"My Life in Night at the Museum" or "Battle of the Smithsonian Ruins"?

Greetings m'dear Jaders,

I must apologize for the gap in posts, but the blog fodder has been as scarce as ice on hot asphalt. Not to mention, yours truly has succumbed to a small bout of summer sloth. Time to get back in the Shade and cool down!

And so after a fun romp of May premieres, the box office has slowed down without a single film reaching $50 million for opening weekend this entire month. Another big-budget action flick, Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen might salvage some of June's dignity with its midweek premiere last night. In the meantime...

Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian and My Life in Ruins were both blah— not good enough to have me raving but not horrible enough to warrant a warning. Like its predecessor, Night at the Museum 2 relied on slapstick humor and colorful characters to keep the story going. But as movie critic Dan Lybarger points out, our protagonist (Ben Stiller), is basically buried by the flamboyant personalities that run amok in this film. Lisping pharaoh Kahmunrah (Hank Azaria), blaring General Custer (Bill Hader), nosy Abe Lincoln (again Azaria) and too-spunky Amelia Earhart (Amy Adams) caused a sensory overload— too many people acting ridiculously muddles plot and dampens the humor. Despite a troupe of comedic geniuses and acting pros, I was most impressed by the bobble-head Einsteins (voiced by the fabulous Eugene Levy) and the boy-band Cupids (yes, they're voiced by the Jonas Brothers). Still, many critics gave the movie favorable reviews; one even claimed it was better than the original (really?). Check out Rotten Tomatoes to see the full scope of opinions.

My Life in Ruins was not as bad as I'd expected. After watching this trailer, the bar was set so low that I couldn't be disappointed. In Nia Vardalos' second meditation on Greece and Greeks, the comedy falls short but the eye candy— both her love interest and the gorgeous sites— does make some amends. The Greek characters in Ruins are not endearing and hilarious as they were in My Big Fat Greek Wedding, but the tourists, including Richard Dreyfuss, Rachel Dratch and Harland Williams are entertaining enough. Also, an interesting tidbit before you watch the film: Vardalos' real-life hubby Ian Gomez makes a cameo as a greasy motel owner (he also appeared in Greek Wedding as John Corbett's character's best friend). Gomez is in a scene involving an envelope and a proposition that is priceless— how did Vardalos keep a straight face?

Despite shortfalls in the past ("My Big Fat Greek Life," Connie and Carla, Ruins), Vardalos is still irresistably spunky despite her characters' straight-laced demeanors. Perhaps that's why I'll give her another go with I Hate Valentine's Day, in which she reunites with John Corbett (see the trailer). No movie ticket this time, but I'll certainly add it to my Netflix queue.

Coming into the Shade...
-Better movies to review!
-My music: the first edition!
-The blog's new mascot!
-A new twist to J&S;stay tuned for deets!

Bookmarked: 'New Moon' Madness

Let me begin this post by saying that I am a slow reader. I often reread sentences and paragraphs to make sure I've absorbed everything the author has shown me. As a writer, it helps me to notice the details, the descriptions, the diction and the voice. Despite my sluggishness and a prevalent rumor that the second book in the Twilight series is slow, I finished New Moon within a week— just in time for the movie trailer to grace the Web waves.

I can finally say that I "get" the whole teen-vampire mania that's been spreading like wildfire. While Twilight was a fun, fast read, it didn't hook me the way its sequel has. Perhaps it's because New Moon has more monsters and less mush. Sure, reading about how much Bella and Edward love each other is sweet, but isn't it more interesting to see how well our heroine does flying (hem hem: jumping) solo? Also, Jacob Black has a larger role in the second book. No longer a little freshman, he has grown up in many ways, but his affection for Bella has only deepened. Hello, love triangle.

The story opens at the beginning of Bella and Edward's senior year of high school. The two have shared a blissful— yet glossed over— summer together, and all seems fine and dandy. Without giving too much away, I'll divulge that certain events prompt Edward to leave Forks (oh no, the town's Web site has a Twilight map of love). Although Bella has a serious bout with depression, her recovery is an interesting and sometimes humorous process. Her loveless new life revolves around extreme sports (motorcycling/crashing) and buddy time with Jacob. But don't let these ordinary details bore you— there are more supernatural forces at work in Forks than Middle-earth. As with its predecessor, New Moon progresses at a steady pace, following a basic plot until the last third of the book. Call it Stephanie Meyer's signature move: the woman loves doing plot jack-knives once she's two-thirds through the novel. Don't plan on eating, sleeping, socializing, etc., during the last six chapters as you might find yourself in a zombie-like stupor.

In case you haven't seen the film trailer, check it out here. Just be forewarned: the preview has some spoilers. New Moon will open November 20, and in the meantime you can drool over the poster.

Next on my reading list is The Namesake by Jhumpi Lahiri. I'm about 100 pages in— time to add the film version starring Kal Penn (aka Kumar, Kutner, White House public liaison) to my Netflix queue.

Disney/Pixar keeps 'Up' the legacy

Last week I watched the 10th Disney/Pixar collaborative film, Up, which features the vocal talents of Ed Asner and Christopher Plummer. And while the idea of a grouchy old man with a cane starring in an animated movie for kids might seem risky, the gamble has paid off. Up opened two weekends ago to earn a whopping $68 million and place as number one at the box office. The Hangover snatched the top spot this previous weekend, but only beat Up by a small $800,000.

Echoing my favorite Pixar film (Finding Nemo), Up begins its story on a sad note. But don't worry; you won't be sniffling for long. Carl Fredricksen (Ed Asner), a grouchy old widower, is determined to do two things: to fulfill a lifelong dream of traveling to South America; and to save his house from demolition. Bright, multicolored balloons provide a dazzling escape from the real-estate-hungry businessmen while launching Carl into a grand adventure. Along the way he is joined by an exuberant wilderness scout named Russell, a talking dog called Dug and a 12-foot bird that looks like a cross between a Dodo and a Velociraptor. Plummer lends his voice as a nefarious explorer whom Carl idolized as a child but must contend with now. Funny, heartwarming and visually stunning, Up is your usual cup of Disney/Pixar tea, which is not to suggest that it's not remarkable. It's just that extraordinary is the norm for these films. Look out competitors, the bar has just been set a little higher. Again.

On a more technological note, Up is the first Disney/Pixar movie to offer 3-D screenings; it's also the first time I've seen a feature film in 3-D. While the sight of thousands of balloons towing a house through the air was certainly enhanced by my 3-D glasses, I'm still not sold on the whole three-dimensional movement. It seemed that in the process of making images pop out, backgrounds became smaller and colors less vivid. But then again, I'm no 3-D engineer, so take my assessment with a grain of salt.

There's more Shade to come so tune in (type in?) again!

Bringing Trekkie Back

DISCLAIMER: I was a Trekkie (hem hem, technically a "Trekker") long before the new Star Trek film was even in production, so you might want to take my subsequent gushing with a grain of salt.

Back in 2005, I heard rumors that J.J. Abrams was in talks for creating a new Trek movie that would feature the crew from the original series as young adults. Reports said it would be, "The O.C. meets Star Trek." I was terrified. Mixing the mature, philosophical Trek with a melodramatic teen show seemed as good of an idea as mixing orange juice with milk. I couldn't have been more wrong.

In a single word, Star Trek is amazing. Sure it's also fun, thrilling, sexy and (yes) fresh, but "amazing" is the only way I can describe the pleasant shock that kept my mouth agape during most of the film. Abrams, who was already a sci-fi whiz ("Lost," Cloverfield, "Fringe"), has outdone himself: He breathed life into a wayward franchise while still honoring the Trek mythology. You don't need to be a Trekkie (heck, you don't even have to know what the U.S.S. Enterprise is) to enjoy the film, yet there are plenty of old-school allusions for the fans.

Surprises and plot twists are half the fun of Star Trek, so I will be sparing in the details I share. Despite the smooth special effects and the imaginative glimpses of alien worlds, the highlights were definitely in the performances. Karl Urban nailed the cantankerous "Bones" McCoy to an eerie (yet hilarious) degree that made me think he was channeling DeForest Kelley himself. Chris Pine's portrayal of James T. Kirk proved that this pretty boy can act — he embodied Kirk's devil-may-care attitude toward rules without the hokey Shatnerisms. And while Kirk was portrayed as a sort of Casanova on the television series, his womanizing habits are a great source of humor in the film. Funnyman Simon Pegg clicks as the clever and colorful Scotty while Zoe Saldana adds some feistiness to Uhura while maintaining her quick wit and compassion.

But out of all the cast, Zachary Quinto shines the brightest as a young Spock who must continually struggle with his emotions while questioning which world — Vulcan or human— he truly belongs to. The actor held his own, quite a feat considering the original Spock, Leonard Nimoy, made an appearance. In addition to Nimoy, Winona Ryder, Ben Cross and Jennifer Morrison from "House" have cameos. Perhaps they are closet Trekkies?

All the strings that might have constrained Star Trek in past are cut here. In the various television incarnations, plot continuity and fixed budgets kept the stories grounded; in previous films, the age of the actors (usually in their 50s and up) kept the action safe. But there are no limits in Abrams' reimagining of Gene Roddenberry's original vision — and that's Trek at its best.

Still not convinced to give Star Trek a try? Then check out Jimmy Fallon's interview with the two Spocks (Quinto and Nimoy) and learn how to act during a starship attack.

Until next time, live long and prosper.

10 Things I love about 'X-Men Origins'

While I am totally biased when it comes to reviewing X-Men films (or anything with Hugh Jackman for that matter), X-Men Origins: Wolverine is fun, fast-paced and fulfilling. Yes, fulfilling. Where X-Men 3: The Last Stand left me upset, confused and generally discontented, the latest mutant flick exceeded my expectations. Perhaps it should bump X3 out of the Blu-ray DVD pack and take its place...

So why am I raving about this film? Here's 10 reasons why:

1. Cool cameos from some of your favorite recurring characters like a teenage Cyclops (sorry, the glimpse of Storm was held for the director's cut DVD).
2. We finally know the tantilizing secrets of Wolverine's past— did you know that Logan isn't his first name?
   
3. Will.i.am rocks his silver screen debut in a cowboy hat.
   
4. Logan's love interest, Kayla Silverfox, is low-maintenance (not psychotic like Jean Grey in X-3) and gracefully acted by "True Blood" 's Lynn Collins.
5. Liev Schreiber kicks mutton-chops as Sabretooth. This blockbuster-shy actor earned some much-needed cool points after playing a nerd opposite a dashing Hugh Jackman in 2001's Kate & Leopold.
6. The sidekick and foil mutants were not annoying in this film. Dominic Monaghan as Bolt, Will.i.am as Wraith and Daniel Henney as Agent Zero vs. Callisto, Juggernaut and Pyro— 'nuff said.
7. Unlike the dark-dark-and-even-darker Dark Knight, I actually laughed during parts of this superhero movie. Isn't that how it's supposed to be?
8. Sorry, boys, this X-Men film is eye-candy for the girls. Between a shirtless Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool), a smoldering Taylor Kitsch (Gambit), a growling Liev Schreiber and a naked Hugh Jackman, you might want to bring a pocket fan.
9. The film has an adorable elderly couple who offer Logan some guidance (seriously we haven't seen a duo this cute since Uncle Ben and Aunt May in Spider-Man).
   
10. Still wanting more? At least two more spin-offs are already being discussed: a Deadpool prequel and another Wolverine story taking place in...Japan? Really?
    

Going it alone — to see Matthew Perry as a 17-year-old

The summer movie blitz begins today — well at least in my book it does. X-Men Origins opens today with Star Trek to follow next week, which can only mean that the blockbuster season is upon us. Rather than fall behind early on, I decided to go see 17 Again today before the action onslaught begins.

Funny thing is, I went alone— something that is both liberating and embarrassing at the same time. The movie was a bit below my expectations only because I compared it to the fabulous '80s flick, Big. But overall, I enjoyed it: Matthew Perry and Leslie Mann are always fun to watch and Zac Efron's acting was actually decent. He was able to channel some of Perry's mannerisms/quirks (although I'd have loved a "Could I be any younger?" a la Chandler Bing) while adopting a more mature persona than he has portrayed in the past. And yes, of course, he did dribble and dance, but the High School Musical-esque beginning ends quickly when Efron's character finds out he's going to be a father at the tender age of 17. Imagine Troy and Gabriella having to deal with that one. Break-dancing in the OR?

But the problems of 17 Again lie in the script, not the acting or the overall story. Many of the jokes and comedic scenes are forced down the audience's throat to the point that you dread the funny parts. The best friend/sidekick, played by Thomas Lennon, is a super-geek — his bed is a hovercraft and he's fluent in Elvish — yet he's rarely funny. Also, while the film begins and ends as a love story, it seems to lose its focus somewhere in the middle by perusing too many fluff scenes that don't take the plot anywhere.

Bottom line: I went to see 17 Again mostly because the idea of Matthew Perry's personality in Zac Efron's body might just create the perfect guy. It wasn't as funny as I'd expected, but it was quite cute.
J&S Rating: 3 stars (out of 5)