Robin Williams - A Farewell to My Favorite Entertainer

I am still a bit shocked and very sad about the passing of Robin Williams.  He has been my favorite actor for most of my life and I even did a paper on him in college.  I don’t know how well I can articulate everything I have been feeling since learning about it, but I decided I needed to try.  My thoughts may jump around a bit, but that seems fitting since that is frequently what Robin did.  At this point, I have been working on this off and on for a few days because it has taken me this long to get my thoughts in some semblance of order.

I went about my day on Monday August 11, 2014, running errands and things.  I didn’t bother to watch the news - I don’t watch the news all the time because I just get tired of hearing about all the crime and negative stuff.  That night, I was minding my own business, looking through some posts on Facebook when I was stunned to read one about Robin Williams dying.  I immediately went to other sites, hoping not to find confirmation that it had happened - not that I think the friend that posted would have made it up, but I just didn’t want to believe it.  I still don’t. 

Over the years I have felt sad when different celebrities have passed away without getting too upset or crying.  I almost always end up shedding a few tears during the memorial segments on different award shows.  This time it is different.  I have cried several times over the last several days, and that will probably continue to happen for a while.  The only other time the passing of a celebrity has hit me this hard was with Jim Henson.  I grew up watching Sesame Street and The Muppet Show, and since Henson was responsible for so many of those characters, it was like they died too at that point.  Mork & Mindy is one of the few shows I remember watching from the early 80s, so I guess I connect Mork, and therefore Robin with my childhood as well, which may be part of  why this has hit me so hard.  It may also be because it is just so sad that such a talented and gifted man is gone.  Finding out that it was suicide and that he had been severely depressed lately makes it sadder.

I am not in any way judging him for this.  It just makes me sadder that his depression got to such a point where he felt this was his only way to deal with it.  Unfortunately, it seems like others are judging.  I have seen nasty comments left on articles and videos.  There are people who are calling Robin a coward and selfish because of this.  He is a man who spent the majority of his life making other people happy.  He has done all kinds of work for various charities, a lot of which he didn’t talk about because he wasn’t doing it for the publicity.  He did it because he cared, something a selfish person wouldn’t do.  He was suffering from an illness that still has a stigma attached to it.  Someone who seems to be a well known blogger wrote something about it that I chose not to read because just the title ticked me off.  It seems like most of the people who have been posting these rude, judgmental, and even nasty things are people who have never had to deal with the type of severe depression that Robin was battling.  They have no idea what type of torment he felt or how he suffered.  They should be glad they haven’t.  Thankfully I have never had to deal with depression, and I hope I never do.  I do understand that it is an illness that people should not be criticized for having.  Some of the things that some people have said online, or even in some of the “news” reports have the potential to be harmful to people dealing with depression.

Over the years, Robin has battled addiction and depression.  Some of that has come out in his work, with him referencing the battles in his stand up.  He has played characters that have problems with depression.  There was even an episode of Mork & Mindy in which Mork learns about loneliness, and the episode does have some serious moments.   Years ago I saw either an interview or read one in which he talked about having insecurities.  It can be hard for people to grasp that someone who was as funny as Robin was could have insecurities and suffer from depression.  It seems like many funny people, and gifted people as well, end up dealing with some form of depression.  Having money or a successful career doesn’t make a person immune to depression. 

Depression does not discriminate and it can be incredibly hard for people to overcome.  It isn’t just feeling sad and people can’t just make themselves happy.  It isn’t like a cold where a person can wait it out or get some type of medicine to deal with the symptoms until it is gone.  There is no magic cure or magic pill.  What helps one person won’t necessarily help another.  While there are medications that can help, it can take a long time to find the right balance.  A medicine that had been helping can stop for whatever reason, starting the search for the balance all over again.  If a person also has to take other medications, they could cause interactions that mess things up.  Medications interact with each other in weird ways at times that can cause complications.   The side effects for a lot of medications mention depression, including some medicine used to treat depression.  There is at least one medicine used to treat depression - I can’t remember which one, but I have seen a bunch of commercials for it - that mentions, in addition to increased depression, suicidal thoughts and actions as side effects. 

On Wednesday, I was horrified to read that some people attacked his daughter for what she has and hasn’t shared online about him, claiming that she hadn’t shared enough pictures of him or some such nonsense.  No one, no matter how famous, is obligated to share every part of their life with the world.  No one has to take pictures of their every waking moment and post them online.  Famous people have a right to privacy too.  No one should be attacked for not sharing enough about their personal life online ever, and it certainly shouldn’t happen after someone has died. 
Friends and family members of someone who has died should not be attacked or criticized for how they grieve.  I don’t understand how or why those people have been doing this.  What is the matter with people?  That is an extra special level of cruel.

Robin Williams made the world a funnier, happier place.  I feel lucky to have been able to watch his many wonderful performances over the years and to have been touched by his brilliance in that way.  I have seen recordings of some of his stand up performances that I enjoyed greatly, but I was never lucky enough to have seen him perform in person.  That would have been something very special.  It would have truly been an honor to have been able to meet him, even for a brief time.  I was thrilled when he was in a new comedy series, and then disgusted when CBS cancelled it while renewing the ever more horrible Two and a Half Men.   Now that he is gone, the world is a sadder place.

I always loved to see Robin on talk shows.  He was the most entertaining guest, bouncing from thought to thought at lightening speed.  He was greatness in action.  When he would crack up over something, his laugh was infectious.  Not all comedians can really do improv, even though many of them seem to think they can.  It takes a very special type of talent to consistently be able to do that in front of a live audience and actually be funny. Robin was the best at it.  That is very different from certain actors who think doing improv is doing take after take after take until they decide something is funny when filming a movie.  Robin was a truly gifted, talented performer.  He was a comedy genius the likes of which I don’t think we will ever see again.

Not only was he hilarious, he was also very good at more serious roles.  One of his early movies was more serious - The World According to Garp - and it was made during the time he was playing Mork.  I haven’t seen all of his movies, but I have seen a lot of them.  I traveled about an hour and a half to get to a theater to see One Hour Photo because it wasn’t at the local theater.  The main reason I wanted to see the movie was because he was in it.  Even many of his funny performances have serious, emotional or downright sad moments in them.  In Mrs. Doubtfire, he was hilarious dressing up as an elderly Scottish nanny, and those outrageous moments are probably what many people remember the most from the movie.  I remember that his character dearly loved his children and would do anything to stay a part of their lives.  Late in the movie, during a court scene, he is absolutely heartbreaking talking about how much his children mean to him. 

I have several of his movies on DVD and I will probably pick up more of them at some point.  I actually did look a few up on Amazon only to discover that they are out of stock right now so they got added to my wish list.  I do sort of feel like having a marathon, starting with the three seasons of Mork & Mindy I have on DVD - I have been hoping for years that the fourth will be released - and continuing with the movies, but I also feel like it is a little too soon for me to do that just yet.  I have watched some clips from some things I hadn’t seen before, and others I had over the last few days.  While they have made me laugh hysterically again, I have also ended up crying again and again and again for various reasons, like just that he is gone or because of something sweet or touching said or done.  I know that I will lose it at the end of Aladdin the next time I watch it, but I will watch it again, along with his many other movies.  I will laugh again, sometimes hysterically until I can’t catch my breath, and I will cry again.  What I won’t do is ever forget him or the joy he has brought me. 

Robin Williams was a very special, talented man who was able to touch his fans in ways that left an impact.  That is why so many of us are so sad right now.  Even though we never actually met him, it feels like we have lost someone close to us.  It takes a special type of person to be able to make that sort of connection to so many people. 

Robin Williams will live on . . . as a grown up Peter Pan, a dedicated English teacher, an outrageous disc jockey, Popeye, a troubled homeless man, a few psychiatrists, a Russian defector, a disturbed photo technician, a killer, animated penguins, the President, Teddy Roosevelt, various doctors, the author son of a feminist, a firefighter who moves to the Caribbean, a banker stuck in the past, a used car salesman, an animated bat, a goofy toy maker, an actor who dresses up as an older Scottish, female nanny, a boy trapped in a game for twenty-six years, a boy who ages four times faster than normal, a flamboyant gay night club owner, a distracted professor, an android, an animated robot, the twisted, corrupt host of a children’s show, a man taking a vacation with his family, a man struggling with the aftermath of loss, an eccentric minister, a father trying to protect his son after death, an advertising executive, a centuries old genie who ultimately gains freedom, and a sweet, kind, gentle, loving alien from Ork. 

Robin Williams will not be forgotten, but he will be greatly missed.

Nanu nanu.

Guardians of the Galaxy is Still Awesome on Second Viewing

When I really enjoy a movie, I will watch it multiple times.  That is why I have as many movies on DVD and Blu-ray as I do.  I usually only see a movie in the theater once, but I am willing to see some movies more than once while in the theater.  So far, the most I have gone to the theater to see a movie is four times for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.  Over the years, I have seen several movies twice at the theater.  I haven’t done it as often in the last few years, partly because of opportunity and partly because there weren’t as many movies I was interested in seeing at the theater twice.  Earlier in the week, I decided to see Guardians of the Galaxy again.

I absolutely loved Guardians of the Galaxy when I saw it on opening day.  The movie is fun and entertaining with a great soundtrack. Probably within a day of seeing the movie, I was thinking about trying to go see it again.  I ended up waiting until Tuesday because I was going to have several hours in between two work related classes and I didn’t want to make two trips into the office.  If that hadn’t been happening, I think I would have gone again on Monday. 

There weren’t as many people there the second time, but it was a decent amount for early afternoon, especially considering it was a 3D showing.  For whatever reason, there are only two show times at the local theater for Guardians of the Galaxy that aren’t in 3D.  The very first showing every day is discounted even more on top of the matinee price, so there could have been more at that time - I missed that showing because of the first class.  Everyone in the theater seemed to really enjoy the movie - all of us stayed through the credits for the extra scene.  Yes I had already seen it, but I wanted to see it again too. 

I noticed a few more things here and there that I had missed the first time I saw the movie.  I noticed how Yondu’s mohawk turns red at times, especially when he is using his whistle controlled arrow.  I paid more attention to one character when he turned up because I figured out from reading the credits the first time that Nathan Fillion did the voice for that character.  The voice really sounds nothing like Fillion.  I noticed more cool things with the special effects, including with the 3D.  Since there weren’t as many people there, I was able to hear a few lines that I had missed previously thanks to the laughter of the audience.  I did notice the one character from the scene after the credits earlier in the movie - no I’m not saying who it is.  The character in question can be seen in the background when the main characters go to see the Collector.  There isn’t a closeup of the character or anything like that.  It is really just a silhouette, but that is enough to make it clear who it is.

Guardians of the Galaxy holds up very well on a second viewing.  I enjoyed the movie just as much as I did the first time.   Honestly, I would be see it in the theater again if I got the chance.  I would even pay the higher price for a 3D showing again.  This is one of the most entertaining movies I’ve seen in a long time.  I will definitely be adding this to my movie collection.

This review is part of elvisdo’s 7th Annual Funny Pages Write off.

Guardians of the Galaxy is Awesome (Spoiler Free)

5 out of 5 Stars

Guardians of the Galaxy is the latest Marvel movie.  I have been looking forward to seeing it for months, ever since I saw the first trailer that has Hooked on a Feeling playing.  The movie is very fun and entertaining and it is definitely worth checking out.  It does build on what has happened in previous Marvel movies and sets up things for future movies while still standing alone fairly well. 

I am only going to briefly discuss the plot for Guardians of the Galaxy.  People who prefer not to know anything about the plot before seeing the movie should skip the next paragraph.

** Minor Plot Discussion **
Peter Quill is abducted from Earth in 1988, just minutes after his mother passes away.  Twenty-six years later, he is calling himself Star Lord.  He ends up in a world of trouble when he manages to find an orb that Ronan, a Kree, is trying to retrieve for Thanos.  Ronan sends Gamora, an assassin and Thanos’s adopted daughter, after Peter.  Gamora and Peter end up in prison along with Groot and Rocket, where they meet Drax.  The five decide to work together to get out so they will have a chance to stop Ronan and Thanos.

** End of Minor Plot Discussion **
There is a cute scene at the end of the movie, just as the credits are starting.  There is a scene after the credits that ties back into something that happens during the movie.  All of the Marvel movies have done this, and with most of them, the extra scenes hint at something that will be coming in some way in a future movie.  Another Marvel character is introduced in the short scene.  I did recognize the character, but I have no idea what is being planned there.  I honestly never expected to see that character show up, and I am now wondering what Marvel is planning since all the other characters introduced in this way have turned up in later movies so far.

Guardians of the Galaxy is the based on the Marvel comic book.  I have never read it, so I have no idea what has stayed the same and what has been changed.  I hadn’t even heard of Guardians of the Galaxy before Marvel announced that they were making the movie.  I didn’t know what to expect from the movie, even after seeing the first few trailers, but I still wanted to see the movie.  I’m very glad that I saw it. This is one of the best movies of the year.

Peter is first shown as a child in 1988.  The movie only spends a few minutes on that point in his life, but it is a rough few minutes.  The movie then jumps forward twenty-six years to show Peter as he is finding the orb.  From that point on, things move at a fairly good pace without feeling rushed.  The story works well overall.  It is very interesting and entertaining, blending in some touching moments with really funny things.  Some of what happens is just flat out bizarre - one of the characters is a talking raccoon and another one is a sort of tree that can only say I am Groot  - but it all works perfectly to make an awesome movie. 

All of the main characters say and do things that are funny in some way.  All the humor gives a movie a lighter feel overall even with the emotional moments.  Music also plays a part in what is going on since Peter’s most treasured possession is the mix tape his mother made for him of songs from the 70s and 80s.  Those songs actually work very well with what is going on when they are heard.  I am slightly disappointed that more of Hooked on a Feeling isn’t heard during the movie like it was in one or two trailers.  Other characters react oddly to Peter’s music, and at one point, he even uses it during a confrontation in an unexpected way.  In another scene, Peter shares the legend of Footlose and hero Kevin Bacon.  The music also serves as a connection to Earth and his mother for Peter, so it is understandable why he is so protective of his walkman and the mix tape.  I do wonder where he got batteries for the walkman over the years.

I ended up seeing Guardians of the Galaxy in 3D because of the show times.  For whatever reason, all but two of the show times are in 3D at the local theater.  I do think the 3D was pretty good and that it added to a few cool images.  I think the movie is also showing in IMAX 3D at some locations.  Everything looks wonderful throughout the movie.  Several things are created with special effects that are done well. 

There is a decent amount of action to what is going on without things getting too graphically violent overall.  A few things happen that are more violent and could be upsetting or even disturbing to some viewers.  There are different fights, including a few involving space ships, that are done well.  I think there is a decent amount of action in the movie overall.  I think of the movie mostly as a fun action adventure in space.  The movie is rated PG-13, so parents should keep that in mind when deciding on taking kids to see it.  There is some swearing, though nothing extreme and the word that rhymes with luck is not used.  Peter does make an obscene gesture at one point, though it is done in a funny way. 

Guardians of the Galaxy has an interesting group of unique characters.  Peter, Gamora, Rocket, Groot, and Drax are basically misfits who are thrown together by circumstances and end up finding a way to work together.  They ultimately become friends and discover that their individual strengths compliment each other, making them stronger together.  Peter is a bit of an outlaw who has a rather inflated view of his own reputation.  Chris Pratt is perfect in the part. 

Gamora was raised by Thanos and turned into an assassin after he killed her family.  She sees the current situation as her way of getting away from him.  She is very good at fighting and does have some trust issues.  Zoe Saldana is good in the part.  Nebula, who is part cyborg,  was raised with Gamora and the two have issues.  Nebula has issues with Thanos as well, though she seems loyal to him.  Karen Gillian is really good in the part.  I don’t think I would have recognized her if I hadn’t know she was playing the part since she looks so different. 

Rocket and Groot have been working together for a while as some sort of bounty hunters/mercenaries.   Rocket is a raccoon that has been experimented on, giving him the ability to talk.  He is very fond of large weapons.  The voice Bradley Cooper does for the character fits him very well.  Groot is basically a walking tree who is very good in fights.  Vin Diesel provides his voice even though he only says one thing.  He does say it in different ways, and it seems like Rocket is able to pick up on more other things that Groot means.  Drax is after vengeance for his family.  He wants to kill Ronan and even go after Thanos, and his need for vengeance causes him to make some stupid decisions at times.  Dave Bautista is fine in the part. 

Ronan is the main villain of the movie.  He wants revenge against enemies of the Kree, and he is determined to get it.  Most people are afraid of him since he will not hesitate to use deadly force.  Lee Pace does well with the part.  Thanos is just briefly in the movie, though it is clear that he has bigger plans.  I believe that Thanos will be playing a bigger part in future movies.  Josh Brolin performed as the character for motion capture and provided his voice. 

Yondu is a bandit that has basically raised Peter.  The two have some conflicts.  Yondu isn’t really a bad guy, but he isn’t really a good guy either.  Michael Rooker does well with the character.  Glenn Close is in a few scenes as Nova Prime, the leader of the Nova Corps who are in charge of protecting the planet Xandar.  John C. Reilly turns up in a few scenes as Rhomann Dey, a member of the Nova Corps. Benicio Del Toro is The Collector in a few short scenes.  Stan Lee makes another short appearance somewhat early in the movie.  Nathan Fillion has a small cameo, though I think, now that I figured out which character it was, that he just did the voice.  Director James Gunn has a cameo too, though I didn’t manage to spot him.

Guardians of the Galaxy is absolutely awesome and definitely worth seeing in the theater.  People who have liked the other Marvel movies will probably enjoy this one as well even though it is a bit different.  This is one of the best movies of the year.

This review is part of elvisdo’s 7th Annual Funny Pages Write off

22 Jump Street - Overload of Crude Humor

2 out of 5 Stars

I try to keep an open mind about new movies.  I tend to give most movies a chance, even when I am not particularly fond of members of the cast.  With some actors and actresses, it is a little harder for me to do that.  Originally I really wasn’t interested in seeing 22 Jump Street.  I only recently saw the first movie, and, well, it wasn’t a favorite.  I don’t really like Jonah Hill, though I have managed to like some of his movies.  I ended up going to see 22 Jump Street.  I should have followed my initial instincts and avoided it.

After somehow managing to be successful with their assignment out of 21 Jump Street that sent them back to high school looking for drug dealers, partners Jenko and Schmidt have trouble with other assignments.  They get a lead on Ghost, a drug dealer, but mess up in a big way and are sent to 22 Jump Street - across the street in a different abandoned church from 21 Jump Street.  Captain Dickson assigns Jenko and Schmidt to go undercover at the local college to find who is suppling a new drug called WHYPHY that has been linked to the death of a student.

It doesn’t take long for Jenko to start up a friendship with Zook and Rooster, fraternity brother football players.  Schmidt doesn’t fit in with them at all and he starts feeling left out.  He does manage to start a relationship with art student Maya even while being looked down on by Maya’s roommate Mercedes.  Jenko and Schmidt start to drift apart and the investigation, as well as their friendship, suffers.

During the first several minutes of the credits, there are a series of clips from fake sequels that have Jenko and Schmidt going undercover in other schools, like medical school, culinary school, and a seminary - in which Seth Rogen replaces Jonah Hill as Schmidt because of “contract negations”.   The clips are amusing.  At the end of the credits there is a short scene that ties back into something that happened earlier during the movie.  I’m guessing it was supposed to be funny, but I didn’t think it was.  It was just an attempt at a joke being taken too far yet again.

While I did laugh here and there at things happening in 22 Jump Street, I didn’t find the movie that funny overall.  Far too often, the “jokes” fell flat for me.  From very early in the movie there are a lot of jokes about movie sequels being exactly the same as the first movies, how a bigger budget doesn’t guarantee success, and how all sequels stink.  The movie is very self aware, including through the clips during the credits.  That stuff is fine at first, but it gets old fast.  The same thing happens any other time something actually funny happens.  The writers didn’t know when to quit.  Mercedes spends just about every minute she is on screen making cracks about old people and how ancient Schmidt is.  That was just stupid.

There are a lot of gay jokes tied to the relationship between Jenko and Schmidt.  There are some tied to Jenko’s growing friendship with Zook as well later in the movie.  The first few of those jokes was fine, but again, the writers didn’t know when to quit.  It got to a point where it was uncomfortable that they were resorting to that sort of joke again.  The humor would have worked better overall if there wasn’t so much overkill with certain types of jokes going on.   It is almost like someone decided that if it was funny once, then doing the same sort of joke 900 more times will be absolutely hilarious.  It isn’t.  I don’t mind dumb comedies or silly movies at times.  This one just didn’t work for me.  There some pop culture type references, including references to Batman, Robin, and Spider-man.  Sexual references, some of which are rather vulgar, are used throughout the movie.  They are something else that I think were intended to be funny that weren’t.

I don’t know if everything in the movie was actually scripted or if improvisation went on during filming.  Jonah Hill is part of a group of male actors who do a lot of improvisation during their movies.  They seem to think anything they think up on the spot is hilarious no matter how stupid it is.  Saying whatever pops into your head and then laughing doesn’t make something funny.  Some people are really, really good at improvisation, but not everyone is.  Hill - and the group of actors that includes Seth Rogen - isn’t that good at it.  I have seen extras on some DVDs that have actors going on and on and on, trying to come up with something funny by just spewing nonsense.  A lot of the stuff that Mercedes says about how old Schmidt is has that sort of feel to it. 

The few action scenes do seem a bit exaggerated and over the top.  There is sort of a chase at the beginning, and a longer chase later that has Jenko and Schmidt going after two different suspects.  The action does take a back seat to the attempts at humor.  Some violence is in a few scenes without the movie being violent overall.  The word that rhymes with luck, along with variations of it, are used by just about every character, something else that is over done.  Drugs play a part in what is going on, including when Jenko and Schmidt unknowingly ingest some and have a weird trip.  The movie does deserve the R rating, and it isn’t one that children of any age should see.

I didn’t think any of the characters were that interesting.  Jenko is good looking and becomes popular at college, but he is dumber than a box of rocks.  That makes it harder to believe him as a college student than the fact that he is older than his classmates.  Schmidt is overly needy and clingy where Jenko is concerned, but he is still somehow able to hook up with Maya, a girl well out of his league.  Jonah Hill didn’t annoy me as much as he has in other movies, but he still isn’t funny.  Channing Tatum really isn’t funny either. 

Maya is just a pretty art student who has a family member that could add complications.  Mercedes is a waste most of the time.  She and Schmidt get into a fight at one point that is just ridiculous.  Captain Dickson is only around in a few scenes.  He mostly is yelling about something.  The Ghost is a drug dealer the guys are after at the beginning who may or may not turn up again later.  Rooster and Zook are the football playing frat brothers.  Neither of them seem that bright either.  Zook is around a little more since he becomes more of a friend to Jenko.  I didn’t realize that Wyatt Russell was playing Zook when watching the movie.  Different students are around briefly without them adding anything to the movie.

22 Jump Street has a few moments here and there that work or that are funny, but overall, it just isn’t funny.  I know the movie has gotten a lot of good reviews, but I don’t understand that.  I don’t get what is so good or entertaining about it.  This is definitely not a movie for everyone.

This review is part of elvisdo’s 7th Annual Funny Pages Write off because of the references to Batman, Robin, and Spider-man.   

Tammy

3 out of 5 Stars

Melissa McCarthy has become very popular in the last few years.  I think she is very funny and have enjoyed movies she was in, so I have wanted to see Tammy, her new movie.

The day is already going bad - car issues and being fired - when Tammy arrives home and discovers that her husband is romancing another woman.  Tammy packs up a few things and heads two houses down to her parents’ home.  When her mom won’t turn over a car, Tammy decides she can take her grandmother’s car.  Pearl is willing, but only if she goes with Tammy.  The two head off on what ends up being a wild road trip, complete with drinking and a robbery.

A few short things are shown during the first few minutes of the credits, including one blooper.  There are no additional scenes at the end of the credits.  There isn’t a 3D option for this one.

Things start happening within the first few minutes of Tammy, setting up that this is just the most recent bad day that Tammy has had.  It quickly becomes clear that her life isn’t the greatest.  Some of that is her own fault and other things aren’t.  There are times when I felt really bad for her.  Pearl has her own issues that come to light during the trip.  That does sort of add a few complications to what is going on, but the plot is fairly straightforward, though it isn’t completely predictable since there are a few small surprises here and there.  Some people could be disappointed by the fairly simple plot. 

Not everyone is going to like or appreciate the humor in Tammy.  Some of it is rather crude or rude, involving obscene gestures or language.  The word that rhymes with luck, along with some variations are used repeatedly throughout the movie by just about every character.  All the foul language may offend some people.  I don’t mind if that sort of thing is done a few times, but it does get old after a certain point.  Bad language by itself isn’t funny.  I do think that Tammy is funny overall, though it could have been funnier.  There are funny things that weren’t in the trailers, but there is also something that has been in trailers that wasn’t in the movie for some reason.  A few references are used at times as well, mostly to things that a younger person will not get.  The only one I can remember now is when Tammy mentions the old tv show Falcon Crest. 

Tammy is not a family friendly movie, though when I saw it, someone decided to bring a herd of children, who ended up sitting just one seat away from me.  The movie is rated R for a reason, and young children really should not be seeing it.  The movie is probably all right for teenagers.  Parents should check the movie out first.  In addition to all the swearing, there are some sexual remarks and a few borderline sexual situations as well.  At one point, Pearl is picked up by Earl while Tammy and Earl’s son Bobby watch.  Pearl and Earle end up in the backseat of the car before locking Tammy out of the hotel room.  Pearl demonstrates more bad behavior by offering Tammy beer when Tammy is driving and spending a lot time drunk.  The two women share a few things, some of which are a bit disturbing. 

Pearl and Tammy serve as the main characters and each of them have some issues.  Pearl spends a lot of time drunk, and at least once, she is shown starting to drink really early in the day.  Pearl is a bit wild at times, especially where Earl is concerned.  Susan Sarandon is all right in the part, though she doesn’t seem old enough to have a granddaughter Tammy’s age - or daughter the age of Deb for that matter.  It is a little odd to see Sarandon in this type of part, but I think she handles the comedy well.  I do think she was funnier in the few episodes of Mike & Molly she was in last year.  Deb and Don are Tammy’s parents.  Deb is not happy about the road trip at all and she doesn’t come across as that supportive at times.  Alison Janney is fine in the part even though she isn’t old enough to have a daughter the age of McCarthy.  Don only shows up very briefly late in the movie, so Dan Aykroyd don’t get much to do.

Lenore is Pearl’s cousin who ends up helping Pearl and Tammy at one point.  Kathy Bates is fine in the part even though she doesn’t have much to do.  Sandra Oh has even less to do as Susanne, Lenore’s partner.  Earl is a drunken mess and a mostly flat character.  Gary Cole really just has to stumble around and make out with Sarandon.  Bobby is Earl’s sort of responsible son - Bobby did take Earl out drinking after all.  Bobby doesn’t get much attention either, but he seems nice enough.  Missi is the woman that Tammy’s husband Greg is seeing.  They are only in a few short scenes, so Toni Collette is wasted in the part.  Ben Falcone is good as Keith, Tammy’s jerk boss. 
Tammy, as the main character that the movie is named after, ends up with the most to do.  She has a fairly crappy life.  She tends to complain about things without doing much to try to change things.  She isn’t the brightest crayon in the box and she clearly has issues.  She usually makes bad decisions, though at one point, she does that with good intentions.  She still manages to be mostly likable even though she has some moments when it is difficult to like her.  Melissa McCarthy is fine in the part.  She, along with her husband Ben Falcone, wrote the movie and he directed it.  I do think it could have been better.  Tammy really isn’t that different from the parts she has played in Identity Thief and The Heat, so I can see why some people say they are getting tired of her doing the same thing over and over. 

Tammy has problems and could have been a lot better, but it isn't as bad as some have said.  It does manage to be funny and entertaining, but it isn’t as good as The Heat.  Fans of McCarthy will probably want to check out of the movie.

The Simpsons Movie - Homer Hits the Big Screen

5 out of 5 Stars

The animated television series The Simpsons is the longest running television show.  It became very popular from the time it began to air in 1989 on FOX.  The characters appeared on all kinds of merchandise, games, and comic books.  It was years later before I started to watch the show because I didn’t have FOX in 1989.  I quickly got hooked on the show and have been watching it ever since.  I have all the DVD sets that have been released and I went to see The Simpsons Movie on opening day in 2007.  I just watched the movie again. 

Springfield is facing a dangerous situation.  Lisa convinces everyone to do something to fix the situation.  Things start to get better until the day that Homer gets distracted by free donuts and does something that dooms the town.  He then has to try to find a way to redeem himself and possibly save the town. 

The Simpsons Movie begins showing many of the characters in a movie theater watching an Itchy & Scratchy movie.  During the credits, there are a few little bits of animation, including Maggie’s first word, but there really aren’t any actual extra scenes during or after the credits.  There wasn’t an animated short before the movie, unless you count the few minutes of Itchy & Scratchy. 

While the plot for the movie does build on things from the series, it is self contained.  There really haven’t been any continuing storylines in the series, so there wasn’t anything like that to carry into the movie.  Everything is resolved by the end of the movie.  Some things that happened in the movie have been referenced in the series since then once or twice.  When the new season started in the fall of 2007, something is shown that connects to the ending of the movie.  People who haven’t seen the series could enjoy the movie though they probably won’t know all the characters or get why certain things happen.  The movie is really aimed at fans of the show.  

Subplots turn up in many episodes of the series, some of which end up not being connected to the main plot of the episode in any way.  The Simpsons Movie has a few subplots that do end up tying back into the main plot.  For a few of the subplots, it only becomes clear late in the movie how they connect to the main plot.  Things remain true to the series and what has been established in it and no one acts out of character.  The things that happen are believable for the world of the series.     

The movie uses the same type of humor that the series uses and I think the movie is funny.  That does mean that some jokes are silly and there is some gross humor as well.  This type of humor doesn’t appeal to everyone, but I think it works for the movie just like it works for the series.  Anyone that has had a problem with the humor in the show will probably have a problem with it in the movie too.  Some of the humor relies on things that Homer says or does, again like the show.  It just wouldn’t seem right to me if Homer didn’t bumble into something and cause some sort of problem.  It would have been weird if the movie changed the humor too much from what is used in the series.   From what I remember, the trailers and previews didn’t show the funniest moments.  There are a few pop culture references without the movie being loaded down with too many of them like has happened with other movies.  Homer gets a pig at one point that he calls Spider Pig and later calls Harry Plopper, in what seem to be references to Spider-Man and Harry Potter.  Homer even makes up a Spider Pig song.

The Simpsons Movie is rated PG-13, so it is able to get away with a little more than an episode of the series is.  At one point, Homer makes an obscene gesture with each hand and there is a little bit of swearing.  The word that rhymes with luck isn’t used.  There is some animated nudity at one point that did shock me when I first saw the movie.  I hadn’t expected it to go as far as it did.  Parents should definitely check out the movie before letting their kids see it, even if their kids regularly watch the series.  Things are a little more suggestive in a few other scenes.  The movie isn’t good for all children just because it is animated. 

The animation for the movie has the same basic look as the series.  All the characters and locations look the same, though it is slightly different from how the series looked up to the point of the movie being released.  The series is now in high definition, something that started with season twenty in 2009.  The animation for the movie is done very well though it isn’t on the same level as what Pixar does. 

By the time this movie came out, the series had aired for eighteen years.   That gave it the time to have richly developed main characters and a large, fairly strong cast of supporting characters.  There isn’t much in the way of character development in the movie, but that didn’t bother me since I was already familiar with the characters.  Anyone who hasn’t watched the show may feel differently.  The movie, like the series, is mainly focused on the five members of the Simpsons family, so they end up with the most to do.   

While several supporting characters are around, none of them do as much which is a little disappointing even though it is understandable.  There are a few scenes that include large crowds, which is the only time some of the various characters are actually seen.  Some of the characters only get a line or two while others don’t have any.   Several locations, like the church, Krusty Burger, and the comic book store, turn up as well.  Comic Book Guy shows up in a few scenes and is actually attempting to help Marge figure something out at one point.  Apu, Moe, Millhouse, Chief Wiggum, and Mr. Burns briefly stand out in short scenes.  There are a few new characters, with Russ Cargill having the most to do since he is involved in the main plot.  The voices of the characters are all done by the voice actors who have done them for the series for years.  It would have just been strange if the voices had been different.  Albert Brooks, credited as A. Brooks, does a good job with the voice of Russ.  One very famous actor basically does a cameo as himself at one point. 

DVD INFORMATION

The Simpsons Movie is available on DVD and Blu-ray.  I have the DVD.  The picture quality looks beautiful on my HDTV.  There are a few commentaries that I haven’t taken the time to listen to yet.  There are five or six short deleted scenes, including a slightly alternate ending, that really don’t add much, though they would have given a few other characters some screen time.  The different trailers are included as well.  Special stuff includes little extra bits, like Homer introducing American Idol and Homer, Marge, and Lisa acting as the American Idol judges while Simon Cowell auditions.  None of them are very long, though they are cute.  Since I don’t have the Blu-ray, I don’t know what sort of extras are included with that version.

The Simpsons Movie is a very fun, entertaining movie.  I really enjoyed it and think it is true to the series.  It is definitely worth checking out for fans of the series.  People who don’t like the series should probably just skip this movie.

This review is part of Elvisdo’s 7th Annual Funny Pages Write Off because of Comic Book Guy, the reference to Spider-Man, and the fact that there are Simpsons comic books.

I posted a review of this movie on Epinions on July 27, 2007 - after seeing the movie in the theater - as dragonfire88.  When I watched the movie again recently, I decided to write a new review.

Independence Day - Will Smith Battles Aliens

4 out of 5 Stars

Eighteen years ago in 1996, Independence Day was the big blockbuster of the summer.  I did see the movie two or three times in the theater and I got the movie on VHS before eventually picking up the DVD.  I have no idea how many times I’ve seen this movie.  I ended up leaving the movie on when I found it on one of the Encore channels on the 4th of July. 

On July 2, satellites start having issues and a huge space ship is discovered orbiting Earth.  Smaller ships break off the big ship and move above major cities all around the world.  A few groups of people around the country, including the President and his wife, are shown dealing with the initial situation and then the aftermath of horrible attacks on the various major cities.  Not everyone that is introduced survives.  Eventually the different groups of people end up at Area 51.  David, who works for a cable company, plays a big part in developing a plan of attack that is launched on July 4th.   

At first, it might seem like Independence Day is a complicated movie.  A lot is going on, but it is all tied to the spaceships and the attempts to deal with that.  The plot ends up being rather simple and predictable, but it does work overall as an entertaining movie.  Things start off a little slower as all the various characters are introduced.  The movie jumps around among all the characters throughout the movie, showing little bits of what is going on with them before jumping to the next group of characters.  All the jumping around does get a little old and things don’t flow as well as they probably could.  The story itself of aliens showing up has a lot of potential.  It just isn’t as developed as it could have been.

There is a lot of action throughout Independence Day in the form of various fights and some explosions.  All the characters are in danger at some point, some more than once.  Air Force One barely takes off ahead of a massive fireball from the attack.  Another character, Jasmine, somehow finds the one spot that will withstand a similar fireball in Los Angeles with seconds to spare.  There are a few air fights with smaller attack type ships that deploy from the larger ships hovering over the cities.  The action is a bit over the top at times, but those scenes are entertaining.  The aliens are seen and look suitably creepy.  One or two scenes featuring an alien is a bit gross.  Some scenes have a bit of violence, but there really isn’t that much violence overall considering how much action there is.  The movie is rated PG-13, so parents should probably check the movie out before letting children see it.  There is an attempt to add humor to what is going on, usually through what some characters say.  That happens even during action scenes at times which can mess with the flow of the scene.  Some of the lines are more cheesy and some of the other dialogue that isn’t trying to be funny isn’t that great.

I’m sure that a lot of things were created with special effects throughout the movie.  The effects are done well and have held up well for the most part without looking really dated.  When I watched again this time I did notice a few things with the effects that I didn’t before.  It was mainly that the edges around people or objects - like when the fireballs were approaching -  looked a little off in scenes that must have used green screen.  I may have noticed this time because I was watching on an HDTV.  I think the last time I watched a few years ago was on an older tv.  The Encore channel was HD as well.  I have no idea if Encore was using a high definition copy of the movie or not though.  The overall picture quality was good and it didn’t look like grainy or anything like that.    

Since making Independence Day, director Roland Emmerich has made two more disaster movies, 2012 and The Day After Tomorrow.  He also made the 1998 Godzilla, which is kind of a combination of monster and disaster movie.  Those movies have followed the same basic formula, with different disasters for the characters to face.  There is even a plane taking off barely ahead of a fireball in 2012 along with a limo that somehow manages to outrun fire, explosions, and massive falling debris.  I think there was more than one escape just barely ahead of a fireball in that movie, but I don’t remember for sure.  I think I have blocked a lot of that out.  I’ve seen all four of these movies and I notice a lot of similarities in them.  It really seems like Emmerich has used this movie as a template for others because the structure of the other three movies is so similar.  There are groups of characters that the movies jump between, showing how they all are dealing with the disaster.  None of the characters are that developed and they mostly just fill a certain type of role.  There is one scientist type character who figures out what is going on that no one will listen to until it is too late.  Someone will give a rousing speech just when things seem to be the worst that inspires everyone.  There tend to be one couple that is estranged for some reason who realize they still love each other by the end.  Most of these movies have also had another couple who start out happy, somehow survive everything, and end up eve closer.  The story and the set up of everything works all right for this movie, but it would be nice if he would try more originality.  He has done other things that were very different, but he seems to keep returning to this formula time after time.

I didn’t notice it when I first saw the movie, but the alien ships look a lot like the ships from V, a television mini series about aliens that come to Earth that aired in the 80s.  There was a new version of the series on a few years ago that I also watched.  When the new series started to air, there was some criticism that the show was just copying things from Independence Day.  Evidently the people that claimed that never saw or knew about the original V, which came out well before this movie.  It was around that time that I realized how much the ships look like the ones from V.  I watched V when it originally aired, but enough time had passed before this movie came out that I didn’t pick up on the similar look. 

There is such a large group of characters in Independence Day that really none of them are that developed.  They just sort of fill certain characteristics without any depth being added to them.  Several of the characters are nice enough, but they are very flat.  David works for a cable company is very intelligent.  He discovers something early on tied to the aliens, but of course, no one will listen to him at that point.  He is still in love in with ex-wife and still wears his wedding ring.  Jeff Goldblum does fine with the part.  Julius is David’s father who ends up going along.  Judd Hirsch is wonderful in the role and has some of the best lines even though he doesn’t get much to do overall.

Constance is David’s ex-wife who works for the president.  She doesn’t listen at first, but she starts acting differently and seems to still love David.  From what was said in a few scenes, it seemed like she had put her job first.  It also didn’t help that David had some trust issues and even punched Thomas at some point.  Margaret Colin is fine in the part.  Thomas Whitmore is the president.  He fought in the Gulf War which seems to have been a big reason why people elected him.  When things begin, people aren’t happy with how he has been doing his job.  David and Thomas still have issues.  Bull Pullman is fine in the part.  Marilyn is Thomas’s wife.  She is in Los Angeles when the attack happens.  Mary McDonnell does well with what she has to work with.  Albert Nimzicki works with the president and has his own ideas about how to deal with the situation.  He is a former CIA agent who may know than he admits at first.  James Rebhorn does fine with the part.

Steve is somewhat cocky, but he is a talented pilot.  He wants to be an astronaut, but he keeps getting turning down.  Will Smith does well with the part.  Jasmine is Steve’s girlfriend.  She is an exotic dancer.  At one point she mentions doing it because she makes good money and her son is worth it.  Jasmine is nice enough.  Vivica A. Fox is fine in the part, though nothing special.  Harry Connick Jr. is in a few scenes as Jimmy Wilder, a pilot and friend of Steve’s. 

Russell is a crop duster who tends to be drunk most of the time.  He is sort of considered a local crackpot because of how he acts and the fact that he talks about being abducted by aliens just about every chance he gets.  Randy Quaid is a bit over the top with his performance, though that does sort of fit the character.  Miguel, Alicia, and Troy are Russell’s children.  Miguel is really fed up with Russell.  Robert Loggia is in several scenes as William Grey, a general who is involved in the situation.  Adam Baldwin has a small part as Major Mitchell, someone stationed at Area 51.  Harvey Fierstein and Brent Spinner also have small parts and only turn up in a few scenes.

DVD Information

I have seen a few different DVD versions of Independence Day.  I have a two disc version that has several extras tied to the making of the movie on the second disc.  I’m not sure what sort of extras are on the other DVD versions.  The movie is available on Blu-ray, though since I don’t have that version, I don’t know what sort of extras it has.  The movie does air on various cable channels at times, especially near or on the fourth of July.  Depending on which channel it is on, it could be edited.  When commercial breaks are added on some channels, it makes the movie almost unbearably long, especially with how often the commercials are.  It is better to watch it from the DVD, Blu-ray, or a channel that doesn’t have commercials.  The movie is long enough by itself.  One of the Encore movie channels aired the movie all day on the 4th of July this year (2014).  I don’t know exactly what time the marathon started, but I’m guessing that it lasted twenty four hours.

Independence Day has some flaws, but it is an entertaining movie overall that has held up fairly well and is still worth watching.  Fans of the cast or people who like disaster movies will probably find something to like about the movie.  Anyone who doesn’t care for disaster movies or mindless action movies will want to skip this one.  It is one of the few movies I own or have seen that is set around the fourth of July.

I originally posted this review on Epinions on July 4, 2010 as dragonfire88.  I made changes to the review before posting it here.