Teen comedy clichés abound in Fired Up, which at first glance appears to be a guy-centric Bring It On rip-off. Nothing wrong with that at all – teen comedy is all about variation on a theme. Unfortunately, the variation here is rampant misogyny, idiocy and elitism.
Shawn and Nick (Nicholas D’Agosto and Eric Olsen) are our two ‘heroes’, but rather than go down the usual road of having likeable losers in the lead roles, here the film opts for a couple of football playing heartthrob jocks, who ditch Sports camp in favour of cheerleading classes in order to ‘meet chicks’.
Adapting little-known (at least outside the US) psychedelic kids’ shows can never be an easy task and doesn’t seem to be a particularly sharp recipe for box office gold. So Land of the Lost limps quietly on to British screens with little fanfare and while it does have its moments, there’s little to recommend here..
Michael Mann’s latest has some serious talent backing up a great story with so many sensationalist elements it’s amazing it’s remained so under-represented at the movies until now. This is the story of John Dillinger, the notorious bank robber, gangster and all-round bad egg who alternately terrorised and enthralled 30s America with his criminal exploits.
This is the latest effort from Little Miss Sunshine producers Big Beach, and as such it’s possible to forgive a little box ticking on their part as they try to recreate that breakout success. Alan Arkin’s role as a cranky huckster in particular sails a little too close to that movie, but luckily this is an altogether darker affair that boasts some well-conceived performances, offsetting its numerous sins.
Confirmed goth, Tim Burton has long tried to craft a reputation for ghoulish, fantastical work, and seems to be succeeding in securing larger and larger budgets despite his movies only appealing to teenage girls with blue hair and socks on their hands.
While USA Today has called the concept art for his latest reimagining (read: no original material) Alice In Wonderland proof that Burton is ‘attuned to the fantastic’, the concept art released today is certainly pretty, but it seems like we’re in for another helping of style over substance.
