Tuesday Movie Reviews

Splice
Starring: Adrien Brody, Sarah Polley, Delphine Chaneac
Directed by Vincenzo Natali

I so wanted to like this movie, but, alas, I felt slighted. Brody and Polley are a couple of scientists that are trying to create new creatures that will eventually be used to cure major diseases. (The movie explains it, I won't go into it.). When they get the idea to add a human element into their creatures, the company they're working for balks, too many moral complexities. But our brainiacs decide to try it anyway. What they come up with is this part monkey, part bird, part human thing they decide to call Dren (Nerd backwards...crafty!). The thing starts to grow at an exponential rate and Polley starts to have maternal feelings. Dilemmas arise and fall by the wayside, until Dren becomes too much to handle. This could have been a pretty good horror/sci-fi film, but it gets bogged down in melodrama and nonsense. The creature that grows to the age of 20 or so in a matter of months all of a sudden stops? Makes no sense. And why don't these geniuses of science realize that playing God and splicing together different species may be a bad idea??? Brody and Polley play through their roles admirably, but the "star" of the show is supposed to be this mute Dren-thing. I was bored with her after 5 minutes. What a shame.

GRADE: D

I Am Comic
Starring: Tim Allen, Tom Arnold, Dave Attell, Margaret Cho, Tommy Davidson, Phyllis Diller, Tom Dreesen, Jeff Foxworthy, Jim Gaffigan, Janeane Garofalo, Bobcat Goldthwait, Kathy Griffin, Larry Miller, Rosanne, Sarah Silverman, Ritch Shydner
Directed by Jordan Brady

If you can't tell by the cast, this is a documentary about stand-up comics. Some of the best are there to try and give insight to a very difficult profession. Director Brady was on the scene for a while, and he thought it would be neat to give the viewer an inside look at what it means to be funny day in and day out. He does a pretty good job, but what really gets interesting is how he starts to follow Ritch Shydner. Shydner used to be a very popular comedian in the 1980's, even appearing on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson (he didn't get the invite to the couch). He'd been out of the game for a number of years, writing mostly, but a chance open-mic night gets him feeling the urges again. And he's awful! Just stinks up the joint! But, as explained in the movie, it's a hard racket to leave behind. I liked the film, not only for the little bit of insight into the lifestyle, but because some of it was damn funny. You won't find the meaning of life or comedy in the message, but you will be entertained for about 90 minutes.

GRADE: B

...Special Friday release of How To Train Your Dragon...review to follow shortly.