RBR: Identity Thief

Perhaps we shouldn't be surprise that a film with a premise all about stealing the identity of someone would so liberally steal elements from other movies. That's what happens though in Identity Thief, a movie with a ton of promise thanks to the casting of two extremely funny people and saddling them with a tired, rehashed plot that has been done so much better in the past. There are elements of Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, Midnight Run, and Taking Care of Business seen here but this movie strips away the humor, intelligence, and heart found in those films. Instead, this film focuses on car chases, action scenes, and a physical brand of humor that yields very few laughs. It is a shame that a film that features two comedic actors who I enjoy produced only one actual laugh from me. I quickly became disinterested in seeing how everything would get resolved. Not surprisingly the central story ends on a predictable note while other subplots get ignored or are paid off in an unsatisfactory manner. Given how successful the film was, I know that I am now one of the last people to actually see this movie, but if you have managed to hold out longer than I have, continue doing so because there's nothing here worth your time. Rating: **

RBR: Cowboys & Aliens

I had high hopes for this one and can you blame me? I mean this was a genre-burring film starring James Bond and Indiana Jones being directed by the guy that did Iron Man. And yet with all that star power, I struggled to keep my interest as I watched this film. It attempts to mix sci-fi with westerns and ends up doing neither genre any justice. Given that this is not a conventional storyline, there is understandably not a lot of previous work that they can base this one on. With that said, there are still too many aspects of this story that were confusing or implausible. For starters, none of these characters seem all that freaked out by the fact that there are alien creatures attacking there town. It's one thing for a character set in modern day to be nonplussed by an alien invasion because they would have at least seen alien movies or read stories about creatures from another planet. But would anyone who was living during the time period that this film is set have heard of an alien before? They acted the same as if it had been a posse of outlaws who had just rolled into town looking to cause problems. There's also the confusing nature of why exactly the aliens are here. We get some vague explanation, but not enough to satisfy me. We also have some poor character development. Harrison Ford's Colonel Dollarhyde goes from crusty hardass to big softie WAY too quickly in the film. Frankly, it would have been more interesting had he remained cranky throughout the film. You also have Olivia Wilde playing a woman with a mysterious background that is also never fully explained. Meanwhile, Daniel Craig looks badass during the action scenes, but since his character has amnesia he's sort of a blank slate when it comes to personality, which isn't very exciting. I give everyone involved here a lot of credit for trying something different and inventive, I just wish the execution of the idea had been stronger. This is a big disappointment and probably not worth a recommendation regardless of if you're a western, sci-fi, Harrison Ford, or Daniel Craig fan. When cowboys and aliens meet, two genres enter and nobody comes out entertained. Rating: ** 1/2