Herbie: Fully Loaded

What's your dream car from film and television? I've got a bunch. The 1960s Batmobile, Steve McQueen's Mustang from 1968's Bullitt, and a bunch more I'm forgetting in the moment. There's one though that rises above the rest. I'd love to own Herbie the Love Bug, the Volkswagen Bug who has starred in five theatrical flicks and one TV movie. I grew up watching Herbie movies and recently caught up with the only entry I'd never seen before, 2005's Herbie: Fully Loaded.

With a college degree under her arm and a job as an assistant producer at ESPN waiting for her in a few weeks, Maggie Peyton (Lindsay Lohan) gets a graduation present from her Dad, Ray (Michael Keaton). The Peytons are a third generation racing family with Ray working as team owner and crew chief, his son the team's lead driver. Maggie has always wanted to get into racing but a past street racing incident ended that dream. Now, she'll have to settle for this present from her Dad, a beat-up looking 1963 Volkswagen Bug named Herbie that certainly looks well past its prime. This is not any old VW Bug though, something Maggie figures out immediately. Herbie has a mind of his own and Maggie and her mechanic friend, Kevin (Justin Long), think they can rehab the car and build it back up into a worthy racing car. They could be in for some trouble when cocky Nascar champ Trip Murphy (Matt Dillon) gets on their bad side and he wants nothing more than to take Herbie apart.

I love Herbie. I loved the original The Love Bug growing up, and I still love it now. I really like the second sequel Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo, and.....yes, I can sit through the generally pretty bad Herbie Rides Again and Herbie Goes Bananas. I never intentionally avoided this 2005 quasi-reboot, but I never actively sought it out. From director Angela Robinson, 'Loaded' isn't great and it isn't awful.  The story is a bit of a rework of The Love Bug (how Herbie gets into racing) and Monte Carlo (Herbie in love) with an occasional tweak here and there. It made a ton of money -- $140-plus million -- in theaters and is innocent enough fun. If it isn't necessarily good, it does the Herbie character and franchise right.

Remember back in 2005 when Lindsay Lohan was a sure-fire star? She seemed destined to be a legit huge star following 2004's massively successful Mean Girls before some personal problems ranging from addiction to plastic surgery and assorted other things did their best to derail her career. You can't call her a great actress, but she is a good actress, natural and likable here. The rumor mill says that Disney Studios digitally reduced Lohan's breasts on-screen so that's pretty crazy if you think about it. Now all that said...the story does seem to be an excuse to doll Lohan up and put her in all sorts of tight, low-cut and mini-skirt options. Not a complaint, just an observation.

There is a decent cast on hand here so that definitely helps. Along with Michael Keaton as Maggie's Dad, there's Breckin Meyers as her race car driving brother and Cheryl Hines as one of the few remaining sponsors for the Peyton racing team. Justin Long gets romance duty, the shaggy haired mechanic working with Maggie who maybe...just maybe may end up with her. Tough part, huh? Backing up the geared-up Dillon as our evil villain, Trip, there's Jimmi Simpson as his goofy assistant, Crash, and Thomas Lennon (who also helped write the story and screenplay) as his manager/brother. Also look for Scoot McNairy briefly as a member of the pit crew. Some familiar parts from an after school special, but there's some talent on display.

Enough with all that garbage though. What about Herbie? Through the wonders of computer-generated images, Herbie is a little more anthropomorphic as we meet him. The former racing champion, Herbie the VW Bug has fallen on hard times and is rescued from the junk heap by Maggie. Can he reacquire his magic? The iconic visual is there, the white Bug with the red and blue stripe up his middle with the soft-cover top and the instantly recognizable '53' painted on his hood and side. His headlights are his eyes, his front hood his mouth, that sort of thing. We do get some crazy CGI moments that are a tad bit on the goofy side, but that's part of the Disney charm (albeit with better graphics). There is a fun scene late where Herbie gets "analyzed" by Nascar champions and fan favorites Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson so stick with it through that. Also look for Tony Stewart, and Dale Jarrett.

Now I do have one kinda major complaint? If you ask me at least. The opening credits show a montage of Herbie racing clips from the previous movies. Yes, he's fallen on hard times and basically abandoned as a parts car. As he makes his triumphant return, NO ONE remembers him. NO ONE. How forgetful can people be? Yes, I know I'm overanalyzing a movie that's intended to be entertaining and fun with some cool racing scenes. But come on now, how can no one recognize this car?!? It's a VW Bug who can hold his own with Nascar cars and souped-up street racers. WHY DOES NO ONE QUESTION THIS? WHY DOES NO ONE REMEMBER THIS LITTLE CAR? Okay, breathe...breathe, I got that out of my system. Herbie fans should like it. I certainly did in a dumbed down revisit sort of way.

Herbie: Fully Loaded (2005): ** 1/2 /****

10 Years

I had a momentary freakout recently following my 28th birthday. It's 2013. I graduated from high school in 2003. By my count, that means I've been out of high school for 10 years. Oh, no! Ten year reunion! I can't be that old, can I? Thankfully no invite for said reunion has come in the mail so I can calm down a little for the time being. In the meantime, I can watch other people struggle through the same issues in 2012's 10 Years.

A moderately successful mortgage broker, late 20s Jake (Channing Tatum) is pleased with where his life is if not completely pleased. He's got a good if safe job and a smoking hot longtime girlfriend, Jess (Jenna Dewan-Tatum), so when his 10-year high school reunion pops up, Jake is both excited and nervous. His former classmates are similarly descending on the town back home, coming from all reaches of life, some more successful than others, but they seemingly all have a goal at the reunion. Just catching up with old friends, in some cases hooking up with former classmates, making apologies, or even bringing closure to certain things. The jocks, the nerds, the cheerleaders, the popular kids and the smart kids, they've all grown up to some point. For Jake though, he's most worried about seeing his ex-girlfriend, Mary (Rosario Dawson), and what she's up to after a tough breakup for the both of them. The reunion promises to be very interesting for all involved.

For starters, let me clear things up. I needed something remotely coherent for the plot description so I streamlined things...a lot. While dreamy Channing Tatum is in the movie a lot, he's merely a part of a very strong ensemble cast. So that's it. This isn't his movie on his own. Okay, now that we've got that out of the way, let's move on. 'Years' comes from first-time director Jamie Linden who has worked previously as both a writer and producer. It's a more than solid debut, showcasing an ease with the script and talent that should bode well for Linden's future films. Reunion movies can be pretty common from the lousy American Reunion to The Big Chill and plenty in between, but Linden's film has a nice, easygoing charm about it. The IMDB rating is currently at 6.0 (low if you ask me) so naturally I liked it and am now assuming I missed something about it.

Writing the script and directing his feature debut, Linden does a really solid job sticking with what works in the reunion genre but managing to keep it fresh. He throws a lot of characters together, some more familiar than others, and lets them do their thing. The beauty of having so many characters is that we get to run the gamut of high school all over again. We do see all those dreaded high school cliques from the jocks, bullies and nerds to the cheerleaders, hot chicks and loners and everything in between. The movie runs 100 minutes and is basically moving along non-stop, flitting around among all the characters and their issues. As is the case with any ensemble, some are more interesting than others, but most importantly, none of them are dull. From the reunion to the post-reunion booze fest at a local bar, it's a lot of fun to watch.

Again proving me wrong after years of doubting him, Tatum seems right at home as Jake, the former jock who's now in a good place but always worried what could have been with Dawson's Mary (now married to the older Ron Livingston). Dewan-Tatum, Mrs. Channing Tatum, is good too in a part that avoids cliches for the most part as the worrying girlfriend. My favorite parts were Justin Long and Max Minghella as Marty, a successful publisher in NYC, and A.J., his equally successful friend struggling with some issues. They have a believable friendship, one that goes through its ups and downs as A.J. tries to "wingman" it for single Marty. I also especially liked Chris Pratt as Cully, the former bully now trying to apologize to all the then-nerds he terrorized in high school (including a very good Aaron Yoo) with Ari Gaynor as his wife, Sam, who he has two kids with. Sam wants to enjoy herself too, not just watch over Cully embracing his high school craziness.  

Not enough young talent for you? There's plenty more. Oscar Isaac is Reeves, who's recently gained a lot of popularity across the country as a pop star musician, but he just wants to talk to Kate Mara's Elise. It's a decent subplot, but probably the weakest of all the stories. Isaac and Mara are good, it's just not as interesting. Scott Porter plays Scott, a globe-trotting happy-go-luck guy with his wife, Suki (Eiko Nijo), who he met in Japan. Anthony Mackie as Andre is just looking to have some fun, especially when he sees Garrity (Brian Geraghty), a white guy who thought he was black in high school, news to his wife (Aubrey Plaza). There's also Lynn Collins as Anna, the hottest girl in high school, Marty seeing if he can make up for lost time with her. 

No point in analyzing this one too much. A fun, cute reunion story with a good mix of laughs and comedy with some actual sympathetic human emotion. What a novel concept! I especially liked the cast and feel very comfortable recommending it.

10 Years (2012): ***/****

Going the Distance

Something has changed in the romantic comedy vein. In the 1990s, stars like Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, Julia Roberts and Sandra Bullock starred in cute, funny and worthwhile rom-coms that guys can actually tolerate. Something changed there in the early 2000s where the genre became one shrill, obnoxious movie after another (Guys need not apply). Oddly enough, director Judd Apatow is responsible for another change in the genre. Adult romantic comedies that men and women alike can enjoy, a trend he started with 40-Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up. No Apatow connection, another in the same vein is the enjoyable 2010's Going the Distance.

Hours off a breakup with his girlfriend, New Yorker Garrett (Justin Long) is in a bar with two of his friends when he meets Erin (Drew Barrymore). They hit it off immediately, ending up back at Garrett's apartment. But the next morning rather than part after a one-night stand, they exchange numbers and agree to go out again. The young New Yorkers start dating and fall hard for each other, but there's a catch. Erin is heading back to California soon to continue her graduate work at Stanford. Both Erin and Garrett know the pitfalls of a long distance relationship, but they decide they don't want to break up, giving the long distance thing a try. It starts off smoothly enough, but after weeks and months apart, the struggles start to pop up. They still feel strongly for each other, but is it enough to get them through an extended rough patch, especially when Erin is offered a job in San Francisco?

From director Nanette Burstein and screenplay writer Geoff LaTulippe, 'Distance' struggled mightily in theaters during its theatrical run in 2010. It doesn't rewrite the romantic comedy genre -- I imagine that would be tough to do -- but again, I liked it. I didn't rush out to see it or rent it in 2010, but watched it recently and enjoyed it from beginning to end (call it The Girlfriend Effect, seriously though, I did like it). One of the best things going for it is that the story is based in some sort of reality, not movie reality. 'Distance' tries to show some sort of dating reality, of being single, of being married. It is funny but I never got the sense it was trying too hard. These aren't movie boyfriend and girlfriends with all sort of outlandish, out of this world problems. It's just a young couple fresh into a relationship trying to work things out. Pretty crazy, huh? 

Sink or swim moment here for a romantic comedy. Do you like the stars? Are they so annoying you're actively rooting against them? Do you want them to meet a gruesome end? Thankfully, the casting of Barrymore and Long is a winner. Dating at the time the movie was filmed, they have an easygoing, natural chemistry that flows well as the relationship gets deeper and more emotionally connected. Sure, Long's name is Garrett (cool movie name, dude), and he works for a hip record label (are there 6 million record labels out there so all hip movie characters can work at one?), but Long does a good job as a pretty typical single guy on the dating scene. I thought maybe Barrymore was a tad old to play the character but then realized she's 35 and just seems like she's older because she's been acting since the early 1980s. Either way, I liked the duo together.

Really though, the biggest reason I'll recommend this 2010 romantic comedy is the rest of the cast. I liked Barrymore and Long together, but the strength is in the supporting players, especially Charlie Day (of It's Always Sunny) and Jason Sudeikis as Garrett's friends Dan and Box. The duo and the relationship among the friends gives a funnier dimension to the story. Day's Dan has no filter (not by choice, he's just goofy and talkative) and as Garrett's roommate, likes to DJ his hook-ups, listening through the paper thin walls in one of the movie's best running bits. Sudeikis' Box has grown a mustache in hopes of hooking up with a cougar looking to reclaim her younger glory days. While I liked the entire movie, I especially liked scenes with Long, Day and Sudeikis. The script gives them some really funny moments to work with, and they don't disappoint.

Sit back down though, we've also got Christina Applegate as Erin's worrying older sister, Corinne, with comedian Jim Gaffigan especially memorable as her husband. Ron Livingston has a thankless, quick part as Garrett's boss at the record label while Oliver Jackson-Cohen is Erin's dreamy co-worker, a smooth English bartender. Rob Riggle has a good one-scene appearance as a married man who's less than pleased with Garrett's big-time efforts to impress Erin while Leighton Meester plays Garrett's girlfriend in the opening scene.

Romantic comedies can get too goofy, too stupid and as was the case with the recent This Is 40, too self-indulgent. This was an enjoyable, very funny and at times decently smart romantic comedy that benefits from a strong cast. Now, if we could get more romantic comedies like this, then we would be onto something.

Going the Distance (2010): ***/****

Strange Wilderness

I love a good stupid movie just like everybody else. But like anything, there's dumb, dumbest, stupid, stupidest, and mind-bogglingly stupid, the kind of stupid that makes your head hurt to watch it. The jury is still out for 2008's Strange Wilderness and where that one ends up.

When his father dies, Peter (Steve Zahn) steps in and takes over his long-running, very successful nature show, 'Strange Wilderness'....and promptly drives it into the ground. The quality drops, the educational aspect plummets, and the show is on the brink of being canceled. Peter, soundman Fred (Allen Covert), and Wilderness's ragtag crew have only two weeks to turn the show around, but how can they manage that? A story falls right into their lap, but first they've got to find it. Bigfoot has been sighted in Central America! Let the road trip begin.

Should I be surprised that this 2008 stoner comedy came from the brilliant minds of Happy Madison Productions, Adam Sandler's film company? I suppose not, but it sure does help make sense of this mess of a movie. Excluding the closing credits, it doesn't even hit the 80-minute mark. The "story" is a sham of a script held together by bathroom humor, awful physical comedy, and a reliance on anything crotch-related or even close, one running gag after another. At one point, Zahn's character actually has a turkey attack him, the animal attempting to swallow his penis. Yes, the scene of Zahn running around hysterically is funny, but I can't think of a stupider, low-brow type of humor. Repeat that for 79 minutes and you've got your movie. One scene has the crew giggling away because a man's name is 'Dick.' That's all. No last name. Watch it HERE. For every funny moment, there's an excruciating one close behind.

The odd thing? The parts that do work are very funny. The disgusted TV producer (Jeff Garlin) goes through a quick succession of clips from previous shows, and the complete random quality of the clips produces some quality laughs. They include lions having sex with a sexually-themed voiceover, giraffes head-butting each other, an alligator eating a man ("We wanted to honor him"), a man at a peace rally on running around on fire, and so on. Any actual Strange Wilderness footage is hysterical from a shark episode (watch HERE) to a bear episode (watch HERE) with portions devoted to beavers, piranhas, and monkeys among other. Zahn's calming, almost monotone voice nails the voiceovers. These parts are so mind-bogglingly stupid it makes me think someone with talent wrote them. They're that stupid, but go figure, they're funny too. Their discovery of Bigfoot, their encounter with him, and the rationalization of how they handled that encounter is priceless too.

Going for the stupid and not smart laughs, the cast is hit-or-miss. Zahn is a decent lead, hamming it up like a crazy person as needed, longtime Sandler co-star Covert a worthy straight man with his long hair and floppy mustache. Rounding out the 'Wilderness' crew are Jonah Hill as Cooker, the freaky conspiracy theorist, Kevin Heffernan as Whitaker, the alcoholic mechanic turned animal handler, Justin Long as Junior, the stoner cameraman, Ashley Scott as Cheryl, the necessary babe, and Peter Dante as Danny, the idiot. That's all. He's an idiot. Hill is funny when he's subtle, not like here where he's so over-exaggerated he becomes obnoxious. Heffernan is very funny, Long leaves little impression, Scott looks good, and Dante is the worst offender of the bunch, playing the same part he does in all the Happy Madison movies. His best bit? A dark but truly funny bit where he dresses up like a sea lion and is promptly attacked by a shark.

In some bizarre casting, watch for Ernest Borgnine, Joe Don Baker and Robert Patrick in small parts. You read that right, all three names. How they took these parts I'll never know. None of them are given anything to do -- short of a disgusting sight gag Patrick gets -- but all three are professionals and do their job. It's especially cool to see Borgnine (91 years old at the time) in the movie, introducing himself to a new generation of moviegoers.

You don't go into a movie like this thinking you will be watching a masterpiece. I realize that, but this is one screwy movie. The funny part? As they made the movie, they know it was screwy. It ends with Zahn, Covert and Garlin laughing out loud at the ridiculous nature of the story....and that's the ending. No gag reel. That's the ending. Epically stupid, good for some laughs, but too stupid for its own good at other times.

Strange Wilderness <---trailer (2008): **/**** 

Zack and Miri Make a Porno

First appearing in the public eye in the short-lived but much-loved Freaks and Geeks, Seth Rogen has perfected the role of the stoner, lazy, pretty regular guy. In doing so, he has basically split audiences right down the middle. Do you love his sarcastic, sometimes spastic delivery? Or does it drive you nuts, making you hate him for trying so hard but not getting laughs? I lean more toward the love. A different brand of humor, one on display in 2008's Zack and Miri Make a Porno.

Friends since they were in the first grade together, Miri (Elizabeth Banks) and Zack (Rogen) have fallen on some especially tough times. Sharing an apartment together, the platonic friends don't have enough money to pay for any of their bills, and the next month's rent is due right around the corner. Desperate times call for desperate measures, and Zack has a plan. What if they starred, produced and directed in their own self-made porno and sold it to all the people from their graduating class in high school? With no real other options, Miri agrees so Zack assembles a ragtag bunch of performers and crew to film their lowest of budget pornos. Could the plan actually work?

Now let's spell things out. An R-rated comedy from generally pretty filthy director Kevin Smith about the filming of an amateur porn. If you haven't figured it out by now, this movie is downright filthy. The squeamish or shy need not seek this movie out. It still manages to be low-key and on a smaller scale. Much of the humor -- with an improvised feeling -- comes from Rogen and Banks simply riffing back and forth trying to come up with a name for their porn. Their original choice is a Star Wars knock-off, the aptly titled 'Star Whores' with lots of potential for sequels, but things out of their control force them to improvise. Think about it. Take a movie, any movie, and try to come up with a play on words, dirty version of that title. It's easier than you think.

Playing the title characters, Rogen and Banks were great choices to play the longtime platonic friends who haven't done quite what they wanted to in the 10 years since high school graduation. Chemistry in a comedy can be a forgotten thing left along the roadside, but Smith made two wise choices picking this duo. Obviously for one, it helps that they're funny. Rogen as Zack has his big outbursts, his over the top antics, but I've always thought Rogen is better when he's underplaying a scene with a casual, even quiet delivery. Banks too is one of the best comedic actresses around, fully capable of holding her own with the guys, even when things get pretty filthy. The funny aspect is a given -- a true must if a comedy wants to succeed -- but even when the story gets a tad on the serious side, Rogen and Banks have that easy-going banter that speaks to a long friendship with very little in the way of secrets.

Their cast and crew provides some of the other biggest laughs, starting with Craig Robinson as Delaney, Zack's co-worker at a coffee shop who bankrolls the porn in hopes of getting to see any naked woman other than his wife. Robinson is one of the funniest actors around, and he doesn't disappoint in this supporting part. There's also Smith regulars Jeff Anderson (Randal in Clerks) as Deacon, the cameraman, and Jason Mewes (Jay) as Lester, a regular guy with a "big" talent. Actual porn star Katie Morgan plays Stacey, a strip club waitress turned porn star, infamous porn star Traci Lords plays Bubbles, a stripper specializing in bachelor parties, and Ricky Mabe as Barry, a classically trained actor who finds a niche in the cast. Stealing every scene he's in, Justin Long plays Brandon St. Randy, a gay porn star Zack meets at a high school reunion, giving them the idea for his own porn production.

The best laughs to come from the actual production of Zack and Miri's porno, a story-less sequence of sex scenes set in the coffee house Zack and Delaney work in. Zack "writes" a script with some hilariously awkward lines -- delivered awkwardly and often like they're being read aloud -- and situations developing. Mewes and Morgan have one of the most clumsy dialogue scenes ever producing some great laughs, but it's Rogen and Miri's scene that had the biggest laughs. Zack's delivery man is delivering some cream to Miri's coffee house, and let the double entendres begin! The failed Star Whores plot delivers too, the cast questioning if Luke and Leia should sleep together, if Darth Vader can be a girl, and should Obi-Wan-Kenobi get some action.

The movie is genuinely funny from the get-go, and I liked it and will be recommending it. However, the last 30 minutes taps the brakes some as Zack and Miri struggle with feelings for each other they didn't know they had. It's not exactly a surprising twist in the story, but it sure is slow-moving. More than a little predictable, it's just not as funny as the first 70 minutes. Still worth checking out, but not the ending you're looking for.

Zack and Miri Make a Porno <---trailer (2008): ** 1/2 /****

The Conspirator

In one of the United States' biggest tragedies, President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated April 14, 1865 by the actor John Wilkes Booth just a week after the Confederate surrender to Union forces at Appomattox Court House. Over the coming months, a trial was held with eight prisoners held accountable for the Lincoln assassination, but also a bigger plot, one to kill the Vice President and the Secretary of State. Among the prisoners, a lone woman, Mary Surratt, a boarding house owner who's story was told in 2010's The Conspirator.

Stunned by the assassination of President Lincoln, Civil War veteran and inexperienced lawyer Frederick Aiken (James McAvoy) is assigned the impossible. Just weeks after Lincoln's death, Aiken is assigned as defense counsel to Mary Surratt (Robin Wright), the owner of a Washington boarding house believed to be involved with the assassination plot. The country is still mourning the tragic and sudden loss of the President, and there are cries for revenge, for retribution, including against Surratt who claims she's innocent. Even Aiken struggles to come to a conclusion, balancing out his personal feelings to his country with his obligation as a lawyer. With Surratt's life very much on the line, Aiken must decide what to do, choosing whether he can actually defend this woman in a court that seems rigged to watch him fail.

It is the rare historical period piece that hits theaters over the recent years so you have to enjoy them when they do come along. When there's the talent involved here -- with director Robert Redford -- it's an almost must watch situation. The look of the movie is impressive from the uniforms down to the locations that give you the feeling of being in 1865 Washington. 'Conspirator' is at its best setting things up, bringing the time to life for history buffs and viewers being introduced to a new subject. Composer Mark Isham's score isn't a classic, but it is both epic and moody as needed.

What doesn't work so well is based in the pacing. It starts with an obvious but still major problem. I've always liked history -- and have been to Ford's Theatre several times -- so I'm familiar with Mary Surratt's name. Whether you are or aren't (or even just read the Wiki link above), there isn't much mystery here. You know how it's going to end so so-called "twists" don't produce that desired result. Getting to the ending though, the story gets bogged down in the repetitious, yawn-producing courtroom scenes. The story revels in the period accuracy, and it sounds like the speech patterns of the 1860s, but that doesn't mean it is always interesting. The pacing is leisurely to say the least, and in general doesn't have much urgency. When you know where the movie's going to end up, some sense of tension or question would have been nice.

For a movie called 'The Conspirator,' I came away surprised. If anything, it could be called 'The Conspirator's Lawyer.' McAvoy does a very solid job as Aiken, the real-life figure assigned to defend Mrs. Surratt.  The story focuses far more on him and his personal struggles than those of Surratt. Wright similarly is good if not great as Mary, portrayed as a martyr of sorts, an almost too angelic one. It just would have been nice to see her more, get to know her better as opposed to a one-note religious woman looking out for her kids' well-being at her own cost. McAvoy is torn apart inside, trying to figure out how to defend his client, putting his career on the line to see how far he can go. Their scenes lack a certain energy, but McAvoy makes the best impression in the courtroom as he desperately tries to do his job.

Working with a director -- and in general Hollywood legend -- with Redford's talent, I'm assuming actors are knocking down his door to get parts in his movies. McAvoy and Wright clearly have the biggest roles, but a handful of other parts rise above their smallish screentime. Tom Wilkinson (a British senator from Maryland?!?) plays Senator Reverdy Johnson, a man who believes even the guiltiest among us deserves a trial. A nearly unrecognizable Kevin Kline is Secretary of War Edwin Stanton, the movie's villain (because every movie needs one. An underrated actress, Evan Rachel Wood is memorable as Anna, Mary's suffering daughter trying to help her mother while Danny Huston plays Joseph Holt, the prosecuting attorney. Colm Meaney is wasted as General Hunter, head of the commission/trial. Among other smaller parts, Justin Long and Alexis Bledel fail to make much of an impression as Aiken's friend and a long-time girlfriend. Norman Reedus is the only other one of the conspirators to get more than a line or two.

It is the rare period piece so I always feel like I should enjoy these movies no matter the quality. I came away disappointed here with a historical story that should have been more interesting. There are aspects of the trial that shine some light on the cover-ups and whitewashing that was done to Surratt, efforts handled so a guilty verdict would come along no matter how ridiculously fixed things were. As a director, Redford is clearly in Surratt's corner, but he never actually spells it out mostly because as history, we'll never know for sure of Surratt's innocence or guilt. With a small footnote in our nation's history, I just wished the movie had been more enjoyable.

The Conspirator <---trailer (2010): **/****

Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story

Rags to riches stories, the American dream at its best.  Musicians, athletes, movie stars, so many seem to follow a similar career arc. Whole shows like VH1's Behind the Music followed an almost identical show about rock stars.  Meteoric rise to fame, brief period at the top, and landslide to the bottom.  Movies like Ray and Walk the Line told the true stories of Ray Charles and Johnny Cash, and as was the case with all of the above mentioned things, they were just begging to be spoofed.  It's just too easy not to.  That's where 2007's Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story steps in.

In this not so thinly veiled dig at Johnny Cash and Walk the Line (and on a bigger level anything concerning music), every one and every thing in the music business is fair game.  Starring as Dewey Cox is one of the most underrated actors in Hollywood -- drama or comedy -- John C. Reilly. Starting with Reilly, the talent involved here is downright impressive including writer Judd Apatow and a huge cast that make spot-on cameos and fill out the supporting roles.  Both equally stupid and smart, this is just a funny movie, pure and simple.

At the young age of 6, Dewey Cox accidentally slices his brother in two at the waist when a machete fight (yes, a machete fight) goes horrifically wrong.  With that trauma hanging over his head, Dewey grows up, turning to music as an outlet.  He takes to it right away, and when he's kicked out of the house at 14 by his resentful father, Dewey (O'Reilly) tries to get into the music business. He skyrockets to the top with his hit song, Walk Hard <---music video, and is on the way to the top.  But his climb to the top comes at a price, and it's only a matter of time before you reach the summit, and there's no way to go but down.  For Dewey, it's a big drop.

Playing Dewey, Reilly gives him this sort of bumpkin charm where he's beyond stupid one second but genuinely funny the next.  He borders that fine line between over the top, idiotic stereotype and a character you actually like.  Reilly is one of the funniest actors in Hollywood right now, combining really broad physical/slapstick humor (Dewey's go-to move when angry is ripping sinks out of the wall) with subtle line deliveries ("I think I'm doing okay for a 15-year old with a wife and a baby").  Helping the character and his rise and fall is that the music is genuinely good.  Sure, the lyrics are usually a joke, but they sound good, especially Walk Hard.  

Following Dewey's career, it's not just Johnny Cash that is in line for some digs.  Dewey goes through phases of country, folk, punk rock, psychedelic rock, disco, and a couple others I'm probably forgetting.  These are some of the movie's most inspired moments.  Dewey becomes a Bob Dylan knock-off (watch/listen HERE) in trying to stay relevant, doing a spot-on impression of Dylan.  We meet Elvis (The White Stripes' Jack White), Buddy Holly (Frankie Muniz), and in the movie's far and away best scene, Dewey visiting the Beatles in India in 1968 during their psychedelic phase.  The Beatles are going through some internal struggles (a rift as Dewey calls it) which produce some of the movie's best laughs.  Watch it HERE. Jack Black plays Paul, Paul Rudd is John, Justin Long is George, and Jason Schwartzman plays Ringo. 

With a story that covers over 50 years, there's a fair share of characters that Dewey comes across during his up and down career.  Just about every comedic actor around gets a scene or two in this flick.  Playing Dewey's long-suffering band are Tim Meadows (his running bit about introducing Dewey to new drugs is priceless), Chris Parnell and Matt Besser. SNL star Kristen Wiig plays Dewey's wife who he marries (at 14) when she's 12 while Jenna Fischer is the true love of his life and fellow singer/performer Darlene. David Krumholtz is his one-note manager, Raymond J. Barry his resentful father, Harold Ramis and Martin Starr as Jewish record execs, Craig Robinson as a rival club singer, and many, many more recognizable faces. Even look for musicians like Eddie Vedder, Lyle Lovett and Jewel making appearances as themselves.

Parts of the movie don't work as well as others, but that's to be expected with a comedy.  It can be hard sustaining that frenetically funny pace over 90-plus minutes. Overall, Walk Hard avoids that pretty well for about an hour.  But when the story hits 1976 and the disco era, the pacing hits a major roadblock.  It knows where it wants to end up but not quite how to get there.  That last half hour is a tad on the slow side without the laughs.  Balancing it out though, that first hour is about as funny as a comedy can be.  It works out in the end, and there's just too much talent here to pass on this movie.

Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story <---trailer (2007): ***/****