Movie Review: Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise

Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise
Twentieth Century Fox, Interscope Communications, Amercent Films, American Entertainment Partners L.P., USA, 1987.

After gaining a victory for nerd-rights against Alpha-Beta jocks the Lambda-Lambda-Lambda nerds Lewis (Robert Carradine), Poindexter (Timothy Busfield), Lamar (Larry B. Scott), Booger (Curtis Armstrong) and Wormser (Andrew Cassese) travel to Fraternity Conference in Fort Lauderdale. Gilbert (Anthony Edwards) stays home as he broke his foot while playing chess. In sunny Florida bikini-girls are plentiful and that suits perfectly for the nerds.

Lamar, Lewis, Poindexter, Wormser and Booger

Sunny

Buzz and Roger

In the hotel they meet new friends: friendly hotel trainee Sunny (Courtney Thorne-Smith, known as Alison from  "Melrose Place") and pre-nerdcore era rapper Stewart (Barry Sobel) but also old enemies are there. Alpha-Betas are there with the bellowing jock Ogre (Donald Gibb) from the first movie, with his classic line: 'Nerds!' The hotel manager Buzz (Ed Lauter) does not want nerds in the hotel. Conspiring with jock-president Roger (Bradley Whitford) they evict the nerds. The nerds are forced to move to a sucky hotel, but the jocks are still not contended and try to kick them out of the conference. The nerds find themselves stranded on a deserted island and have to put their brains to use to get out. 

Ogre

Nerds With Attitude

Although the permise is not as original as in the prequel than the first, I somehow enjoyed this more. The second Nerd-adventure rolls smoother than the previous, having less paartying and more plot and slightly more clean jokes. The basic idea is the same, the nerds try to get accepted but the jocks play dirty. However there are plot holes that look like the script was rewritten on the fly. Stewart has little meaning to the plot and it seems that originally Sunny was supposed to have romance with him, but the story arc was abandoned and in the end Sunny is hugging Lewis. Betty (Julia Montgomery) is seen only as a portrait that Lewis packs in his suitcase. Lewis, you womanizer. However in the third Nerd-movie Lewis and Betty are happily married so everything is well again (I don't have the sequels). Much of the events are silly but it is a fun and genuinely a 1980s comedy.

Lewis, you dog.

Courtney Thorne-Smith is cute in her nice girl role. Regular Oriental old guy actor James Hong appears as Snotty, the Master of Gross. After the first film Ogre became somewhat a cult character and likewise Jaws in the "Moonraker", he is made more sympathetic here.

Snotty

Rating: Good

Starring: Robert Carradine, Curtis Armstrong, Larry B. Scott, Timothy Busfield, Courtney Thorne-Smith, Andrew Cassese, Donald Gibb, Bradley Whitford, Ed Lauter, Barry Sobel, Tom Hodges, Jack Gilpin, Anthony Edwards, James Hong, Priscilla Lopez, James Cromwell, Jason Julien, Marilyn Caskey, Richard Joseph Paul, Rhonda Waymire, Donna Rosea, Susan Vanech, Robert Goodman, Michael Fitzgerald, Huey Laborde, Raymond Forchion, Carmen Thomas, Miles Greadington, Victor Morris, Ed Knott Jr., Tom Boykin, Ruben Rabasa, Michael J. Carnevale, Noreen Compton, Janet Constable, Stephen Ray Cranford, Ellen Marguerite Cullivan, Ian Ng Cheng Hin, Scott Spinnuci, Kai Thorup, Todd Vittum
Director: Joe Roth

Movie Review: Revenge of the Nerds

Revenge of the Nerds
Twentieth Century Fox, Interscope Communications, Zacharias-Buhai Productions, USA, 1984.

Long before "Big-Bang Theory" or "IT Crowd" there was a film series "Revenge of the Nerds."

Geek-friends Lewis (Robert Carradine) and Gilbert (Anthony Edwards) (you have to know some chemistry to get the joke) go to college. Maybe they can meet some girls there. Unfortunately there are bullies who hate nerds. Ogre (Donald Gibb), Burke (Matt Salinger) and Stan (Ted McGinley) and other idiotic Alpha Beta jocks burn down their own frat house so with support from Coach Harris (John Goodman) they invade the freshman-dormitory kicking the new students out.

Lewis and his dad (James Cromwell)

Judy (Michelle Meyrink) and Gilbert

Ogre

The nerds are not accepted to fraternities so they decide to start their own. But the system is rigged so they are not allowed to do so. They join U.N Jefferson's (Bernie Casey) black fraternity Lambda-Lambda-Lambda and throw a party but the Alpha-Betas ruin it. The nerds plan a revenge with some juvenile pranks. Stan's girlfriend Betty Childs (Julia Montgomery) plays dirty tricks but ultimately can not resist love skills of the nerds.

Coach Harris and Dean Ulich (David Wohl)

Stan and Betty

Lamar, Takashi and Booger

Although starring nerds it doesn't make the jokes intelligent, rather on the contrary. College-comedy has similar raunchy and low-brow jokes as "Animal House." There is a lot of crude fun but somehow it could have used the nerd-theme better. There are many laughably bad jokes too. It has the usual elements of college-comedies, wild parties, topless girls and silly contests so the genre hasn't really evolved much since that. The cast has typical side-characters for the comedies of the era, Gay, Oriental Guy and Pot-head that are fun but do not quite fit the definition of nerd but represent the social outcasts of the college world. In the end, though, there is talk about tolerance and sort of declaration of nerd-rights. 

Sorority girls

Robot vacuum cleaner model 1984

Remember, mopery is exposing yourself to a blind person!

The Moper

Rating: Average

Starring: Robert Carradine, Anthony Edwards, Timothy Busfield, Andrew Cassese, Curtis Armstrong, Larry B. Scott, Brian Tochi, Julia Montgomery, Michelle Meyrink, Ted McGinley, Matt Salinger, Donald Gibb, James Cromwell, David Wohl, John Goodman, Bernie Casey, Alice Hirson, F. William Parker, Roger Carter, Kres Mersky, Marianne Muellerleile, Lisa Welch, Suzanne B. Hayes, Shawn Siqueiros, Sandra Katzel, Henry Kendrick, Fumio Kodama, Lance Lombardo, William B. Wilson, Carl Cherry, Adam Frank, Taylor Samuels, Brad Grunberg, James Anklam, Matthew M. Haugh, William C. Horning, Angela C. Gardaphe, Lisa Kolasa, Kristen Kinderman, Kay Strunk, Gamble Baffert, Brian Lover, Jerry Kurinsky, Tonja Sue Philbee, Monique Sorenson, Calon Blackledge, Scott Bird, David Moskowitz, Steven Duran, Thomas Obeid, Theodore Kerpez, Michael Urena, Vincent Lindsley, Laura Bell, Linda Felker, Deborah Bernstein, Renee Mintz, Donna Costello, Lillie Nusz, Romy Dushoff, Rhonda Tinsley, Felicia Fagan, Jennifer Wilcox, John Almon, Brian Nelson, Daniel Egan, Thomas Repp, Jay Galland, Andrew Salan, Dean Heindel, Scott Spangler, Robert Melton, Steve Yeatras, Madaline Blinder, Colleen Madden, Lucy Craig, Susan Myers, Jennie Gaio, Kristi Nelson, Carolyn Hoover, Melissa Perlman, Karen Knutzen, Lori Stock, Chris Stravolo, Kelly Reed, Lloyd Sherr, Malcolm Gregor, Clinton James Austin, Greg Berg, Kris Levario, Peter J. Wacks, Michael L. White

Director: Jeff Kanew

Movie Review: The Sorcerer's Apprentice

The Sorcerer's Apprentice

Walt Disney Pictures, Jerry Bruckheimer Films, Saturn Films, Broken Road Productions, Junction Entertainment, USA, 2010.

Merlin's apprentice Balthazar (Nicolas Cage) wages an eternal war against evil. Evil witch Morgana (Alice Krige) gains the spell to raise undead. Balthazar captures Morgana in a matryoshka doll along with good sorceress Veronica (Monica Bellucci) and begins searching for Merlin's successor. Young Dave (Jake Cherry) finds Balthazar's magic shoppe and accidentally frees evil sorcerer Horvath (Alfred Molina). Then both of the sorcerers end up in a pot. The accident makes Dave seem like a freak in front of the other kids.

Balthazar

Dave

Becky

Ten years later Dave (Jay Baruchel) is a science geek specializing in the use of Tesla coils. He meets his childhood's love Becky (Teresa Palmer) who now hosts a radio show. The sorcerers jump out from the urn and both of them begin to search for Dave, it is a kind of a bad Terminator and a good Terminator style situation. Dave and Balthazar must find the doll before Horvarth can free the baddies. And in no time the sorcerers are causing a ruckus in Chinatown. Balthazar begins to train Dave, but Dave's romance with Becky distracts him. Horvath also recruits a stage magician Drake Stone (Toby Kebbell) as his sidekick. Not surprisingly Dave must get over his insecurities, save the world and get the girl.

Horvath

Drake Stone

I see faces!

As Disney nowadays often makes reinterpretations of its classic animations, "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" is a spiritual successor of one of "Fantasia's" segments. Dave casts spells to clean up his lab just as Mickey Mouse did and the consequences are the same. This was a collaboration of Bruckheimer's studio and Disney so this is close to the "National Treasure" movies that means having special effects laden adventure with family friendly humour. It is okay family fun although it is a bit darker than let's say for example  "Enchanted". Nicolas Cage is surprisingly reined in here, and does not have really weird moments. Except that this is one of his funny hair movies and his hair is only slightly shorter than in "Con Air." Basically it is an okay middle-of-the-road fantasy adventure but not much classic material can be seen here.

Ian McShane is the uncredited Narrator. Special effects by Asylum. Obs! Not The Asylum!

Rating: Average

Starring: Nicolas Cage, Jay Baruchel, Alfred Molina, Teresa Palmer, Toby Kebbell, Omar Benson Miller, Monica Bellucci, Alice Krige, Jake Cherry, James A. Stephens, Gregory Woo, Wai Ching Ho, Jason R. Moore, Robert Capron, Peyton List, Sándor Técsy, Marika Daciuk, Nicole Ehinger, Adriane Lenox, Ethan Peck, Manish Dayal, Oscar A. Colon, Joe Lisi, William Devlin, Victor Cruz, Melissa Gallagher, Parisa Fitz-Henley, Brandon Gill, Henry Yuk, Jordan Johnston, Izuchukwu Mozie, Amit Soni, Maha Chehlaoui, Adria Baratta, Rosie Moss, Ian Alda Director: Jon Turteltaub

Movie Review: The Librarian III: The Curse of the Judas Chalice

The Librarian III: The Curse of the Judas Chalice 

Starring: Noah Wyle, , Bruce Davison, Stana Katic, Bob Newhart, Jane Curtin, Dikran Tulaine, Jason Douglas, Beth Burvant, Joe Knezevich, David Born, Joe Ross, John Curran, Connor Hill, Aimee Spring Fortier, Todd Voltz, Werner Richmond, Armando Leduc, Sean Elliot, David Calhoun, John Wilmot, Brandi Gerard, Earl Maddox, Ernie Williams
Director: Jonathan Frakes
Electric Entertainment, Turner Network Television (TNT), USA, 2008. 

The Librarian Flynn Carsen (Noah Wyle) is back in the last part of the trilogy! Flynn is in an antique auction, trying to buy a Ming-vase. Flynn has a new girl friend Katie (Beth Burvant). However the auction does not go quite as planned and also Katie ditches Flynn. Flynn is stressed because his job disrupts his personal life and his best friend is a flying sword. He takes a vacation and travels to New Orleans. 

Name is Carsen, Flynn Carsen

Charlene and Judson

Library has even Noah's Ark

Meanwhile a former KGB-agent and Russian nationalist Sergei Kubichek (Dikran Tulaine) is searching for the grave of Vlad Dracul. He kidnaps Professor Lazlo (Bruce Davison) to help him find the grave. In New Orleans Flynn meets a singer Simone Renoir (Stana Katic), who has something that the baddies want. After escaping, Flynn and Simone have a romance. The bad guys are searching for Judas Chalice that resurrects dead vampires and Flynn and Simone must stop them. They get help from a local taxi driver Andre (Werner Richmond) who knows New Orleans like the back of his hand. 

Simone Renoir can sing

The bad guy, Sergei Kubichek

Flynn and Professor Lazlo

Judson (Bob Newhart) and Charlene (Jane Curtin) are again aboard bringing some deadpan comic moments. The library still has some relic storage areas not shown previously. Effects are the best of the trilogy, good TV-movie level CGI. The movie does not make huge changes to the working formula, but reveals a bit more about the origin of the Librarians. Flynn uses again his vast knowledge to survive dangerous situations. The ending gives the possibility of sequels, tying the Librarians to the eternal battle of good versus evil. Again this is a fun adventure film, but perhaps having a little bit more melancholy than the previous two films.

Now that's weird

Flynn with Andre the taxi driver

Vampires!

Check also the reviews for The Librarian: Quest for the Spear and The Librarian II: Return to King Solomons Mines.

Rating: Good

Movie Review: The Librarian II: Return to King Solomons Mines

The Librarian II: Return to King Solomons Mines
Starring: Noah Wyle, Bob Newhart, Jane Curtin, Olympia Dukakis, Gabrielle Anwar, Erick Avari, Hakeem Kae-Kazim, Robert Foxworth, Zahn McClarnon, Lisa Brenner, Jonathan Frakes, Peter Butler, Tertius Meintjes, Dawie Ackermann
Director: Jonathan Frakes
Turner Network Television (TNT), Electric Entertainment, Blue Sky Films, USA, 2006. 

Flynn Carsen (Noah Wyle) is back! But Nicole Noone is not! Flynn is searching for the Crystal Skulls of Atlantis with his Native American friend (Zahn McClarnon). After finding it they have to escape villains. Meanwhile in Cairo a man manages to send a package to Flynn before the bad guys get him. Flynn almost fails the mission because he finds an interesting arrowhead. 

Flynn Carsen is back!

Boss Judson

Library worker Charlene (Jane Curtin) is strict about his working habits and expenses.  Library boss Judson (Bob Newhart) shows him the secret part of the library. Judson advices him that sometimes Flynn has to give up what you want for the greater good to become a great librarian. 

Not an usual library

Charlene is strict about receipts

Flynn's mother (Olympia Dukakis) arranges him a surprise birthday party. At the party he meets his uncle Jerry (Robert Foxworth) who was his father's best friend. Flynn's mother gives him an amulet that his late father once got (looks like a Freemason symbol). When returning home Flynn gets knocked out and the package is stolen. Flynn manages to get a glimpse of the contents, the package contains a map to King Solomons Mines. Bad guys and General Samir (Erick Avari) try to find a magic book hidden in the mines. 

Surprise!

Uncle Jerry

General Samir

It's up to Flynn to save the world again. Flynn travels to Morocco to find a code to decipher the map. Being in Morocco gives Flynn the opportunity go make some funny Casablanca references. There he meets archaeologist Emily Davenport (Gabrielle Anwar). After finding some clues they escape the bad guys and continue their journey to savanna. There are some nice African sceneries. They also meet Debra (Lisa Brenner) from the first movie. The director Jonathan Frakes (aka Riker from Star Trek TNG) makes a cameo appearance! Along comes Jomo (Hakeem Kae-Kazim) who helps them survive in Africa. 

Emily Davenport

Debra on the honeymoon

Jomo

Noah Wyle plays again the happy-go-lucky geek adventurer. After having worked for an year in the library, he has learned some new tricks for fighting the bad guys. This time we also learn about Flynn's father. Effects are normal TV-movie level, acceptable but not very polished CGI. The movie does not take itself too seriously, but it is a fun-to-watch adventure film. 

King Solomon's statue

The team wandering on savanna

Vortex of ghosts

Check also the review for The Librarian: Quest for the Spear and The Librarian III: The Curse of the Judas Chalice

Rating: Good