X-MEN: THE LAST STAND
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of action violence, some sexual content and language
Released date: Oct. 3, 2006
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Mutants rock! Perhaps not as much as the first two movies, but they’re still pretty awesome in this third installment of the X-Men series. Wolverine, Storm, Rogue, and the others are back to defend the humans who both hate and fear them.
The mutants’ headquarters — the School for Gifted Kids — train mutants to use their powers for good, but the government sees their differences as a threat and want to “cure” them of their powers.
It doesn’t help that former teammate Dr. Jean Grey, a.k.a. Dark Phoenix, has resurrected after her near-death in X2 and now her powers are out of control.
Meanwhile, another band of mutants are determined to ward off the “cure”. The bunch: Multiple Man, Calisto, Juggernaut and Mystique are tougher than all the mutants combined.
When the mutants clash, it stirs things up, enabling the X-Men to show off their stuff (stabbing, slicing, crushing, freezing, frying, punching, etc.). There’s romance as well involving the mutant-friendly President and Dr. Hank “The Beast”, his Secretary of Mutant Affairs (which is funny to say and write).
This movie is entertaining, but has more of a comic-book feel than the grittier first two movies. It’s non-stop action with everything from cars to the Golden Gate Bridge getting tossed around.
It also brings up some valuable topical issues: How do we feel about people who are “different”. Do we have to give up our identity to “belong”? And why must we all be the same anyway? Okay, maybe that’s a little heavy if you just want to escape with a good sci-fi flick, but it does make you think.
And have no fear X-fans! Despite the ominous title, you haven’t seen the last of the mutants. Watch through the credits for a glimpse into the future.
THE BREAK-UP
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for sexual content, some nudity and language
Released date: Oct. 17, 2006
Rating: 2 Stars
There’s nothing worse than listening to two people argue, and that’s pretty much what Brooke (Jennifer Aniston) and Gary (Vince Vaughn) do for this whole movie. They start out cute and cuddly, but quickly turn into whiny nags. And no one likes a whiny nag.
Gary and Brooke meet at a Chicago Cubs game. By the end of the opening credits, they’re shacked up in a cushy condo. Next thing you know, she’s nagging him and he’s parked on the couch watching football games. So they break up.
Only problem, nice condos are hard to come by, and neither wants to give this one up. So they decide to live there together…only separately. You know, separate bedrooms, separate lives, separate friends…
Then she’s not sure if she really WANTS to break up. So she parades through the condo naked, hoping to get his attention. Make up your mind already! I won’t tell you whether her plan works or not, but let’s just say this movie isn’t predictable in a romantic-comedy kind of way.
In fact, it’s not really a romantic comedy, because 1) there’s very little romance, and 2) even less comedy. The best scenes are provided by the supporting cast.
Maybe Vaughn and supporting cast member Jon Favreau should have gotten together. They certainly have more chemistry than Vaughn and Aniston. Who said real-life couples are supposed to make movies together anyway?
NACHO LIBRE
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of action violence, some sexual content and language
Released date: Oct. 3, 2006
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Jack Black stars as Ignacio, a monk who works as a cook in the Mexican monastery where he was raised. He cares deeply for the resident orphans. Since he finds the food at the monastery terrible, he decides to earn extra cash to buy better food for the youngens. And if he can impress the lovely Sister Encarnacion in the process, that would be a big plus.
After noticing some Lucha Libre wrestlers and how much attention they get, he decides to become “Nacho Libre,” a masked wrestler who takes matches for cash. As it turns out, he has a natural talent for wrestling (and, indeed, Jack Black — who did all his own stunts — is surprisingly agile in the ring!). His training partner, Esqueleto, the Pedro of this movie, puts him through his paces, but not without inflicting lots of bodily harm during training sessions gone awry.
A major flaw in Nacho’s plan is that wrestling is strictly forbidden by the church elders at the monastery. So he’s forced to lead a double life, concealing his true identity with a sky blue mask and painfully tight wrestling outfit. For the first time in his life, he fits in and has something to fight for.
This movie has lots of butt-jokes, crazy stunts, and wrestling-ring action — all that fun stuff. It’s silly, funny and sweet. Jack Black is just a big kid in disguise — and a pretty comical disguise at that. And really, Jack Black in any role is pretty lovable, now isn’t he?
BONUS FEATURES: Behind-the-scenes featurettes, deleted scenes, Nacho Libre comic book and Luchador mask creator. There’s also lots of fun stuff, including Jack Black’s “Confessionals” (a bunch of video clips about the making of the movie) on the website, www.nacholibre.com.
