Playing it safe

For those who know what a big baseball fan I am should not be surprised to hear that the first movie I've managed to see at the theater features the story of one of the most important figures of America's pastime. 42 tells us the trials and tribulations that Jackie Robinson faced as he became the first African American player to play in the Major Leagues. Relative newcomer Chadwick Boseman stars as Robinson and does an impressive job of portraying this complex, engaging figure. Through his performance we learn why Robinson not only had the skills to play professional baseball, but the resolve to be able to endure the extreme levels of prejudice he faced by breaking that color barrier.

The film primarily centers around the years of Robinson's initial entry into baseball. This proves to be a double-edged sword. While it makes the storytelling more focused, it also limits the story. I would have appreciated to learn more about Robinson's youth. Both to see the difficulties he faced growing up and also to see how he gained his athletic skills. After a quick montage covering the events that led to the end of World War II, we are thrust right into Robinson playing for the Negro leagues. The film also ends before Robinson won a World Series, which seems like the typical Hollywood way to finish the story.

The depiction of those events may have helped because what is presented turns out to be a relatively thin, simplistic story. Given that we know he successfully crossed that color barrier, the adversity and hatefulness he deals with because of his race become a bit repetitive. The fragmented way that these trials are depicted prevent the film from having any dramatic heft. It seemed clear that the film wanted to be as honest in its portrayal of Robinson as it could. As far as I could tell, they get all of their baseball history correct. Writer and director Brian Helgeland should be commended for providing us with a historically accurate film, it's just a shame that the story he told couldn't have been more compelling or deep.

Where the film lacks in a compelling narrative, it certainly makes up for in acting. For the first time in a long while, Harrison Ford gives a performance that does not feel phoned in. Playing Dodgers owner Branch Rickey, Ford nails each of his scenes causing an added level of electricity to the film whenever he was on screen. I also really appreciated the performance by Nicole Beharie, who plays Jackie's wife, Rachel. She has terrific chemistry with Boseman and also shows us why Rachel Robinson was such an important presence in Jackie's life. You also get fine work from a number of supporting actors including Alan Tudyk, playing a nasty racist who also manages the Phillies. Tudyk is known mostly for good guy roles, but he lets it all hang out here in displaying the type of bigotry that Jackie too often had to deal with when playing baseball.

For as much as I would have liked a deeper story, it's tough to really dislike this film. Robinson's story is so uplifting that you can't help but be inspired by seeing what he overcame. And if you're a baseball fan, watching a film like this can also reaffirm your love for the game. You can see that Branch Rickey brought Robinson in not as a stunt or to be a pioneer, but simply because he believed in having the best players having the chance to play this game. This is a movie to see not as a critic, but just as fan of baseball or inspiring stories.

There will probably be very few films this year that will make me feel as good leaving the theater as 42 did. I can look past a lot of its flaws and appreciate finally seeing one of the game's greatest figures have his story told on the big screen. I don't see how anyone couldn't have a good time watching this movie. I believe the fact that the audience that I saw this with gave the film a round of applause after it was over, despite the fact that the movie is now three weeks old shows you the power it has to move viewers. Do yourself a favor, grab some peanuts and Cracker Jacks, and enjoy this heartwarming tale of the old ball game. Grade: B

Thinking outside the Xbox

Check out what those crazy guys at Microsoft have come up with now for the latest in video game innovations. Introducing IllumiRoom...

Tribe Watch '13 (Week 4)

Record: 9-13

Standing: Last in the AL Central (4 games out of 1st place)

We're almost a month into the season and it's still tough to get a real beat on how good this team is. This week was particularly tough to gauge their quality given how few games they played. The Tribe only played 2 out of their 3 games against Chicago due to rain and they managed to split that series. Then after a scheduled off day on Thursday, they were rained out in Kansas City on Friday. To make up that game, a double header was played yesterday. Thus far, the Royal have taken 2 out of the 3 games we've played against them, but this is a four game series that ends tonight, so if the Tribe wins that one, they'll have split with KC as well. A win would give us a 5-4 record on this road trip and if they can play .500 on the road, I'll always be fine with that. Right now, the troubling factors are the team's overall record and their sporadic hitting. Those issues are interconnected as better hitting should lead to more wins. I'm far from pushing the panic button on the season just yet, primarily because there have been so few games with our regular lineup. The injury to Michael Bourn has caused changes in the lineup that have forced guys to bat in spots that they don't normally hit. I think if we can get a healthy roster, we'll be in much better shape. Bourn should be back this week, so let's hope that's the start of something positive. Looking ahead to this week, after finishing up with the Royals tonight, we come home for our first interleague series of the season, playing a two game set with the Philadelphia Phillies. The Tribe will have another off day this Thursday and then play the Minnesota Twins over the weekend. Both of those are winnable series if we play well. Let's hope that the end of April marks the end of bad weather and the start of some great baseball. Go Tribe!

Bringing the thunder

Just as the excitement for the upcoming Iron Man 3 hits its peak, we get reminded that there are other Marvel franchises gearing up for new stories as well. Here's your first look at Thor: The Dark World set to come out this November.

RBR: This is 40

Like many, I've been a huge fan of Judd Apatow's work over the years. He was on an incredible role until Funny People, which was one of the most disappointing films I've ever seen. It was my hope then, that he could get back into his groove with his latest, This is 40; a film that allows him to go back to his roots somewhat by taking a couple of side characters from his film, Knocked Up and putting them center stage here. The two characters are Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann's Pete and Debbie - a married California couple struggling with the problems associated with middle age. And if this film is to be believed, there are a LOT of problems as you reach mid-life including financial woes, sexual frustration, tensions with parents, tensions with kids, and an overall sense of fulfillment in life. As someone who has not yet hit 40, I can't speak on this with any expertise, but I couldn't help feeling as I watched this film, that the problems that these characters go through are not representative of most people at that age. It's not that people in their 40s don't deal with these issues, it's the specifics behind the depiction of these problems that seem out of touch. The Apatow films that work for me have always seemed to have its humor grounded in reality, whereas I didn't know who this film was meant to speak to. Part of the problem is the film's narrative structure. For the first half (of this unnecessarily 2+ hour film), there doesn't seem to be any organization whatsoever. It's just a compilation of small scenes that either touch on a problem or go for a laugh. By the time the film makes an attempt at getting to a central story there's just not enough to hang on to for it to work. There are admittedly some funny scenes in the film. When you're working with a funny cast, that also included Albert Brooks, Jason Segal, John Lithgow, Robert Smigel, and surprisingly Megan Fox, it's only natural that some laughs will develop. However, nobody outside of the two central stars are given enough to do. Those characters definitely needed more screen time. Not just because they are deserving of it, but also because Rudd and Mann's characters are so mean and depressing for the majority of the time that they are together that we needed more of buffer between their scenes involving them hanging out with other, more enjoyable people. While This is 40 does not sink to the level of Funny People, it has to be considered a disappointment. For as talented as he is, I think it's become apparent that Apatow is not as successful tackling more mature subject matters like he's attempted to do in his last two films. It seems like he wants to move away from the arrested development/man-child storylines, but he should also realize he should stick with what works. Rating: ** 1/2

Patton's speech

Hopefully you saw last week's episode of Parks and Recreation, which featured guest star Patton Oswalt playing a concerned Pawnee citizen who decides to filibuster the city council in an effort to stop certain charter laws from being changed. The focus of his filibuster was his proposed script for the upcoming Star Wars: Episode VII movie. If you missed it, you should certainly check out the episode, since it was fantastic. In the meantime, you can watch below the equally amazing uncut version of the entire filibuster that was done in one take. It's a thing of pure nerd awesomeness.

Tribe Watch '13 (Week 3)

Record: 7-10

Standing: 4th in AL Central (3 games out of first)

The Indians got off to rough start last week as they were swept at home by the Boston Red Sox. Credit bad starting pitching, anemic offense and an emotionally motivated opponent as the key reasons why the Indians couldn't do much against Boston. The weekend helped turn things around, however, as the bats came alive on Saturday. The Indians put a 19 spot on the scoreboard against the Astros. Our newest acquisitions, Mark Reynolds, Nick Swisher, and 42 year old Jason Giambi, were all major players in that outpouring of offense. Thankfully Saturday's performance didn't result in an immediate power outage on Sunday as the Indians were able to hit four more home runs in order to win by one and take two out of three from Houston. Hopefully the Tribe can carry that momentum with them as they now continue this road trip by heading into Chicago to take on those nasty White Sox. We played Chicago very well in Cleveland and I'd love to see more of the same to start this week. Cleveland will then finish off their road trip by heading to Kansas City for a weekend series. No matter the month, games against divisional opponents are critical, so it will be vital for the Tribe to have a good week. As the Indians hope to gain ground within the AL Central standings, I'll be cheering them on all the way and I hope you will too. Go Tribe!

Dead and loving it

R.I.P.D. is based on a graphic novel and from the look of this first trailer, this could either be a wild, fun ride or an unmitigated disaster ala Jonah Hex.

Rescuing Heroes?

Could Heroes actually be getting a relaunch just three years after its cancellation? If reports are true, it sounds like this show, like so many comic book superheroes, may be coming back from the dead. Here's the report from TVLine:

Save the cheerleader, launch a new programming initiative?

MSN, which is making a big push into original programming via Xbox, is in talks to revive NBC’s superhero drama Heroes, TVLine has learned exclusively.

Details remain sketchy, but sources confirm that MSN is interested in relaunching the once red-hot NBC Universal franchise with new stories and heroes, while mixing in cameos from the original series’ cast (schedules and interest permitting). The talks are said to be in the preliminary stages.

In February, MSN hired former NBC development executive Jada Miranda to oversee production of its fledgling Xbox entertainment studio under ex-CBS president Nancy Tellem (who came on board last fall).

Heroes‘ four-season run on NBC ended in February 2010.

Super trooper

For certain films, I find myself on the fence as to whether or not I actually want to see it and it usually takes a really good trailer to convince me. Well the latest Superman movie, Man of Steel was one of those movies and the latest trailer has won me over. I'm now ready to see Superman take flight again. If you haven't seen it yet, here's the trailer for you to see.

Tribe Watch (Week 2)

Record: 5-6

Standing: 3rd in AL Central (1.5 games out of 1st place)

Similar to week 1, the second week of the season saw a mixed bag of results for the Tribe. Things looked pretty bleak early on in the week as the Yankees dominated us for the first two games of the series. Mother Nature thankfully cut that attack short by raining out the remaining two games of that series. We can now look forward to a doubleheader in May against New York to make up those games. The back end of the week was more promising as we took two out of three from our rivals the White Sox. Justin Masterson showed true ace material in his complete game shutout win on Friday and the bats came to life in Saturday's game. Though they lost on Sunday, the team has to feel positive by an improved performance by Brett Myers. Starting pitching is going to be so critical for this team. If they falter, things fall apart. When the pitching is strong, we have a very good chance of winning each of those games. As we head into this third week, the Indians will begin with an emotional series against the Boston Red Sox. Not only will it be the first time that Terry Francona manages against his old team, but the tragic events of yesterday will still be weighing heavily on everyone's mind. After the Boston series, the Indians will head out onto the road for a lengthy trip that begins with a weekend series against the Houston Astros who more closely resemble a AAA team than they do a major league team. Hopefully we can dominate them to help improve our standing in the division. One final note is with regard to injuries. Every team is suffering from them and the Indians are no different. The catcher position seems to be particularly plagued with both Carlos Santana and Lou Marson ailing. The Tribe actually had to make a minor league trade earlier this week just to gain some additional emergency backups. Center fielder Michael Bourn will also miss some time thanks to a finger laceration he received in Sunday's game. Thankfully most of the team's injuries are minor, so we can just hope for a speedy recovery so that our team can get back to playing at full strength. No matter who's out on the field, though, I'll always be ready to support my team. Go Tribe!

Vroom Vroom

Gentlemen start your engines and rev up for your first look at Ron Howard's new racing drama, Rush based on the real life rivalry between two Formula 1 racers.

RBR: Hitchcock

During Oscar season, there was surprisingly very little discussion about this film, which features previous Oscar winners Anthony Hopkins and Helen Mirren and is based on one of the most famous Hollywood directors of all time. It turns out that the reason for the lack of buzz is quite simple. Despite its pedigree, this is a rather pedestrian effort. Hitchcock plays more like a made-for-TV movie that just got lucky in scoring an incredible cast. The film focuses on the noted director's effort to make Psycho. On the way to making his most successful film, he faced several roadblocks including a lack of studio support, protest from the ratings board, and a wife, who's become frustrated with a lack of recognition for her collaborative efforts in his success. A lot of these problems seem rather interesting and yet the film opts to merely gloss over a lot of them for more melodramatic moments dealing with a possible affair between Hitchcock's wife (Mirren) and a charming writer (Danny Huston). I'm far from an expert on Hitchcock and his film and yet I felt like this film didn't really reveal anything that I didn't already know or suspect about his work. The two leads turns in excellent performance, as expected but they are working with substandard material here. Fans of the late director will no doubt be disappointed in this less than revelatory film and younger fans will likely struggle to stay engaged in this story. It's a shame that a film based on a master of suspense is filled with very few surprises. Rating: ** 1/2

Privileged planet

Fans of the sci-fi film District 9 have been anxious to see what director Neill Blomkamp has in store for a follow up. Well wait no more as here's the first look at his new film, Elysium due out this August.

Tribe Watch (Week 1)

Record: 3-3

Standing: Tied for second in AL Central

I'm running short on time so this will have to be brief, but I wanted to get this out before today's home opener. As you can expect with a .500 record in their first week, there was a mixed bag of results for the Tribe as they kicked off the 2013 season. I think, however, that looking at the result of the past week, that there is more positive than negative to take away from their performance. First of all, the Tribe went .500 on the road against two teams that many predict will be at the top of the AL East, so there's no shame in that. The wins that the Tribe had were also pretty impressive in that they beat BOTH reigning Cy Young winners within the span of 6 days. The offense was certainly on display in those wins as well with the team showing both power and clutch hitting. We did get shutout two straight games, but it is was understandable because they had a long flight to Tampa and the Rays have very good pitching. As for our pitching, I was pleased by the performances of our #1 and #2 starters. For us to have any chance at competiting this season, both Masterson and Jimenez need to pitch well. The back end of our rotation and our long relievers have some question marks that give me some concern, but nothing too grave just yet. We'll need a larger sample size before we can truly make any determinations. Hopefully the Tribe can feel positive about their efforts and take that good feeling into their performance this week as the Tribe plays at Progressive Field for this first time this year. First up is the dreaded New York Yankees, who are really struggling thus far thanks to injuries and old age. On paper, we should play well against them, but when it comes to the Yankees, they are never as bad as they seem. Then it's a weekend series against the even more loathesome Chicago White Sox. Of course, divisional games are crucial no matter when in the year they occur, so let's get off to a good start by beating up on our rival. There's a lot to be excited about in Cleveland right now, so let's all get behind this team and watch what could be a very magical year. Go Tribe!

2 tickets to the Guns show

Here's a trailer for the new action comedy 2 Guns starring Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg. This looks like it could be a lot of fun, particularly during the dog days of summer.

Roger Ebert (1942 - 2013)

Film critic Roger Ebert dies at 70

I was unable to post this news yesterday, but this is too important for me to ignore it altogether. Roger Ebert, along with his late TV film critic partner Gene Siskel, had a profound impact on my love of movies, criticism, debate, and entertainment in general. Over the past several years on this blog, I've made an attempt at sharing my love and analysis of the films I've seen. With Roger's passing, I'm struck by a couple of thoughts. One is that being able to effectively evaluate a movie on its strengths and weaknesses is not as easy as it looks. That's why Roger was so special. He made it look so easy that he spawned a whole society of wannabe critics. Sites like Rotten Tomatoes would not exist without Roger making the art of movie criticism so appealing. But the other thought is that while I could never hold a flame to the writing ability of Roger, that's ok. Roger always said that one of the tips to being a critic is to review that movie through your voice. He can be proud of the fact that he pioneered a culture that could articulate what they did or did not like about their movie-going experience.

As much as Roger will be remembered for his writing, I will admit that I have a fonder appreciation for his TV show with Gene Siskel and then later on, Richard Roeper. Particularly with Gene, he had a remarkable chemistry that made you instantly interested in listening to whatever film they were reviewing. I recently saw a video (thanks courtesy of the great archival site siskelandebert.org) where they reviewed the film My Dinner With Andre. In his review, Roger said, "Although you see two people on the screen, in your mind you're also seeing these strange and wonderful scenes and experiences." I thought the same thing while watching those two review movies. They brought the movies to life as they reviewed them. Listening to them was never boring or a chore. We shared in their joy when they got to talk about a movie they loved. We also listened with glee as they would hilariously pan movies that were truly awful. All the while, they never robbed us of wanting to go see the movie itelf. Hearing their critiques always made me more invested in wanting to see the movie myself to see if I would agree or disagree with their assessment.

It will be tough not having a go-to voice anymore for a critique of a movie. Even if I didn't always share the same sentiment as Roger on a film, I wanted to hear what he had to say. With his passing, I hope that the love of movies and of movie criticism will continue on for many generations to come. I'll do my best to continue to share my thoughts on whatever I see and I'm thankful for the archives of Roger's work that will continue to inspire me to share my love with anyone else who wants to listen. Rest in peace Roger. Enjoy your balcony seat in the sky.

RBR: The Master

I actually watched this several weeks ago, but have had difficulty finding the time to write this review. And I don't mean that I haven't had any free time, it's that this movie had a more profound impact on me than most that it made it more difficult to put my thoughts into words. This is the latest film by noted director Paul Thomas Anderson, who also helmed films like Boogie Nights and There Will Be Blood. Once again he displays visual mastery with the way he depicts the action that unfolds on the screen. He also has another sprawling, yet captivating narrative that establishes interesting characters that equally puzzle and fascinate audiences. Anderson seems to frequently tell stories that rely on the theme of mentor/protege and in this film, that relationship is brought to the forefront. The Master earned a lot of buzz prior to its release when it was believed that this film was intended to be a scathing commentary on Scientology. While some parallels can be drawn, I found myself not really caring whether or not this was based on any actual group and was instead just invested in these particular people. Phillip Seymour Hoffman plays Lancaster Dodd, the charismatic leader of a group referred to as The Cause, who takes Freddie Quell (Joaquin Phoenix), a Naval veteran struggling with issues of anger and alcoholism, under his wing. As we listen to Dodd and watch the way Freddie follows him, it becomes apparent that this movie is more than just determining whether or not Dodd is a charletan. This is about control and the tenuous nature of staying in control. When do we let others control us and when, if ever, do we take control of our own lives? The answers aren't always clear and Anderson doesn't make it any easier for us to try and find out those answers with the way he presents this story. Certain scenes take on an almost dreamlike state to make you further distance you from a grounded reality. This is not the easiest film to follow, but those who are up for a challenge will be greatly rewarded. The film looks great, is filled with terrific performances (included an understated performance by Amy Adams playing Dodd's wife), and gives you plenty to think about long after you've finished watching it. I can't say this is a movie that I eagerly want to watch repeatedly, but if I get a chance to see it again, I feel I will no doubt uncover even more about what's going on than I did in my first viewing. It's a shame that this did not get even greater recognition during the awards season, because it's certainly worthy of it. Fans of Paul Thomas Anderson need to do themselves a favor and check out this spellbinding film. Rating: **** 1/2

Chain of Fools

The cast of This is the End decided to get in the holiday spirit and offer up a new "trailer" to promote their movie. Check it out below.

This is an ad for MoCoCo

From EW.com:

Top-rated late-night host Jay Leno may be in danger of losing his job. But his modestly rated former Tonight Show rival Conan O’Brien just got a renewal on TBS.

The cable network has renewed Conan through 2015, adding another year onto the show’s current deal (which originally expired in April of 2014).

Conan averages 906,000 viewers per episode. TBS points out the show averages a younger median age (38) than any late-night talk show. “When we invited Conan O’Brien to come to TBS, we knew he would bring with him a passionately loyal following of young adults,” said Michael Wright, president, head of programming for TBS. “Conan and his colleagues at Team Coco have gone far beyond that by making Conan the top late-night brand in the digital arena. We are proud to extend our relationship with Conan as he continues to forge the future of late night. I just wish we didn’t decide to tell him on April Fools’ Day.”