Your Entertainment Ticket.net

A review of this new movie.

THE LONGSHOTS

Starring: Ice Cube, Keke Palmer, Tasha Smith and Miles Chandler

Directed by: Fred Durst

Rated PG for some thematic elements, mild language and brief rude humor

By John Delia

There’s a great little family film at the theatres and it’s just in time for all you little league football lovers. Based on a true story The Longshots has a lot of heart and courage providing a lesson for youngsters who have sidestepped their dreams because of bullying and pier pressure.

The Longshots centers on Curtis (Ice Cube), an out of work ex high school football star who wanders around the depressed town of Minden. Always stopping by Pop Warner little league football practices, Curtis lingers here because in the past he coached a team that was successful, unlike the current squad of boys.

Curtis’s sister-in-law Claire (smith) has had difficulty ‘making ends meet’ while raising her growing daughter Jasmine (Palmer), so she’s forced to take on more work, which causes her to come home late. Not wanting to leave her 11-year-old daughter alone after school, she hires Curtis to play babysitter. Jasmine a misfit in school and Curtis trying to cope with it, the two find themselves at odds. During one of his sitting days, Curtis discovers that Jasmine can toss a football better than most boys. With the Minden Pop Warner team in need of a quarterback, Curtis convinces the coach to try Jasmine out for the failing team. When Jasmine starts showing up the boys and the team starts winning, both Curtis and Jasmine’s worlds take a turn for the better.

Ice Cube does a wonderful job portraying the down and out uncle. His talks with Jasmine are not only inspiration to her but as it turns out, to himself. Youngsters who are playing little league football or just having trouble adjusting in school will learn a lot from the film and parents should also garner from it as well. But the most touching performance comes from Palmer, who provides an amazing portrait of the misfit youngster who finds her way out of the dilemma provided by her piers. Not everyone gets to stick it to those that mock them, but when Jasmine finds the way, it’s a total uplifting experience.

The actual incident that the story is based on took place in Illinois in 2003 when Jasmine was just eleven years old. She played in the Pop Warner Junior Pee Wee League for the Harvey Colts. During her school year she was an honor student, ran track and wrestled. In the 56 years of Pop Warner youth football, Jasmine was the only girl to ever play quarterback in its annual tournament.

This family film does contain some rude humor and mild language so may consider this when taking the very young.

FINAL ANALYSIS: The Longshots is a terrific family film that delivers a lot of heart.

DEATH RACE

Starring: Jason Statham, Joan Allen, Ian McShane, Tyrese Gibson and Natalie Martinez

Directed by: Paul W.S. Anderson

R for strong violence and language

By John Delia

It shows like a video game, it runs like a video game and it feels like a video game, but Death Race is bone-crunching movie. Hard punching, heart throbbing action with a heated storyline, Death Race slams into the screen with all the power of some of Paul W.S. Anderson’s previous big screen winners; Mortal Kombat, Resident Evil and Alien vs. Predator.

The film follows the story of Jensen Ames (Statham), a former champion racecar driver who gets framed for the murder of his wife and is sent to Terminal Island, a New York prison set in 2020. Only the most vicious of prisoners are housed on the Island and Warden Hennessey (Allen) uses her scheming creative juices to get a lot of cash from their notoriety. Creating a race where top drivers chosen from the inmate’s race to a finish creating death and mayhem along the way, and it’s computer televised. The brutal ‘sport’ has a favorite called Frankenstein and when the hideous driver gets pulverized one race day in a burst of fire, the warden must find a way to replace the icon without loosing the ratings. When Ames arrives at the prison, the warden cooks up a scheme that includes him and Frankenstein.

The special effects make the explosions, gunfire and wrecks spectacular. Bullets pelting the back of cars, missiles slamming into walls, spikes ripping tires and total chaos are the best ways to describe the action in Death Race.

As for the acting, there isn’t much need for any. Much like The Terminator and Die Hard, a few good phrases, some dialogue for plot and it’s a wrap. Statham does his best Transporter, Crank, and War impression and that’s all he really needs. But there’s one actor that needs to be mentioned and that’s Joan Allen. Her interpretation of the evil warden is right on the money. She totally does a convincing job showing that power can be truly diabolical.

Anderson continues to keep the flames burning and super powered characters doing his bidding. His Resident Evil and Alien vs. Predator has to be two of the most high-energy flicks ever made. With Death Race, it’s just another day at the office. Throwing anything explosive he can into the film, not overdoing the dialogue or bothering to present a complicated plot, Anderson gives the ultimate in mindless chaos. Just what the action lover needs to escape a day at the office or a week of pounding the books.

Please note that the film is rated R for ultra violence, language and brutality. So please get a babysitter.

FINAL ANALYSIS: Death Race is a hard-nosed combat packed film for explosive action lovers.

HENRY POOLE IS HERE

Este drama tiene un buen libreto escrito por Albert Torres y excelentes actuaciones de actores como Luke Wilson (Henry Poole), Radha Mitchell (Dawn), Adriana Barraza (Esperanza), Cheryl Hines (Meg), y Morgan Lily (Millie), bajo la dirección de Mark Pellington.

Lo único que quiere Henry Poole es que lo dejen tranquilo; pero su vecina Esperanza, un poco entrometida, quiere restaurarle su fe en la vida. Millie, la adorable pequeña vecina logra capturar su atención y llegan a un buen entendimiento a pesar de su mudez electiva.

Como todo buen drama, este te toca emociones fuertes y a pesar de que el tema tiene alusiones religiosas, se desenvuelve de una manera satisfactoria para todos. Me gusto muchísimo; les aconsejo ir a verla.

4 de 5 estrellas

Reseña escrita por Lucía Obregón


English Translation

HENRY POOLE IS HERE

This drama has a very good screenplay written by Albert Torres and excellent performances by great actors like Luke Wilson (Henry Poole), Radha Mitchell (Dawn), Adriana Barraza (Esperanza), Cheryl Hines (Meg), and Morgan Lily (Millie), under the great direction of Mark Pellington.

The only thing Henry Poole wants is to be left alone, but his nosy neighbor, Esperanza, wants to restore his faith in life. Millie, the adorable little neighbor, manages to capture his attention and they both arrive at a mutual understanding, despite her elective muteness.

Like any good drama, this one stirs strong emotions and even though the plot has some religious undertones, it unravels in a way that is satisfactory for everyone. I liked it a lot and I suggest you go see it.


4 of 5 stars

Written by Lucía Obregón

HAMLET 2

Esta es una muy mala comedia. No se las recomiendo para nada; no pierdan su tiempo ni su dinero. Que estaba pensando Andrew Fleming? El la dirigió y escribió el libreto junto con Pam Brady.

Yo entiendo lo que trataron de hacer; una comedia irreverente acerca de una actor fallido que se convierte en Maestro de Drama todavía peor y tratan de montar una obra musical políticamente incorrecta que supuestamente es la sucesión del Hamlet de Shakespeare.

Desafortunadamente, el fracaso y la mediocridad no siempre son irrisorios. ¿Que le falto a esta película? Primero que todo la trama fue demasiado predecible. Segundo, en ningún momento el carácter principal se redime por si mismo; nada de lo que le sucede al final se lo ha ganado por su propio merito. Se le otorgan créditos que no le pertenecen.

Esta película desperdicio totalmente el talento de buenos actores como Steve Coogan (Dana Marschz), Catherine Keener (Brie Marschz) y David Arquette (Gary). No se exactamente en donde ocurrió la falla, tal vez fue en la sala de edición o en el libreto, pero lo que si se es que nunca ha debido ser filmada. Que perdida de tiempo y dinero!

No cometa el mismo error, elija otra película diferente para ver.

1 de 5 estrellas

Reseña escrita por Lucía Obregón


English Translation

HAMLET 2

This one is a very bad comedy. I do not recommend you go see it; don’t waist your time and money. What was Andrew Fleming thinking? He directed it and also co-wrote the screenplay with Pam Brady.

I understand what they were trying to do; an irreverent comedy about a failed actor that becomes an even worse Drama Teacher. They tried to do a politically incorrect musical play that is supposed to be the sequel to Shakespeare’s Hamlet.

Unfortunately, failure and mediocrity are not always laughable. What was missing from this movie? First of all, the plot was completely predictable. Second, the main character does not redeem himself at any point; nothing of what happens at the end has been out of his own merit. He has been given credit for what he hasn’t earned.

This movie is a total waist of good talent like Steve Coogan (Dana Marschz), Catherine Keener (Brie Marschz) and David Arquette (Gary). I don’t know exactly where the failure occurred, perhaps in the editing room, or in the screenplay, but what I do know is that it should have never been shot. What a waste of time and money!

Don’t make the same mistake, find a different movie to go see.

1 of 5 stars

Written by Lucía Obregón

A review of this movie.

A Review of this movie.

A review of this movie.