“The Three Stooges”
If anyone could update the Three Stooges’ brand of violently stoopid slapstick for the 21st century, it would be the Farrelly Brothers. And while critics say they’re helped immeasurably by the uncanny performances by Sean Hayes, Chris Diamantopoulos, and Will Sasso as Larry, Moe, and Curly, “The Three Stooges” is ultimately a not-bad comedy with some decent gags and a little too much filler. In their attempts to save the financially-strapped orphanage where they were raised, the Stooges get mixed up in a murder plot and find themselves involved in a reality show. “The Three Stooges” is currently at 47 percent on Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer; check out some of the reviews here:
Rotten: “While a good part of the picture reached my submerged Stooges person and made him laugh, too much of it just didn’t connect at all.” — Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune
Rotten: “The problem is that you feel the Farrellys’ attention to detail may have gotten in the way of the larger mission — to create a workable movie around the central performances.” — Gary Thompson, Philadelphia Daily News
Fresh: “Don’t be a numbskull and write off Peter and Bobby Farrelly’s remake of ‘The Three Stooges’ before seeing it. This is a more than reasonable facsimile of the comedy act that launched 1,000 emergency room visits.” — Steve Persall, Tampa Bay Times
Fresh: “It’s a concept that shouldn’t work at all. But — who’da thunk it? — it’s better than a hammer to the head.” — Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News
“The Cabin in the Woods”
Plenty of filmmakers have attempted to wring laughs out of horror clichés, but critics say few have pulled off that tricky balance with as much energy and aplomb as writer Joss Whedon and director Drew Goddard have in “The Cabin in the Woods,” a twisty, gory, funny, and thoroughly original horror hybrid. As the title implies, the movie tells the tale of a group of teens who abscond to a rural retreat, where scary things happen; to say any more would ruin the surprise. “The Cabin in the Woods” is Certified Fresh at 91 percent on the Tomatometer; read what the critics have to say here:
Fresh: “A dazzling blend of scary movie clichés and self-referential callouts subverted by a mind-warping twist that the writers roll out slowly from the beginning rather than saving for a conventional 11th-hour gotcha!” — Maitland McDonagh, Film Journal International
Fresh: “‘Cabin’ goes beyond the parody of the ‘Scream’ franchise into darker, richer territory.” — Mary F. Pols, Time Magazine
Fresh: “Whedon and Goddard aren’t just having a fun little go at tired horror movie conventions — they’re trying to nuke the entire genre.” — Jen Yamato,Movieline
Rotten: “‘Cabin’ is so bent on switcherooing the heck out of us that it ends up resembling a TV soap.” — Chris Hewitt, St. Paul Pioneer Press
“Lockout”
“Lockout”‘s premise — “Escape from New York” in space – sounds pretty promising. Unfortunately, critics say while the movie has a few dumb thrills and a hard-boiled performance from Guy Pearce, it’s also silly and wildly illogical. Pearce stars as a disgraced government agent who’s tasked with rescuing the president’s daughter from an outer space prison that’s engulfed by rioting. “Lockout” is currently at at 34 percent on the Tomatometer; read what the critics have to say here:
Rotten: “Movies like this are supposed to be ridiculous on some level. It’s part of the fun. But, dang.” — Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic
Rotten: “At a certain point, the pic’s unpretentious B-movie style, like its generic and uninformative title, seems to indicate a simple lack of ambition.” — Justin Chang, Variety
Rotten: “Too serious to be a parody and too stupid to be a viable action pic, ‘Lockout’ floats like space junk in the final frontier.” — Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly
Fresh: “‘Lockout’ isn’t high art, but it’s ridiculous fun.” — James Rocchi, Boxoffice Magazine
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