Dinner For Schmucks

3 out of 5 Stars



Dinner For Schmucks follows Tim (Paul Rudd), a businessman with a steady job and relationship. He is about to get a promotion but there is one catch. The higher ups have a dinner where they all invite "idiots" to dinner to make fun of them. This puts Tim in a bind because, although he doesn't approve and plans to go through with it to get the promotion, his girlfriend is completely against. And then Tim meets Barry (Steve Carell), a well meaning taxidermist who uses mice to recreate famous paintings and create some of his own. This is Tim's perfect guest. He is then sent on a wild ride that brings ex-girlfriends back into the picture and turns Tim's life upside down before the big dinner hits.

I think the biggest problem with this movie is how it was advertised. It seemed that the movie who go something like this: Tim has dinner. Tim has to bring and idiot and finds Barry. A really big dinner with lots of laughs ensue. But the reality is that the dinner itself is less than a third of the movie. That doesn't mean it's not funny. In fact, there are plenty of laughs along the way, many of which are caused due to Barry doing things he really shouldn't. But it gave me the impression that I would sit through an extended dinner scene. Personally I'm glad the dinner wasn't so long and that the story moved into other places. I think it helped it work better and created more laughs.

The film also has a lot of heart. Despite Tim's initial intentions to make fun of Barry he starts to get attached to him. And what makes Barry's character so likable is that he is oblivious to the stupid things he does. He really is a charming man who just happens to be a little odd. And that is why I was able to cheer for him and hope everything turned out well for him. It also helped enhance the lessons that Tim learned throughout the film at the same time as making some entertaining comedy. When it comes to Steve Carell this year, this made up for Date Night. I actually felt like I laughed enough this time and I enjoyed the characters more.

Despicable Me

4 out of 5 Stars




Gru is a super villain. He also isn't that good at it. In fact, another super villain who is new in town just stole a pyramid. That is Vector. Then Gru concocts a plan for the ultimate heist, to steal the moon. So he steals a shrink ray but then Vector steals it from him but he can't get into the heavily guarded fort. So Gru ends up adopting three little girls who sold cookies to Vector and works on carrying out his plan but things don't always go quite accordingly to plan as the girls begin to take a place in his heart. And all the while he is helped by little yellow minions.

Despicable Me is the kind of kids movie that makes movies truly fun, especially for kids. This is a film that is filled with great humor, good voice acting, and truly enjoyable characters. And with a year with so few great films it's nice that at least the animated films still hold up this year, the other films being Toy Story 3 and How To Train Your Dragon. Sure the plot is simple and predictable but it's a move geared to kids. It's not meant to be unpredictable. After all as one person I know put it about Toy Story, "You expect the toys to actually die?" There is a reality that in a kid's movie (basically anything rated G) there are just certain themes that are too intense for young kids to handle.

But what Despicable Me has is many laughs, great morals, and much heart. It's easy to know what is going to happen. But at the same time there is enough heart that you can feel for the the characters as you come along for the ride. And of course the addition of the minions makes for a clever and originally creative twist. Really it's a clever rendition of a simple plot. Really, it's the fun that somehow manages to be missed in a good many kids movies. And it's also the fun that somehow Shyamalan managed to miss in Airbender.

Date Night

3 out of 5 Stars



Phil and Claire Foster have two kids, live in a suburban neighborhood, and all in all have a pretty mundane life. They have book club, get together with their friends, and have a regularly scheduled date night in which they do the same thing and go to the same place. Then one week Phil decides he wants to take his wife out to dinner in the city to do something different. Without calling ahead, he takes her to one of the most expensive and difficult restaurants to get into and not having a reservation takes another, a couple by the name of Triplehorn. This soon leads to them being escorted outside and soon learning that their decision has caused a hiccup in their plans, one that has put their lives in danger. Soon the Fosters are on the run trying to get home.

Date Night at times is fun. Mostly it's just decent storytelling with a good cast. It's a good idea with fun scenarios that unfortunately don't always live up to what they could be. Date Night is a comedy. Or at least it's supposed to be. About half the movie I found myself laughing, maybe less. Most of it I just tried to sit back and enjoy the ride. But I think that was the film's biggest flaw, it was made as a comedy. Most of the funny parts were in the trailer. Really it should have been a drama with comedy. I think it would have worked better. That doesn't mean that other people won't find it funny, but a lot of people I have talked to have also said that they have found the film to be not as funny as they expected.

If there is one thing I would personally praise "Date Night" for and in high regard, it is that the film is pro-marriage. Even though the Fosters don't necessarily feel happy all the time and their love life is plummeting, they work out their problems and stay together unlike some of their friends in similar situations. In a society where divorce seems to be the number one option a film with a couple that sticks it through is important. I enjoyed the film for what it was but not necessarily as a comedy. It was a mediocre film, nothing great. But it's a fun movie to just sit back and enjoy for the fun of entertainment.