411 Fact or Fiction Movies 02.16.08: Week 113

Posted by Ben Piper on 02.15.2008

Will Jumper be an uneven mess? Will Vantage Point be a superior political thriller? Are people stoked to see Jericho back on the air? 411's James "JT" Thomlison and Al Norton debate these and other subjects in week 113 of Fact or Fiction: Movies!



Hello everyone! Yup, time for some Fact or Fiction goodness to launch you sufficiently into the weekend. This time around we've got James "JT" Thomlison and Al Norton taking part. Let's do this, shall we?

1. While the premise looks to be somewhat original, you cannot help but get the feeling that Jumper will be an uneven mess.

James Thomlison: Fiction. And to be honest, the previews almost scream "uneven mess". That being said, this is Doug Liman here, so this isn't new territory for us. If you think back to the previews for not only Mr. & Mrs. Smith but also the Bourne Series' (probably most notably the preview for the original, Bourne Identity), those all had "okay what the fuck is going on here" written all over them. Hell if you go back even farther and think of a little movie called Go, I don't remember ever seeing previews but I can't imagine many people saw one and had any clue what that movie was really going to be about. Point here, while previews for Liman's films have in the past had this same "uneven mess" tone, in the end he made some pretty damn fine movies that were much less complicated than their trailers led you to believe. Because of his track record, I will give him a pass until I see it for myself.

Al Norton: Fiction, but I must admit to being REALLY annoyed that the ad's keep calling it "Jumper, Anywhere is possible", which is simply not a good tag line. I don't have the same memory of Liman's earlier trailers as James; when I saw the ads for The Bourne Identity, Go, and Mr. and Mrs. Smith I was pretty pumped to see them. I may not have known what they were about but I knew they looked good. Yes the ads have a slightly ADD influenced style to them but I know Sam Jackson wouldn't take the part unless he had at least one or two big monologues of expository dialog to help fill in the blanks. Did I go through this whole answer without making a "Jumper? I hardly even know her" joke?

Score: 1 for 1

2. You've been eagerly looking forward to the return of Jericho.

James Thomlison: Fiction. I have never watched the show, have no desire to attempt to watch the show, and know only that Skeet Ulrich is in it (who I like, mind you). I watch a LOT of television (God Bless You DVR), and some shows have simply had to be sacrificed so that I may watch others; that, and unless I catch something from the beginning, it doesn't have a lot of hopes of ever cracking my lineup (Hello: Lost, 24, The Office, among others). Now, from what I understand, Jericho had a similar situation as Friday Night Lights as if I'm understanding it was on it's way out and fan support and outcry kept it around. That is a sign to me that it is indeed an enjoyable and well-written show; so I'm sure the Jericho viewership is super pumped that it's back and they should be, but I don't watch it, so I must answer fiction.

Al Norton: Fact. I have written it before and will do so again here - the return of Jericho is the greatest accomplishment of the TV Viewer in my lifetime. Bringing a show back from the dead simply doesn't happen, so all who sent nuts to CBS deserve high praise. What makes it even better is that these episodes are the same high quality as where the series left off last spring. I have seen the first four of the year and can tell you they have not lost one iota of their trademark intensity, while at the same time boosting the heart of the show with more of the Stanley-Mimi relationship; how Alicia Coppola continues to fly under the radar screen is beyond me. Esai Morales is a fine addition to the cast, and while I know there are some Skeet haters out there, he is a very good fit as Jake. On some level whether or not the show does well is beside the point, that the triumph is simply in the resurrection, but I do hope Jericho meets with some success as it will encourage other networks to consider second chances in the future.

Score: 1 for 2

3. You expect The Spiderwick Chronicles to be a solidly good, entertaining kids fantasy flick.

James Thomlison: Fact. Ugh. I guess so. I honestly don't know nearly enough about this movie to make that sort of a call, and I haven't really even seen a trailer for it (they've been on, I wasn't paying that much attention). The plot sounds interesting I suppose and I actually heard a couple of people who saw advanced screenings come out pleasantly surprised. Typically if a movie aimed at kids can entertain an adult then it will have no problems with the young'ns.

Al Norton: Fact, although can we call a moratorium on children's fantasy movies? I really can't tell any of them apart anymore. Did that Nicole Kidman one already come and go? Isn't there a new Chronicles of Narnia coming out? Spiderwick's got a built-in audience from fans of the books, a solid cast, and what seems like a big budget, so I've got to think it will be decent, but I still wish Hollywood would be a bit more imaginative in their kids movies. I suppose there is a certain irony in my use of the word "imaginative" when what I really mean is "grounded in reality."

Score: 2 for 3

Switch!!!

4. Survivor is no longer the water-cooler product it once was, and needs to be put out of it's misery.

Al Norton: Fact to the first part of the statement, fiction to the second. Clearly it will never recapture that "can't miss or you won't be able to take part in any conversations at work" magic that it had early on (especially season one), but I don't think we are at an all-or-nothing degree of TV programming. The show continues to do well and the producers continue to tinker with things to try and keep the fans interested, which is really all you can ask for if you are a Survivor-phile. I can honestly say I have never seen a single full episode of the show and don't feel any worse for it, but it doesn't inspire in me the anger that the likes of Big Brother does. At least these contestants are actually working hard to win, using their minds and bodies to accomplish something. I'll gladly take many more seasons of this as opposed to Wife Swap or any of the VH-1 trashality programming.

James Thomlison: Fact. I've only seen a couple of episodes over the years, but what I can tell you is that – and Al used a great example here – it isn't nearly talked about around my office as it was back during the first few seasons. That sign alone tells me that it is not the Survivor of past, but I too don't think it needs to go anywhere. It's one of the more tolerable reality shows, still has a pretty big audience comparatively, and with no Survivor, you have no Survivor After Dark, which if the forum is any indication is the greatest thing since sliced bread. For the record, Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew owns your soul, Al.

Score: 3 for 4

5. Wild horses couldn't drag you to a theater to see Larry the Cable Guy's upcoming movie Witless Protection.

Al Norton: Fact. While I bet I'd laugh a few times if someone did kidnap me and drag me down to the theater to watch, it's simply a matter of time (and taste), and I hardly have enough hours/days/weeks to see the "can't miss" movies, let alone to spend precious minutes (and dollars) on the Ernest of the 21st century. I have no issues with these movies existing since they don't cost much to make and there seems to be an audience for them, but I have way too much on my "to do" list. Now, if I heard that Tiffany Thiesen were the co-star and Larry was a guard at a women's prison, you might have me. Hey, can someone send that idea along to the powers that be?

James Thomlison: Fact. I agree with just about everything Al had to say; on my list of things to do and flicks to see, movies like this are nowhere near it. Personally, I have always found Larry the Cable Guy to be overrated, even as a stand up comedian. So no way would I go sit through 90 minutes of him being him. I too have no beef with these movies being made, but let the people who actually enjoy and have an interest in them spend their money. I didn't even see the first Larry movie even after it hit DVD and I suspect this movie will fall into the same fate.

Score: 4 for 5

6. You're intrigued by the cast and premise of Vantage Point so much that you think it'll be a superior political thriller.

Al Norton: Fact. The cast alone should make this worth seeing but I worry about a movie where all the hype is based on "the twist." The phrasing of this question amuses me as I am wondering what other recent political thrillers we have to compare this to? The obvious reference points seem to be Blow Up and The Manchurian Candidate (the original), which are hardly fresh in anyones minds. If this is halfway decent you will see ads trumpeting it as "the best political thriller in years", which will be true but also not particularly relevant. I am pleased to see Matthew Fox getting more film work as he is obviously excellent on Lost but also was quite moving in the highly underrated We Are Marshall.

James Thomlison: Fact. Superior? As opposed to…? Al is dead on here about the twist. Having a great twist means nothing if the other 90 minutes aren't filled with equally entertaining substance. That being said, this is a great cast and the plot doesn't seem boring so I see no reason why this movie can't do well both critically and financially.

Final Score: 5 for 6

There you have it, Al and JT flirt with a perfect score but can't quite manage to pull it off. Thanks for taking part guys.

Useless Trivia Question of the Week
First things first. I really need to apologize to one of the readers who sent in a guess early on last week, but I accidentally deleted it before I read it. So, Miguel Elvira, dude, I'm so sorry. My bad. Please email me because at the very least you deserve an email response. For all I know you could have had the winning answer, so I really feel like a douche. Sincerest apologies, my man.

Last week's winner was Lance from Corinth, Ms. He was the first to correctly answer "What was the first two PG-13 rated movies to be released in theaters?" The correct answer was Red Dawn and Dreamscape. While The Flamingo Kid was indeed the first movie to be given this rating by the MPAA, it wasn't released into theaters until December of 1984, while the previous flicks were released a week apart in the summer of that year. Thanks to everyone that wrote in.

The Rules: First person to answer correctly via email and provide their home address within the continental US shall receive a hand-written letter from moi. Previous winners are ineligible.

Question: Name the individual that was the first to portray Ronald McDonald in a McDonald's TV ad, as well as the job that really made him famous later on in his life.

Next week will be a slightly supersized special Oscar edition of Fact or Fiction, with George H. Sirois and Arnold Furious engaged in debate. Hope to see you all then,
-BP