Baby Mama (2008)
[5] A prim and proper lady discovers she is infertile and hires a street-smart gal to be her 'Baby Mama.' As much as I like everyone in the cast -- from stars Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, to Steve Martin, Sigourney Weaver,…
17 Again (2009)
[4] A dude (Matthew Perry) gets an opportunity to go back in time (where he's played by Zac Efron) to better appreciate his life. I'm not sure what it would take to overcome a scenario as stale as the one at play…
The Rookie (1990)
[3] A detective and a rookie cop team up to find a bad guy. I know. How original. Charlie Sheen gets my nomination for least charismatic performance in a motion picture here. The word "driftwood" comes to mind. The Rookie is hokey…
Funny People (2009)
[4] This is the first miss for Judd Apatow, coming off a string of memorable comedy hits like The 40 Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up. Funny People features the usual array of wacky Apatow characters, but the personality and relationship patterns…
Drive, He Said (1971)
[6] Jack Nicholson directs this slice-of-life story adapted from the Jeremy Larner novel about a obstinate college basketball player (William Tepper) whose pretentiousness almost keeps him from being drafted into professional sports. But the film also centers on two other characters. Karen…
Twentieth Century (1934)
[6] A floundering Broadway director ingratiates himself to an old flame in order to rekindle his career in Twentieth Century. This film is often regarded as the grandfather of screwball comedy, one of my favorite genres. John Barrymore and Carole Lombard give…
Death at a Funeral (2010)
[7] In this remake of a British original, all hell breaks loose at a funeral where volatile secrets are revealed. There are a few raunchy moments in the remake --directed by Neil LaBute (In the Company of Men) -- but the film…
Teen Wolf Too (1987)
[2] The charm that young Jason Bateman exhibited on television's The Hogan Family is absent here, stifled by a painfully insipid script and direct-to-video production values. I can't think of another movie sequel that so closely mimics its predecessor. The only differences…
Weirdsville (2007)
[3] Over the course of one madcap evening, two stoners entangle with vengeful midgets and whacky devil worshippers while trying to find enough money to repay their dealer. Director Allan Moyle (Pump Up the Volume, Empire Records) phones this one in. The…
Youth in Revolt (2009)
[6] Michael Cera plays a teen looking to lose his virginity in this lighthearted teenage rebellion romp that features some fun performances from the likes of Zach Galifianakis, Fred Willard, Jean Smart, and Justin Long -- but it ultimately doesn't offer much…