Review: 9

Review: 9

Rating: **1/2

Nonna's Rating: $$

Rotten Tomatoes: 56%

9's first incarnation as a film was as a taut, Oscar-nominated short (2005: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IQcMeNh7Hc). For some reason, Tim Burton and others thought stretching Shane Acker's compelling narrative to eight times its original length would produce an even better film. What were they thinking?

Unfortunately, although the new film explodes in visual artistry and graphic intricacy, the protracted, centerless plot results in a nebulous storyline that ultimately dissatisfies. The longer film gives male an female voices to the once asexual, silent characters, adds a backstory, and introduces a new, even more horrific villain -- but these devices add little to the tight beauty of the original narrative.

Even odder is the introduction of No. 1, a kind of machine-bishop with mitre, crosier, and cope, who resides in a ruined cathedral. He's repressive and bent on keeping secrets from the rest of the band, but, aside from promulgating fear among the troops until 9 arrives to save the day, there doesn't seem to be much purpose for this plot addition. Finally, the new, Hollywood ending seems to promise that organic life will return to the planet and all will be well -- someday. Such an ending wasn't necessary in the original short; it's not necessary here.

Nonna's Ratings:

$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: Extract

Review: Extract

Rating: **1/2

Nonna's Rating: $$

Rotten Tomatoes: 62%

Not many belly laughs in Extract, but there's plenty of well-executed situational comedy. Everyone in this film comes off somewhere on the continuum from "stupid" to "woefully ignorant." Jason Bateman, playing his usual nice, kind-hearted guy role, manages to make several poor decisions that even relegate him soundly to the "pretty stupid" category. Ben Affleck, whom I didn't recognize in his first scene, delivers his best performance in an eon. Perhaps Ben has a viable career in the offing as a second-banana character actor. But, I don't want to leave you with the impression that I disliked this film. I thoroughly enjoyed the gentle comedy. It was a lot better than most TV comedies, but not quite hefty enough for the movie theatre. I do recommend renting it for an enjoyable evening that will put a smile on your face.

Nonna's Ratings:

$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: Taking Woodstock

Review: Taking Woodstock

Rating: *

Nonna's Rating: $

Rotten Tomatoes: 52%

I really had high hopes for this movie. With Ang Lee directing, I expected a new slant on ancient history. And, indeed, the first half of the movie delivered. By focusing the story away from the main stage, Lee gave us an innovative take on Woodstock -- the story of how a series of unrelated circumstances conspired to create three unreproducible days of music and joy in August of 1969. There are engaging performances from Demetri Martin, the young, closeted good son to his Catskills-resort-owning parents, played uproariously by Henry Goodman and Imelda Staunton (yes, Dolores Umbridge). Liev Schrieber as cross-dressing, pistol-packing Vilma controls the screen whenever he's on camera, and Jonathan Groff is incandescently beautiful as the laid-back, smiling young thing who seems to function like a other-worldly guardian angel over the whole festival.

The second hour of the movie, however, devolved into the worst cliches of Summer of Love movies: the psychedelic acid trip accompanied by group sex and undulating graphics -- and the old folks stoned without knowing what hit them on pot-laced brownies. If those scenes had been edited out, the movie might have had a chance, but, as it stands, just catch the first hour on cable or skip it altogether.

Nonna's Ratings:

$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it