See what OUR Wolfpack had to say about THE Wolfpack!

Click on each character’s face for a different review, then post your comments below and let me know which writer belongs to which character!

Limacher Low Down: I’m not going to lie and say I was THRILLED to watch a movie with Mel Gibson in it, especially the way he’s been acting the past few years;  BUT he delivers his best performance in YEARS if not his career. Jodie Foster directed this movie, and she must have seen something left in Mel to give him a chance with this role. This film had such a diverse way of presenting itself and provided such a great story; it was something very eye opening to me, and when the credits rolled I was pleasantly surprised with the movie I had just watched.

“The Beaver” is the story of Walter Black (Mel Gibson) and how depression has slowly taken everything he once valued in his life away from him. His wife Meredith (Jodie Foster) no longer loves him, his oldest son Porter (Anton Yelchin) writes notes to himself of things he has in common with his father to correct them simply because he hates his father, and his youngest son Henry (Riley Thomas Stewart) hardly communicates with anyone. Walter gets kicked out of his house by Meredith, his once thriving toy company is close to going out of business, and he has no one to turn to, or so he thinks. When throwing away things of little consequence in his life, Walter discovers something he never really thought of having any value before, a beaver puppet.

After a wicked bender Walter awakes to the beaver puppet on his hand telling him how shitty his life is, and what he needs to do to change it. Walter now starts living his life through the beaver puppet, which coincidentally has an Australian accent. Walter, via the beaver, starts to turn his life around. The company is starting to do better, his family has somewhat started to accept him again, and things are looking up. The way this is presented leaves the viewer curious as to what is really going on, and how things will continue with a man who does EVERYTHING with a damn puppet on his arm.

While Walter is getting better we also have the side story of Porter who is wise beyond his years who has a little “business” in the school. Kids know him to be able to write papers in “their own words” for a hefty sum. Porter then gets approached by the class Valedictorian, and hottest girl in the school, Norah (Jennifer Lawrence). Norah requests the special services of Porter to help her write something she cannot quite seem to write herself. Porter doesn’t know how to react to this, but finally decides to get to know Norah to better understand how she might write something. We now have two growing stories in the same movie; a man who uses a beaver puppet to speak for himself, and his son who has the talent to speak for others. This side story has a very dramatic appeal to it, and doesn’t take anything away from the movie. When watching it you start to wonder about the family dynamic and how this all takes shape.

Walter finds himself not being able to speak for himself without the use of “The Beaver” and when he attempts to he returns to his old ways once again. The way Gibson pulls this off is something unique and special to watch. Porter also finds himself having growing problems of his own that soon begin to spiral out of control. The way the story continues to develop and the dialogue draws the spectator more and more into the movie. Everything that happens comes to a great climax and really adds something to the movie. People in the theater were reacting to a drama the way I had never heard people react before; it was quite special for that alone.

I will say that all the acting, the story, and dialogue gives this movie a special feeling. The fact it has humor in the beginning mixed with dramatic elements throughout the shows the talent that everyone involved delivered on set. The only problem I have with this movie is that the somewhat “climactic” ending came a little too early for me. The fact there are two different stories following Walter and Porter also takes a little something away from the movie as well. The two stories don’t really mesh together all that well, but at the same time they needed to be there for character development. When all is said and done, “The Beaver” delivers something unexpected, and will keep you talking for days (if not longer) about all the little nuances of the overall package.

Limacher Low Down: I will start off by saying that I had reservations about watching “Hoodwinked!” a few years ago, and when I finally broke down and watched it I laughed REALLY hard. “Hoodwinked Too!”, though it is missing the vocal talents of Anne Hathaway as Red, really delivers MORE laughs than its predecessor. Both of these movies give the kiddos something to be entertained by, yet the humor of both (especially Hoodwinked Too!) is enough to entertain everyone. The jokes come at such a fast rate I will have to see it again just to pick up on what I missed the first time from being doubled over in laughter!

“Hoodwinked Too!” continues where “Hoodwinked!” left off, with Red (this time Hayden Panettiere), Granny (Glenn Close), Wolf (Patrick Warburton), and Twitchy (Cory Edwards) joining the services of Nicky Flippers (David Ogden Stiers) and the Happily Ever After Agency (HEA). The movie gives a quick recap of the events and characters of the first movie and starts off with the HEA attempting to rescue Hansel (Bill Hader) and Gretel (Amy Poehler) from the clutches of the evil Witch Verushka (Joan Cusack). Red is not there for the mission and it does not take long for things to quickly get out of hand, and immediately the humor begins. Verushka gets away with Hansel and Gretel, and even Granny gets taken hostage! The story has to develop somehow, right?

We move on to see that Red has been training with the “Sisters of the Hood” to become the best ass kicking baker in the land. Red gets news of Granny’s disappearance and seeks to join her fellow members of the HEA to locate Granny and rescue Hansel and Gretel – she has a full plate. The movie develops well here with the gang headed into the “city” to try and get some answers from Granny’s old informant, Jimmy 10-Strings (Wayne Newton). Jimmy 10-Strings works at a club called the Beanstalk, and his boss is simply known as the Giant (Brad Garrett). Once again, things quickly get out of hand for our heroes, but somehow they get the information they were seeking.

Next we get introduced to a familiar face from the first movie, Boingo the Bunny (Andy Dick), in what can be simply put as a great parody of a classic movie. Boingo reluctantly gives the duo more information than he had previously intended, but the information was seemingly too little too late. Now the plot rapidly develops as we learn the intentions of Verushka.

Red and Wolf continue their bickering ways and Wolf decides for Twitchy and he that it’s for the best for the HEA if they go on their own separate path from then on. In a rather humorous and unexpected twist, Wolf is visited by some enemies of his fairy tale past; the Three Little Pigs of Mad Hog (Cheech Marin), Stone (Tommy Chong), and Wood (Phil LaMarr). Narrowly escaping the attempt on his life, Wolf and Twitchy decide that it’s time to go back and right the wrongs of the past and make sure this story does indeed end Happily Ever After.

The movie delivers many twists and turns and keeps the laughs going throughout. I have heard some people say that these movies are a cheap Shrek knockoff, but I can honestly say that I laughed more in the first 15 minutes of “Hoodwinked Too!” MORE than all 4 of the Shrek movies COMBINED! The humor, the references, the themes, and continuity made the first movie enjoyable and its sequel even better. There are only two bad things I can say about “Too!” Hayden Panettiere as the voice of Red does not live up to the job that Anne Hathaway did in the original. Another part I didn’t care for was the fact the only way this movie was being shown around me was in 3D. The 3D effects mostly fell flat and a person would be just as well off seeing the movie in the standard 2D format. Those two things aside, if you’re a fan of the first one or even if you haven’t seen it, I assure you that “Hoodwinked Too!” delivers the laughs most of the movie.

Review by Alyn Darnay

Directed by Francis Lawrence (I Am Legend)

Starring: Reese Witherspoon (Walk The Line), Robert Pattinson (The Twilight Saga), Christoph Waltz (Inglourious Basterds), Paul Schneider (Lars and the Real Girl), Jim Norton (Harry Potter), Hal Holbrook (Into The Wild)

Based on the acclaimed bestseller by Sara Gruen, WATER FOR ELEPHANTS congers up a love triangle between three compelling characters in the unique setting of a 1931 traveling circus. Jacob, a suddenly orphaned Veterinary school student, hits the road to find his place in the world and winds up falling in love with Marlena, the star performer and wife of charismatic circus owner August.

The three main characters, played by the beautiful Reese Witherspoon, the simmering Robert Pattinson and the menacing Christoph Waltz each added great verve and style to this depression-era drama as it travels down the rails at a cozy enough pace to please anyone. Credit for that should go to screenwriter Richard LaGravense, who I’m sure watched batches of early 30’s films before whittling down the book into a comfortable running time. In places it reminded me of the 1952 Cecil B. DeMille film “The Greatest Show On Earth”, but without the scope and energy that film brought us.

Told as a tale of his early life by the ever interesting Hal Holbrook, the rough and jagged world of these circus people, who live by their own laws in a kind of self-contained poverty and brutality, seemed to actually conjure up the place, time and characters that occupied this bygone era. It was pretty to watch and the story had enough to it to keep me interested, but the film ultimately fails with the love story.

The heat that should have been there between the two lovers was one of imagination rather than Passion. Pattinson, who walks the screen like a zombie most of the time, was actually more animated in this movie than in other films he’s done, but unfortunately even the supremely talented Witherspoon couldn’t turn this pretty lump into a great screen lover, and that is a pure shame because she certainly brings the heat.

I blame a lot of what’s wrong with “Water For Elephants” on director Lawrence who paints pretty pictures, and pretty leading characters, but appears to hate the circus and its performers. He clumsily emphasizes the ugliness of everything and concentrates on filling it with moments of unflinching violence. He should have toned it down and spent more time on the show’s performers who were virtually ignored.

You should however enjoy this film. It’s a trip back in time with interesting characters at a place we haven’t seen on screen in a very long time. I suggest you take your best girl to this one, despite the flaws she’ll love it, especially if she’s read the book.

“It’s especially important that students from Hailsham never smoke”

The H-Bomb: On the surface, Hailsham seems like a typical English boarding school. The students that attend Hailsham seem like typical boys and girls. They run, they play, they attend their classes, and they’re taught to become very obedient. This includes obeying instructions to never leave the school grounds, even to fetch a ball that flew over the fence. They’re also taught to keep themselves healthy and in perfect physical condition. “It’s especially important that students from Hailsham never smoke,” they’re told by the school’s head mistress, Miss Emily (Charlotte Rampling). The students never question that nor anything else she says. To them, this is all typical.

Except it’s not, just as the students at Hailsham are not typical, nor will they grow up to have typical lives. In the 1950′s, science has perfected the art of transplanting vital organs, thus being able to cure previously incurable diseases, thereby extending the average human lifespan to over 100 years. This is all well and good, except these healthy replacement organs have to come from somewhere.

That’s where the children from Hailsham and other schools like it come in. They are people who are cloned (the film never uses this term, but it’s implied) to become “Donors.” They’re raised separately from the rest of society, closely monitored, and when they reach early adulthood, they begin their donations. Donors never live to the age of 30, and most die after their third procedure.

All of this makes “Never Let Me Go” sound like a rather icky Sci-Fi film, but it’s not. Yes, it is technically science fiction, but it’s look and feel is more like a moody romantic drama. It’s quite possibly the most un-Sci-Fi Sci-Fi film I’ve ever seen. The story revolves around three of these Donors, Kathy H., Tommy, and Ruth (Carrie Mulligan, Andrew Garfield, and Keira Knightley, respectively). The film traces this trio of friends from their childhood at Hailsham, to their adolescence at a donor-to-be residential area called the Cottages, and finally into their 20′s, where two of the three have already begun their donations.

Kathy has long been in love with Tommy, but he’s always been romantically attached to Ruth. When Kathy and Tommy finally reunite after years of not seeing each other, they then let their true feelings for each other be known, and they attempt to seek out the long retired Miss Emily in order to receive a deferral; a rumored-to-exist special privilege that allows donor couples who are truly in love to have a few extra years together before they start donating.

This deliberately understated film, set mainly in the English countryside, is one of the more provocative films I’ve seen in recent memory. It asks that same question that “Moon” asked a couple of years ago: what makes a human being human? That question is even more important here, since in this alternate modern society, there is an entire class of people who are not even regarded as human. The movie drives that point home in its most chilling scene, where a donor dies on the operating table. When the donor flat-lines, none of the doctors or nurses say a word about it, they just go about their business of removing the organ. Once they’re finished, they just leave the room without even bothering to cover the donor’s body, as if it’s just garbage being left for a janitor to clean up.

Another unsettling quality the film has is how accepting the donors are of their fate. They don’t challenge it, they don’t question it, for them, it’s just the way things are. Towards the end, two of the protagonists’ eyes are opened to the idea that it may not be right, but at that point they’re really not in a position to do anything about it.

The story does center primarily around a love triangle, which I recently lambasted another movie for doing (“Red Riding Hood”), only in this film, it was handled with subtlety and intelligence, where the characters and their emotions rang true. The fact that all three leads turn in fantastic performances helps, as well. Mulligan is low key but affecting as Kathy, the narrator of the proceedings who is slightly more clued in to what is going on in this world than other donors. Knightley, looking slightly de-glammed, gives an impressive turn as Kathy’s best friend/romantic rival. There is a tension between the two of them that is mostly unspoken, but clearly conveyed.

As good as the two leading ladies are, a special mention should go to Garfield, who is just shattering in the film. He was strong in “The Social Network”, and I’m sure he’ll do well as Spider-Man, but his performance here, as the unassuming and naive Tommy, provides the film with its most powerful moments. I can’t really get into these moments without spoiling things, but you’ll certainly know them when you see them.

Mark Romanek, best known for directing the excellent 2002 Robin Williams thriller “One Hour Photo”, takes an unobtrusive approach with the direction and simply lets the story tell itself. It’s actually an approach I wish more modern filmmakers would take; just set up the camera and let the script and the actors take care of the rest, instead of relying on flamboyant camerawork, over-editing, overusing post-production effects, and other gimmicky, distracting bullshit.

As for any flaws, the film is deliberately slow paced, therefore there are many out there in A.D.D. Land who will label the movie boring, but people like that are best left ignored. Let those mouth breathing dullards have their “Jackass 3D”. This is a film for people with brains, who don’t mind using those brains when they watch a movie. As for my own personal complaints, I for one would’ve liked to have had a better look at the rest of this alternate society, outside of the donors. As it is, we are only given glimpses.

“Never Let Me Go” is probably the best movie to come out last year that you haven’t seen. It’s an intriguing “what if” story that seems very dry at first, but becomes surprisingly moving by the end, albeit more than a little depressing, and, most importantly, it strongly resonates long after it’s over.

Surprisingly good!

Your Highness is a film, that one initially looks at and asks themselves “how the hell would that work?” Me being a part of that nay-sayers guild myself. I went with faith in Franco and the rest of the cast to push the movie in the event that everything else went downhill.  Well my fair ladies and lords this flick was great, but you have to have the right mind-set going in. First…supposedly, according to Google, the film is twice as funny if you see it as intended.  In case you don’t know this would be considered a sort of stoner medieval-comedy-fantasy-adventure …and the title’s pun is also evidence of this. Second, this is NOT a heart-felt comedy or anything of that sort. The plot is your typical border-line storybook chain of events. Prince finds love- evil wizard wants to fulfill evil prophecy- love gets kidnapped-quest ensues- heroes step in to save the day.

The element of the film that stood out the most was obviously the cast. I believe they went as far as including Natalie Portman and James Franco’s award titles and proceeded to add Danny McBride, whose greatest award to date is first grade president.  I digress, the cast was great. I really felt that everyone had a lot of fun making the film and they had great chemistry on screen. Danny McBride (See Pineapple Express or The Fist Foot Way) played the role of Thadeous. He is the younger of two princes, Fabious being the older brother.

Thadeous believes that he has his life set, and is kind of off-put that he really can’t be king…not that it’s that big of a deal to him anyway. He is an idiot and obviously a spoiled brat. He has a squire named Courtney who we will consider as his best friend. He has not done anything difficult in his life, yet. James Franco plays the previously mentioned, and so comically named, Fabious. You should recognize his from the Spider Man franchise, Milk, and from the recent 127 Hours, if not get out from under your rock! He is Thadeous’s brother and therefore first in line to be king. He has a great attitude about life and everyone in the kingdom seems to get along well with him. Of course jealousy spawns . . . but nothing dramatic.

On a quest, Fabious discovers a young woman who he immediately falls madly in love with, Belladonna. He found her imprisoned in a tower and she explained she had been there her whole life with no experience of the outside world. Think Ariel from little mermaid playing human at the dinner table to impress Eric’s family. (Yeah I referenced Disney AND WHAT?) This young lady I am going on about is the shockingly beautiful Zooey Deschanel. Star of one of my favorite movies, 500 Days of Summer.  The only role she plays in the most basic terms is that of the catalyst virgin; however, the movie would be different without her presence.

Now, enter Leezar, evil wizard of the prophecies and the fiend who imprisoned Belladonna in the first place from a very young age. He comes in and steals her into the night and into some wizard’s castle of some sort. Never did see where Leezar lived that I recall.  Fabious pretty much awakens to a quest and begs his brother Thadeous to join him. He has always wanted them to just be gay. The king demands Thadeous go on the quest or face banishment from the kingdom. Of course once word of Thadeous’s questing reached Courtney’s ear, he had already been shoved onto a carriage and the party had been on its way.

Don’t forget every knight has his squire, so Fabious brings along Julie.  Played by Toby Jones, Julie is the zaniest most hilarious character in creation.  He seems to be some kind of mini-magician in training and carries a suspicious air about him.  However, this causes Fabious’ right hand man to become quite jealous which is definitely going to lead to problems for the team. In one of their stops in the beginning of their journey, they are forced into a coliseum battle in “Martiti’s  Lair” and there they meet the fantastic Isabel (Portman), a lethal ass whooping rogue like character. From here on they venture together towards the same goal…sometimes.

The movie was slightly bizarre and actually really well done for a satirical film. I am back and forth as to whether or not the cast MADE the film…if they gave it that push that saved it from being a flop. However after much pondering, I don’t believe this to be the case. The cast has had similar roles in the past so that is one dynamic to look at in the movie. I know the movie, ebbing that it has this cast, might be expected to explore some kind of deeper meaning or a dark truth…or that it has  a major plot. Please do not expect anything like The Hangover, or Date Night or anything like that. I would categorize this particular flick among “Scary Movie, Not Another Teen Movie, Strange Wilderness, Dracula Dead and Loving it”.  It is a movie that uses the common idea and plots of the fantasy genre and balls it into one hilarious parody in which, if you are into fantasy like me, is so relateable that it literally hurts.

I am not saying the film has no plot, but it mostly is just there to call it a movie. The best way to describe it, and I hope this registers in your minds the way I intend it to. This movie is somewhat like pornography for your funny bone. No substance really, hell-uh funny. One thing I do promise you is pages of one liners that really hit home for me. Isabel is explaining about why she is on a  quest for revenge and mentions something about wanting it so bad.  She proclaims “revenage has been burning in her beaver ever since…” and just other small things like that push the movie to comedic greatness. They break the olde English dialogue for a “fuck” here and “fuck shit up/bitch” there. Though it turned me off and broke the whole “presence of fantasy” I thought it was odd enough to be funny and was a good addition.

So let me just break it down simply for everyone wondering if they should just see the movie or not. Ask yourself these questions. Have you ever played fantasty based games or read a book of the genre? Have you played any RPG games of the sort? Do you love James Franco/Natalie Portman? Tired of caring during a comedy movie? Is your idea of a good time a band of warriors battling a giant mystic snake monster together only to have to fight off the village that summoned it? Then this is definitely your film to watch!

Caught between a rock and… another rock.

The H-Bomb: Let me start off this review by offering a bit of advice. If you’re prone to taking outdoor excursions in unpopulated places, be it mountain climbing, camping, whatever, make sure you tell someone where you’re going and when they can expect you back. That way, if you fall and break your leg or something, you can be fairly sure that someone will come looking for you. Now, I know I sound like Captain Obvious spouting mere common sense, but there are people who somehow fail to take these most simple of precautions, like Aron Ralston (James Franco), the real life subject of Danny Boyle’s Oscar Nominated “127 Hours”, now freshly arrived on DVD.

Ralston is an energetic outdoorsman who goes for a biking/hiking/rock climbing expedition in the Utah desert, bringing along with him a day’s worth supply of food and water, as well as a video camera. After hanging out with a couple of hotties that he meets along the way (Kate Mara and Amber Tamblyn), he scales the inside of a narrow canyon, where with a wrong move and some bad luck, he falls and his right arm gets stuck between a boulder and the canyon wall.

Completely isolated, and, as said, without anyone knowing where he is, Aron spends more than five days trying to figure a way out of his predicament, all the while dealing with hunger, dehydration, and the immense amount of physical pain that he is in. He tries chipping away at the boulder with his cheap knife and making a pulley to dislodge the boulder. All to no avail. Finally he comes to the realization that in order to get out of this, he is going to have to choose between life and limb.

For me, this film served as a sobering reminder as to why I’m strictly an indoors kind of guy. As much as I would enjoy taking free spirited adventures like the ones our protagonist indulges in, I know that it is absolutely not worth the risk of irreversible disaster that could come of it. And if I was ever stuck in a situation like Aron’s, if I had to choose between my life or one of my limbs, I don’t know if I’d have the will or the pain threshold to do what needs to be done.

Much like another film I checked out recently, “Buried”, “127 Hours” involves a character who is trapped in a confined space for most of the movie. And also like “Buried”, this film is engrossing and never at any point becomes boring, thanks to some slick direction, brisk pacing, and a solid, engaging performance by the lead actor. Unlike the previous film, which never left its very claustrophobic setting, this one does leave the trapped space, showing flashbacks of Aron reflecting on past events of his life, such as; quality time with his father (Treat Williams, seen in a few fleeting moments), wild college parties, and an intimate encounter with his former girlfriend.

These scenes, along with the natural sense of humor of the main character, make this somewhat easier to take than “Buried”, which is relentlessly bleak from beginning to end. However, while that might make “127 Hours” lighter going, it doesn’t at all make it light going. Thanks mainly to Franco’s performance, we are made to feel Aron’s inner panic and despair. There are many points where we, had the resolution of the story not been common knowledge, would feel the hopelessness of this decent, life loving man being defeated by nature and being dealt a fate he didn’t deserve.

Because most of us know the outcome of the story, one would think it would dilute the impact of its drama. But it doesn’t, because Franco and the storytelling are so strong. Scenes like the one where he’s amusing himself with his camcorder in order to keep his spirits up and sanity intact, and where he addresses his mother and father when he feels all hope is lost are undeniably powerful. And the sequence where he finally goes through with what he knew all along he had to do to free himself is absolutely grueling.

Franco has proven himself to be a skilled and versatile thespian in past performances, but here he truly gives it his all like he never has before, and I think he really deserved his Oscar nomination. That’s not to say he deserved to win, but he definitely did deserve the nod, and I think he’ll be collecting his own little golden bald man before much longer, anyway.

British filmmaker Boyle is an interesting case in that his style is unique and distinctive, yet he’s very versatile when it comes to the projects that he chooses. He’s done druggie dramas, he’s done horror, he’s done sci-fi, he’s done underdog (or slumdog) stories, and now he tackles a survival movie. It’s a new genre for him, yet he brings that same vibrant, hyperkinetic style he uses in all his films, and again, it works completely to the movie’s advantage. Using split screen, montages, and his typical visual flair, he keeps us invested in Aron’s dilemma and on the edge of our seats. I believe Boyle simply is incapable of making a dull film, his aesthetic simply won’t allow it, no matter what kind of restraints the material may put on him. To me, this movie is proof of that. And, as with every Danny Boyle film, the soundtrack kicks ass.

Thinking about it, I really regret not catching this one in theaters, as I think that I would have found it, with Boyle’s amazing visuals and Franco’s wrenching performance, even more powerful on the big screen (though it does look bitchin‘ on Blu-Ray). Trust me, folks, “127 Hours” got a Best Picture nomination for a reason. It’s a terrific, riveting film about a man’s will to survive, and I can‘t recommend it enough.

Full of action and wit, Rango delights with western-movie nostalgia with a modern day twist. A chameleon that aspires to be a swashbuckling hero finds himself in a Western town plagued by bandits and is forced to literally play the role in order to protect it.

Written by John Logan
Directed by Gore Verbinski

The film opens with a mariachi band of owls as the narrators, which immediately made me nervous that this could be similar to the awful Legend of the Guardian’s film. Fortunately, there is only one comparison- the gritty animation.

Rango is a fascinating tale of a small chameleon unexpectedly tossed from his small theatrical glass box into the dessert. This is no ordinary lizard- for he is an aspiring thespian. Once thrust upon a small town in the desert “Dirt,” Rango is now free to become the character of his choosing. He decides to dazzle his new found desert friends with tales of danger and adventure, and reinvents himself to be the rough riding cowboy from the far west.

There’s a hilarious scene where Rango accidentally sets fire to the town’s bully by the name of Bad Bill, and somehow manages to pull off the tough guy image. He lies his way into becoming the Town’s new hero and Sheriff. Things go well for a short time- but when someone steals the town’s water supply, his true heroism is put to the test. Rango tangles with a hawk, a terrifying rattler, and a battalion of bat riding mole-rats. The story is surprising, and the writing is incredibly creative, with inventive dialogue and witty humor. Johnny Depp’s personality shines through the little lizard in a way that parallels the eccentric Jack Sparrow. The movie posters tout “Johnny Depp IS Rango.” And they’re right.  This colorful character was playful and childlike- and he accomplishes this purely through his voice.

Isla Fisher voices the strong-willed lizard named Beans, who is determined to keep her father’s ranch, currently sought after by the Town’s mayor for his own financial gain. Beans suffers from an overactive spastic lizard “freeze”, which is a defense mechanism all lizards have, however Bean’s seems to occur randomly and in mid-sentence. This lovable lizard speaks with a southern drawl and piques Rango’s interest as they work together to solve the town’s water supply mystery.

I couldn’t honestly tell you that the characters were charming in this animated tale – in fact the astonishing realness of some of the creatures was at times very distracting. The close up shots of the hair on the mole, and the character’s rotting teeth sets this animated film far apart from Pixar or Disney animations with sparkling canines. The town is full of dusty dessert creatures; reptiles, rodents, and birds giving the animation a gritty sheen. The voices of Ned Beatty, Alfred Molina, Bill Nighy, Stephen Root, and Ray Winstone among others add depth to the solid animation and development of the characters.

While this film is fun for adults, I would strongly advise getting a babysitter for any kids younger than 10. The action and grit could be a bit much for younger children, and the scenes with the menacing rattlesnake are intense and could be scary to even an 8 year old.

Go see Rango- you’ll be wildly entertained!

Limacher Low Down: I saw the previews for Cedar Rapids and thought it would be the quirky, independent comedy that I tend to really enjoy; I wasn’t let down by this at all! Though it may seem from the print ads and commercials that this is Ed Helms next step into the leading man role, it was John C. Reilly who provided most of the comedy and once again shows how funny he is. I find that being from a small Midwestern town also helped my enjoyment of this movie, but it has laughs for everyone and tells a good story as well.

Cedar Rapids is a movie about a Midwest Insurance Convention that takes place annually in, you guessed it, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The movie starts off with mild mannered insurance salesperson Tim Lippe (Ed Helms), looking into his love life with his old teacher Macy Vanderhei (Sigourney Weaver), his boss Bill Krogstad (Stephen Root), and the people he represents. After a tragic accident to a fellow insurance salesperson, Bill chooses Tim to represent the firm at the insurance convention.

Tim arrives in Cedar Rapids and the first person he meets is Bree (Alia Shawkat) who asks him if he wants to “party” and Tim politely, not knowing the meaning of party, declines the invitation. Once inside Tim goes over his list of people to talk to and those to avoid. The hotel where the convention is becomes overbooked and Tim shares a room with one person Bill told him to associate himself with, Ronald Wilkes (Isiah Whitlock Jr.). Ronald lets Tim know, to save some money, he took on an additional rommie, a person on Bill’s avoid list Dean “Ziggy” Ziegler (John C. Reilly). Tim is hesitant of his newest acquaintance and Ronald and Tim make their way to the “Welcome Meeting”.

The meeting is over and Tim is working out in the gym when he eyes a woman working out as well, Joan Ostrowski-Fox (Anne Heche). After some good-natured ribbing by Joan, Tim meets the Head of the Convention, Orin Helgesson (Kurtwood Smith) in the locker room in one of the most awkward greetings ever seen! Tim, trying to keep up appearances, meets his new acquaintances at the local bar and as they consume shot after shot, Tim orders a shot of Cream Sherry! CREAM F’NG SHERRY! This is where the humor starts coming fresh in every scene.

Tim and Joan team up for the scavenger hunt and begin to bond. In one of the more heartfelt moments of the movie, Tim explains to Joan why he wanted to be an insurance salesperson his entire life. This leads us to the time where Tim truly bonds with Joan and his new found friends Ron and Ziggy. Ziggy pulls no punches about his feelings for Orin and tries to show Tim “the Path of Righteousness”. Tim later on makes what can be described as poor choices in hanging out with his new friends and may have lost more than just his dignity in doing so.

Tim gets an early morning call from Bill alerting him of how he is messing up his own life in just a few short hours and to do whatever it takes to re-earn the reputation of the insurance company. Tim, using some information he acquired, does the job necessary to restore the reputation of the company, but at what price? Feeling bad about what he has done, Tim decides to go to a party with Bree. This isn’t your typical “party” in any sense of the word. Tim finds himself out of his element yet tries to fit in. He calls his friends and they’re on their way to his rescue!

In one scene that was hilarious, Ziggy is making his way around the house to see if he can find Tim and in asking the girls sitting out back if they had seen him their response was “Fuck you Cop!” Ziggy delivers the classic line of “Watch it, Joan Jett! I’m not afraid to Fuck You Up!” The movie takes an unexpected turn here which could leave a bad taste in some people’s mouths, but being from an area similar to Cedar Rapids, it was actually honest in its portrayal as well.

Cedar Rapids has a heart and tells a great story using humorous one liners from the entire cast, especially Reilly, to really tie this movie together. Some may shy away from the style of humor used in the movie, but it is independent and a fresh take on something that never has really been tackled before. If you have the opportunity to see it in your area I say GO SEE IT! Unfortunately there is such a limited release of the movie most may be shit out of luck until it’s released on DVD. If you’re in the mood for somewhat raunchy comedy with heart, Cedar Rapids will fill the need!