Spielberg Scores With the Best Sci-Fi of the Summer While Adam Sandler
Rehashes Past Success
By Rachel Deahl
Review Film Critic
Given the onslaught of mind-numbing comedies that have hit theater as of
late, Adam Sandler's humor almost seems intelligent.
After witnessing things like Shaggy and a computer-generated Scooby
engaging in a farting contest in "Scooby-Doo" , and seeing the unfortunate
aftermath of a hefty dosage of Colon Blow in "Van Wilder," hapless
movie-goers can at least take comfort in the fact that SNL's beloved
singing alumnus doesn't rely too heavily on crap jokes.
That being said, Sandler seems to wander through his film career like Jerry
Seinfeld did through his sitcom days: playing a character much like his
off-screen persona, unable to stop smirking at his own jokes. But, unlike
Seinfeld, Sandler's comedy has never been as strong or consistently funny.
In short, if you've seen one Adam Sandler movie, you've seen every Adam
Sandler movie and, "Mr. Deeds" is no exception to the rule.
Relying on the same idiotic, yet oddly endearing, fare that runs throughout
"Happy Gilmore," "Big Daddy" and "Billy Madison," "Mr. Deeds" tells a
saccharine story about a small-town boy, naïve and shockingly sweet (aside
from the fact that he's prone to random outbursts of violence), who
overcomes evil obstacles to get the girl. And, like all of his previous
efforts, "Mr. Deeds" also relies heavily on weird jokes involving old
people and strange servants/sidekicks. The most shocking thing about
watching Sandler's latest film is the realization that the comedian seems
to be using one very long script for all of his films; the names are
different and the scenario is slightly altered, but the same character
types and stupid scenarios surface.
Photo © Copyright Columbia Pictures
When Sandler accosts a TV show producer posing as a mugger in "Mr. Deeds"
and goes about beating the tar out of him, it feels oddly reminiscent of
the fight scene with Bob Barker in "Happy Gilmore" or the uproarious dodge
ball scene in "Billy Madison." If you feel like you're having repeated
bouts of deja vu throughout "Mr. Deeds," it's with good reason.
The particulars of "Mr. Deeds" revolve around a kindly New Hampshire pizza
place owner simply called Deeds (Sandler) who inherits a multi-billion
dollar company from a distant uncle unbeknownst to him. Brought to
Manhattan by the greedy and malevolent businessman who runs his dead
uncle's mega corporation (Peter Gallagher playing the role Bradley Whitford
occupied in "Billy Madison"), Deeds is set up to be bought out by the
stockholders. In the process, he falls for a beautiful tabloid reporter
(Winona Ryder) posing as a sweet, country girl in order to get the story on
the Big Apple's hottest new bachelor.
Ironically, the supporting cast provides some of the strongest and funniest
moments in the film. Ryder is an ideal foil for Sandler's humor, and many
of the best jokes revolve around her elaborate and impromptu stories about
growing up in a fictional Iowa town.
However the real treat here is John Turturro, who plays Deeds' uncle's
faithful Spanish butler, Emilio. Appearing and disappearing like he's David
Blaine, Turturro is wonderful as the bizarre, yet informative, house help.
The best thing about "Mr. Deeds" may well be the feeling that Turturro's
all-too-brief appearance in "The Big Lebowski" has been given a G-Rated
extension here.
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If Steven Spielberg lost a few fans from his high-concept, high-tech summer
blockbuster of last year, "A.I.", Hollywood's grown-up boy wonder has more
than made amends with "Minority Report". A dazzling and bravura spectacle
as thrilling to watch as it is to digest, "Minority Report" is officially
the best movie of the summer and perhaps the finest sci-fi film since The
Matrix.
Making good on the best aspects of "A.I.", namely that stark and singular
look of a future dominated but not quite overwhelmed by technology,
Spielberg creates a stunning world where the past and present collide.
Based on a short story by the popular (and recently deceased) science
fiction author Phillip K. Dick, "Minority Report" is set in Washington, DC
in the year 2054. It is there that John Anderton (Tom Cruise) heads up a
recently developed wing of the Justice Department called the Pre-Crime
Unit.
Having essentially eliminated the act of murder, Pre-Crime uses the power
of three unique psychics called Pre-Cogs to convict would-be, or rather
"will-be," killers before they commit their crimes.
Harnessing the visions of the Pre-Cogs (who lie in a chamber called the
Temple, suspended in a pool of fluid with electrodes attached to their
brains), the Pre-Crime division is literally played the scene of a murder
before it actually happens and given the names of both the victim and
killer - the key for them is to get there in time.
Under a critical national review, the Pre-Crime unit is on the verge of
becoming the generalized method of crime-fighting. Coming in from the
District Attorney's office to evaluate the program is Danny Witwer
(up-and-coming star, Colin Farrell).
Questioning the morality and legitimacy of a system that relies entirely on
the notion of predetermination, Danny is looking for a glitch in the
program. That glitch comes in spades when John transmits the vision of a
future murder that he is supposed to commit.
Photo © Copyright 20th Century Fox
Quickly turning from top cop to enemy number one, John is forced to go on
the lam in order to figure out who framed him or, perhaps, why he is going
to kill a man he's known until today. Addled by a secret drug addiction and
haunted by the death of his son and subsequent collapse of his marriage,
John is on the run to put the pieces of his life back together and save his
neck in the process.
Much more than a simple scenario of hunter becoming the hunted, "Minority
Report" combines the best elements of science fiction, mysteries, thrillers
and chase films. With just enough plot twists and turns to keep audiences
alert without making them confused, "Minority Report" maintains a perfect
pace and balance throughout. Aided by Dick's wildly inventive source
material, Spielberg is given the perfect jumping-off point for his
filmmaking.
Expanding on the fascinating premise of a world controlled by a pre-emptive
system of crime and punishment, Spielberg's film is full of wonderful nods
to a society that gives you want you want before you even know you want it.
Overflowing with brand identifications and nods, Spielberg showcases his
genius as a filmmaker here with his vision of futuristic advertising. Since
people are identified everywhere they go in this world by their eyes (the
retinas are constantly scanned for identification), billboards can actually
speak to passers-by and customize their slogans.
In one of many great scenes, Anderton is walking through a mall and goes by
a multitude of ads, each one calling out his name and pitching specifically
to him--"John Anderton, you need a Guinness; John Anderton, card member
since 2032; John Anderton, get away to the Bahamas."
Reminiscent of the wonderful play on commercialism and corporatization
Spielberg evoked in Jurassic Park (there, the director placed the titular
theme park logo on familiar objects like cups and t-shirts throughout,
reminding viewers that dinosaurs weren't the only things being
mass-produced in and by his film), "Minority Report" also delivers a
fiendishly fun yet caustic view of our brand name society.
Advertising aside, "Minority Report" is also stocked with heart-stopping
chase scenes and thrilling special effects--be alert for Cruise's unique
car-hopping scene (on a highway which runs vertical instead of horizontal)
and those wonderful guns that seem to ripple the entire screen like a wave.
Having apparently brought together a group of unique experts, ranging from
M.I.T. scientists to sci-fi authors like Douglas Coupland, in order to get
input on what the world of "Minority Report" should look like, Spielberg's
extensive homework paid off.
It's safe to say that summer does not belong to a young Jedi after all, but
instead to a fallen cop on the lam.
