Queen Latifah

‘Ice Age: Continental Drift’ Sucks Remaining Life From Franchise

BrianTT — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 10:47:33 -0400

Rating: 1.0/5.0

CHICAGO – The families who get suckered into the truly horrendous “Ice Age: Continental Drift” should be angry. Not only does it fail when compared to the best animation of the year (“Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted,” “The Pirates! A Band of Misfits,” “The Secret World of Arrietty,” “Brave”) but it’s less entertaining than most children’s television. The audience with which I saw the film was notably restless as the writers of this stale franchise hit the same tired beats over and over again and the bored voice talent can practically be heard endorsing their checks as they lackadaisically read their lines. The new cast members try to bring a little life to this tired material but they can’t save a franchise frozen out of all creative thought.

The best line in “Ice Age 4” comes courtesy of Sid the Sloth (John Leguizamo) when he offhandedly quips about how this makeshift family’s last adventure involved fighting dinosaurs, which he notes didn’t make a lot of sense but was fun. Once again, the team behind this franchise have come up with a bizarre plotline that doesn’t make a lot of sense but they’ve forgotten the fun. The alleged uniting theme of this installment in the billion dollar franchise is “family,” how this bizarre group of unlikely friends has become closer over the years. It’s as loose a theme as a family film has had in years since little of the plot has much to do with it. It’s more characters just yelling “FAMILY!” every once in awhile to try to unite the plotlines.

Ice Age: Continental Drift
Photo credit: Fox Pictures

The bulk of “Ice Age: Continental Drift” features Sid, Diego the Tiger (Denis Leary), Manny the Mammoth (Ray Romano), and Sid’s Granny (Wanda Sykes) navigating the open waters on a floating chunk of ice after the planets start to shift. They’ve been separated from Manny’s family, including partner Ellie (Queen Latifah), the manic Crash (Seann William Scott) & Eddie (Josh Peck), Manny’s daughter Peaches (Keke Palmer), Peaches’ peers Ethan (Drake) & Steffie (Nicki Minaj), and Peaches’ molehog friend Louis (Josh Gad) — who are all trying to avoid sliding chunks of land and get back to Manny while Peaches also deals with typical issues of being a teenager.

Enough characters for you? Tough. “Ice Age: Continental Drift” comes from the more is better school of animated screenwriting — the one that thinks that enough characters means enough actual writing. Manny, Diego, Sid, and Granny run afoul of an ice ship pirate ape named Captain Gutt (Peter Dinklage), who leads a ragtag crew including Shira (Jennifer Lopez), Squint (Aziz Ansari), Flynn (Nick Frost), and more. Of course, Shira and Diego develop a relationship. Manny fights to get back to the family that needs him. And Sid is mostly there for comic relief. And don’t forget Scrat, a character who LONG AGO went past the point of humor into the land of repetition. Even five-year-olds are going to think they’ve seen this shtick before.

Ice Age: Continental Drift
Photo credit: Fox Pictures

To be fair, the new actors do bring a bit of energy to the film. Dinklage is having fun, Frost is great, and even Lopez has a bit of energy that the film desperately needs. They seem much more engaged by the material than Romano and Leary, who barely put anything into their performances here. Even the actors are bored of playing these characters.

And it’s easy to see why. “Ice Age: Continental Drift” would be acceptable as a mid-season episode of a Cartoon Network series in the way that it hits plot points that the series has visited before but it simply lacks the creativity to be acceptable under 2012 3D ticket prices. It’s visually uninspired and a stunning number of jokes just hit the floor with a thud. Even the reliable laugh-getters in the past like Scrat’s physical comedy or Sid’s bad hygiene produced nothing in the theater in which I saw the film. Even kids know when they’re being forced to see an inferior version of something they’ve seen before. Stay home and watch the first two movies again. It might take twice as long but it will be half as painful.

“Ice Age: Continental Drift” features voice work by Ray Romano, Denis Leary, John Leguizamo, Queen Latifah, Wanda Sykes, Keke palmer, Drake, Nicki Minaj, Josh Gad, Peter Dinklage, Aziz Ansari, Nick Frost, and Jennifer Lopez. It opens on July 13, 2012.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

Gospel According to Dolly Parton, Queen Latifah in ‘Joyful Noise’

PatrickMcD — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 12:37:04 -0500

Rating: 3.0/5.0

CHICAGO – The old fashioned musical has gotten a boost from the recent popularity of “Glee” and other singing shows. It was inevitably that the marriage of the gospel choir and the movie musical would take place, and writer/director Todd Graff (”Camp”) is the matchmaker in “Joyful Noise.”

Pairing Queen Latifah and Dolly Parton as members of a small-town competitive gospel group, “Joyful Noise” does just fine when breaking into song, but anytime the plot invades the proceedings, the atmosphere produces a sour note. Graff simply pours too many story elements into the musical stew, which is flat and bland when maneuvering through the various small town rivalries, and only produces steam whenever the gospel and other songs are performed.

The film opens with the gospel choir from a small town Georgia church competing in a regional singing competition. Choir director Bernard (Kris Kristofferson) falls ill at the show, and passes away shortly thereafter. This leaves his widow, G.G.(Dolly Parton), to continue his musical legacy, but the church pastor (Courtney B. Vance) surprises everyone by naming Vi Rose (Queen Latifah) to replace Bernard. Vi Rose is a traditionalist, and the choir wants to do more modern choreography and songs, which are typical winners at the competitions.

Dolly Parton (G.G.) Gets the Point from Queen Latifah (Vi Rose) in ‘Joyful Noise’
Photo credit: Van Redin for Warner Bros. Pictures

Enter G.G.’s grandson Randy (Jeremy Jordan), a so-called “troubled” youth who is sent to live with his pneumatic granny. He has a voice like an angel, and the modern sensibility to take the choir to another level. He clashes with Vi Rose immediately by setting his sights on her daughter Olivia (Keke Palmer). With G.G. and Randy on one side, versus Vi Rose, Olivia and the pastor on the other, can this plucky group of gospel singers win the national title? As long as they make a “Glee”-ful…I mean joyful noise.

It is the musical numbers that are the highlight of this film, which has its heart in the right place. That doesn’t mean the story follows suit, as it relies on painfully induced conflict and presumptuous notions of small town life. It has the plot sophistication of an “Archie” comic book, with less subtlety. In between the songs, Graff throws in a dead choirmaster, a boy with Asperger’s syndrome, arguments over nothing and a romance between teenagers that makes little sense, and nearly kills everything. But the musical numbers do shine.

There are fantastic voices to interpret the tunes, which are mostly secular. Paul McCartney’s “Maybe I’m Amazed” gets the gospel treatment by Keke Palmer and Jeremy Jordan, as well as Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror.” There are two forays into true gospel, one being a poignant rendition of the standard “Fix Me, Jesus” by Queen Latifah and a choir performance of Billy Preston’s “That’s the Way God Planned It.” There is a stunning final competition number, with the choir group using Sly and the Family Stone as a foundation for choreographed movement straight out of an MGM musical (if they would have had hip-hop moves available back then).

What is surprising about the weak plot is that Todd Graff is most notable for the cult film “Camp,” about a group of musical theater students at a summer camp. There is a an acerbic edge in that film that is desperately missing in “Joyful Noise,” and although the subject matter is different the decision to sentimentalize the gospel choir – with the exception of one running gag involving a group member who can’t find love – just made the non-musical parts hard to sit through.

Gospel Lovers: Jeremy Jordan (Randy) and Keke Palmer (Olivia) in ‘Joyful Noise’
Photo credit: Van Redin for Warner Bros. Pictures

And then there is Dolly Parton. The legendary singer/songwriter, with her plasticized, remastered face and body, is unfortunately out of place in small town Georgia. It’s hard to imagine the there would be a high quality of augmentation surgeons available to the character (Atlanta?), despite making mention of it in the film. Dolly still has a great voice, and even though a song that features dancing with her dead husband Kris Kristofferson is a bit giggle inducing, there is a realization that they are two of the great pop songwriters of their generation.

The film, in essence, is harmless entertainment, which relies more on the preaching of a compelling choir presentation than any kind of overt religiosity. This is the gospel of “Glee,” where all lives roll easier with a little song and dance.

“Joyful Noise” opens everywhere on January 13th. Featuring Dolly Parton, Queen Latifah, Keke Palmer, Jeremy Jordan, Courtney B. Vance and Kris Kristofferson. Written and directed by Todd Graff. Rated “PG-13”

By PATRICK McDONALD
Senior Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
pat@hollywoodchicago.com

Vince Vaughn, Kevin James Seek Trust in Uneven ‘The Dilemma’

PatrickMcD — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 10:18:12 -0500

Rating: 3.0/5.0

CHICAGO – In many ways, “The Dilemma” is director Ron Howard’s most daring film. Leaving behind the usual brightly lit, good/evil morality tales, Howard weaves a narrative basket filled with infidelity, gambling addiction, blackmail and mistrust. This is Opie on the dark side, with Vince Vaughn and Kevin James along for the journey.

But The Dilemma, marketed as a comedy, has some problems. It is episodic, and the whole doesn’t equal the sum of its parts. The sequences live and die under Vaughn’s interaction with them, which results in a quest of bizarre and improbable circumstances. The story flow never gets a rhythm, and is plagued also with a deadly serious nature that doesn’t mine any laughs.

Vaughn is Ronny, a marketing guru for an auto design company that includes his best friend Nick (Kevin James). Nick is married to Geneva (Winona Ryder), and Ronny is currently dating Beth (Jennifer Connelly), who he met through Nick and Geneva. The couples are bonding as best friends, and Ronny is seriously considering asking Beth to marry him, despite past discretions as a gambling addict.

This happy world is turned upside down by an accidental encounter. While scoping out a proper proposal site, Ronny spies Geneva in the arms of another man (Channing Tatum). Ronny doesn’t quite know what to do with this information, as the timing comes just as he and Nick are working on a make-or-break design for a major car company. Nick is the nervous type, and Ronny feels that the project will be in danger if he passes along the news that Geneva is cheating.

Becoming obsessed with the situation, Ronny decides to take matters into his own hands, and confronts Geneva with his knowledge. In a turnabout, Geneva comes right back at him with a threat of exposing some damaging news about their past. The uncomfortable dilemma has now become even more desperate, as Ronny wrestles with what to do.

Couples Therapy: Winona Ryder (Geneva), Jennifer Connelly (Beth), Vince Vaughn (Ronny) and Kevin James (Nick) in ‘The Dilemma’
Photo Credit: © Universal Pictures

The film did have a surprising twist, as Winona Ryder’s Geneva goes a bit beyond the typical confronted cheater. In the unexpected scene that her and Vaughn have when she blackmails him, Ryder shows some liquid dark acting chops while making Ronny realize that she can make his life miserable as well. Although this leads the film into other territories, it doesn’t help the so-called comic angle at all, and casts a pall over an already uncomfortable situation.

Also to its discredit, the film gave its characters high concept reactions to simple and more discreet real life elements. Ronny’s obsession with the cheating, although applied as loyalty towards a friend, seems to go beyond what a person would do with such a situation. This extreme lends to the choppiness of the flow, with a make-it-up-as-it-goes-along process, rather that a feeling of a human story. Another example is a inappropriate toast Ronny gives at a special event, funny on the surface but also very unlikely to happen.

Kevin James becomes a background prop in all this, and his ticky, schizophrenic performance has no real compass. He is painted as a somewhat shy loser, but on the other hand likes to go to obscure places in Chicago to get massage “services.” This is part of the tsunami of justifications for the cheating that Geneva exposes, but it doesn’t fit in line with how the James character would operate, given some previous scenes of his nervous, insecure nature.

Queen Latifah is shoehorned in as an auto executive, who simply provides outrageous support to the design team, which for some reason is supposed to be charming. It was strange to see her in what turned out to be a cameo performance, punctuated by constant reference to her “lady parts.” Any third rate character actress could have hopped on board with this limited line reading, this stunt casting actually ended up being annoying.

Zip It: Channing Tatum in ‘The Dilemma’
Photo Credit: © Universal Pictures

Despite having some inspired scenes – the fight between Vaughn and Channing Tatum (Geneva’s boyfriend) had a cold, funny resonance – director Howard seemed to be unable to decide whether this was a comedy or a dark vessel into human folly. Had he chose one side or the other, it probably would have been more successful.

Movie stars like Vaughn and James can’t go too dark or they risk their images. Feelings like jealousy, obsession, addiction and lust under the surface of this film was blithely reconciled with a well-timed Vince Vaughn comic monologue. But given what was attempted in The Dilemma, this time it just didn’t fit.

“The Dilemma” opens everywhere January 14th. Featuring Vince Vaughn, Kevin James, Winona Ryder, Jennifer Connelly, Channing Tatum and Queen Latifah. Screenplay by Allan Loeb, directed by Ron Howard. Rated “PG-13”

By PATRICK McDONALD
Senior Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
pat@hollywoodchicago.com

Queen Latifah, Common, Paula Patton Are Just Short of ‘Just Wright’

PatrickMcD — Sun, 16 May 2010 15:18:09 -0400

Rating: 3.0/5.0

CHICAGO – Romantic comedies are a roving beast in the Movie Zone, one that can never be captured properly time after time, yet never dies either. Queen Latifah and the rapper Common put an interesting and necessary twist on the genre, but still cannot help but fall back on the recurring rom-com clichés that eventually undermines the new film “Just Wright.”

Common is NBA superstar Scott McKnight, guiding the New Jersey Nets towards the playoffs. Queen Latifah is Leslie Wright (as in “Just…), a physical therapist and rabid Nets who just happens to “meet cute” Scott at a gas station after a game. This leads to an invitation to his birthday party – happens all the time – and Leslie brings her best friend Morgan (Paula Patton) to the celebration.

Morgan has made it her quest to marry an NBA player. She sees her opportunity in McKnight at his party and makes her move, leaving Leslie in the lurch. Scott and Morgan’s relationship blossoms, all the way to engagement, but a wrench is thrown just as the couple finalize their plans.

Triangle Offense: Paula Patton as Morgan, Queen Latifah as Leslie and Common as Scott in ‘Just Wright’
Photo Credit: David Lee for © Fox Searchlight Pictures

McKnight injures his knee in the NBA All-Star game, a seemingly season-ending blow to Nets run to the playoffs. But primarily his engagement falls apart, because Morgan suddenly doesn’t want damaged goods. The one positive element of the situation is that she hooked up Leslie to run Scott’s physical therapy before walking out on him. It is up to the sunny and positive force of Leslie’s aura to bring Scott back to the game, while at the same time developing a chemistry that leads to stronger feelings between them.

What makes this story work initially is simply how different it is, especially up against the other romantic comedy situations. Essentially this world of professional sports, and the pressure to keep up the success, is handled honestly within the sincerity of the characters. This is another universe for most people, even the fans of the game, and the essential quality that surrounds the scenario feels probable.

Queen Latifah is a movie star, and develops a good relationship with all of her fellow players. Common’s character connects with her in their first scene together, which makes their later therapy sessions take on a condition of slow seduction. Common is a bit too low keyed at points, but his NBA player could be just shy, to allow Leslie to bring out the other elements of his personality.

Where the film doesn’t work is in Paula Patton’s Morgan character. The actress, so engaging in the recent film “Precious,” doesn’t have enough material to explain her on-again, off-again approach to the relationship with McKnight and is thrown to the wolves in her attempt to generate conflict towards the end.

And that conflict is where the story breaks down. The coming together and coming apart that Scott and Leslie go through are the mechanical gears of every romantic situation in these types of films, and the narrative didn’t have to go there. There were so many other rich subplots – the basketball, the injury and the potential for a comeback. Why do the same thing when there are other options?

In the end, Just Wright joins the romantic comedy club as just another nothing-seems-real journey into the Movie Zone, submitted for another tiresome circular run around the same track and field.

”Just Wright” opens everywhere May 14th. Featuring Queen Latifah, Common, Paula Patton, James Pickens, Jr., Phylicia Rashad and Pam Grier, written by Michael Elliott and directed by Sanaa Hamri, Rated “PG”

By PATRICK McDONALD
Senior Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
pat@hollywoodchicago.com

Star Power Can’t Save ‘Mad Money’ From ‘Thelma & Louise’ Writer Callie Khouri

HollywoodChicago.com — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 14:56:00 -0500

CHICAGO – Whenever there’s stunt-movie casting with divergent generations of Hollywood “stars,” there’s bound to be trouble at the multiplex. This time, the “old to young” range of Diane “Annie Hall” Keaton, Queen Latifah and the increasingly annoying Katie Holmes attempt a stab at the classic heist movie in “Mad Money”.

Keaton portrays Bridget Cardigan: an upper-middle class matron whose husband (Ted Danson) has been laid off for a year and has given up trying to find another gig. Overwhelmed by debt and bills, Keaton goes back out into the work force. In an “it only can happen in the movies” turn of events, the best job she can find is as a janitor at the Federal Reserve bank (I guess all the administration jobs at the real estate offices were full).

Ted Danson in “Mad Money”.
Photo credit: IMDb

As she gets into her new career – strangely doing the cleaning work during the day shift – she notices there are some flaws in the airtight security involving the shredding of old currency.

Enlisting the aid of the shredding machinist (Latifah) and a currency transport clerk (Holmes), Keaton pulls off the successful pilfering of the old, untraceable cash and starts living large naturally to the tune of “Money (That’s What I Want)”.

The film begins promisingly as the perpetrators are being interviewed presumably after the gig is up (the film is told in flashback). The perspective on the crime is much more interesting than the crime and its subsequent backlash.

Director Callie Khouri (who most famously wrote “Thelma & Louise”) almost seems to be making two films: a statement about the lower-middle class struggle (especially for women) in connection with the American dream and a mishmash star vehicle. Each end of this spectrum bogs down the other.

Katie Holmes in “Mad Money”.
Photo credit: IMDb

The stars themselves have trouble with the material. Holmes – for all her riffing on the flighty, living in a trailer white trash – in real life could have gotten a job as a model especially with her $300 hairdo.

Keaton seemed ill at ease and totally bogus as a janitor despite the plot point that got her there.

Latifah is closest to the look and essence of a single mother in a housing project. Still, her saintly turn of “I’m doing it for my boys” justification is pandering at best.

That type of motivation was another problem with the film. The reluctance to expose naked human greed meant that all the characters were given convenient excuses for their stealing. Keaton wants to clear her debts, Latifah wants her kids to get into the right schools, a security guard has a sick mother, etc. Even the dim bulb husband of Holmes kept his job at a meat-packing plant.

It was the ending that really brought the proceedings to a deadly halt. Again, there were some interesting turns as the caper unravels, but unfortunately the filmmakers or the studio decided that there can be no unhappy endings with this star power. It does a severe disservice to logic.

You can give this to the birds and bees.

“Mad Money” opened on Jan. 18, 2008.

Click here for our full “Mad Money” image gallery!

By PATRICK McDONALD
Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
pat@hollywoodchicago.com