The Great Buck Howard

Goolphipp Award: 4.25

Audience: 18 +

Goolsby: Although there is only small adult content, the nature and underlying theme and message of the film would be appreciated by a more adult crowd. Take your mom and grandma with you, I bet they’d get a kick out of it.

Phipps: For you conservative people, I thought this movie is alright for you: minimal sex, minimal language. You could probably let your teenagers watch The Great Buck Howard with you…no younger than 14, I’d say.

Where’s the Drama: Subtle
Like that thirst-quenching glass of not-too-sweet lemonade you never knew you wanted.

Phipps: If you were looking in Blockbuster for this movie, would you check under Comedy or Drama? Goolsby and I decided it was more of a drama – a funny and quirky drama. When you think about it, life can be filled with drama…and also be full of funny moments and strange characters. That’s what I liked best about this movie. It was unafraid of both sides of the coin – to be both dramatic and ridiculous – not unlike its title character.

Goolsby: Finding yourself… forced into law school, double ugh. Forced into a cube, double ugh again. During the end, when Troy watches the show as an audience member, you're sort of on the edge of your seat right there with him. This movie delivers the random suspense delicately and I appreciated that.

Storyline: Finding your place
An unhappy law student finds himself working with an old magician turned mentalist.

Goolsby: The movie starts off a bit slow, but builds beautifully. And once again, we have some throwbacks to the central valley – Bakersfield and Stockton, woohoo.

Phipps: Gosh, for the 18 and older crowd, this is a breath of fresh air. What…you don’t want to be high-powered contract lawyer – GASP! This movie has a good message – sometimes you have to take a strange and random job to learn something important. For all of us that work the 9-to-5 shift, this was two hours of escape to…well, dream along with Troy Gable (Colin Hanks). It’s a slow start, but it’s inventive and quirky.

Delivery: Grade-A class

Goolsby: What a treat! Papa Hanks and Baby Hanks unite, and boy they’ve got similar acting styles (better be careful Colin, don’t fall under Papa’s wing just because it’s there, make sure to carve out your own way). Colin Hanks does well as the soul-searching youngster, but he never seemed too contrived or cliché. Colin keeps the allure throughout the movie. And John! John Malkovich, as always, plays a character. John’s face towards the ending of the movie holds so much emotion. They’re both getting color photographs from me.

Phipps: Ok, ok. So Colin Hanks is the son of Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson…who cares? Kid has some acting chops…and not all of it from Dad…his mother’s subtle (yet solid) style is also there. I’ve got to admit – I did get quite a kick out of the team-up. Next movie, maybe Mom can join. Listen, he’s gorgeous and talented – and most importantly of all, he’s paid his dues with "Roswell," Orange County, Untraceable, House Bunny, and now Buck Howard. Emily Blunt also is gradually taking center stage, and delivers a good performance. What can I say about John Malkovich? He’s stellar. I hate to say this because the year is early, but I could see an Oscar or Globe nod. And you know what? I think I’d root for him.

Phipps overall: 4.5
I grabbed a free promotion poster at the Indie theater, and I’m going to hang it up in my cubicle. If that doesn’t say it all…I might just have to persuade you to see this movie via hypnosis.

Goolsby overall: 4
Isn’t that wild?!

Goolphipp rating: 4.25 (No Peanuts Chucked)
Doesn’t really get much better, folks.

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Monsters vs Aliens

Goolphipp Award: 3

Audience: Come one, come all
Monsters vs Aliens is like a wholesome sandwich – providing a good fill for all. This movie has minimal adult jokes, and as in most animated movies, the adult jokes are sure to fly over the little ones’ heads.

Phipps: A mom asked why this movie was rated PG, and I honestly couldn’t tell her. Goolsby and I thought through the entire movie – looking for anything that might be a problem – and couldn’t find one thing. The only thing I can think of to call out is the violence, but it’s along the lines of The Incredibles.

Where’s the Humor: Animated standards
The good mix of characters lends itself to a rounded mix of comedy. The giantess who forgets she is a giant and the brainless blob known as B.O.B keep the laughs steady.

Goolsby: The one-liners are funny as they come, but only a few seems to stick as you walk out the doors. Enjoyable in the theater, but sadly not as memorable in the parking lot. Of course B.O.B was bound to be funny, but the best part was the idealized “Leave It To Beaver” portrayal of the San Joaquin Valley (the real “Valley” of California). Since when did Modesto get white picket fences? That kept me laughing for days… Modesto… ha.

Phipps: Being a native of Fresno County, well, I did appreciate the airtime. I laughed so loud. I think the other audience members probably thought, “I didn’t think it was that funny.” But, I agree with Goolsby, the comedy was standard. But I didn’t find it so original that I would write home about it. In fact, the only thing I’m going to tell my friends is that it featured Fresno and Modesto.

Storyline: Rejects save the day
Girl-next-door becomes monster. Meets monsters. Fights aliens. Monsters make great friends.

Phipps: It does sound inventive, but it didn’t “rock my sox.” I did like the themes of friendship…and accepting the weird. I couldn’t help but wonder if this movie was written by grown-up kids that were bullied. Looks like the “Monsters” won in life, after all.

Delivery: Animated delights

Goolsby: Kudos to all the actors and animators. I appreciated the detailed animation, it never looked cheesy or too cartoonish. Since we saw it in 3-D the effects were well placed and kept in pace with the flow – there were no fancy effects for effects sake. The actors seemed to have a good flow between each other, which can sometimes be hard to do on an animated film.

Phipps: This movie had the look and feel of a Pixar - almost. I know that Dreamworks has been trying to break in on the Pixar monopoly…and is close, but still misses the boat. That being said, I did love the 3-D. Like Goolsby, I liked that the 3-D wasn’t code for cheeseball. As far as the vocal acting, I don’t really have any complaints. Kiefer Sutherland as the crazy general was delightful and strangely believable. Kudos to Seth Rogan for using his distinctive pipes; it’s always a pleasure, B.O.B.

Phipps overall: 2.5
I realized as I was writing this up, that it wasn’t a movie to write home about. I won’t buy this movie later for my kids…well, maybe if it’s five bucks. It had all the right pieces, but I think it was missing the “IT” factor, whatever that is for animated movies. Maybe Dreamworks should send in a spy to discover if Pixar movies are laced with some kind of subliminal message that makes everyone love their movies more. Wow, that sounds harsh, but the bottom line for this movie is, “close, but no cigar.”

Goolsby overall: 3.5
Funny and good. Not much else to say. 3-D was nice though.

Goolphipp rating: 3 (Worth 11 Bucks)

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I Love You, Man

Goolphipp Award: 3.75

Audience: High school freshman +
I Love You, Man isn’t unusually crass, so it is approved for high school kids. But in our opinion, this movie deals with situations that would be most appreciated by post-college-age adults.
Goolsby: Fans of Rush, you must see this movie for the concert scene. I’m sure you will appreciate.

Where's the Humor: Spectrum
There is something for everyone in this one. You want fart jokes – check. Physical comedy – check. Are you a fan of the cruder sexual humor? Check.

Phipps: I liked the humor of this movie, because it had a little bit of everything – kept it interesting (and shocking). I especially liked that all the jokes seemed necessary given characters and plot. No jokes for the sake of jokes here. I don’t think I’d be too embarrassed watching I Love You, Man with my parents either, which is usually a mark of a winner.

Goolsby: Our first movie review actually has peanuts! At one point during the movie, over a table of empty beer glasses, Peter and Sydney discuss Andre the Giant’s drinking capacity. Of course, in true fashion, The Princess Bride quote comes out – “Anybody want a peanut?” Classic. It was snazzy one-liners like this that kept my snorts flowing. Even the deliver of the main line, “I love you man,” was framed and delivered well. But by far the best comedic thread throughout the movie was the crazy verbal-diarrhea nicknames Peter kept giving Sydney.

Storyline: Male Bonding
This movie kept it simple. Guy proposes to girl, and discovers he has no guy friends to be groomsmen.

Phipps: I Love You, Man doesn’t try to be more than it is, so viewers can just go along with for the ride. It does get its message across: don’t put your boyfriend/girlfriend above your friends…you just might end up with no friends. It’s enjoyable, and a great pick-me-up movie. It’s worth the price of admission.

Delivery: No complaints

Phipps: Paul Rudd was perfect for the role. He can pull off the timid “girlfriend guy” that lets loose in the man cave. Jason Segel also delivers in his role as the potential best friend. I’d bet that everyone who sees this movie will be able to see shades of a Peter Klaven or Sydney Fife in their life…I know I did. The supporting cast also was stellar. I have no complaints. In fact, all I can say is, “all hail the return of Lou Ferrigno!”

Goolsby: You cant half-ass the air guitar, and Paul Rudd did not. He owned it, and well at that. He even owned the man scream under the pier. All the actors in this movie gave it their all, and the audience can tell. I seriously believe that Rudd, in real life, is incapable of using an accent without it coming out like a Leprechaun voice – and that makes me smile.

Phipps overall: 3.5
It’s a solid movie. Enjoyable, but I’m not sure that I want to watch it over and over.

Goolsby overall: 4
You know it’s a winner when you think about it days later, and still laugh.

Goolphipp rating: 3.75 (No Peanuts Chucked)

Contact us at goolphipp@gmail.com.