dialogue similarly goes off in a tangent, quite humorously, generally when ineptitude or the fairer sex sidetracks the characters' conversations. Stiller's comedies tend to poke fun at himself, but almost always in a more dignified manner than comedians like Adam Sandler or Will Ferrell. In this Ocean's Eleven-like farce, that approach is more rewarding, with laughs that are undeniably more lasting.

- The Massie Twins (GoneWithTheTwins.com)

The Massie Twins are identical twin film critics who have been professionally reviewing movies full time for over 5 years, appearing on TV, radio, online and in print. They are members of the Phoenix Film Critics Society and the Internet Film Critic Society and their work can be seen at GoneWithTheTwins.com

Movie Review - A Thousand Words (2012) (PG-13)

Don't Speak!

A Thousand Words is a film that strains mightily to be both funny and heartfelt but never manages to be either. And yet, like an underachieving high school student, I could see the potential. I just know that buried somewhere within this narrative catastrophe is a rich, complex fable with the power to register emotionally. The points are all there; what's missing is an appropriate, plausible way to make them. This could explain why the film was shelved after principal photography wrapped in 2008. The official reason for the delayed release is that it got lost in the shuffle when DreamWorks separated from Paramount and Viacom. While I have no doubt that this was a contributing factor, I can't help but feel that the film itself created a whole host of problems, ones the producers were worried couldn't be fixed. If this is the case, then it turns out they were right.

It tells the story of Jack McCall (Eddie Murphy), a Los Angeles literary agent. He's mean-spirited, demanding, and manipulative, and he talks nonstop at a hundred miles an hour. He's also a workaholic, although he makes it a point to not read the manuscripts he's sent. In fact, he has devised a system of reading only the first five pages and the last five pages; if the first five establish reliable characters and marketable plot point, and if the last five resolve everything, it's automatically a bestseller. All he really lives for is dressing sharply and making deals with other literary houses. He never listens to his wife, Caroline (Kerry Washington), who feels they should move away from their Hollywood Hills home into a more family friendly suburb for the sake of their infant son.

Currently, he's looking to rope in a New Age guru named Dr. Sinja (Cliff Curtis), a Deepok Chopra parody who claims to have written a book but has thus far been unwilling to sell it. Jack goes to Sinja's ashram to work his magic, which involves underhanded tactics like saying he actually read the book. Somehow, Jack cuts his hand on the trunk of a Bodhi tree, which then magically transports itself into his backyard. It's then determined that whatever happens to the tree will happen to Jack. Example: If it gets sprayed with water, Jack will break into a sweat, and if a pair of squirrels scurry up the trunk, it will tickle Jack's body. And then there's the matter of the leaves; every word Jack speaks or writes down results in the loss of one leaf. Sinja warns him that trees die whenever they lose all their leaves. Jack quickly learns that he must choose his words carefully - or not say anything at all.

This provides the setup for a number of situations that could have been funny had they not been so forced. There are several scenes with Jack's tightly-wound assistant (Clark Duke), who at one point has to close a deal on Jack's behalf at a lunch meeting; he takes the strategy of doing what Jack would do far too literally, talking like a black stereotype and making crude physical gestures. There are also several scenes with a Starbucks employee, who must interpret Jack's exaggerated miming to fill his order. And then there's a cameo by comedian John Witherspoon as a blind man who steps into an intersection even though it's not his turn to walk yet. The oddest scene is when he sits in his therapist's office; the therapist is so used to not getting a word in edgewise that he finds he has nothing to say. So they both just sit there making comical expressions. Never mind the fact that it's never explained why Jack is in therapy at all.

And just like that, the film transitions from a manufactured slapstick comedy to a soppy drama. We meet Jack's mother (Ruby Dee), who always mistakes her son for her late husband, the same man who left his family when Jack was only a boy. It seems that Jack has been holding on to a lot of anger over the years. How the filmmakers believed such overtly dramatic material like dementia and abandonment issues could work in a comedy, I have no idea. And then there's Jack's marriage, which had been falling apart for quite some time. It has only gotten worse since Jack was forced to stop speaking. All leads to a sappy, tearjerker ending that combines personal awakening with spiritual awareness. Too bad it comes too late in the story for us to care one way or the other.

But that's the thing: We could have cared. I believe that if this story had been completely reworked as a dramatic parable, its lessons of letting go of the past and being open and attentive to your loved ones would have registered. As it is, they come off as greeting-card sentiments transplanted from an entirely different movie. Did the reshoots in 2011, a full three years after principal photography ended, contribute to this? Perhaps someone saw a rough cut of A Thousand Words and thought it was too silly for its own good. If that's the case, I'm afraid more harm was done that good. This movie is an absolute mess. Perhaps it would have been a better idea to keep this film on the shelf and let it disintegrate into nothing but scraps of celluloid.

Although Chris never officially studied film, film theory, or even journalism in college, his Bachelors and Masters degrees in Creative Writing has taught him to appreciate story, character, and the imagination - all aspects that apply to the movies, and if there's anything his years of living in Los Angeles has guaranteed him, exposure to movies would be at the top of the list. He has always appreciated the art of filmmaking, but it wasn't until 2006 that he began writing reviews on various websites for new releases. Still residing in L.A., his reviews can be read at his website, http://www.atatheaternearyou.net.

Movie Review: Tower Heist

"Tower Heist", Ben Stiller's latest movie will hit the screens on November 2, 2011. After Jim Carrey's "Fun with Dick and Jane" a dozen movies with similar synopsis flocked the screen. "Tower Heist" too has a similar script. But, we can certainly expect more from Ben Stiller and Eddie Murphy. News is afloat that Ben Stiller is paid $15 million for this movie. We hope the actor does justice to his payment.

Brett Ratner, the director of "Tower Heist" is no new face. He is quite famous for his Rush Hour series. He has a unique style of mixing humor with action. We can see his trademark action scenes and mind-blowing comedy in this movie too. Eddie Murphy and Ben Stiller both are known for their exemplary humor sense. The other cast includes Casey Affleck, Matthew Broderick, Michael Pena, and Gabourey Sidibe. Brian Grazer who enthralled us with his earlier productions like "A Beautiful Mind" and "American Gangster" is the producer of this movie.

The synopsis

Ben Stiller plays the character of Josh Kovacs, a worker in the luxurious Central Park condominium 'The Tower'. His crew manages the day-to-day activities of many well-secured residences in the condominium. One resident in the building Arthur Shaw, robs their pension money in a Wall Street scam. Alan Alda plays the role of Arthur Shaw. He is under house arrest in his deluxe penthouse for stealing more than two billion dollars in the scam.

"Fun with Dick and Jane" fame Tea Leoni plays the part of a FBI agent Claire Denham. She is responsible for guarding Arthur Shaw and capturing the stolen money. Arthur is waiting for the right moment to escape with the stolen money. The staffs of the condominium strongly believe he has hidden the money in his penthouse. They join together under Ben Stiller to hire a petty thief to steal the money from the high security house. Eddie Murphy is comical thief who manages to commit the crime amidst countless blunders.

The burglary takes place amidst the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. The film's crew had taken painful steps to recreate the original parade with hundreds of amateur actors. All the leading artists in the film, including the Tea Leoni, Ben Stiller and Alan Alda are native New Yorker's. They have grown up witnessing the parade year after year. They co-operated fully with the director's effort to recreate the parade, sacrificing their Thanksgiving holidays.

"Tower Heist" trailer promises a complete family entertainer. The script and the cast had increased the expectations of the film widely. We have no doubt that, this humor cum action movie will be a great pre-festival entertainer.

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Tower Heist Review

Judging by the trailer, Tower Heist looked like it could be hit or miss. Some of it looked funny and other parts made the film look like it would be corny. I know that you can't judge a movie by its trailer, so I was more than willing to see it anyway. It starred Ben Stiller and Eddie Murphy together for the first time and also included a deep cast of solid actors, so that was interesting enough for me to at least to give it a chance.

Arthur Shaw (Alan Alda) is a Wall Street businessman who gets in trouble for scheming millions of dollars out of unsuspecting investors. A group of his victims actually work at the high-rise where he lives. Once they realize that they've been robbed of their pensions, they decide to get even by stealing back money that he may have hidden in a secret department in his apartment. Josh Kovacs (Ben Stiller) makes it his duty to the lead the team on this heist with the help of an old "friend" named Slide (Eddie Murphy), who also happens to be a career criminal. Getting together a team who wants to help is easy, but getting them to develop the fortitude to pull the heist off proves to be much more difficult.

Tower Heist is a film where the dialog is its primary source of comedy. The back and forth banter between the characters is entertaining and that's partially because the personalities were so different and they had unique things to bring to the table. All of them helped move the film along as we get to learn about them, parts of their personal lives and their relationships with one another. I'll also say that the characters are far more important to the movie than anything else, including the plot. They are the backbone of the film and it's obvious to see from the beginning.

While I acknowledge the entire cast and their positive contributions as a whole, it has to be said that Tower Heist truly comes alive when Eddie Murphy gets involved. I'm happy to say that this movie manages to brings back the Rated-R version of Eddie Murphy that's been missing for a long time. He appeared to return to his old form in this movie and that's a good thing. Murphy stole the show in every scene he was in and did some of what made him into a star. We haven't seen this version Eddie in a while and I wish he had more screen time. I hope he stays in these roles for the foreseeable future, because that would be good for business.

Although I do like Tower Heist, I wish that it was smarter than it was. It offered itself multiple chances to do that, but it rarely took advantage of those said chances. I'll also point out that it had a few blatant holes in the movie that can't be explained away easily if you tried, you'll have to see those for yourself. In the end, it was just a fun movie that I enjoyed. They brought back the real Eddie Murphy and added a lot of wise cracking jokes that made up for some of its flaws. It's not complicated and I don't think it was supposed to be. Tower Heist is a movie made for laughs and that's what you get.

Score: 3/5

Rating: PG-13

Director: Brett Ratner

Cast:

Ben Stiller

Eddie Murphy

Matthew Broderick

Casey Affleck

Michael Peña

Gabourey Sidibe

Alan Alda

Tea Leoni

Film Length: 99 minutes

Release Date: November 4, 2011

Distributor: Universal Pictures

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Movie Review of A Thousand Words

There was a time---many, MANY years ago---when putting Eddie Murphy in a movie was guaranteed to equal a big box office return and lots of laughs. Lately, however, it's hit or miss, and---let's be honest---quite a bit more miss than hit. Years after the fact, I am still trying to scrub the images of "Norbit" from my brain. However, I still find myself holding out hope that he will redeem himself from the long list of stinkers that have plagued the theaters since the mid '90's. And despite my ever present sarcasm, I am an optimist at heart, and chose to give Mr. Murphy another shot at things by seeing his new film, "A Thousand Words".

THE GOOD: Jack McCall (Murphy) is a big time publishing agent who spends his days smooth talking potential clients, while ignoring or belittling everyone else in his life. His main focus is himself, and he has no problem saying whatever he needs to in order to close the deal. But Jack is about to meet Karma, in the form of a tree----a tree whose life is, inexplicably, tied to his own. When he speaks, leaves fall from the tree, and he soon realizes that when those leaves disappear, he and the tree are both goners. What follows are semi-creative attempts to function in everyday interactions (professional, family and public) without uttering a word. As expected, complications are abundant, and Jack realizes he has to find a way to fix everything with as few words as possible.

There isn't a lot to rave about in this film, but I have to admit I was more than a little impressed with the young actor who plays Jack's secretary/assistant, Aaron (Clark Duke). In those moments when Murphy is forced into silence, Duke shows promise with his "young Michael J. Fox-esque" awkwardness and voice. There may be a future for this boy---although that may not be the case for Eddie.

THE BAD: I understand the point that the writers were trying to make with this idea, I really do. It's all about making what we say actually MATTER, and finding the words that help others more than ourselves. The problem is that they weren't very clear about their moral until the last 15 minutes of the film. To be fair, for a movie that had so little to offer for almost its entire lifespan, I felt some genuine emotion towards the end. It's just a case of too little too late. And, aside from the corniness of a magical tree sprouting up overnight in your yard, the main problem with the whole film is that Eddie Murphy is SILENT during a fair portion of it. We all know that he can be hysterical and has delivered some pretty memorable lines in the past, but a physical comedian he is NOT, so even with all the crazy faces and sign language he attempts in order to communicate, it fell flat without his trademark sarcastic wit.....although I'm not sure even some well placed lines could have saved this one, unless Murphy could have used those lines to make fun of the movie itself. That might have been fun.

THE UGLY: I suppose this next point is subject to debate, but it's my personal opinion that the raunchy, albeit brief, S & M scene between Jack and his wife was not integral to the plot of the movie and was basically unneeded. It just added one more awkward moment of Murphy saying nothing. Axle Foley would have at least given us a witty comment about the leather underwear.

The bottom line is that "A Thousand Words" doesn't hit an all time low for Eddie Murphy---I think that ship might have sailed with "Pluto Nash"---but it certainly isn't his finest performance by a long shot either. The good news is that he doesn't attempt to play numerous characters---but one of his strongest talents is his mouthiness---take that away and it's an uncomfortable silence.

The Trophy Wife gives this movie 2 trophies.

A Thousand Words has a running time of 91 minutes and is rated PG-13 for sexual situations including dialogue, language and some drug-related humor. (F word used once)

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Coming To America (DVD) Review

In the 1980s, Eddie Murphy manufactured a string of Hollywood blockbusters culminated in his 1988 comedy Coming To America. As far comedies go, this one's as good as it gets. Clever and witty, its hilarity only grows with time. Unlike most modern day comedies, it doesn't rely on outlandish physical humor, fart jokes, or other toilet bowl humor for laughs. Instead, it creates a somewhat realistic plotline ripe with one-liners, eccentric characters, and perfect comedic delivery on the part of its cast. Headlined by Murphy, audiences will enjoy an all-star cast that includes such faces as Arsenio Hall, Louie Anderson, Samuel L. Jackson, and many others. Inevitably, any objective viewer would have to rate Coming To America as one of the top five comedies of the decade...

The film follows the life of Prince Akeem (Eddie Murphy), heir to the royal throne of Zumunda, who, upon reaching the preordained age of marriage, is introduced to a woman bred from birth to be his wife. But, much to the chagrin of his father, King Jaffe Joffer (James Earl Jones), Akeem raises an objection. After discussing the matter, the king agrees to delay the marriage while Akeem takes a trip abroad to "sow his wild oats".

Desperate to avoid his arranged marriage and hoping to marry a woman he loves, Prince Akeem reveals his intentions to his servant, Semmi (Arsenio Hall). Semmi agrees to travel abroad and assist Akeem in finding a wife who can be respected for her intelligence as well as her beauty. Spinning a globe, Akeem's finger lands on the world's perfect destination for finding a queen - Queens, New York.

In Queens, Akeem and Semmi settle into a rundown ghetto apartment complex and set out to find as many women as possible. When their search is fruitless, an older man suggests they go to church and meet some "good girls". It's here that Akeem's eye falls on Lisa McDowell (Shari Headley), daughter of Cleo McDowell (John Amos), founder of Queens' most popular fast food establishment McDowell's (which bares an uncanny resemblance to McDonald's). Unfortunately, Lisa is dating Darryl Jenks, heir to his father's hair supply business and the most eligible bachelor in town according to Cleo and Lisa's sister Patrice (Allison Dean).

In an effort to get closer to Lisa, Akeem accepts a job at McDowell's where fellow employee Maurice (Louie Anderson) fills him in on the bright future beheld by a McDowell's employee. Forcing Semmi to work alongside him, Akeem and Semmi help foil a gunman (Samuel L. Jackson) who attempts to hold up the store. As Lisa and Akeem develop a relationship, her father voices his disapproval, viewing Akeem as nothing but a poor immigrant with no future.

When Semmi telegraphs King Joffer for more money, it prompts the King and his entourage to personally visit New York City in search of Akeem. Cleo does a complete one-eighty when he's informed of Akeem's identity, but King Joffer is insistent on his son's arranged marriage...

An ingenious and utterly entertaining comedy, Coming To America ranks highly as one of Eddie Murphy's best films, if not his best ever. Only Beverly Hills Cop and 48 Hours come close to dethroning Prince Akeem and his search for a worthy bride, but neither is quite on the same level with this film and its never-ending parade of hilarity. If you love to laugh, you can't go wrong with Coming To America, one of the best comedies of the 1980s decade...

Britt Gillette is author of The DVD Report, a movie review site [http://thedvdreport.blogspot.com] where you can find more reviews like this one of the Coming To America (DVD) Review [http://thedvdreport.blogspot.com/2006/02/coming-to-america-dvd.html].

Shrek (Movie Review)

A modern-day fairy tale rife with cutting edge humor, Shrek is a computer-animated film for the ages. In the tradition of Disney (the recipient of a number of clever jibes throughout the movie), Dreamworks manages to create a film that adults (and not just parents) will enjoy as much as children. The comedy is clean, witty, and refreshing. The animation is mind-blowing, and the characters are as likeable as any ever created.

The story follows the life of Shrek (voiced by Mike Myers), a green ogre with a friendly disposition who lives in a swamp during medieval times. When ever-so-short, midget nobleman Lord Farquaad (John Lithgow) banishes all local fairy-tale creatures from his land, they are forced to resettle in Shrek's swamp. Shrek, who prefers to live in solitude, sets off, accompanied by a wisecracking mule named Donkey (Eddie Murphy), to find Lord Farquaad and convince him to leave the fairy-tale characters where they belong, and leave his leave his swampland alone. Lord Farquaad agrees to honor Shrek and Donkey's request under one condition. The odd couple must locate the beautiful Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz) and bring her back to Duloc so that he can marry her (he chooses her as his bride over Snow White and Sleeping Beauty because he wants to become king). Although Princess Fiona is held in a tower guarded by a fire-breathing dragon, the task is one Shrek and Donkey are more than capable of taking on...

Shrek is quite simply of one of the best films of its time. The computer-generated image animation creates a fantastic setting filled with unique, groundbreaking characters. The storyline (basically Beauty and the Beast) is timeless, and the comedy manages to stand on its own in a movie that pushes the outer-boundaries of excellence. Eddie Murphy is at his best playing the Donkey, and Mike Myers may also have put in his best cinematic performance to date. Shrek is one of the few animated films ever made that should be seen by adults who don't have children (in other words, those who otherwise wouldn't bother to see an animated film). So if you haven't seen it, do yourself a favor and give Shrek a try...

Britt Gillette is author of The DVD Report, a movie review site [http://thedvdreport.blogspot.com] where you can find more articles like this one of the Shrek (DVD) Review [http://thedvdreport.blogspot.com/2006/02/shrek-dvd.html].

Movie Review: A Thousand Words (2012)

A Thousand Words starts off like a typical Eddie Murphy film, utilizing his expected blend of physical slapstick, mile-a-minute chatter, and wild-eyed contortionist facial expressions. The humor is derived almost entirely from awkward communications between Murphy and his acquaintances. But when the plot is well under way and the predicament becomes serious, the film takes a turn toward a sentimental, emotional drama, where the hero must right his wrongs and make amends with his past. It's as if the script was already in place, Murphy signed on, then rewrites shaped the movie into a vehicle for his unmistakable style (it probably doesn't help that filmmaker Brian Robbins also directed Meet Dave and Norbit). While the result is certainly not unwatchable, the mood is rather muddied and the laughs are never big.

Jack McCall (Eddie Murphy) is a literary agent for the Apogee company, using his signature rapid-fire articulation to negotiate moneymaking deals. His sights are set on the "New Age crap" of Dr. Sinja (Cliff Curtis), whose philosophies and teachings are attracting crowds greater than those of Miley Cyrus concerts. It's a spiritual movement and McCall wants to be the one to sign the guru to a highly profitable new book deal. Shortly after his encounter with Sinja, Jack discovers that a Bodhi tree has sprouted in his back yard and that it sheds leaves quite rapidly - one for every word he utters. Mysteriously, the trunk has a magical connection to the agent's body, preventing Jack from chopping it down. The calm, watchful, pie-eating sage hypothesizes that when the woody perennial drops its last leaf, McCall will die.

There's a glaring error early on that is so blatant it's hard to ignore it. The major plot gimmick relies on McCall desperately not wanting to talk. When he writes a note to his sleeping wife, each written word also causes a leaf to fall. Infuriated, he flips off the tree, which results in an identical reaction. As soon as it's defined that a crude gesture affects the tree in the same manner as talking, the whole idea falls apart. Every subsequent effort taken by Jack to communicate is through some sort of expressive movement, whether it be a frantic form of Charades, furious countenance spasms, or tempestuous howling. Yet the tree doesn't lose foliage to these commotions. If the movie played by its own rules, he would be dead by the end of the day.

Even if the inherent silliness of the story can be brushed aside, the uncertainty with which the fantasy unfolds is disheartening. Strong messages of spirituality, examining the importance of words, miscommunication, forgiveness, being true to oneself, taking a moment to appreciate the beauty of life, and accepting inner peace are temporarily poignant, but interfere with the initial onslaught of jokes. While it's a fun premise with clement humor (and a few smartly indelicate gags by Clark Duke as McCall's dimwitted assistant, who proves a favorably contrasting comedic counterpart for Murphy), it can only end one way - with overly formulaic contrivances sorting out the dilemmas of a man trapped in the structure of conventional relationships and success.

- The Massie Twins (GoneWithTheTwins.com)

The Massie Twins are identical twin film critics who have been professionally reviewing movies full time for over 5 years, appearing on TV, radio, online and in print. They are members of the Phoenix Film Critics Society and the Internet Film Critic Society and their work can be seen at GoneWithTheTwins.com