UnclePaul

"Girlfight" was the talk of the 2000 Sundance film festival, winning the Director's Award AND the Grand Jury Prize. Finally it has come to a theater near you, and not a moment too soon. In an age where movies with young actors seem to fall into 3 categories (slasher films, gross-out comedies, or sappy 'boy gets the girl' romances), "Girlfight" is a refreshing change. And it's the best movie I've seen this year.

First off, this is not a movie about a female boxer ("The Next Karate Kid" meets "Rocky"). It's a wonderful character study about a young girl struggling to find her place--who happens to end up as a boxer. The film reminds me of "Boyz N the Hood"--a gritty portrayal of urban teens trying to survive in difficult circumstances. And it's refreshing to see well-written (not one-dimensional stereotypical) roles for minorities. Thankfully, there are amazingly talented independent filmmakers to create these films (first time writer-director Karyn Kusama for "Girlfight")--because the major studios fail miserably. Note for film buffs: Kusama 'cut her teeth' under director John Sayles ("Limbo", "Lone Star", "The Secret of Roan Inish", "Eight Men Out"), who appears in a cameo as a science teacher.

This film succeeds due to the great performances of the actors more than brilliant writing--this isn't a Cameron Crowe film where the young characters speak in beautifully crafted phrases. And the cast is uniformly excellent. Michelle Rodriguez makes an amazing film debut. Diana is a very complex character, and Rodriguez covers all the bases. Also, you never think you're watching an actress--you are watching a boxer. The hard work and boxing training are evident throughout the film. Calderon and Santiago do fine work as Diana's father and brother, and Douglas is great as a tough boxer with big dreams. Douglas and Rodriguez have some great interactions ("Life with you is war." "Maybe life's just war..period.") But Tirelli really shines as the kind-hearted Panamanian boxing trainer who's hesitant to train a girl at first, but ends up as a father figure. The interactions between he and Rodriguez are the best moments of the film.

While this isn't a movie about boxing, there are plenty of fight scenes. And they are technically impressive. I really liked some of the camera work during the bouts--especially the 'point of view' camera where you see the punches coming at you. And like I mentioned earlier--you're not watching a stunt double. Rodriguez does all the boxing scenes, and she's the real deal. The world of amateur boxing isn't glamorous, and this movie doesn't pull any punches (pardon the pun). But this is the world Diana chooses, for it's the only place she truly fits in. The physical nature of the sport helps release her pain and anger (though not all of it, as we see later in the film), and it gives her a sense of self-worth that's sadly been lacking.

With a small cast and a an even smaller budget, "Girlfight" lacks the polish and gloss of the other films I've seen this year. And it's still a better movie than all of them. Be warned: the dialogue is realistic, and it definitely earns the R rating for language.

When a TV show has a popular supporting character, the networks will attempt to create an entire show based around this character. These 'spinoffs' are often disappointing, perhaps due to the 'less is more' concept. In 1996's "The Nutty Professor", the main character's family members stole every scene they were in. So, the studio decided to make them the focus of the sequel. Unfortunately, I liked the Klump family better as supporting characters. "The Klumps" is funny and enjoyable, but not as much as it could have been.

As if the plot is at all important, I'll give a quick synopsis. Professor Sherman Klump (Eddie Murphy) is on the verge of an amazing scientific discovery--a youth serum. But his life is complicated by recurring moments when alter-ego Buddy Love (Murphy) takes control of his body. This is especially damaging to his relationship with lovely Professor Denise Gains (Janet Jackson). Sherman regains control of his body, but ends up releasing Buddy. He also begins to suffer some very dangerous side effects. Buddy wants to sell the formula and make a fortune, and Sherman wants to stop the side effects, marry Denise, and retain the formula. Through it all, the Klump family (Murphy x4) attempts to help him.

First off, Eddie Murphy deserves to be nominated for an Oscar. The Academy rarely recognizes comedic performances, and probably won't this time. But Murphy plays 6 major characters in the film, and no other actor will have such a difficult task this year. The amazing part is that you forget it's the same guy and stay focused on the 6 distinct characters. You will be amazed at how they interact with each other in the group scenes when you stop and think that they were filmed one character at a time! He certainly deserves major recognition. And makeup guru Rick Baker deserves another nomination (he won the Oscar in 1996). Jackson does fine (and looks great), though she's really not given too much to do. Then again, staying in character alongside Murphy's various characters was probably difficult. And she's accustomed to thankless roles--remember her work as Willis' girlfriend Charlene on "Different Strokes"? Comedian Larry Miller returns as scheming Dean Richmond, and has a few funny moments. But let's face it--this movie is all about Eddie. And I can't say anything negative about his performances.

There are many funny scenes, and the film is certainly entertaining summer moviegoing fare. But I thought it suffered under the weight (no pun intended) of the Klump family. Their increased role meant that Sherman and Buddy took a back seat, and they were characters I wanted to see more of, not less. Similar to the first film, there are some poignant scenes: especially between Sherman and Denise or Mr. and Mrs. Klump. But these few scenes are refreshing moments in the midst of too much juvenile humor. Maybe it's a sign of getting older, but there are only so many fart jokes and bathroom humor (literally, at one point) that I can take in one film. And "The Klumps" exceeds my limit. There are also many off-color sexual references, but their impact is softened by the fact that 99% of them come from Grandma Klump. She is an amazing combination of horny and ornery, but I would have enjoyed more of the ornery (her verbal battles with Mr. Klump are hysterical) and less of the horny.

I was definitely entertained by this movie, and I should be thankful for that. Most of the other comedies I've seen so far this year ("Scary Movie", "Road Trip", "Me, Myself, and Irene") have been very disappointing. Eddie Murphy's incredible work makes it worth seeing, especially if you enjoyed the first film. But I didn't enjoy it as much as I could have. Limiting the family scenes in the first film increased their impact, but expanding (once again, no pun intended) their role in this film made me yearn for less. OK, I admit it: that pun was intended.

After enjoying some 'juvenile/stupid/questionable taste' comedies like "Ace Ventura", "There's Something About Mary", and "American Pie", I decided to give "Road Trip" a chance.

AWFUL is the only word I can use to describe it. 1 star out of 4, due to the only laughs coming from Tom Green--and he's only in the film for 20 minutes or so.

It's like "Porky's"--a stupid story built for one excuse after another to see naked girls. There are plenty of movies with naked girls, why waste your time on a film with stupid characters who you don't care to watch?

Waste of a group of usually-watchable young actors. If you want an 'on the road' movie that delivers more than one big laugh, go rent "National Lampoon's Vacation".