Dodgeball
6.5 of 10
Funny performances carry an otherwise light content film enough to make it more enjoyable than not. Vaughn is especially strong in a classic Chevy Chase (Seems Like Old Times era) manner, Rip Torn is his typical outstanding self and despite rehashing a lot of his routine gimmick even Stiller is pretty solid. Vaughn's low-key comedic reaction was critical though and he often sells jokes that would otherwise flop from being too over-the-top.
Fahrenheit 9/11
8 of 10
This is satire, not documentary. Too many facts are twisted, too much of the methodology is suspect for the film to be a true documentary. Even many of the facts are altered, fabricated or misrepresented simply to make a point that could not be made without such changes to them. Worse is that by simply playing it straight up Moore probably could have achieved many similar points or at least a similar idealogical resonance with audiences.
But instead Moore goes for the same old gimmicks and grandstanding. In Roger and Me it was fresh, in Bowling for Columbine the humor and even sometimes contradictory stances within the film made it easy to overlook, but here Moore takes his ideals far too seriously for us to totally overlook the same old schtick being used yet again.
However, it is still funny at times, it does invite an emotional response from viewers, and at times it does give us a new look at old news. Some points are valid, some are suspect, but the SATIRE of the film is almost always entertaining. As entertainment, much like Hardball or Daily Show, this is another good film by Moore.
Spider-Man 2
9 of 10
I didn't quite like it as much as the first film. The effects are better and generally the story is perhaps even more true to the nature of the comic, but the film bogs down with too much repetition of some of the conflicts. A viewer can only watch the same situations and problems so many times before they feel like saying "okay, get on with it, we realize this is an issue".
The final act was far more satisfying and actually took a direction that a viewer might not expect from the film, especially given both other superhero films and Spidey 1/first half of Spidey 2.
Overall the film is a triumph of capturing the essence of a Spidey comic, from personal challenges to the staging of superhero/villain battles. When Spidey fights and when Spidey wins, it looks and feels just like I always read it to be. I knew he would win but I still cheered when he did. Give me more of these films, many more of them.
Eurotrip
2 of 10
A few funny moments, mostly on pure comedic acting rather than good writing, are all that saved this film from being an ultra-disaster. This is Mad-Libs teen comedy at its worst and most simplistic. Nudity, grossness, brashness and rudeness can be hilarious and fun, but there needs to be something clever behind it. Here there is nothing, and it is especially tragic considering just how much good material could be mined from the basic schtick of obnoxious American teens wandering Europe. Sadly the first 10 minutes of American Werewold in London had more quality laughs on that topic than the whole of Eurotrip. It was 3 times dumber and more insulting than European Vacation, and that's saying something.
¾ - How do you make a movie set in 2004 where the characters don't know the concept of the Stepford Wife? Badly.
