The Naked Gun Evokes Belly Laughs

Years ago, the writing and producing talents of brothers Jerry and David Zucker and Jim Abrahams created the classic Police Squad series (only six produced), which introduced straight man actor Leslie Nielsen to the world of comedy. He portrayed Lt. Frank Drebin, a serious police officer who's oblivious to the silly antics and ribald humor happening around him. Somehow Drebin manages to keep a straight face and do his job. That is the genius of casting Nielsen who evokes the belly laughs because he has no clue. Now years later, the team of Zucker and Abrahams return with "The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad," and bring it to the big screen. I watched the movie with great expectation. I knew I would laugh and groan at some of the outlandish scenes and off-color jokes. The story is straightforward: Queen Elizabeth is visiting the United States, and Police Squad is responsible for Her Majesty's security. They unwittingly uncover an assassination plot. Lt. Drebin and his colleagues must figure out who is behind it and how to foil the dastardly plot. During the course of his investigation, Drebin falls for the beautiful Jane Spencer, an assistant to evil businessman Victor Ludwig. It is Ludwig's diabolical plan to use a hypnotic device on an innocent baseball player to assassinate the Queen. Along the way we are treated to Leslie Nielsen's deadpan delivery and one-liners, as well as scenes bordering on the tasteless. I don't want to give anything away, but I almost lost it watching one scene when Drebin unknowlingly left a microphone attached to his lapel while he visited the men's room during a televised press conference. Just trust me when I say that you'll leave the theater laughing.

Hairspray is a Fun Time

John Water's cult classic "Hairspray" was remade with budding young star Nikki Blonsky. A young woman who saw injustice and took it upon herself to change her part of the world. This musical was set in segregated Baltimore in 1962. Tracy Turnblad, an idealistic young high school student whose dream is to be one of the "Council Kids" on "Corny Collins Show," happens to be overweight and not part of the "in" crowd. When an opportunity presents itself to audition for the teen dance show, she's summarily dismissed by Velma Von Tussle (Michelle Pfeiffer) who deems Tracy's appearance and views on integration not compatible with WYZT station's views. Once a month, time is dedicated to the black kids to dance with DJ host Motormouth Maybelle, ably portrayed by Queen Latifah. Tracy befriends a group of black kids who teach her some new dance moves and ultimately help her to land a spot on "Corny Collins Show." Tracy becomes the hit of the show much to Velma's disgust. Velma wants to ensure that her daughter Amber is named "Miss Hairspray," the popularity contest to be held that week, and will impress talent agents from Broadway. Tracy sees how unfair segregation is to her black friends and doesn't understand why Baltimore simply can not integrate. She organizes a protest march calling in WYZT to abandon its segregation policy. Tracy gets in trouble and must hide out until the "Miss Hairspray" contest. With the help of her friends and parents, Tracy sneaks into the station and ultimately helps integrate the show. The good guys win and the handsome leading man kisses the plus-sized heroine. While the musical has wonderful song and dance numbers and many touches of comic relief, especially scenes with Edna Turnblad, magnificently played by John Travolta, you never escape the racial undertone of life in segregated Baltimore. Enjoy "Hairspray" for its highly entertaining talented cast, and appreciate the historical significance of its story.

A fun time at the movies with Shrek

I admit freely, with no reservations, that I enjoy watching animated films. I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm a 45-year-old female with teenage children who will sit in a crowded theater laughing, singing, or crying with young children who are not my own. Something about these films capture my fascination and attention every time, if they're done well. Nowadays film companies like Disney and Dreamworks produce scripts with subtle adult humor (clean, of course) or make references to events which children are not likely to grasp. I appreciate that. I recently attended a screening of Shrek, the latest by DreamWorks. It's just the kind of money I love to watch in the theatre with my giant tub of popcorn and large Coke. The story is based on a children's book by William Steig. A fearsome ogre's quiet sanctuary in the swamp is overrun by fairytale creatures who are banished from Lord Farquaad's kingdom. Shrek the ogre strikes a deal wtih Farquaad. If Shrek brings back Princess Fiona, who will be Farquaad's bride, then he will restore order to Shrek's swamp. Along the way an endearing Donkey joins Shrek's quest and becomes an unlikely companion. Shrek also finds himself falling for the Princess but she's intent upon receiving true love's first kiss. The voices of Shrek, Donkey, Princess Fiona and Lord Farquaad are Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz and John Lithgow, respectively. They're perfectly matched with these characters. The chemistry between Myer's overbearing and self centered Shrek is perfect with the manic personality of Murphy's Donkey. Murphy has played the humorous sidekick in several animated films, and he does it very, very well. Throughout the movie you find yourself rooting for Shrek and Fiona, while you boo and hiss at the evil Lord Farquaad. All the elements of a great animated film are present in "Shrek": romance, humor, the evil ruler, and of course, the happily-ever-after ending. You should willingly accompany your children to this film, which will become a classic over time. Laugh out loud or feel sad for Shrek. Whatever your emotions may be, this film is for the ENTIRE family. I think I enjoyed it more than most children!

Prepare for a Thrilling Adventure in Jurassic Park

"Jurassic Park" the movie is based on Michael Crichton's bestseller of the same name. Jurassic Park is the name of an amusement park in Isla Nublar which showcases cloned dinosaurs. The owner of the project is John Hammond, who is fascinated by dinosaurs, as are we all. His scientists extracted DNA from dinosaur blood found in mosquitos which fed on these creatures millions of years ago. Apparently filling the gap with DNA from frogs (I'm not a scientist, so don't ask me how this works) gives them enough genetic material to clone dinosaurs. Hammond decided to breed velociraptors, T- Rex, triceratops, and many others in order to create a dinosaur world where scientists can study them, but allow the general public a glimpse into their lives. But we all know that trying to create life, whether it's Frankenstein or dinosaurs, can lead to deadly outcomes. Hammond hires a reknowned paleontologist Dr. Alan Grant, and two other scientists, Dr. Ellie Sattler and Dr. Ian Malcolm to evaluate the viability of this dinosaur "amusement park." It will be a decision they soon regret. Before you know it, velociraptors, which are highly intelligent, deadly creatures are running amok. Security systems are blown and chaos ensues. There is an amazing chase scene with a T-Rex. The computer-generated images used of the various dinosaurs are so realistic. My heart was in my throat a number of times. It truly appears as if the characters are interacting with dinosaurs. The sounds and movements are so precise. You wonder if the heroes of the movie will survive the cunning of these creatures. It was highly entertaining to watch this edge-of-your-seat thriller. It also makes you realize that no matter how controlled a scientific experiment may be, there is a great risk that nature will take over and you lose control. I'd much rather see stuffed dinosaurs in a museum than one in "Jurassic Park." But for purely entertainment value, I'd highly recommend "Jurassic Park" the fictional movie.

The Sound of Music Will Always Warm Our Hearts

Over forty years ago, a beloved musical musical made its debut on the movie screen. "The Sound of Music" earned Best Picture, Best Director and numerous other awards for its beautifully choreagraphed, written, acted, sung, and filmed story based on the Von Trapp family of Austria. If you started humming "Do Re Mi" among a group of people, everyone will join in. It's just one of those universal movies which stay which stay with you forever and entertains generation after generation. It's a love story between a governess and her charges as well as a love story between a man and a woman set in the beautiful country of Austria. We cannot forget that throughout the movie we learn about the rise of Hitler's power and Austria's and Captain Von Trapp's resistence to this evil force. We care about the Von Trapps, and that's what makes this movie so endearing and moving. Julie Andrews is Maria, and I cannot imagine anyone else in this role. She has perfect combination of innocence, chutzpah, ingenuity and strength to win over her seven charges, as well as the stoic and rigid Captain Von Trapp played by Christopher Plummer. There are several wonderful scenes where Maria confronts the Captain as she advocates for the children's needs only to be turned down, but we see that his resolve is slowly diminishing. We are treated to so many wonderful songs, such as, "My Favorite Things," "Climb Every Mountain," "Edelweiss," and "The Sound of Music." In the end, we root for the Von Trapps to escape Austria as they flee from the Nazi soldiers. We feel terrible that they must abandon their home and homeland, but we leave the movie sensing that they're going to be all right. If Julie Andrews is there to sing a song in order to cheer you up, then all is right with the world.

If Ever a Wiz There Was

I cannot wait for my children to be old enough to enjoy viewing the ultimate classic "The Wizard of Oz." What a wonderful memory from childhood. I watched it every year on television. I believe it was broadcast around Thanksgiving each year. Now you can own a DVD of this treasure and watch it whenever you want. I just want to wait until the children are at age when they won't have nightmares about the Wicked Witch and the flying monkeys. I remember having bad dreams as a child. While I loved the movie, I would turn my head away when I knew the Witch would appear, or cover my ears so I wouldn't hear her cackling. She was truly evil in my eyes. But Dorothy was someone to admire. She had the beautiful hair and the adorable dog, Toto. And best of all, she had these gorgeous, shiny red shoes to wear. With the click of her heels, she was transported back to her real life among her family and friends. Dorothy may have been a long way from home, and seeking a way to return, she learned a valuable lesson about appreciating one's lot in life.
The appeal of "The Wizard of Oz" lies in its colorful characters, like Dorothy,Tin Man, Scarecrow, the Cowardly Lion (my personal favorite), the Wizard of Oz, Glenda the Good Witch, the Munchkins, Auntie Em and others. Dorothy had the adventure of a lifetime as she followed the yellow brick road to the Wizard of Oz who would help her return to Kansas. Along the way she met people who would help her achieve this objective. Who can forget the beautiful songs that accompany them along their journey like "Follow the Yellow Brick Road," "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," "We're Off to See the Wizard," and more. It's simply a classic and appropriate for most ages (except young children who frighten easily). You never outgrow movies with magical characters in a magical land. View it today, with or without children!

"Ghost" is a Beautiful Love Story

I love romantic love stories, so when I heard "Ghost" was a tale of love between a man and a woman I was all for it. It didn't occur to me that the "Ghost" referred to one of the main characters who ends up murdered early on in the movie. What a bummer. I love happy endings, which you could argue there was in this movie. But to me, a happy ending shows the couple riding off into the sunset. However, I decided to give "Ghost" a chance, and was pleasantly surprised. The premise of the story is one of greed and deception, which results in the untimely demise of Sam (Patrick Swayze), one half of the beautiful, loving couple. He was betrayed by his close friend and colleague, Carl, who Sam believed was a loyal and honest friend. Sam has the code to the accounts at the bank which Carl needs in order to launder money. A "mugging" occurs to retrieve Sam's wallet which has the code, but ends tragically. Sam is now a ghost and discovers that Carl is desperate to get the code and believes Molly (Demi Moore), Sam's girlfriend, has it in her apartment. Sam has to protect her but cannot find a way to communicate with her now that he's a ghost.
In steps Whoopi Goldberg as Oda Mae Brown, a "spiritualist." She is able to hear Sam, and he convinces her to help him protect Molly. Goldberg is absolutely perfect as the disbelieving and unwilling sidekick/partner to Swayze. There are some great scenes between Swayze and Goldberg as he persistently seeks her help. In the end, Molly believes that Sam is present even though she cannot see or hear him. There is a beautifully touching scene when the two say good bye. And of course,the good guys win and the bad guys lose. Despite the fact that Sam and Molly are separated forever, you walk away with a feeling that everything will be all right. It's worth checking out, especially to catch Goldberg at her best.