Be Kind, Please Rewind

He’s a Vet Fighter. He’s the…

Vidiot

Week of November 11, 2011

They died for your mustachio. First up…

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

Graduating from wizardry school isn’t that different than graduating conventional high school, except that their convocations are conducted skyclad.

And while ritual nudity is largely ignored in this fantasy film, the future does weigh heavily on the minds of this student body.

Commencing where part 1 left off, part 2 finds Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Hermione (Emma Watson) and Ron (Rupert Grint) searching for shards of Voldemort’s (Ralph Fiennes) soul.

Eventually ending up back at Hogwarts, which is now under the jurisdiction of Severus Snape (Alan Rickman), Harry enlists his classmates to help defend the school from Lord Voldemort’s hordes gathering outside the hallowed halls of Hogwarts.

The definitive chapter of the film adaptations of the popular books, HP7 pt. 2 wraps things up nicely: giving long-time fans closure and long-time holdouts an exhilarating ending.

Unfortunately, now that the movies are over, we’re gonna have to endure eight Broadway musical versions.  0

The Change-Up

When someone swaps their identity with their best friend, it usually means they killed them and assumed their name.

However, in this comedy, both best friends have exchanged lifestyles.

When responsible, hardworking Dave (Jason Bateman) gets together with his single, slacker, friend Mitch (Ryan Reynolds) he vents about his passionless marriage and his yearning for the single life.

Later, while urinating into a fountain, Dave’s wish to switch lives with Mitch comes true. 

Now, the two friends get to see how green the grass is on the other side, while trying not to complicate each other’s careers or relationships (Leslie Mann, Olivia Wilde).

A raunchy rendition of the standard body swap storyline, The Change-Up doesn’t have enough genuinely funny gags to sustain its hackneyed plot.

And while the debate over single vs. married life continues to wage, there remains no argument over whether or not common-law couples will burn in Hell.  0

***3 Ringed Spellbinders***

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

Enrolling your child in wizardry school is favorable, since magic allows for unlimited class sizes, hobgoblin-instructors who really care, and a body length beard by year’s end.

Fortunately, for the kid in this fantasy film, he’s got legacy.

When he turns 11, Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) is spirited away by a representative (Robbie Coltrane) of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

En route to the institute, Harry comes upon two companions (Rupert Grint, Emma Watson), who join him in Hogwarts’ House of Gryffindor.

Amidst the supernatural syllabus, Harry and his friends must preclude a pilferer from pinching the Philosopher's Stone and using its power to resurrect the man who killed Harry’s parents.

With an unconventional premise and an exemplary all-British cast, this initial installment of the book series does a phenomenal job of translating Harry’s introductory adventure.  

Incidentally, it’s encouraging to see witches can live among children without eating them.

He Drives a Broomstick Shift. He’s the…

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