smartaleck87 Reviews

Bandidas (2006)

Simply put, not a great film...

[4/10 · 10 March 2006]

...but come on, did you really expect it to be? This movie is what it is: an action comedy (in the loosest sense of the word "action") about two hot Hispanic chicks robbing banks together. It's PG-13, so there's not going to be any real heavy subjects tackled (and sadly, Penelope Cruz and Salma Hayek don't do anything more than shake hands). You have to go into a movie like this with a certain level of suspension of disbelief. Every single Mexican speaks perfect English (yes, even the farmers), Cruz and Hayek pull off a couple near-Matrix-level stunts, and there are other implausibilities.

Even so, occasionally this movie is funny, and though it's bogged down by the usual clichés, there's a mild surprise or two in there as well. This is lazy, rainy Sunday afternoon kind of movie. I wouldn't buy a ticket to see it in theaters or purchase the DVD, but if you have a friend who's renting it or a free pass to the movies, you could see a lot of worse movies.

Waiting... (I) (2005)

It's funny because it's true

[8/10 · 6 March 2006]

Okay, not completely. There isn't nearly that amount of food tampering, at least not where I work. But everything else is almost 100 percent accurate: the wild party after work, the crazed bitter veteran server, the camaraderie between employees, the rules that no one ever follows, fraternization between employees, even the wise dishwasher (yes, we have one of those where I work, that was one of my absolutely favorite things about this movie). I'm on leave from the job since I'm at college right now, but this movie had me laughing, reminiscing, and looking forward to the end of the semester when I go back to work. Sure, food service sucks. But a lot of times, you really do have as much fun as this movie makes the job out to be. It's not something you want to do your whole life, obviously, but as an in-between, it's pretty great.

Case in point: It's mandatory to work New Year's Eve at my job. However, every single person- customers, employees and managers alike- was completely plastered by 11. The bartenders "snuck" us drinks, we brought our own in...myself, I was making out with a coworker in the break room, holding a bottle of champagne I was in the process of killing, when my boss walked in. I turned and drunkenly shouted, "Hey man, what's up?" Fired? Hardly. He laughed, and downed his beer.

I digress. This is a funny movie if you've never worked in a restaurant, but it's flat-out hysterical if you have. All the performances are spot-on. I highly recommend it.

Wedding Crashers (2005)

Best comedy in a few years, hands down.

[9/10 · 4 August 2005]

Oh man, what an awesome flick. Hilarious of course- Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson are terrific together, and there are a ton of great one-liners as well as more complex laughs. But it also has a romantic quality to it, which makes it a great date movie. I was laughing my ass off the entire time, but at the same time some things that happen in the course of the movie made me think about my own situation, love, marriage, all kinds of stuff. The ending is of course a happy one, and for once I was ROOTING for the happy ending.

Walken is Walken- a small role but great as always. Will Ferrell's cameo, though you know it's coming, is still a hilarious surprise and is worth the wait. Walken's mom and son are hands down the two best secondary characters. And I think I've fallen in love with Rachel McAdams.

Bottom line, this movie is terrific. Go see it- with friends, your significant other, by yourself- it doesn't matter, just go!

Sin City (2005)

Somewhat disappointing.

[7/10 · 5 April 2005]

Sin City, bottom line, was a good movie. It kept me entertained, and had a lot of things going for (not the least of which was gratuitous violence and a terrific cast). However, the plot dragged at times and jumped recklessly from place to place. It's non-sequential in the same vein as Pulp Fiction, but much less organized and streamlined than that film was.

On the whole, though, I liked it. Despite is frenetic and often erratic pacing and occasional sheer weirdness, it was well written, well shot, well directed (though I am convinced that had Tarantino directed the entire film we might be talking about one of the greatest movies ever made as opposed to a merely good one), and well acted. I just wish Madsen had had a bigger part.

I give it a seven.