Prepare for the ultimate in hard-hitting action and excitement as four Kung-Fu classics high-kick their way onto Blu-ray High Definition as part of the The Ultimate Force of Four Box Set, arriving in stores September 15, 2009, from Miramax Home Entertainment. This must own box set includes stunning new Blu-ray transfers of the martial arts masterpieces Hero, Iron Monkey, The Legend of Drunken Master and Zatoichi. Experience each film’s dazzling fight sequences and death-defying stunts with truly immersive high definition picture and sound that’ll put you smack in the middle of the action. Each Kung-Fu classic also steps up on Blu-ray with slick fighting moves, including revealing bonus features that will take fans behind its production.
New to Blu-Ray comes The Ultimate Force of Four, a box set containing four films that should be familiar to any fan of the kung-fu genre. Included are Hero, The Legend of Drunken Master, Iron Monkey, and The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi. All very different films, but all are classics in their own right.
If you are considering picking up this set, odds are that you are already familiar with all of these films. Starring legends of the genre such as Jackie Chan, Jet Li, etc. these films are a great showcase for the amazing martial arts and stunt work for which they are known.
Unfortunately, the Blu-Rays don’t have all that much to recommend beyond the films themselves. This is a pretty bare-bones set, and if you are looking for deep insight or behind-the-scenes information, you’re not going to get it. They all contain some brief interviews, a couple of quick behind-the-scenes features, and that’s about it. The picture is good, but nothing noteworthy. They don’t look all that different from their DVD releases, and there’s really nothing new on display. Basically, you already know whether or not you want this set. You’re either a fan of the genre or not, and while it’s kind of neat to have all of these films in one place, there’s no real bonus to purchasing them in this box set.
Individual Blu-ray editions of these films will also be sold separately. The individual Blu-ray Edition of Hero includes a bonus Digital Copy (Please note: the Box Set version of Hero does not include a Digital Copy). Hero will also be available on a Special Edition DVD. Individual Blu-ray editions of Iron Monkey, The Legend of Drunken Master and Zatoichi will also be available. To experience Kung-Fu like never seen before with picture perfect quality and sound, buy one or buy them all this fall!
Participants even receive 30 hours of accredited class time that can be used to pursue a career in the culinary arts. On the fourth day of class, six teams have to beat the clock to create a three-course meal from scratch.
A Serious Man is the story of an ordinary man’s search for clarity in a universe where Jefferson Airplane is on the radion and F-Troop is on TV. It is 1967, and Larry Gopnik (Michael Stuhlbarg), a physics professor at a quiet Midwestern university, has just been informed by his wife Judith (Sari Lennick) that she is leaving him. She has fallen in love with one of his more pompous acquaintances, Sy Ableman (Fred Melamed), who seems to her a more substantial person than the feckless Larry. Larry’s unemployable brother Arthur (Richard Kind) is sleeping on the couch, his son Danny (Aaron Wolff) is a discipline problem and a shirker at Hebrew school, and his daughter Sarah (Jessica McManus) is filching money from his wallet in order to save up for a nose job.
While his wife and Sy Ableman blithely make new domestic arrangements, and his brother becomes more and more of a burden, an anonymous hostile letter-writer is trying to sabotage Larry’s chances for tenure at the university. Also, a graduate student seems to be trying to bribe him for a passing grade while at the same time threatening to sue him for defamation. Plus, the beautiful woman next door torments him by sunbathing nude. Struggling for equilibrium, Larry decides to seek answers from three local rabbi, none of which are able to give him any advice he believes to be of value. And things only get worse, because they certainly aren’t getting any better.
This movie on one level is an exploration of what it was like to grow up Jewish in the midwest in the late sixties, of what it’s like to grow up Jewish at all trying to find meaning in a world while following a god who has failed millions. A Serious Man is a brilliant dark comedy which will have you laughing out loud, a skilled character study filled with great acting, of a family in crisis, the moral decisions they face, and the funny consequences that result. The ending will have you talking about the movie after leaving the theater, in a confused daze. But that’s to be expected of a Coen Brothers film.
Richard Kind states, “A Serious Man is, I believe, how Joel and Ethan Coen view the world and ‘the human condition.’ It’s also a good yard about one very sad SOB.“
Disneyland Resort today unveiled a stunning new addition to its Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, including 203 new guest rooms and 50 two-bedroom equivalent Disney Vacation Club villas, the first Disney Vacation Club property on the West Coast. Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa immerses Guests in the magic of the Disneyland Resort by capturing the spirit of early California through design and architecture. Many of the new vacation villas offer Guests spectacular views into Disney’s California Adventure Park.
“This expansion reinforces Disney’s long-term commitment to investing in Anaheim’s Resort District,” said Ed Grier, president of Disneyland Resort. “Since opening in 2001, Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa continues to impress our Guests with its timeless sophistication and exquisite service. The new villas and hotel rooms will give more Guests the opportunity to enjoy the immersive vacation experience Disney is known for.”
The 2.5-acre addition to Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, which increases accommodations by more than 30 percent, is part of ongoing Resort expansion work. Currently underway is a multiyear expansion of Disney’s California Adventure Park, which will add new attractions, entertainment experiences and an entirely new 12-acre Cars Land. In addition, the Resort’s historic Disneyland Hotel also began a major three-year renovation last month.
“We are so fortunate to have a wonderful partner in the Disneyland Resort,” said Anaheim Mayor Curt Pringle. “Disney’s continued investment in Anaheim benefits the entire Resort District as well as the surrounding community. This grand addition to the city’s only four-diamond hotel will encourage even more visitors to come to Anaheim and experience a vacation in our great City.”
The Villas at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa mark the 10th property for Disney Vacation Club, Disney’s innovative vacation-ownership program. As with all Disney Vacation Club properties, Guests are able to experience the comforts of home, such as a fully equipped kitchen, living area, dining area, washer and dryer, whirlpool tub and other amenities, depending on the size of the accommodations. Guests can choose from four different room categories including a studio (sleeps 4), one-bedroom villa (sleeps up to 5), two-bedroom villa (sleeps up to 9) and the three-bedroom, two-story Grand Villa (sleeps up to 12).
“It is exciting to witness the incredible growth of Disney Vacation Club, because not only are we creating new accommodations here in Anaheim, we are creating new experiences,” said Disney Vacation Club President Jim Lewis. “Now Disney Vacation Club is part of the place where it all started, a place known worldwide as the Happiest Place on Earth.”
Other new amenities at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa include the Mariposa swimming pool, the Grizzly Game Arcade, a Guest laundry facility, two gas barbeque grills, the Paradise View Terrace on the 6th floor, overlooking the Paradise Pier area of Disney’s California Adventure Park, underground valet parking spaces, and an expanded Pinocchio’s Workshop – a licensed child activity center. The hotel now boasts 948 guest rooms, which includes 44 guest suites, as well as 50 Disney Vacation Club two-bedroom equivalent vacation villas.
Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa The only AAA Four-Diamond hotel in North Orange County, Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa is an architectural and artistic celebration of California’s renowned Arts & Crafts style of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
One of three hotels at the Disneyland Resort, Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa is home to the nationally renowned and award-winning Napa Rose restaurant, where Wine Country cuisine tempts taste buds and expert sommeliers help Guests make selections from one of the world’s finest collections of California wines. The nearby Storytellers Cafe lets kids and adults alike enjoy a dining experience that only Disney can do, complete with an array of popular Disney characters. These dining experiences, coupled with a luxury spa, onsite shopping and other amenities, helped the hotel earn the No. 3 spot on Travel & Leisure Family magazine’s list of the top family-friendly resort destinations.
Disney Vacation Club Disney Vacation Club is a vacation-ownership program that helps families enjoy flexibility and savings on vacations for decades to come. By purchasing a real estate interest in a Disney Vacation Club resort, families enjoy memorable vacations at Disney destinations worldwide as well as more than 500 other popular Member Getaways vacation locations around the globe.
Disney Vacation Club, currently celebrating its milestone 18th anniversary, has grown to serve more than 420,000 individual members from approximately 100 countries and all 50 states. The expansion project marks the latest growth for Disney Vacation Club, which recently opened Kidani Village, part of the popular Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge at the Walt Disney World Resort. Plus, plans are underway to open Disney’s family-friendly mixed-use resort in Hawaii, which is scheduled to include 350 traditional hotel rooms and 481 Disney Vacation Club villas built on 21 acres of oceanfront property on the island of O‘ahu. For more information please visit www.disneyvacationclub.com.
Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa is expanding with 203 additional hotel rooms and 50 new Vacation Club Villas. The hotel rooms will be located in a newly constructed wing that features spectacular views of Disney’s California Adventure. The new wing also will be home to the Villas at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, consisting of 50 units that will be the first Disney Vacation Club Resort offering on the West Coast. Several unit types are offered: studios, one-bedroom, two-bedroom and three-bedroom Grand Villas.
It’s a shame that Paul Blart came out the same year as Jody Hill’s darkly funny film, Observe and Report. Unfortunately, this film will always be referred to as “that other mall cop movie,” and it deserves better than that. While Paul Blart featured a mall cop who took too much pride in his job, Observe and Report features a mall cop who has too much pride in himself. As played by Seth Rogen, Ronnie Barnhardt is a delusional egotist relishing in his perceived importance. The humor of the story comes from the contrast between the way Barnhardt sees himself in the world, and the way the audience sees the sad reality of his situation. As stated above, the humor in this movie is really dark. It’s hard to identify with such an unlikable character, and while this movie isn’t for everybody, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Barnhardt himself is, in essence, one of the villains of the film. When a flasher targets Brandi, an employee in cosmetics, he takes it upon himself to become her protector. In doing so, he ends up practically stalking her. Anna Farris plays Brandi as a drunken, obnoxious party girl, and is almost as unlikable as he is.
It’s a fascinating approach to a comedy, making every character so unsympathetic. There really is no rooting interest in the film beyond Nell, a potential love interest working in the food court. Nell is the only genuinely nice person in the film, and for some inexplicable reason, she has a crush on Barnhardt. However, his obsession with Brandi makes him oblivious.
Ray Liotta also stands out as a detective named Harrison, brought in to investigate a series of robberies that have taken place. Of course, he instantly clashes with Barnhardt. Feeling just as important than Harrison, if not more so, the presence of this character only serves to height Barnhardt’s delusion, even inspiring him to try becoming a cop himself. This tension between these characters provides a great deal of the film’s humor.
This is not a laugh-out-loud movie. The humor is very situational and derived entirely from the characters. You will either buy into this violent, over-the-top world, or you won’t. It’s unique to find a comedy that doesn’t follow the same patterns you’ve seen over and over again. I never knew where the story was going, and was thoroughly impressed that the filmmakers had the guts to make something so unique to itself.
The Blu-Ray has some great extras that actually serve to enhance the film. The finished film runs 87 minutes, and it really feels as if there is a lot of missing material. The Blu-Ray contains much of this missing footage. Most of it is surprisingly good, and helps flesh out some of the characters and their motivations. There are some plot jumps in the film which this material helps to fill in as well. I don’t know why this was all cut, but it’s definitely worth watching. There is also the usual gag reel, commentaries, etc. All entertaining, but they don’t serve to enhance the story the way this missing footage did.
This movie contains a really talented group of people. Most of them have been in more mainstream films, and have proven themselves to be genuinely funny actors. It’s nice to see them stepping away from the generic stereotypical roles, and playing something with a bit more of an edge to it. Beyond the superficial similarities, this movie is nothing like Paul Blart. There are going to be a lot of people who really hate this film, and I can completely understand why. But if you’re looking for something a little different, and definitely not for the kids, than I highly recommend Observe and Report.
Cancelled after only two seasons, this show did not deserve to die. It might not have been up to par with the movie’s depictions of the Terminator world, but it was great television. Epic in scope, there was so much more story left to tell. Unfortunately, the producers weren’t given enough notice to craft a series finale, and left viewers with not just an unresolved cliffhanger, but a complete lack of resolution.
Series creator Josh Friedman did something remarkable. He took an incredibly iconic series of films and managed to turn them into a series with its own identity. James Cameron may have created Sarah and John Connor, as well as the mythology of the Terminators and the future war, but the television show managed to take those characters and ideas and place them into a serialized story that wouldn’t fit into the confines of a film franchise. Unfortunately, it also didn’t fit within a two-season television show.
Set in the present day, Sarah and John are teamed up with a female terminator named Cameron. Like in the second film, her Terminator was sent back to protect John. This was all established in the first season, and in Season two they evolve the story with the introduction of several new characters, including a liquid metal terminator named Catherine Weaver. Played by Shirley Manson (from the band Garbage), she is a fascinating enemy, attempting to put the beginning stages of the (inevitable?) apocalypse into effect. Her philosophical interactions with the character of John Henry (also from the first season) provide a greater level of substance to a show that tends to be more action oriented.
This season also features the introduction of a girlfriend for John. Riley, played by Leven Rambin, is a welcome addition to the show. On her own, her character isn’t that exciting, but serving as the plot device, creating a wedge between John and Sarah, she brings a lot more story to the table. This season really did seem to be more about story than before. We get many glimpses of the future, and as the plot progressed, it took our characters further and further from the standard locations we had grown accustomed to in the first year. It also took them even further emotionally. This evolution of the show ends up a huge part of the extras on the newly released Season 2 DVD.
The extras are all lumped together into one section called “The Continuing Chronicles: Terminator-8 Part Featurette Gallery.” This gallery is divided into categories focusing on the writing, visual effects, makeup effects, locations, stunt work, setpieces, music, and acting. It’s a great compilation of information that really gives a lot of insight into such a large-scale show. There are also commentary tracks on four key episodes, deleted scenes, a gag reel, etc. It is an above-average group of extras, and I am thrilled that they put so much work into the DVD release of a show cancelled before its time.
I really feel that this show was building to something great. I’ve watched the show since the very beginning, and although there was never a satisfying payoff, I’m glad I stayed with it. The episodes are still entertaining on an individual basis, and the stories and characters are still compelling. I really enjoyed revisiting the series on DVD, and highly recommend it to fans of the Terminator universe.
Two days ago, the third season of 30 Rock rightfully won the Emmy for Best Comedy. Today that award-winning season is available on DVD. A purely original combination of surrealistic situations and perfectly timed absurdist dialogue, 30 Rock is a comedic masterpiece. There has never been an episode that hasn’t made me laugh, and this season ranks among their best.
While the style of humor is completely unique, what makes the show work as well as it does is the “anything for a laugh” humor of the ensemble. While Tina Fey’s Liz Lemon is technically the lead, as the stories mostly play out from her perspective, every character plays a vital part in propelling the action forward.
Lemon is the executive producer of a fictional comedy show called The Girlie Show, and every episode essentially deals with her having to manage the over-the-top situations that occur between her eccentric cast and crew. Much like Jason Bateman in another of my favorite comedies, Arrested Development (RIP), Fey has the difficult task of playing the straight man while still portraying an eccentric character herself. She does a brilliant job of creating this balance.
Every cast member is fantastic, but there are standouts. Alec Baldwin and Tina Fey get most of the credit, but my personal favorite character is Jenna Maroney, played by Jane Krakowski. Egotistically delusional star of The Girlie Show, every moment she’s on screen is a highlight. She is completely believable as an over-the-top diva who doesn’t get the respect she feels entitled to. The show also features hilarious performances by Tracy Morgan as Jenna’s costar Tracy Jordan, and Jack McBrayer as starstruck NBC page, Kenneth Parcell.
Season 3 of 30 Rock featured a huge, over-the-top number of guest stars. Somehow, they managed to get Oprah Winfry, Jennifer Aniston, Jon Hamm, Steve Martin, Alan Alda, Salma Hayek, etc. This is just a partial list and none of them were brief cameos (Oprah’s was the closest). They actually played fully developed characters, with some of them appearing in several episodes. If I had any complaints about this season, it would actually be the over-abundance of guest stars. While they were almost all great roles, sometimes the sheer amount of guests proved distracting and made me wish they would focus on their own terrific group of characters.
The DVD itself is pretty well put together. My favorite feature is the entire table-read of the series finale. While I love the slickly produced behind-the-scenes packages included on most DVD’s and Blu-Rays, I also love seeing a naturalistic look at the day-to-day workings of a show or movie; something not being filmed specifically for the disc. While the table read doesn’t feature anything truly exciting, it’s kind of neat seeing the cast and crew just doing what they do week in and week out.
There are also several commentary tracks. Usually, I tend to dismiss these outright as self-congratulatory filler, but these stand out a little more than usual. They actually got several of their guest stars to record tracks, creating a fresh perspective on what is usually a fairly routine feature.
Also included are several deleted scenes, a too brief look at a sequence showing the making of a Muppet-filled fantasy sequence, a pretty funny video spoofing the Christian Bale outburst, etc. There isn’t a lot of insight into the behind-the-scenes world of 30 Rock, but this set focuses mostly on the fun of the show.
Far from your standard sitcom, 30 Rock is like a weird hybrid of Family Guy, Scrubs, News Radio, Arrested Development, etc. It’s entirely unique, and that’s why I love it so much. The Emmy’s got it right. The third season of 30 Rock is definitely the year’s best television comedy.
When you have hit songs and millions of screaming fans, what else could you possibly need? A TV show! Thus came Disney’s new series Jonas: Rockin’ the House, premiering Summer 2009, and released on DVD September 22.
Five episodes of the latest smash-hit Disney Channel Original Series are available on DVD JONAS is the hottest rock band on the planet! Band members Nick, Kevin, and Joe Lucas are superstar pop idols who tear up the stage, night after night, causing severe outbreaks of JONAS induced hysteria. But behind the cool clothes and sleek guitars, they’re just three boys from New Jersey. These ultra-talented brothers are also best friends and still live at home with Mom, Dad, and little brother Frankie. At school, they hang out with lifelong friend and style guru Stella Malone who believes fashion is the sixth sense. And when their classmate – and major fan – Macy gets uncontrollably excited around them, usually someone’s going to get hurt. These brothers are probably the only superstar idols who still have to do the dishes, but they know how lucky they are to be living their dream.
Don’t get me wrong, there are definitely enjoyable moments, especially because the boys are not afraid to poke fun at themselves. Kevin is the ditzy one, Nick is the brooding and poetic artist, and Joe is the love-struck leading man. Fans will enjoy seeing the trio’s real life younger brother, Frankie, appear in several episodes. The show also stars Chelsea Staub and Nicole Gale Anderson, along with John Ducey as the boys’ father.
The technical specifications of the DVD include Dolby Digital 5.1 & 2.0 Surround Sound, Full Screen (1.33:1), English only. Special Features include “You’ve Just Been Jo Bro’d: Surprising Chelsea Staub,” and two world premiere episodes: “Beauty and the Beat,” and “Cold Shoulder.”
Bonus Episodes – World premiere episodes on DVD, never-seen-before “Beauty & the Beat” “Cold Shoulder”
While the name leads you to expect a massive crossover between three popular Disney Channel shows, The Wizards of Waverly Place, The Suite Life on Deck, and Hannah Montana, it’s actually an episode of all three shows shot aboard the S.S. Tipton and glued together using the cast of The Suite Life.
Climb on board for fun on the high seas as three favorite Disney Channel shows come together in Wizards On Deck With Hannah Montana! The S.S. TIPTON embarks on a triple-length comedy crossover event when Justin (David Henrie) wins a Teen Cruise to Hawaii—and a chance to meet London (Brenda Song). Both Justin and Max (Jake T. Austin) do their best to win the heiress’s affection, while Cody (Cody Sprouse) tries to win concert tickets for Bailey (Debby Ryan), and Alex (Selena Gomez) accuses Zack (Dylan Sprouse) of being a prankster. Between the kids’ pranks (who turned Justin blue?!) and crazy schemes (Alex sneaks Harper [Jennifer Stone] on board to take her make-up science class?!), the excitement goes overboard when international superstar Hannah Montana (Miley Cyrus) checks in on her way to a sold-out concert in Hawaii. But when Miley Stewart (Miley Cyrus) loses her lucky charm anklet and her Hannah wig, are her days as the world’s biggest pop star over forever? It’s all here in Wizards On Deck With Hannah Montana with three times the fun and triple the laughs. Plus, this new full-length adventure includes exclusive behind-the-scenes footage, hilarious cast bloopers and more!
If you enjoy these three shows, then you’ll probably like the DVD as they stay pretty close to their individual formulas, but it’s interesting to see how some of the characters interact in a new setting and especially entertaining is when Alex gets stuck in Zack’s bedroom while Mr. Moseby questions him about the blue dye he found outside his room. The only thing missing is a little more interaction between the different casts. The writers also missed a big opportunity by not having Hannah and Alex meet, since Hannah’s pop rival, Mikayla, is also played by Selena Gomez.
Bonus Features Justin’s Award-Winning Essay – Watch the essay video that got Justin and his siblings on the S.S. TIPTON Teen Cruise! It’s A Suite Life Having Fun With Hannah & The Wizards – Hilarious bloopers and backstage interviews with the stars!
For the first time ever, Disney Cruise Line will offer Alaskan cruises during a four-month season of seven-night sailings aboard the Disney Wonder in summer 2011. Combining the natural wonder and adventurous spirit of Alaska with the unparalleled, family-friendly experience provided by Disney Cruise Line, the Disney Wonder will depart out of Vancouver, B.C., calling on popular ports such as Juneau, Ketchikan and Skagway.
Before and after the 2011 summer season in Alaska, the Disney Wonder will sail seven-night Mexican Riviera cruises from the Port of Los Angeles to Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlán and Puerto Vallarta.
“We’re excited to offer this incredible choice of itineraries for 2011, with cruise vacation options for every family – whether that’s outdoor adventure in Alaska, the beauty and culture of Europe, folklore and pageantry of Mexico or tropical fun in the Caribbean,” said Disney Cruise Line President Karl Holz. “The unique advantage of Disney Cruise Line is that we offer a customized ship experience that brings families together, while still catering to the personalized vacation needs of every guest who sails with us.”
Disney Cruise Line also will offer a number of repositioning cruises and special sailings in 2011, including a 15-night Panama Canal crossing, two 14-night transatlantic voyages, a five- and six-night cruise from Los Angeles to Vancouver, and Vancouver to Los Angeles, with first-ever stops in San Francisco and Victoria, B.C., and 10- and 11-night holiday sailings to the Mexican Riviera and the eastern Caribbean.
Guests will be able to book Disney Wonder and Disney Magic itineraries for the 2011 season beginning Sept. 28, 2009.
I’m sure many of you have seen the trailer for The Informant by now, but you may be surprised and a little disappointed if you show up expecting a film of the same tone of that snappy fast-paced trailer shown on TV.The Informant isa tame dark-comedy with many strong points worth seeing except do not plan on seeing something on the same caliber of Ocean’s Eleven as this film is more like Catch Me If You Can meets Breach.It’s smart, corky and witty.It’s dark, deceiving and intriguing.Above all it keeps the audience interested as The Informant is an unbelievable story based on a real man that turns out to be quite unpredictable.It will keep you wondering and second guessing until the credits roll.
Matt Damon did a truly unprecedented job playing the role of Mark Whitacre; a man that the audience truly doesn’t know.However, the viewer will start off with certain assumptions of the character, but will soon start to realize that he is unreliable.Whitacre is even the narrator of the film except he doesn’t really narrate.Instead he shares his thoughts during many transitions to let the audience know his current way of thinking.These are just tangents that don’t seem to fit at first and then slowly begin to come together as we find out more about the character.These tangents are said softly yet charismatic as if we are really getting a chance to get inside his head.
For example: “He seems like a really good guy.I hope he doesn’t mind me calling him Brian instead of Agent Shepard.Might even try ‘Bri’ out.”
It can be somewhat related like the previous quote to just absolutely absurd.Nonetheless, these read aloud thoughts help illustrate Whitacre’s inner thoughts, and it tricks to the audience thinking one way when maybe something completely different could be happening.
Mark Whitacre is a quiet family man that’s rising through the ranks at his job as a biochemist at agri-industry dominator Archer Daniels Midland (ADM).The company has a hold on almost everything you eat as their main contributor to ADM’s success is corn.As Whitacre explains, corn is a part of almost everything we eat.Whitacre is already extremely successful and knows he has a chance to make it big with the company.It’s when money begins to be lost due to a virus in a project he is working on when things begin to change for him.
Things start to go astray when he lets the executives know about a mole within the company sharing secrets and sabotaging his project.Quickly the FBI becomes involved and Whitacre decides to let the agents, played by Joel McHale (“The Soup”, “Community”) and Scott Bakula (“Star Trek: Enterprise”, “Quantum Leap”), know about an international price-fixing scheme taking place within ADM.
Whitacre foresees himself praised by the stockholders and the public for revealing the illegal activities taking place at his company not realizing that his job will probably not be there for him after everything goes down.In order for the FBI to take down these people involved with the price-fixing, the federal agents have asked Whitacre to spy on his co-workers.Without much hesitation, he allows wiretapping of his phone and recordings of meetings held.All seems fine for Mark Whitacre until it becomes clear that he has held back information from the agents.
You can probably read some more details on plot synopses online, but they may actually give away the main point of the movie.I’ll leave it at that.
This may not seem like a comedy by the plot of this movie.However, thanks to a fantastic script by Scott Z. Burns (Bourne Ultimatum) and a magnificent acting job by Matt Damon, this movie has subtle humor throughout the entire film.Matt Damon’s character is an out of shape, toupee wearing, unsure of himself well-liked family man.The way Whitacre acts in some areas remind me of his character in Ocean’s Eleven if that can help you picture it more.His execution of lines is very similar to that character.Damon really embraces every aspect of this character making him appear truly as a different person.
Of course this movie wouldn’t have been as complete without a great cast with such actors I would have never have thought would have fit in well.Joel McHale, who I have yet to see him in anything other than “The Soup”, does a wonderful job at being the down-to-earth FBI agent that can make laugh with just little changes in his facial expressions.Perhaps that’s just from seeing him so much on “The Soup”.Scott Bakula also is great as he portrays a very charismatic sincere agent that see’s only good in Whitacre.The duo had a great balance and had some hysterical moments while interacting with Matt Damon.
Other then the main cast, all supporting roles were absolutely perfect.Sorry if I use absolutely a lot, it’s practically Whitacre’s favorite word.His co-workers included such greats, yet never would have thought could be a good choice originally, like comedian Tom Papa and Thomas F. Wilson better known as Biff from the Back to the FutureMany of the actors are known for small comedic roles or are just plain comedians.They are a wide range of characters that when you see them all together they will just make you chuckle yet they fit the world created by the movie quite well. trilogy.
I wouldn’t say The Informant is slow, but it’s definitely a quiet movie where you are forced to just sit back and be immersed in the story at hand.One aspect that helps keep you in the mood is without a doubt the score.The music is kind of folky with bluegrass hints.Pardon me if I do not know the exact style, but it matches perfectly with the movie.It was a great direction for it.At times every movement is designated by a different note and will break to silence until someone does something else.I suppose this would be considered more of a synchronized score.
Mainly, I just really enjoyed the story.It’s quite fascinating.This isn’t really a subject matter never done, but it has never been done this way.The Informant is worth a gander and a must watch for the real movie lovers out there.
