Summer movie blowout

Here's a quick recap of some summer movies I had the chance to see recently.

Hellboy 2: The Golden Army - in theaters now -

To complete my recent Guillermo-obsession, I saw the original and now the sequel. I enjoyed both of them a lot. Del Toro has a great visual style, loving the whimsical and fantasy but using it the right way. He also knows this series deserves a sense of humor, and it delivers. I don't know about the bad guys, but the heroes are great.

Wanted - in theaters now -

Another comic book adaptation, but this one is all flash and not much else. I like James McAvoy, and he does well as a loser who finds out he's actually special. This has some crazy action sequences, but it might have the most annoying script I've heard in a while. The dialogue and most of the story is grating, but the action pulls it out just enough for it to be decent.

Mamma Mia! - in theaters now -

N wanted to see this, and I can't argue with a rock musical. If you like ABBA, you'll like it. It's boisterous and fluffy without ever getting too serious.

The X Files: I Want to Believe - in theaters now -

A lot of people have been complaining about this because it's not very groundbreaking. While I do agree that it is mostly just a longer regular episode, I like that. I never thought they were great at continuing story lines; I just went for the freak of the week. This has some juicy developments on Mulder and Scully, but it's mostly just one more story of someone creating weird problems somewhere. Billy Conolly is creepy as a priest with dark secrets and maybe psychic powers. It might be a long episode, but it's a good one, and I was happy to see Duchovny and Anderson back on screen.

Step Brothers - in theaters now -

A great pairing of Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly trying to outdo each other in ridiculousness, this doesn't have much structure but is hilarious for the most part. The guys do everything they can to be destructive and immature, although it nearly falls apart in the end. Add in some great cameos, and it's a lot like Apatow's recent hits: great humor, some slow spots, not much story, relationships, and male genitalia.

The New World - 2005 -

I never sat down and watched this long epic throughout, but I'm glad I did. Terrence Malik is a visual master who doesn't mind if he takes too long, because he wants to get a beautiful picture and mood down. Colin Farrell is surprisingly toned down as John Smith, early pioneer, and Christian Bale arrives halfway to keep things interesting. This was shot by Emmanuel Lubezki (Children of Men), so it's worth it just for the cinematics.

Lars and the Real Girl - 2007 -

As with many offbeat indies, this film has an eccentric main character, who lives in a small town and has a nowhere job... but this time, the protagonist has a real delusional problem: he's in love with a doll. It sounds silly, and it is, but of course the gentle townsfolk don't want to hurt him, so they play along. It's easy to be cynical of this movie, but the acting is good enough that you can believe it. Ryan Gosling, one of the best young actors there is, throws himself into the main role, and damned if he doesn't make you feel for him. Emily Mortimer and Paul Schneider are his family that have to put up with him. This is a sweet tale with some comedy, but it wants more touching and acceptance than all-out laughs. It's hard at times to play along, but the people in the film do, and it creates a nice indie piece.

Fido - 2006 -

Here's another offbeat indie that had a goofy premise: what if there was a big zombie outbreak, but we figured out how to control them and made them slaves? Yeah, it sounds kind of like the ending and bonus material of Shaun of the Dead, but with a satiric take on corporate life and false 50's life.... so I guess it's ripping off Pleasantville as well. But it's got some nice gags and swipes at society.

It begins as a young boy gets his first zombie (Billy Conolly, making quite a career for himself). His parents, the underrated Dylan Baker and a feisty Carrie-Ann Moss, are mixed. The dad doesn't like it, but the mom grows to understand why the boy needs him. They are threatened by new neighbor and big brother honcho Matt Czerny, who is high up at the all-powerful zombie corporation / dystopian force. Throw in a solid Tim Blake Nelson as another nutty neighbor, and this faux-50's but also post-zompocalypse neighborhood is a strange place. When the zombie (affectionately named Fido) eats the neighbor, it creates a panic, and the boy has to save him. It's a nice mix of humor and horror, but not nearly on the same level as SOTD. It's a bit too smarmy for its own good, and although writer/director Andrew Currie is cleverly trying to make a social commentary, it doesn't have the success of other new mixes. But it's a good shot, and a nice early effort for him.