Funny People & The Hurt Locker

It's been awhile and I've seen Funny People and Hurt Locker.

Funny People is Adam Sandler going back to old Adam Sandler. He's vulnerable and funny while making it look really easy. Seth Rogan is well cast as his sidekick/chauffeur/butler/writer and has some very funny stand-up during it. Jonah Hill is funny in a minor role and Judd Apatow's kid's are both pretty funny. Eric Bana is very good as the husband of Sandler's former flame. The story is basically Adam Sandler's character finding out he has a rare blood disease/ leukemia and feeling empty that his fame/fortune hasn't brought him many friends/ a family. He goes back to doing stand-up with Rogan touring/ writing for him. They become friends, Sandler tries to get back the girl he loved but cheated on when fame got him women throwing themselves at him. Movie drags on for 30-45 minutes too long, but I still thought it was deep and pretty funny. More serious than I thought it was going to be, but humerous enough to keep it light and bearable.

Bottom Line: 7.2 out of 10 (see it on video/ cable)

Hurt Locker- Really wasn't as great as I thought it was going to be, which I why I hate going into films with high expectations. It is a really "gritty" film that is filmed beautifully on location. I don't buy the performance from Anthony Mackie's performance as Sgt. Sanborn, who is a major character. Brian Geraghty (thanks IMDB) also isn't too special as the nancy-ass of the specialist group. Jeremy Renner carries the film as psychotic/ maverick renegadish staff Sergeant Will Ames. The movie is a great display of how rough it is over in Iraq, it's very well done in that respect. It keeps your interest as every day brings a new challenge and tough decisions with it. I recommend seeing it, but leave all the "best film in recent memory" stuff alone.

Bottom Line: 8.1 out of 10 (Check it out in theatres, though it's a limited release)

I want to reiterate how much I liked The Watchmen. I saw it again and REALLY want to buy the director's cut when it's reasonably priced. It has a ton of story compacted into 2 hrs. 45 minutes and does a great job of carrying the story along. It develops a bunch of characters and advances a complex story, both incredibly tough things to do without planning a 3 movie epic. Very good acting added with great effects and an amazing story make this film worth seeing.

The Brewers are solidly screwing the pooch and have just decided JJ Hardy's sub Prince Fielder's weight, (probably sub Mike Rivera's weight as well) was no longer good enough to be on the squad. What sucks about this is now his trade value is bouncing along the bottom of what it has been, and seeing as Escobar is "the future", we're going to get cents on the dollar for a former all-star shortstop. Teams without money can't afford mistakes like that and Bill Hall making $8.1 million next year for not playing on the Brewers. Kendall has to be taking a seat to Mike Rivera, who can actually hit in the catcher spot. The Brewers can still make a run assuming Bush gets healthy and maybe Suppan gets healthy and stops throwing BP to hitters. The lineup can be very solid if Lopez, McGehee, Fielder, Braun, Cameron, Hart, Counsell, and Rivera in it. Escobar could be a solid player and assuming he can hit a little bit in the bigs, he'll be out there splitting time with Craig Counsell, the consummate veteran.

Hopefully the Packers' sign Vick, I'd buy a jersey immediately. What's the worst that can happen? It's Green Bay, he can't do anything THAT STUPID. Rodgers gets hurt and we are worse than the Lions with Flynn or Brohm trying to play QB. Vick would give us a dynamic offensive threat that they ABSOLUTELY do not have. What could possibly go wrong with Vick playing on Green Bay? The guy is begging for a job and can be signed for 1/40th of his previous salary. He is still Mike Vick, the dude who made Madden 2005 almost unplayable with his athleticism.