DECEPTION (2008). It's hard to believe a movie starring Hugh Jackman and Ewan McGregor, two impossibly charismatic actors, could be so dull, but the evidence is right here. McGregor stars as Jonathan McQuarry, a meek accountant who has no fun until a lawyer named Wyatt Bose (Jackman) swoops down like a slumming deus ex machina and introduces his new pal to the pleasures of pot, nightclubs and mixed doubles tennis matches. Just before Wyatt leaves town for a business trip, he "accidentally" switches cell phones with Jonathan; soon, the virginal numbers cruncher is receiving calls during which sexy female voices merely whisper, "Are you free tonight?" Passing himself off as Wyatt, Jonathan soon discovers an anonymous sex club in which the members all turn out to be Wall Street movers and shakers. Before long, though, he realizes he's the victim of a major – wait, let me check the title again – deception. Since this is a costly studio project subject to MPAA approval (and we know what those prudes think about s-e-x), viewers looking for some steamy stimulation will soon discover they're not getting Shortbus as much as they're getting the short end of the stick. Indeed, the sex club turns out to be so irrelevant to the plot than the characters might as well have belonged to the Wine of the Month Club or Oprah's Book Club instead. Ultimately, the movie packs less erotic heat than even Horton Hears a Who! or Young@Heart. This wouldn't matter if the mystery was in any way compelling, but there are no surprises to be found anywhere along the way to its laughable finale. It's best if Jackman sticks with the X-Men and leaves the XXX to others.
DVD extras include audio commentary by director Marcel Langenegger; an 18-minute making-of featurette; two deleted scenes; and an alternate ending.
Movie: *
Extras: **
THE GODFATHER: THE COPPOLA RESTORATION (1972-1990). Francis Ford Coppola's Godfather trilogy has already been released on DVD in a handsome box set back in 2001, yet this new collection isn't just a rehash of that previous package. True, all the old bonuses are included here on a supplemental disc, but Paramount Home Entertainment has also graciously included a second supplemental disc with new material. I'll avoid writing that this is an offer owners of the 2001 set can't refuse, since, truth be told, the new bonuses aren't as stellar as the older crop and don't substantially add to the appreciation of Coppola's trilogy. But if you don't already own these titles in some form on DVD, this one's worth grabbing. The films themselves need no introduction. The Godfather (1972) immediately emerged as a cultural milestone; The Godfather Part II (1974) is lauded in some circles as being superior to its predecessor; and The Godfather Part III (1990) is worthwhile yet seriously flawed (namely, the wretched performance by Sofia Coppola in a role that had been earmarked for Winona Ryder until exhaustion forced her to bail). The first two films earned Best Picture Oscars, with the original also winning for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Actor for Marlon Brando; the icon delivers a cheeky (in more ways than one) performance as Don Vito Corleone, though the award clearly should have gone to the real star, Al Pacino (relegated to the Best Supporting Actor category, where he competed against co-stars James Caan and Robert Duvall). Part II earned a total of six statues, including Best Director and Best Supporting Actor for Robert De Niro as the young Don Corleone.
Extras carried over from the 2001 set include several making-of pieces; 34 additional scenes; filmmaker profiles; and an interactive family tree. Extras among the new bonuses include a feature on the first picture's troubled production, with new interviews with Coppola, Steven Spielberg, George Lucas and others; a discussion of the post-production process; and – by far the most worthless extra – young Hollywood hunks and starlets discussing the movie on the red carpet at what appears to be the premiere of Cloverfield. Each individual film also includes audio commentary by Coppola.
The Godfather: ****
The Godfather Part II: ****
The Godfather Part III: **1/2
Extras: ***1/2
IRON MAN (2008). Given their general status as popcorn flicks heavier on the decadent calories than on the nutritional value, I'm always pleasantly surprised at how much care is taken in the casting of superheroes in franchise flicks. With Iron Man, the suits-that-be settled on an actor who turned out to be both unexpected and just right: Robert Downey Jr. is excellent in the film, and it owes much of its substantial success to him. Centering on the Marvel Comics character created back in 1963, Iron Man shows how swaggering, self-centered inventor and industrialist Tony Stark (Downey), the U.S. military's chief supplier of weapons of mass destruction, transforms into an armored superhero dedicated to fighting for peace (this is an even more liberal-minded superhero film than Batman Begins). Stark's difficulties while perfecting his Iron Man persona provide the movie with many of its most amusing moments, as do the interludes between Stark and his faithful right-hand woman Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow). Indeed, the expository material is so engaging that the climactic battle between Iron Man and a villain known as Iron Monger comes as a massive letdown: After adding such a personal touch to the proceedings – even in earlier scenes involving CGI work – director Jon Favreau turns in a chaotic action climax that could have been lifted from any soulless Jerry Bruckheimer endeavor. Still, even this last-inning letdown can't tarnish Iron Man's overall appeal. Just as Tony Stark needs a device to keep his heart pumping, Iron Man requires Downey's presence to keep the heart of this franchise alive.
Extras in the two-disc DVD set include a 108-minute making-of documentary; a 47-minute piece looking at the history of Iron Man in the comic books; 24 minutes of deleted scenes; a look at the film's visual effects; Downey's screen test; and a hidden Easter Egg featuring Downey and the legendary Stan Lee.
Movie: ***
Extras: ***1/2
MADE OF HONOR (2008). When F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote, "There are no second acts in American lives," he couldn't possibly have predicted the career of Patrick Dempsey. Those of us reviewing films back in the late '80s/early '90s remember Dempsey as a talentless 20-something who regularly turned up in bombs like Run and Loverboy; he largely went away for a decade before unexpectedly striking gold with Grey's Anatomy. It must be said that middle age agrees with the 42-year-old actor: As witnessed in Enchanted and Made of Honor, he has settled into being a competent (if rather passive) romantic lead on the big screen. Unfortunately, those of us hoping for entertainment value beyond mere eye candy will be sorely left hanging with Made of Honor, the sort of romantic comedy that Hollywood spits out of the formula factory on a regular schedule. This cribs from the vastly superior My Best Friend's Wedding in its portrayal of two longtime pals – one male (Dempsey's womanizing Tom), one female (Michelle Monaghan's brainy Hannah) – who have always been afraid that sex and love would ruin their perfect camaraderie. But once Hannah goes to Scotland for six weeks, Tom realizes that she's been the right one all along; unfortunately, when she returns stateside, it's with a fiancé (Kevin McKidd) in tow. The screenplay by Deborah Kaplan, Harry Elfont (the team behind Surviving Christmas and The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas) and newbie Adam Sztykiel doesn't completely destroy a workable premise – the scribes are repeatedly bailed out by the likable cast – but comic desperation can be seen at alarmingly frequent intervals.
DVD extras include audio commentary by director Paul Weiland and theatrical trailers.
Movie: **
Extras: *1/2
RUN, FAT BOY, RUN (2008). Run, Fat Boy, Run stars one of the two male leads (Simon Pegg) from Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, and, no, it isn't the fat one. Instead, it's the average-sized one, immediately nullifying this movie's title. Now if only someone had nullified this picture's very existence, we'd have one less bomb taking up valuable DVD shelf space. Instead, we're stuck with a wretched comedy whose greatest claim to, uh, fame is that it marks the directorial debut of Friends co-star David Schwimmer. But with friends like Schwimmer, who needs enemies? Along with writers Michael Ian Black and Pegg, Schwimmer has served up a broad, crass and spectacularly unfunny piece about a sad sack who abandons his pregnant fiancée at the altar on their wedding day. Five years later, Dennis (Pegg) hopes to somehow win back Libby (Thandie Newton), but time is running out since she's becoming more heavily involved with a successful businessman named Whit (Hank Azaria). The lazy and physically unfit Dennis is no match for the health-conscious Whit, but that doesn't prevent him from entering a marathon in an effort to gain back Libby's love and respect. It's a thin premise undermined by rampant stupidity at every turn, from the lazy decision to turn Whit into a paper-thin villain (so audiences won't have to strain their brains deciding who's better for Libby) to the infantile brand of comedy that appears at alarming intervals right up to the very end (literally; the final shot in the movie is a bare bottom). Any random episode of The Benny Hill Show looks as elegant and sophisticated as Top Hat when compared to this dud.
DVD extras include audio commentary by Schwimmer, Pegg, Newton and Gill Pegg (Simon's mom); 14 minutes of deleted scenes; and theatrical trailers.
Movie: *
Extras: **
SEX AND THE CITY (2008). Upon its theatrical release this past summer, threatened fanboys on the Internet were driven insane by the mere existence of this film (how dare anyone make a movie centering on women instead of superheroes or Sandler?), but anyone who's ever bothered to watch the acclaimed HBO series realizes that it need not be the exclusive property of women and homosexuals. Certainly, with its frequent look at eye-popping fashions, it can qualify as female-oriented porn in the same way that Transformers hardware might cause erections in fanboys, but at its heart, it takes the show's lead and centers on the necessity of enduring friendships and how they can serve as an anchor in a roiling sea of emotional upheavals. In this sequel-of-sorts, Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) is preoccupied with her upcoming marriage to longtime beau Mr. Big (Chris Roth), Samantha (Kim Cattrall) valiantly resists the call of the penis as she tries to remain faithful to her boyfriend (Jason Lewis), Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) struggles with issues of infidelity as they relate to her husband (David Eigenberg), and Charlotte (Kristin Davis) is content with her life as a wife and mother. Superior to most of the year's rom-coms, this works because its ability to mix real-world issues with reel-world fantasies provides it with both gravity and buoyancy. There are a few missteps – the new character of Louise, Carrie's personal assistant, reveals that without any show-stopping tunes to hide behind, Dreamgirls Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson might not possess an ounce of acting talent – but for the most part, this is likely to satisfy faithful followers of the show, and even select newbies should enjoy this break away from Hollywood's more clamorous offerings.
The movie is available in an extended-cut DVD that runs approximately six minutes longer than the theatrical version. Extras in this two-disc set include audio commentary by writer-director Michael Patrick King; a conversation between Parker and King; a look at the film's fashions; and four minutes of deleted scenes.
Movie: ***
Extras: **1/2
