By Steve Figueroa

Paul W.S. Anderson (Resident Evil, Event Horizon) puts his own spin on Roger Corman’s cult classic ‘Death Race’ 2000. This is a no-nonsense action film with extreme violence, so kiddies beware.

Death Race 2000 and this year’s Death Race exist in stark contrast of each other. The original film had a whimsical, almost LSD influenced imagery, the likes of which may have not been capture before on film. The latter is a straight forward action ride, filled with a never ending barage of gunfire, gore, and cheesy one-liners. The tragic part of this: it was actually enjoyable.

This is the type of movie that reminds you what movies are intended to do. Entertain.

The cast was honed well for this film. Everyone had their chance to partake in the cliche rhetoric of heroes and villains that only exist within alternative universes. Starting with the ring leader, Hennessey (Joan Allen “Bourne” trilogy) who orchestrates a pay-per-view race to the death, involving hardened criminals who are offered their freedom upon winning four races. Jensen Ames (Jason Statham The Transporter) is blamed for the death of his wife, and convinced his driving ability and lack of luster in the media were fueling points for Hennessey to murder his wife and draw him into her prison. I won’t say more but they did a decent job of tying up the plot.

Joan Allen’s ability to replace human emotion with conviction is her only saving grace on this project. While it would be hard to think of someone who would have been better suited for the role, I feel this was beneath her talent and should have been offered to someone who is known for similar roles.

Jason Statham found a good balance of victim, opportunist, and total badass. His fight scenes, although somewhat anemic compared to past films, were fluid and felt real. Normally he’s battling seemingly expert Karate champions every time a fight began. This time he was just a guy in jail, fighting other inmates.

His “navigator” Case (Natalie Martinez Fashion House) is a scene stealer. She assist Ames in his quest for freedom via the Death Race, but turns out she’s more than a switch flipper which causes Jensen to rethink his alliances. The best part of Natalie Martinez is that she doesn’t have to show much skin to be appreciated.

Now, Machine Gun Joe (Tyrese Gibson Transformers) is the quintessential enemy found in any film within this genre. His fond distaste for authority, and inability to keep a navigator longer than one lap, boarder on comedy.

Supporting actors such as Ian McShane, Max Ryan, and Jacob Vargas round out the cast. While this film’s bang-up job of a plot might leave film junkies wanting to inflict pain upon themselves, it’s intelligent approach to adapting to society and how the media caters to our sinful desires is commendable.

Overall, I am left to wonder if Roger Corman was thrilled or disappointed in this rendition’s lack of ingenuity and cult classic potential. I am torn between loving and loathing this film, solely based on my respect for the original’s broad appeal. With that said, this film does what it intended to do and delivers the goods.

If you’re in the mood for blood, guns, fast cars and trucks, then strap in and hang on. This fast paced tugboat of carnage may surprise you.

By Steve Figueroa

Ben Stiller, Robert Downey Jr, and Jack Black are brilliant in Dreamworks’ Tropic Thunder. What a tremendous conclusion to a summer filled with action, explosions, and laughs.

It took longer than usual to review this film for several reasons. One: I needed time to stop laughing and gather my thoughts. This movie is the end result of a precise and comedic depiction of what lengths actors and producers will endure for a production to become a success. Ben Stiller truly captures the essence of the prima donna pampering actors receive while nailing the ability of studios to put a positive spin on any type of pre-release attention a movie, and its stars, may receive.

The plot of the movie is simple. You have several huge actors and an amateur director who cannot work together to save their own lives. They are filming a movie based on a book by war veteran Four Leaf Tayback (Nick Nolte, 48 Hours) when the studio tells them production will be shut down if they can’t get their act together. The author of the book recommends to director Damien Cockburn (Steve Coogan, Hamlet 2) that the only way to really get these actors to bring the feel of war to the film, was to put them in the jungle and film them “guerrilla-style”. Cockburn decides this is the only way to save the production and wow. What happens from this point on is pure hilarity.

Ben Stiller plays action star Tugg Speedman, who continues to believe everything that happens to them in the jungle is part of the movie and they should continue their roles. His ineptitude in reading maps, as well as accepting the fact that the group my be in real danger, lasts all the way to a point I can’t give away but man it’s worth watching twice.

All the negative press we have heard about the character Stiller (as Speedman) played who was mentally disabled, is absurd. I think it gives people even more of a reason to see this movie. He really found a way to make a taboo subject (unless you’re donating to that taboo subject’s cause) a huge part of the film and still funny as hell.

Most of us are intelligent enough not to take this as anything more than merely the truth that Hollywood strategically places great actors in questionable roles, gives them physical and mental disabilities, then hands them awards for outstanding performances. It’s hypocrisy at its best.

Now Robert Downey, Jr plays Krik Lazarus - this uber-actor Aussie, who (as you already know) undergoes a procedure to darken his skin. Honestly Downey, Jr stole the show. I admit several good scenes were used in the previews, however they still left the best for the film. I have no idea how he kept a straight face while filming in character, but I applaud it. His facial gestures and mannerisms are the icing the cake. If you don’t laugh at that, check your pulse.

Jack Black’s character Jeff Portnoy, might be a direct stab at several actors including Eddie Murphy. But who cares? It’s satire. An alternative way to look at Hollywood in all its glory, face lifts, and breast enhancements. The Tenacious D star’s hilarious downward spiral through detox in the jungle, is probably the only time I’ve ever seen someone successfully put a comedic twist on something A&E would feature on their show, Intervention. His dialogue just gets better and better as the film progresses.

Tom Cruise. Well I won’t say much about his character because it’s so outlandish I hope he receives due recognition. He truly surprised me and might have gained a ton of much needed support from his old fans. If he could have only kept his beliefs to himself, we would not have had to wait this long for him to show his comedic abilities.

Overall, the entire cast was superb. The point of this film, once viewed, is easy to comprehend. Actors, producers, and Hollywood in general, work on a completely different reality plane than the rest of us. I’m glad Ben Stiller was able to pull this off without any censorship (that we know of) and I can’t wait for this to be released on DVD.

By Steve Figueroa

Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly are the best thing to happen to failed marriages since divorce court. This movie will have you laughing from the second it starts until the credits are rolling.

A comedy of this magnitude only comes along once, sometimes twice a year. A movie for fans of stupidity and fun. Fans of idiotic reactions to everyday situations. If you liked Anchorman, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Talladega Nights, Knocked Up, Superbad, Walk Hard, and Forgetting Sarah Marshal, you might blow a blood vessel in the theater with Step Brothers.

Damn you Judd Apatow. Damn you for corralling some of the most talented comedic actors of our time. Your barrage of films are hard to resist. Impossible to deny is the injenuity in which each script is engineered. Taking basic characters - average joes - and putting them in berserk situations. Brilliant.

Now I can’t give Mr. Apatow all the credit for this hilarious notch on his comedy belt. Writer, Adam McKay (Anchorman, Talladega Nights) gave fearless direction to this gut-buster and I don’t think he could have done better job if he tried.

I’m not big on spoilers but here’s the plot: Brennan Huff (Will Ferrell) is an unemployed loser living with his mother, Nancy (Mary Steenburgen). On a business trip, she meets Robert (Richard Jenkins) on a business trip. The two fall in love when they realize they have one thing in common; 40 year old children living at home.

Robert’s son, Dale (John C. Reilly) is not enthusiastic in the least about Brennan moving in with them. What happens from this point on is pure comedic insanity. From Chewbacca masks, to faux genitalia, you would have to be a corpse not to find this movie completely hilarious.

Will Farrel and John C. Reilly have carved a niche I hope no one on the face of this planet tries to duplicate. Ineptitude and foul language are like powdered sugar on a Monte Cristo sandwich from Bennigan’s.

These guys have a chemistry so uncommon, so rare, it makes you wonder the potential they would have had together on Saturday Night Live.

If ticket sales are any indicator of what’s in store for DVD sales, I hope Blockbuster sets up two racks for this film alone.

By Steve Figueroa

Right around this time every year, movie goers are treated a new batch films. Some years are absolute wallet draining extravaganzas. Others are simply a reason for spending time at IKEA, shopping for stuff you probably have no use for. In either case, studios are working hard to keep you coming back.

High gas prices, inflation, whatever the case may be. No matter how much our economy fluctuates, if word gets out a new movie is out of this world, people will still go see it. Its one industry within overall entertainment, that gives you the most value for your dollar when you consider your alternatives.

Sure, the cost of taking a date to a movie has risen substantially over the last 20 years. But if you factor in theater overhead - inflation, minimum wage increases, and the cost of snacks going up - you will see there is still great entertainment value in that movie ticket.

Let’s say you want to take your date to see The Dark Knight (as you should). That would cost anywhere from $16 to $22 for the tickets alone. Presuming this is all your treat, he/she will probably usher you to the snack counter and for a drink and popcorn package. That is another $10-$12. If you are like me, you’ll just share that “liter-o-cola” because no one person should be able to drink all that and escape diabetes. Plus I am sure they won’t slap your hand for dipping into their Raisinets.

Now, we are at $26-$34 for about two hours of entertainment, total.

Let’s compare that to two hours of drinking and eating at a local restaurant. Each meal should be around $10-$12, so that is $20-$24. If your date likes a good imported beer, another $4 each. If they are a fan of martinis you are looking at $7 or more. I figure if the night is going well, both parties are on a one-way train to a $40-$80 tab. We’re not even considering the fact that your date may be watching their carbs and would prefer some fancy $6 mixed drinks.

I can’t tell you how many times I decided against a movie night. Woke up the next morning $100 broker than I was the day before, laying next to a girl who had that “hand me a garbage can, quick” look on her face because she had one too many bay breezes.

Imagine if you wanted to be nice and take her to a theme park. You’re looking at $59 per person, plus you’re probably gonna have to keep nourished in the 95 degree heat, so there’s another $30 on a couple of cheese burgers and bottles of water. In the end, you’re putting up a kidney on eBay to make up for the money you’ve lost. Then the FBI is kicking down your door and arresting you for attempting to harvest your own organs!

All I am saying is that in the grand scheme of entertainment, going to a movie is still one of the most economical choices you can make.

Studios know when the economy is doing great, the theaters are packed because people are less frugal. When the economy is in a slump, people hit the theater because it’s cheaper than many alternatives.

Every year, like clockwork, one studio brings us a gift. A film that leaves us speechless. A movie that gets us riled up. Gets the bloggers, blogging. The critics, critiquing. The theaters…well, doing what theaters do best.

Meanwhile, millions of movie fans jump online and search for more info and gossip, helping fuel search engine statistics. Often this frenzy has its hand in creating jobs.

All this happens because our interest was peeked by at least one summer blockbuster.

By Steve Figueroa

In my review of The X-Files: I Want to Believe you’ll find a battle between liking and loathing this movie’s attempt to introduce our favorite F.B.I. investigators to a whole new generation of potential fans.

Audiences will pack the theater with hope. However you won’t be treated to a bevy of extra-terrestrial innuendos or multitudes of unexplainable phenomena. Characteristics such as these are commonly found in the TV series as well as 1998’s The X-Files: Fight the Future - the first feature length film based on the series.

Fast forward to 2008. Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) is now doctor at a children’s hospital battling rare and sometimes irreversible diseases. When she is approached by an F.B.I. agent (Alvin ‘Xzibit’ Joiner) asking for her assistance in locating Fox Mulder (David Duchovny), she pretends to be unaware of his whereabouts. Of course we wouldn’t have a movie if she couldn’t find him, so after nearly begging Mulder to assist the F.B.I. in locating a missing agent, the story leads us on a rollercoaster of emotions.

Not emotions towards the story, but towards the making of the film. I feel as if I’ve seen better reruns of The X-files on Sci-Fi channel.

David Duchovny’s transformation as the film progresses is somewhat convincing. He starts off as the same recluse intellectual haunted by his past. After some adjusting, he falls right back into character, assisting the F.B.I. in solving potentially one of it’s biggest missing person’s cases ever. Even so, the passion for his role as the impractical agent up against the world seems to have slipped away some.

The beautiful Gillian Anderson never fails to impress with her pragmatic demeanor. Her dedication to the balance of pessimism for which Scully is responsible never waivers. Her reluctance to be sucked back into the life of chasing ghosts weighs heavy on Mulder, which might be the only semblance of intrigue you’ll find in this movie.

Now, I love to focus on the things that cannot be seen on screen. One of the obvious reasons we all loved the series was the theme music. Mark Snow did a phenomenal job of dictating the emotional value of each scene. Honestly, it might have been too intense. There were some scenes where, judging by the upward intensity of the music, something epic was going to appear…and it didn’t.

At least one hilarious political jab was interjected using the theme music, which added to the subtle humor found throughout the film.

Honerable mentions go to Billy Connolly for never cutting his hair for any role he has played since starring in The Saints. Here he plays a psychic with a tattered history, who assists the F.B.I. in its search for the missing agent. He put forth a good effort but his facial gestures made it impossible to gauge his abilities as a psychic.

I have to admit Xibit’s mustache was pure fodder for laughs. It was as if they took electrical tape to his upper lip and shaved around it. Bravo makeup team. Someone must have been a true Groucho Marx fan.

Amanda Peet (Saving Silverman, The Whole Nine Yards) is hard to take seriously as the attractive investigator who heads up the massive search for this missing agent. Her conviction to the role lacks what I call the “Jodie Foster Progression” where you watch an agent (similarly casted in many films) grow from a pretty girl with a badge, to a person who controls the scene, making you forget her beauty for just a second. If you haven’t already guessed, I’m referencing Clarice in Silence of the Lambs.

Since I do my best to prevent spoilers, I’ll say this: one of your favorite characters is back and he saves the day like dad would against a gang of bullies.

Overall, I think they could have produced a better effort. I’ll be surprised if those rumors of a possible follow up to this film are materialized. Writer Chris Carter has stated he would like to make a film involving more folklore and alien encounters. If the success of this film proves audiences are thirsting for more, studio execs may grant his wish.

It’s hard to understand why he wouldn’t have been able to squeeze some of that content into this film. It truly lacks the impact and originality the show was typically known for. Maybe we should give Mr. Carter another shot at it. Both David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson looked phenomenal. They could easily pull off this role for good bit of time in several more movies, if timed correctly.

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