SAK Jumbo Movie Review

Rather than give a whole mess of movies I've seen recently their own blog entries, I've decided to combine them all into one longer post. I'm an organizational freak, I know.

MARLEY AND ME: I was a bit conflicted on this movie coming in. Some ad's portrayed it as a comedy, while others showed it as an emotional drama. In actuality, it's a little bit of both. Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston both have their moments to shine, but the star of the show is ultimately the dog their characters, both newspaper journalists, adopt in the first half-hour of the film. While the dog raises holy hell on everything within sight in some funny but semi-predictable events, some supporting actors also add nice touches, notably token old guy Alan Arkin as editor Arnie Klein and 'Grey's Anatomy' star Eric Dane as playboy reporter Sebastian Tunney. The children of the family also have their moments, including one uproariously-funny line as Aniston's character is wheeled out of the hospital following the birth of her third child (trust me, you'll know when you hear it).

Despite the comedic undertones, it should be noted that the ending is as serious as can be and, in fact, had the entire theatre I was in in tears. If you're a dog lover, see this movie. If you're not, it's probably still worth a trip to the cinema. It runs the gamut of emotions despite some predictable spots, and the two hours spent watching it is generally time well-spent. RATING: 3 1/2 stars out of five (or ***1/2).

YES MAN: I'm usually pretty biased against conventional comedies. There's a clear-cut formula that's been developed over time: Slow and predictable for the first 20 minutes, slow and predictable for the last 20 minutes, and how you spend the hour or so in between is what ultimately defines the movie. Jim Carrey's latest film is no exception, as he plays an introvert who seems to be afraid to live life until being transformed by a seminar. Credit where it's due: There are some hilarious parts of the movie. Ultimately, though, Carrey's antics catch up with him in a manner that's all too predictable, and that defines the last 20 minutes of the film (although the ending is done better than in most comedies of the sort).

The movie's not bad, and if you're a Jim Carrey fan, he'll find ways to make you laugh. That said, Yes Man seemed like a remake of Liar Liar in several ways. Not like that's completely a bad thing, as it was a good movie and this one's solid as well, but if you're looking for a comedy classic, look elsewhere. RATING: ***1/4

RADIO: Saw this one and the next one on a bus trip to Buffalo last weekend. It stars Cuba Gooding, Jr., as a mentally-disabled man who gets taken under the wing of a local high school football coach (played by Ed Harris). This isn't popular with some people in the community, as the perennial gridiron powerhouse has an off-year and Radio takes the blame by several parents. As uplifting a story as this was, something fell flat with me. Gooding and Harris were both solid in their roles and had great chemistry together, but neither seemed to act well off of anyone else in the film.

It's a good story that doesn't feel exaggerated like other "based on a true story" films do. Unfortunately, it doesn't get past the 'rental' category in my book thanks to the intangibles mentioned above. RATING: **1/2

THE WINNING SEASON: And this was the film we saw on the bus ride back. It's a made-for-TV movie that doesn't have many notable names in it, save for 'Sex + the City' star Kristin Davis. The main storyline, and try to follow me on this, is that a hard-luck kid finds the Holy Grail of baseball cards, a Honus Wagner card made by a tobacco company before Wagner ordered them destroyed. The card also allows the kid to travel back in time, where he immediately ages ten years, meets Wagner himself, draws the ire of Ty Cobb, and helps the Pittsburgh Pirates win the 1909 World Series.

Um...yeah. There's a lot going on here, and not much of it makes a great deal of sense. Davis is perfectly fine in her role as a woman from a well-to-do early-1900's family who falls in love with Honus Wagner, and in fact, her storyline of forbidden love is the only one executed with any degree of prowess (and what saves the movie from being completely unwatchable). The rest is strictly for kids, and not for people looking for a quality baseball movie with emotion mixed in. Heck, even for kids, there are better movies out there that are better at what they do. Not recommended highly at all. RATING: *1/4