#RajaGosnell

[duranduratulsa]

Up next on my 90's Fest Movie 🎬 🎞 🎥 🎦 📽 marathon...Home Alone (1990) on classic DVD 📀! #movie #movies #comedy #Christmas #homealone #johnhughes #ripjohnhughes #ChrisColumbus #MacaulayCulkin #JohnHeard #RIPJohnHeard #catherineohara #joepesci #danielstern #johncandy #ripjohncandy #DevinRatray #kieranculkin #angelagoethals #michaelcmaronna #RajaGosnell #hillarywolf #gerrybamman #LarryHankin #robertsblossom #SentaMoses #RalphFoody #annaslotky #DianaRein #jedidiahcohen #kristinminter #dancharleszukoski #BillErwin #billiebird #michaelguido #alanwilder #dvd #90s #90sfest #durandurantulsas4thannual90sfest

[adamwatchesmovies]

Big Momma’s House (2000)

Of course Big Momma’s House was going to suck. How could it not? Martin Lawrence playing an FBI agent going undercover as a fat black woman? This film's $170 million worth of ticket sales is frightening enough to make you saw open your skull and eat your own brains with a spoon. The question is: how bad is it really, and what, if anything, is good about it?

Criminal Lester Vesco (Terrence Howard) has escaped from prison. The FBI suspects he is attempting to track down Sherry (Nia Long), his ex-girlfriend and mother to his son. Initially agents Malcolm Turner (Martin Lawrence) and John Maxwell (Paul Giamatti) are just surveiling Sherry’s grandmother’s house, but when “Big Momma” (Ella Mitchell) suddenly leaves, Malcolm dons an elaborate disguise to gain the woman’s trust.

This is a one-joke comedy. Martin Lawrence is a man dressed as a woman. These kinds of pictures (which surprisingly often feature Black actors) follow a predictable pattern and almost always serve up the same platter of jokes. You could practically make a game out of it. In fact, my friends and I did. Put the following into a Bingo card generator:

Awkward Boner

Unconvincing Drag

All Caps Red Title

Clingy Horny Guy

Unexpected man magnet

Moments of false sentimentality to distract from the deception

“That’s a woman?!”

Easily avoidable misunderstanding

Bad dick joke

“A woman can’t do that!”

Bad communication skills

Two people being confused for one another

Unconvincing romance

Deception forgiven in the following scene

Awkward stalling

Unprofessional professionals

Cue ironic music

“Normal” but stupid female

“Can you help me with this outfit?”

“Damn Girl!”

Incredibly conspicuous drag

“Let me go get her” 

Lightning-quick change

Suddenly getting in touch with your inner woman

No homo

Female empowerment(TM)

Boob malfunction

Wig Malfunction

Slipping out of your fake voice

Sudden unexplainable knowledge about women

"The reveal"

Unbelievably phoney name

Purse snatching

Suspicious neighbor

Awkward trying on of clothes

Disguised as a family member

Animal-related awkwardness

Tampons

Men are gross

Bad makeup job

Just because I’m a girl, doesn’t mean I can’t _____

“Let’s get it on” music

Reveal by a side character

Must dodge undressing

Freudian slip

Bad liar

Bad boyfriend

“You’re my new best friend”

Don’t you wish more men _______?

Date with the cross-dresser

"The ridiculous lie comes up in real life"

Dancing

“I know your secret”

The secret isn’t cross-dressing

Armed with these custom Bingo cards, you can make Big Momma's House far more entertaining than it would be otherwise. Chances are good you'll encounter these tropes at some point, but who will complete their line first?

There are great pictures in which someone is caught following through with a ridiculous lie or everyone is oblivious to an unconvincing disguise. It's when your film is composed entirely of these that you’re in trouble.

Even if you’re incredibly forgiving, Big Momma's House still isn’t good. I know it’s a comedy, but why did they have to include a bathroom getting stunk up by an old woman, and why did we need to include the contrived love plot? If my new best friend turned out to be Nia Long in disguise and she asked me out I’d be thrilled. Her reacting this way to Martin Lawrence? Even if her son likes him it's unbelievable. You could have easily omitted this thread from the film and just focussed on making the audience laugh.

Normally I’d give a comedy with as few laughs as Big Momma’s House a worse score than a 1/5, but I found a way to have fun with it. There's isn't anyone in the world who will see the poster/DVD cover for this film and feel like they were duped once it's over. (On DVD, March 4, 2016)

[dogsinfilms]

Scooby-Doo (Raja Gosnell, 2002)

[spacerangerprince]

Timehop: The Smurfs (2011 film) (07/29/19) #timehop #abe #sonypicturesreleasing #rajagosnell #thesmurfs #3d #liveaction #computeranimated #comedyfilm (at Subway Time Square Station) https://www.instagram.com/p/B0hsmj7hi0X/?igshid=r9n62e69xxjt

[twotrey23]

Agenda part 1 today: highly unusual premiere/press conference hybrid for #ShowDogs @showdogsmovie . #WillArnett @arnettwill #GabrielIglesias @fluffyguy #NatashaLyonne #RajaGosnell #film #cinema #movies #movie🎬 #films #ShowDogsMovie (at TCL Chinese Theatres)

[l1ve2r1se]

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Here’s hoping I see an improvement......⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ #film #filmreview #filmreviews #moviereview #moviereviews #retroreview #filmcritic #cinema #cinemabuff #2020 #2004 #hannabarbera #scoobydoo #jamesgunn #rajagosnell #scoobydoo2004 #scoobydoo2 #scoobydoo2monstersunleashed #neilfanning #mathewlillard #freddieprinzejr #sarahmichellegellar #lindacardellini #sethgreen #timblakenelson #aliciasilverstone ⁣ (at Tribble Mill Park - Lawrenceville Ga.) https://www.instagram.com/p/CADKrfnlLQI/?igshid=19c6n2d2ljo8v

[mrstardust2-blog]

#LosPitufos2 #KatyPerry #HankAzaria #NeilPatrickHarris #BrendanGleeson #JaymaMays #JacobTremblay #JamesAWoods #ChristinaRicci #JonathanWinters #AlanCumming #ShaquilleOneal #MarioLopez #RajaGosnell #TheSmurfs2

[duranduratulsa]

Up next on my 90's Fest Movie 🎬 🎞 🎥 🎦 📽 marathon...Home Alone (1990) on classic DVD 📀! #movie #movies #comedy #Christmas #homealone #johnhughes #ripjohnhughes #ChrisColumbus #MacaulayCulkin #JohnHeard #RIPJohnHeard #catherineohara #joepesci #danielstern #johncandy #ripjohncandy #DevinRatray #kieranculkin #angelagoethals #michaelcmaronna #RajaGosnell #hillarywolf #gerrybamman #LarryHankin #robertsblossom #SentaMoses #RalphFoody #annaslotky #DianaRein #jedidiahcohen #kristinminter #dancharleszukoski #BillErwin #billiebird #michaelguido #alanwilder #dvd #90s #90sfest #durandurantulsas4thannual90sfest

[duranduratulsa]

Up next on my Christmas 🎄 movie 🎥 marathon...Home Alone (1990) on classic DVD 📀! #movie #movies #comedy #christmas #homealone #johnhughes #ChrisColumbus #MacaulayCulkin #JohnHeard #RIPJohnHeard #CatherineOHara #joepesci #danielstern #kieranculkin #DevinRatray #johncandy #ripjohncandy #angelagoethals #gerrybamman #robertsblossom #hillarywolf #michaelcmaronna #RajaGosnell #annaslotky #LarryHankin #DianaRein #HopeDavis #kristenminter #SentaMoses #kenhudson #dancharleszukoski #jedidiahcohen #billiebird #jeffreywiseman #BillErwin #quinnculkin #90s #merrychristmas #merrychristmas2023 #dvd

[adamwatchesmovies]

Scooby-Doo (2002)

Beyond being fun to imitate, I never saw the appeal of Scooby-Doo but if you grew up with the original series or one of the numerous follow-ups, this 2002 live-action adaptation will satisfy. There are enough gags to keep adults entertained while the kids sit through (essentially) what they've seen before but done bigger.

After solving yet another case whose monster is actually an old man in a mask, Mystery, Inc. – Fred Jones (Freddie Prinze Jr.), Daphne Blake (Sarah Michelle Gellar), Velma Dinkley (Linda Cardellini), Shaggy Rogers (Matthew Lillard), and his dog Scooby-Doo (voiced by Neil Fanning) - go their separate ways. Two years later, they are called to investigate strange happenings on Spooky Island, a horror-themed resort/amusement park owned by Emile Mondavarious (Rowan Atkinson). As they attempt to get over the issues which drove them apart, they come face-to-face with a mystery unlike any they’ve tackled before.

Written by James Gunn, this translation of the Hanna-Barbera property is a bit more hard-edged and self-aware than the cartoons. It acknowledges how annoying Scrappy-Doo was, for instance. There are stoner jokes for the adults who always joked about what made Scooby and Shaggy so hungry and the mildest or racy gags. Things never go too far (it's still rated PG) and its appeal is ultimately limited to those who will find a loud fart contest between Shaggy and his dog hilarious but it's appreciated. Speaking of Matthew Lillard, he’s perfect. The voice, the mannerisms, the enthusiasm, the look make you wonder if he wasn’t genetically engineered for this role. You never get tired of him.

In several ways, this is a dated aimed-at-kids creation. I don’t only mean the special effects. The seams are visible but this came out in 2002 and it’s Scooby-Doo; they weren’t going to get Star Wars-level money into it. For what it is, the effects look fine. What I mean are the guest star cameos (we get an "adult" one right at the beginning) and the music. I don’t know how many Scooby Snacks they dumped on the lawns of Sugar Ray, Shaggy, and MxPx but it had to be a lot. They’re just some of the names that either appear in the film or contribute to the soundtrack.

Numerous jokes land, and to its credit, this does properly feel like “a movie”. The puzzle the gang is trying to solve is slightly more difficult to decipher than you’d expect and the stakes are higher than in any 22-minute cartoon. Before you get too excited, keep in mind that for every pair of proper gaga you get a bad one and another that's juvenile. I praised the self-aware humor but much more could've been done to give it wider appeal. Having actual scares, for instance. To me, this seemed fine, even fun at times. The more invested you are in the property, the better it’ll seem. Then again, as a non-fan, I may not know what I’m talking about. (August 2, 2020)

[adamwatchesmovies]

Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004)

I enjoyed the 2002’s Scooby-Doo. It lampooned itself enough to appeal to older viewers and its stakes made it feel like a movie rather than an extended episode of the series. Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed can’t say the same.

While attending an exhibition at the Coolsonian Criminology Museum commemorating their crime-solving achievements, Fred (Freddie Prinze Jr.), Daphne (Sarah Michelle Gellar), Velma (Linda Cardellini), Shaggy (Matthew Lillard), and Scooby-Doo (voiced by Neil Fanning) are attacked by their old foe, the Pterodactyl Ghost. With the original Ghost having died years ago, who could be responsible for unleashing this real monster?

This is a silly film that does not attempt to entertain adults forced to sit with their kids. You may laugh a few times - I related to the journalist (Alicia Silverstone) who creates a smear campaign against Mystery, Inc. - but you’ve got to dig deep for the good jokes. You’ll be shoveling aside funny dances as Scooby puts on an unconvincing costume and becomes the star of a club, scenes where he and Shaggy try out a variety of mad scientist potions on themselves, and more pratfalls so uninspired you won’t be able to remember them minutes after they’re over. While the bumbling members of the group try to prove themselves true detectives, Velma has a romantic subplot with a suspect (played by Seth Green) you won’t care about. Fred and Daphne assist. Didn’t the two kiss at the end of the last movie? Are we just going to ignore that?

The special effects have been improved but not much else. The writing is awful, particularly towards the end when writer James Gunn and director Raja Gosnell forget how a fire extinguisher works. Or maybe they just figure kids would give it a pass. Yeah, they probably will. This is the same thing children have been gobbling up since Scooby-Doo was created. There aren’t many surprises but why would there be? Even as a “movie”, this is doing the same thing as the first. It’s immediately clear the heroes are dealing with something supernatural. The first time it was something we “hadn’t seen before” (I know technically Shaggy and Scooby encountered genuine ghosts, werewolves, vampires, etc. before but that’s not what the show is known for). Doing it again isn't good enough. While Matthew Lillard is a standout in a role that suits him like a glove, his material isn’t as strong.

Ultimately, kids won’t care about these complaints. They’ll gobble this up and the goofier it gets, the better. For me, the only thing memorable about Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed is the post-credit scene. Scooby shows up and gives you a code to access the final level in the two tie-in video games. Imagine being a kid in 2004, enjoying the game (I said imagine), and trying to convince your parents to take you to the theater so you could write down a code! That’s funnier than anything in this movie. (August 3, 2020)

[l1ve2r1se]

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In celebration for the upcoming Scooby-Doo movie, I’m reviewing more nostalgic gems from my childhood: the live action movies. Hope I find something redeeming here.... #film #filmreview #filmreviews #moviereview #moviereviews #retroreview #filmcritic #cinema #cinemabuff #2020 #2002 #hannabarbera #scoobydoo #jamesgunn #rajagosnell #scoobydoo2002 #scoobydoomovie #neilfanning #mathewlillard #freddieprinzejr #sarahmichellegellar #lindacardellini #rowanatkinson #islafisher (at Tribble Mill Park - Lawrenceville Ga.) https://www.instagram.com/p/B__SMcjltGU/?igshid=pqyqogsl85wv