CHICAGO – If you’ve never seen the farcical ensemble theater chestnut “Noises Off,” you will see no better version than on the Steppenwolf Theatre stage, now at their northside Chicago venue through November 3rd. For tickets and details for this riotous theater experience, click NOISES OFF.
JIM review film “THE SPY NEXT DOOR” – It’s not “Rush Hour”, but the “Secret Agent Man” is Effective & Close By! =
“THE SPY NEXT DOOR” – It’s not “Rush Hour”, but the “Secret Agent Man” is Effective & Close By! =
MY Rating: 7.5 of 10 stars (for KIDS, based on an advance preview of the 92-minute film being released 1-15-10).
Bob Ho (JACKIE CHAN) is a mild-mannered “pen” salesman— who in reality has put people IN the pen because he secretly works for the CIA (& others?) as a SPY. He lives next door to a pretty single mother named Gillian (AMBER VALLETTA)— thus, the title!…
… Amber (who Jackie is romantically smitten with) has 3 kids: bratty clothes-loving teenager Farren (MADELINE CARROLL), her even brattier younger brother Ian (WILL SHADLEY) who’s very good with computers & electronics, & baby sister Nora (ALINA FOLEY). Jackie feels the kids “hate” him— which they do, because they keep hoping their “dad(s)” will return to their mom…
… In his secret work, Jackie has been seeking to stop the illegal activities of a Russian gang run by Poldark (MAGNÚS SCHEVING), who’s assisted by a pack of associates including (late in the film) Larry (LUCAS TILL). Jackie’s governmental group is supervised by Colton James (BILLY RAY CYRUS) & assisted by Glaze (GEORGE LOPEZ)— one of whom may be a “double agent”…
… As the movie progresses, Jackie can be seen engaging in some of his wonderfully creative action- choreography moves (as seen in many of his “kung-fu”-style movies): climbing stairs & balconies, jumping around, & using inanimate objects (ladders, chairs, etc.), to try to catch (or escape) & subdue the “bad” guys who he’s pursuing (& who at times are out trying to get HIM)…
… At one point (as the Russian group is secretly chasing after him), Jackie is left in charge of the 3 kids, & a good deal of the movie is about the troubles he encounters in trying to care for them, & his attempts to get them to like him. His sometimes clever “solutions” to those situations are often funny and action-filled, & the numerous young (pre-teen) kids in the audience laughed with pleasure a number of times in the course of the film…
… Will the Russian group be stopped?… Will Jackie uncover the possible “double agent”?… Will he succeed in getting the kids to like him?… Tune in for the answers!…
… Jackie & the kids are especially effective in their roles, & you could tell that the young people in the audience could quite “relate” to the children & enjoy the gymnastic antics of Jackie (as shown by the way they gave hearty applause to the movie at the end)…