The Condemned

I shamefully admit that I used to watch the WWF quite religiously, and though today I scoff at the stupidity of it, they do know how to satisfy a crowd with good, hardcore action. “The Condemned” is a WWF produced movie starring Stone Cold Steve Austin, and though some may say ‘he has no personality so how can he be an actor’, well no personality but lots of muscle is exactly what he needs for this role. He stars as an ex government spy who was rotting away on death row in Central America until a crazy reality show producer snatches him up and dumps him on a remote island with a group of other death row inmates where they have to battle it out to the death. The winner is released from prison, and the losers, well, they were going to die anyway. The story is as basic as they come, but the action is intense and designed to appease any action junkie. If you want nothing to do with calculated martial arts sequences and just want to see good old-fashioned butt kicking, this is the movie for you.

THE LEGEND OF DRUNKEN MASTER

If you know Jackie Chan from his comedic American martial arts movies, then you don’t know him at all. He does tend to keep the same easy-going, funny character in most of his movies, but it is in his earlier Chinese made movies that you will see him at his best. Drunken Master shows Chan at his peak, portraying the slightly undisciplined yet highly talented Wong Fei Hung. He causes more trouble with his clumsy antics than he does good, but when it comes down to defending his family, his unique style of kung fu: drunken boxing, saves the day. Jackie Chan is amazing as he uses every object in sight at lightning fast speeds, yet keeps his humour and you smiling throughout the entire action sequences. Forget “Rush Hour”, Drunken Master is Chan’s true talent on screen

BON COP/BAD COP

I am from Montreal, and so I think to truly appreciate the humour and irony in this movie, it helps to be a Quebecer, but most of the world has heard of the rivalry between the French and the English in Canada, so the jokes will not be wasted on any audience. A man is murdered directly on the border between Ontario and Quebec, so in order to satisfy both jurisdictions, a cop from each province is assigned to work together to solve the case. They are both bilingual but rant and rave best in their own language, and the assignment to work together has both ranting and raving quite a bit. The jokes are original, and it’s great how each points out the lunacy in the other’s language and style, making it equally funny for both Anglos and Francophones. Even if you’re not from Canada, this movie will tickle your funny bone, because it’s an entirely new way of watching a homicide investigation.

Mr. Bean’s Holiday

Don’t mistake this movie for the first Mr. Bean movie that came out which was a complete disaster. “Mr. Bean’s Holiday” stays true to this brilliant character and includes many similar skits to the ones Rowan Atkinson did in his TV series. For me, Mr. Bean is a true comic genius, delivering big laughs from body language and facial expressions alone. I’ve heard many people call him stupid, but in this movie, Atkinson goes back to his roots and had me laughing out loud. Mr. Bean wins a trip and in true Mr. Bean style, can’t do anything without causing an uproar. He gets lost, blows up a movie set, accidentally kidnaps a child and crashes the Cannes film festival without batting an eye. For fans disappointed that the TV show had only 13 episodes, this movie picks up where they left off

MAMMA MIA

unaFan or not, when you hear an Abba song, you can’t help but sing along and feel good about it. They are cheesy, they are overplayed but they are timeless, and an entire movie of great sing-along, upbeat tunes set in the stunning backdrop of Greece is bound to make your day. It also has some of Hollywood’s best actors: Merryl Streep, Colin Firth and Pierce Brosnan (although he can’t hold a tune to save his life). The supporting cast is hysterical, the story is lovable and the whole thing just makes you want to smile. I saw the original Broadway version on stage, and unlike 90% of all musicals I’ve seen made into movies, this one does the original justice. It will also make you want to book a 1-way ticket to Santorini, but I can’t help you with that part.

YES MAN

Contrary to the little known Benigni movies, anything with Jim Carrey is bound to reach the far ends of the continent. I am normally not too much of a fan of his overly exaggerated performances, although “Yes Man” got quite a few laughs from me and a whole new appreciation for Carrey’s style of comedy. It is very similar to “Liar Liar” where he must always tell the truth no mater how harsh it is, however in this case his character must always say yes to every proposition he receives. The story is great because most people do live in a bit of a bubble; floating between work and home with very little time or inclination for anything outside the comfort zone. This movie takes it to the extreme but it certainly reminds us of all the fun and interesting things we can do if we just open ourselves up to a little change. Of course Jim Carrey’s contortionist-like features help to drive the point home and have you in stitches along the way.

THE MONSTER

Most North Americans know Roberto Benigni from the acclaimed “Life is Beautiful” which shows a tiny bit of his sense of humour amidst a very serious subject matter. In “The Monster” however, Benigni, the comic genius emerges and you get the full idea of how talented he is. In this movie, a bumbling fool is mistaken by the police for a violent, sexual predator, and ironically every move they watch him make just further reinforces their opinion of him, even though his acts are actually done with very innocent intentions. It’s a comedy of errors, and as always he acts with his real-life wife who plays an undercover cop trying to trap him, making their chemistry natural and believable. It is a little known movie in North America, but most movie stores should have it, or it can be ordered for very little cost on sites like eBay. It is well worth the effort!

ZOOLANDER

Ben Stiller fans will nod in agreement at this quirky choice, but you don’t need to be a Ben Stiller fan to appreciate this satirical view of the life of a male supermodel. Partnered with Owen Wilson, these less than obvious choices to depict the most beautiful men alive deliver hysterical renditions of conceited, superficial, brainless models who actually have to team up to thwart Will Ferrell’s evil plan to kill a political leader. You will laugh at Ben Stiller’s ridiculous expressions, verbal and facial, not to mention his puppy love with his real-life wife and his hysterical ‘walk-off’ with competing model, Wilson. This movie tends to be a hit or miss with viewers, but I thought it was great and highly recommend it.