Critical Consensus: Here's To You, "Robinsons"; "Blades" Needs Sharpening; "Lookout" Worth A Look
This week at the movies, we've got trips to the future ("Meet the Robinsons," starring Angela Bassett), ice-capades ("Blades of Glory," starring Will Ferrell and Jon Heder), and ill-conceived bank heists ("The Lookout," starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt). What do the critics have to say?
Lewis, the main character in "Meet the Robinsons," joins a long line of orphaned Disney protagonists that includes Bambi and Mowgli. And while "Robinsons" may not be up to the level of those Disney animated spectacles of old, critics say it's a fun ride nonetheless. In his quest to find a family that will take him in, Lewis is instead whisked away to the future, where he encounters singing frogs, dinosaurs, and flying cars -- all in three dimensions! The critics say the action in "Meet the Robinsons" is so frenetic that it makes the antics of Tigger seem positively sedate, but it's also witty and touching. At 76 percent on the Tomatometer, the pundits are sending a warm coo coo ca-choo to "Meet the Robinsons."

Say hello to the American family Robinsons.
For those of you who've long wondered what the nexus between "The Cutting Edge" and "Elf" would look like, wait no longer: "Blades of Glory" is here. Will Ferrell and Jon Heder star as rival figure skaters who, after an embarrassing throwdown at the World Championships, team up for a shot at redemption. Critics say "Blades of Glory" has its share of laughs and an air of transcendental silliness, but it's not disciplined enough to ensure that those moments translate into a successful whole. At 63 percent on the Tomatometer, "Blades" ain't dull, but it isn't sharp enough, either.

"This is our assistant. If you think she's cute now, you should've seen her a couple years ago."
Joseph Gordon-Levitt may not be Robert Mitchum, but with "Brick" and, now, "The Lookout," he's carving out a distinct niche in the world of film noir. Gordon-Levitt plays a brain-damaged janitor who gets roped into a bank-heist scheme, and then attempts to turn the tables. Critics say screenwriter Scott Frank ("Out of Sight," "Minority Report"), in his directorial debut, does a terrific job creating believable characters, sharp dialogue, and an engrossing storyline, while Gordon-Levitt continues to prove he's a talent to watch. At 82 percent on the Tomatometer, you may want to "Lookout" for this one.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt doing more lookout duty for Jeff Daniels.
Also opening this week in limited release: "U-Carmen," a version of Bizet's opera set in contemporary South Africa, is at 100 percent on the Tomatometer; "Killer of Sheep," Charles Burnett's seminal, long-lost examination of life in Watts, is at 93 percent; the Oscar nominated Danish import "After the Wedding" is at 84 percent; "Summer in Berlin," a tale of two women who are unlucky in love, is at 80 percent; the re-released "Peaceful Warrior," a philosophical gymnastics movie starring Nick Nolte, is at 21 percent; and "The Hawk is Dying," starring Paul Giamatti and Michelle Williams, is at 18 percent.

No, it's not "American Anthem." It ain't even "Gymkata."
And finally, we'd like to give a special shout-out to -eternity- (whose moniker is an obvious reference to the work of Greek director Theo Angelopoulos) for coming closest to guessing "The Hills have Eyes II"'s 15 percent Tomatometer. Eternity, treasure this victory forever.
Recent Will Ferrell Movies:
-----------------------------------
74% -- Stranger than Fiction (2006)
72% -- Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006)
41% -- Winter Passing (2006)
71% -- Curious George (2006)
52% -- The Producers (2005)
Lewis, the main character in "Meet the Robinsons," joins a long line of orphaned Disney protagonists that includes Bambi and Mowgli. And while "Robinsons" may not be up to the level of those Disney animated spectacles of old, critics say it's a fun ride nonetheless. In his quest to find a family that will take him in, Lewis is instead whisked away to the future, where he encounters singing frogs, dinosaurs, and flying cars -- all in three dimensions! The critics say the action in "Meet the Robinsons" is so frenetic that it makes the antics of Tigger seem positively sedate, but it's also witty and touching. At 76 percent on the Tomatometer, the pundits are sending a warm coo coo ca-choo to "Meet the Robinsons."

Say hello to the American family Robinsons.
For those of you who've long wondered what the nexus between "The Cutting Edge" and "Elf" would look like, wait no longer: "Blades of Glory" is here. Will Ferrell and Jon Heder star as rival figure skaters who, after an embarrassing throwdown at the World Championships, team up for a shot at redemption. Critics say "Blades of Glory" has its share of laughs and an air of transcendental silliness, but it's not disciplined enough to ensure that those moments translate into a successful whole. At 63 percent on the Tomatometer, "Blades" ain't dull, but it isn't sharp enough, either.

"This is our assistant. If you think she's cute now, you should've seen her a couple years ago."
Joseph Gordon-Levitt may not be Robert Mitchum, but with "Brick" and, now, "The Lookout," he's carving out a distinct niche in the world of film noir. Gordon-Levitt plays a brain-damaged janitor who gets roped into a bank-heist scheme, and then attempts to turn the tables. Critics say screenwriter Scott Frank ("Out of Sight," "Minority Report"), in his directorial debut, does a terrific job creating believable characters, sharp dialogue, and an engrossing storyline, while Gordon-Levitt continues to prove he's a talent to watch. At 82 percent on the Tomatometer, you may want to "Lookout" for this one.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt doing more lookout duty for Jeff Daniels.
Also opening this week in limited release: "U-Carmen," a version of Bizet's opera set in contemporary South Africa, is at 100 percent on the Tomatometer; "Killer of Sheep," Charles Burnett's seminal, long-lost examination of life in Watts, is at 93 percent; the Oscar nominated Danish import "After the Wedding" is at 84 percent; "Summer in Berlin," a tale of two women who are unlucky in love, is at 80 percent; the re-released "Peaceful Warrior," a philosophical gymnastics movie starring Nick Nolte, is at 21 percent; and "The Hawk is Dying," starring Paul Giamatti and Michelle Williams, is at 18 percent.

No, it's not "American Anthem." It ain't even "Gymkata."
And finally, we'd like to give a special shout-out to -eternity- (whose moniker is an obvious reference to the work of Greek director Theo Angelopoulos) for coming closest to guessing "The Hills have Eyes II"'s 15 percent Tomatometer. Eternity, treasure this victory forever.
Recent Will Ferrell Movies:
-----------------------------------
74% -- Stranger than Fiction (2006)
72% -- Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006)
41% -- Winter Passing (2006)
71% -- Curious George (2006)
52% -- The Producers (2005)
Related Items
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on Mar 29 2007 05:46 PM blah blah blah, the new Will Ferrell movie looks like it is in the same comedic callibur as Talladega Nights and Anchorman, so I don't care that the same critics over and over don't like him. (Reply to this) |
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on Mar 29 2007 06:23 PM [b]TEE HEE-Keep reading..it isn't a double post.[/b] blah blah blah, the new Will Ferrell movie looks like it is in the same comedic callibur as Talladega Nights and Anchorman, so I don't care that dalonoman likes him. (Reply to this) |
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on Mar 29 2007 08:25 PM OMG Jenna Fisher is in Blades of Glory?!?!? i fucking love the office. ive gotta see that movie. oh, and Will Ferrell is funny so why not. (Reply to this) |
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on Mar 29 2007 08:39 PM Hey, look! Ricky Bobby on skates! Will Ferrell may be quite talented to keep up a decently fun string of gags, but it's becoming waaay too repetitive. (Reply to this) |
![]() on Mar 30 2007 05:35 AM Blades of Glory has a better tomatometer than I expected. (Reply to this) |
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on Mar 30 2007 06:48 AM I haven't seen it yet, but Blades looks promising. I was disappointed in Talladega Nights and Anchorman (though Anchorman gets funnier each time I watch it on DVD!) and I'm a huge Will Ferrell fan! Hopefully this won't feel like a 90 minute skit. (Reply to this) |
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on Mar 30 2007 09:35 AM Jesus Buddha in a basket Will Ferrel sucks ass and no "comedy" he makes looks remotely interesting. His movies are like changing your desktop theme. Same shit, different look. (I don't really count Stranger than Fiction, as it was good but mostly because of him not being his usual unfunny self-- that and Emma Thompson). The Lookout seems solid, anticipating that. (Reply to this) |
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on Mar 30 2007 10:35 AM [b]Language[/b] Keep it clean guys! (Reply to this) |
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on Mar 30 2007 11:46 AM i'll wait till they all come out on dvd. except for maybe that philisophical gymnastics movie. that sounds SWEET. (Reply to this) |
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on Mar 30 2007 02:13 PM Hey, I just saw Blades of Glory, and it was freakin awesome! I was laughing so hard I had tears in my eyes, especially when they first dance together! And Jenna Fischer from the Office is so freakin hot in this movie! Hopefully this will lead to more roles for her, although she didn't do much in this one. This made me laugh harder than Anchorman (the first time I watched it) or Talladega Nights! They also showed a different trailer for Spidey 3. Looks tight, but they show him fighting Venom in real quick flash sequences, and it just looks like he's fighting himself in the dark suit, not the scary looking Venom. We'll see... (Reply to this) |
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on Mar 30 2007 05:34 PM I thought it was funny that they would put will ferrel and jon heder together in a movie. It's kind of fitting, because they both play the exact same character in every movie. I bet they didn't have to pay the script writers as much, because I'm sure that script just wrote itself. althought there is gob. he could always save the day. (Reply to this) |
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on Mar 31 2007 10:05 AM I wish movies like these didn't have plots. (Reply to this) |
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