Today's Movie: Opportunity Knocks

Released in 1990, Opportunity Knocks is a comedy starring Dana Carvey. Honestly, until recently I had never heard of this movie. The film made no money at the box office in 1990 and currently holds a 13% on Rotten Tomatoes but, I like Dana Carvey so I decided to give it a watch. 

The film is about a con-man named Eddie (played by Carvey) who owes a substantial amount of money to a local crime boss. After breaking into the house of a business man who is on vacation, people just assume Eddie is the man's old college buddy who is supposed to be house-sitting. After stumbling into the con of a lifetime, Eddie soon starts to really enjoy this fake life as he gets a great job and falls in love. This is one of those movies where a few simple lies snowball, and eventually you know Eddie is going to have to come clean to everybody. 

This movie isn't bad, it's just nothing special. Carvey of course gets a few opportunities to do some of his impressions, and the the movie does have some charm. While not as funny as Wayne's World, which Carvey would star in alongside Mike Myers in 1992, there were a few funny moments scattered throughout this movie that genuinely made me chuckle.

Overall, I give this one a 2 out of 5.

The Great, Big, Quarantine Catch Up

I'm not going to get political or anything on here but, with much of the world shut down it's safe to say that I've had a bit more time on my hands than usual. Now, with so much time I have been able to catch up on some T.V. shows that I had pushed to the back burner and luckily Nintendo has blessed the world with the gem that is Animal Crossing: New Horizons. However, that doesn't mean I haven't been watching a whole bunch of movies. It's been a little while since my last post (again the world is in a weird place right now) and I thought it might be an interesting change of pace to do an overview of what movies I've watched lately. 

Of course, being stuck inside it's been the perfect opportunity for a few marathons. This past weekend rewatched the three Godfather films. The first two are obviously considered great movies but, I'm starting to gain more appreciation for the often disregarded third film in the trilogy... It's still not great but, I liked it more since the last time I saw it a few years ago. I also went on a little bit of a Tim Burton kick for a few days and rewatched some of his early films. Beetlejuice, Batman, Ed Wood, Edward Scissorhands... these are all good movies and got me thinking "What happened to Tim Burton? All he makes is crap now". Maybe that'll end up being the topic of a separate post in the future. 

In terms of movies that I hadn't seen before, I finally got around to watching Rocketman. I didn't have time to see it when it was in theaters last year but, better late than never. When the movie goes into big musical numbers it's a lot of fun but, the rest of the time it's a pretty paint-by-numbers biopic. Overall, liked it and it's probably in that 3.5 out of 5 range for me. I also watched Mirrors 2. I never saw the first Mirrors but I found this one in a bargain bin and with the quote on the back of the blu-ray case " They can't run... they can't hide... the can't even look in the mirror!" Well, that's all I needed. It's a schlocky horror movie. Not good but, I had fun with it. Another horror movie I decided to watch was The Exorcism of Molly Hartley. It's far from the worst exorcism movie I've seen (that honor is held by Exorcism of the Dead) but, I still wouldn't recommend this one. Turning away from horror, I finally watched a film that had been sitting in the stack of movies on my desk for months, Machine Gun Preacher. The film is based on a true story about an ex-biker gang member who starts helping poor kids in Africa. It's fine. The title is way better than the movie.

Finishing up, here are a few miscellaneous favorites that I've rewatched over the past few weeks. I highly recommend all of these so if you're like me, stuck at home waiting for the world to go back to normal, these are some solid films to help pass the time. 

- Field of Dreams, a feel good movie and there's no real baseball on T.V. right now. 

- Gone with the Wind, it's an all-time classic and the 4hr-runtime isn't a big deal when there's nothing else going on. 

-Top Gun... I just really like this one.

- The Wolf of Wall Street, Martin Scorsese movies are always worthwhile.

- Spartacus, like Gone with the Wind, it's a long one but, worth it. 

- The Muppets from 2011. Good songs, and funny jokes. A perfect distraction.

- The Man Who Knew Too Much, I personally prefer the 1956 version with James Stewart and Doris Day but, the 1934 original is a great movie as well. 

-And finally Moon. It's great, I love it, and more people need to see it.

The Incredible Burt Wonderstone

A critical and financial flop, The Incredible Burt Wonderstone had potential but, just couldn't deliver the laughs. Released in 2013 and starring a decent cast of Steve Carell, Olivia Wilde, Steve Buscemi, and Jim Carrey it would go on to only make about $27million off of a $30million budget and currently holds a 37% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

The films plot is about two friends-turned-magicians, Burt Wonderstone (played by Steve Carell) and Anton Marvelton (played by Steve Buscemi). After ten years of performing the same act in Las Vegas, Burt and Anton's friendship has become strained and the act has gotten stale. Matters are only made worst by the fact that there is a new, hot, magic act on the scene. Jim Carrey plays a street-magician named Steve Gray, a character obviously inspired by guys like Chris Angel and David Blaine. Gray's tricks are meant to be shocking and gross and gritty as opposed the Vegas glitz and glamour of the Wonderstone act. With this fame and attention that Gray is receiving, Burt and Anton decide to try their own stunt-trick called "The Hot Box". The trick would involve the two me being locked in a class box, lifted up by a crane, and left to sit in the hot Vegas sun for a week. Of course, the whole thing goes horribly wrong and this leads to Anton leaving the partnership. Humiliated, out of money, and with his longtime partner gone, Burt needs to rediscover why he fell in love with magic to begin with and hopefully revive his career. 

Despite a few moderately funny moments, this film plays it way too safe. Carell is a decent actor (I like The Way, Way Back which he was in and that came out the same year) but, I've always thought his comedy was kind of bland. The movie is competently made and certainly not unwatchable. However, the story and the comedy just didn't work well enough for me to give this one a recommendation.
1.5 out of 5

Today's Movie: Skiptrace

Released in 2016, Skiptrace is a movie that I thought would be right up my alley. I like Jackie Chan, I like Johnny Knoxville, and I like action-comedies but, unfortunately, this film just doesn't put those elements together in a particularly entertaining way. 

The film follows a very clichéd formula; Jackie Chan plays a cop who has been trying for years to catch the man who killed his former partner. Johnny Knoxville's character is wisecracking conman who has stumbled upon a valuable piece of evidence that Chan needs. So, together this duo must reluctantly work together to take down a crime syndicate. Oh, and of course they get themselves caught up in all sort wacky situations along the way.

 I wasn't expecting a lot out of this one, it was after all directed by Renny Harlin who has been nominated for five Golden Raspberry Awards for Worst Director during his career. However, I was hoping Chan and Knoxville would each bring enough energy and comedy to make up for any script or directing issues. Unfortunately, though there are a few good moments, the film never really seems to kick into gear. 

I give Skiptrace a 1.5 out of 5

Spies in Disguise

Spies in Disguise is the latest animated film from Blue Sky Studios, having just been released into theaters a few weeks ago. It features the voice talents Will Smith, Tom Holland, Rashida Jones, Ben Mendelsohn, Reba McEntire, Karen Gillan, DJ Khaled and others. I honestly knew nothing about this movie going in, so I had no expectations. It was surprisingly good. Not great by any means, but compared to some of Blue Sky's other output like Ferdinand, Epic, Robots, and about 47 Ice Age movies, it was good. 

The basic premise is that a super spy named Lance Sterling (voiced by Will Smith) is framed for the theft of an assassin drone by the film's main villain (voiced by Ben Mendelsohn). Now on the run from the very same agency he works for, Lance seeks out a quirky inventor named Walter (voiced by Tom Holland) who accidentally turns the secret agent into a pigeon. Together this unlikely duo needs to avoid being caught, find a way to turn Lance back into a human, and stop the bad guy. 

The plot, while overall a bit formulaic, makes for a pretty fun movie. At only about an hour and forty minutes I thought the film felt a little too fast-paced but, it is targeted to children so it's not a huge surprise. Animation wise, no one is going to mistake this for a Pixar film but, I thought the movie looked pretty good overall and I liked some of the character designs.

 I don't recommend that everyone go out and see this movie. However, as a dad that loves James Bond and Mission:Impossible movies, I took my 7 year old son to see this and we both were able to get enjoyment out of it. 

I give this one a 3 out of 5

Starsky & Hutch

After my recent post about the Charlie's Angels films of the early 2000's, I decided it was time to take a look back at another movie based on a 1970's T.V. show. Starsky & Hutch is a 2004 comedy starring Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson as the lead characters David Starsky and Ken Hutchinson. Just like those Charlie's Angels movies, I hadn't seen this movie since it's initial release and was wondering how it's held up over the years.

Unlike many adaptations of older T.V. shows, this movie doesn't update the setting to the present day and instead sets the film sometime in the 1970's. We are quickly introduced to two very different detectives who, like in virtually all buddy-cop comedies, are assigned to be partners. The big case that the two need to crack involves taking down a drug kingpin named Reese Feldman (played by Vince Vaughn). Feldman and his partner in crime Kevin (played by Jason Bateman) have developed a new kind of cocaine that isn't detectable to drug sniffing dogs and seems to be nothing but an artificial sweetener when subjected to crime-lab tests. With some help from a street-smart informant named Huggy Bear (played by Snoop Dogg), Starsky and Hutch eventually learn that a massive amount of this new cocaine is about to be sold. Of course this is a comedy so, while the end goal is as simple as stopping the bad guy, the duo finds themselves in more than their fair share of wacky scenarios along the way.

There aren't a ton of jokes that I thought were great while rewatching it but I felt that the combination of solid chemistry between Stiller and Wilson, along with a good supporting cast was enough to carry the movie. In fact, it's those supporting characters (mainly Snoop Dogg as Huggy Bear and Fred Williamson as the police chief) that provided me with the biggest laughs. I don't think this is one of the all-time great comedies and I don't think it's a movie that begs to be revisited if you've already seen it. 

Good for a few laughs but overall, it's just ok.

2.5 out of 5

Today's Movie: Hot Pursuit

2015's Hot Pursuit is a cop and crook on-the-run comedy starring Reese Witherspoon and Sofia Vergara. In the film Witherspoon plays the part of Rose Cooper, a by-the-book, yet bumbling police officer assigned to transport the wife of a drug dealer to Dallas so she and her husband can testify against the leader of a cartel. After the husband is ambushed and murdered, Cooper and the wife Daniella Riva (played by Sofia Vergara) flee. With them on the run, and two dirty police officers on their tail, Cooper and Riva must get to Dallas in time for the trial and to clear Copper's name.

Now, I like Reese Witherspoon and I like odd-couple comedies, but I found this movie to be surprisingly unfunny. I'd say a good 95% of the comedy relates to one of following gags: 1) Reese Witherspoon is short. 2) The character of Cooper is uptight. 3) Mrs. Riva is a shrill, overdramatic, caricature of a Latina woman. There is no subtlety to either lead performance, and pretty much none of it landed for me. The basic police officer and criminal having to work together premise has been done a million times but, I think with these two actresses there was the potential here to make a fun comedy. Unfortunately, whether it was Director Anne Fletcher (who is known for making lackluster-at-best films), or a bad screenplay, or likely both, Hot Pursuit just isn't a good movie. As for a few positives; I think the total runtime is less than 90 minutes, and there is a cameo by Mike Birbiglia.

Overall, I'm going to give this one a 1 out of 5.

WolfCop

My last post was about 2002's Dog Soldiers and, since we're only a week away from Halloween, I decided checkout at another werewolf flick.

So, today's movie is the Canadian horror-comedy film WolfCop, which was released back in 2014. With a title like 'WolfCop' you'd probably assume this is a schlocky B-movie....and you would be correct. However, it's also a ton of fun and really entertaining. The movie stars Leo Fafard, Amy Matysio, Jonathan Cherry, Sarah Lind, and Jesse Moss. It centers around a drunken loser of a police officer named Lou Garou (played by Fafard). One night a cult kidnaps Lou and performs a ritual to turn him into a werewolf for their own nefarious purposes. Unfortunately for the cult, they underestimated Garou. Even though he transforms into a beast at night, he still retains enough intelligence to put on his uniform, grab his gun, and hit the streets as the 'WolfCop'.

If you're a fan of horror-comedies then I think that this is definitely one you should check out. It's a little uneven, but it provides just enough gore and dumb laughs to make it worthwhile. I would've liked if the movie was maybe 10 minutes or so longer, because there were a few times when it felt like it was rushing a bit. I went back and forth on whether to give this one a 2.5 or a 3. In the end I decided that, on fun-factor alone, it deserved that extra bump. 
I give WolfCop a 3 out of 5.

The Campaign

Will Ferrell's filmography runs the gamut of comedy, from side-splitting highs to cringe-worthy unfunny lows, and everything in between. Today's movie is neither a comedy classic nor offensively bad, it's 2012's The Campaign. 

The movie, if you've never seen it, is about an unscrupulous North Carolina Congressman named Cam Brady (played by Ferrell) who thinks he's going to run unopposed for a fifth term in office. That is until, just weeks before the election, some corrupt businessmen convince the town's local tourism director Marty Huggins (played by Zach Galifianakis) to run against Brady. From there the movie becomes a series over-the-top dirty tricks and political mud-slinging. While on the surface a political-satire about the lengths politicians will go to in order to get elected is a fun idea, this movie doesn't contain enough clever material to really stick the landing. It's a bit of a shame because I do like the two leads and there are some jokes scattered throughout the film that I do think are legitimately funny. However, I feel like enjoyment of the film relies a bit too heavily on the viewer thinking Zach Galifianakis playing an awkward guy with a  funny voice and Will Ferrell yelling like spoiled child is hilarious. 

This is one of those movies I'll often cite as an example of being 'close to good'. It's a perfectly watchable piece of entertainment but, with a slightly smarter script and better directing this could've been a really good comedy. 
Although I wouldn't recommend the movie to anyone, if you're just in the mood to kick back and watch an hour and a half of pure buffoonery, The Campaign will get the job done.
2 out of 5

Kung Pow! Enter the Fist

This martial arts comedy was released in 2002 and combines footage from the 1976 Hong Kong film Tiger & Crane Fists with new footage and dialogue. Kung Pow! Enter the Fist is one of those unique movies that I really, really enjoy but have a hard time recommending to others. Holding strong at a whopping 13% on Rotten Tomatoes, it almost found a place on my '10 Movies That I Like But Everyone Else Seems To Hate' list but, it does have a 69% audience score a has definitely has it's fans.

 The plot involves a man known only by the name 'Chosen One'. Chosen One's parents were killed when he was a baby by Master Pain, and he has trained his whole life for the opportunity to get revenge... Oh, also Chosen One has a sentient tongue, can use gophers as nunchucks, and Master Pain works for an evil council of aliens. I do realize it's a pretty dumb movie, but I find it hilarious.

Overall, I can't really criticize the acting or production of this film because it's supposed to be bad, that's part of the joke of it all. I enjoy this one a lot and always get a good laugh out of it. If you've never seen it, I can't guarantee you'll like it too but I do think it's worth watching at least once.

I give it a 4 out of 5.

Venus and Vegas

Released in late 2010, Venus and Vegas stars Eddie Kaye Thomas, Donald Faison, Eddie Guerra, Jamie Pressly, and Molly Sims. The film is a crime-comedy about three criminal friends (played by Faison, Guerra, and Thomas) who happen upon what appears to be an easy score. Just outside of Vegas there is a warehouse that is producing counterfeit casino chips. The plan is to break in, steal a bunch of chips, and cash them in. Unfortunately, the heist doesn't go exactly as planned and, the warehouse is run by a Vegas mobster. While all this heist plot is going on, the film is also trying to be a relationship comedy. If done better it may have worked but I don't think this movie quite sticks the landing.

 Overall, while not what I'd call a must-see movie, I did find this movie decently  entertaining. The plot is a bit all over the place and the acting isn't great but, it isn't the worst film that I've pulled out of a bargain bin.
2 out of 5

Cloud 9

I took a little vacation but now I'm back, and today's movie is another entry in my Tales from the Bargain Bin series. Cloud 9 is a 2006 sports-comedy starring Burt Reynolds, Gabrielle Reece, D.L. Hughley and Angie Everhart. In the film Reynolds plays Billy Cole, a washed up sports promoter who comes up with a get-rich-quick scheme involving women's volleyball. Cole's idea is to recruit a group of strippers to form a sexy volleyball team. While they're aren't any good at volleyball, Cole's plan is to have them make appearances at bachelor parties and such to rake in some quick cash. At first everything goes according to plan but it isn't long before the girls want to become a legitimate volleyball team and Billy starts to feel bad about exploiting the woman. So with a bit of training and hard work the team starts to turn it around. They make it to the championship and, in classic movie underdog fashion, the former strippers win it all. 

While this isn't a great movie or one of Reynolds' best, it was actually better than I expected. A decent amount of the comedy works, the characters are likeable, and at just around an hour and a half runtime it moves at a decent pace. I wouldn't recommend it to everyone but, if you're a big fan of the late Burt Reynolds or if you just really like sports movies then you may find this one worth checking out.
I give this one a 2.5 out of 5.

Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels

While far from my favorite filmmaker, Guy Ritchie has made several films that I really enjoy such as Snatch (2000), Sherlock Holmes (2009), and RocknRolla (2008). My favorite of his films though is 1998's Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. The story is about four friends Eddy, Bacon, Tom, and Soap who, after buying their way into a rigged high-takes card game, end up owing a serious debt. As a result, it then becomes a heist film as the four only have a week to come up with £500,000. 

As far as crime-capers go it isn't anything groundbreaking but, it's well done and very entertaining with a number of fun twists and turns along the way. Additionally, I think the dynamic between the four leads Nick Moran as Eddy, Jason Statham as Bacon, Dexter Fletcher as Soap, and Jason Flemyng as Tom works really well. 

If you've never seen Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and you like crime films, especially ones with a comedic edge, then I recommend checking this one out.

 4 out of 5

Dumb Voices and Fart Jokes: Revisiting 'The Master of Disguise'

The Master of Disguise is a 2002 "comedy" starring Dana Carvey, that features a bare-bones plot that only serves to loosely tie together a series of Carvey impressions. 

In the film Carvey plays Pistachio Disguisey, a bumbling goof who can't seem to help mocking people with his impressions of them. As it turns out Pistachio comes from a long line of "Masters of Disguise". A fact that is only revealed to him after his father and mother have been kidnapped. With the guidance of his grandfather (played by Harold Gould) Pistachio learns the way of the Disguisey and soon hires an assistant named Jennifer (played by Jennifer Esposito). Together Pistachio and Jennifer seek to unravel the mystery of Pistachio's missing parents. As it turns out, the evil Devlin Bowman has been forcing Pistachio's father to steal items such as the Liberty Bell and the U.S. Constitution while disguised as celebrities. Oh, and the running gag with Bowman is that he farts every time he laughs. 

This movie is objectively bad. It current holds a whopping 1% critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes, a 3.3 on IMDb, and frequently appears on 'Worst Movies of All-Time' lists. It's poorly directed, edited, acted and the overall story and jokes feel like they were written by a group of 6 year olds. That being said, while the execution was a complete failure, I think there is a good idea for a film here; Dana Carvey is a talented impressionist and character actor, he proved that for years on Saturday Night Live and he's very funny in the Wayne's World movies. In the right hands, this could've been a hilarious showcase of Carvey's talents. Also, to be fair, there is a quick gag where Abraham Lincoln dances to the song 'I Like to Move It' that I genuinely find quite funny... and the movie is only 81 minutes long, so that's a plus.

For me, The Master of Disguise falls just on the right side of watchable and I have seen it a number of times. However, I don't recommend it.

1 out of 5

70's Month - Day:9 M*A*S*H

Released in 1970, M*A*S*H is an interesting case as it's a fantastic film but is probably more well known today for the popular television show it spawned which ran from '72-'83. the film was nominated and won several awards, and holds the #54 spot on the "AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies" list.

The film centers around a Military Army Surgical Hospital in South Korea and stars the likes of Donald Sutherland, Elliot Gould, Tom Skerritt, Robert Duvall, and Sally Kellerman just to name a few. I think the whole cast of offbeat characters in the film mesh perfectly and provide a lot of laughs. The comedy here might not be everyone's cup of tea but for me it really clicks.

I highly recommend checking out M*A*S*H if you've never seen it, I think is hands down on of the best movies of the 1970's.

5 out of 5

High Anxiety

Though not as well known as Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, or Spaceballs, 1977's High Anxiety is actually one of my favorite Mel Brooks films. The movie stars Brooks movie regulars Madeline Khan, Harvey Korman, and Cloris Leachman, as well as Mel Brooks himself. It is a parody of suspense films, particularly those of Alfred Hitchcock and most notably the 1958 classic Vertigo.

(watching these two back-to-back works as a solid double-feature)

In the film Mel Brooks plays Dr. Richard Thorndyke, a psychiatrist that suffers from a condition known as 'High Anxiety' and who has just accepted a job as the new Director at the 'Psycho-Neurotic Institute for the Very, Very Nervous'. The previous Director, Dr. Ashley had recently died, and there are some suspicious goings on at the institute. For example; there is one patient whose family is paying $12,000 a month for his recovery, and yet his file shows that each time he shows signs of getting better he conveniently suffers another psychotic breakdown. Once Thorndyke starts to suspect that Nurse Diesel (played by Cloris Leachman) and Dr. Montague (played by Harvey Korman) are exaggerating the illnesses of wealthy patients to keep them institutionalized longer, the two hatch a scheme to frame him for murder. 

There are a ton of great gags and memorable scenes in this film. All of the actors are on top of their game and each one gets some great lines. Mel Brooks and Alfred Hitchcock are two of my all-time favorite filmmakers so this is a movie that hits the mark for me and it's one I come back to time and time again.

Overall, while I don't think anyone will consider this one Mel Brooks' best, I definitely recommend it.

5 out of 5

10 MOVIES THAT I LIKE BUT EVERYONE ELSE SEEMS TO HATE

Call it "bad taste". Call them "guilty pleasures". Whatever the reason, we all have those movies that we enjoy but that bombed with critics, audiences, or both. So, I've complied a list of 10 critical and/or commercial flops that, even though I recognize their faults, I enjoy.

#10 The Haunted World of El Superbeasto (2009)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 40%

IMDB Score: 6.0/10

-This movie completely cracks me up every time I watch it. I'll be the first to admit that its crass, immature, occasionally nonsensical humor is not for everyone. However, anytime I show it to someone that I think may like it, they act like I've lost my mind. 

 #9 Last Action Hero (1993)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 34%

IMDB Score: 6.8/10

-This isn't one of Arnold Schwartzenegger's best movies, but it's not his worst either. I like the concept and think it's a fun movie overall. Plus, the film has an awesome soundtrack.

#8 Chappie (2015)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 32%

IMDB Score: 6.8/10

-I was actually surprised most people didn't like this one. I walked out of the theater pretty pleased with the film and that opinion hasn't changed after multiple viewings. I genuinely like it better than Neil Blomkamp's other, more well-received, films.

#7 Swordfish (2001)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 26%

IMDB Score: 6.5/10

-Boasting a cast of Hugh Jackman, John Travolta, and Halle Berry is enough to make this a worthwhile watch. Yeah, Travolta is hamming it up a bit too much but that kinda adds to the film in my opinion.

#6 Sucker Punch (2011)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 23%

IMDB Score: 6.1/10

-The big criticism I always hear about this film is that it's all style and no substance. That's mostly true, but some of the visuals are pretty cool and sometimes that's all I need. Occasionally while writing this blog, I put Sucker Punch on just as something I can glance over at for a few moments.

#5 Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 20%

IMDB Score: 5.8/10

-It's a big, dumb, cheesy movie and I get a kick out of it. Far too often people try to make serious movie adaptations of video games, but this film knows what it is and embraces it.

#4 City Heat (1984)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 20%

IMDB Score: 5.5/10

-It's a crime-comedy set in the 1930's, starring Clint Eastwood and Burt Reynolds. I don't care if critics hated it, this is right up my alley.

#3 The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 17%

IMDB Score: 5.8/10

- "I'm waiting to be impressed." It's not only a line Sean Connery says in the movie, but also what general audiences were uttering about half way through the film. Sure the plot is thin and the characters are underdeveloped, but I had fun with it.

#2 The Mummy (2017) 

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 15% 

IMDB Score: 5.5/10

-It was supposed to be the first film in a cinematic universe, but instead it doomed the whole thing. The main criticism is that they focused too much on setting up future movies that they forgot to make this one good. However, maybe it's because I like Mummy movies, or because I'm a Tom Cruise fan, or because I'm just an idiot, or perhaps some combination of all those things, but I really like this movie.

#1 RoboCop 3 (1993)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 3%

IMDB Score: 4.0/10

-I can't argue that this is a good movie but, it's not that bad. No, it didn't live up to the previous two films and yes, it was a box office flop. However, there are some positives; Officer Anne Lewis' death is a bit of a gut-punch and an effective, emotional moment. Also, the film does follow up on the events from the previous films and, though it isn't the most compelling story, at least they tried. Plus, there are robot ninjas and Robocop gets a jetpack.

10 Burt Reynolds Movies Everyone Should See

With Burt Reynolds' latest film (The Last Movie Star) now out, it seemed like a good time to add another entry to this ongoing '10 Movies Everyone Should See' series. Previous entries have included Sean Connery, Alfred Hitchcock, Tom Hanks, and James Stewart Just to name a few. (You can check those by clicking Here)  Like the rest of the series, this isn't a "Top 10" but rather more of an overall a look at a person's career.

#10 Breaking In (1989)

There were a few films that I debated on putting at the #10 spot, but this film about an expert safe-cracker and a two-bit crook teaming up to pull a few heists ultimately won out. It's not an all-time great movie, but it's a lot of fun.

#9 Boogie Nights (1997)

Boogie Nights isn't my favorite film on this list, but it's well directed, has a pretty good cast, and is one of Reynold's most critically acclaimed performances so it deserves a place a spot.

#8 The Last Movie Star (2018)

I actually had a different film in this spot originally but, after seeing The Last Movie Star I had to include it on the list. I wrote a more in-depth review (which you can check out by clicking HERE) but, the main reason it made it on to this list is that I think it's one of Burt's best acting performances.

#7 City Heat (1984)

If you like Clint Eastwood, Burt Reynolds, and mobster movies then this is one you'll definetly want to check out. While not the best film either one of the leads has been in, I think it's enjoyable and worthwhile.

#6 Deliverance (1972)

This film about a group of friends that take a canoe trip that goes horribly wrong is not a movie I would describe as a 'fun' watch, but it's still arguably the best overall film that Burt has been in.

#5 The End (1978)

One of several films on this list that teamed up Burt Reynolds win Dom DeLuise, this one is a really underrated comedy about a man who has convinced himself that he wants to commit suicide but is too afraid to go through with it.

#4 All Dogs Go to Heaven (1989)

Burt voices the animated character Charlie Barkin, a con-artist German Shepard, in this Don Bluth film. It's a solid animated feature and is certainly a unique entry on the Burt Reynolds filmography.

#3 The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982)

Burt Reynolds joins Dolly Parton in this musical about, as the title would suggest, a whorehouse in Texas. Although this adaptation of a stage production received mixed reviews from critics, it is actually one of my favorites on this list.

#2 The Cannonball Run (1981)

Burt Reynolds may not have always chosen the best films but he usually chose fun ones. Cannonball Run is one of the all-time just for fun films, with a great cast of crazy characters all competing in a cross-country auto race.

#1 Smokey and the Bandit (1977)

This one is a bit of an obvious choice as it's definitely the film Burt is best known for, and for good reason. Smokey and the Bandit was a big hit at the box-office and has become something of an American classic.



Honorable Mentions: The Longest Yard(1974), Stick (1985), Mystery Alaska (1999), Gator (1976), White Lightning (1973), Fuzz, (1972), Semi-Tough (1977), 100 Rifles (1969)

The Life and Death of Peter Sellers

Released in 2004, The Life and Death of Peter Sellers is, of course, a biopic about the actor Peter Sellers and stars Geoffrey Rush in the lead role. 

There's a lot to like about this one, but it isn't without it's flaws.

It's a bit of an uneven and oddly paced movie, spending a lot of time on Sellers' troubled marriages while breezing past whole sections of his film career in a matter of seconds. I understand the film is  really supposed to be about the man behind all of those iconic characters, but I still would've liked to see more of a balance between the troubled personal life and the career in front of the camera. Also, for a film called "The Life and Death of Peter Sellers" his actual death, and the circumstances around it, are only told to us via a brief few sentences of text at the end of the film.

On the plus side, this is a film about an interesting, complex, egotistical person so it's not hard to get into. In addition to that, the cast surrounding Geoffrey Rush consists of Emily Watson, Charlize Theron, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, and Stephen Fry, all of whom are good in their roles.

Overall, while I was pretty entertained throughout, I'm not going to give this one a real strong recommend because it's not a "must-see".

3 out of 5.

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