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Reviewspreviews
Bench warmers
This is one of those nonsensical comedies that frequent the box office each year. The tagline for The Benchwarmers reads, "It's never too late to take a stand" and the premise involves three adult men that, for reasons not quite clear, play baseball against young children in a national little league of sorts, thus becoming heroes for all the outcast, dorky and mentally deficient kids.
The cast includes comedian/actor Rob Schneider (Animal), David Spade, Jon Heder and Dennis Dugan (Big Daddy). The story doesn’t appear to have a plot and the only fillers in the runtime comprise sickening nose picking and extra lengthy farts.
Benchwarmers is all about revenge on the baseball field, amidst a game being played between a group of young kids and three mentally challenged adults. There are no twists and turns in the movie which gives it a totally flat touch. The target audience remain undefined since the humour used is that for 10-year-olds but the adult material gives it an R-18.
The movie’s agenda is clear — all good athletes are arrogant bullies and all bad athletes are optimistic, supportive enablers. The writer did try to keep it on the lines of Happy Gilmore but managed to create a sort of sequel to it. Viewing is advised only if there is nothing better to do and the chaotic Karachi life has taken your sleep away. — Arsalan Faruqi
The TickLarger than "larger than life," and bluer than any blue, the Tick (Patrick Warburton) is one superhero that you can't miss — even if you tried to.
Originally an animated show, The Tick is a parody of the superhero genre. Though he is immensely strong and invulnerable, he lacks the intellect to go with it. In fact, one would think he doesn't have any intellect at all.
He is joined on his unintentional adventures by his sidekick Arthur (David Burke). A simple accountant by profession, Arthur's dream has always been to become a superhero, and when the Tick comes along, he gets that chance.
Arthur doesn't have a superhero name, but his powers are based on a moth, and he often gets mistaken for a bunny. His character is the antithesis of all sidekicks: he is nervous, jittery and anxious. Then there are other superheroes and supervillains ranging from the ridiculous to the insane (case in point, the villain called "The Mad Bomber Who Bombs At Midnight").
Overall, the show is a poor adaptation from the animated series, purely because this show is live action and it loses some of the animated appeal with that transition. There are moments however that make up for it being live action, as the writing is more witty and clever. Such as the incident when Arthur comes to terms by telling his family that he is a superhero with disastrous results.
There are no special features in the boxset, as this show was cancelled due to poor ratings. A shame really, as it will be enjoyed by fans of good comical writing. — Khaver Siddiqi
King KongAbout half an hour into King Kong, Carl Denham (Jack Black, describing a young Orson Wells), has the carpet pulled out from under him. With his production accomplice, Preston (Colin Hanks) Denham, hits upon the novelty of Fay Wray for his film’s lead.
If this scene would have been in the real world, Fay Wray would actually be on an RKO set with Marian C. Cooper filming the King Kong of 1933, sporting a crew who arrive at an uncharted island of lost wonders, including a giant ape that falls in love with the lead actress. Having conquered the beast, he is transported as a carnival attraction back to New York, where Kong meets his ultimate demise.
Jackson films the action like an amateurish nerd out on a tropical adventure filled with creatures from a lost world. There is a scene where Jack Driscoll (an unsullied Adrian Brody) kisses Anne Darrow (Naomi Watts, heroine of Kong’s affection) and the score swells to that of threatening oblivion, which slowly unfolds the bedraggled creases of a doomed love story about an ape and a showgirl.
A value throughout Kong is its punctuated wisecracks and Kong’s portrayal of an amplified audience, both happy and sour. But measuring over three hours, this Kong’s magnificent splendour looks fabricated at best. — MKJ
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