brentsbulletinboard

Heist movies - particularly those with a finely honed comic edge - have become one of the most popular and enjoyable genres in today's cinematic marketplace. And, when they're done right, they can be a lot of fun, too. However, to succeed as solid entertainment vehicles (not to mention works of good filmmaking), their creators need to combine their films' various elements with smart, savvy, razor sharp precision, something that director Tim Story's latest offering only gets down pat about half the time. When Zoe (Keke Palmer), a shrewd, scheming, seductive thief, hatches an elaborate plan to hijack an armored car for use in stealing the weekend receipts from an Atlantic City casino, she taps a variety of resources to make it work, including gathering inside information from a bumbling security guard/driver, Travis (Pete Davidson), during a convincingly staged romantic encounter that he believes is genuine and not the cleverly disguised ruse that it is. His ineptitude and naivete, in turn, lead to a daring, high-speed highway chase that results in the theft of the vehicle and ends up embroiling Travis and his seasoned partner, Russell (Eddie Murphy), in a high-stakes caper to swipe $60 million in cash. And, to ensure the duo's assistance, Zoe reveals that she has Russell's wife, Natalie (Eva Longoria), under surveillance - and under the threat of violence - if he and Travis don't cooperate in carrying out her scheme. By all rights, this might sound like a grounded premise for a film of this stripe, and that would have likely proved true with better execution in several key areas. However, as far as releases like this are concerned, "The Pickup" is, unfortunately, a mostly mediocre offering. To its credit, the film sports a modest number of thrill-filled moments, a fair amount of genuinely funny bits and some truly kick-ass chase scenes. It also features a standout performance by Palmer (who really deserves to get better roles than this), as well as capable turns by Longoria and by Andrew Dice Clay as Travis and Russell's surly, foul-mouthed boss. But the script needs some serious work, given its many plot holes, implausible story elements and generous helpings of predictability, many of which represent missed opportunities that could have been employed in making the narrative more inventive, unexpected and engaging. Then there are the performances of Davidson, who hands viewers yet another cloying, obnoxious portrayal, and Murphy, whose deadpan delivery often makes him look like he's sleepwalking through the picture save for a few over-the-top comic outbursts that seem incongruent and largely out of character. Admittedly, this offering generally improves the further one gets into the story, but it still comes up disappointingly short overall. With some precision retooling in the writing and more effective character development and direction for the leads, this truly could have been so much better. As it stands now, though, it's not only the casino that's getting robbed.

Try as some of us might to keep hard truths permanently buried, those revelations almost always manage to find a way to surface, often in painful ways that can leave us seriously hurt, stunned or embarrassed. What's more, those disclosures often emerge long after the incidents that led to these cover-ups, materializing at a time when we may have thought we were safely in the clear. But, when these secrets at last come out, we may unexpectedly find ourselves devastated beyond belief. And these exposés frequently occur at events like reunions, when entirely new perceptions about us arise in the minds of others, including longtime associates, friends and companions. That's precisely what happens in director Robert Altman's 1982 screen adaptation of the hit Broadway play he staged, the engaging comedy-drama, "Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean." Set in 1975 in the sleepy small west Texas town of McCarthy, the film tells the engrossing story of a reunion of members of a James Dean fan club held on the 20th anniversary of his tragic death in a car accident. The event is held in the local Woolworth's, a 5 & dine that's seen better days but that was once home for the club's meetings. However, as the reunion unfolds, it becomes more about the club members than the steamy teen idol who provided the focus for this gathering, and it ends up unearthing secrets that his devotees had long hoped to keep quiet about themselves. Their stories are told through a series of dialogues among the club members at the reunion that are intercut with flashbacks to 1955, right before Dean's death. This mix of present and past segments gradually brings to light the truth behind these revelations and how the characters deal with secrets that have remained concealed for 20 years. The flashbacks, ingeniously depicted through images that appear as reflections on a wall of mirrors along one side of the store's interior, metaphorically illustrate how the present is indeed an echo of the past, no matter how uncomfortable that may be for those who view that time of their lives as it's now being faithfully portrayed to them. This includes the recollections of two club members who were employed by the store (Sandy Dennis, Cher), the 5 & dime's holy roller manager (Sudie Bond), two out-of-towners who once belonged to the club and have made the journey back to their hometown (Kathy Bates, Marta Heflin) and a mysterious stranger who seems oddly and inexplicably familiar to everyone (Karen Black), a superb ensemble of performers, all of whom were in the original Broadway production. The result is a highly entertaining, if at times somewhat unsettling, watch that has become one of the filmmaker's best works, an admirable accomplishment for a picture that successfully made the transition from stage to screen without becoming forced, stilted or stagey. It also proves that "the truth will out," no matter how much we might try to hide it - and the consequences that can come from futilely trying to do so. Those who are unfamiliar with Altman's filmography should seriously consider placing this release near the top of your watch list, a picture well worth your time.

An old adage in Hollywood advises against remaking the classics given that, with few exceptions, most fail to live up to the quality of the originals. So it's always a pleasant surprise when a reboot comes along that defies the conventional wisdom. Such is the case with this wild, wacky, sidesplittingly hysterical installment in the "Naked Gun" franchise, the first since the 1994 release of "The Naked Gun 33-1/3: The Final Insult." To call this offering a remake per se isn't entirely accurate; it's more of a continuation of the franchise's mythology, even though it's also an origin story of sorts featuring the start of the legacy of Detective Frank Drebin Jr. (Liam Neeson), son of the late infamously incompetent but always-triumphant Detective Frank Drebin Sr. (Leslie Nielsen). As with this series' prior releases, the story here is basically incidental, serving primarily as a vehicle for carrying the endless stream of hilariously silly bits, sight gags and slapstick humor that have come to characterize the zany nature of these films. Essentially, though, the younger Drebin intrepidly, albeit it ineptly, seeks to solve the mysterious death of an electronics genius in a fatal car crash that's initially chalked up to suicide but that may actually be murder to cover up a bigger and more fiendish plot. Aiding Drebin is his trusty sidekick, Ed Hocken Jr. (Paul Walter Hauser), son of his dad's late wing man, Ed Hocken Sr. (George Kennedy), and the sister of the deceased (Pamela Anderson), a blonde bombshell femme fatale who frequently and brilliantly steals scenes with her unexpected but often-unassuming antics. While most of the gags land solidly and consistently (including some very off-the-wall material), there are a few times when the picture tries a little too hard, but they are far more the exception than the rule. Along the way, the narrative also incorporates nods to an array of other releases, such as the "Mission: Impossible" and "Kingsman" movies, as well as passing homages to its predecessor pictures. At the same time, though, this offering deliberately introduces aspects of the protagonist's character and back story that are all his own, efforts to clearly set it apart from predecessor films. That's smart filmmaking, to be sure: A picture that pays tribute to its heritage while simultaneously establishing its own destiny, a release sure to make series creators Jim Abrahams, David Zucker and Jerry Zucker proud of what their successors have produced. Much of the credit for that goes to writer-director Akiva Schaffer, as well as the undoubtedly influential hand of producer Seth MacFarlane, whose presence here may be somewhat low key but is nevertheless undeniable. Kudos also go out to the fine ensemble, performers who absolutely rose to the occasion when needed, vanquishing the doubt that many may have held about them before the picture's release. In fact, that could be said about "The Naked Gun" as a whole: I'll admit to having my doubts about whether the cast and crew would be able to pull this off, but they did - and skillfully at that. It's a genuine pleasure to once again see a comedy in a theater that actually makes me laugh out loud, something I haven't done to this degree in quite some time. So, to put it modestly, I guess you can probably tell I really liked this one.