I, Tonya

Film Review by Kam Williams




Revisionist Biopic Recasts Disgraced Olympic Skater as Sympathetic Figure

On January 6, 1994, while waiting to compete in the U.S. Figure Skating Championship competition, top-ranked Nancy Kerrigan's (Caitlin Carver) knee was smashed by a billy club-wielding hit man named Shane Stant (Ricky Russert). After the cowardly attack in the halls of Detroit's Cobo arena, the assailant quickly escaped with the help of a waiting getaway car driven by Derrick Smith (Anthony Reynolds). 

 

The two had been hired by Shawn Eckhardt (Paul Walter Hauser) and Jeff Gillooly (Sebastian Stan), Tonya Harding's (Margot Robbie) bodyguard and ex-husband, respectively. At the time, Tonya was vying with Kerrigan for a coveted spot on the U.S. Olympic team slated to compete in Norway the following month.

The injury prevent Kerrigan from skating at the trials, but the U.S. Olympic committee opted to award her one of the two slots, anyway. The other went to Harding who feigned having no knowledge of the attempt to break her main rival's leg 

 

However, the truth ultimately came out once all of the other participants in the conspiracy were arrested and brought to justice. For, the evidence found in the perpetrator's possession included Kerrigan's skating schedule and locations written in Tonya's handwriting. 

 

Furthermore, Eckhardt testified that Harding had not only orchestrated the brutal assault but had impatiently asked why it was taking them so long to get it over with. in the end, she did plead guilty to conspiracy, but was spared a jail sentence on the condition she paid a $160,000 fine, did 500 hours of community service, and promised to never skate competitively again. 

 

Unfortunately, Hollywood has a long history of turning ruthless, real-life criminals into compassionate characters, including Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow (Bonnie & Clyde), Frank Abagnale (Catch Me if You Can) and Robert Stroud (Birdman of Alcatraz), to name a few. Courtesy of I, Tonya, Harding becomes just the latest in a long line of celluloid villains to receive such sympathetic treatment.

According to this ridiculous, revisionist biopic, she was blissfully unaware of any plan to harm Kerrigan. In fact, if anything, she was the victim here, having been born on the wrong side of the tracks and been raised by an abusive stage mom (Allison Janney) who forced her onto the ice and into the limelight against her will. 

 

I suppose a quarter-century is long enough for some to forgive and forget the misdeeds of such a reprehensible creep. Sorry folks, but you're going to have to look elsewhere to find a gullible critic willing to recommend this garbage, a total whitewash of Tonya's checkered past, simply because the film does happen to feature a few great performances. 

 

Not just a fake biopic, a totally fake biopic!

Poor (0 stars)
Rated R for violence, pervasive profanity, and some sexuality and nudity
Running time: 120 minutes
Production Studios: LuckyChap Entertainment / Clubhouse Pictures / AI Film
Distributor: Neon


To see a trailer for I, Tonya, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2iy5y0YjGM

Top Ten DVD List for January 24, 2016

This Week’s DVD Releases

by Kam Williams

Ixcanul

Peanuts by Schulz: Snoopy Tales

The Man Who Fell to Earth [Limited Collector's Edition]

The Code: Season 2

The Monster

The Light between Oceans

Inferno

Sea Monsters: The Definitive Guide

Jack Reacher: Never Go Back

Guardians of Oz

Honorable Mention

16 for 16: The Contenders

The Incredible Dr. Pol: Season 9

Adventure Time: Islands [Miniseries]

X-Rated

Odd Squad: The Movie

American Experience: The Battle of Chosin

Smithsonian: Polar Bear Town: Season 1

USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage

Meet the Blacks

DVD Review by Kam Williams


Disappointing Spoof of The Purge Arrives on DVD


After coming into a small fortune under suspicious circumstances, Carl Smith (Mike Epps) decides to move his family from the ghetto in Chicago to Blanco Cielo, an exclusive development in Beverly Hills. Accompanying him on the cross-country trip are his wife Lorena (Zulay Henao), dating-age daughter Allie (Bresha Webb), and adolescent son Carl, Jr. (Alex Henderson).

Upon their arrival, Carl proceeds to offend everyone he encounters, starting with the gated community's security guard whom he calls too dark-skinned to profile another black person. Despite the fact that the African immigrant is merely attempting to do his job, he is also accused of having the Ebola virus. 
 
Next, when Lorena hires an Asian manicurist (Kathrien Ahn), Carl asks her to give him "some Chinese head." Charming. And during a get acquainted stroll around the neighborhood, he manages to antagonize assorted neighbors, too.

More importantly, however, he also learns that "The Purge" is set to start at 7 pm. If you are familiar with the horror flick of the same name, then you know that means that all crimes will be legal during the impending 12-hour period, even murder. 
 
What ensues is a politically-incorrect parody closely patterned on the original. For instance, Allie's boyfriend (Andrew Bachelor) shows up unannounced, and Carl, Jr. proves to be a technical whiz with a robot and a drone at his disposal, just like their counterparts in The Purge.

After sundown, a number of adversaries descend on the estate, one-by-one, each with evil intentions, including a Ku Klux Klansman (Michael Caradonna), a repo man (DeRay Davis), a revenge-minded parolee (Charlie Murphy), Carl's ex-wife Shoranda (Tameka "Tiny" Cottle) and his crazy cousin Cronut (Lil Duval). Unfortunately, co-writer/director Deon Taylor decided to appeal to the lowest common denominator repeatedly during this unfunny, demeaning throwback reminiscent of Amos 'n' Andy. 
 
Anything for a laugh, regardless of how self-hating or hurtful the joke might be. An expletive and N-word laced descent into modern minstrelsy.




Poor (0 stars)
Rated R for sexuality, violence, ethnic slurs, drug use and pervasive profanity
Running time: 94 minutes
Studio: Hidden Empire Film Group
Distributor: Lionsgate Home Entertainment
Blu-Ray Extras: Outtakes; "The Making of Meet the Blacks" featurette; "hit the Gas" music video; Behind the Scenes of "Hit the Gas";.and "Don't Hate Wiring!" parody commercial.



To see a trailer for Meet the Blacks, visit:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivqhlpUCnZY

To order a copy of Meet the Blacks on Blu-Ray, visit:

Meet the Blacks

Film Review by Kam Williams

'Hood Meets High Society in Politically-Incorrect Parody of The Purge


After coming into a small fortune under suspicious circumstances, Carl Smith (Mike Epps) decides to move his family from the ghetto in Chicago to Blanco Cielo, an exclusive development in Beverly Hills. Accompanying him on the cross-country trip are his wife Lorena (Zulay Henao), dating-age daughter Allie (Bresha Webb), and adolescent son Carl, Jr. (Alex Henderson).
 
Upon their arrival, Carl proceeds to offend everyone he encounters, starting with the gated community's security guard whom he calls too dark-skinned to profile another black person. Despite the fact that the African immigrant is merely attempting to do his job, he is also accused of having the Ebola virus. 
 
Next, when Lorena hires an Asian manicurist (Kathrien Ahn), Carl asks her to give him "some Chinese head." Charming. And during a get acquainted stroll around the neighborhood, he manages to antagonize assorted neighbors, too.

More importantly, however, he also learns that "The Purge" is set to start at 7 pm. If you are familiar with the horror flick of the same name, then you know that means that all crimes will be legal during the impending 12-hour period, even murder. 
 
What ensues is a politically-incorrect parody closely patterned on the original. For instance, Allie's boyfriend (Andrew Bachelor) shows up unannounced, and Carl, Jr. proves to be a technical whiz with a robot and a drone at his disposal, just like their counterparts in The Purge.

After sundown, a number of adversaries descend on the estate, one-by-one, each with evil intentions, including a Ku Klux Klansman (Michael Caradoona), a repo man (DeRay Davis), a revenge-minded parolee (Charlie Murphy), Carl's ex-wife Shoranda (Tameka "Tiny" Cottle) and his crazy cousin Cronut (Lil Duval). Unfortunately, co-writer/director Deon Taylor decided to appeal to the lowest common denominator repeatedly during this unfunny, demeaning throwback reminiscent of Amos 'n' Andy. 
 
Anything for a laugh, regardless of how self-hating or hurtful the joke might be. An expletive and N-word laced descent into modern minstrelsy.




Poor (0 stars)
Rated R for sexuality, violence, ethnic slurs, drug use and pervasive profanity
Running time: 90 minutes
Studio: Hidden Empire Film Group
Distributor: Freestyle Releasing


To see a trailer for Meet the Blacks, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivqhlpUCnZY

Neighbors (DVD REVIEW)

Neighbors

DVD Review by Kam Williams

 

Raunchy Revenge Comedy Released on DVD

            When Kelly (Rose Byrne) and Mac Radner (Seth Rogen) decided to settle down in suburbia, they reasonably expected to raise their newborn in a quiet community. But that dream was threatened soon thereafter, when the local chapter of Delta Psi Beta bought the house next-door.

            As a precautionary measure, the concerned couple introduced themselves to their new neighbors and asked for assurances that there wouldn’t be any wild partying on the premises. Delta Psi’s President, Teddy (Zac Efron), and Vice President, Pete (Dave Franco), did agree to keep the noise down in exchange for a promise from the Radners not to call the police.

            Nevertheless, it’s not long before the situation spirals out of control. After all, the infamous frat has a well-established reputation for rowdiness, having invented the toga party back in the Thirties and then beer pong in the Seventies.

            So, today, Teddy feels pressure to match his predecessors’ checkered past. This means he’s inclined to up the ante in terms of outrageous antics, which can only spell trouble for Kelly and Mac once they go back on their word about complaining to the cops, and Delta Psi is placed on probation by the university’s dean, Carol Gladstone (Lisa Kudrow).

            At that point, all bets are off, and the frat and the newlyweds proceed to square-off in an ever-escalating war of attrition with more losers than winners. That is the point of departure of Neighbors, a relentlessly-raunchy revenge comedy directed by Nicholas Stoller (Get Him to the Greek).

            Unfortunately, the sophomoric parties prove to be more cruel than clever in their attempts to get even, and the shocking behavior displayed onscreen is invariably more smutty than funny, as it features plenty of prolonged frontal nudity. Plus, the picture’s only good gag, when the office chair jettisons Mac into the ceiling, was totally spoiled by the TV commercials.  

            Otherwise, the film is memorable mostly for its homoerotic humor, as director Stoller is fond of seizing on any excuse to lampoon gay sexuality. First, Kelly kisses a college coed she’s recruiting as a confidante. Then, fraternity pledges are forced to parade naked in a circle while clutching the penis of the guy in front of him.

            On another occasion, a male student is raped by a classmate seemingly in his sleep, only to later admit that he was aware and welcomed the rude intrusion. And when Teddy and Pete fight over a girl (Halston Sage), they settle their differences in bizarre fashion, namely, by massaging each other’s genitals to see who climaxes first, while appropriating the gangsta’ rap mantra, “Bros before hos!” 

            Throw in the gratuitous use of the “N-word” twice, of anti-Semitism (“You Jews and your f*cking mothers!”), as well as a profusion of misogynistic comments like referring to breasts as “udders,” and there’s little left to recommend about this ugly descent into depravity.

Poor (0 stars)

Rated R for crude humor, graphic sexuality, full frontal nudity, pervasive profanity, ethnic slurs, and drug and alcohol abuse

Running time: 97 minutes

Distributor: Universal Studios Home Entertainment

Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack Extras: Gag reel; Line-O-Rama; An Unlikely Pair; Partying with the Neighbors; and The Frat. 

To see a trailer for Neighbors, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzZgJZMXNEc   

To order a copy of the Neighbors Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack, visit: 

Neighbors (FILM REVIEW)

Neighbors

Film Review by Kam Williams

Couple Confronts Rowdy Frat in Raunchy Revenge Comedy

            When Kelly (Rose Byrne) and Mac Radner (Seth Rogen) decided to settle down in suburbia, they reasonably expected to raise their newborn in a quiet community. But that dream was threatened soon thereafter, when the local chapter of Delta Psi Beta bought the house next-door.

            As a precautionary measure, the concerned couple introduced themselves to their new neighbors and asked for assurances that there wouldn’t be any wild partying on the premises. Delta Psi’s President, Teddy (Zac Efron), and Vice President, Pete (Dave Franco), did agree to keep the noise down in exchange for a promise from the Radners not to call the police.

            Nevertheless, it’s not long before the situation spirals out of control. After all, the infamous frat has a well-established reputation for rowdiness, having invented the toga party back in the Thirties and then beer pong in the Seventies.

            So, today, Teddy feels pressure to match his predecessors’ checkered past. This means he’s inclined to up the ante in terms of outrageous antics, which can only spell trouble for Kelly and Mac once they go back on their word about complaining to the cops, and Delta Psi is placed on probation by the university’s dean, Carol Gladstone (Lisa Kudrow).

            At that point, all bets are off, and the frat and the newlyweds proceed to square-off in an ever-escalating war of attrition with more losers than winners. That is the point of departure of Neighbors, a relentlessly-raunchy revenge comedy directed by Nicholas Stoller (Get Him to the Greek).

            Unfortunately, the sophomoric parties prove to be more cruel than clever in their attempts to get even, and the shocking behavior displayed onscreen is invariably more smutty than funny, as it features plenty of prolonged frontal nudity. Plus, the picture’s only good gag, when the office chair jettisons Mac into the ceiling, was totally spoiled by the TV commercials.  

            Otherwise, the film is memorable mostly for its homoerotic humor, as director Stoller is fond of seizing on any excuse to lampoon gay sexuality. First, Kelly kisses a college coed she’s recruiting as a confidante. Then, fraternity pledges are forced to parade naked in a circle while clutching the penis of the guy in front of him.

            On another occasion, a male student is raped by a classmate seemingly in his sleep, only to later admit that he was aware and welcomed the rude intrusion. And when Teddy and Pete fight over a girl (Halston Sage), they settle their differences in bizarre fashion, namely, by massaging each other’s genitals to see who climaxes first, while appropriating the gangsta’ rap mantra, “Bros before hos!” 

            Throw in the gratuitous use of the “N-word” twice, of anti-Semitism (“You Jews and your f*cking mothers!”), as well as a profusion of misogynistic comments like referring to breasts as “udders,” and there’s little left to recommend about this ugly descent into depravity.

Poor (0 stars)

Rated R for crude humor, graphic sexuality, full frontal nudity, pervasive profanity, ethnic slurs, and drug and alcohol abuse

Running time: 97 minutes

Distributor: Universal Pictures

To see a trailer for Neighbors, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzZgJZMXNEc   

The Big Wedding (FILM REVIEW)

The Big Wedding

Film Review by Kam Williams

A-List Cast Can’t Save Atrocious Adaptation of French Farce

            This picture is such a wholesale disaster that it’s hard to decide where to start in critiquing it. I could talk about how it is just the latest case of Hollywood remaking a French farce (Mon Frère se Marie) which somehow lost all of its charm in the translation into English. Or I could point out how it’s a slight variation of Meet the Parents and even has Robert De Niro reprising his role as a macho father-in-law less inclined to reason than to threaten to bust a kneecap or tweeze a guy’s gonads off.

            Or I could focus on how the production squandered the services of a talented cast including a quartet of Oscar-winners in De Niro, Susan Sarandon, Robin Williams and Diane Keaton, as well as that of such seasoned comedians as Topher Grace, Katherine Heigl, Amanda Seyfried and SNL alum Christine Ebersole. Or I might mention the telling fact that the movie sat on the shelf for over a year before the studio made the ill-advised decision to pump up the marketing and dump it on the gullible public.

            Then there’s the homophobia and racism, reflected in disparaging offhand, remarks about lesbian and Colombian characters. Equally-objectionable is the picture’s frequent resort to sophomoric sight gags ranging from projectile vomiting to sucker punches to the face.

            Perhaps most offensive of all is the film’s coarse, off-color humor featuring a life-size sculpture of a nude woman masturbating, a seductive wedding guest pleasuring her seatmate under the table during the reception, and a relentlessly-lurid script laced with salacious lines like “I can’t believe I’m being cock-blocked by my own mom,” “Go [expletive] a yak!” and “My father had his penis in your mom.”

            All of the above amounts to a bitter disappointment, especially given the pedigree of the elite ensemble. Blame for this fiasco rests squarely on the shoulders of writer/director/producer Justin Zackham, who ostensibly was trying to replicate the lowbrow nature of his only other feature-length offering, Going Greek, a raunchy teensploitation flick released back in 2001. 

            As for the storyline, Mr. Zackham lazy relies on “The Big Lie” cliché, a hackneyed plot device popular on TV sitcoms since the Golden Age of Television. It basically revolves around characters going to increasingly great lengths to hide an embarrassing fact from someone until the ruse blows up in their faces and the truth comes out anyway.

            Here, we have Missy (Amanda Seyfried) and Alejandro (Ben Barnes) on the verge of tying the knot in Connecticut, when they learn that his birth mother, Madonna (Patricia Rae), is unexpectedly flying in from Colombia to attend the wedding. Because she’s a devout Catholic, they don’t want her to know that the adoptive parents (De Niro and Keaton) have been divorced for a decade.     

            So, instead of simply explaining the changed state of affairs to Madonna, everybody agrees to participate in an elaborate cover-up to make it appear that Don and Ellie are still together, even though he’s currently in a committed, long-term relationship with Bebe (Sarandon). What a patently-preposterous premise!  

            The escalating concatenation of calamities adds-up less to a sidesplitting, screwball comedy than to an incoherent string of crude skits, the crudest being a scene where an undignified De Niro sheepishly sports a substance-eating grin after getting caught in the act of performing cunnilingus between a widespread pair of naked legs.

            Look! A falling star! Make a wish!

Poor (0 stars)

Rated R for profanity, sexuality and brief nudity

In English and Spanish with subtitles

Running time: 90 minutes

Distributor: Lionsgate Films  

To see a trailer for The Big Wedding, visit:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jt9iqJA6RZM 

Scary Movie (FILM REVIEW)

Scary Movie 5

Film Review by Kam Williams

A Host of Celebrity Cameos Can’t Save Insulting Horror Spoof

            What do Charlie Sheen, Lindsay Lohan, Mike Tyson, Katt Williams and Snoop Dogg have in common? They’re all celebrities whose names have been splashed across the tabloids in connection with controversy. But in a macabre gesture ostensibly intended to exploit their notoriety, this motley collection of the craziest people currently in the public eye was tapped to make cameo appearances in Scary Movie 5.

            The picture was directed by Malcolm Lee (Undercover Brother) who opted for an overhaul of the series with a fresh set of characters rather than a sequel. That shouldn’t be a problem for purists, since each of the earlier installments has basically been a string of disconnected skits spoofing the latest horror movies.

            Among the fright flicks lampooned here are Paranormal Activity, The Black Swan, Evil Dead, Sinister and Mama. However, this equal opportunity offender also takes potshots at offerings from other genres like The Help, Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Witness Protection, Planet of the Apes and 127 Hours.

            Unfortunately, the disappointing production is little more than a crummy appeal to the lowest common denominator employing generous helpings of scatological humor. Worse, none of the sketches elicited even a perfunctory pity laugh from the audience I watched the movie with.

            The point of departure is a sex scene in which Charlie Sheen and Lindsay Lohan are joined in bed by a colorful menagerie of oddballs, animals and objects. The kinky copulating is sped-up in corny fashion ala a typical Benny Hill episode, and the action’s even underscored by the familiar strains of that frenetic melody routinely employed on the classic British comedy show.

            But Charlie fails to survive the session, leaving his three orphaned children to be raised by his brother (Simon Rex) and girlfriend (Ashley Tisdale), and their hairy-armed housekeeper (Lidia Porto). The bodily function fare that ensues around the premises includes sight gags involving farting, projectile vomiting, poop disguised as a banana, a monkey tossing feces at a mirror, a woman putting a urine-soaked cell phone to her face, a dog with a toothbrush stuck in its tush, a child playing with a vibrator, a dog licking his own gonads, and a gay man with the hots for a fifth grader.

            This vapid, vulgar insult to the intelligence couldn’t possibly have been tested on any focus groups. Can we all now agree that we’ve reached the cinematic saturation point with this rapidly-expiring franchise?  

Poor (0 stars)

Rated PG-13 for profanity, sexuality, gore, drug use, nudity, ethnic slurs, cartoon violence and crude humor

Running time: 85 minutes

Distributor: Dimension Films

To see a trailer for Scary Movie 5, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMDZ8M47j0I  

Movie 43 (FILM REVIEW)

Movie 43

Film Review by Kam Williams

A-List Cast Can’t Save Shallow Shocksploit

            Movie 43 is a shallow shocksploitation flick which revels in raunchy lowbrow humor. What is supposed to elevate this terminally-crude comedy above your typical bottom-feeder is its A-list cast topped by Academy Award-winners Halle Berry and Kate Winslet, as well as Oscar-nominees Uma Thurman, Naomi Watts, Hugh Jackman and Terrence Howard.

            However, the picture fails miserably in this regard, as it merely ends-up dragging the entire ensemble into the mud. This scatterplot sketch flick features a dozen directors, including Peter Farrelly (There’s Something about Mary), Brett Ratner (Rush Hour trilogy), Bob Odenkirk (The Brothers Solomon), to name a few.

            The film is essentially a series of skits being pitched by a writer (Dennis Quaid) to a skeptical Hollywood producer (Greg Kinnear). After Charlie sets up each scene, the screen cuts away to an enactment of a fully fleshed-out production of his idea.

            For example, the first vignette, “The Catch,” revolves around a socialite named Beth’s (Winslet) blind date from Hell with Davis (Jackman), a successful, eligible bachelor with a distracting drawback, namely, a hairy scrotum hanging from his neck in place of an Adam’s apple. The sight gag serves as fodder for a running joke since Beth, inexplicably, is the only person in the restaurant able to see the deformity.

            So, while Davis looks perfectly normal to everybody else, the poor woman finds herself forced to suffer such indignities as posing for a picture with sweaty gonads in her face. The subject matter goes from gross-out fare to incest and pedophilia in the next segment, “Homeschooled,” which is about a mother’s (Watts) taking her son’s (Jeremy Allen White) virginity. Worse, the 13 year-old’s perverted dad (Liev Schreiber) comes on to the kid, too.

            Halle Berry’s breasts co-star in “Truth or Dare,” another bit about a blind date. In this tacky tableau, her character first exposes herself after accepting a challenge to make guacamole with her bosom. The oversexed exhibitionist bares her gargantuan mammaries again at the end of the evening, even though she’s supposedly not attracted to Asian men.

            Dating is also the theme of “Super Hero Speed Dating” where Batman’s (Jason Sudeikis) sidekick Robin (Justin Long) attempts to charm both Super Girl (Kristen Bell) and Wonder Woman (Leslie Bibb). And “Middleschool Date” milks its mean-spirited mirth from a 7^th grader’s (Chloe Moretz) being mercilessly teased about getting her first menstrual period while sharing a kiss with a classmate (Jimmy Bennett) she has a crush on.

            More creepy than comical, Movie 43 represents a disgusting, cinematic descent into depravity destined to leave its victims, sitting slack-jawed and speechless in stunned disbelief.

Poor (0 stars)

Rated R for violence, drug use, pervasive profanity, graphic sexuality, frontal nudity, crude humor and coarse dialogue.

Running time: 90 minutes

Distributor: Relativity Media

To see a trailer for Movie 43, visit:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrvFBjsglA4    

A Thousand Words (DVD REVIEW)

 

A Thousand Words

DVD Review by Kam Williams

Eddie Murphy Goes Mute in Ill-Conceived Sitcom

            Whether starring in a buddy comedy (like Trading Places and 48 Hours), a kiddie flick (ala Nutty Professor and Dr. Dolittle), a standup concert (such as Raw and Delirious), or in an animated adventure as a donkey (Shrek) or a dragon (Mulan), Eddie Murphy’s best movies have invariably featured him talking trash. Even his only Oscar-nomination (for Dreamgirls) came for playing a jive motor-mouth, a character ostensibly inspired by the equally-irrepressible James Brown.

            Given the readily-identifiable thread running through that string of box-office hits, you really have to wonder how a project like A Thousand Words ever got off the ground. For, not only does the film fail to take advantage of Mr. Murphy’s trademark loquacious tendencies, it actually goes to the opposite extreme by buttoning up his lips for most of the movie.

            The studio might have suspected it had a lemon on its hands, since it let the picture sit on the shelf for four years before finally releasing it. In any case, the movie marks the third collaboration between Eddie and director Brian Robbins, along with Norbit and Meet Dave.

            A Thousand Words revolves around a familiar anti-hero archetype, the backstabbing, corporate conniver sorely in need of an attitude readjustment. When we’re introduced to Jack McCall (Murphy) at the point of departure, he’s still a high-powered, Hollywood agent smugly sitting atop the showbiz food chain and living in the lap of luxury in a sprawling, mountaintop mansion with a pool and a view.

            The insufferable bully takes pleasure in intimidating everyone he encounters: his sycophantic assistant (Clark Duke), his deferential spouse, Caroline (Kerry Washington), and perfect strangers to boot. But karma catches up with the Machiavellian manipulator the day he lies to land his latest client, a popular New Age guru (Cliff Curtis) who has just written a self-help book. 

            Abracadabra! A magical tree that sheds a leaf for every word Jack speaks suddenly materializes in his backyard. And so few leaves are left by the time he figures out that he will die when the last one hits the ground that he is left with no choice but to take a vow of silence.           

            Mute Jack is soon beset by a host of woes of Biblical proportions, including the loss of his job and the love of his wife and toddler Tyler (Emanuel Ragsdale). At this juncture, the picture turns to heavy-handed sermonizing in lieu of humor, as our humbled protagonist learns a big lesson about what really matters most in this world while on the road to redemption.

            Makes The Adventures of Pluto Nash look like Beverly Hills Cop.

Poor (0 stars)

Rated PG-13 for PG-13 for profanity, sexuality and drug-related humor.

Running time: 91 minutes

Distributor: Paramount Home Entertainment

Blu-ray Extras: Feature film in high definition, deleted scenes and an alternate ending.

To see a trailer for A Thousand Words, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2MO_ID4ltA