Peter Bretter (Jason Segel, Freaks and Geeks) thinks he has it all with his hot celebrity girlfriend of five years, Sarah Marshall (Kristen Bell, Veronica Mars).  Unfortunately for Peter, Sarah doesn’t agree and in one of the funniest scenes in recent memory she breaks up with him.  So begins Peter’s journey to becoming truly happy which includes a trip to Hawaii where he meets and befriends the guests and staff of the hotel he’s staying at.

But of course there’s much more to the movie than that, including a refreshing performance by Mila Kunis (That 70’s Show) who plays Rachel, a new love interest for Peter and the receptionist at the hotel.  Kunis’ Rachel is the perfect opposite to Bell’s Sarah.  There’s the obvious difference that one is dark and the other is fair, but there’s more to it than that.  Rachel is a laid back girl who cares about others while Sarah is very high maintenance and self centered, but still has her moments of sensitivity.  Both actresses are wonderful in their roles and really help make the audience see Peter’s dilemma in deciding whom he’d rather be with. 

Segel takes on multiple duties in this movie.  Not only does he star, but also wrote the script, some of which was taken from real life experiences.  Now I don’t know if these experiences were as funny when they happened to Segel, but he had me laughing until I cried at some of the things that happened to his poor character.  He makes the audience really feel for Peter’s character and everyone will be rooting for him by the end of the movie.  How could you not root for someone who wants to write a Dracula musical with puppets? (Another great scene in the movie, believe me…it’s hilarious!)  

Although Segel is the obvious star of the movie, there are other great performances that shouldn’t be overlooked.  Paul Rudd (The 40 Year Old Virgin) shows up as a stoner surf instructor, and Jonah Hill (Superbad) cannot be forgotten in his waiter role.  Russell Brand shines in his role as Aldous Snow, a full on rock star and Sarah’s new boyfriend.  I’ve not seen Brand in anything before, but I look forward to seeing lots more of this wonderfully engaging actor.

Directed by first timer Nicholas Stoller and produced by the well-known Judd Apatow (Knocked Up), Forgetting Sarah Marshall is a comedy that both guys and girls will enjoy.  I could end this with some funny little quip about not forgetting this movie, which I hope you won’t, but instead I’ll just say that I can’t wait to see more of Jason Segel’s work because he is a talent that has been overlooked for too long and is finally breaking out.  So if you haven’t heard of him before, take this opportunity and go see this movie!

I’d definitely give this movie an A.  I think it has a little bit of something or everyone, and is a definite must see for any fan of the Judd Apatow crew.

If Iron Man is any indication, this summer could be one of the best ever for movie buffs. The first movie of the summer tends to set the tone, and Iron Man has stormed out of the gates, earning rave reviews from both fans and critics, and washing the bad taste of last summer’s big May movie, Spider-Man 3, out of all of our mouths.

Iron Man is a Marvel comic book character that made his debut in 1963. The character is still alive and kicking in the comic book world, most recently as a central figure in Marvel’s Civil War mini series, as a member of the Mighty Avengers, and in two of his own monthly comic books.

Comic book fans have been anxiously awaiting the Iron Man movie ever since the cast was announced, and, especially after some footage was screened at the 2007 San Diego Comic Con. Well, the wait is over, and the movie is absolutely worth the wait!

Robert Downey, Jr., plays Tony Stark, a billionaire industrialist who has made a fortune developing weapons for the US government. He lives a lavish playboy lifestyle, with a scotch in one hand and a super model at his side. While in the Middle East for a weapons demo for the US government, his convoy is attacked and he is taken prisoner by bad guys using his company’s weapons. The bombing results in shrapnel slowly destroying his heart, so another captive, (a scientist/surgeon no less), hooks him up to a car battery and creates an electro-magnet to keep the pieces from killing him. Stark’s captors want him to build missiles for them, but he has other plans.

Long story short, Stark creates a suit of armor that helps him escape. Back in the U.S. and still reeling from the fact that his weapons have fallen into the hands of the enemy, he swears off weapons manufacturing and goes to work on a new suit of armor that will help him defeat the bad guys. Little does he know that the baddest of the bad is one of his closest friends, (see the movie to find out who it is).

Iron Man is one of the best super hero movies ever for a variety of reasons: First, Robert Downey, Jr., was born to play Tony Stark and he steals the film. He brings humor, drama and action to Tony Stark/Iron Man, and makes him a character that the audience can care about and identify with. He is surrounded by an A-list supporting cast, including Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts, (Stark’s assistant), Terrence Howard, as his friend, Jim Rhodes, and Jeff Bridges and his mentor, Obediah Stane. All of these actors bring their comic book characters to glorious life on the big screen.

The story is simple, yet compelling, thanks to a great script and dialogue. There are some great moments for comic book fans, but you don’t have to be a fanboy or girl to dig the movie. *Note to comic book fans and regular viewers alike, make sure that you stay in the theater through the end of the credits for a very cool cameo that sets the stage for future Marvel movies.

The special effects are outstanding, most notably the Iron Man armor developed by Stan Winston Studios, (Aliens, Predator, Terminator, Jurassic Park). There is nothing that looks fake or hokey. The action sequences are well done and thrilling.

The one chink in Iron Man’s armor could be the music. The score is cookie-cutter Hans Zimmer fare, similar to what you would hear in many Jerry Bruckheimer films. There really is no Iron Man “theme,” but the score does function fairly well as background music and helps move the action forward.

This is the first movie financed completely by Marvel under their new Marvel Studios division, and it’s a home-run. One of the cool things that this sets up is the possible interaction among different Marvel properties in the same film, since certain characters are in films under the Marvel Studios banner. There are rumors flying that Tony Stark shows up in The Incredible Hulk, (another Marvel Studios film), due in June. And, Marvel announced future Marvel Studios projects this week, including Iron Man 2 and Thor in 2010 and Captain America and an Avengers film in 2011. The future looks bright for Marvel Studios and comic book fans.

Iron Man is rated PG-13 for language and violence and gets a solid “A” rating from me.

Marc Bowker
Sideshow Movie Collectibles

Kate (Tina Fey, 30 Rock) wants a baby.  Angie (Amy Poehler, Saturday Night Live) wants money.  What better way to help these two women than for Angie to become Kate’s surrogate aka baby mama.

Surprisingly enough this movie was not written by Fey, as I had hoped, and it showed.  If you’re a fan of 30 Rock don’t expect the same kind of flair in Baby Mama, which was actually written and directed by Michael McCullers (first time director and sometime writer for SNL).  Although McCullers pulls off a decent movie, there are a few stumbles upon the way that really hinder the movie.  He tries to put in an occasional twist and some funny quips, but ends up with a pretty predictable movie.  Halfway though my mom had guessed the ending (and that’s saying a lot if you’ve ever seen a movie with her - she’s usually wrong about her predictions!)

If you’ve seen the previews for this movie, and I’m sure you have, then you’ve already seen most of the funnier moments.  But there are still at least two reasons I can think of as to why you should see it anyway (or rent it later).  First, there’s the obvious chemistry between Fey and Poehler.  If you ever saw them do Weekend Update on SNL then you know what I’m talking about.  These two actresses play off each other with ease and it’s this relationship that makes the movie work.  Secondly, there’s Steve Martin.  If that’s not reason enough, I’ll explain further.  Martin plays Kate’s new age, hippie boss and every time he’s on screen he completely steals the scene.  He doesn’t even have to talk, but just stare into Kate’s eyes to “share his genius” and the whole audience began to laugh.  When it went on longer than necessary we continued to laugh at the awkwardness of it all, which was done perfectly.

There are a few other reasons, like Romany Malco (Weeds) showing up as Kate’s apartment doorman to lend some funny lines, but he doesn’t have much screen time to really shine.  Instead the audience is left with Greg Kinnear (Little Miss Sunshine) and Dax Shepard (Employee of the Month) as the ladies’ love interests.  Unfortunately neither of these men really brings much to the movie, although Shepard once again proves that he can play a loser with ease. 

In the end Baby Mama does prove that two women comedians can make a decent comedy movie, but given another opportunity I think Fey and Poehler could have made a great movie.

 Overall, I’d give this movie a B - . It’d be higher if I hadn’t seen the previews first.  I would suggest waiting until it comes out on DVD to see this one.

  CUPERTINO, Calif., May 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Apple(R) today announced that new movie releases from major film studios and premier independent studios are available for purchase on the iTunes(R) Store (http://www.itunes.com) on the same day as their DVD release. New releases and catalog titles will be available from 20th Century Fox, The Walt Disney Studios, Warner Bros., Paramount Pictures, Universal Studios Home Entertainment, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Lionsgate, Image Entertainment and First Look Studios. Movies purchased from iTunes can be viewed on an iPod(R) with video, iPhone(TM), Mac(R) or PC or on a widescreen TV with Apple TV(R), with new releases priced at $14.99 and most catalog titles at $9.99.

     “We’re thrilled to bring iTunes Store customers new films for purchase day-and-date with the DVD release,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s vice president of iTunes. “We think movie fans will love being able to buy their favorites from major and independent studios.”

     New releases available for purchase on the iTunes Store this week, concurrent with their DVD release, include “American Gangster” and “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly.” Other popular titles now available for purchase include “Juno,” “Cloverfield,” “I Am Legend,” “There Will Be Blood,” “Alvin and the Chipmunks” and “Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story.”

     The iTunes Store is the world’s most popular online music, TV and movie store with a catalog of over six million songs, 600 TV shows and over 1,500 films including 200 in stunning high definition video. With Apple’s legendary ease of use, pioneering features such as new iTunes Movie Rentals, integrated podcasting support, iMix playlist sharing, the ability to turn previously purchased tracks into complete albums at a reduced price, and seamless integration with iPod and iPhone, the iTunes Store is the best way for Mac and PC users to legally discover, purchase and download music and video online.

     Pricing & Availability

     Movie purchases and rentals from the iTunes Store for Mac or Windows require iTunes 7.6.2, available as a free download immediately from http://www.itunes.com. iTunes movie purchases and rentals require a valid credit card with a billing address in the country of purchase. iTunes Movies are available in the US only and are $9.99 (US) for library title purchases and $14.99 (US) for new release purchases and $2.99 (US) for library title rentals and $3.99 (US) for new release rentals, and high definition rental versions are priced just one dollar more with library title rentals at $3.99 (US) and new release rentals at $4.99 (US). Short films are available to rent for 99 cents (US). Movies can be previewed, purchased and watched on iPod classic, iPod nano with video, iPod touch, iPhone and on a widescreen TV with Apple TV.

     Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Today, Apple continues to lead the industry in innovation with its award-winning computers, OS X operating system and iLife and professional applications. Apple is also spearheading the digital media revolution with its iPod portable music and video players and iTunes online store, and has entered the mobile phone market with its revolutionary iPhone.

     (C) 2008 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, Mac, Mac OS, Macintosh, iTunes, iPod, iPhone and Apple TV are trademarks of Apple. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.