Movie #237 - Good Luck Chuck

Good Luck Chuck
2007 - Rated R - 1 hr 36 min
Director: Mark Helfrich
Starring: Dane Cook, Jessica Alba, Dan Fogler

Aside from the disturbing movie poster, there's not much about this comedy that sets it apart from the white noise of rom-coms out there.  It is exactly as advertised: boy meets girl, boy screws up, miscommunication occurs, hillarity ensues, boy gets girl.  The road there is a little weirder than usual, but it's predictable.

Now, that's not to say it's not funny to watch them get from Point A to Point E.  The added elements of Chuck's curse (that every girl he's with will marry the next guy she meets) and Jessica Alba's klutzy crazy make it different enough to make you laugh.  But there are parts that even gross me out... so yeah, there's that too.

Anyway... nothing exemplary, but Dane Cook and Jessica Alba make a cute couple.  And those penguins are adorable too.

Movie #195 - Fanboys

Fanboys
2008 - Rated PG-13 - 1 hr 30 min
Director: Kyle Newman
Starring: Dan Fogler, Sam Huntington, Jay Baruchel, Kristen Bell, Seth Rogen, Danny Trejo, William Shatner, Carrie Fisher

Star Wars fans will take special delight in this geeked-out adventure movie.  Despite it's slap-stick Road Trip kind of comedy, the overall story is one I really enjoy.  Four childhood friends band together to storm Skywalker Ranch to see Episode One before it comes out, because one of them is dying from cancer.  The way I just explained it sounded lame, but it's not melodramatic or anything.  It's just a nice story about friends - with some hillarity thrown in for good measure.

Seth Rogen is arguably one of the better parts of this movie, and he only plays two small parts.  Fighting himself (one role versus the other) is possibly the highlight, but his Star Trek nerd taking down Dan Fogler is classic.  The laundry list of cameos doesn't hurt this movie either.

It's just fun, but not ridiculous beyond reason.  And don't we all want to break into Skywalker Ranch, either to save George Lucas's movies from himself or... no, that's why we all want to break in.  But before Episodes One, Two and Three came out, some of us probably wanted to watch those too.

Movie #51 - Balls of Fury

Balls of Fury

Rogue Pictures

2007 - Rated PG-13 - 1 hr 30 min

Director: Robert Ben Garant

Starring: Dan Fogler, Christopher Walken, George Lopez, Maggie Q, James Hung, Thomas Lennon

A movie about the dark and dangerous game of ping pong might sound a bit far-fetched, but this stellar cast's outstanding committment to the premise makes it work. Christopher Walken is hillarious, although not at all Asian (you'll get it when you see it), and attacks this character with his usual Walkenese fervor. It's the best part of this movie.

Unless you consider the fantastic Def Leppard soundtrack. That's pretty awesome, too.

I don't know much about the ancient Chinese tradition of ping pong, but this movie does a good job trying to educate you. But if you ever do find yourself in a sudden-death ping pong tournament, just watch out for Diedrich Bader and the courtesans of pleasure. Wow.