THAT RABBIT'S DYNAMITE: BEETLE'S REVIEW OF HOP

Right in time for the Easter season, Hop hops into theaters to fill that empty void created by the lack of Easter films found in cinemas today. While it is by no means a "great" film Hop still manages to accomplish what it set out to do, which was to essentially create a fun, enjoyable family film that celebrates the joys of Easter (mainly the wondrous joys of eating candy).

Hop is the story of EB (voiced with an undeniable charm by Russel Brand), the son of The Easter Bunny (Voiced by Hugh Laurie). He lives on Easter Island in a huge candy factory with his dad, some bunnies and a workforce of cute chicks (as in the fowl variety, not the girl variety) led by Carlos (Voiced by Hank Azaria), the main chick in charge of operations who dreams of becoming the Easter Bunny. Among the cute chicks one stands out, an over enthusiastic one named Phil (also voiced by Hank Azaria) that has a passion for music and dancing (he was one of my favorite characters). EB is the next in line to become the new Easter Bunny, a fate he is not too thrilled about. You see, EB's passion is drumming, and he's SUPER good at it and thus has bigger plans for his life that include more than just hopping around the world one night and delivering Easter baskets. On the eve of his coronation as the new Easter Bunny, EB flees Easter Island and travels to Hollywood to achieve his dream of becoming an all star drummer. Shortly after arriving though, his face has a nasty run in with the front of a car being driven by aimless slacker Fred O'Hare (James Marsden). After several hi-jinx he decides to help EB achieve his dream (if no other reason that it will get EB out of his life) and together they form an unlikely duo.

Russel Brand is great as the cute little bunny that effectively turns Fred's life upside down. He voices the character of EB with a good dose of charm, mischievousness, and innocence. James Marsden also does a good job with the character of Fred O'Hare. While he isn;t exactly sympathetic (I actually took the dads side, this dude needs to get his act together) he's still easy to root for and is a joy to watch on the big screen. His on-screen interactions with EB are believable and fun to watch (I'm a big fan of humans interacting with animated characters so I'm a tad bit biased), Marsden's reactions ranging from exasperation to anger to annoyed acceptance of his new unwelcome guest. At first Fred thinks he's finally cracked when he runs into the talking bunny, and he panics but as the days move on and the bunny fails to dissapear he grows to accept the fact that EB may indeed be real and not a figment of his imagination. Their antics together include EB creating mayhem during a job interview, performing for the Hoff, and evading the Pink Berets (The Easter Bunny's special guard who have been shipped out to find EB and bring him home).

While overall the film is cute and cuddly, there are some parts that detract from the overall experience. For one, the Hoff was not enjoyable at all in the film. I think they could have found another big name actor to throw in here that would not have acted like fingernails on a chalkboard. here he not only acts as a talent scout, he also doubles as a dispenser of wisdom near the end of the film (Please kill me). Another confusing thing in the film is that for a good while Fred tries to hide the fact that EB can talk (there is a clever ventriloquist scene that comes out of this), but eventually he gives up on this task. What's even more confusing is that no one seems startled to find a talking rabbit. Most's reactions to EB is essentially a shrug of their shoulders....it doesn't really make sense but if you spend too much time thinking about it you'll just get angry, so roll with it. Carlos as the films villain is sadly underdeveloped, and is given little screen time and the whole "WE'VE GOT TO SAVE EASTER" plot was met by myself with a shrug of my shoulders. Since I'm 20, Easter doesn't really excite me like it used to when I was younger, so the Easter elements didn't really do much for me. It was nice to have them in the film, but I'm just not a huge Easter fan (I must admit, I do enjoy the endless amount of candy consumed on that day though). Another problem with the film is that it kinda lags during it's second half when Fred and EB are together for most of the time. The hijinx helped to fill the gap and gave the film the feeling of an old school Warner Bros. cartoon, but for most of this part not much was really going on in the film.

The CGI found in the film is pretty superb. The candy factory where EB lives is fantastic and sure to drop any kids jaw. EB himself is absolutely adorable, even though he has a few human qualities he still acts like a rabbit should most of the time (Sniffing in new environments, etc). The human actors also do a good job here as well, and honestly I don't think the film would have the same spirit if they chose to make it purely CGI. I always welcome new CGI/Live Action films and Hop is no exception. It follows in the footprints of its predecessors while at the same time trying to learn from their mistakes (and it does a pretty damn good job). As a Human/CGI character buddy film I would put this above Looney Tunes Back In Action but below Who Framed Roger Rabbit, make of that what you will.

Hop also boasts a killer soundtrack that helps to make that film that much more enjoyable, with hits like I Want Candy, Dynamite, and The Anthem sprinkled throughout the film it's just about impossible not to enjoy the music selection found here (I even found myself staying after the credits to hear a short rendition of I Want Candy).

Hop tries to fill the gap left by the lack of any real enjoyable Easter films, and for the most part it succeeds. While there are a few bumps on the bunny trail, there's still enough to enjoy here that it's pretty hard not to be satisfied by Hop. There's really no reason to see the film in theaters if you're over the age of seven, so I'd say feel free to wait for it on DVD . Hop may not be the Easter classic it so badly wants to be, but it's still a damn good film nontheless.

3/5 Stars

BEETLE TAKES HIS DELORAN TO 88 MPH FOR HIS REVIEW OF TAKE ME HOME TONIGHT

Apparently the 80s is the decade that everyone pines for today, as can be evidenced by an ever growing amount of films that attempt to evoke the feel of an 80s film. There was Hot Tub Time Machine, Macgruber, and now Take Me Home Tonight.

The year is 1988. A young MIT grad, Matt Franklin (Topher Grace), is stuck working a dead end job at a mall video store when his high-school crush, Tori Frederking ( Teresa Palmer), unexpectedly walks back into his life. When asked where he works Matt panics and lies, telling her that he works for a high end investment company. This leads to Tori inviting Matt to a local party where he will have to upkeep his ruse if he is going to get with her. Along for the ride are Matts twin sister Wendy (Anna Faris), and Matts best friend Barry (Dan Fogler). Together, they rediscover who they are, what they want, and whats important to them on what will go down as the best night ever.

When the first trailer for this film came out I was fairly excited for it. I have always been a huge fan of the 80's. In terms of films and music the 80's was a pretty culturally important decade that gave birth to such hits as Back To The Future and Jessie's Girl to name a few. So a film that was trying to evoke the feel of an 80's movie was bound to gain my interest. The trailer promised us a wild ride set to some killer 80s tunes (although the song the film takes its title from was nowhere to be sampled in the film, what a waste). I can confidently say that this is one of the few trailers that does not lie to moviegoers, it keeps its promises (more-or-less) and is the first adult comedy that I can remember seeing this year.

The movie's focal point is Matt Franklin. He is a young MIT Grad who, afraid of making any commitment, decides to pick up a job at a local mall video store seeing it as the only "safe" option at the moment. He is afraid to assert himself and refuses to take any risks with his life, assuming that no matter what he does, his life is headed for tragedy. In short he is a scared, lonely little man (but aren't we all deep down inside). He is played by the always enjoyable and funny Topher Grace. He plays the role with his best "my life sucks" face on for most of the film. Some may find it annoying, I found it believable. His character has been presented with the problem of what to do after college, he is overwhelmed by all of the choices that are placed in front of him, unable to take the pressure he panics and shuts down. He definently is a wimp, but he's a sympathetic, believable one that's easy to root for.

Matt's best friend, Barry, is pretty much the opposite of Matt. He is unafraid to take risks, in fact, he takes too many risks. One day at his job at a car dealership, Barry takes a risk that does not pay off, loses control of his anger over the loss, and is fired. Spiraling down into a deep state of depression, he does what any 20-something year old would do: he drinks away his problems. He is played by Dan Fogler in all of his adolescent, coked-up joy. Dan does go overboard at times with his portrayal, thank god Topher Grace is usually around to bring him back down to Earth.

Matt's twin sister, Wendy, is in a committed relationship to her jock boyfriend who is dim witted and controlling. Wendy thinks she is happy in the relationship despite Matt's complaints that she needs to move on to something better. He knows she can do better with her life, but like Matt, she is afraid she won't be able to prove herself out there alone. Wendy is played by Anna Faris, and this is her first real subtle role. Like all the other characters in this film she does have her own laugh out loud moments, but for most of the film she is more behind the scenes. Only at the end do we really dive deeper into her character.

Tori Frederking, Matt's unattainable high school crush, has been trying to get a job at another investment company. Matt, afraid she won't give him the time of day if she knows the truth, lies that he works at a high-end investment company similar to the one she is trying to work at. Of course, his lie works and he is invited to a party she is attending later that night. Tori is played by the super-hot (even with all that horrible 80's fashion she wears) Teresa Palmer. Tori is the typical high school popular girl we see every day that each of us has crushed on at least once. Teresa Palmer perfectly embodies this character making us yearn for her while also sympathizing with her plight. She is so used to conforming to peoples beliefs about her that she has never found the time to be true to herself.

Joining the colorful cast of characters is Matt's father, Bill, a policeman. Out of everyone we follow in this film he is the most disappointed with Matt. It crushes him to see his son refuse to take any initiative and he has just about given up trying to help him along. He is played by Michael Biehn (most famous for his role of Kyle Reese in The Terminator). He is pretty asshole-ish at times, but he acts this way because he cares.

Take Me Home Tonight tries to be a raunchy comedy like last years' Hot Tub Time Machine, and while it definitely has some laugh out loud moments its still not as funny as other comedies of recent years. The film seems to be more interested in the adult issues it presents throughut the film, and surprisingly I'm ok with that. I love how the movie is truthful about how difficult life is after college, and I love how it creates believable real characters that have to go through these challenges.

Another one of Take Me Home Tonight's achievements is that it perfectly creates a great 80s party atmosphere throughout the film and succeeds in making us feel like we are attending said party. Included in the party we are attending is a great 80's dance-off, an impromptu fight, a bathroom hook-up, and some coke-addled nonsense. In short, it's everything a great party should be.

In fact, one of the weirdest things about Take Me Home Tonight, is it's not really made for people that would have lived through the 80s, it's actually more for the 20-somethings of today (like myself). It's another piece of the puzzle that doesn't quite make sense, but still....whatever, you know...I've given up trying to make sense of it.

Although there really was no need to set Take Me Home Tonight in 1988, I'll be damned if the film doesn't take advantage of the setting to the best of its ability by throwing in a few nods to classic 80's culture. While the setting doesn't really add or detract any from the story at hand (which admittedly, is pretty threadbare) it does give the film somewhat of a nostalgic vibe. For me, any film that attempts to evoke the feel of a classic 80's comedy automatically gets a thumbs up.

Take Me Home Tonight somewhat follows the example of Hot Tub Time Machine. It's an adult comedy that tackles some pretty adult issues and also has a good dose of heart to boot. Don't let critics scare you away from what is sure to be one of the better comedies this year. Accept the invitation to one of the wildest parties I've ever been to, trust me, you won't regret it.

3.5/5 Stars

Be sure to keep an eye out for Michelle Trachtenberg as the hot goth girl at the party

BEETLE RANT: KIDS IN MOVIETHEATRES + RANGO REVIEW (UPDATED 7/30/11)

Yesterday I went to see a truly different animated films, believe me when I say it's nothing like you've ever seen before. It's a western thats animated. It's a western where the animals are the main characters. It's a western about the decline of the west and how people in those times that couldn't adapt were left behind. Quite simply, it's definently going to be on the slate for best animated film of the year. What film am I talking about? RANGO.

Now I came up with all this in retrospection, my reaction after coming out of the film was quite a different one. I was annoyed, angry, and tired. WHY??? Because, you see, Rango is being advertised as a kids film/family film. Now what does that mean, you may ask?? Well that means that a normally quiet theatre is invaded by loud, rambunctious children. Children were running up and down the aisles, kids could be heard laughing their tiny heads off at some of the more serious moments in the film (because Rango made a funny face, or walked a little funny, or said something that kids thought was funny). I had the misfortune of sitting in front of three of said kids. Of course, my reaction to the film was somewhat tainted by these little monsters, but I'll get to that later.

First, let us address the issue of Rango as a kids film. Is it even a kids film? Well let's see: It's got mature themes, a pretty adult story, it's a western, it's got a menacing rattlesnake, and it deals with some pretty serious issues about dehydration, authority, and the need to believe in something. Does all this sound like something a five year old could fully appreciate? Rango is either the greatest kids movie in the history of film, or it's not a kids movie....PERIOD. That's right, despite it's cutesy trailers and Nickelodeon's producing it (Thumbs up to them by the way, They took a real risk with this film and it paid off. It's always great to see Nickelodeon stepping it up and allowing a pretty adult film to associate itself with their studio) Rango is NOT a kids film. Imagine that, an animated film that's not geared mainly at kids, how revolutionary is that idea??!! I look forward to a future where animated films can be made for 20-somethings and over and are not marketed at kids out of fear of stepping out of the norm these days and doing something different.For all of the risks the film takes and out of all the things that it decides to do differently, the one thing that would have really impressed me it failed to do...and that was market itself to its real demographic...Adults (and older teens to a certain extent). For some strange reason someone decided that Rango was a kids film/family film and was marketed as such (If they had actually taken time to watch the damned film they would have seen that it was a weird, surreal western and not kiddie fare). It also doesn't help that most parents see the PG rating and automatically assume the film is for kids. Either way, because of stupid parents and dumb marketing decisions kids flocked in droves like a bunch of angry, loud seagulls to Rango which brings us to my experience.

Let me start out by stating that this is not the first time this has happened to me. It's also occurred in films like Coraline, Gnomeo and Juliet, Beowulf, etc but to be fair these films (with the exception of Beowulf) were actually kids films. My experiences in these films were also not as severe as my experience in Rango was, as in that the kids did not directly distract me from the film itself. In Rango the three little monsters behind were talking from the minute they sat down to the minute they left the theatre. Now this in itself would not be enough to truly bother me, but these kids took the extra step. They would occasionally pummel the back of my seat with their feet, it was almost like they were trying to push me to my breaking point. It took all my self control for me not to turn around and scream at those little brats. As you can imagine, this easily took me out of the movie and distracted me from what was going on on screen. This is why I wish I had waited for Rango on DVD, where I could watch it in the quiet of my room. (As of 7/30/11 I finally had the opportunity to sit down in the comfort of my own home and watch Rango on my blu-ray player. Let me say it really is a magnificent, superb film that is required viewing for any adult. The animation is stunning, the character design is inspired and delightfully wacky, the story respects the western while also lightly satirizing it. Not to mention the main character of Rango is wonderfully unique. He is a wanna-be thespian that lives in his own secluded world, he is a lonely creature that doesn't realize how lonely he actually is until he is thrust out of his glass box. Once outside he goes through an identity crisis that lasts pretty much throughout the whole film. While Rango does have a few jokes that are aimed at kids, and while I do believe that kids could definitely enjoy it, that doesn't change the fact that a good 90 % of the film has references, themes, and jokes that will soar high above the little ones heads. by all means, watch it with your kids, explain it to them, maybe it will make them more well cultured, but that doesn't change the fact that Rango really is not a kids film in the end. I must say this is probably the best animated film I have ever senn, no joke,. If Rango does not win the best animated film of the year then I have officially lost all hope in the Oscars. 5/5 stars- Better than Sex)

Why do parents insist on bringing their kids with them to every film that is PG-13 and under? Are they too lazy to hire a babysitter for the night??? It's the same deal with TV censorship. Parents complain about content shown on TV, well guess what??? Maybe if you spent time monitoring what your kids are watching they wouldn't be exposed to all that nasty stuff that you complain about. I find it funny they complain about bad stuff on Tv and then whisk their kids out to see an R rated movie like Take Me Home Tonight( that's right, there were several 7-10 year olds in the audience to that film...and those kids were laughing at stuff that wasn't even funny). So the bottom line here is that parents need to be more active in their kids lives and actually think before they take them to a movie or let them watch a certain show. Don't blame the kids, blame who brought them to the theatre.

LET ME IN

Why does America feel the need to keep creating remakes of films that just don't need one?

I find it interesting that in my review of Let The Right One In, I comment that we live in a Hollywood that thrives on remakes. Everytime America sees a successful film, it feels the need to Americanize it. Let The Right One In was a sweet, different little foreign film that was a breath of fresh air and revitilized the vampire genre, bringing it back to its roots while introducing a sympathetic monster. America couldn't leave well enough alone and thus a remake of Let The Right One In was made for American audiences, this time named Let Me In.

Let Me In is the same story as Let The Right One In, except it takes place in America and the two main characters names have been americanized. In Let Me In we follow Owen (Kodi Smit-Mcphee) and Abby (Chloe Grace Moretz), two outcast 12 year olds that each have problems and issues of their own. Owen is dealing with some bully issues while Abby is dealing with some decidedly more serious issues, mainly that she is a vampire. Over the course of the film they meet and inevitably fall in love, leading to a dark romance.

The American remake differs from the original classic in several ways. First off, the biggest change would have to be that the film is set in the 80's. This gives the film somewhat of a retro feel. This doesn't add or subtract anything from the film in general, it's an unnecessary touch but a neat and welcome one nonetheless. The film also is more blunt about several things that the original was more subtle with, for instance the relationship between Abby and her adult guardian. The original was more subtle with the idea that the adult is Abby's lover. It gave you some hints and such, but never fully gave us any answers instead allowing us to draw our own conclusions. In the American remake, barely any time is spent on their relationship, no real hints are given (even though any intelligent human being should be able to assume things) and instead the film just drops the truth on the viewer well into the third act.

In fact, one of the things I liked about Let Me In is the time it spends focusing on the character of the adult guardian (Richard Jenkins). In the original you got a sense that he was reluctant, but in the remake it's more obvious that he has grown tired of guarding Abby and does not enjoy killing innocent people so Abby can drink their blood. He is on the verge of calling it all off and is disillusioned with the path he chose to go down with Abby. Even though he is given minimal screen time he is still one of the most intriguing characters to burst onto the American screen in quite a while.

Another welcome change is a new character in the form of a detective/policeman, played by the always superb Elias Koteas. You would assume he is suppossed to be a villain since he represents a force that would like to stop Abby but in reality he is just a befuddled, confused man who is attempting to make sense of the chaos that Abby has created (In fact, he has no idea that Abby is responsible and when he finally lays eyes on her appears to want to help her). He is a wonderfully tragic character that brings some more depth to the film.

Out of all the things the film does right, the thing it excels the best at is the character of Owen. For a film that gets several things wrong (I'll get to that later) it's a relief to see them get this part right. Kodi Smit-Mcphee is one of the better child actors out there, and manages the amazing feat of out acting Moretz in this film. He hits all the right notes with the audience as we follow his journey throughout the film.

With the Right out of the way, let's get onto the Wrong. Let's start out with the biggest sin the film commits: It fails to create a sympathetic monster in Abby. In the original she was a scared, lonely little girl that is terrified of what she has become and has to regularly resist the urge to feast on Oskar's blood (In the remake, her struggle to resist her thirst is reduced to one scene). In Let Me In, she is essentially an adult trapped in a kids body and seems indifferent to the murders she has committed. She is more intense and violent than Eli was and does not appear to regret the murders she has caused. She does not carry the same air of innocence or terror that the original's Eli had and fails to come across as sympathetic. The film aims to create a sympathetic monster but instead just creates a monster that we kind of care about, but not to the point where we feel compelled to root for her. Another addition to Let Me In are some fairly weak CGI effects that are used when Abby vamps out. The effects are obviously CGI, and only make the scenes feel more silly when that's the opposite of what the film needs. I was super disappointed with the character of Abby, she is the core of the film yet Let Me In fails in just about every way with her character.

Another thing the film does wrong is the pace of the film. Let The Right One In had a slower, more deliberate pace that slowly carved away at the viewer, having the effect of what is essentially a slow burn. Let Me In, on the other hand, quickens the pace a little bit and thus changes some of the tone of the film. The feel the film gives off is similar yet different to the one Let The Right One In had. It still feels sad, but the sadness and hopelessness doesn't cut into the viewer like it should.

People say the film is best enjoyed if you don't go in trying to compare it to Let The Right One In, and their right. Unfortunately, this is a remake so it's difficult not to compare it to it's superior source material, and when inevitably you do, it makes it all the harder to fully embrace this film. In the end Let Me In is not only a remake, it's an unnecessary one. Why remake a film if the original was already perfect. There was no possible way to top it, so Let Me In seems content with being the inevitable second dog. While as a remake it is fairly disappointing, as an American horror film it is one of the more different ones that can be sampled today and manages, despite it's numerous short comings, to stay true to the original vampire mythology and in a world gone mad with Twilight I suppose that's the most important thing this film does. In the end Let Me In, despite my complaints, is actually better than most Hollywood remakes these days (would you expect anything less from the director of Cloverfield?) and because it differs from the original in several key ways (Setting, Pace,etc) manages to emerge as its own film.

3/5 Stars

Likes- Change of setting, Change of time period, Elias Koteas, Owen, Adult Guardian, great soundtrack, car crash scene, Abby victim hospital scene

Dislikes- Abby, Pace of film, bullies, Abby victim hospital scene, CGI Vamp scenes, Adults seem totally clueless

THE RITE

The Exorcism genre is a flat, boring one. Occasionally you get a good, engaging one that grabs your attention and raises some truly troubling questions....and then there are times when you get this piece of crap.

The Rite is about priest in training Michael Kovak (Colin O'Donoghue) who is reluctant to accept the notion of God and Satan. He is sent to Father Lucas Trevant (Anthony Hopkins), an exorcist, in the hopes that Michael will be scared straight.

The Rite's 2 main leads are fairly convincing and both do pretty great performances here, if only the story of the film weren't so damn stupid. The first part of the film is fairly engaging and interesting as we get some backstory for Michael, but once we reach the 2nd quarter or so of the film it begins to fall apart before our eyes. Michael has to help Father Lucas Exorcise a pregnant possessed girl named Rosaria (Marta Gastini). For me, her possession scenes were the first time when I got a very bad vibe from this film. Compared to other exorcist films, the scenes here were tired, flat and failed to be scary. Marta is a terrible actress and goes over the top with her performace here. She's almost to the level of Looney Toons here with how much she overacts her slim role.

As the film progresses it continues to worsen until it becomes almost unbearably bad during what I suppose the film considers an "epic" climax (HA!!! Don't make me laugh). I'm sure most of you have seen the trailers so you know that Father Lucas gets possessed himself, but that isn't the main focal point of the film. Instead the film mainly focuses on Michael and never touches upon Father Lucas' possession until we are well into the 3rd act. The final scene where Michael has to face off against a possessed Lucas left me itching to get up and leave the theatre (the film almost beat me). Hopkins character becomes a 3rd rate monster that fails to scare or even intimidate, the CGI work viewed here doesn't help either (was it just me or was Hopkins turning into Kermit the Frog).

True, Hopkins and O'Donoghue do try to act their hearts out here, and for the most part they succeed. unfortunately the script is super-lame and; as I already mentioned; the story is stupid and cliched. When the stakes are inevitably raised we should care and want to see if Michael has what it takes to take on the demon...but instead we are left groaning in agony as every audience member checks their watches to see how much longer we have left.

In the end, The Rite is a film that doesn't even attempt to make an effort to be interesting or good in any way, instead choosing to fall back on the oldest, most tired cliches seen in just about every Exorcism film. Skip this one, and instead choose to re-watch The Last Exorcism.

1/5 SOME OLE BULLSHIT

RETRO REVIEW: FIRED UP

"You gotta risk it to get the biscuit"

Fired Up follows Shawn and Nick; two high school football stars that decide to ditch out on their usual football summer camp and instead enlist in a summer cheerleading camp where they attempt to hook up with every female there.

Fired Up is NOT a cheer leading film. It's NOT Bring It On nor does it resemble a film like that in any way, shape, or form. True, it does throw in a few cheer antics for the female demographic but for most of the film our focus is on Nick and Shawn and, while it may veer off into rom-com territory near the end, for the most part it is a pure guy comedy.

From the beginning of the film, which focuses on our two would-be girl obsessed heroes as they escape from the fathers of some girls they were planning on banging, we are quickly introduced to what this film essentially is: A sex comedy. The film is about sex, guys' obsession with the act and with girls in general, and the lengths guys will go to get a piece of the action.

The main actors that portray Nick (Eric Christian Olsen) and Shawn (Nicholas D'Agosto) do a pretty bang up job. They are perfectly materialistic and shallow but also pretty smart (You'd have to be to get away with what these two do), making tons of wise-cracks and observations about the new world of women they find themselves in once they enter the camp. They don't bother to remember girls names that they meet and look at women as nothing but objects to be played with and then tossed away when something prettier and more desirable walks by. While some may be offended with the two main leads, I personally loved the hell out of them. Handled the wrong way they could come across as complete assholes, but here they are lovably cool and funny. They work great together and help to raise the film up to a higher level here.

The script itself is one of the stronger ones sampled in a comedy. It manages to be surprisingly smart with its material. Most of the jokes manage to emit a genuine laugh from me every time, not to mention the numerous one-liners are instant classics, like the one seen at the beginning of this review which shall forever be part of my vocabulary till the day I die.

The supporting characters are ok, the most memorable one being Poppy (Juliette Goglia); Shawn's younger sister that has the attitude of a whip-smart sarcastic adult. Her first scene she is in is absolutely hilarious and most of the lines she is given are just as funny as her first few. She's not given much screen time but manages to make a lasting impression.

One of the film's only weaker points is the story. While the initial plot is pretty clever, the twist of Nick falling in love with one of the cheer captains; Carly (Sarah Roemer); and having to compete with her douchey boyfriend; Dr. Rick (David Walton, an absolute thick-headed treat on the big screen); is not. There are some good humorous moments that come from Rick's character and his pompous brainlessness, but in the end Nick's falling in love hinders the film as it gives a chance for the two leads to realize that they are just as bad as Rick and to change their naughty ways (GAG ME... I personally prefer the two when they are shallow women loving jocks...but whatever).

In the end, Fired Up may have a few misfires along the way to its satisfying conclusion, but that doesn't detract from any of the comedy found within the film. Fired Up is a real guy film that also manages to be surprisingly smart at times, quite a treat if you ask me.

3/5 stars

BEETLE IS PLEASANTLY SURPRISED BY TANGLED

Tangled is supposedly the last fairy tale film that Disney is going to make, and man, they really put this beloved tradition to rest in a beautiful way.

Tangled is the classic story of Rapunzel with a few twists. You can still find the girl with long golden hair that has been locked away in a tower by an evil witch, but in this re-telling her hair has magical healing powers that the witch uses to stay young forever. Also thrown in are a few new characters like loveable rogue Flynn Rider, the head horse of the royal guard named Maximus, and a cute chameleon named Pascal.

Tangled is by all means a "classic" Disney fairy tale, the last of its kind. For me, watching the film was almost like revisiting a part of my childhood that I thought had been long lost. True, the film is done with CGI, so there's one variation from the Fairy Tale tradition, but the way they use the CGI is phenomenal. The settings and backgrounds are beautifully realized, especially the floating lantern scene near the end. The character work is beautiful as well, for example: Rapunzel herself looks stunning when she is covered in water, her hair glistening and shimmering.

The main character of Rapunzel is absolutely beautiful to behold in every scene she is in. She's got a very soft face and a mesmerizing voice (performed by Mandy Moore) that really soars whenever she is speaking or singing. She's got an innocence about her but also has a feisty streak . Here is a girl that has never seen the light of day, and it's greatly affected who she is as a person. Her lone birthday wish is to get outside to see the lanterns that the king and queen release every year in remembrance of their lost daughter (ie: Rapunzel). She doesn't realize who she really is and the importance she carries with her until Flynn Rider (voiced by Zachary Levi) chooses her tower to hide in. She quickly gains the upper hand and is able to convince Rider to take her outside to see the lanterns, and that's where the real fun begins, but before I get into that let's quickly take a look at the other characters.

There's Flynn Rider, he's got a very Indiana Jones type vibe to him. He is a thief who's got an undeniable charm and confidence to him. There is never any doubt in his mind that he will get away with it all in the end, and he also carries the humorous belief that he is a real lady charmer. When he comes across Wanted posters of him he laments not that he is one step closer to being caught, but that they can't get his nose right. He is a real joy to watch in the film and makes for a superb contrast to Rapunzel's character. He is everything she isn't: he's very knowledgeable about the outside world and never doubts himself. When he first reluctantly agrees to take her on an adventure outside he tries several times to trick her into going back to the tower (and fails each time). He's one of those "I don't like teaming up" characters, and it's great fun to see his and rapunzel's interactions and how his character slowly, but surely begins to like Rapunzel.

Another charming character that easily steals every scene he's in is Maximus: The head horse of the Royal Guard. It is his personal mission to find Flynn Rider and bring him to justice by any means necessary, even if that means killing him. There are several scenes where Maximus tries to do exactly this by stomping on Flynns hands while he is hanging off a cliff, and by attempting to flood a canyon Flynn is in. There is also a humorous scene in which Maximus and Flynn face off with a sword and a frying pan. The film also constantly alludes to the fact that Maximus is smarter than all of the Royal Guard... a funny notion in and of itself. The film gains extra points by making Maximus a silent character, he never speaks a word but whinnys at times to display shock or anger. The interactions and feuds between Maximus and Rider are some of the best parts of the film for the comedic value they hold.

The film also boasts a memorable villain in the guise of Mother Gothel (voiced by Donna Murphy), the witch that has kept Rapunzel pent up in the tower for 18 long years (In the film Rapunzel is on the verge of her 18th birthday, thank you Disney, for giving us another hot princess that is basically of age). She shares an interesting bond with Rapunzel, at times seeming to genuinely care for her prisoner and at other times coming across as self-obsessed and sarcastic. She is filled with two-faced "compliments" and also has a great singing voice (nowhere near as beautiful as Rapunzel's though). Sure to remind most of Ursula (the sea-witch from The Little Mermaid), Gothel is yet another memorable character in the film.

The film IS a musical, and thats probably the only part that mildly annoyed me. Most of the songs are pretty good, but feel too poppy for their own good. Despite this, the songs are fairly memorable and entertaining, and the singing talent of Zachary Levi, Mandy Moore, and Donna Murphy are superb, so I can't really complain all that much about this. At least this marks another way that the film follows the Disney animated fairy-tale tradition and honestly, the film wouldn't feel right without music.

As I said before, the real fun begins once Rapunzel and Flynn Rider leave her sheltered home (her tower). Her reactions to what is essentially her first glimpse of the outside world are touching and believable. She rolls in the grass; running, playing and singing. She is well aware that this may be the only time she ever gets outside and she intends to savor every second of it. She has not seen much of the outside world, so she is filled with optimism and hope for it that affects most of the characters she runs into on her wild adventure (including a bunch of rowdy ruffians). Of course, putting a damper on the festivities is Gothel, who quickly grows enraged when she learns that her prize has run away for the day and gives chase after her.

The beginning of the film starts out with a surprisingly dark sentence that for the most part is unseen in most Disney animated films. It paints an overcast cloud over the proceedings. You never have any trouble enjoying the festivities, but are fully aware that a dark raincloud looms on the horizon. The ending that they chose for Tangled is one of the most beautiful, mature and perfect endings I've seen in a Disney film for a while (and I'm not just talking about the animated ones folks). The first part of the end is sad, heartbreaking, and perfectly shows the love that Flynn has for Rapunzel and the sacrifice he is willing to make to set her free while the 2nd part follows in the classic Disney tradition (ie: a happy ending).

With a mix of beautiful character development, stunning visuals, and a superb cast of voice actors it' pretty hard to find something wrong with this final entry in the Classic Disney musical fairy-tale tradition. It's certainly one of the better ones to be released of late (certainly better than last years attempt: Princess and the Frog). In the end, Tangled manages to hit all the right notes, sending this beloved tradition out in a beautiful and memorable way.

5/5 BETTER THAN SEX!!

Easily the best animated film of 2010