redneck-6

The other BMW films have been pretty entertaining for the most part, but the two things that have kept me watching have been the cars (of course) and Clive Owen as the perfectly cast driver who's cool under pressure. The director this time, unfortunately, tries to be too clever for the material and the result ends up failing utterly. To be clear, I enjoyed the (albeit borrowed) concept, but the delivery is horrible. A new BMW Z4 versus an all American muscle car down the Las Vegas strip at dawn? That would be very hard to mess up, and yet Tony Scott does just that. The result is a frenetically edited mess that's trying WAY too hard to be cool and hip when it needs to just rely on the cast and setup. Sure, it has its moments. The devil's ultimate defeat is a breathtaking stunt, and the cameo by a more contemporary pop star at the end is hilarious. Perhaps the next director chosen will have a more self-assured hand.

This is one of those rare sequels that builds on its concept rather than coasting on it. You probably know what to expect. A two inch high mouse fully integrated into a loving family who accept his presence as readily as the anonymous New Yorkers between whose feet the little guy speeds in his toy car. This time, the moviemakers focus almost entirely on the non-human characters. But the movie doesn't suffer for it, as the furry and feathery characters lead lives as complex and interesting as the humans (who still provide strong supporting roles).

The concept is outlandish, the moviemakers know it, and they're glad to let us laugh at the absurdity of it. But while they do so they're still building important details into the movie. An early scene where Stuart's mom graphically illustrates her squeamishness to the father about letting Stuart play soccer becomes important to a central theme of the movie later on.

Stuart's challenge is a bit more mature this time, as he is forced to sift through his feelings on friendship and facing what look like insurmountable setbacks when a small yellow bird literally falls into his life. All is not as it appears, however, as his new friend has ties to a con artist in the form of a falcon voiced menacingly by James Wood. Michael J. Fox (again pitch perfect as the plucky mouse's voice) lends a voice to Stuart that leaves no doubt he will rise to whatever challenge he faces. And Nathan Lane once again is the perfect voice for the more cynical of the two adopted Littles as Snowbell the cat. The parents do wonderful jobs as well, making clear within the same scene the dilemma of wanting to protect their tiny son while giving him room to grow. Stuart's human brother behaves exactly as you'd expect a caring older brother to. At times frustrated with the smaller sibling's needs and wanting his own space, but still willing to take risks for a little brother.

The subject matter is more mature and at times borders on dark, but its still a wonderful story for children. The movie is unafraid to put its characters in genuinely dangerous situations or tinge a scene with sadness. Yet in the end the movie is all about overcoming obstacles and finding the brighter side when things look gloomy, without ever resorting to cliches or preachiness.

This movie is beautiful to look at. Bright colors abound but never clash or overwhelm the action. The effects and animation are good enough that I was never jarred out of my suspension of disbelief. The scenes where Stuart takes to the sky in a sporty yellow biplane are a joy to watch for the freedom they embody (what child never dreamed of flying a toy plane through their home), yet remain an integral part of the movie.

After a bit of retrospection, I'd say the sequel is better to me than the original. The story is better this time, and its mastery of techniques both traditional and relatively new makes for an enjoyable experience. If you've got kids or are still a kid at heart, you probably won't be disappointed.

It's a campy mutant monster movie, you already know what to expect going in. The movie's production values are high enough to make the end product slick and entertaining, but the movie (wisely) never tries to elevate itself above its ancestry. The main characters are fleshed out just enough to make you hope they see through it to the end, and the bugs are just well rendered enough to allow your brain to suspend disbelief just enough to enjoy seeing the big CGI spiders doing battle with the humans. The plot, of course, practically writes itself once things are set in motion, and you can play monster movie bingo picking out all of the elements ripped from the films that paved the road for this one. My only complaint was that you didn't get to see more elaborate and varied deaths for the eight legged heavies. It was surpisingly satisfying to see one of them meet their gooey demise (a scene where they unwittingly attack a tanker truck is great fun), and it would have been more interesting to see them squished in more imaginative ways (cinematic ground that Gremlins gleefully explored).

So, not that it's really saying much, but this is definitely one of the better done campy giant marauding bug movies.