Last Vegas

Cast of Characters:

Billy - Michael Douglas

Paddy - Robert De Niro

Archie - Morgan Freeman

Sam - Kevin Kline

Diana - Mary Steenburgen

Director - Jon Turteltaub

Screenplay - Dan Fogelman

Rated PG-13 for sexual content and language

      For the first time ever onscreen together, Academy Award winners Michael Douglas, Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman, Kevin Kline and Mary Steenburgen star in the Las Vegas comedy Last Vegas. Will it succeed in making you laugh or will it be just another case of star power and money thrown at the screen?

      For over sixty years, Billy, Paddy, Archie, and Sam have been lifelong best friends. Now over the hill, Billy (Michael Douglas) is engaged to a 30 year old bombshell while living a rather successful life in Malibu. Billy wants to have a weekend bachelor party in Vegas, so he calls up his pals to invite them along for the ride. Sam (Kevin Kline), who's dealing with his marriage being stuck in a sexless rut (Isn't that marriage to begin with? Heyooooooo!), and Archie (Morgan Freeman), who's stuck in a prison like environment while being taken care of by his son following a mild stroke, are more than eager to tag along. It's Paddy (Robert De Niro), who hasn't seemed to find any joy in life following the death of his wife of over forty years, that's hesitant to go.

      Despite first putting up a fight, Paddy gives in and decides to tag along with the rest of the gang and for that one weekend, the four live it up in Sin City.

      What happens in Vegas may stay in Vegas, but it doesn't really matter 'cause we can see everything coming a mile away the moment the opening credits start to roll. With jokes as obvious as the sky being blue and the grass green and a story so paper thin, you wonder what five Oscar winning performers would see in predictable fluff such as this. Never before in 2013 has a cast been so essential to making a movie entertaining 'cause in spite of the fact that everything I just said is true, I had a fun time. Michael Douglas, of course, is pretty much playing himself. De Niro is the straight man out of the four and shares a few genuinely emotional moments with Douglas as far as their backstory is concerned. This also marks the best film De Niro has done this year. Doesn't say much when you look at exactly what he's done in 2013 though. Morgan Freeman has some funny moments, but it's more along the lines of it being funny simply 'cause it's Morgan Freeman saying them. It's like taking that toy parrot that repeats what you say and saying some profanity into the recorder just to hear it say it back. Despite winning an Oscar, Mary Steenburgen has never really made it into that conversation of "great actresses", but she does bring some charm, albeit predictable, to her character while she shares the screen with Douglas and De Niro. The real scene stealer here is Kevin Kline, and I'll be honest, when I first saw the preview I didn't recognize him. Maybe it was the scruffy white beard and hair or the fact that I hadn't seen him in a large role for quite some time, I don't know. All I know is if you've ever seen A Fish Called Wanda, Dave or In & Out you know how great of a comic presence Kline truly is. I was reminded of that once again. There's a scene near the end, in particular, where it's totally cheesy and in the hands of a lesser actor it would've produced some eye-rolling results. Kline effortlessly sells it. It was really fun seeing him back onscreen again.

      There's really not much else to say. It's that predictable and it's that cheesy, but I'm still telling you it's worth a watch simply 'cause how often are you gonna see Douglas, De Niro, Freeman and Kline in a film together? It's solely 'cause of them that this film is watchable. Consider this Grown Ups but with actors that actually know what it's like to hold an award in their hand. Even though it is cheesy, the film does have its share of laughs and there is a funny cameo appearance near the final act of the film. It's not a film you have to rush out and see, but given my thoughts on the other two films that came out this week, Ender's Game and Free Birds, this is the best film out of the three. That's something I was not expecting to say. I give Last Vegas a B- (★★★).

REVIEWS COMING LATER NEXT WEEK...

Benjamin's Stash: Video Pick of the Week

Parkland

Thor: The Dark World

12 Years a Slave

The Starving Games  

Free Birds

Cast of Characters:

Reggie - voiced by Owen Wilson

Jake - voiced by Woody Harrelson

Jenny - voiced by Amy Poehler

Director - Jimmy Hayward

Screenplay - Jimmy Hayward & Scott Mosier

Rated PG for some action/peril and rude humor

      Academy Award nominees Owen Wilson and Woody Harrelson and Amy Poehler lend their voice talents to the new holiday animated feature Free Birds. Does it feature a six minute long guitar solo though?

      All is not well with Reggie (voiced by Owen Wilson) when he finds out the real reason why turkeys are fed all the time by the farmers. After being "pardoned" by the U.S. president, though, it's a life of luxury for him, eating pizzas and watching Mexican telenovelas

      Things change for Reggie once he meets Jake (voiced by Woody Harrelson), the president and only member of the Turkeys Liberation Front. Jake is on a mission to go back in time to the first Thanksgiving and permanently remove turkeys off the menu. With Reggie by his side, they use a time machine, found in a secret government lab and travel back to the first Thanksgiving in 1621. There they meet Jenny (voiced by Amy Poehler), who along with her "tribe" of turkeys look to save themselves from their inevitable holiday demise.

      While not looking forward to this movie, I was surprised by how much I laughed here. To be honest, that's not much of a compliment considering I was expecting to laugh zero times, so one laugh would've been a surprise for me. The animation is the typical first-rate animation that technology provides for us and some of the voice-over work is solid. Owen Wilson brings the usual upbeat enthusiasm that we've seen him bring in his live-action roles to this voice-over role of Reggie, and Woody Harrelson has some fun as the sometimes delusional Jake. Amy Poehler is a likeable comic presence, but the love interest angle between her and Wilson hardly works. We also get the typical stock of animated film characters here: the over-the-top villain, the alpha-male protagonist that thinks his way is the best but then has a change of heart near the end and the usual two goofball minor characters that show up with their zany antics. The main problem though is the story. Yeah, there are laughs, but you never expect political undertones in an animated family film. If that's what the filmmakers are aiming for, fine, but subtlety's clearly not their game. It's not me "reading too much into things". One look at the war paint on the turkeys as they fight the either dumbed down or overly villainous pilgrims and you should have an idea of the obvious angle they're going for. It just seems a bit unnecessary. I doubt there were any kids in the screening room I was at that looked up at the screen and went, "Yep. That's clearly a statement on genocide." Kids don't get subtext. They want animated fun, and although the film has its moments, most of the fun this film contains is all packed in during the first act before Reggie and Jake travel back in time. After that, the laughs come every now and then, but most of the jokes feel forced and there's a serious moment near the climax involving Jenny that just feel out of place and forced.

      Free Birds isn't a horrible movie. I laughed. Sure, mostly in the first act, but like I said before, that's a lot more than I was expecting. The "evil pilgrims vs. the Indians - I mean turkeys" metaphor will go right over the little ones' heads. They'll probably just see it as it is, so in the end it is a harmless film for them that they'll get a kick out of while you, the parent, sit there and roll your eyes at the screen every now and then. There's nothing wrong with a film just for kids, but if Pixar has masterfully shown us for nearly twenty years, it's that there's no reason an animated film can't appeal to all ages. I can justify a rental for this, which is still a shame 'cause there's really not much else for the whole family to see right now in theaters. Maybe you can take your children to see The Counselor instead. I give Free Birds a C+ (★★½).

Ender's Game

Cast of Characters:

Colonel Graff - Harrison Ford

Andrew "Ender" Wiggin - Asa Butterfield

Petra Arkanian - Hailee Steinfeld

Major Gwen Anderson - Viola Davis

Valentine Wiggin - Abigail Breslin

Mazer Rackham - Ben Kingsley

Director - Gavin Hood

Screenplay - Gavin Hood

Based on the novel "Ender's Game" by Orson Scott Card

Rated PG-13 for some violence, sci-fi action and thematic material

      Asa Butterfield, Academy Award nominees Harrison Ford, Hailee Steinfeld, Viola Davis and Abigail Breslin and Academy Award winner Ben Kingsley star in the sci-fi film adaptation, Ender's Game.

      After an alien race known as the Formics attack Earth in 2086, the International Fleet prepares for the next invasion by training the best and brightest young children in order to find their future leader who will fill the shoes of the legendary Mazer Rackham (Ben Kingsley).

      Led by Colonel Graff (Harrison Ford) and Major Gwen Anderson (Viola Davis), the Fleet seems to have found their future leader in the unusually gifted Andrew "Ender" Wiggin (Asa Butterfield). Progressing rather quickly through training, Ender prepares for the next Formic invasion, which will determine the fate of all humanity.

      I've never read the novel this film is based on, but I do know that it has a devoted cult-following. The excited guy sitting behind me that seemed to climax when the first trailer appeared before Star Trek Into Darkness tells me how devoted they really are. That said, despite not reading the book, I did a little research on the story and those that have read it and found out that it's a pretty dark story with a complex lead character in Ender. If that's truly the case, then this film must've gone through a complete P.C. change in tone as it's quite a lightweight film in terms of story. Fans of the book will probably be irked by that, but I haven't read it, so I have to judge it as its own film. As a film, the lightweight story doesn't bother me, although I would've loved to see them punch it up into more darker territory. Lightweight or dark, doesn't change the fact that this is a visually impressive and well acted dud of a film. Writer/director Gavin Hood follows up his massive bowel movement that was advertised as X-Men Origins: Wolverine with another film that tries to cram in way too much plot while also suffering from some major pacing issues. I was also puzzled as to why as visually amazing as it is at times, it's as talky as it is. There's a scene in particular where Ender and one of his peers are shooting each other with freezing guns. Instead of visualizing some form of temporary paralysis, we get the characters just saying, "Hey, I can't move my leg! It's frozen!" It's like they were finally tapped out with their budget once they got to filming that scene and Hood just decides, "Yeah, let's just have them talk a lot instead." Don't get me wrong. I don't need a Michael Bay eye raping fest; in fact, I prefer anything but that. A good sci-fi film, though, has to find the right balance between story and visuals and when this film isn't bringing you the stunning special effects, we're stuck with a mediocre story. What Hood has managed to do rather easily though is apparently piss off the novel's following by completely changing the tone while not doing much at all to engage those that are new to the story (the poor marketing strategy by Summit Entertainment and Lionsgate doesn't help any either). For a film with a $110 million budget, that's the last thing you wanna do.

      It's just under two hours, but you still feel every minute of it. Ender's Game features a number of Oscar nominees and one Oscar winner. It's a talented cast, but in spite of the performances, they're still given very little to work with. I may not have read the book, but I'm kinda thinking along the same lines of those that have that I would've preferred they pack some punch with a bit more darker tone into the film. Yeah, there are some nifty effects here and there, but Hood does such a poor job at trying to make us care about the situation that we're just left with nifty effects, nothing else. Hooray for the tech crew. I give Ender's Game a C- (★★).

Top 10 Horror Films of All-Time

      Happy Halloween, readers. It's the only time of year complete strangers are legally allowed to hand out candy to children. In honor of this frightful holiday, I'm counting down my top 10 horror films of all-time. Of course, like with my last top 10 post for comedies, both Psycho and The Exorcist are exempt since they made my top 50 films of all-time list.

      What makes a great horror film? Does it really solely on jump scares, the horror film's fart joke, or does it aim for the gut wrenching slow buildup of suspense. A lively, animated villain is always a great thing, but in at least two instances here, that's not entirely necessary provided elements such as the direction, the protagonist characters and certain technical aspects such as makeup, set design, etc. pick up the slack. Having said that, let's move on to the list, starting with...

10) The Evil Dead (New Line Cinema)

      1981 - Spider-man director Sam Raimi made his filmmaking debut here with his camping trip from hell. Blending just the right amount gore, creeps and scares with dark humor (sucking all that out of the remake was just one of its failures), this is the type of horror film that proves going small isn't a bad thing. It's hard to imagine anyone other than Bruce Campbell as Ash, Tim Philo's clever camerawork nearly makes this film on its own, for being low budget, the makeup work is rather effective and long before he became the Oscar winning filmmaker he is today, Joel Coen of the Coen brothers actually helped co-edit the film. Although the two semi-sequels tipped the balance toward campy humor a little bit more than I liked, there's no denying the original film's place in the line of horror classics.

9) The Others (Dimension Films)

      2001 - Academy Award winner Nicole Kidman gives one of her best performances in The Others, a wonderfully suspenseful thriller that can be just as creepy, if not creepier, as the visual effects laden, blood splattering horror films. Set during the aftermath of WWII and centering on a mother and her two kids who believe their home is haunted, this film is slow paced, but it not only works that way, it's to the film's benefit. Javier Aguirresarobe's cinematography is gorgeous, the sound editing is excellent and writer/director Alejandro Amenabar creates an unsettling atmosphere that keeps you waiting in suspense 'til the very end. Even after you know the ending, like The Sixth Sense before it, it's still re-watchable.

8) The Omen (20th Century Fox)

      1976 - All she wanted was a simple cost of living raise! Leave it to films like this to tarnish a cool sounding name like Damien. Richard Donner's film on the baby Anti-Christ isn't all-out scary, but it's sure unsettling. Whether it's Jerry Goldsmith's chilling, Oscar winning score, Billie Whitlaw as the nanny from hell, Mrs. Baylock, or Harvey Spencer Stephens as that creepy little bastard Damien, this film slowly creeps under your skin and runs a shiver down your spine. Having legendary Oscar winner Gregory Peck and Oscar nominee Lee Remick as your two leads doesn't hurt either. While the 2006 remake was one of the more decent horror remakes, it's biggest flaw was making Damien so disturbed I would've be shocked if he wasn't the Anti-Christ. Bringing an adorable factor to his character, Stephens has us viewers in denial just as much as his adoptive parents are for most of the movie with that sweet, innocent smile of his.

7) Carrie (United Artists)

      1976 - In my opinion, the best of all Stephen King film adaptations (sorry, Tommyknockers), Carrie is all the reason you need as to why you should never pick on that girl outcast everyone makes fun of. Sissy Spacek was nominated for a Best Actress Oscar for her perfect embodiment of Carrie White. Spacek had the right look and feel of the school outcast and most importantly she played Carrie in such a way that had us feel sympathy for her. John Travolta hits just the right notes as the immature, high school punk Billy Nolan and Piper Laurie still gives me nightmares with her Oscar nominated turn as Carrie's mother Margaret. Writer Lawrence D. Cohen and director Brian De Palma wisely keep things restrained at just the right pace, waiting 'til the iconic, climatic prom scene to unleash Carrie's fury on the high schoolers. When that moment finally arrives, it's quite a thrill.

6) Night of the Living Dead (The Walter Reade Organization)

      1968 - After watching Resident Evil, I was convinced there should be a law made outlawing anyone not named George A. Romero from making a zombie film (Danny Boyle changed my mind). It's difficult to pick which is better, this film or its successor Dawn of the Dead, but when in doubt go with the film that kickstarted it all. Between the tight editing, the realistic gore and sharp writing, with a sly political subtext on racism, all zombie film creators following this film - both good and bad - should get on their knees and kiss the ground Romero walks on for the legacy he created with this small gem of a film that paved the way for an entire genre of films.

5) Halloween (Compass International Pictures)

      1978 - What George A. Romero is to zombie films, John Carpenter is to slasher films. While it's not quite at Hitchcock's Psycho level, there's no doubt that the way Carpenter has his tale unfold is very much inspired by the Alfred Hitchcock masterpiece. Donald Pleasence's performance is near award level, Jamie Lee Curtis (who's mother, speaking of Psycho, was none other than Marion Crane) became a star after this film, and I'd be an idiot if I didn't mention the iconic, hair-raising, note by note perfect score, also done by Carpenter. For a film that inspired hundreds of slasher films that followed, Carpenter's genius lies in the ways he crafted together a violent film with very little explicit gore. This would also be a great film for abstinence courses. Sex, as always, leads to death in films like these.

4) Let the Right One In (Sandrew Metronome)

      2008 - Forget that horrendous and horribly unnecessary American remake. This is the best vampire film I have seen to date, and if the current state of vampire movies is any indication, Let the Right One In's spot at the top of the list looks to be fairly secure. Don't get me wrong. Francis Ford Coppola's mostly faithful Bram Stoker's Dracula is probably the most visually gorgeous vampire tale and Bela Lugosi's Dracula - well, there will never be a more iconic representation of fanged bloodsucker, but when I look at the film as a whole, this dark, violent, yet still beautiful coming of age tale takes the crown. What makes this such an effective film is just how grounded in reality a film about vampires could possibly get. It's not about folklore or mythology or what vampiric backstory she might have. This film, at its heart, is about the relationship that develops between the bullied Oskar (Kare Hedebrant) and the mysterious outcast Eli (Lina Leandersson), and you're damn right I'm gonna beat a dead horse and say it's a better love story than Twilight.

3) A Nightmare on Elm Street (New Line Cinema)

      1984 - Like Michael Myers and Halloween, Mr. Krueger's reputation here has been slightly tarnished by the number of crappy sequels that followed the original. That said, as far as slasher films go, Freddy is king and that's mainly 'cause of the personality his character brings to the story. Containing an imaginative and original premise, A Nightmare on Elm Street had adolescents sleeping with one eye open back in the 80's. Writer/director Wes Craven touches on subjects varying from adolescent struggles and promiscuity, Robert Englund's darkly humorous performance as the razor handed monster is as pitch perfect as a horror film villain gets, and this marked the acting debut of a certain Oscar nominee by the name of Johnny Depp. I won't reveal it, but witnessing his death (it's a slasher film, so there's no spoiler, of course he dies) is truly a sight to behold.

2) Frankenstein (Universal Pictures)

      1931 - Bela Legosi's Dracula and Lon Chaney, Jr.'s The Wolfman are both masterpieces of horror that have influenced the way horror films to this day are made, but the greatest out of all the horror films from the classic era is by far James Whale's Frankenstein, starring Boris Karloff. Back in the 30's, this film was highly controversial and to this day, I believe it still holds up in its ability to give you the creeps. Like the character Carrie White, Frankenstein's monster isn't as monstrous as it clearly appears to be and you find yourself sympathizing over it becoming a victim of misunderstanding. No scene displays that better than the infamous "girl by the lake" moment. No one other than Karloff could play the monster as perfectly as he captured it, James Whale's direction is impeccable, and the makeup design was ahead of its time. A tragic tale of consequences of what happens when man attempts to play God, Frankenstein has been around now for over eight decades and still stands the test of time.

      Well, we've reached spot #1. Here we go. I'll give you hint. It's not I Know What You Did Last Summer, but it just might be Death Becomes Her or Saw 3D. Drum roll, please...

1) The Thing (Universal Pictures)

      1982 - When I first saw this film years ago, that scene right there kept me awake for about a week. John Carpenter's magnum opus (yes, it is slightly better than Halloween), The Thing is the evidence I bring to the table whenever anyone bitches, "Wah! You're just biased against remakes!" No, I'm biased against shitty ones, but John Carpenter managed to film a remake that surpassed the original in all aspects. Kurt Russell (who starred in another Carpenter film, the fantastically entertaining Escape From New York) has always been an underrated actor and here he exhibits just the right amount of "Take no prisoners. Take no shit." badass attitude as the group's leader. The pacing and suspense are timed just right, the set design is first rate and the makeup effects are some of the best in film history. There's not a single moment in this film that ever comes off slow and from the very first shot to the end credits, it's just a flat-out blast.

      Well, there you have it, readers. Feel free to let me know what you think are the greatest horror films ever. Until next time, here's to great movies, in particular, the ones that make you need a change in pants.

Benjamin's Stash: Video Pick of the Week

      Hello, readers. It's the final recommended viewing pick for October, and I decided to go with a pick that leans more toward fun than outright scary. It's a shame that when it first came out, this film performed poorly at the box office. Since its release though, it has developed quite a cult status.

      While committing an act of infidelity, local car deal Grant Grant (Michael Rooker) stumbles upon a parasite infested meteor in the woods. Infected with one of the parasites, Grant begins to experience some physical changes that worries his wife Starla (Elizabeth Banks). Since he refuses to visit the doctor, Starla goes to local sheriff Bill Pardy (Nathan Fillion) - her childhood crush - for help. He assures her that what her husband is going through can't be too bad, but as Grant's "condition" worsens, it could spell big trouble for the town of Wheelsy, South Carolina.

      The 80's were as infested with a number of "B-movie" gore films, some good and some complete garbage, as this film is with its parasites. Slither is a self-aware, competently directed, and surprisingly well-acted ode to those B-movies of the past that's just as funny as it is bloody. Nathan Fillion, who has that "everyman" quality about him, fits the role of the local sheriff who saves the day that we've seen a million times before and after this very well. Michael Rooker had already established himself as a character actor long before we got to know him as Merle Dixon in TV's The Walking Dead, and it's almost cliche to see him play those seedy types of characters, but dammit if he doesn't play 'em well. Gregg Henry has some great comical moments as the town's foulmouthed mayor, and this was actually the first film that introduced me to Elizabeth Banks. Writer/director James Gunn's background in Troma Entertainment (best known for the cult-film The Toxic Avenger) prior to this film makes him a perfect fit for this type of film. He knows how a B-movie should be made. The characters are lively, the makeup and creature effects are fantastic and despite the fact that I maybe would've liked a bit more wit thrown in with the sight gags, it's still an entertaining time. At just around 90 minutes, Gunn keeps the film's pace at just the right speed. It's not perfect, but it sure is fun. I kept the plot to a minimum 'cause like last week's pick, The Descent, certain moments with this film are much more rewarding when you find them out on your own. I'll just say the clip I posted above isn't even the best death scene.

What the Hell Were They Thinking?!

      Hello, readers. Today is the final week of October Horror Month. Later this week I'll have my top 10 horror films of all-time, but first we have to take out the trash, and since it's the final segment of this horror theme, it's gotta go out on top.

      Hellbound... Chuck Norris vs. Satan = F. T. W. What's the plot? Who really cares? It's Norris fighting a demon... but since I'm typing this with extreme fear and caution as to not saying anything too negative, I'll tell you anyway. Satan's emissary, Prosatanos (Christopher Neame) was once stopped, during the Crusades by King Richard I. The source of his power, a golden scepter, was shattered by the king into nine pieces, each piece hidden in nine holy places around the world. Locked away in a subterranean tomb, Prosatanos is finally inadvertently released centuries later by some grave robbers, but he's about to meet his match in Detective Frank Shatter (Chuck Norris). With all nine pieces of the scepter now in Prosatanos's hands, it'll be Bad vs. Badass as Shatter fights him in order to save the world.

      Come on. There's only one reason to see this film: Mr. Carlos Ray Norris. Two reasons, actually, if you count the horrendous acting performance by apparently John Malkovich's retarded twin brother as the demon. Take Norris out of this film and you have just another generic early 90's cop film with a soundtrack straight out of the 80's (e.g., the cheesy lounge jazz music playing in the background as Norris charms the hell out of the lead woman... Not that there's another thing wrong with that. I'm sure Mr. Norris has excellent taste in music). The dialogue was probably written by an eight year old ("Shit! His heart his gone!" "No, it's not. It's right over there."), it's hard for the villain to be all that intimidating when he looks more like the world's biggest WWE fan, and there's the clip I posted above where Norris goes gun happy on a suspect and when he's finally in custody, Norris still beats the shit out of him, simply 'cause... well 1) Do I really need to explain why? and 2) What do you expect from a cop with the name FRANK SHATTER? Oh, and Norris's choice of wardrobe leads me to believe he was actually conned into thinking this was a remake of Miami Vice and he was the lucky man cast as "Sonny" Crockett. Something tells me whoever was in charge of the wardrobe choices was subsequently roundhouse kicked to death. If anything, this movie's good for a number of Norris jokes you'll make while watching it. I mean, for God's sakes, the man can't act worth a shit and we all know his film career is nothing more than a jok... asdflllllllllllllllf346104riafjadfj;kldsdfgbhvfyctxdzr... ^%$2... asdkjklwe... !#@$YDFSDF... sdfjkcvmker...

      I apologize for that. That was my head being repeatedly slammed into the keyboard by some strange force. I take back everything bad I ever said about this movie. I thoroughly enjoyed the engaging and complex story. The acting was award worthy, and - uh - anything else, sir? Oh... okay... I give Hellbound an A++++ .

Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa

Cast of Characters:

Irving Zisman - Johnny Knoxville

Billy - Jackson Nicoll

Director - Jeff Tremaine

Screenplay - Jeff Tremaine, Johnny Knoxville & Spike Jonze

Rated R for strong crude and sexual content throughout, language, some graphic nudity and brief drug use

      Johnny Knoxville dons the prosthetic liver spots and wrinkles as Jackass's Irving Zisman in Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa.

      86 year old Irving Zisman (Johnny Knoxville) has recently suffered the loss of his wife. While at the funeral, Irving's daughter and grandson Billy (Jackson Nicoll) show up not so fashionably late. She breaks the news to her dad that she could be facing more jail time and has to pawn her boy off on her dad.

      Although this comes much to Irving's displeasure, he reluctantly takes Billy with him on a road trip to hand him over to his father.

      At first, I was expecting this to be another Borat ripoff. The key difference though, is that while they both share the same format of pranking people clearly not in on the joke, Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan was more a mockumentary where Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa has a storyline to it. A film like this runs the dangerous risk of just putting in all the funny parts in the trailer and leaving you with nothing else when you finally see the movie. Many films before this have fallen prey to that and many after it still will. Fortunately, we are offered more than what we've been shown in the trailers. Johnny Knoxville delivers some funny moments of improvisation, but the real gem of this film is not him and its not even the reactions of those being pranked. It's Jackson Nicoll. He's not a newcomer. He's had small roles in The Fighter and the Arthur remake, but this is the first time I've seen him front and center stage and he hits it out of the park. Without giving anything away, there are things that he says, such as his first scene in a waiting room, where the reactions of those around him are priceless. Clearly, as a kid, I'm sure he was getting fed what to say through an earpiece, but I wouldn't be shocked if some of those moments, like Knoxville, were improvised. Sure, we've seen the typical "potty-mouthed kid" before and it normally forces a "oh, hardy-har-har" whatever laugh out of us. What Nicoll is able to do though is gradually get us to empathize with him and his situation. It's more than just watching a kid walk up to an adult bookstore worker and ask, "What's your stripper stage name?". There is a bit of heart to this film amongst all the raunchiness of it that's never overplayed, so it doesn't quite stick out like a sore thumb.

      While some laughs don't work as well as others do, the ones the do work are gut busting. Plus, no matter how many times, whether in the preview or in the film, I watch Irving make it rain dollar bills over his grandson gyrating to Warrant's "Cherry Pie" at a local beauty pageant, I'm gonna laugh my ass off. Combine that with the chemistry made between Knoxville and Nicoll and it's a great time. If you know what to expect out of this, then yeah, you're in for a good laugh, but if not, it's best you stay away. I give Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa a B+ (★★★½).

REVIEWS COMING LATER NEXT WEEK...

What the Hell Were They Thinking?!

Benjamin's Stash: Video Pick of the Week

Top 10 Horror Films of All-Time

Ender's Game

Free Birds

Last Vegas