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Weekend Movie Roundup: 'Old Dogs,' 'The Road' and 'Ninja Assassin'
Yahoo movies ^ | 11/25/09 | Mike Krumboltz

Posted on 11/26/2009 6:41:21 PM PST by raccoonradio

Based on its critical reception, Disney's "Old Dogs" looks destined to play dead at theaters. The film has garnered atrocious reviews. The Chicago Tribune granted the film zero stars and explained that the movie is "a great opportunity to gather family members you clearly think are stupid."

Online critic James Berardinelli granted the movie half a star out of four and wrote that "there are some experiences no one should be subjected to even in the name of science." And the carnage didn't stop. Entertainment Weekly gave the film an "F" and lamented the disappearance of Robin Williams' dignity.

(Excerpt) Read more at movies.yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: badmovies; robinwilliams; sarahpalin
I just saw and enjoyed Fantastic Mr Fox, but this Williams movie looks dead on arrival. Posting because I heard a clip on the radio of Robin Williams lambasting Sarah Palin on The Hate Show with aBitterOldMan, IIRC...well, for the record, Mr. Williams movie looks like a colossal dud. But I guess he's a real expert on politics.
1 posted on 11/26/2009 6:41:22 PM PST by raccoonradio
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To: raccoonradio

As for Fantastic Mr Fox:
A lot of work went into the design and stop motion animation and a lot comes out. Mr Fox promised the wife he’d give up his wild animal ways and stick to newspaper columns, but you can’t take the chicken-stealing ways out of a fox. Ultimately it leads to war with humans, and it’s vulpes vulpes’ ingenuity and pluck that might just give them a chance.

With a son and nephew (Ash and Kristofferson) learning to appreciate each other; a piano playing mole; Willem Dafoe-voiced security rat; Bill Murray’s lawyer/badger; a fast talking rabbit chef and rabid beagles (don’t forget the blueberries! Beagles love blueberries.) Visually looks great (would have to watch again to catch various in jokes, etc) and it was funny.
Enjoyed.


2 posted on 11/26/2009 6:42:05 PM PST by raccoonradio
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To: raccoonradio

3 posted on 11/26/2009 6:43:44 PM PST by raccoonradio
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To: raccoonradio

I must have mmissed the part of his career where Robin Williams had dignity.


4 posted on 11/26/2009 6:55:57 PM PST by hometoroost (Al Gore may not have invented the Internet but he did help invent Global Warming.)
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To: raccoonradio
For adrenaline junkies, there's "Ninja Assassin." The action film, produced by Andy and Larry Wachowski of "Matrix" fame, scored mixed reviews. Some critics were surprisingly positive. Chris Nashawaty of EW gave the film a "B" and applauded the film's "very cool" fight scenes.
Unless she herself is a ninja, you may want to leave Grandma at home.

...w/ a review like that, I'll see it on early sat...


5 posted on 11/26/2009 7:01:09 PM PST by skinkinthegrass (Zer0 to the voter: "Welcome to 'MY' DeathCARE ® Plan"...Sucker! ...now just die. :^)
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To: hometoroost
(Al Gore may not have invented the Internet but he did help invent Global Warming.)

Great tagline.

He (R.W.) has been living-off "Mork & Mindy", for what 30 years?
He's really not that funny, Red Skeleton (sp?), a truly funny guy said (IIRC / to the effect), "Blue Jokes / Humor, Is not "Timeless" humor."
It becomes stale rather quickly (you can only embarrass the crowds only so much.)

Look in the mirror, Robin..."Are you really that talented?"


6 posted on 11/26/2009 7:18:30 PM PST by skinkinthegrass (Zer0 to the voter: "Welcome to 'MY' DeathCARE ® Plan"...Sucker! ...now just die. :^)
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To: hometoroost

I saw The Road. It is a complete waste of time and money. No point. No story. No beginning. No end. Should be put back into the can and buried at sea.


7 posted on 11/26/2009 7:22:32 PM PST by Rapscallion (What ever became of generic photosynthesis?)
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To: raccoonradio

I completely ignore the critics and rely on the ratings of ordinary people.


8 posted on 11/26/2009 7:29:26 PM PST by Blood of Tyrants (The Second Amendment. Don't MAKE me use it.)
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To: raccoonradio

Yahoo movie users gave Old Dogs a B and said that the kids they took to see it loved it and laughed a lot. I am not above kid humor.

http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1809918087/user


9 posted on 11/26/2009 7:37:54 PM PST by Blood of Tyrants (The Second Amendment. Don't MAKE me use it.)
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To: Rapscallion

All of these movies are written, produced, directed by liberals starring liberals so I’m not sure why anyone should be concerned with this topic. Perhaps the moderators are taking Thanksgiving night off? Why the greenlight?


10 posted on 11/26/2009 7:41:40 PM PST by DeadpanWalking
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To: DeadpanWalking

Just pointing out that Williams was promoting his crappy movie on TV and making jokes about Palin, “what has she done?” She hasn’t made horrible movies like you, Robin.


11 posted on 11/26/2009 8:08:51 PM PST by raccoonradio
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To: raccoonradio

Inglourious Basterds is still running - in my locale it’s at the $2.00 cheapo place. (I have no regret about liking this brutal, tender, violent, mad and dangerous neo-exploitation flick.) My dad took me to a whole slew of this stuff as a kid in the ‘60’s (Dirty Dozen, Omega Man, Deliverance, Planet of the Apes, Willard, The Getaway and on and on.) We also went to every John Wayne flick up to the last, every action flick, every WWII flick, Civil War, Western,Spaghetti Western, Sci Fi, Hammer horror, the whole lot. That’s not very high brow I know, but there’s a certain energy in those flicks (flicks - not even ‘movies’) that can’t be had watching The English Patient or My Left Foot. Now that I have a kid, a boy of 11 - I’ve seen plenty of crap that’s strictly aimed at the kid market that makes my braincase melt with irritation, but also some pretty good stuff too. It’s just not like the crazy eye candy I got as a kid back then.


12 posted on 11/26/2009 8:47:50 PM PST by februus
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To: Rapscallion
I saw The Road. It is a complete waste of time and money. No point. No story. No beginning. No end. Should be put back into the can and buried at sea.

I read the book (the author also wrote "No Country for Old Men") and know that some people could have described it the same way as you did the movie, but for me it was perhaps the most disturbing book I have ever read, it has kept me thinking about it ever since, and I am going to reread it soon.

If the movie follows the book accurately as some critics have said it does, then I almost dread watching it, but of course look forward to it as well.

To all survivalists out there, do yourself a favor and read "The Road", it is bleak beyond belief, not action oriented like a typical, post apocalyptic action film, instead it is bleak and challenging in a subtle and devastating and deeply penetrating way.

13 posted on 11/26/2009 10:48:38 PM PST by ansel12 (Scozzafava/Romney 2012)
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To: skinkinthegrass

It’s amazing how much more creative and clever the old comedians were. It takes a lot more talent to do what they did then to simply be willing to shock the audience.


14 posted on 11/27/2009 9:51:43 AM PST by hometoroost (Al Gore may not have invented the Internet but he did help invent Global Warming.)
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To: ansel12
I just read "The Road" today.....I don't know what to say about it....the writing is jumbled a good part of the time.....there is no real beginning.....you keep thinking that something BIG is going to happen through out the book .....

but its a book that makes you think about the totality of nuclear winter and end of human culture as we know it.........

and for survivalist, it is a good read.....the bomb shelter and the gun were very important....the gold kurggerands not so much...

I guess the point of the story however was that even in bleak, murderous times, there is hope....innocent hope and goodness ( from the boy).

15 posted on 11/28/2009 10:37:11 PM PST by cherry
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To: cherry

I had much the same reaction as you at first but the book kept haunting me, what I thought interesting from a survivalists view, is that the writer removed every option for survival. It is the most bleak possibility that I have ever seen. There was some spark of light at the end, but it was not exactly a feast of hope.


16 posted on 11/30/2009 8:25:20 AM PST by ansel12 (Scozzafava/Romney 2012)
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To: raccoonradio

did not see the other two but saw Old Dogs on Friday. It was a packed house & there was a lot of laughter. I laughed myself many times. It is a light ,trite, easy movie. No heavy message or need for deep thought.

I tend to agree that I go more with IMDb(peoples choice) over Rotten Tomatoes (critics evaluation).

I had gone to see Precious but it was sold out.


17 posted on 11/30/2009 8:34:43 AM PST by DollyCali (Don't tell GOD how big your storm is -- Tell the storm how B-I-G your God is!you)
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To: Rapscallion

You saw The Road-—Lucky you (from my perspective).

The film has not yet opened in my area. But I read the book a while back and was totally absorbed...and frightened.

Based on that I cannot wait to see the film.


18 posted on 12/09/2009 9:36:50 AM PST by eleni121 (bow)
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