Three short movie reviews

National Treasure – I thought this movie would be good fun, with a bunch of treasure hunters using clues intertwined with American history to find their riches. The problem is that the plot goes from highly improbable to completely absurd, and it drags on and on – for nearly two and a half hours. It’s a complete waste of time.


Jiminy Glick in Lalawood – I could never, in good conscience, recommend this movie to anyone. That said, I thought it was hilarious and enjoyed almost every minute of it. Glick is a strange character created by Martin Short, who wears a fat suit and speaks in the most unusual fashion – his voice fluctuates from baritone to soprano and back, sometimes within the same sentence. He’s a low-grade movie reviewer/celebrity interviewer who asks really stupid questions and is completely ignorant about his subject matter. He’s weird, and his wife and kids are even weirder. They all go to the Toronto Film Festival and a plot unfolds. I thought it as hilarious, but I also enjoyed his show on Comedy Central before it was cancelled. I guess there’s no accounting for taste.



Friday Night Lights – This movie can be summed up in one word – Hoosiers. The only difference is that in Friday Night Lights they use a football, and the story is set in a depressed town in Texas. Even though this kind of movie has been made many times before, I thought Friday Night Lights was excellent. It’s about a bunch of poor kids who excel on their high school football team and work their way to the state championship. These kids really grow on you and you can’t help but root for them. Billy Bob Thornton plays the coach. It’s the first time in memory that I can recall Billy Bob playing a normal, respectable person. The ending is surprising. Two thumbs up.