Never have I gone to see a movie purely for the novelty of the title. So, going to see “Snakes on a Plane” was a different movie going experience. For those who don’t know, “Snakes on a Plane” is about… well, snakes on a plane. There is more to the story, but not much. Samuel L. Jackson plays Agent Neville Flynn. He is escorting Sean Jones (Nathan Phillips) back to California to testify against Chen Leong (Terry Chen,) a mobster in Hawaii who Flynn has been trying to get for a long time. Chen is known for doing all sorts of horrible things to those who are going to testify against him. So in order to get to Sean before he can get back to California, guess what Chen does? That’s right he puts snakes on a plane.
“Snakes on a Plane is, at heart, a B movie. It has everything that made the other movies like “Evil Dead” so great. Sure it’s got the “cheese factor” and there are times the plot is kind of far-fetched, but that's what makes it enjoyable. How can you not enjoy the poetic justice when the man who feeds a small dog to a boa constrictor, gets eaten just moments later. It’s a change from other movies that try so hard to be good and fail. This movie knows it’s cheesy and it embraces that. It never takes itself seriously. This is a refreshing new take that allows the viewer to enjoy it for what it is because it doesn’t try to be anything more.
Never has a movie generated so much hype purely based on the title. The producers wanted to call the movie Pacific Air 121, but Sam Jackson’s agent insisted that it be changed back to the original. Once the title was announced, the mania started. All over the Internet, videos started popping up parodying the idea of snakes on a plane. All the hype lead the studio to not show the movie to critics, they said they wanted to let the fans see it first.
There was just something about this movie. As soon as I heard about it I knew I had to see it. I was not expecting anything and I left pleasantly surprised. Sure, it was cheesy, but it was also very creative. At one point they use the life raft to close off first class from the rest of the plane. There are not many ways to kill a snake, but they do come up with a few interesting ideas, like taping a lighter to an aerosol can and using it as a home…plane-made flamethrower. So the movie is not going to win any Oscars, and it sure isn’t trying to. It is just a fun movie and chances are you will leave satisfied with it.
6 out of 10
Rated R for language, a scene of sexuality and drug use, and intense sequences of terror and violence.
Runtime:105 min
Life in South Philly in 1976 was hard on a lot of people. Vince Papale (Mark Walburg) was an out of work substitute teacher turned bartender and a diehard Eagles fan. In a time of hardships, the entire town turned to the Eagles for relief from the struggles of everyday life. As of late, their beloved Eagles were letting them down by having losing season after losing season. When new coach Dick Vermeil (Greg Kenner) is hired, he decides to hold open tryouts. Anyone is Philly can become an Eagle. Through much pressure from his friends, Vince goes to the tryout and actually makes the team. As he begins tryouts he begins to doubt that he will make the team. The rest of the team, who see him as a publicity stunt that has gone on too long, hate him. He talks to his pseudo-girlfriend Janet (Elizabeth Banks) and she helps him to keep it up. When he eventually makes the team, he doesn’t perform well and again has thoughts of quitting, but it becomes evident to him that he is not just playing for himself but for the entire city of Philadelphia.
“Invincible” is based on the true story of Vince Papale, who tried out for and became a Philadelphia Eagle in 1976. The movie follows the same pattern as movies like “Rocky,” “The Rookie,” and “The Natural.” Ordinary man becomes a pro athlete and rises up to meet the challenge. As inspirational sports movies go, this ranks in the middle of the pack. It’s a fun, uplifting story that is very entertaining. The only thing that makes this movie stand out from its predecessors is the camera work used in the games. The camera is in the middle of the action. It is the as close you can get to playing with out having to actually put on pads. 
Everyone knows that Mark Walburg and Greg Kenner are both great actors, and I’m sure in other reviews you have heard all about their performances. One actress who is also getting a lot of press is Elizabeth Banks. She plays Janet Cantrell, a fellow bartender in the bar where Vince works. She befriends him and the rest of the patrons and becomes one of the guys. She can talk football with the best of them and they come to accept her as on of them. She ends up becoming involved with Vince. Her performance is one of the best in the movie. She has had only small roles supporting roles in movies up until the 
last year or so. She takes a semi-leading role and does a great job. Look for her to become a bigger star in the coming year.
So what if “Invincible” isn’t the most original sports movie. It’s still a very good movie. The movie had chances to be cheesy, but manages to keep it to a minimum. Although it does take liberties with what happened, it does so for dramatic effect and that is acceptable. It doesn’t match up to the best Disney sports movie, “Remember The Titans,” but it is still a very good movie that is worth the price of admission.
Rated PG for sports action and some mild language.
Runtime: 105 min
8 out of 10
Last night, Fox got the new television season started early. Last night was the season premiere of “Prison Break.” Last season the show was all about escape from prison, this season is about the cons on the run. The big challenge for the show this year, is to keep the show as interesting as it was last year and so far, so good. 
Last season Michel Scofield (Wentworth Miller,) robbed a bank and was sent to prison, but it was just the first part of his plan. He requested to be sent to Fox River Penitentiary, where, unknown to the judge, Michael’s older brother Lincoln Burrows was being held. Burrows was on death row for the murder of Terrence Stedman, the vice president’s brother. He didn’t do it (in fact Stedman is still alive), but there is no proof. Michael has a plan to get his brother out. Using his elaborate tattoo and some other convicts he is able to break out him, his brother as well as six others who get involved in the process.
The eight cons that escaped have been split up. “T-Bag” (Robert Knepper,) “Tweener” (Lane Garrison,) and “Haywire” (Silas Wier Mitchell) have been left to fend for themselves. Michael Scofield, Lincoln Burrows, “C-Note” (Rockmand Dunbar,) Fernando Sucre (Amaury Nolasco,) and John Abruzzi (Peter Stormare) are on the run together going through Michael’s Plan B (Plan A was to get on a plane after escaping, but the plane took off as they got to the airfield and that’s why they are on the run.) The new member to the cast is William Fichtner he plays Special Agent Alexander Mahone, who has been assigned by the FBI to track the escapees.
The real challenge for the creators was to keep this show interesting. Last season we saw Michael use his elaborate tattoo to help them escape. Each part of the tattoo had bits of information hidden within it to help them escape. (Ex. The path of pipes under the psych ward, size screw needed to unscrew the toilet so that they can move it and get through the wall of the cell) This season is not going to rely on the tattoo as much (though there was some use last night.) Keeping the show intriguing will be harder.
The first episode of season two was just as riveting as the best episode of season one. The introduction of Agent Mahone was the best thing the show could have done. Mahone is as smart as Michel and has already figured out that he had the map of the prison tattooed on his body. He will be the one this season to match wits with Michael. It was made clear last night that making it out of prison was the easy part, with Mahone looking for them, it’s going to be hard to stay a head of him.
“Escape is only the beginning.” That was the tagline for season one and it was, but now things are just picking up. The challenges of life on the run have the potential to be more interesting then the plan to escape was. I had my doubts when season two began, but if last night was any indication, this should shape up to be a very good season.
Fox Monday’s 8:00/ 7:00 Central
TV14
What do you do when a movie franchise has lost its luster? How do you resurrect a character that has become campy and lost all credibility? The answer is simple; you go back to the beginning and reinvent him. Sometimes it is best to start over instead of trying to fix something that is as broken as the Batman series was. The last Batman movie had strayed so far from what Batman was that it was in need of a major overhaul. That is what Christopher Nolan (Memento) did when he wrote and directed “Batman Begins.” He started fresh and in doing so, gave us the best comic book movie adaptation ever.
The movie starts with Bruce as a child playing in Wayne Manor. He falls down a hole into the cave that will one day become the Bat cave and is rescued by his father and the butler, Alfred (Michael Caine.) It then flashes forward to Bruce (Christian Bale) in jail. He has disappeared from Gotham and become a criminal. He is rescued by a man named Herri Ducard (Liam Nesson,) who wants him to join the League of Shadows, lead by Ra’s Al Ghul (Ken Watannabe.) Through flashbacks, we see the death of his parents, a straining friendship with childhood sweetheart Rachel Dawes (Katie Homes,) until we are brought back to the present and his training with The League of Shadows. After he discovers that he was chosen to lead the league into Gotham to destroy it. He chooses not to and fights his way out and returns to Gotham to become Batman in order to save the city. Using one of the few honest cops, Jim Gordan (Gary Oldman,) he starts his fight by taking on Carmine Falcone (Tom Wilkinson.)
One of the things that makes this movie different from the previous films is that the city is much darker. At one point Rachel asks Bruce; “What chance does Gotham have when the good people do nothing?” This sums up the city. The city is run by corrupt leaders who ignore the mob and the extreme poverty. As long as they can live in ignorance they can live happy.
Christian Bale plays Batman/Bruce Wayne in this movie. He is able to do something that the actor cast as Batman before him (George Clooney,) could not do. He gives us the tortured hero. He struggles with the balance Wayne and Batman. He must keep up appearances as Bruce Wayne during the day and Batman at night. Living a duel life is not easy and we can see it take it’s toll on Bruce. One of the things I like about Christian Bale as an actor is he throws himself into the roles he chooses. The role he had before this in “The Machinist” required him to lose a lot of weight, and he got deathly skinny for this role. (See pic included.) He had to gain 30 pounds in order to get the role as Batman. He gives the best performance in the film and is the best Batman yet. 
One of the things that was done was to make the movie more realistic. They made the movie feel like Batman could really exist. Bruce goes to Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman,) who is the head of the “applied sciences department.” On a tour Bruce asks Fox to borrow a few items that he uses as the bat suit, cape, and a few of the Batman gadgets and even the Batmobile. They keep everything down to earth, nothing is extravagant. One of the most impressive realistic elements was the Batmobile. It was designed as a tanke to jump rivers to tow cables to make bridges.
“Batman Begins” is a new take on an old character. Updated and made real. Christopher Nolan has breathed new life into a dead franchise Batman has been given a second chance and so far it is the best of the DC comic book movies, if not the best of all comic book movies. The Dark Knight has returned and the Batsignal is relit. If they can keep up the quality, Batman has a bright future.
9 out of 10
Rated PG-13 for intense action violence, disturbing images and some thematic elements.
Runtime: 141 min
