Blu-Ray Review: EVERYBODY WANTS SOME!!

Starring Blake Jenner, Zoey Deutch, Ryan Guzman, Tyler Hoechlin, Glen Powell, Wyatt Russell, Will Brittain, Forrest Vickery, Temple Baker, J Quinton Johnson, Tanner Kalina, Juston Street. Directed by Richard Linklater. (2016, 117 min).
PARAMOUNT

I still remember the 70s and 80s like they were yesterday, so I'm trying to come to grips that films like Everybody Wants Some!! are period pieces, which is probably how my parents felt when American Graffiti was first released. But like American Graffiti, this could have been released during the time it takes place and still be a winner because there's a lot more going on than simple nostalgia.

For me, Richard Linklater's best films the ones where he's trying to capture a fleeting moment in the lives of his characters rather than finding a conventional story to drop them in. Even better are those that perfectly reflect a particular time and place in the not-too-distant past, where we get the impression he's drawing from personal experience. With all due respect to Boyhood and his Before trilogy, that's what makes Dazed and Confused one of his greatest.

Everybody Wants Some!! has been called a spiritual sequel to Dazed and Confused, not just because of the era in which it takes place, but its knowing depiction of that transitional age we all go through as young adults. If Dazed depicts the last hurrah of childhood, then this film presents those first baby steps into a much larger world. Told mostly through the eyes of Jake (Blake Jenner), a freshman who earns a scholarship to play baseball at a Texas university, the film gives us the ball team's last weekend before classes start. The ballplayers all occupy a house near the campus, a collection of rookies, goofballs, stoners and more-experienced upperclassmen.

On the surface, the film seems to be one long continuous party, but what we're really watching is the beginning of a new chapter for some characters and the end for others. And like Dazed and Confused, there aren’t any dramatic highs and lows, with most actual conflict being mild and episodic in nature. Still, we’re reminded of experience of being thrust into a new world different from what we‘re used to, and in one amusing & poignant moment, what it’s like to be banished once we've worn out our welcome there.

"I'm pretty sure I saw someone pee in one of those bottles."

What truly makes the film work, besides its impeccable aesthetic attention to period detail, are the characters. We may not always personally relate to them, but we all know people like this. I especially enjoyed Wyatt Russell (Kurt’s son) as Willoughby, who gives the best monologue of any philosophical stoner I’ve ever heard. The only character that rings false is Finnegan (Glen Powell). As a cocky collegiate transfer student, his exaggerated antics feel overly cartoonish compared to everyone around him.

Aside from that, Everybody Wants Some!! is another spot-on slice-of-life from a bygone era, though still relevant to what nearly every young suburbanite experiences in their lives. Like its kindred spirit, Dazed and Confused, the film never descends into heavy-handed melodrama, nor does it rely on cheap laughs and gags to get a rise out of us. For the most part, we watch this film with an occasional chuckle and knowing grin because we’ve all been there. And yeah, it features a killer soundtrack.

EXTRA KIBBLES:
"More Stuff That's Not in the Movie" (montage of alternate scenes & dialogue, deleted scenes and bloopers)
Featurettes: "Rickipedia" (the cast discusses writer/director Richard Linklater); "History 101: Stylin' the '80s" (hair and costume design); "Skills Videos"; "Baseball Players Can Dance"
DVD & Digital Copies

KITTY CONSENSUS:

PURR...LIKE A GOOD SCRATCH BEHIND THE EARS

Blu-Ray Review: KILL ZONE 2

Starring Tony Jaa, Wu Jing, Simon Yam, Zhang Jin, Louis Koo, Ken Low, Jun Kung, Dominic Kar Wah, Baby John Choi. Directed by Soi Cheang. (2015, 121 min).
WELL GO USA

I've never seen the original Kill Zone (aka SPL). The good news is that it doesn't matter. Kill Zone 2 (aka SPL: A Time for Consequences) is pretty much a sequel in-name-only. Other than Simon Yam, it features a complete different cast of characters and the plot bares no relation to the original.

More good news: Kill Zone 2 is intense and bloody, with a lot of expertly-choreographed martial arts action. It's also well-acted and features characters we either love or love to hate.

The bad news? Despite a lengthy running time, Kill Zone 2 is almost completely undone by a shockingly abrupt and lazy conclusion. Without going into details that would spoil the party, the film spends so much time and effort trying to knock our socks off with kinetic fight scenes, a complex story and interconnecting characters, it's a shame (and aggravating) to watch it unravel before our eyes during the final few minutes.

Until then, though, we're mostly drawn into this dark tale of human organ trafficking, headed by criminal kingpin Hung Man-biu (Louis Koo), who also plans to steal his own brother's heart to replace his own failing ticker. He's aided by a corrupt prison warden, Ko Chun (Zhang Jin), who kidnaps innocent victims to harvest their organs. An undercover cop, Chan (Wu Jing), intentionally becomes a drug addicted henchman to gain Hung's confidence, but when he's exposed, he is sent to the same prison run by Ko. Meanwhile, one of the prison guards, Chatchai (Tony Jaa), has a young daughter, Sa, who'll die without a bone marrow transplant but a suitable donor has yet to be found (who that turns out to be can either be seen as a genius plot twist or a contrived convenience). Circumstances have Chan and Chatchai teaming to fight Hung's mob, resulting in numerous violent and exciting confrontations.

"Does this look infected?"

For the most part, Kill Zone 2 delivers as promised, with enough action to gloss over the more glaring plot contrivances (and there are several). But while the ailing child subplot provides unexpectedly bittersweet moments, it ultimately becomes the film's undoing. During the final act, the scenes featuring Sa almost seem to exist in another movie. When the action comes to a sudden, screeching halt to focus on her character for the denouement, we almost feel cheated.

Sa’s a charming character and her relationship with both Chan and Chatchai does give the film some emotional heft. But ultimately, that isn’t what most of us signed-up for. Kill Zone 2 might have been better-off getting rid of that entire subplot to provide a more fitting climax to the mayhem we've enjoyed up to that point.

EXTRA KIBBLES:
3 Making-of Featurettes
Deleted Scenes
Trailer

KITTY CONSENSUS:

NOT BAD...BUT LIKE BEING PROMISED A CAN OF FRISKIES AND GETTING CAT CHOW INSTEAD

Blu-Ray Giveaway: CHRONICLES OF THE GHOSTLY TRIBE

WELL GO USA and FREE KITTENS MOVIE GUIDE are giving away Blu-Ray copies of the action-packed Chronicles of the Ghostly Tribe! 

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The Chinese action adventure film follows the story of a young soldier, working in China’s snowcapped mountains, who, following an explosion, discovers a series of mysterious fossils hidden deep within the mountain caverns. What he finds out next will change his life – and human history – forever. The cast includes Yao Chen (Firestorm), Mark Chao (Young Detective Dee: Rise of the Sea Dragon), Rhydian Vaughan (Lord of Shanghai), Li Chen (Aftershock), Tiffany Tang (The Storm Warriors), Daniel Feng (The Painted Veil), Wang Qingxiang (The Grandmaster), Wu Jun (Beginning of the Great Revival), Wang Deshung (Saving General Yang) and Li Guangjie (Drug War).  Bonus materials include a making-of featurette. 

Blu-Ray Review: CHRONICLES OF THE GHOSTLY TRIBE

Starring Mark Chao, Yao Chen, Rhydian Vaughan, Li Chen, Tiffany Tang, Daniel Feng, Li Guangjie, Wang Qingxiang. Directed by Lu Chuan. (2015, 123 min).
WELL GO USA

At first, Chronicles of the Ghostly Tribe shapes up to be a pretty decent fantasy/action film, sort of a Chinese variation of 1999's The Mummy. It begins with a group of Chinese excavators, led by Professor Yang (Wang Qingxiang), who discover fossils of massive reptilian creatures, along with an ancient temple. It turns out that, not only are some of these creatures still alive (and pissed off), the temple itself is a gateway that allows demons to return and raise all kinds of hell. These first thirty minutes are fun and exciting, featuring some pretty nifty CGI (obviously created with 3D in mind) and impressive set design.

Fast forward a few years, and Hu Bayi (Mark Chao), the only apparent survivor of that expedition, is working at a small library filled with rare books (though not in New York City, as the cover synopsis inexplicably claims). He's still tormented by those events and the loss of the girl he loved, Ping (Yao Chen). Hu is also going through physical changes, which is later explained by the curator he works for, whose actually a guardian of the demon temple...or something like that (this guy provides a lot of the film's exposition, some of it clear, some of it perplexing). Meanwhile, the military is searching for Hu to lead another expedition after the not-dead-after-all Yang vanishes yet again. Luckily for Hu, Ping shows up again, too, though not quite her former self. They lead a team to a small desert town that has been destroyed by some nasty critters that look like a cross between wolves and dragons.

A strong argument for spaying and neutering your pets.

That's a lot of plot for one movie, which grows more convoluted as it goes (and we haven't even mentioned the deadly swarms of firebats yet). Despite a promising beginning, Chronicles of the Ghostly Tribe moves in fits and starts afterwards, too often pausing for key characters to explain to Hu (and us) what's going on. Some of the action scenes are good, though the CGI effects used to depict the wolf-dragons are rather shoddy compared to the impressive giants from the first act.

Still, there's a quirkiness to the film that keeps things interesting, such as numerous musical numbers singing the praises of Chinese communism, Daniel Feng as the comic relief sidekick who moonlights as an Elvis impersonator and the everything-but-the-kitchen-sink approach to the story (which also manages to include aliens before all is said and done). Chronicles of the Ghostly Tribe probably plays better in 3D as originally presented in theaters, but it's still not a bad way to kill a few hours.

EXTRA KIBBLES:

• Making-of Featurette
• Trailer

KITTY CONSENSUS:

NOT BAD...LIKE CAT CHOW

NATURAL BORN KILLERS: Oliver Stone vs. My Cat

Starring Woody Harrelson, Juliette Lewis, Robert Downey Jr, Tommy Lee Jones, Tom Sizemore, Rodney Dangerfield. Directed by Oliver Stone. (1994, 119 min).

Essay by D.M. ANDERSON
 
It isn't often that I'm afforded the opportunity to blame my wife for something, so I’m going to jump at the chance...

I share my home with three animals, a dog named Murphy, and two cats, Josey and Stinky. As pets go, they are relatively low-maintenance and pleasant to be around, though I wish someone would have told me in-advance that Wheaten Terriers require at least three haircuts a year, or else they start to resemble Cousin It from the Addams Family (I don’t even cut my own hair that often).

The living arrangements have been agreeable as well. My animals ventured in and out of the house as they please, and as long as there were kibbles o' plenty, they've always enjoyed a pretty laid-back, contented life.

That all changed when my wife decided our pets deserved a ‘special treat’ one Christmas just to show how much we love them, so we ‘surprised’ them with some canned food in their stockings (yes, they have their own). For Murphy, Josey & Stinky, that must have been like someone raised on hamburgers suddenly getting their first taste of prime rib. It was admittedly kind-of cute watching them scarf-down this special yuletide treat, each animal licking their bowls clean. But no matter how loving her intentions, there was a fatal fallacy in my wife’s decision...

Even at a young age, my kids understood their first trip to Disneyland didn’t mean we were going to start spending every weekend there (though they would if they could). Vacations like that are special occasions. Dogs and cats, however, are not children (despite what some of your Facebook friends may share). Pets have no concept of special occasions; Christmas morning is no different than the third Tuesday in April. If dinner time suddenly consists of prime rib today, why not tomorrow?

I expressed my concerns about spoiling our pets by changing their diets (if even for a single day), but they fell upon deaf ears, especially with my daughters backing-up Mom’s holiday decision. Personally, my biggest fear was that reasonably-priced bags of Purina Cat Chow & Dog Chow would suddenly be beneath my pets’ dignity to consider consuming.

And that’s exactly what happened...

Suddenly, kibbles weren’t good enough. A significant part of our weekly grocery bill now consists of canned pet food. At first, my wife assured me that giving them the good stuff once a day would suffice, which worked for awhile with Murphy and Stinky, who would suck-it-up and eat the old food just to fill the void. Josey, however, became as insufferable as Mariah Carey backstage, clawing furniture, meowing incessantly and knocking shit over whenever her bowl didn’t contain the good stuff. She acts like a junkie in withdrawal if we don’t sate her hunger with moist, meaty Friskies three times a day (and to keep things equitable, all our pets are now can-fed three times daily).

Josey the Diva

Because I’m usually the first to get up in the morning, guess whose job it is to feed this fat little diva? While the other pets are sleeping in, Josey urgently scampers into the kitchen the very second I climb out of bed, her low-hanging, gelatinous gut swinging left and right with each step. She meows every two seconds to remind me of my responsibilities, as though I’ll forget them without this constant verbal barrage. She gets extra pissed when I take the time get my coffee started first, apparently unaware that, without coffee, I’d have tossed her fuzzy ass out the kitchen window years ago. Our typical conversation each morning goes something like this:

JOSEY: Meow!
ME: Yeah, I know.
JOSEY (weaving in and out of my legs): Meow!
ME: I know! Coffee first, okay?
JOSEY: Meow!
ME: I get it! Shut up!
JOSEY (tries to trip me while tending to my daily morning duties): Meow! Meow!
ME: Jesus Christ, we do this every morning! Since when has breakfast never fucking happened?
JOSEY (places an extended claw on my leg beause I’m taking too long): Meow!
ME: Ahh! You little shit!
JOSEY: Meow! Meow! Meow!

This has been our routine every single morning for three fucking years, yet she still feels the incessant need to remind me every time, so I can only assume she thinks I’m too stupid to remember yesterday. Josey is compelled to continue driving the point home, much like Oliver Stone does with Natural Born Killers.

I like Oliver Stone, even though he hasn’t made a film I’ve really enjoyed in over 20 years. He’s always had a lot of audacity and appears to occasionally enjoy stirring the pot just to piss people off. This was especially true of his earlier work, like JFK, my personal favorite of Stone's and arguably the most paranoid movie of all time. The film revels in pointing fingers and naming names, to the point where damn near everybody except my grandmother may have had a role in the Kennedy assassination (though not even Grandma could account for her whereabouts that day). Sure, most of the movie is probably bullshit, but it’s brilliantly conceived bullshit, so well assembled that we forget this three hour film doesn’t really answer any of the questions it raises, kind-of like those Sunn Classic Pictures of the 70s that speculated the existence of UFOs and Bigfoot.

JFK pissed a lot of people off. I know some folks who still refuse to acknowledge Stone’s skills as a filmmaker simply because of his outspoken political views, which is stupid. Not to come across as superior to my conservative acquaintances, but while I personally think Ted Nugent is a racist, jingoistic asshat, I’m still able to acknowledge he’s a hell of a guitar player.

I’m also able to acknowledge there are times when Stone obviously enjoys smelling his own farts, as both a filmmaker and social commentator. 1994’s Natural Born Killers is a prime example. It’s his most controversial film by a wide margin, making JFK look as congenial as an episode of Full House. Though stylistically very similar to JFK, this was Stone’s first film where I felt he was actively trying to create something incendiary, simply for the sake of courting controversy. After all, isn’t negative attention better than none at all? Just ask Josey, who sometimes knocks over water glasses just to get a rise out of me. If so, mission accomplished. Natural Born Killers became one of the most polarizing films ever released by a major studio, especially after it inspired some real-life copycat killers.

"That's one hell of a hangnail."

But here’s the thing...I don’t believe Stanley Kubrick had controversy foremost on his mind when he made A Clockwork Orange (to which Natural Born Killers is often compared). In fact, Kubrick was just as upset as the movie’s detractors when, it too, inspired similar crimes. I’ve never been able to escape the feeling that Stone not only reveled in his film’s negative attention, he was counting on it. Nearly every scene smacks of deliberate and pandering attempts at edginess. One can almost picture Stone behind the camera, wringing his hands while cackling, “This scene should piss off a few folks.”

I personally enjoyed Natural Born Killers (it’s arguably the most “fun” film he ever made), but I also believe controversy should be something earned as a by-product of your artistic efforts, not your modus operandi. Only then does anything important you have to say feel genuine.

Oliver Stone definitely has something important to say about the media’s obsession with glorifying violent criminals. His satirical jabs at reality television and turning murderers into celebrities are sharp, witty and accurate. Mickey and Mallory (Woody Harrelson and Juliette Lewis) are seen as cultural heroes by the masses, a view perpetuated by the media, who consider these two to be a lucrative commodity. We get what Stone’s trying to say, even though the media is a pretty easy (and obvious) target for society's ills.

Stone makes this message crystal clear in the first thirty minutes, but then proceeds to repeatedly hammer it home long after we’ve gotten the point. In this sense, he has a lot in common with my cat when she keeps reminding me its feeding time, even while I’m in the process of feeding her. But what Stone and my cat fail to realize is the more they badger us with the same argument, the more desensitized we become. I’ve become so accustomed to Josey’s daily demands (both physical and verbal) that I’ve learned to tune her out, not really giving a damn what she has to say because it’s the same old shit. Similarly, Natural Born Killers desensitizes us as well...not the violence per se, but the same lecture repeated ad nauseum for two hours. We got his point within a few minutes, but like Josey, he’s just gotta keep reminding us...just in case we missed it.

Rest in Peace, Robin Hardy

Robin Hardy (1929-2016)

Blu-Ray Review: WHISKEY TANGO FOXTROT

Starring Tina Fey, Margot Robbie, Martin Freeman, Alfred Molina, Christopher Abbott, Billy Bob Thornton. Directed by Glenn Ficarra & John Requa. (2016, 111 min).
PARAMOUNT

Tina Fey plays real-life journalist Kim Baker, who gets the opportunity to leave her desk and raise her profile by becoming a war correspondent in Afghanistan. What's initially supposed to be a three month gig turns into several years. Along the way, she develops friendships with colleagues, rivals and native Afghans. Long after the war ceases to be daily headline news, Baker has become accustomed to the relative ‘normalcy’ of living and working such an alien environment, where she and fellow journalists regularly risk their safety by day and party like a frat house by night.

Based on Baker’s book, The Taliban Shuffle, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot is an episodic dramatic comedy chronicling her three years there. The film is highly character-driven and quite a departure for Fey. She’s convincing, sympathetic and likable as Baker, handling the dramatic demands of the role as deftly as the more comedic ones. The good supporting cast helps tremendously; Martin Freeman is fun as a lecherous photographer who becomes her love interest, while Alfred Molina has a few amusing scenes as an Afghan government figure who’s also an insider’s news source for Baker.

"I think I just made boom-boom."

While it does contain some highly funny moments, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot isn’t quite the comedy it’s been promoted as, which might be off-putting to some Tina Fey fans. Nor is it really a war film, though it looks and feels like a realistic depiction of the troubled political climate of Afghanistan, where something terrible could happen at any moment, and occasionally does. There are some scenes of jarring violence late in the story that feel like a sucker-punch (which I suppose is intentional). The film is also erratically paced at times, even meandering during the middle act. Despite many interesting characters and good performances, there are times when our attention begins to wane, much like viewers' interest in the war at the time.

But Whiskey Tango Foxtrot stops just short of wearing out its welcome with a finale and resolution that brings Baker’s story to a pretty satisfying conclusion. Whether or not it’s worth buying depends largely on your appreciation for Tina Fey (she is in nearly every scene). For everyone else, it’s still worth checking out at least once for the performances alone.

EXTRA KIBBLES:

• Featurettes: “All In: The Making of Whiskey Tango Foxtrot”; “War Reporter: The Real Kim”; “Embedded in Reality”; “Wedding Party”; “Laughing Matters”
• Deleted & Extended Scenes
• DVD & Digital Copies

KITTY CONSENSUS:

NOT BAD...LIKE CAT CHOW

Rest in Peace, Michael Cimino

Michael Cimino (1939-2016)

Blu-Ray Review: I SAW THE LIGHT

Starring Tom Hiddleston, Elizabeth Olson, Cherry Jones, Bradley Whitford, Maddie Hasson, Wrenn Schmidt. Directed by Marc Abraham. (2015, 124 min).
SONY

I'll give Tom Hiddleston this much...for a guy whose initial casting raised some skeptical eyebrows, he totally nails the role. Looking, speaking, moving and even singing uncannily like Hank Williams, this is a masterful performance. It's a shame all that hard work and dedication is wasted on such a lifeless, middling film as I Saw the Light.

As much as I personally detest country and rap music, both Coal Miner's Daughter and Straight Outta Compton are incredibly entertaining music biographies. That's because the best ones extend beyond the music to, not only make us appreciate their subjects' musical and cultural impact, but turn them into interesting, dynamic characters. One would think that a legend like Hank Williams, who lived fast, died young and left a bad looking corpse, would be foolproof bio fodder.

But in I Saw the Light, we don't really gain much insight into what made Williams tick. As the film begins, he's already a raging alcoholic, in a tumultuous marriage with Audrey (Elizabeth Olsen) and well on his way to getting his first big musical break. Aside from a few casual remarks from his overbearing mother (Cherry Jones), we get no background of his upbringing or when he discovered his gifts as a singer/songwriter. Not even posthumous interviews with longtime manager Fred Rose (Bradley Whitford) tell us much that isn’t already common knowledge about Hank’s life and career.

"Geez, Hank...even my kid can play 'Smoke on the Water'."

The film is also narratively plodding, with no defining highs or lows and little transition from one key moment to the next. It’s just a patchwork checklist of events, troubled relationships and a few musical performances before ending with Williams’ death in 1953 at the age of 29. With the exception of a wonderful moment when Williams finally achieves his lifelong goal by taking the stage at the Grand Ol’ Opry, it's never adequately shown how (or why) this man went on to influence countless other country and rock artists.

Despite Hiddleston’s obvious dedication to the role, he’s betrayed by a screenplay that renders Williams a static character throughout the entire film, and not particularly likeable. While presenting him as an egotistical narcissist isn’t necessarily a deal-breaker, a good biography would have at-least shown us how he ended up that way.

Surely a figure as revered as Hank Williams deserves a deeper, more comprehensive life story, but even Wikipedia provides more insight about the man than this film does. Hiddleston’s amazing performance might be enough to make I Saw the Light worth checking out one time, but fans of Williams’ and his music will be better served by giving one of his old records a spin.

EXTRA KIBBLES:

• Featurettes: "Talking Hank" (with Hiddleston and Rodney Crowell); "Illuminating a Legend: Inside I Saw the Light"; "A Night in Nashville: Premiere & Musical Performance by Tom Hiddleston"
• Audio Commentary by the Director
• Deleted Scenes
• Digital Copy

KITTY CONSENSUS:

MEH...DUST OFF YOUR OLD COPY OF "YOU'RE CHEATIN' HEART" INSTEAD

Blu-Ray Review: THE MERMAID

Starring Deng Chao, Lin Yun, Show Luo, Zhang Yuqi, Kris Wu. Directed by Stephen Chow. (2016, 94 min).
SONY

According to the press (and the cover), Stephen Chow's The Mermaid is already China's biggest movie of all time. If there was any justice in the world, the film would also be one of the bigger hits of 2016 everywhere else.

One of my ongoing pet peeves is the stupid practice of giving foreign language films limited releases in a few urban arthouses, simply because of the subtitles. Studios, distributors and theater chains are under the assumption that English speaking audiences don't go to the movies to read. The sad thing is they're probably right, because most of us have been conditioned to assume any movie with subtitles is inherently an "art film," taking too much effort on the viewer's part.

But Hollywood doesn't have the monopoly on big-ass action films, crazy comedies or mega-budget epics. What a thrill it must have been to see The Raid, Wild Tales, The Host or Kung Fu Hustle on the big screen in a packed theater. Most of us never got that chance, though, because subtitles are strictly for intellects.

Speaking of Kung Fu Hustle, it does have a pretty large cult following, so some of you may already know Stephen Chow doesn't direct art films. He makes audience pictures. Not just audience pictures, but quirky, clever, outrageously-plotted action comedies as good as anything Hollywood cranks out...and often better. The Mermaid is his latest, and so far, it's the best movie of the year, in any genre or language.

Liu Xuan (Deng Chao) is a self-centered, womanizing billionaire who purchases Green Gulf, a wildlife preserve, with equally unscrupulous (and seductive) business partner Ruolan (Zhang Yugi). He's also placed sonar probes throughout the ocean surrounding the island to keep dolphins and other wildlife away. What Liu doesn't realize is Green Gulf is also home to a race of mermaids who are slowly dying from the sonars' effects. So they send Shan (Lin Yun) as a 'honeytrap' to seduce and kill him. What happens instead is the two fall in love, much to the chagrin of both Ruolan and Octopus (Show Luo as the perpetually angry leader of the mermaids).

"Well, somebody peed in the pool!"

Like Chow's best films (Shaolin Soccer & Kung Fu Hustle), The Mermaid doesn't fit into any particular genre. It has a lot of action, heart and humor, including clever set-pieces which sometimes have nothing to do with the actual plot (a prolonged scene where Liu is trying to convince police that mermaids are real is truly classic). Even the questionable CGI is part of what makes the film so endearing. At its center is a charming love story that we've seen before, but it never takes itself too seriously.

In some ways, Stephen Chow reminds me a lot of classic era Mel Brooks. Though Chow's films aren't necessarily parodies, he approaches them with a similarly single-minded desire to entertain at all costs. He throws everything he has into each scene, and while they don't always result in a big payoff, a majority of them are pure movie magic. The Mermaid is, by turns, charming, suspenseful, smart and laugh-out-loud funny, along with a subtle message most of us need to be reminded of from time to time.

While the film does contain some violence, language and a bit of sensuality, ignore the inexplicable R rating given by the MPAA. The Mermaid is the very definition of an "audience picture" and a hell of a great time. You'll also forget you're reading subtitles within the first few minutes.

EXTRA KIBBLES:

• Featurettes: "The Making of The Mermaid"; "The Mermaid: Behind the Scenes"
• Music Video: "Invincible" (it's actually quite funny)
• Digital Copy

KITTY CONSENSUS:

MEE-OW! SO FAR, THE BEST MOVIE OF THE YEAR