Illegal Tender

Everything has its place. That’s why I love the movies. The offerings run the gamut from cinematic masterpieces like The Godfather to stoner flicks like Half Baked. And it’s all good. Illegal Tender will not go down as one of the greats, and that’s fine. Most movies don’t fall into that category anyway. What I will say about Illegal Tender is that it is a supremely entertaining crime drama, a tale of a young man who must confront the ghosts of his parents’ past.

Rick Gonzalez (Biker Boyz) plays Wilson Deleon Jr., a young man whose life is pretty carefree until situations cause him to question the things and people around him, namely his mother Millie (Wanda De Jesus of Blood Work) and the reasons why they have to move to a new town every few years. Reluctantly, she tells him bits and pieces about the father he never knew, outlining why they must flee their quiet home in suburban Connecticut. What Wilson doesn’t know is that his father pissed off the wrong person, and it cost him his life 21 years prior. Now, this person and his goons won’t rest until Wilson’s mother is dead. And so it begins, a shoot ‘em up ‘hood tale that is sure to entertain, if nothing else. The cast is entirely Latino, and I’ve heard that some in the community are rejecting the portrayal of Latinos as hot-tempered and violent. I’m not one to deny people their right to be offended, but I don’t think the movie casts Latinos in a negative light at all. It’s just a movie. Some characters were good, some were bad – it’s that simple. It’s a “hood” movie, so yes there are going to be some undesirable elements of the story, but in no way do I feel that is an indictment of Latin culture. If anything, the movie is about how a mother will stop at nothing to protect her children, and how sometimes we don’t realize our inner strength until we’re confronted with hard choices.

Illegal Tender was produced by director John Singleton (Four Brothers), and I’m not sure how large of a factor he played in making the movie, but if he's responsible for casting Gonzalez in his first starring role, he made a wise choice. His portrayal of Wilson as reluctant boy-becoming-man was authentic. Likewise, De Jesus’ performance as his tough-as-nails mother was perfect. She was a bad-ass, like a cross between the Bride from Kill Bill and June Cleaver. One minute she’s making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for Wilson’s little brother, the next minute she’s got a burner in each hand, ready to peel back some caps. Although this movie won't be winning any awards for its screenplay, there was never a dull moment and it's worth checking out.

Superbad

Superbad is the mildly anticipated teen romp from writer/actor Seth Rogen of The 40 Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up. It follows a day in the life of two socially awkward best friends as they near the end of high school. A hallmark of any good, male-driven teen movie is the quest of its protagonist(s) to get laid, and Superbad is no exception. To say that Seth and Evan, along with their pal “McLovin” wouldn’t mind a little female attention would be the understatement of the century. Luck may be on the boys’ side, as they have been charged with the task of procuring alcohol for some girls they’ve been lusting after. The boys assume that if they can manage to get the alcohol in time for the big party, they’ll be a sure thing to score. The movie basically depicts the mishaps they experience in their quest to deliver the booze.

There was really no point in the aforementioned plot recitation, as movies like this don’t rely heavily on such devices. What the movie does rely on is dialogue, and lots of it. This movie is NOT for kids. The language is sexually explicit and the boys drop the F-bomb every other minute. Fine by me, but it is very noticeable. Superbad is not the cult classic that everyone wants it to be. It’s not smart like the oldie-but-goodie Risky Business, nor is it as funny as the original American Pie. It is a pretty funny movie, although teen boys wanting to lose their virginity is certainly not a new cinematic concept. My only complaints are that the last ten minutes were VERY homoerotic, and there was also one scene that was rather disgusting and gratuitous. There are some things that just don’t need to be shown on screen. Remember that scene in Borat when Borat and the fat hairy guy were in the 69 position? Sure it was funny, but it was more disgusting than anything else. Yep, the scene I’m thinking about is along those same lines, though not as bad. All in all Superbad was pretty darn funny, though I think it will end up being overrated.

The Bourne Ultimatum

Every chance I get to sing the praises of Matt Damon (most recently of Ocean's 13), I exercise the opportunity. Initially overshadowed by best buddy Ben Affleck upon his introduction to mainstream Hollywood, Damon has quietly gone about the business of churning out one stellar performance after another, from The Talented Mr. Ripley, to Rounders, to The Departed. Frequently overlooked in favor of flashier but equally talented co-stars (think about the Ocean's movies and DiCaprio in The Departed ), Damon is still a smidge underrated. Until his name is bandied about in Oscar contention (for his acting, I know he won an Oscar for his screenwriting), I will champion him as an underdog, strange as that might sound.

All of this background opinion brings me to his latest effort, The Bourne Ultimatum. Damon reprises the role of Jason Bourne, rogue covert spy with a spotty memory. Still trying to fill in the gaps of his past identity, Jason must track his former agency's higher-ups in a quest to glean info about his past. What I enjoyed about the movie from a plot perspective was that its writer(s) managed to put a new twist on the old idea. We already know from the first two movies (The Bourne Identity and Supremacy, respectively) that Jason discovers he is a trained operative, but this third piece of the trilogy examines how the answer to a riddle is another riddle in and of itself.

Frenetically paced and suspenseful, The Bourne Ultimatum was everything I knew it would be. Bourne is always one step ahead of his adversaries - impossible to kill because he's as adept at using his brain as he is his fists. The hand-to-hand combat scenes were brilliantly choreographed and realistically enacted, and Damon once again demonstrates his range in great fashion. A true action flick that doesn't rely on explosions or cheap thrills, The Bourne Ultimatum is easily the best film of its kind to be released this summer. Sorry Bruce Willis.