Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian

In this comedy sequel, the CG action moves to Washington, D.C., as the Smithsonian's exhibits are put into storage during a renovation.

"...commercial bloat? Probably not, but it is the smartest gag in a shamelessly dumb movie. Koons' flair for intellectually..."

May 29, 2009 Movie Review by Marc Savlov

Fly Me to the Moon

This animated film is a simple parable of spirited can-do-ism, in which a trio of young houseflies semiaccidentally tags along on the Apollo 11 moon shot.

"...in which a trio of young houseflies (voiced by Gagnon, Bolden, and Gore) semiaccidentally tags along with astronauts Neil..."

Aug. 15, 2008 Movie Review by Marc Savlov

Step Brothers

Will Ferrell's newest is a lot like Will Ferrell's oldest, which is to say it feels like an amped-up Saturday Night Live skit.

"...oozy sentimentalism, Ferrell apparently has been letting story and gag ideas drip osmotically into his nicely warped brain pan..."

July 25, 2008 Movie Review by Marc Savlov

Hancock

Will Smith is the titular Hancock, a character as befuddling as the odd movie that surrounds him.

"...a hapless sailboat far out at sea is a gag whose time has finally arrived. Hancock's punitive salvation arrives..."

July 4, 2008 Movie Review by Marc Savlov

The Love Guru

Is it redundant to mock self-help culture? Not if you're Mike Myers and have a new sketch-comedy character to introduce.

"...… ominous), extended scatology (no one can stretch a gag about testicles like Myers can, not even if he..."

June 20, 2008 Movie Review by Josh Rosenblatt

Stuck

Stuart Gordon tells his own creepy version of the story about the Fort Worth woman who locked her car in the garage for days with the mangled-but-still-living body of a human victim stuck in her windshield.

"...denial, and – oh, it is to laugh (or gag) – The Crying Game's Rea, as her unhelpfully alive..."

June 6, 2008 Movie Review by Marc Savlov

Bats Left, Sings Right

With help from Esther's Follies, Austin Lyric Opera turns Strauss' Viennese waltz into a Texas two-step

"...His willingness to take part in the riot of gags amply demonstrated his appreciation of a good laugh. So..."

May 30, 2008 Arts Feature by Robert Faires

Son of Rambow

Amid this endearing story about two boys in Eighties England who join together to make their own Rambo movie, lies an uncommon, unaffected portrayal of young male intimacy.

"...uniforms, and while he could have been a one-note gag – or simply an excuse for the film's terrific..."

May 16, 2008 Movie Review by Kimberley Jones

The Animation Show 4

Mike Judge is back with a brand new collection of short animated films, and it's premiering here in Austin.

"...Tarantino-like swagger, time jags, even a kinky red ball gag – one cop investigating a noise complaint, and it’s..."

April 25, 2008 Movie Review by Kimberley Jones

Forgetting Sarah Marshall

Freaks and Geeks alum Jason Segel stars in this new sex comedy from the Judd Apatow production factory.

"...comic genius into the proceedings, including a giggly-weepy, ongoing gag about a musical version of Dracula (with puppets!) he's..."

April 18, 2008 Movie Review by Marc Savlov

Strange Wilderness

When a popular wildlife TV show starts slipping in the ratings, the clueless hosts go off to the Andes in search of Bigfoot and big ratings. Big mistake.

"...on Zahn's johnson, then freezes up. (At first, the gag is revolting, but kudos to all parties involved for..."

Feb. 8, 2008 Movie Review by Kimberley Jones

Vince Vaughn's Wild West Comedy Show: 30 Days and 30 Nights – Hollywood to the Heartland

Back in September 2005, Vaughn decided to try his hand at the impresario game and Gathered together four young stand-up comedians for a 30-day bus tour of the heartland.

"...their twisted homoerotic push-and-pull as part of an audience-participation gag; he even restaged a scene from a long-forgotten afterschool..."

Feb. 8, 2008 Movie Review by Josh Rosenblatt

American Gangster

A sizzling cast and their director do a crackerjack job of nailing the look and feel of New York City's bad old days of internal corruption and outer rot.

"...not going with the bribery flow. (The film's running gag is that Roberts was clean enough to actually turn..."

Nov. 2, 2007 Movie Review by Marc Savlov

Black Sheep

It's smart; it's silly; it's shear terror, as the ruminants develop a taste for human flesh.

"...be murder, but then so is mutton, and the laugh-until-you-gag Black Sheep brooks no argument when it comes to..."

Aug. 31, 2007 Movie Review by Marc Savlov

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

This third Pirates outing is an empty vessel haunted by the ghosts of its sabre-rattling betters.

"...devices. Verbinski's in on the joke, of course, the gag in question being Depp's portrayal of the pirate Jack..."

June 1, 2007 Movie Review by Marc Savlov

Super Perry Fudge Chunk

Rick Perry, "Blow hard."

"...I had a battle of the Gs (giggle vs. gag) when up popped in my inbox this headline: Gov...."

March 23, 2007 Qmmunity Post by Kate X Messer

Reno 911!: Miami

The gang from the Comedy Central show attend a national police convention in Miami Beach during spring break.

"...Klansman from the series) turns up for an alligator gag that’s okay. But adapting a sketch-comedy project to a..."

March 2, 2007 Movie Review by Marrit Ingman

Epic Movie

The filmmakers are completely tone-deaf when it comes to the art of film parody, and their special form of sadism-as-punch-line leaves the audience in a perpetual cringe.

"...writing; why bother writing a joke or choreographing a gag when a swift kick to the crotch will elicit..."

Feb. 2, 2007 Movie Review by Josh Rosenblatt

Happily N'Ever After

The animated Happily N'Ever After isn't just cynically humorless, it's shoddy-looking to boot.

"...his lips, and murmurs, "Mmmm … vanilla!" – a gag that predates the Three Stooges. If you really want..."

Jan. 12, 2007 Movie Review by Marc Savlov

School for Scoundrels

Although it stars Billy Bob Thornton and Napoleon Dynamite's Jon Heder and is jam-packed with multitalented comedians and stars, School for Scoundrels is just not funny.

"...maid named Roger. His career is essentially a one-note gag, resulting in a mild chuckle as he chugs along..."

Sept. 29, 2006 Movie Review by Toddy Burton

Factotum

Charles Bukowski's Henry Chinaski is back, played by Matt Dillon in a low-key, gorgeously beery performance; it's 100-proof Bukowski, but with a decent barkeep at the helm and Lili Taylor's Jan on his arm. Factotum, for all its grim grind, is funny-serious and smart-stupid.

"...Lili Taylor, Marisa Tomei and Fisher Stevens. The bile-enfused gag at the hungover heart of Barfly, Barbet Schroeder's 1987..."

Sept. 8, 2006 Movie Review by Marc Savlov

TV Eye

Emmy post

"...Best running gag: In an effort to keep acceptance speeches short, comedian..."

Sept. 1, 2006 Screens Column by Belinda Acosta

Little Man

If you can accept the very idea of Shawn Wayans’ face on the body of an infantilized baby-man in diapers, who’s to care about the quality of anything else in the movie?

"...get hit in the crotch by children, but that gag is No. 1 on the hit parade of this..."

July 21, 2006 Movie Review by Marrit Ingman

Clerks II

Kevin Smith is on solid footing with this sequel, which finds the filmmaker and his raunchy protagonists at the precipice of maturity but moving ahead with cautious baby steps.

"...of their own volition – as the film's opening gag so brilliantly demonstrates. However, fate has landed the compliant..."

July 21, 2006 Movie Review by Marjorie Baumgarten

Scary Movie 4

What's new in this fourth edition of the popular-culture spoof machine? Well, Shaquille O'Neal and Dr. Phil, for starters.

"...very humorous. It's such a weak collection of strung-together gags that it would barely have filled an episode of..."

April 21, 2006 Movie Review by Marc Savlov

The Shaggy Dog

There are precious few surprises here, but this breezy remake starring Tim Allen is a painless affair.

"...monks-in-training (a mixed blessing, the “peeing on the mandala” gag never arrived) – by evil pharmaceutical-company mouthpiece Dr. Kozak..."

March 10, 2006 Movie Review by Marc Savlov

The Hills Have Eyes

This remake ratchets up the gore while subtly rewiring some of the characters, but it never manages the nagging subtexts Craven so handily injected into the original horror film.

"...what remains for many his most subversive and freakishly engaging work: 1977’s The Hills Have Eyes. That film’s plot..."

March 10, 2006 Movie Review by Marc Savlov

Failure to Launch

This date movie is dude-friendly by design, but all its attention to hairdos and cute outfits does not make up for its lack of romantic spark.

"...good, although I regret to inform there’s a sight gag involving Bradshaw almost full frontal while feeding fish in..."

March 10, 2006 Movie Review by Marrit Ingman

Spike & Mike's Sick & Twisted Festival of Animation 2006

Know this going in: Sex and violence are the currency of Spike & Mike’s gory, twisted economy.

"...apparently) of its cruel existence. It’s a single joke gag, but the payoff is one of this year’s more..."

Jan. 27, 2006 Movie Review by Marc Savlov

Casanova

Hallström’s latest is fine but unambitious, content with what it is – an arthouse trifle with tricorner hats, corsets, and powdered wigs.

"...chest, that he can’t be squeezed into a crude gag. (Nobody makes a schlemiel out of Platt.) Hallström’s camera..."

Jan. 6, 2006 Movie Review by Marrit Ingman

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