What defines a great superhero movie? Of course this is a topic that would spark a very heated and potentially violent debate if brought up in any comic book shop across America. It is also something that is very subjective, but there are a few things that very successful and beloved superhero films of the past have in common. In fact, I have narrowed it down to three specific elements that I believe to be necessary in making a great superhero flick. The first is that the film must have great action. Not good action, not lukewarm action, but GREAT action. It must contain the kind of action sequences that cause your back to stick the seat because you are sweating (and the sweating can not be related to any pre-existing conditions, a la obesity). A great superhero movie must also have performances by their lead actors that make us believe that these characters whom we loved so much in print are really coming to life. We cannot survive on actors who just look like our favorite heroes, they must also be able to walk in their shoes. And lastly these successful superhero films must have a story that keeps us yearning for more. We have read every comic, seen every animated episode, and we even have the bootlegged director’s cut of the 1970’s serial edition; we need more than just a rehashing of yesterday’s saga.
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Jack Black has no shame, of that we can be sure; but we cannot help but to love him for it. His brand of comedy is spastic, abrasive, and often dances along the fine line between funny and annoying; but his fans are loyal and his eccentricities (for the most part) make us laugh. The same can be said for writer/director Jared Hess, who burst into the mainstream with the odd but intriguing Napoleon Dynamite. The fact of the matter is that with either of these two, you either love them or you hate them; but if you love them, you really love them. So wouldn’t it make sense to combine the talents of two such people in order to make a summer release comedy that will draw huge crowds and possibly a large following? If you answered ‘yes,’ then apparently you are on the same page as the folks at Paramount Pictures.

And this is the premise upon which the film Nacho Libre was made, the awesome drawing power of Jack Black and Jared Hess. Libre is the story of a jaded Mexican priest (Black) who dreams of becoming a famous luchador, or wrestler, in order to earn the respect he feels that those around him have never given him. Unfortunately for him, he is stuck in the kitchen of the monastery, cooking slop for all of the little orphans who live there and is told that wrestling is a sin. Of course in the world of slightly predictable plot-lines, we know that he will not just buckle under the guise of being sinful, but he will rise up to become a luchador and ultimately fight in order to make money that will help provide for a better life for the orphans. A pretty simple plot, I know, but that is what we have come to love from Jared Hess; a simple plot and a very unique attention to detail.

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“All comedians want to be musicians, and all musicians think that they are funny.” - Dave Chappelle

Unfortunately for most comedians they don’t have the deep pockets of talented musician friends that Dave Chappelle seems to have, making a vanity project such as Dave Chappelle’s Block Party completely unthinkable. Thankfully for fans of Mr. Chappelle’s brand of comedy and fans of hip-hop music everywhere, Dave does have the right friends and all the right ambitions necessary to bring some of the finest musical talents together on the silver screen.

In the fall of 2004, Dave Chappelle set out to throw his very own once-in-a-lifetime block party for 5,000 of his biggest fans. He spent days combing the streets of Southwestern Ohio, passing out golden tickets that would send hundreds across the country to Brooklyn, New York for what would become a monumental musical extravaganza. There these lucky few would hold witness to an awesome show, with performances from the likes of Kanye West, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Common, Dead Prez, Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, and the Roots. They would also be treated to the historical reunion of Wyclef Jean, Pras and Lauren Hill - formally known as the Fugees. With a spectacular concert and a little bit of sketch comedy to fill in the holes, Chappelle and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind director Michel Gondry set forth to make the Block Party a moment in musical and comedy history that will not soon be forgotten.

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Release Date: June 13, 2006

I have not always been a history buff, but often a film will inspire me to do a little research and take a look back at a key point in time. To this effect, I have learned most of what know about one of my favorite historic events, the Apollo space program, from an HBO mini-series. And up until today I was not aware that a man by the name of Burt Munro ever existed. But thanks to wonderfully crafted film starring Anthony Hopkins, I am now well aware of an underdog story like no other.

In the 1960s, a man by the name of Burt Munro lived in New Zealand. His obsession, cultivated over a 25 year period, was the rebuilding of a 1920 Indian Scout motorcycle into a machine capable of speeds well over 200 mph. His dream was to take the bike all the way to the other side of the world, where he would make a run at history on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. His story, while not widely known by most, is one of resourcefulness, creativity and an irrepressible spirit and drive that embodies what it is to be a “kiwi” from down under.
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Release Date: April 29, 2006

What do you get when you throw a hyperactive squirrel, an overly conservative turtle, and a shifty raccoon with an agenda into a film together and add a little bit of adult wit to an otherwise fluffy children’s flick? If you guessed that you get Dreamworks’ latest animated release Over the Hedge, then you are the winner. Your prize is the privilege of reading this review… Gotcha!

In the great big world of Movie Marketing, this type of film is a derivative of a simple equation: you take a few well known actors (Bruce Willis, Gary Shandling, Steve Carell), mix them with some recognizable and likable voices from other slightly less popular actors/musicians who can’t get parts other than voice-overs (Wanda Sykes, William Shatner, Eugene Levy, and Avril Lavigne), add a cute story for the kids and WHAM!, you have a film that can easily bust out $100 million at the box office. We have seen it all before, the likes of Shrek, Ice Age, and most recently the subtly successful Hoodwinked. These movies are fun for kids, well animated, and include enough subtle sarcasm to keep any adult mildly entertained. But some rise above the level of “mild” entertainment and become something much more…

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