As far as '90s comedies go, "Encino Man" is up there as one of the seemingly forgotten flicks that die-hard fans are thirsting with nostalgia over. The film helped establish Pauly Shore as a genuine movie star and it certainly doesn't hurt that both Sean Astin ("The Lord of the Rings") and Brendan Fraser ("The Mummy") have gone on to become cherished actors in their own right. It's an of-its-time comedy that remains loved to this day. But could a sequel be on the horizon?
For those who may need a refresher, director Les Mayfield's 1992 film centers on Dave (Astin) who uncovers a caveman frozen in a block of ice while digging a hole for a swimming pool. With the help of his friend Stoney (Shore), Dave moves the caveman (Fraser) to their garage where he thaws out and comes back to life. The duo then attempts to...
For those who may need a refresher, director Les Mayfield's 1992 film centers on Dave (Astin) who uncovers a caveman frozen in a block of ice while digging a hole for a swimming pool. With the help of his friend Stoney (Shore), Dave moves the caveman (Fraser) to their garage where he thaws out and comes back to life. The duo then attempts to...
- 1/18/2024
- by Ryan Scott
- Slash Film
1994’s Miracle on 34th Street is filled with magical moments. But some were more enjoyable to film than others for actor Mara Wilson. The former child star, who played young Susan Walker, counted scenes with certain cast members as her favorite. Spoiler: Not Sir Richard Attenborough’s Kriss Kringle. Plus, some behind-the-scenes details about the film.
Wilson loved filming any ‘Miracle on 34th Street’ scenes with Elizabeth Perkins and Dylan McDermott
Wilson, who no longer acts, counted her favorite scenes to film in the ‘90s remake of the classic Christmas movie as the ones with two of her cast members. Not Attenborough, or even the reindeer in the courtroom, made the cut. Rather, her movie mom and dad.
“On set, anything that I got to do with Dylan McDermott and Elizabeth Perkins [was my favorite]; they were just lovely,” she told Entertainment Weekly. “In particular, the dinner table scene during Thanksgiving was really fun.
Wilson loved filming any ‘Miracle on 34th Street’ scenes with Elizabeth Perkins and Dylan McDermott
Wilson, who no longer acts, counted her favorite scenes to film in the ‘90s remake of the classic Christmas movie as the ones with two of her cast members. Not Attenborough, or even the reindeer in the courtroom, made the cut. Rather, her movie mom and dad.
“On set, anything that I got to do with Dylan McDermott and Elizabeth Perkins [was my favorite]; they were just lovely,” she told Entertainment Weekly. “In particular, the dinner table scene during Thanksgiving was really fun.
- 12/24/2023
- by Mandi Kerr
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Is he really Santa? That’s the question actor Mara Wilson fielded about her co-star, Sir Richard Attenborough, over and over while filming the ‘90s remake of the classic Christmas movie Miracle on 34th Street. Wilson’s response, which she later revealed, was to give the “polite” answer.
Sir Richard Attenborough ‘really’ felt ‘like Santa Claus’ to Mara Wilson
Although her character, Susan Walker, didn’t believe in Santa Claus, Wilson herself got Santa vibes from Attenborough. The former child star told Entertainment Weekly that as a child on set, the late actor, who died in 2014 at the age of 90, felt like Santa to her.
Recalling how “lovely” and “fun” Attenborough was to work with, Wilson shared that “he really did feel like Santa Claus” to her.
“He was so kind,” she added. “He made it a really fun movie to work on — even though it was kind of ridiculous...
Sir Richard Attenborough ‘really’ felt ‘like Santa Claus’ to Mara Wilson
Although her character, Susan Walker, didn’t believe in Santa Claus, Wilson herself got Santa vibes from Attenborough. The former child star told Entertainment Weekly that as a child on set, the late actor, who died in 2014 at the age of 90, felt like Santa to her.
Recalling how “lovely” and “fun” Attenborough was to work with, Wilson shared that “he really did feel like Santa Claus” to her.
“He was so kind,” she added. “He made it a really fun movie to work on — even though it was kind of ridiculous...
- 12/13/2023
- by Mandi Kerr
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
1992 was a breakout year for Brendan Fraser, who demonstrated his impressive range with star turns in the cult comedy hit "Encino Man" and the hard-hitting drama "School Ties." Fraser continued that trend of displaying serious dramatic abilities alongside his talent for playing what he once told GQ are "naif characters" and "fish out of water" types in '90s comedies like "George of the Jungle" and "Blast From the Past." Then there was the unfortunate "Dudley Do-Right" which signaled the end of that particular golden age.
With his resurgence in Darren Aronofsky's "The Whale," Fraser has reminded us all of his impressive dramatic talents. But for many, it was those outsider characters, stumbling wide-eyed through worlds they didn't fully understand, that defined the actor's appeal. And while "George Of The Jungle" was perhaps the biggest hit within that particular Fraser subgenre, affectionately termed his "himbo" movies, it all started with "Encino Man.
With his resurgence in Darren Aronofsky's "The Whale," Fraser has reminded us all of his impressive dramatic talents. But for many, it was those outsider characters, stumbling wide-eyed through worlds they didn't fully understand, that defined the actor's appeal. And while "George Of The Jungle" was perhaps the biggest hit within that particular Fraser subgenre, affectionately termed his "himbo" movies, it all started with "Encino Man.
- 2/12/2023
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
1992's "Encino Man" is, as the trailer puts it, about "a caveman who just stepped into the 20th Century." Luckily for him, two slackers from Encino, California are the ones to guide the Cro-Magnon dude through the ways of teenage living. It's always fun to imagine the pitch meeting for these oddball movies, but I can't imagine how "Encino Man" was sold to Disney. The director, Les Mayfield, hadn't made a feature film before, there were no major stars onboard, the plot sounded like something no one asked for, and if you're going to try to capitalize on the popularity of '90s California surfer/stoner culture, Encino seems like one of the least recognizably Californian locales you could choose. This is probably why every other country in which it was released renamed it "California Man."
But, for whatever reason, the movie was not only a box office success, it...
But, for whatever reason, the movie was not only a box office success, it...
- 1/26/2023
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
With the nominations for the 95th Academy Awards upon us, comeback kid Brendan Fraser is poised to win an Oscar for his heartbreaking, gut-wrenching performance in Darren Aronofsky's "The Whale" (read /Film's spot on review of the film here). If Fraser, famous for his swashbuckling days as Rick O'Connell in "The Mummy" franchise and off-the-wall comedies like "Airheads," wasn't ever considered a serious dramatic actor, he is now. Appearing as a guest on the "Saturday Night Live" deep dive podcast "Fly on the Wall" hosted by Dana Carvey and David Spade, Fraser opened up about his early days in the business when he was determined to be taken seriously as a performer.
Having just enjoyed some notoriety for his breakout role in "School Ties" (a film about a football star forced to confront anti-Semitism at a 1950s prep school), Fraser was trying to decide if playing a blockhead caveman...
Having just enjoyed some notoriety for his breakout role in "School Ties" (a film about a football star forced to confront anti-Semitism at a 1950s prep school), Fraser was trying to decide if playing a blockhead caveman...
- 1/23/2023
- by Drew Tinnin
- Slash Film
Fox Hoped Promising Refunds Would Help Get People Into Theaters To See 1994's Miracle On 34th Street
These days, remakes are an all-too-prevalent part of the Hollywood machine. Not to get all old-man-yells-at-cloud on you, but it's gotten a bit silly of late. Even the likes of "Easy Rider" are being rebooted now. But long before, say, Disney began turning its beloved animated musicals into disorienting, desaturated live-action fare, movie studios always had a penchant for retreading successful material.
So it was back in 1994 when 20th Century Fox Studios decided it was high-time they remade the 1947 holiday classic "Miracle on 34th Street." The original captured the hearts of America, with Edmund Gwenn's Kris Kringle defending his claim of being the real Santa Claus in court, thereby restoring everyone's faith in the magic of existence. Valentine Davies' story, directed by George Seaton, simultaneously promoted corporate interests by heavily featuring department store giant Macy's, and critiqued big business encroachment on the festive season by depicting some good old...
So it was back in 1994 when 20th Century Fox Studios decided it was high-time they remade the 1947 holiday classic "Miracle on 34th Street." The original captured the hearts of America, with Edmund Gwenn's Kris Kringle defending his claim of being the real Santa Claus in court, thereby restoring everyone's faith in the magic of existence. Valentine Davies' story, directed by George Seaton, simultaneously promoted corporate interests by heavily featuring department store giant Macy's, and critiqued big business encroachment on the festive season by depicting some good old...
- 12/30/2022
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
Is there a more perfect combination of capitalism and the more precious aspects of American life than the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade? Kindling festive excitement among the innocent children of the country is a wonderful thing, especially when it's sponsored by a store that wants to turn a decent profit for Christmas. As cynical as you want to be about it, there's no denying the annual event has become a beloved part of the holiday season stateside, signaling the immaculate melding of corporate interests with the human capacity for joy.
But believe it or not, before 1947 the parade didn't quite have the national recognition it does now. It wasn't until George Seaton's equally beloved interpretation of Valentine Davies' story "Miracle on 34th Street" hit theaters that the parade began being broadcast nationwide. The holiday classic not only spread a heartwarming message of hope, but also thrust Macy's and its festive...
But believe it or not, before 1947 the parade didn't quite have the national recognition it does now. It wasn't until George Seaton's equally beloved interpretation of Valentine Davies' story "Miracle on 34th Street" hit theaters that the parade began being broadcast nationwide. The holiday classic not only spread a heartwarming message of hope, but also thrust Macy's and its festive...
- 12/5/2022
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
The spirit of Santa Claus has been uplifted through actors like Ed Asner ("Elf"), Kurt Russell ("The Christmas Chronicles"), and Tim Allen ("The Santa Clause"), but few come as close to capturing the inherent kindness of Edmund Gwenn in "Miracle on 34th Street." When talks of a "Miracle on 34th Street" remake were coming through the pipelines, I imagine it must have been near impossible to think of anyone who could recapture the same magic as Gwenn, especially since it landed the actor an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. He even took part in the actual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in 1946.
Against all odds, the John Hughes-produced reimagining of the classic story about a kind-hearted figure bringing cheer to a department store at Christmas couldn't have chosen a better successor than that of Sir Richard Attenborough. The 1994 film may not be as critically lauded, but it secured the...
Against all odds, the John Hughes-produced reimagining of the classic story about a kind-hearted figure bringing cheer to a department store at Christmas couldn't have chosen a better successor than that of Sir Richard Attenborough. The 1994 film may not be as critically lauded, but it secured the...
- 12/1/2022
- by Matthew Bilodeau
- Slash Film
There's not much news just yet on the inevitably awesome Canadian production known as The Dog Squad 3D, but here at Cinematical we like to cover only the biggest and most important film stories, so we'll be following this one on a daily basis. According to The Hollywood Reporter, ContentFilm has snagged worldwide rights to, yes, The Dog Squad 3D, and the live-action kiddie comedy will shoot up north later this year.
What filmmakers would dare to tackle such a cinematic challenge? Screenwriter Stephen Carpenter (Blue Streak, The Man), producer Rick Benattar (The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, The Lost Boys 2: The Tribe), and director Les Mayfield, an auteur whose credits include not only the two Carpenter screenplays mentioned above, but also silver screen masterworks like American Outlaws, Flubber, and Encino Man. I seriously cannot wait to see this movie.
The Hollywood Reporter even cares enough to give us the...
What filmmakers would dare to tackle such a cinematic challenge? Screenwriter Stephen Carpenter (Blue Streak, The Man), producer Rick Benattar (The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, The Lost Boys 2: The Tribe), and director Les Mayfield, an auteur whose credits include not only the two Carpenter screenplays mentioned above, but also silver screen masterworks like American Outlaws, Flubber, and Encino Man. I seriously cannot wait to see this movie.
The Hollywood Reporter even cares enough to give us the...
- 5/6/2010
- by Scott Weinberg
- Cinematical
Toronto -- International sales agent ContentFilm International has picked up worldwide rights to "The Dog Squad 3D," to be directed by Les Mayfield ("Flubber") and shot in Canada in the summer.
The acquisition is ContentFilm's first 3D production and is set to be pitched to buyers at Cannes.
No word on casting for the live-action, CGI-heavy picture, which will also star a slew of comic dog characters, including Donut, Clint, Samantha and Bert.
Steve Carpenter penned the script for "The Dog Squad 3D," with Rick Benattar ("Ironclad") producing.
The acquisition is ContentFilm's first 3D production and is set to be pitched to buyers at Cannes.
No word on casting for the live-action, CGI-heavy picture, which will also star a slew of comic dog characters, including Donut, Clint, Samantha and Bert.
Steve Carpenter penned the script for "The Dog Squad 3D," with Rick Benattar ("Ironclad") producing.
- 5/5/2010
- by By Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
This review was written for the theatrical screening of "Code Name: The Cleaner"."Code Name: The Cleaner" borrows the gimmick of the successful thriller "The Bourne Identity" of an amnesia victim gradually realizing he might be an undercover agent and tailors this for the so-dumb-it's-almost-smart clowning of comic Cedric the Entertainer. A much better title would be "Bourne Yesterday". The clunky title New Line has burdened the comedy with can't help at the boxoffice, but Cedric the Entertainer fans won't mind. The film isn't exactly an outreach program for nonfans, but the suspense/thriller element should attract enough for a modestly successful payoff.
The movie, written by Robert Adetuyi and George Gallo and directed by Les Mayfield, hangs on a single quandary: Is its hero a superspy with dazzling skills or a janitor, to which most of the evidence points? The guy himself -- this would be Cedric -- is clueless when he wakes up in a high-rise hotel room with a nasty bump on the head, a dead FBI agent beside him in bed, a briefcase containing $250,000 in cash and no memory of anything, including his own identity. He is just smart enough to take the briefcase but leave the dead agent.
As police descend on the hotel, a statuesque blonde (Nicollette Sheridan) accosts him in the lobby and insists she is his wife. She drives him to "his" palatial mansion with its sports cars, butler and lingerie she insists on modeling for him, but somehow none of this fits his still-elusive identity. He escapes moments before she tries to drug him.
The guy then walks into a diner where an alluring waitress (Lucy Liu) claims to be his girlfriend. Whoever this guy is, he's doing OK in the woman department. Just as he is coming to believe from clues that he must be an undercover agent with the code name "The Cleaner", the waitress bursts his bubble by informing him that he works as a janitor for a video game manufacturer.
But what to make of his flashbacks to a war zone where he leads a company of Special Forces into combat and everyone calls him "Colonel"? Or the repressed memory of a payoff gone wrong? Or the fact that everyone in town wants him dead? No, the guy insists, he must be an agent with the clever cover of a janitor.
This implausible plot full of holes does pave the way for a series of Cedric the Entertainer skits and physical gags, like his posing as a member of a Dutch Dance Troupe, wooden shoes and all, to gain re-entry to the scene of the crime. None of these is very funny. A few are painfully unfunny. In either case, the movie comes to a standstill. It's a pity no one thought to screen old Bob Hope movies to see how to integrate comedy into genre filmmaking.
The filmmakers surround Cedric the Entertainer with a host of straight men, including martial artist/actor Mark Dacascos as the polished villain, Will Patton as a buddy who tells him to trust no one, Callum Keith Rennie as a crooked FBI agent and comedian DeRay Davis as a janitor-cum-rapper to act as a counterbalance to the star's humor. Liu and Sheridan give the film glamour, but their catfight falls flat. Niecy Nash has the movie's funniest line, which comes during outtakes shown at the end credits.
The behind-the-camera effort in Vancouver is surprisingly good.
The movie, written by Robert Adetuyi and George Gallo and directed by Les Mayfield, hangs on a single quandary: Is its hero a superspy with dazzling skills or a janitor, to which most of the evidence points? The guy himself -- this would be Cedric -- is clueless when he wakes up in a high-rise hotel room with a nasty bump on the head, a dead FBI agent beside him in bed, a briefcase containing $250,000 in cash and no memory of anything, including his own identity. He is just smart enough to take the briefcase but leave the dead agent.
As police descend on the hotel, a statuesque blonde (Nicollette Sheridan) accosts him in the lobby and insists she is his wife. She drives him to "his" palatial mansion with its sports cars, butler and lingerie she insists on modeling for him, but somehow none of this fits his still-elusive identity. He escapes moments before she tries to drug him.
The guy then walks into a diner where an alluring waitress (Lucy Liu) claims to be his girlfriend. Whoever this guy is, he's doing OK in the woman department. Just as he is coming to believe from clues that he must be an undercover agent with the code name "The Cleaner", the waitress bursts his bubble by informing him that he works as a janitor for a video game manufacturer.
But what to make of his flashbacks to a war zone where he leads a company of Special Forces into combat and everyone calls him "Colonel"? Or the repressed memory of a payoff gone wrong? Or the fact that everyone in town wants him dead? No, the guy insists, he must be an agent with the clever cover of a janitor.
This implausible plot full of holes does pave the way for a series of Cedric the Entertainer skits and physical gags, like his posing as a member of a Dutch Dance Troupe, wooden shoes and all, to gain re-entry to the scene of the crime. None of these is very funny. A few are painfully unfunny. In either case, the movie comes to a standstill. It's a pity no one thought to screen old Bob Hope movies to see how to integrate comedy into genre filmmaking.
The filmmakers surround Cedric the Entertainer with a host of straight men, including martial artist/actor Mark Dacascos as the polished villain, Will Patton as a buddy who tells him to trust no one, Callum Keith Rennie as a crooked FBI agent and comedian DeRay Davis as a janitor-cum-rapper to act as a counterbalance to the star's humor. Liu and Sheridan give the film glamour, but their catfight falls flat. Niecy Nash has the movie's funniest line, which comes during outtakes shown at the end credits.
The behind-the-camera effort in Vancouver is surprisingly good.
"Code Name: The Cleaner" borrows the gimmick of the successful thriller "The Bourne Identity" of an amnesia victim gradually realizing he might be an undercover agent and tailors this for the so-dumb-it's-almost-smart clowning of comic Cedric the Entertainer. A much better title would be "Bourne Yesterday". The clunky title New Line has burdened the comedy with can't help at the boxoffice, but Cedric the Entertainer fans won't mind. The film isn't exactly an outreach program for nonfans, but the suspense/thriller element should attract enough for a modestly successful payoff.
The movie, written by Robert Adetuyi and George Gallo and directed by Les Mayfield, hangs on a single quandary: Is its hero a superspy with dazzling skills or a janitor, to which most of the evidence points? The guy himself -- this would be Cedric -- is clueless when he wakes up in a high-rise hotel room with a nasty bump on the head, a dead FBI agent beside him in bed, a briefcase containing $250,000 in cash and no memory of anything, including his own identity. He is just smart enough to take the briefcase but leave the dead agent.
As police descend on the hotel, a statuesque blonde (Nicollette Sheridan) accosts him in the lobby and insists she is his wife. She drives him to "his" palatial mansion with its sports cars, butler and lingerie she insists on modeling for him, but somehow none of this fits his still-elusive identity. He escapes moments before she tries to drug him.
The guy then walks into a diner where an alluring waitress (Lucy Liu) claims to be his girlfriend. Whoever this guy is, he's doing OK in the woman department. Just as he is coming to believe from clues that he must be an undercover agent with the code name "The Cleaner", the waitress bursts his bubble by informing him that he works as a janitor for a video game manufacturer.
But what to make of his flashbacks to a war zone where he leads a company of Special Forces into combat and everyone calls him "Colonel"? Or the repressed memory of a payoff gone wrong? Or the fact that everyone in town wants him dead? No, the guy insists, he must be an agent with the clever cover of a janitor.
This implausible plot full of holes does pave the way for a series of Cedric the Entertainer skits and physical gags, like his posing as a member of a Dutch Dance Troupe, wooden shoes and all, to gain re-entry to the scene of the crime. None of these is very funny. A few are painfully unfunny. In either case, the movie comes to a standstill. It's a pity no one thought to screen old Bob Hope movies to see how to integrate comedy into genre filmmaking.
The filmmakers surround Cedric the Entertainer with a host of straight men, including martial artist/actor Mark Dacascos as the polished villain, Will Patton as a buddy who tells him to trust no one, Callum Keith Rennie as a crooked FBI agent and comedian DeRay Davis as a janitor-cum-rapper to act as a counterbalance to the star's humor. Liu and Sheridan give the film glamour, but their catfight falls flat. Niecy Nash has the movie's funniest line, which comes during outtakes shown at the end credits.
The behind-the-camera effort in Vancouver is surprisingly good.
The movie, written by Robert Adetuyi and George Gallo and directed by Les Mayfield, hangs on a single quandary: Is its hero a superspy with dazzling skills or a janitor, to which most of the evidence points? The guy himself -- this would be Cedric -- is clueless when he wakes up in a high-rise hotel room with a nasty bump on the head, a dead FBI agent beside him in bed, a briefcase containing $250,000 in cash and no memory of anything, including his own identity. He is just smart enough to take the briefcase but leave the dead agent.
As police descend on the hotel, a statuesque blonde (Nicollette Sheridan) accosts him in the lobby and insists she is his wife. She drives him to "his" palatial mansion with its sports cars, butler and lingerie she insists on modeling for him, but somehow none of this fits his still-elusive identity. He escapes moments before she tries to drug him.
The guy then walks into a diner where an alluring waitress (Lucy Liu) claims to be his girlfriend. Whoever this guy is, he's doing OK in the woman department. Just as he is coming to believe from clues that he must be an undercover agent with the code name "The Cleaner", the waitress bursts his bubble by informing him that he works as a janitor for a video game manufacturer.
But what to make of his flashbacks to a war zone where he leads a company of Special Forces into combat and everyone calls him "Colonel"? Or the repressed memory of a payoff gone wrong? Or the fact that everyone in town wants him dead? No, the guy insists, he must be an agent with the clever cover of a janitor.
This implausible plot full of holes does pave the way for a series of Cedric the Entertainer skits and physical gags, like his posing as a member of a Dutch Dance Troupe, wooden shoes and all, to gain re-entry to the scene of the crime. None of these is very funny. A few are painfully unfunny. In either case, the movie comes to a standstill. It's a pity no one thought to screen old Bob Hope movies to see how to integrate comedy into genre filmmaking.
The filmmakers surround Cedric the Entertainer with a host of straight men, including martial artist/actor Mark Dacascos as the polished villain, Will Patton as a buddy who tells him to trust no one, Callum Keith Rennie as a crooked FBI agent and comedian DeRay Davis as a janitor-cum-rapper to act as a counterbalance to the star's humor. Liu and Sheridan give the film glamour, but their catfight falls flat. Niecy Nash has the movie's funniest line, which comes during outtakes shown at the end credits.
The behind-the-camera effort in Vancouver is surprisingly good.
Lucy Liu has booked back-to-back acting gigs. First up is The Cleaner, in which Liu will star opposite Cedric the Entertainer. In the action comedy being directed by Les Mayfield, Liu plays an FBI agent posing as a waitress to Cedric's amnesiac janitor who thinks he's an undercover agent. Liu will topline and executive produce Devil to Pay, an indie thriller being produced by Echo Lake Prods.' Doug Mankoff and Andrew Spaulding as well as IPW's J. Todd Harris.
- 6/24/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Luke Goss has been cast as the villain in the Samuel L. Jackson-Eugene Levy starrer The Man for New Line Cinema. Les Mayfield is directing, and Rob Fried and Bill Strauss are producing. The comedy sees bumbling salesman Levy stumble into an ATF sting. The Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms agent (Jackson) realizes he needs to take on the mild-mannered milquetoast as his ersatz partner in order to bring down the drug lord (Goss). Penned by Jim Piddick and Margaret Oberman and rewritten by Steve Carpenter, the project is budgeted in the mid-$20 million range and starts production April 17. Kent Alterman, Michele Weiss and Keith Goldberg are overseeing for the studio. The British actor is best known to American audiences for playing Nomak, the villain in New Line's Blade 2. He also appeared in David Goyer's indie feature ZigZag. He stars in indie film Charlie and recently wrapped the Michelle Yeoh actioner Silver Hawk. He next appears in the TNT miniseries Frankenstein as the title character. Goss is repped by Tom Chasin and DW Management's David Wood and Shirley Lewis.
- 3/26/2004
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
"Blue Streak" suffers from an identity crisis. The writing team of Michael Berry and John Blumenthal -- with rewrite help from Steve Carpenter -- shaped a clever and resourceful comedy vehicle for Martin Lawrence. But Lawrence and director Les Mayfield choose to dumb down the humor so severely as to shatter the script's credibility. As a point of reference, imagine "Tootsie" starring Jerry Lewis.
Riding the coattails of Lawrence's success when teamed with Eddie Murphy in "Life", "Blue Streak" is likely to open strongly. But its longevity may be hurt by the filmmakers' insistence that urban comedy precludes urbane humor.
Even Lawrence's character is schizophrenic. He is introduced as a savvy jewel thief, so adept in sophisticated technology as to nearly pull off a major heist of a glittering blue diamond.
What stops the robbery cold is a double-cross by a greedy member of the team (Peter Greene). Lawrence is captured in the ensuing police chase and shootout, but not before hiding the gem in an air duct of a downtown building under construction.
When Lawrence is released from prison two years later, he is horrified to discover that the building now houses the newest LAPD precinct. Determined to recover the diamond, he pulls off an elaborate con by impersonating a newly transferred burglary detective.
There is ingenious humor in the notion of a thief pretending to be a burglary detective: The expertise picked up in his previous occupation really comes in handy in his new "job." But Lawrence's clownish portrayal of the jewel thief-turned-cop undermines the basic joke. If he can handle sophisticated technology and skillfully impersonate a cop, why in the next moment does he act like a talent show dropout?
Much of Lawrence's schtick belongs in a TV skit, and some of it -- particularly when he disguises himself as a bucktoothed pizza delivery man -- is downright embarrassing.
In Mayfield ("Flubber", "Encino Man"), Lawrence has a director who reinforces his own worst instincts. Mayfield has little feel for comic rhythms or building tension within a comedy. Instead, he virtually brings the movie to a halt in order to observe Lawrence's antics, which often have only the vaguest connection to the story.
The supporting cast is exactly that -- a group of actors willing to fade into the background at a moment's notice. There is an exception in Dave Chappelle, whose own frantic comedy makes Lawrence look calm. And Luke Wilson as straight man in Lawrence's act manages to sneak in his own moments of comedy.
The script self-destructs in the third act with a thoroughly unconvincing wild climax at the Mexican border. If anything, "Blue Streak"'s identity crisis grows that much worse in these final minutes as stunts and a level of violence better suited to a Dirty Harry movie suddenly invade what had been an amiable comedy.
BLUE STREAK
Columbia Pictures
A Neil H. Moritz/IndieProd/Jaffe production
Producers: Toby Jaffe, Neal H. Moritz
Director: Les Mayfield
Writers: Michael Berry & John Blumenthal and Steve Carpenter
Executive producers: Daniel Melnick and Allen Shapiro
Director of photography: David Eggby
Production designer: Bill Brzeski
Music: Edward Shearmur
Costume designer: Denise Wingate
Editor: Michael Tronick
Color/stereo
Cast:
Miles Logan: Martin Lawrence
Carlson: Luke Wilson
Deacon: Peter Greene
Tully: Dave Chappelle
Melissa Green: Nicole Ari Parker
Rizzo: Graham Beckel
Running time -- 93 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13...
Riding the coattails of Lawrence's success when teamed with Eddie Murphy in "Life", "Blue Streak" is likely to open strongly. But its longevity may be hurt by the filmmakers' insistence that urban comedy precludes urbane humor.
Even Lawrence's character is schizophrenic. He is introduced as a savvy jewel thief, so adept in sophisticated technology as to nearly pull off a major heist of a glittering blue diamond.
What stops the robbery cold is a double-cross by a greedy member of the team (Peter Greene). Lawrence is captured in the ensuing police chase and shootout, but not before hiding the gem in an air duct of a downtown building under construction.
When Lawrence is released from prison two years later, he is horrified to discover that the building now houses the newest LAPD precinct. Determined to recover the diamond, he pulls off an elaborate con by impersonating a newly transferred burglary detective.
There is ingenious humor in the notion of a thief pretending to be a burglary detective: The expertise picked up in his previous occupation really comes in handy in his new "job." But Lawrence's clownish portrayal of the jewel thief-turned-cop undermines the basic joke. If he can handle sophisticated technology and skillfully impersonate a cop, why in the next moment does he act like a talent show dropout?
Much of Lawrence's schtick belongs in a TV skit, and some of it -- particularly when he disguises himself as a bucktoothed pizza delivery man -- is downright embarrassing.
In Mayfield ("Flubber", "Encino Man"), Lawrence has a director who reinforces his own worst instincts. Mayfield has little feel for comic rhythms or building tension within a comedy. Instead, he virtually brings the movie to a halt in order to observe Lawrence's antics, which often have only the vaguest connection to the story.
The supporting cast is exactly that -- a group of actors willing to fade into the background at a moment's notice. There is an exception in Dave Chappelle, whose own frantic comedy makes Lawrence look calm. And Luke Wilson as straight man in Lawrence's act manages to sneak in his own moments of comedy.
The script self-destructs in the third act with a thoroughly unconvincing wild climax at the Mexican border. If anything, "Blue Streak"'s identity crisis grows that much worse in these final minutes as stunts and a level of violence better suited to a Dirty Harry movie suddenly invade what had been an amiable comedy.
BLUE STREAK
Columbia Pictures
A Neil H. Moritz/IndieProd/Jaffe production
Producers: Toby Jaffe, Neal H. Moritz
Director: Les Mayfield
Writers: Michael Berry & John Blumenthal and Steve Carpenter
Executive producers: Daniel Melnick and Allen Shapiro
Director of photography: David Eggby
Production designer: Bill Brzeski
Music: Edward Shearmur
Costume designer: Denise Wingate
Editor: Michael Tronick
Color/stereo
Cast:
Miles Logan: Martin Lawrence
Carlson: Luke Wilson
Deacon: Peter Greene
Tully: Dave Chappelle
Melissa Green: Nicole Ari Parker
Rizzo: Graham Beckel
Running time -- 93 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13...
It's been three dozen years since Fred MacMurray first invented that notorious flying rubber in the guise of "The Absent-Minded Professor".
Now, Robin Williams does the honors in "Flubber", with a little refurbishing from John Hughes in the script department and from Industrial Light & Magic in the special-effects department.
Those fun Flubber sequences aside, this latest Disney dust-off has surprisingly little bounce. Both Hughes' uninspired update and Les Mayfield's direction lack zip, while even the usually irrepressible Williams appears relatively sedated.
Given its hefty marketing and merchandising push, the green stuff should nevertheless generate some green stuff at the boxoffice, but "Flubber" will likely fall short of hitting blockbuster heights.
The story remains basically the same. Professor Brainard (Williams) has been so distracted by his formulas and calculations that he's left his sweetheart Sara Marcia Gay Harden) alone at the altar for the third and final time.
But he's hoping the reason for his latest no-show -- the creation of the amazing material that will come to be known as Flubber -- will change Sara's mind, particularly when it could be the answer to Medfield College's serious financial problems; she just happens to be the institution's president.
As Brainard tries to win his way back into Sara's heart, he encounters competition in the form of her smarmy colleague, Wilson Croft (Christopher McDonald). Worse, when the spoiled son (Wil Wheaton) of the college's sinister financier (Raymond Barry) fails Brainard's course, his father sends hired goons Smith (Clancy Brown) and Wesson (Ted Levine) to snatch the Flubber from the professor's lab.
Given a great chance to reconceptualize material that, while regarded with warm nostalgia, certainly allowed ample room for improvement, Hughes frankly flubbed it.
Among the few changes from the original Bill Walsh script was replacing Brainard's trusty canine sidekick with a flying robot called WEEBO (voiced by Jodi Benson). The rest of the picture, when not cribbing from Hughes' own "Home Alone", manages to recall elements of "Pee-wee's Big Adventure", "Gremlins", "Back to the Future" and "The Mask" (during a Flubber mambo sequence), to name a few inspirations. Mayfield ("Miracle on 34th Street"), meanwhile, brings little imagination to such memorable "Absent-Minded Professor" bits as flying car trips and a Flubberized basketball game, both of which are disappointingly flat.
That leaves Williams to carry the picture, and even his energy seems muted. Perhaps he was too busy concentrating on his tricky sight lines (the computer-generated Flubber sequences were added later).
Fortunately, the gooey lime element delivers. The new, improved substance has a full-throttle personality all its own, and those rebounding, 3-D ILM sequences are a crowd-pleasing delight.
If only Mayfield, Hughes and Williams had chosen to follow Flubber's unstoppable lead.
FLUBBER
Buena Vista
Walt Disney Pictures presents
A Great Oaks production
Director: Les Mayfield
Producers: John Hughes, Ricardo Mestres
Screenwriters: John Hughes, Bill Walsh
Executive producer: David Nicksay
Director of photography: Dean Cundey
Production designer: Andrew McAlpine
Editors: Harvey Rosenstock, Michael Stevenson
Visual effects supervisors: Peter Crosman,
Tom Bertino, Douglas Hans Smith
Costume designer: April Ferry
Music: Danny Elfman
Casting: Nancy Foy
Color/stereo
Cast:
Professor Phillip Brainard: Robin Williams
Sara Jean Reynolds: Marcia Gay Harden
Wilson Croft: Christopher McDonald
Chester Hoenicker: Raymond Barry
Smith: Clancy Brown
Wesson: Ted Levine
Bennett Hoenicker: Wil Wheaton
Martha George: Edie McClurg
Running time -- 83 minutes
MPAA rating: PG...
Now, Robin Williams does the honors in "Flubber", with a little refurbishing from John Hughes in the script department and from Industrial Light & Magic in the special-effects department.
Those fun Flubber sequences aside, this latest Disney dust-off has surprisingly little bounce. Both Hughes' uninspired update and Les Mayfield's direction lack zip, while even the usually irrepressible Williams appears relatively sedated.
Given its hefty marketing and merchandising push, the green stuff should nevertheless generate some green stuff at the boxoffice, but "Flubber" will likely fall short of hitting blockbuster heights.
The story remains basically the same. Professor Brainard (Williams) has been so distracted by his formulas and calculations that he's left his sweetheart Sara Marcia Gay Harden) alone at the altar for the third and final time.
But he's hoping the reason for his latest no-show -- the creation of the amazing material that will come to be known as Flubber -- will change Sara's mind, particularly when it could be the answer to Medfield College's serious financial problems; she just happens to be the institution's president.
As Brainard tries to win his way back into Sara's heart, he encounters competition in the form of her smarmy colleague, Wilson Croft (Christopher McDonald). Worse, when the spoiled son (Wil Wheaton) of the college's sinister financier (Raymond Barry) fails Brainard's course, his father sends hired goons Smith (Clancy Brown) and Wesson (Ted Levine) to snatch the Flubber from the professor's lab.
Given a great chance to reconceptualize material that, while regarded with warm nostalgia, certainly allowed ample room for improvement, Hughes frankly flubbed it.
Among the few changes from the original Bill Walsh script was replacing Brainard's trusty canine sidekick with a flying robot called WEEBO (voiced by Jodi Benson). The rest of the picture, when not cribbing from Hughes' own "Home Alone", manages to recall elements of "Pee-wee's Big Adventure", "Gremlins", "Back to the Future" and "The Mask" (during a Flubber mambo sequence), to name a few inspirations. Mayfield ("Miracle on 34th Street"), meanwhile, brings little imagination to such memorable "Absent-Minded Professor" bits as flying car trips and a Flubberized basketball game, both of which are disappointingly flat.
That leaves Williams to carry the picture, and even his energy seems muted. Perhaps he was too busy concentrating on his tricky sight lines (the computer-generated Flubber sequences were added later).
Fortunately, the gooey lime element delivers. The new, improved substance has a full-throttle personality all its own, and those rebounding, 3-D ILM sequences are a crowd-pleasing delight.
If only Mayfield, Hughes and Williams had chosen to follow Flubber's unstoppable lead.
FLUBBER
Buena Vista
Walt Disney Pictures presents
A Great Oaks production
Director: Les Mayfield
Producers: John Hughes, Ricardo Mestres
Screenwriters: John Hughes, Bill Walsh
Executive producer: David Nicksay
Director of photography: Dean Cundey
Production designer: Andrew McAlpine
Editors: Harvey Rosenstock, Michael Stevenson
Visual effects supervisors: Peter Crosman,
Tom Bertino, Douglas Hans Smith
Costume designer: April Ferry
Music: Danny Elfman
Casting: Nancy Foy
Color/stereo
Cast:
Professor Phillip Brainard: Robin Williams
Sara Jean Reynolds: Marcia Gay Harden
Wilson Croft: Christopher McDonald
Chester Hoenicker: Raymond Barry
Smith: Clancy Brown
Wesson: Ted Levine
Bennett Hoenicker: Wil Wheaton
Martha George: Edie McClurg
Running time -- 83 minutes
MPAA rating: PG...
- 11/21/1997
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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