Neil Kaplan Movies
- 2009
Almost two decades after exploding onscreen, Point Break is resurrected in sequel-land with this follow-up, written by the original film's writer W. Peter Iliff and directed by Twister's Jan de Bont. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
The young heir to a family funeral home discovers that death can be quite a tricky business in first-time feature filmmaker Chaz Thorne's blackly comic tale of fate and formaldehyde. Oliver (Jay Baruchel) has just been called home to attend the funeral of his father, Rollie (Jeremy Akerman). Having not seen his recently deceased dad for some years now, Oliver is somewhat taken aback to view the old man's videotaped will and learn that he has been chosen as the one to inherit the family funeral home. In the video, Rollie spun a wheel to determine who would be the recipient of the once-thriving business, but in reality the patriarch performed 11 takes just to get the wheel to stop on Oliver's name. Rollie was convinced that Oliver possessed the power to bring the funeral home back from the brink, and it isn't long before the boy who fears death the most is managing the mortuary. Now, as Oliver does his best to overcome the financial roadblocks that lie ahead, thwarted heirs attempt to sabotage his efforts at every turn. Eventually, Oliver begins to seek solace in the company of enchanting mortician Roberta (Rose Byrne) -- who has worked at the funeral home for several years. When the frazzled new funeral-home owner accidentally runs over an eccentric pedestrian and Roberta reveals herself also to be the county coroner, it quickly becomes apparent to the duo that their unique relationship could serve to mask a multitude of sins. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jay Baruchel, Rose Byrne, (more)
A music-loving cricket whose daily serenades delight the peace-loving forest dwellers finds his world suddenly turned upside down by the arrival of a tyrannical lizard who kidnaps the insect's muse and outlaws all music in an animated tale produced to promote the power of peace to all the children of the world. Christopher is a carefree cricket who draws inspiration from Linda the Night Star to pen uplifting songs that bring joy and good cheer to all the creatures of the forest. Their idyllic existence is soon threatened, however, when dictatorial reptile Wartlord arrives with his thuggish henchmen and orders the destruction of the woodlands in order to clear the way for a terrible monument that will serve as a tribute to his own power and authority. When, in a desperate attempt to reach her musical-minded friend, Linda falls from the sky and lands too close to Wartlord's foreboding castle, Christopher enlists the aid of a collection of critters (including the Magical Toucan, kindly butterfly Honeydew, and natural-born leader Isabelle the Ladybug) in rescuing the frightened Linda before her luminance fades and putting a proper end to the rule of the nefarious lizard fascist whose hunger for power threatens their very existence. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sam Riegel, Bob Papenbrook, (more)
Based on a series of Dutch children's books by Hans der Beer, the animated feature The Little Polar Bear is a German production made up of three separate stories about polar bear cub Lars. In the first, Lars meets and befriends a seal named Robby. In the second, he is stranded on an island and makes friends with a hippo, an eagle, and a killer whale. In the third, he and his friends plot to crash a ship that has been stealing all the fish out of the sea. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
