New at BOP: Review: Matrix Resurrections Movie Review: Moonfall Movie Reviews: Scream The #1 Movie in America November Forecast The Many Saints of Newark October Forecast New Trivia Question All site updates Share & Save   Tweet Print this column

For people still anxiously awaiting There’s Something about Mary 2: Hall Pass

There was a time when the Farrelly brothers were poised to dominate the realm of Hollywood comedy for an indefinite period. When There’s Something about Mary became one of the least likely $175 million earners in the history of the industry, the world was their oyster. For whatever reason, they never capitalized on their position the way they could have. Yes, they had solid hits with Me, Myself and Irene and Shallow Hal, but There’s Something about Mary proved to be their last $100 million earner. After Undeclared was canceled and Judd Apatow decided he would rather make movies than unwatched television shows, he took his rightful place as the king of Hollywood comedy. The Farrelly brothers hadn’t even worked since their 2007 disappointment, The Heartbreak Kid.

Hall Pass was intended to be their return to prominence. While the movie is harmless fun for the most part, it was not a strong box office performer ($45.0 million domestically) and was not well regarded by critics either. Instead, it’s that dreaded comedy whose best parts are on display in the trailer. Other than that, it’s a somewhat funny film without a lot of impact. It will provide with nice entertainment some evening, but if you’re thinking that the Farrelly brothers are back and better than ever, they are not. There’s Something about Mary continues to be something of a one hit wonder for them.

For people who like gothic romance (which appears to be every woman I know): Red Riding Hood

Twilight meets Alice in Wonderland was presumably the pitch for this one. Its performance reflects the fact that people were less than enthusiastic about such a weird hybrid. Stealing one Reagen Sulewski’s best jokes, “I shouldn’t be!” is applicable here. Twilight meets Alice in Wonderland doesn’t even sound like a quality porn concept. And speaking of Twilight, the dude who plays Kristen Stewart’s dad in those movies is in this. I hope he plays a constantly confused police officer. He’s great at that.

Anyway, the one thing Red Riding Hood does have going for it is the cast. Mamma Mia! star Amanda Seyfried frontlines while Gary Oldman fans will be thrilled to know he is slumming in this as well. Reviews are a hodge podge of okay to less than okay, meaning that this movie is squarely in the middle of the bell curve. Personally, I always found the visuals stimulating, so I plan to watch it in a day or two. If you like Amanda Seyfried or love sick creatures of the night, this project is for you. Note that this description will largely repeat itself in a couple of weeks with the release of Beastly.

New releases for the week of June 14, 2011

DVD:

Battle: Los Angeles (PG-13)
Hall Pass (R)
Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son (PG-13)
Red Riding Hood (PG-13)
N-Secure (R)
Kill the Irishman (R)
The Concert (PG-13)
MOOZ-lum (PG-13)
Adrift
Alaska State Troopers: Season 2 (Not Rated)
Ambicion & Poder (Not Rated)
American Loggers (Not Rated)
Animal Adaptation (Not Rated)
Animal Builders (Not Rated)
Animal Commuinities (Not Rated)
Animal Defense (Not Rated)
Animal Feeding (Not Rated)
Animal Intelligence (Not Rated)
Animal Migration (Not Rated)
Animal Senses (Not Rated)
Bad Blood: A Cautionary Tale (Not Rated)
Best of the '80s: Knight Rider (Not Rated)
Best of the '80s: Magnum P.I. (Not Rated)
Best of the '80s: Miami Vice (Not Rated)
Best of the '80s: The A-Team (Not Rated)
Betty White: Date With The Angels Collection (Not Rated)
Betty White: Life with Elizabeth Collection (Not Rated)
Big Momma's Collection (Not Rated)
Black in Latin America (Not Rated)
Bob Dylan: Gotta Do My Time (Not Rated)
Bob the Builder: The Big Dino Dig - The Movie (Not Rated)
Brew Masters (Not Rated)
Bruce Springsteen: Between The Lull & The Storm (Not Rated)
Bunny Play Date (Not Rated)
Celebrity Bowling (Not Rated)
Chained (R)
Charles Bronson: Man With A Camera Collection (Not Rated)
Chatroom (R)
Classic Slasher Collection (Not Rated)
A Cold Day In Hell (PG-13)
The Con Artist (R)
The Dark Beginnings of Sherlock Holmes (Not Rated)
Deadly Dolls Triple Feature (Not Rated)
Dean Martin: Best of Dean Martin Variety Show (Not Rated)
Demon King Daimao: The Complete Collection (Not Rated)
Devil Dogs of Nam Collection (Not Rated)
Devil's Harvest Collection (Not Rated)
Dinosaurs: Perfect Predators (Not Rated)
Dr. Who: Frontios (Not Rated)
Dr. Who: Time & The Rani (Not Rated)
Dust of Life (Not Rated)
Fabulous Betty White Collection (Not Rated)
Fall Down Dead (R)
Family Collectors Set Volume 5 (PG)
Family Heritage of Hunting (Not Rated)
First Person Singular: I M Pei (Not Rated)
The Gallants (Not Rated)
Gerald McBoing Boing Collection (Not Rated)
Ghost Stories Collectors Set (Not Rated)
Giant Robot Action Pack: Crack & Burn / Root Wars (Not Rated)
The Glades: The Complete First Season (Not Rated)
Gordon's War / Off Limits
Groupie (Not Rated)
Have a Laugh: Volume 3 (Not Rated)
Have a Laugh: Volume 4 (Not Rated)
Haven: The Complete First Season (Not Rated)
Hero 108: Season 1, Volume 1 (Not Rated)
Hollywood Safari / Secret Of The Andes (Not Rated)
Holst: In The Bleak Midwinter (Not Rated)
House of Payne: Volume 8 (Not Rated)
How to Fold a Flag (Not Rated)
The Image (Not Rated)
Jackass 3.5: The Unrated Movie (R)
Joel Harper's Self Defense & Power Building (Not Rated)
Kassava Restaurants Jerks (Not Rated)
Kids 10 Film Pack (Not Rated)
Kingdom of War: Part 1
Kingdom of War: Part 1 & 2
Kingdom of War: Part 2
Kirk Douglas Collection (Not Rated)
Korea Collection
Korkoro (Not Rated)
La Duda (Not Rated)
Latina Novella (Not Rated)
Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen (R)
The Little Rascals: Vol. 2 (Not Rated)
Living is Winning (Not Rated)
LOL Comedy Presents: Edwin San Juan Pacific Rim (Not Rated)
LOL Comedy Presents: Pride The Gay & Lesbian (Not Rated)
Lord, All Men Can't Be Dogs (Not Rated)
Man v. Food: Season Three (Not Rated)
Marvel Knights: Spider-Woman Agent Of S.W.O.R.D. (Not Rated)
Measure Twice, Cut Once: Essential Building Basics (Not Rated)
Miente (Not Rated)
Monogamy (Not Rated)
The Mother of Invention (Not Rated)
Nature's Cycles (Not Rated)
Night Of The Living Dead / Eat Your Skin (Not Rated)
Norm MacDonald: Me Doing Standup (Not Rated)
Pastor Jones: Sisters In Spirit 1 & 2
Peanuts: Happiness Is... Snoopy's Adventures (Not Rated)
Piper Penguin & His Fantastic Flying Machines (G)
Reefer Madness Collection (Not Rated)
Revolucion (Not Rated)
Satanic Rites Of Dracula / Werewolf Of Washington (Not Rated)
Sergeant Cribb: The Complete Series (Not Rated)
Shot in the Dark
Spongebob Squarepants: Heroes of Bikini Bottom (Not Rated)
Sweet Karma (R)
Triple Hit (Not Rated)
The Uschi Digard Collection (Not Rated)
Vanishing of the Bees
When They Were Young (Not Rated)
When Zachary Beaver Came To Town / Undercover Ange (Not Rated)
Yes: Union (Not Rated)
Yo Gabba Gabba: Circus (Not Rated)

Blu-Ray:

36th Precinct
Battle: Los Angeles
Battle: Los Angeles
Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son
Black in Latin America
The Boondock Saints
The Cincinnati Kid
Dance in the Vampire Bund: The Complete Series
Dance in the Vampire Bund: The Complete Series
Demon King Daimao: The Complete Collection
Hall Pass
Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban
Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone
Haven: The Complete First Season
Heavy Metal
The Image
Insignificance
Johnny Mnemonic
Kill the Irishman
Kingdom of War: Part 1 & 2
Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen
Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen
The Makioka Sisters
N-Secure
Point Break
Red Riding Hood
Supernatural: The Complete Second Season
When They Were Young

Continued:       1       2       3