Film roundup: Sometimes Smaller is Better
The big marquee release this week is Transformers, a Michael Bay extravaganza that takes G-rated Saturday morning fare and turns it into an adult-oriented PG-13 action bloat-fest — complete with a “three-minute dialogue on masturbation,” according to reviewer Kathy Bledsoe. This may be Daddy’s Transformers all grown up, but they’re not designed for a whole new generation of kids…
Of course, neither is License to Wed. Jeff Walls finds this PG-13 rom-com “rather dull,” and Robin Williams fairly muzzled. In the end, Jeff was struck by a remarkable “sense of déjà vu—in a way, License to Wed is sort of a pseudo-sequel to 2003’s Anger Management.”
The smaller films this week fare a bit better. Greg Wright finds the unrated Snow Cake a remarkable, adult-oriented portrait of autism. Alan Rickman and Sigourney Weaver, among others, forego big paychecks in favor of demonstrating what can happen “when the acting (or the message) can be the real point.” Greg also finds some things to recommend in Joshua, a pysch-horror film about a manipulative boy-demon, but finds its anti-Christian cynicism offputting. “By all means, keep your kids from seeing this one,” says Greg. “Growing up is hard enough as it is” without having all sorts of devious ideas planted in the “fertile soil” of their minds.
Finally, Mike Brunk recommends Fido for fans of the horror genre — and recommends that others stay as far away as possible. (It’s an acquired taste.)
