Hey folks, Harry here with that man that makes you think seaman, that's right, the gargler of salt and the veritable pro-teen man.... QUINT! This time Quint is reviewing both of the big national releases that hit today. Both of which you should check out if ya get a chance. So without further ado, here's the lover of meat...
Ahoy, squirts! 'Tis I, everybody's favorite afro sportin' seaman, Quint, here with possibly the strangest double review I've ever written... These two flicks both open this weekend and on the surface are as different as North and South, East and West, Ben Affleck and Eddie Griffin. I know that you folks have been almost drowned in reviews of both these films on this site, so I'll keep 'em short and sweet.
SUM OF ALL FEARS
Yes, everybody is right. Go see this movie. Affleck finally does a role where he isn't playing a degree of himself. Not to say his other roles have been bad, it's just now he's proven he has some range.
The film is loaded with great characters and actors from Morgan Freeman (who seems to have a lot of fun with his wise old sage role that he's been trapped in for the last 10 years or so) to James Cromwell as the very human... scarily driven by emotion just like the rest of us... president of the US.
What director Phil Alden Robinson has smartly done is surrounded Affleck with some amazing seasoned vets of cinema. Now you have the young, burgeoning talent able to play off these amazing actors, instead of having to try to make it work with other young talents who might not have found their groove or stride yet.
Smart, fun, involving and at times breathtaking. This summer's off to great start. Sure there have been a couple that have hit slightly off target, but I've seen no misfires yet. The only problem with this film is the marketing... You bastards... I was lucky enough to have seen this a little while ago, before I saw the trailers and TV spots that give away the single biggest surprise in the film and I was floored when it happened... Grrrr. Marketing aside, this flick kicks some major ass. Go see this movie. It's well worth it.
UNDERCOVER BROTHER
Solid.
Solid means cool, baby, cool. If you've read Harry's review, you'd see what my review was originally going to be like. That bastard somehow picked up on my brainwaves and made every single point and connection I was planning on doing, but he's a quicker writer than I am, so he wins.
In short, Harry's right. You may disbelieve him, but I've seen this movie and as a lover of those great '70s blaxploitation flicks starring Pam Grier, Richard Roundtree, Ron O'Neal, Issac Hayes, Fred "The Hammer" Williamson and all those other amazing talents that you talkbackers will surely remind me of below, I can't help but love this movie.
They got it right. How could that be? It's actually a smart parody? A parody based on story and characters instead of just gags? No way!?!? What could that be like? What Blazing Saddles was to westerns, Undercover Brother is to blaxploitation films. Like Blazing Saddles, Undercover Brother's comedy can be appreciated on 2 different levels.
On one level it's a really funny movie on its own, so if you're not familiar with '70s Soul Cinema you can still enjoy the flick. BUT if you are knowledgeable about those classics kick-ass flicks, a whole new level of hilarity is open to you. Just like you Western fans who got all the little moments in Blazing Saddles (You'd do it for Randolph Scott! "Randolph Scott?!? Gasp! Raaaannnddoooolllpphhh Sccccooottttt!!!!"), you fans of blaxploitation flicks will see references and homage to all your favorites.
My row during this screening consisted of Harry, Father Geek, Patch, Saffron, Rav and the lovely Auntie Meat... Needless to say we are all very familiar with the world of Soul Cinema and all of our sides were aching after the film. I swear to God... I don't know how long the movie was, but I'd say there was maybe 45 seconds of the film where I wasn't laughing on some level, be it a low chuckle or a huge belly laugh.
Sure, there are moments that fall flat, but they never stand out because they're immediately followed by a recovery or some great sight gag that forces you forward so there's no time to dwell on that one gag that came off poorly.
The cast of this movie is fantastic. Chi McBride has amazing comic timing. You might only know him as the brooding principal of Boston Public, but do you remember him from Peter Jackson's The Frighteners? Yeah, that's him... The Black Ghost who died in the '70s that helps out Michael J. Fox? That's the one. Big fan of Chi and he doesn't fail me here.
Eddie Griffin... He never really caught my eye before. Sure, I'd seen some of his stuff, but he never terribly impressed me... until this movie. He captures all the strutting charm, the inherent bad-ass-ness of those '70s Black Gods, but in a very funny way. His leading role as Undercover Brother could have easily gone too far or not far enough, but Griffin struck the perfect balance.
Dave Chappelle. God, how I love Dave Chappelle! He's easily one of the funniest people out there today. Half Baked is so under appreciated it's not even funny. Sure, like Jack Black, he's been in some bad movies, but when he's on, he shines and Chappelle shines in this film as the Conspiracy Brother.
Smart Brother, played by Gary Anthony Williams, is awesome. Sistah Girl, played by Aunjanue Ellis is... grrrrr... mighty foxy. BILLY DEE "FUCKING" WILLIAMS is in this movie! Sweet Jesus, Billy Dee! The man is a God and he's in the movie... Sure, sometimes when he's in the background he seems kinda lost like he doesn't know where he is, but when he's in the spotlight he turns on all that charm and charisma we glimpsed in Empire and Jedi. You also got James Brown who is what? 67,958 years old? How the fuck can he still move like he does? He just radiates coolness and soul...
Chris Kattan is the main underling below "The Man." Kattan can be hilarious, he can also be annoying. Depends on the material. He has some great moments in this film (especially his inner struggle with his own love of black culture), but he doesn't make the movie.
Doogie Howser is... simply... incredible... How the FUCK did that happen? Neil Patrick Harris owns by the time this movie is over. When the end credits role, I bet you anything you agree with me. He's funny during the movie, but then... Sweet Mary Mother o' God... He... When he... Oh, I can't ruin it... Go see this movie!
What's really funny is that this film makes the point of unity between races better than most serious films with a racial equality message. We can all be bound by the cool. It's possible for us blue-eyed whitey devil cracker honkies to see the funk, live the funk, BE the funk. The way Undercover Brother and his team work together is a shining example of that. It is the funk that binds us.
As you can see from the above, I'm quite taken with this film, to the point that the review is little more than geeky blubberings strung together with ...'s. If you have a funny bone at all, if you like to laugh, what the hell are you waiting for? I'm definitely going again. If it holds up like I think it's going to, then Undercover Brother is going to hold a very special place on my DVD shelf, next to my happy movies like Big Lebowski, Rocky Horror Picture Show, Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas... The movies I can put on at any time, no matter what mood I'm in and find my laughing place.
Well, that's it from me. I know I said I'd be brief and I was... for the Sum of All Fears review at least. Of the two, my favorite is Undercover Brother just because I know it's a movie I'll watch over and over and over again. Sum of All Fears is a better movie, by a long fucking stretch it's a better movie, but by design Undercover Brother is a helluva lot more fun. Essentially, they are both shining examples of how good a film can be in their particular genres.
It's about time for me to push off, squirts. 'Bout time I went shark huntin'. I'll be back shortly, though with some more reviews, interviews and in-depth coverage of one of the coolest looking new film festivals around. 'Til that day, this is Quint bidding you all a fond farewell and adieu... May the Funk be with you.
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