James Rocchi At The Movies

Review: End Of Summer Movie Invasion

CBS 5 Film Critic James Rocchi

(CBS) As August arrives, most of the summer blockbusters have, for better or for worse, already opened -- but there are still plenty of movies to seek out (and some to avoid) on the big screen throughout the Bay Area.


The Invasion (1 Out of 4 Reels)

This is the third remake of the sci-fi/horror classic Invasion of the Body Snatchers -- and, regrettably, it's not one of the better ones. Nicole Kidman plays a Washington, D.C. psychiatrist fighting the arrival of an alien virus that turns people into invaders from beyond. Other versions of this story unfolded like slow-motion nightmares -- most notably the terrifying, set-in-San-Francisco 1978 version -- The Invasion shows it's cards too early, over-explaining everything and dealing in shock, as opposed to suspense.

Nicole Kidman looks a little lost, and Warner Brothers took the film away from original director Oliver Hirschbiegel, conducting extensive re-shoots to "pump up" the action. But The Invasion replaces the paranoia and terror of earlier versions with stunts and special-effects; it's like seeing a great home-cooked meal turned into overheated microwaved left-overs. Do yourself a favor, and rent the 1978 version instead of rushing out to the theaters; Philip Kaufman's Invasion of the Body Snatchers haunts you for years, whereas The Invasion is forgotten before the end of the credits.


Superbad (4 Out of 4 Reels)

Following the misadventures of two underage teens who volunteer to get the booze for a party in order to impress the girls they like, Superbad is the foul-mouthed, warm-hearted, truly hilarious comedy we've been waiting for all summer. Stars Jonah Hill (Knocked Up, 10 Items or Less) and Michael Cera (Arrested Development) have real comedy chemistry, and co-writer Seth Rogen (Knocked Up's lovable schlub) cameos as an out-of-control cop.

Superbad has a frank, funny take on high school life, but it's also got a good heart under the four-letter words and drunken antics, as our heroes learn a few lessons about principle, friendship and, believe it or not, respect. Superbad's produced by Judd Apatow -- who also gave us The 40 Year-Old Virgin and Knocked Up -- and it's as funny, if not more so, than those films. Superbad isn't for the easily offended, but it's consistently funny and smart in a way few comedies are.


No End in Sight (4 Out of 4 Reels)

For better and for worse, American documentaries have been popularized by -- and linked to -- Michael Moore's style of comedic confrontation. No End in Sight doesn't follow that template, though -- it's a serious, sober and meticulous depiction of the path to war in Iraq, and one of the best documentaries in years.

Director Charles Ferguson is a PhD in political science who wanted to show what went wrong, and why, and when with our current action in Iraq-- and does so with energetic filmmaking that still works as careful, meticulous journalism. Combining extensive interviews from Bush-administration decision makers with searing footage from the streets of Baghdad, No End in Sight takes the facts and historical roots of the war in Iraq and brings them into clear, sharp focus. No End in Sight doesn't play partisan games or point fingers of blame -- instead, it's a great primer on Iraq, how we got there, and where we may be going.


Rush Hour 3 (1 Out of 4 Reels)

I have a theory that it's hard to have a bad time watching Jackie Chan's stunts and charm -- but Rush Hour 3 tests that theory to the breaking point. Rush Hour 3 reunites Chan and Chris Tucker's mis-matched L.A. and Hong Kong Cops from the first two Rush Hour films and takes them to Paris, to uncover a global crime conspiracy.

Rush Hour 3 has fight scene action, buddy-cop bickering and gorgeous locations; what it doesn't have is a script, and that's woefully apparent as Rush Hour 3 limps lazily from gag to gag and stunt to stunt. Director Brett Ratner is back to helm this effort, as he did the first two, but Rush Hour 3 demonstrates what happens when a formula gets watered down by dull repetition, half-hearted film making, sleepwalking stars and naked greed.

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