Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part Two
(Starring Daniel Radcliff, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham-Carter)
After over ten years of movie magic, our most lucrative film series casts its final spell. This war film is a noble and surprisingly brisk end to an elaborate tale told better in the beloved books. That being said, Hallows: Part Two ranks up with the better Potter films: Goblet of Fire and Half-Blood Prince.
Harry and his friends still search for a way to destroy Evil Lord Voldermort. The Dark Lord has separated his soul into several piecesâ┚¬â€Âdoodads called horcruxesâ┚¬â€Âto make himself immortal. If Team Harry can destroy the horcruxes, they can kill Voldermort. It all ends where it beganâ┚¬â€Âin a massive, metaphysical (and slightly cheesy) battle at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
After the klutzy storytelling and inexperienced acting of the first two films, the creative team slowly found their talents; the emotional depth here rivals the better moments of the other seven films. The film still disapparates from one plot point to another, but the approach has grown less awkward. Heartfelt moments are given their final, grave weight in a way that most of the other films missed. After the aimlessness of Hallows: Part One, this second half is thrillingly succinct.
Still, certain important points still seem deathly hollow. The final fights just feel like they should've been bigger, more epic, with more witnesses. However, overall, Hallows: Part Two is a genuine finale to a story filled with immense love and wonder.
Winnie the Pooh
(Voices of Jim Cummings, Bud Luckey, Craig Ferguson)
Eyore has lost his tail, Pooh is bereft of honey, and the entire cast of Hundred Acre Wood has misplaced Christopher Robin.
Winnie the Pooh is as cloyingly sweet as its title bear's favorite snack. It's all cute distraction for toddlers. The songs are forgettable; they take up way too much of the very short running time. Overall, the pedestrian approach means that parents will be checking their watches and praising the brief, 54-minute length.
At least all the classic stuff is still present: A.A. Milne's simple and huggable animals are drawn in Ernest Sheppard's classic style and voiced with great affection. Also, the hand-painted art is gorgeousâ┚¬â€œthe type of watercolor cell work that made Walt Disney famous. It'd be easy to praise if the story itself were any bit exciting. Instead, Pooh evokes a warm, fuzzy mood so cozy, it'll send many an audience off to dreamland.
Just like the 1966 original Disney film, the animators even bring the actual book to life. But this time, Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore (my favorite) and Tigger interact with the text in slightly more interesting ways. Words jumble and fall; letters get misplaced or repurposed in funny, dyslexic ways. In those moments, we sense that if the storytellers should have been given leeway to be less reverent. Pooh would've been nostalgic (which it is, to a fault) but also much more involving.
Horrible Bosses
(Starring Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis, Charlie Day, Kevin Spacey, Jennifer Aniston, Colin Farrell, Jamie Foxx)
Horrible Bosses has six major characters and three minor ones. In other words, it's a farceâ┚¬â€Âthe type of film where everything should fall deeper into hilarity and disaster right up until the very end. Though sometimes funny and filled with gifted actors having a blast, the film fails as a farce. The pieces are there, but it never culminates into a complete, catastrophic comedy.
Bateman is a poor corporate lackey with a jerkwad boss (Spacey). Day is a dental assistant to sexual predator Aniston. Sudeikis finds himself enslaved to coke-hound Farrell. All three employees have reasons they would have difficulty finding another job, so they agree to kill each other's bosses. These three stooges turn to criminal Foxx for help with their nefarious plan.
There is definitely something here to recommend. Bateman, Sudeikis and Day have an easy banter that makes them seem like lifelong buddies. Aniston, Farrell and especially Spacey bring great joy to their evil alter egos.
After a while, though, it becomes apparent that these simple characters don't have any arc. It's hard to care whether they succeed or fail. With a few small plot holes and some underutilized bit parts, you have an average film. Yes, there is a smattering of good, strong laughs.
But then there's the lazy wrap-upâ┚¬â€Âinstead of slaying us with a collective comic explosion, it ends with a relative whimper.
