Bernie Mac Movies
An edgy comic who skyrocketed to comedy fame with his memorably side-splitting appearance in Spike Lee's The Original Kings of Comedy, Bernie Mac may have seemed an unlikely candidate for a television sitcom, but with the debut of The Bernie Mac Show, the inventive comedian began on a high note, leaving many pondering the apparent overnight success of the comedian who had ostensibly come from nowhere to become a ubiquitous presence.Born Bernard Jeffrey McCullough in Chicago, IL, Mac was a member of a large extended family living under one roof, which provided the energetic youngster with plenty of fuel for refining his ability to perform dead-on impressions and humorously recall memorable family occurrences. Time spent as a gopher for performers at the Regal Theater also served as a primer for his showbiz aspirations (as well as a cautionary warning of the destructive temptations that go along with fame). Mac's first experiences with standup came at the age of eight, when he performed a routine about his grandparents at the dinner table in front of the congregation at church. Though it resulted in some strict reprimanding from his grandmother, he had the audience feeding out of his palm and the young impressionist quickly had the epiphany that humor meant more to him than the sting of discipline. From that point on, Mac refined and developed his comic abilities on the tracks of Chicago's El trains and in local parks. Though he earned a modest keep from his public performances, Mac craved the legitimacy of the club circuit and he began to perform professionally in 1977.
After early film work -- including memorable appearances in Above the Rim (1994) and The Walking Dead (1995), which followed on the heels of his big-screen debut in 1992's Mo' Money -- Mac was offered and appeared in the television series Midnight Mac in 1995. Hesitation as to the neutering of his material made the comedian leery of television, and the show didn't last. The comic actor earned more attention when he turned up frequently the following year in television's Moesha, though mainstream acceptance was still four years and numerous bit film parts away.
Following The Original Kings of Comedy, Mac began to develop an idea for a sitcom that revolved around similar family experiences and retained the edge that had initially shocked his audiences into laughter. In 2001, he debuted the family sitcom The Bernie Mac Show, and it was a success, running for five seasons. 2001 would indeed prove to be the year of the Mac as he also took on a substantial role in director Steven Soderbergh's Ocean's 11. He reprised that character in the two Ocean's sequels, as well as lead roles as a vice presidential candidate in the Chris Rock political satire Head of State and as a washed-up baseball player in 2004's Mr. 3000. 2007 saw Mac in a more serious role as a kindly janitor in the inspirational sports drama Pride. Upon his death in August 2008 of complications from pneumonia, Soul Men, in which he stars alongside Samuel L. Jackson as a soul singer embarking on a reunion tour, had yet to hit theaters. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
A young aspiring professional basketball player must make some tough decisions in this sports melodrama. Kyle Lee is a talented basketball player in high school. While he waits to find out if he will receive a scholarship to Georgetown he finds himself in a difficult dilemma over a playground basketball tournament. He must decide whether to follow his good-hearted coach or Birdie, the local gangster. Kyle is also feeling resentment for the security guard his mother is falling for. The coach also wants the guard to play, but due to the tragic death of a friend, the guard cannot bear the thought of playing again. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Duane Martin, Leon, (more)
In this broad fish-out-of-water comedy, Nisi (Halle Berry) and Mickey (Natalie Desselle) are African-American women with two ambitions -- marry rich men who will give them lots of money, and open the world's first combination hair salon and soul food restaurant. However, eligible bachelors and business opportunities are in short supply in Decatur, Georgia, so when Nisi hears rapper Heavy D is auditioning dancers in Los Angeles for an upcoming video and concert tour, the pair hit the road for California. They fail the audition but are approached by a man named Antonio (Luigi Amodeo) with a business proposition. Antonio is the chauffeur for Mr. Blakemore (Martin Landau), a millionaire in poor health. As a young man, Mr. Blakemore was in love with a black maid who worked in his household; Antonio and Blakemore's nephew Isaac (Jonathan Fried) think Nisi bears a resemblance to the girl Blakemore once loved, so they offer her a hefty payment plus room and board to pose as the granddaughter of Blakemore's lost love. Nisi and Mickey believe that this ruse is intended to make Blakemore feel better, but in fact Isaac wants to get his hands on his uncle's fortune, and he hopes that Nisi's presence will make him easier to manipulate. Meanwhile, Nisi and Mickey look like a hurricane that hit a cut-rate clothing store, so manservant Manley (Ian Richardson) teaches them social graces and gives them advice on how to dress. In time, Manley and Mr. Blakemore become friends with Nisi and Mickey; the men learn to be less stuffy and enjoy life, while the ladies become more respectable. B.A.P.S. stands for "Black American Princesses." ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Halle Berry, Martin Landau, (more)
The Christmas season just got a lot less joyous in this very dark comedy. Willie T. Stokes (Billy Bob Thornton) is a con man and a thief who teams up with his friend Marcus (Tony Cox), a midget, for a very special scam each year during the holiday season. Willie gets a job as Santa Claus at a shopping mall, his pal tags along as an elf, and they use their employee status to crack mall security and rob stores blind just before Christmas. However, there's one flaw to this plan -- Willie is a bitter, foul-mouthed and perpetually grouchy alcoholic who doesn't care for kids, and it's all he can do to keep himself from getting fired while on the job. The mall's manager (John Ritter, in his last film appearance) is certain something's wrong with the Santa he's hired, so he asks the mall's chief of security (Bernie Mac) to do some research on Willie. Meanwhile, one of the kids Willie is forced to talk to becomes a regular customer; overweight, awkward, and the frequent target of bullies, the boy manages to arouse something like sympathy from Willie, who tries to give him some advice and develops something vaguely resembling Christmas sprit along the way. Bad Santa was directed by Terry Zwigoff, who enjoyed previous success with Crumb and Ghost World. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Billy Bob Thornton, Tony Cox, (more)
It's 3 a.m. -- do you know where your condoms are? That's one of the dilemmas befalling the characters in this raunchy comedy. Rushon (Tommy Davidson) is a mild-mannered Buppie who has been going out with his girlfriend Nikki (Tamala Jones) for about seven weeks; they seem to like each other well enough, but the relationship has been mainly platonic, and Nikki isn't so sure that she wants that to change. Rushon asks Nikki out to dinner, but Nikki wants to bring along her tart-tongued friend Lysterine (Viveca A. Fox). Rushon has to find a date for her, and he comes up with his rude-boy buddy Bunz (Jamie Foxx). Lysterine and Bunz soon hit it off, and, to Rushon's surprise, Nikki decides it's time for their relationship to move to the physical level. Only one problem: this is the '90s, and all parties involved want to be sure they're practicing safe sex. Which means Rushon and Bunz have to find some condoms fast, before the evening's mood evaporates. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jamie Foxx, Tommy Davidson, (more)
- 2003
- PG13
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The three most glamorous and butt-kicking private detectives in the business are back and ready to take on bad guys in this sequel to the 2000 blockbuster screen adaptation of the once-popular television series. Dylan (Drew Barrymore), Natalie (Cameron Diaz), and Alex (Lucy Liu) are once again summoned to the office of their boss Charlie (voice of John Forsythe), where they're introduced to his new right-hand man Jimmy Bosley (Bernie Mac) and given their latest assignment. It seems a pair of rings have gone missing and need to be recovered, but this was no ordinary jewel heist -- the rings have been coded with special information that can be used to access a list of every person in the FBI's Witness Protection Program, and when a handful of protected informants are murdered, the Angels are brought in to help crack the case. As the women search for the culprits, they encounter Madison Lee (Demi Moore), one of Charlie's former agents who decided that the wrong side of the law pays better, and Seamus (Justin Theroux), who once dated Dylan and wants revenge for her decision to turn him over to the police. Luke Wilson and Matt LeBlanc return as (respectively) Natalie and Alex's love interests, as does Crispin Glover as the Thin Man; John Cleese, Robert Forster, and Eric Bogosian also appear in supporting roles. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, (more)
This video contains two episodes of HBO's stand-up comedy show Def Comedy Jam, one hosted by Martin Lawrence and the other by Chris Rock. Outrageous jokes, physical humor, and generally wild behavior are the norm for Def Comedy Jam, and these two episodes follow suit. Featuring such comedians as Chris Tucker, Bernie Mac, and Rudy Rush, the acts run the gamut from low-key, subtle humor to raw observations on current issues, often focusing on black culture. Some of the country's hottest stand-up stars poke fun at sensitive topics like the Rodney King beating and pop culture stars like Michael Jackson, leading to irreverent, yet relevant comments on society at large.
~ Sarah Block, All Movie Guide
~ Sarah Block, All Movie Guide
This video contains highlights from the original HBO comedy series Def Comedy Jam. Watch as some of the hottest stars on the comedy scene cavort, amuse, and entertain in front of the enthusiastic live audience. Featuring talented comedians like D.L. Hughley, Dave Chappelle, Bernie Mac, and Steve Harvey, the stand-up performances are laced with cutting-edge humor, rowdy jokes, and downright outrageous behavior.
~ Sarah Block, All Movie Guide
~ Sarah Block, All Movie Guide
This biographical drama about boxing impresario Don King (Ving Rhames) pulls no punches as it uses flashback sequences to trace King's rise from 1954 Cleveland to the present day. Adapted from Jack Newfield's book on King, this film first aired November 15, 1997 on HBO. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ving Rhames, Vondie Curtis-Hall, (more)
Hard-core rapper Ice Cube, after appearing in such hard-hitting films as Boyz 'N the Hood and Higher Learning, played his first comic role in this picture he co-wrote with frequent musical collaborator DJ Pooh. Craig (Ice Cube) manages to get fired on his day off (though he claims it's through no fault of his own) and spends the day hanging out with his buddy Smokey (Chris Tucker) and trying to avoid his father (John Witherspoon), who wants him to find another job immediately. Smokey (whose name might have something to do with his tremendous fondness for marijuana) has even more serious problems; he was given $200 worth of weed to sell by Big Worm (Faizon Love), but he ended up smoking it instead, and if he can't come up with the money by the end of the day, he'll be in a world of hurt (and will put Craig in the same place just for being his friend). And Deebo (Tom "Tiny" Lister, Jr.), a gargantuan bully who roams the neighborhood on his bicycle, has it in for Craig, while Craig tries his best just to stay out of his way. As one would expect, Friday features a strong hip-hop soundtrack, featuring tracks by such artists as Dr. Dre, Cypress Hill, Mack 10, and Funkdoobiest, as well as old-school R&B selections from The Isley Brothers, Roger, and Rose Royce. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ice Cube, Chris Tucker, (more)
Released one year to the day after the 1995 Million Man March, in which a million African-American men marched peacefully in Washington, D.C. in a bid for greater unity and understanding, Spike Lee's Get On the Bus follows a group of black men who take a charter bus from Los Angeles to the rally in the nation's capital and watches as they interact and air their personal issues and concerns. George (Charles S. Dutton) is the organizer of the trip and de facto leader of the group. Evan Thomas (Thomas Jefferson Byrd) is a truck driver who travels to the march with his son (De'Aundre Bonds) chained to his belt by court order after the boy was arrested for petty theft. Kyle (Isaiah Washington) and Randall (Harry Lennix) are gay lovers who take no small amount of abuse from their fellow passengers. Gary (Roger Guenveur Smith) is the product of a mixed-race marriage who could pass for white but sees himself as black; he's also a cop, which does little to endear him to his peers. Flip (Andre Braugher) is an actor who seems more concerned with getting his next film role than the larger issues of the march. Jamal (Gabriel Casseus) is a good-natured young Muslim trying to lead a righteous life to make up for his violent past as a gang member. A film student (Hill Harper) is capturing the trip on videotape, and Jeremiah (Ossie Davis) sits in the back, reflecting on the struggles of African-Americans in the past and present. Financed by a private group of 15 black American men (among them Will Smith and Wesley Snipes), Get On the Bus speaks less of a single political goal than of the need for black men to set aside their differences to work for their common good. While the film falls short of openly criticizing Million Man March organizer Louis Farrakhan, it does present debate about Farrakhan's ideals and statements, ultimately coming to the conclusion that whoever brought this group together is less important than the fact that they came together in peace and brotherhood. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Belzer, Ossie Davis, (more)
A man gets a very big surprise when he meets his prospective son-in-law in this comedy. Percy Jones (Bernie Mac) is the understandably proud father of Theresa (Zoe Saldana), a beautiful and intelligent young woman living in New York City. When Percy learns that his daughter is dating someone and things are getting serious, he decides to do some research, and learns that her beau is a solid businessman. Percy arranges to meet the young man, but is a bit taken aback when he comes face to face with Simon Green (Ashton Kutcher) -- Percy and his wife are African-American, and Simon is very, but very Caucasian. When it becomes clear that Simon and Theresa's relationship is likely altar-bound, Percy finds himself suddenly full of misgivings about the young man, especially since Simon tends to get rather clumsy when he's nervous. Guess Who was loosely adapted from the 1967 hit Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, though the race of the prospective father and son have been swapped, and the original film's comic undercurrent has been pushed to the forefront. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bernie Mac, Ashton Kutcher, (more)
Can a high-attitude African-American politician who says what he thinks stand a chance in a presidential campaign? Mays Gilliam (Chris Rock) is a straight-talking alderman representing a inner-city neighborhood in Washington, D.C. In the midst of a hard-fought race for the White House, the Democratic presidential and vice-presidential candidates are killed in an airline crash, and with little time to prepare a new campaign, the Republican candidate, Vice President Brian Lewis (Nick Searcy), seems all but guaranteed to win. With practically nothing to loose, party head Martin Geller (Dylan Baker) approaches Gilliam and asks him to stand as the Democrat's presidential candidate. While Gilliam is dubious at first, before long his streetwise style and willingness to face the issues head-on earns him surprising figures in the polls, especially after he persuades his short-fused older brother, Mitch Gilliam (Bernie Mac), to join the ticket as vice presidential candidate -- a big jump for a bail bondsman. Gilliam's love life also becomes more complicated as his ex-girlfriend Kim (Robin Givens) decides she wants him back now that he has a shot at the White House, even though Gilliam only has eyes for Lisa (Tamala Jones). Head of State marked the directorial debut for comic and actor Chris Rock, who also co-wrote and co-produced the film. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Chris Rock, Bernie Mac, (more)
Hip Hop duo Kid & Play return in the second follow-up to their 1990 screen debut House Party. Kid (Christopher "Kid" Reid) is taking the plunge and marrying his girlfriend Veda (Angela Means), while his friend Play (Christopher Martin) is dipping his toes into the music business, managing a roughneck female rap act called Sex as a Weapon. Play books the ladies for a concert with heavy-hitting promoter Showboat (Michael Colyar), but when they decide to fire Play and hire a new manager, he has to figure out how to deliver them to the show or face the wrath of Showboat's female security force. Play is also in charge of arranging Kid's bachelor party, but while he's setting up a bash to end all bashes, he discovers that his three younger cousins have just arrived in town, and Kid's former flame Sydney (Tisha Campbell) has shown up hoping to put a halt to the upcoming nuptials. Multi-platinum rap act TLC appear as Sex as a Weapon, while Play's cousins are played by the members of the R&B group Immature. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christopher "Kid" Reid, Christopher "Play" Martin, (more)
A man who's devoted his life to running around on his woman finally meets his match in this comedy. Dray Jackson (Bill Bellamy) is a ladies' man par excellence, who never lets the fact that he has a girlfriend, Lisa (Lark Voorhies), get in the way of making time with as many other women as possible. As he spends a typical day going from house to house "visiting" a number of beautiful females, Dray fills his friends David (Pierre Edwards), Kilo (Jermaine Hopkins), and Spootie (A.J. Johnson) in on the finer points of the art of having as many ladies as you want without getting caught. Dray's sister Jenny (Natalie Desselle) and her friend Katrina (Mari Morrow) are at once disgusted and morbidly fascinated with Dray's cheerful, chronic infidelity, and since Jenny is studying anthropology, they decide that Dray's lifestyle would be a worthy subject for research. Deciding to see what would happen if Dray was really put to the test (and maybe teach him a lesson in the process), Jenny and Katrina throw a party, and they invite Dray -- and all the women whose telephone numbers appear in his address book. Max Julien, best known for his role as the ultra-smooth pimp in the blaxploitation classic The Mack, appears as Dray's lady-killing Uncle Fred. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bill Bellamy, Natalie Desselle, (more)
- 2005
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The Get Smart-inspired animated hero Inspector Gadget returns in Inspector Gadget's Biggest Caper Ever. The story finds Gadget attempting to rescue a lizard egg that has been stolen from the citizens of Metro City. Complications ensue when the lizard emerges from the egg. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
Comedians Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence team up for a story that wouldn't appear to have many immediate humorous possibilities -- two men serving life sentences in prison for a crime they did not commit. Life opens in Harlem in 1932, where Ray Gibson (Eddie Murphy) is a small-time con man in debt to Spanky, a gangster (Rick James). Ray spots would-be bank teller Claude Banks (Martin Lawrence) at a gambling spot and, figuring him for an easy mark, lifts his wallet -- only to discover Claude is broke. Ray and Claude's mutual need to raise some cash brings them together when Spanky offers them a job bringing back a load of moonshine from bootleggers in the deep south. However, things don't go well for Ray and Claude, and they're arrested by a sheriff in Mississippi who recently killed a man and needs someone on whom he can hang the charge. Since Ray and Claude are black, from out of town and have been caught red-handed with a load of illegal liquor, the sheriff figures they're easy pickings and frames them for the murder. Soon the two men are inmates in a Southern work camp, where they spend the next 55 years learning to get along with the other inmates, avoiding the wrath of the guards, seeing younger prisoners come and go and never losing hope that someday, somehow, their innocence will be proven and they'll be released. Life is the second screen pairing for Murphy and Lawrence, who also shared screen time in 1992's Boomerang, and was scripted by Robert Ramsey and Matthew Stone from an original idea by Murphy. The supporting cast includes Ned Beatty, Clarence Williams III, Bernie Mac, Nick Cassavetes and R. Lee Ermey. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eddie Murphy, Martin Lawrence, (more)
- 2003
- R
Based on an Internet cartoon, Lil' Pimp is the first feature-length film made with Macromedia Flash animation. Co-creators Mark Brooks and Peter Gilstrap are also the directors, screenwriters, and voices for the main cast. The story involves a little white boy with freckles named Lil' Pimp (voice of Brooks) who lives in the suburbs with his pet gerbil Weathers (voice of Ludacris). After he meets Sweet Chiffon (voice of Lil' Kim), he gets introduced to the world of pimping from Fruit Juice (voice of Bernie Mac). Just as Lil' Pimp is on the way up in his new career, Mayor Tony Gold (voice of William Shatner) decides to level the neighborhood to make way for a new land development. Lil' Pimp also features the voices of Carmen Electra and Jennifer Tilly. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mark Brooks
Hopelessly stranded on the remote shores of Madagascar, the New Yorkers hatch a plan to get back to Central Park that instead finds them soaking up sun in the picturesque plains of Africa. Madagascar may be a nice place to visit, but for the gang of animals who spent most of their lives in New York, there is truly no place like home. After discovering the remnants of a crashed airplane, the penguins quickly set about making the repairs needed to get the craft airborne again. When the plane finally takes to the sky, it begins to look like it's only a matter of time before Alex the Lion (voice of Ben Stiller) and friends are soaring over New York Harbor. Unfortunately the penguins weren't the aviation experts they claimed to be, and before long the crew is coming in for a crash-landing in the untamed plains of Africa. Now, as the animals reared in the safety of the zoo come into contact with their decidedly wild counterparts for the very first time, they get a better feel for their roots while marveling over the differences between life in the concrete jungle and life on the world's second largest continent. Of course, while there's plenty to love about wandering the open plains, romantic rivalries and the risk of running into dangerous poachers soon begin to outweigh the joys of some long-overdue family reunions. With some particularly heavy cases of homesickness causing hearts to weigh heavy, the group gradually starts to wonder whether they'll ever find their way back home. Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, Jada Pinkett Smith, Sacha Baron Cohen, Cedric the Entertainer, and Andy Richter lend their voices to this animated sequel that re-teams original Madagascar co-directors Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, (more)
Small-time crook Johnny Stewart (Damon Wayans) decides to go straight to win a beautiful girl (Stacey Dash), and to prove it, he joins the mailroom of the credit-card firm for which she works. Needing money to impress her, Johnny steals a credit card, goes on a shopping spree and wins the girl. The story isn't over though, because a security guard who caught his theft on videotape is blackmailing Stewart to join his own credit-card ring. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Damon Wayans, Marlon Wayans, (more)
Directed by Charles Stone III, Mr. 3000 revolves around over-the-hill baseball star Stan Ross (Bernie Mac), who retired after making what he thought was his 3,000th base hit for the Milwaukee Brewers (i.e. the exact amount of hits it takes to qualify for the Hall of Fame). Though he shocked his teammates by quitting in the middle of the game, certain that his Hall of Fame position was in the bag, complications arise when he discovers that three of his hits during his ten-year career had been disqualified. Known as Mr. 3000, the 47-year-old, out-of-shape ball player returns to the game intending to stay only as long as it takes to get the hits he needs, but something unexpected happens along the way -- he rediscovers his love for the game, and begins to serve as a mentor to one of the younger players. Mr. 3000 features Angela Bassett, Paul Sorvino, Michael Rispoli, and Evan Jones in supporting roles. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bernie Mac, Angela Bassett, (more)
A rag-tag group of con artists and ex-cons team up for the heist to end all heists in this high-profile remake of the 1960 Rat Pack favorite. As with its predecessor, Ocean's Eleven opens with its titular hero Danny Ocean (George Clooney stepping into the Frank Sinatra role) eager for a new challenge. The similarities to the original end there, as Ocean conspires with his old pal Rusty Ryan (Brad Pitt) to rob 150 million dollars from an underground vault that serves three of Las Vegas' biggest casinos. Between the two of them, they recruit nine other men, each with his own criminal specialty, to assist in the mission: moneyman Reuben Tishkoff (Elliot Gould), card dealer Frank (Bernie Mac), pickpocket Linus (Matt Damon), aging con artist Saul (Carl Reiner), British explosives pro Basher (Don Cheadle), techie Dell (Eddie Jemison), rude-boy brothers Virgil (Casey Affleck) and Turk (Scott Caan), and professional acrobat Yen (Shaobo Qin). What Ocean doesn't tell the group is that there's another reason he's coordinating the heist: the three casinos they're robbing are all owned by ruthless gambling mogul Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia), who just happens to be married to Ocean's former love Tess (Julia Roberts). Ocean's Eleven was updated by scribe Ted Griffin and marked the third feature shot by director Steven Soderbergh under the alias Peter Andrews. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George Clooney, Brad Pitt, (more)
Cinema icon Al Pacino joins a powerhouse cast headed by of George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Andy Garcia, Don Cheadle, Bernie Mac, and series newcomer Ellen Barkin for this, the third installment of director Steven Soderbergh's popular series of glitzy crime comedies. The only hotelier in Las Vegas who can claim that each and every one of his establishments has earned the Royal Review Board's Five Diamond Award, Willy Bank (Pacino) has made more than his share of enemies during his impressive ascent. While most of Bank's adversaries amount to little more than the occasional nuisance, however, this powerful player is about to find out that picking your enemies in Las Vegas can be a true gamble. In betraying Reuben Tishkoff (Elliott Gould), Bank has finally crossed the one man who could bring his entire empire crumbling to the ground -- Danny Ocean (Clooney). Now Reuben is in critical condition, and Ocean is determined to strike back at the man who nearly murdered his mentor. Bank may have taken down one of the original Ocean's Eleven, but his efforts only managed to unite the remaining ten closer than ever before. As the opening of Bank's newest casino draws near, Danny and the crew set into motion a bold plan to humiliate the cocksure casino owner and forever tarnish his spotless reputation. It won't be easy, but if Ocean and his team can get their elaborate plan together in time for the opening of The Bank, they just might be able to deliver some serious Las Vegas justice. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George Clooney, Brad Pitt, (more)
After pulling off the heist of their lives, Danny Ocean and his pals unexpectedly find themselves back in harness in this sequel to 2001's blockbuster hit Ocean's Eleven. After robbing a cool $160 million from the Bellaggio Hotel Casino and winning back his former wife, Tess (Julia Roberts), from Bellagio owner Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia), Danny Ocean (George Clooney) is living quietly on the lam in Connecticut when he's unexpectedly approached by Benedict. It seems Benedict has tracked down Danny and the ten men who helped him pull off the seemingly impossible robbery, and Benedict offers them a proposal -- if they can repay the $160 million in two weeks, he won't have them killed. As it turns out, both Danny and his best friend, Rusty Ryan (Brad Pitt), haven't been doing so well in terms of money management and could use some cash, so they set out to plan a robbery to recover the loot, with the same crew helping out -- Linus Caldwell (Matt Damon), Frank Catton (Bernie Mac), Basher Tarr (Don Cheadle), Saul Bloom (Carl Reiner), Reuben Tishkoff (Elliott Gould), Livingston Dell (Eddie Jemison), Yen (Shaobo Qin), Virgil Malloy (Casey Affleck), and his brother Turk (Scott Caan). Danny and Rusty discover that an incredibly rare Fabergé egg is being displayed at a museum in Rome which would fetch the price they need, but they soon discover a notorious cat burglar, François Toulour (Vincent Cassel), is also after the egg, and it turns into a race to see who can claim it first. Adding to the intrigue is Isabel Lahiri (Catherine Zeta-Jones), a woman Rusty used to be involved with who is now a top agent with Interpol and is after both Toulour and Ocean's crew. Shot on location in both the United States and Europe, Ocean's Twelve was, like its precursor, directed by the stylish Steven Soderbergh, who also photographed the picture under his nom de lens, Peter Andrews. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George Clooney, Brad Pitt, (more)
- 2009
- PG
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John Travolta and Robin Williams team up in the Walt Disney Company's Old Dogs, a family comedy that pairs the two as close business partners whose lives are thrown into disarray when twin seven-year-olds are put into their care. Travolta's wife, Kelly Preston, co-stars, along with the couple's daughter, Ella, who makes her big-screen debut here. Wild Hogs helmer Walter Becker directs a script by Evolution scribes David Diamond and David Weissman, with producing duties going to Andrew Panay, Peter Abrams, and Robert Levy. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Travolta, Robin Williams, (more)
