I Love You, Man

I Love You, Man

Sometimes you see a movie and when it ends you just think, "what a pity." Not because it is a bad film, but because it could have been so much better. I Love You, Man is one of those movies. The film had a great concept and a superb comic cast. It should have been a winner. Instead when the movie ended, you just shrug your shoulders and...well, that's it. You may never think of this movie ever again.

Paul Rudd plays Peter - real estate agent, hopeless romantic, and perfect boyfriend. And now that he is getting married to Zooey (Rashida Jones), he realizes he has a bit of a problem. He has always had female friends and girlfriends, but never any guy friends. In search of groomsmen for his wedding, Peter sets about trying to find a guy friend and ends up meeting free spirit Sydney (Jason Segal). The movie is structured exactly like the cliche romantic comedy, with all the same beats and story points (flirting, first dates, happy montage, big fight, sad montage, reunion). I am not mentioning the cliches as a criticism. On the contrary, using this well worn structure for a budding friendship instead of a love story is remarkably clever. Like I said, the movie has a great concept.

The film certainly has its funny moments. But they are way too few. There are just stretches of the movie where you are waiting for something interesting to happen. You'll get something about every 15 minutes. That said, when you do get a funny moment, it is terrific - such as Peter's trip to the gym with his gay brother (Andy Samburg), a poker game with the perpetually angry Barry (Jon Favreau), the bro-dates with architect Doug (Thomas Lennon) and 87-year old Mel (Murray Gershenz), the climactic wedding scene, and of course almost every scene with Lou Ferrigno. But there are many more moments that are forced and just don't work - such as Sydney teaching Peter how to scream (because that's what men do?) and the running gag of Peter trying to come up with hip lingo and slang. It is never funny, and simply awkward. I also think the marvelous J.K. Simmons, the terrific character actor playing Peter's dad, is just wasted.

Segal and Rudd are both reliable, as always. I appreciate that Segal is playing a character far removed from the over-sensitive men he normally plays. He's too talented that it would suck if he becomes typecast. I just wish these guys were in a better movie. I Love You, Man should have been that movie. It's a pity that it's not.

TRIVIA: The movie's original title was Bro-mance which I actually like a lot more. Definitely more appropriate!

MVP: Actually, I'm going to go with Jon Favreau as Barry, the husband of one of Zooey's friends. He is a total tool. He's always angry, complaining, and just a complete ass. But he has a sure sense of his character, and he makes the most of his scenes. We are never just waiting for something to happen, because he's enough of a jerk that he forces things to happen in his scenes. He is never boring and most of his line-readings will leave you smiling. That's an MVP in my book.

BEST LINE: Peter: He farted in my open house!

Stepbrothers

Stepbrothers

What a pleasant surprise. I really had no interest in Stepbrothers when it came out last summer. Will Ferrell's perpetual man-child character was bound to get old at some point and this movie looked like it was bringing out all the elements I did not like in that persona. And I just could not picture John C. Reilly in a movie like this - no matter how good a comedian he is. But one night I found myself wanting to watch a comedy and a friend of mine brought this movie over, and I was surprised at how funny it is.

Stepbrothers is the story of Brennan (Ferrell), a forty-year old who lives with his single mother and acts like he's 12. One day, his mother meets a single father who also has a stay-at-home son who refuses to grow up - Dale (Reilly). Single mom and dad get married and now Brennan and Dale are forced to deal with each other. Hijinks, much profanity, and a balls all out attack on a drum set ensue over the next 90 minutes.

Have no doubts about it - this movie is raunchy and mean. And most of the jokes you can see from a mile away. But the delivery is so spot-on and the chemistry between Ferrell and Reilly is so seamless that you can't help but laugh throughout their intense battles for superiority. The movie gets even better when they actually become friends and start considering ways to grow up (generally without much success). This is when the movie grows from being mean-spirited to just plain absurd - with playground battles, bunk beds, a rap video, possibly the most awkward hug in movie history and even a centaur all playing prominently. Bizarre stuff, but pretty damn funny.

Not all the jokes fly. There are two sleepwalking gags that are pretty lame and a lot of the dialogue that is supposed to be funny is just crude, like the writers were thinking, "maybe I will write the word "shit" in this line. Audiences will love it!!" These lines generally don't work. I also didn't much like the scenes with Mary Steenburgen or Richard Jenkins as the parents. Both immensely talented actors, they just aren't given much material to play with, and when they are finally given a joke it just feels like it is being forced into the movie to give them something to do. Overall, Stepbrothers is definitely not as spot-on as Ferrell's best films, such as Anchorman.

But for every joke that tanks, there is another one that works, and that is a pretty good ratio for comedies these days. If you are in the mood for a comedy, stay away from a lot of the junk out there and seek out some Stepbrothers.

MVP: The Centaur. I will say no more.

BEST LINE: "Dad! Dad! Please help! The bunkbeds were a horrible idea! Why did you let us do that?!"

The Blind Side

The Blind Side

Wow. What a year for Sandra Bullock. Not only did her romantic comedy with Ryan Reynolds, The Proposal become her most successful comedy ever (over $300 million worldwide), but she overcame cynics and critics with The Blind Side, which has now become a monster blockbuster ($247 million and counting) and has even pushed into Oscar territory with two major nominations - Best Picture and Best Actress.

So what is the big deal? I saw the previews and thought the movie looked like a saccharine, sentimental, and maybe even patronizing piece of fluff. But The Blind Side has struck a chord with audiences, and I had to find out why.

Based on the true story, The Blind Side is the story of the Tuowy's, a well-to-do Southern family who take in a homeless student named Michael. Led by the matriarch Leigh Anne (Sandra Bullock), the Tuowys provide a stable support network for the quiet and withdrawn Michael, who has spent his life shifting from rundown foster home to rundown foster home. With his sheer size and strength, it is obvious that Michael was born to play football, and...well, there you go. That's about all there is to it.

Sounds pretty uninteresting, but the movie is surprisingly effective - written and directed with a sure hand by John Lee Hancock (The Rookie), with strong performances from Bullock and Quentin Aaron as Michael, the movie stays even-handed and refuses for the most part to engage in manipulative sentimentality. I say for the most part because it crosses the line egregiously once or twice - such as in an exchange Leigh Anne has with her friends. Her friend says, "You're changing that boy's life." Leigh Anne says, "No, he's changing mine." And I say, "Blaeeaaggghhhh" (is that what vomit sounds like?).

Graced with some solid acting and writing, and some genuinely funny moments (many of the football sequences are played for some big laughs), The Blind Side is an engaging, well-made, and touching film. But is it remarkable? Is it worthy of a Best Picture nomination? I don't know. I think I know why audiences have been so receptive.  Movies these days have by and large grown very cynical, but The Blind Side is just the opposite.  It leaves a warm feeling in audiences because it depicts human decency and kindness as virtues. In these tough times, it seems like the government can't do much, but we as human beings can and should help each other. The film provides us with real characters that we can admire and emulate, and it is a true story! How can you not feel good about that? And what is most effective is that the film does not bludgeon you over the head with this theme. It just puts the story out there and for the most part lets us react.

I think critics were lukewarm for the same reason audiences loved it. The movie isn't cynical enough for them. It wasn't gritty enough. Critics may have liked it more if there has been more darkness and violence, more crack-addicted mothers shooting themselves up in front of their children, and maybe if the Tuowys were a manipulative family that adopt Michael for the sole purpose of taking advantage of his natural talent in football for their own gain. Ah, yes! That's a movie that critics would like...

The Blind Side, for all of its faults, and there are many, refuses to do that. It just presents a good story about good people, and it tells that story well. Sometimes that's all you need.


MVP: This is Sandra Bullock's year and she gives a nomination-worthy performance, but I was actually more impressed with Quintin Aaron as Michael Oher. His work is subtle, and he spends so much of the movie silent, passive and ambiguous, that even the smallest smile has an impact. And when he finally does have an emotional breakdown when he returns to his old neighborhood, the scene is brutally effective. Bullock has all the good lines and sells her part like a pro, but it is Aaron's quiet strength that dominates the movie.

TRIVIA: So what happened to Michael Oher? I'm not ruining anything since this is a true story - he was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in 2009 and had a pretty kick-ass rookie year. And it looks like he is only going to keep getting better.

BEST LINE: Sean Tuowy upon discovering Michael's tutor is a liberal. "Who would have thought I'd have a black son before I met a Democrat."

OSCARS: Best Actress (Sandra Bullock)

OSCAR NOMINATIONS: Best Picture (lost to Hurt Locker).

Patton

Patton (1970)

It is always fun to go back and look at the films that won Best Picture at the Oscars. After seeing the films, my response is usually either "well, I guess I see why it won, but that other movie should have won instead" or "how the heck did THAT movie win?" It is rare that you see a movie and say, "Wow, now that is a Best Picture!"

Patton is one of those few - it joins the small echelon of movies that are the clear Best Pictures of that year, worthy of being Best Picture in any year, the films that transcend simple classic status. These films like Lawrence of Arabia, The Godfather, or Casablanca. Patton is that good.

Patton starts off in North Africa in 1943. After a bitter defeat, the American army brings in crazy General George Patton to whip the army back into shape and defeat the Germans. The movie then follows Patton through the rest of the war - through Africa, Sicily, England, France, and Germany - showing his military highs and lows - the lows almost always being his own fault ("My worst enemy is my own big mouth.").

George C. Scott (Dr. Strangelove) plays General Patton. Hm, let me rephrase that. He does not play General Patton. He IS General Patton. In one of the greatest biographical performances in Hollywood history, Scott shows us not only the blustery forceful persona that made Patton so famous (and infamous); he also gives us subtle glimpses into the man's own insecurities and personal ticks - private moments that only his trusted aides see. Granted, the amusing thing about those moments is that the only thing Patton is insecure about is missing his destiny of being the awesomest general ever, but still...this is an overpowering performance.

The rest of the production staff is also at the top of their game. Director Franklin Schaffner (Planet of the Apes) proves himself to be the perfect director of epics, his wide angle compositions breathtaking, but never allowing the spectacle to overwhelm the characters (which most epics are guilty of). Francis Ford Coppola won an Oscar (along with Edmund H. North) for Best Screenplay, a smart and savvy commentary on the man, his myth, and the realities of war that presage some of his later writing in Apocalypse Now. Jerry Goldsmith wrote a subtle Oscar-nominated score which, except for his main theme, is very hidden in the background. The best part about the score is its most subtle element - as Patton, who believes in reincarnation and destiny, reflects upon his life, and all of his past lives, Goldsmith employs an instrument called an echoplex to create this sound of trumpets quietly repeating the same three notes, ringing quieter and quieter into the distance, into silence. The music is echoing the past, just as Patton is echoing his past battles in former lives. Smart stuff, and a worthy nomination for the maestro.

If there is one thing you should know about me, it's that I think no film is perfect. Even the best movies, those classics of classics that I mentioned, have some problems. In the case of Patton, we have a spotty supporting cast - some, like Karl Malden as General Omar Bradley, are great. But some of the smaller roles - aides, soldiers, doctors, etc. are filled with some really cheesy actors who sound like they are reading lines from cue cards off camera. And the film is a bit long. As good as Schaffner is, some shots just go on for too long. For example, when Patton is directing tank traffic at a crossroads, we understand what he is doing after he guides the first few tanks through. But then we watch him guide more tanks through. And some more. And then we watch Gen. Bradley watching Patton guide more tanks through. It's never boring. But as the clock inches toward the third hour, your butt really starts to hurt.

So any way, Patton stands the test of time. This is Schaffner and George C. Scott's masterpiece. This gets my highest recommendation. And as a sidenote, if you are going to see it - get it on Bluray if at all possible. This is one of the best transfers I've ever seen on an old movie. It really looks like it had been produced last year, not in 1970.

MVP: This is easy. This movie is George C. Scott's show. The movie would have been solid with another actor in the role, but it wouldn't have been a classic. He elevates it. This is certainly one of the best performances of the decade.

TRIVIA: And Scott almost didn't even get the role! Burt Lancaster, Lee Marvin, Robert Mitchum and Rod Steiger all turned it down. John Wayne wanted the role desperately, but couldn't get it - producers probably didn't want take a chance on his failing health. Eventually Scott landed the role and secured his place in the annals of Hollywood.

BEST LINE: In the opening scene of the film, in his famous monologue to the troops and with a giant American flag at his back, Patton begins by saying, "Now I want you to remember that no poor, dumb bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won a war by making the other poor, dumb bastard die for his country!"

OSCARS: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Script, Best Art Direction, Best Editing, Best Sound

OSCAR NOMINATIONS: Best Visual Effects, Best Original Score, Best Cinematography

Inglourious Basterds

Inglourious Basterds

I have to admit, I was kind of put off when I first heard about Inglourious Basterds. I was not a big fan of Tarantino's Kill Bill movies and never really had an urge to watch Death Proof. And then I saw how he mispelled the words in the title to be mysterious and cool, and I just found that annoying. Then I started hearing rumors of some graphic scalping scenes and I just really didn't want to deal with that. So I wrote it off.

I'm glad I changed my mind and eventually sat down and watched it. Because despite the fact that I still think some of the gore is unnecessary and the mispelling of the title is still lame, Inglourious Basterds is easily Tarantino's best film since Pulp Fiction.

The plot is pretty complicated, with a lot of different chess pieces slowly inching towards each other - there is Lt. Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt) and his Inglourious Basterds - Jewish-American soldiers who are fighting a guerilla war in France and striking fear into the hearts of Nazis everywhere. There is Hans Landa (Christoph Waltz), a SS detective and security officer who hunts down Jews trying to escape from Nazi-occupied France. Which leads us to Shosanna (Melanie Laurent), a young Jewish women whose parents were killed by Landa earlier in the war. Now she owns a movie theater in Paris and is being wooed by a bothersome German war hero (Daniel Bruhl). But then there is also British officer Archie Hicox (Michael Fassbender) who is working with double agent, Bridget von Hammersmark (Diane Kruger) to bring down some high ranking members of the Third Reich. All the characters have their separate stories, boldly interweaving and jumping around without a care in the world. I don't want to spoil how the stories weave together - for me, watching how everything connects was half the fun.

In many ways, Inglourious Basterds is a big breakthrough for Tarantino. He launches into a true period piece and despite its fantastical and unrealistic characters and plot developments, he has created a World War II setting that is entirely believable and real. Everything feels, looks, and mostly sounds right. It helps that he lets everyone speak in their proper language (the Germans speak German, the French speak French, and so on). Having military buff and filmmaker John Milius (director of Conan the Barbarian and writer of Apocalypse Now) as a consultant certainly helped, as well. Either way, this is an impressive feat of filmmaking and writing.

The acting is also top notch. Christoph Waltz as the main villain is superb - his line readings alternating between smooth, charming, menacing, and then suddenly outright bizarre (check out how he giggles, "Biiinnngggooo!!!"). It is a great performance. But I expected that - everyone talked about how amazing he was, and he lived up to those expectations. What I was not expecting was how much I loved A) Brad Pitt as Aldo Raine, the tough and witty leader of the Basterds. His Tennessee accent is over-the-top without being a parody and he gets many of the best lines; B) Michael Fassbender, who made Zero impression on me in 300, is excellent as Archie Hicox. And I think I may have been watching the actor who eventually replaces Daniel Craig as James Bond in another five years or so. Fassbender is so much like a young Connery. Watch the scene where he is briefed by Winston Churchill and tell me it doesn't remind you of Thunderball or From Russia With Love. And watch his grace under pressure in the tavern scene and tell me you don't think he'd be a good Bond. Count me a fan; and C) Diane Kruger as German actress/double agent. I have never been a fan of Kruger thanks to forgettable performances in Troy and National Treasure, but here she shows true depth and a remarkable range. To be honest, at the end of the movie, I was most concerned about whether her character would live or die, and it mostly due to Kruger's work.

If I have any complaints about the film, and I have a few, it has to do with the length. He could have trimmed a good 20-minutes out. That said, I don't really know what he could cut out. He creates a number of set pieces - only instead of action set pieces, they are drawn out conversations between adversaries, dripping with suspense and double meanings. They are all fabulously written and acted and take their time to develop. I wouldn't want to cut any of them. The problem is that after five or six of these scenes, your butt just begins to fall asleep. There's really no way around that. But what would I take out? Hell if I know...I would also like to complain again about the gore - not that the bad guys don't deserve it, but that doesn't mean I need to watch all the scalping and carving and baseball bat beating. Another minor complaint - the use of David Bowie's song from Cat People is completely inappropriate -it plays while Shosanna is dressing to attend a big Nazi party. It's supposed to make her badass. Instead it makes it seem like she's attending a politically incorrect costume party in the 1980s.

MVP: Well, the MVP has to be Tarantino. For the first time in a long time, he actually reigns in his excesses and uses them in service of the movie - this includes his monologues. All too often his speeches are in his own voice, as if Tarantino is commenting on the scene in the film. While certainly well written and interesting, they are often completely out of character and throw me out of the movie - yeah, I'm looking at you Kill Bill 2 and your lame Superman speech that totally ruins the climax of the film! Yet here, the extensive dialogue and speeches are all in character, all of them service the film perfectly and do not slow the momentum down at all; on the contrary, they only ratchets up the suspense. Tarantino mentioned he wanted to make a Medieval film some day soon. At first, I was really not happy about that. But now that I've seen what he is capable of doing with a true period piece, count me in. Just keep David Bowie off the soundtrack.

TRIVIA: Tarantino almost cast two funny men in roles that I would have never have imagined - Adam Sandler almost played Basterd Donny Donowitz, the hulking warrior who likes to beat Nazi heads in with his baseball bat. And Simon Pegg (Shawn of the Dead) almost played Archie Hicox. Both would have been interesting choices, if strange. Luckily, both had scheduling conflicts (Sandler was working on Funny People and I'm not sure what Pegg was working on - probably Star Trek). All's well that ends well, I suppose. I like Eli Roth as Donowitz and have already discussed Fassbender above.

BEST LINE: You know as embarrassing as this is - with all the wealth of good dialogue in this movie, what I remember most is the way Brad Pitt says "Arrivederci." I completely lost it. It's the funniest sequence in the film...

OSCARS: Best Supporting Actor (Christoph Waltz)

OSCAR NOMINATIONS: Best Picture, Director (Tarantino), Original Screenplay (Tarantino), Editing, Sound Editing, Sound Mixing, Cinematography, 

It's Complicated

It's Complicated

I'm not going to ease into this review. It's Complicated just isn't good. Despite the best efforts of a terrific cast (including Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin, Steve Martin, and John Krasinsky), the movie just does not work.

The storyline has promise. Jane (Streep) is a divorced woman whose ex-husband Jake (Baldwin) wants back in the marriage. Ten years previously, he had an affair and left Jane for some young hottie. But now that young hottie is his wife and she wants a kid, and Jake seems to be re-evaluating his life. He realizes that he made a horrible mistake in leaving Jane. Jane can't seem to resist and an affair ignites between the two. Will she end up with her old husband or will she go for the nice architect (Martin) who also seems to be interested in her? Will she be able to sort out her conflicting feelings? Oh, it's so complicated!

There is some room for drama here. In theory, I can understand why divorcees may re-unite. Feelings can re-surface; they may be co-mingled with pain and regrets, but the fact remains this man used to be her husband and there was once a lot of love. I understand that conflicting emotions and the right set of circumstances could lead her back to him. Except the script is so shallow and the circumstances so unconvincing that it really makes no sense. You are asking yourself the entire movie, Why? Why? Why? And that's not a good thing.

The movie is a pretty big hit, though, and a lot of folks are really liking it. These people argue with me on two points. 1) It's a romantic comedy! So what if it is impossible! To which I argue - yes, it is a romantic comedy, but it is also presented with a layer of reality. This isn't like the old divorce screwball comedies of old that are so clearly superficial and woven in romantic fantasy that it all makes sense. Writer-director Nancy Meyers is not making that type of movie. She is trying to be real and funny at the same time. Sometimes that works (I rather liked her Something's Got to Give), but she can't have it both ways this time.

The other point is 2) this movie is not meant for me. I just don't get it because I'm not a middle-aged woman. To which I argue - well, I can't argue with that. This movie is not meant for me. I like to think I could still review the movie objectively, but I thought maybe these criticisms were right - until I talked to three of my friends who ARE middle-aged women and they had all the same problems I did. Whew!

I sort of feel bad trashing the movie. It's not all bad. I have a lot of respect for Nancy Meyers, who seems to be one of the very few filmmakers in Hollywood writing real roles for women these days. And the acting is all quite good. Streep is, as always, rock solid. If she can't quite overcome the weakness of her character, it is not her fault. Alec Baldwin is like Puck going through a mid-life crisis, and he puts in a rakishly entertaining performance. Steve Martin is restrained and quiet, and it's nice to see him playing a different type of character. And John Krasinski (Jim on "The Office") is very funny as the Jane and Adam's future son-in-law who accidentally finds out about their affair and is desperately trying to keep the secret. There are some good scenes - including a pretty funny party scene that I don't want to spoil - that almost makes the movie worth watching. Almost. It's just a shame that the cast is saddled down by this story.

So there you go. It's Complicated is not complicated enough. And with the talent involved, it really should have been better.

MVP: Do I have to give an Most Valuable Player to a movie I didn't like? Sigh. I guess it would be Baldwin. Baldwin is pretty funny. And if he had played this character in a movie that fully embraced its silly, romantic comedy roots, a la Awful Truth, then he would be right at home. I like that his performance implies a mid-life crisis without talking about it. He is just a big ol' kid who is in denial about his life. I don't see any of this in the dialogue, but the way. It's all in his acting. Plus, it's always nice to see Baldwin having fun - which is the main reason I watch "30 Rock" every week.

TRIVIA: Meryl Streep asked her alma mater Vasser College if the production could film the graduation scene on their campus. The College flatly refused - despite the fact that Streep is on the College's Board of Trustees and that two of her children also attend the school!

BEST LINE: At a dinner party, there is some tension between Baldwin and Streep's characters who just had a fight. John Krasinski tries to distract every one else by trying to force feed every one wine, but he is just pretty much ignored. Near the end of the scene, he makes one final attempt and says, "Hey, why am I the only one drinking wine???" It was funny...I guess you had to be there...

Twins

Twins

I know I am a little late to the party, but I am starting to get into It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. The quirky and mean-spirited show has opened my eyes to what a comic gem Danny DeVito is. I was not much of a fan when I was growing up, but now I feel like I may have been missing something. I thought I had better revisit some of his golden oldies - and I started with the 1988 Ivan Reitman hit, Twins.

Twins begins with the description of a brilliant science experiment to mix the DNA of the world's best men and create the perfect superman. Instead they create twins - one is the super intelligent and super strong Arnold Schwarzenegger and the other is...well, he is Danny DeVito. Separated at birth, Twins is the story of how they find each other and have an adventure together. The idea of Schwarzenegger and DeVito as siblings was so clever that the movie was big hit at the box office. But the movie doesn't coast on its amusing premise alone. The two stars have an undeniable chemistry and are clearly having a grand time together. Schwarzenegger's blind and naive idealism clashing head-long into seedy, street smart DeVito's cynicism makes up the meat of the movie and provides the biggest laughs. And when the movie focuses on their relationship and their travels with sisters Marnie and Linda (Kelly Preston and Chloe Webb), the movie is genuinely funny, if a bit dated. Jokes that were funny in the 80s don't fly so well now - maybe because I'm older or maybe because they just aren't that funny. But overall, there are enough solid one-liners and fun set-pieces that you will still enjoy yourself. Twins is like that old, cozy blanket from childhood that you pull out of the closet - it may have holes and rips, but by golly, it still makes you feel warm.

I say most of the movie because the whole film isn't about these relationships. There is a real plot, too. And it is a cheesy, lame plot. DeVito has stolen a car with some "merchandise" that he is attempting to sell to a crooked corporation. But there is a hitman on his tail, providing the movie with an action climax that is wholly out-of-place with the rest of the picture. This part of the movie does not age well at all, and I'm not even sure why it's in there.

But it seems like Reitman and Co. realized this because the hitman plot takes up very little screen time until the end. Up to that point, let the cozy, ripped blanket keep you warm.

TRIVIA: So...there were two mismatched movie couples at the studio at this time. Schwarzenegger and DeVito were one. Hulk Hogan and Christopher Lloyd were the other. There were also two appropriate movies at the studio and for awhile it looked like the Hogan-Lloyd team was going to be starring in Twins. But then Schwarzenegger and DeVito ran in and snagged Twins first, leaving Hogan and Lloyd to star in the other movie - the unfortunate and forgettable Suburban Commando. Ah-nold, you dodged a bullet on that one!"

BEST LINE: Julius Benedict (Schwarzenegger): "The pavement was his enemy."

MVP: So here is the question - did DeVito win me over? Well, he may not have hit his Philadelphia brilliance, but yes. Yes, he did. The subversive little bastard sinks his teeth into the role and gives us a fun and lively performance. And he also gives us some genuine, dramatic moments that remind us that he is more than a comedian, but actually a good actor. But is he MVP? No way! The MVP clearly is the Austrian Oak himself. Arnold Schwarzenegger proved critics wrong with this movie. He wasn't just a brainless lunkhead who was only good at blowing stuff up. He was actually funny! Arnold shows a deft hand with comedy, with pitch perfect timing, terrifically naive line readings and an always funny deer-in-the-headlights stare. Arnold is all hugs and rainbows and love in this movie, and he is relishing the chance to turn his violent image on its head. It's a pity he didn't do more comedy. Sure, he had the stinkers in Junior and Jingle all the Way, but when cast right, he would be the funniest thing in the movie!