Old Dogs

Released Year: 2009
Directed by Walt Becker

Casted by:
Robin Williams as Dan Rayburn
John Travolta as Charlie Reed
Kelly Preston as Vicki Greer
Seth Green as Craig White
Ella Bleu Travolta as Emily Greer
Conner Rayburn as Zach Greer
Story:

Dan Rayburn and Charlie Reed are best friends and co-owners of a successful sports marketing firm. Seven years prior, Dan, recently divorced, married Vicki after being whisked away by Charlie for a tropical vacation. The wedding, however, is short lived. Seven years later, Vicki resurfaces to tell Dan that their short marriage resulted in something he never suspected: twins Zach and Emily.

Vicki, facing jail time for her work as an environmental activist, asks Dan to take care of the kids while she does her time. Thinking this might be his chance to get back with Vicki, Dan agrees, but only if Charlie will help him since neither have any experience taking care of kids. At the same time, the two must finalize a huge marketing deal with a Japanese company; something they've always dreamed of, but will take all of their talents to clinch.

Because Dan's condo does not allow children, he has to board with Charlie. Whilst this is happening, Charlie and Dan are close to securing the biggest account in the history of their careers with a Japanese corporation. Charlie and Dan's attempts to take care of the kids are well-intentioned, but very misguided. On a trip with the kids to an overnight camp, a hard-nosed camp instructor becomes convinced that Dan and Charlie are homosexual partners. The trip ends with a bang after Dan accidentally sets a beloved statue of the camp's founder on fire. The kids then proceed to spill and replace Charlie and Dan's prescriptions, mixing them up in the process. Dan then must play a game of golf with the Japanese executives while experiencing extreme side effects and Charlie tries to woo Amanda with a face frozen by the pills.

Desperate to help Dan communicate with the children despite his inexperience with children, Charlie recruits his friend Jimmy Lunchbox, a flamboyant children's entertainer, who is famous around the world. Jimmy comes by and straps Dan and Charlie in motion control puppet suits so Charlie can help Dan make all the right moves with his daughter while having a tea party. The suits malfunction, but Dan speaks from the heart, winning over Emily but his speech makes Jimmy emotional. Everything is great with Vicki as she returns home. However, the guys have sealed their Japanese deal, sending junior associate Craig to Tokyo. When Craig goes missing after arriving there, Charlie and Dan must fly to Tokyo themselves to work. Dan must leave the kids and Vicki despite his (and their) desire to be a family.

Once in Tokyo, Dan realizes that what he really wants is to be a good father. He leaves the meeting without sealing the deal, rushing with Charlie to Vermont for the kids' birthday party. They aren't able to get into the Burlington Zoo in time and are forced to break in with the help of Craig. However, they mistakenly wind up in the gorilla enclosure. Though Dan and Charlie escape, Craig is captured by the gorilla (which takes a strong liking to him). Dan then pays a birthday party performer hired by Vicki to use his jet pack and suit, flies into the ceremony and wins his kids back over. When the jet pack stops working in mid-air, he is taken to an ambulance on a stretcher. One year later, Dan and Vicki are together, Charlie has married Amanda, and Craig has become like a new "uncle" to the kids.

L² Scored: 4.5/10

L² Comment:

A film tribute to John Travolta's son who passed away & Bernie Mac who has his final movie before he passed away too. But seriously, the movie can only be consider ok. Nothing special about this and Robin Williams is definitely too old to make us laugh anymore :( I just feel pathetic watching these 2 old man trying to do something which totally not funny at all~

Crash

Released Year: 2004
Directed by Paul Haggis

Casted by:
Don Cheadle as Graham Waters
Matt Dillon as John Ryan
Ryan Phillippe as Tommy Hansen
Terrence Howard as Cameron Thayer
Brendan Fraser as Rick Cabot
Thandie Newton as Christine Thayer
Sandra Bullock as Jean Cabot
Story:

In the city of Los Angeles, all these characters life are related to one and another of their life. The story will start with 2 black youngster Anthony and Peter Waters complaining how the restaurant mistreat them because they are black. Just when they saw Rick and Jean, the white couple, the 2 black youngster rob them and took their car away.

Rick is a district attorney who manipulates racial politics in order to further his career. He tried to blackmail Detective Graham Waters so that he will not loss the support from the black community in the coming election. But Rick wife's Jean is super-duper racitst white woman, who does not wanna give herself in this and even scold her Hispanic maid, Maria and a mexican locksmith who came to fix their door.

In another hand, a persian shop owner went to buy a gun with his daughter to protect his shop and family. But due to his selfishness, he refuse to change the door as advice by the mexican locksmith. In the end, the shop was rob and no insurance coverage on his loss.

Tommy and John are 2 policeman who is on duty and found out a black couple is having oral sex on a highway. This black couples is Cameron and Christine. John sexually molests Christine under the pretense of searching for a weapon. Cameron did not do anything but just beg to let them go. Christine was frustrated towards her husband respond as Cameron is a tv cast producer who has been trying so hard to fit into the whiteman society.

Graham Waters is frustrated with his mother of keep on urging him to find his younger brother Peter who ran away from home. He pissed off his latino girlfriend, Ria when he answered on phone during sex. He later went to visit his mum but still not really put his effort to find his brother. In the meanwhile, Tommy cannot stand with John for his behavior and ask to on duty alone. John is happily work with his new partner when he saw an accident. John went for the help and Christine is the victim. The car almost explode and John finally persuade Christine to let him do the rescue and both of them are save.

In another hand, Cameron was rob by Anthony and Peter but he beat Peter off his car and crazily fought with Anthony in his car. Policy came for arrest and Tommy was there. To protect his own black people, Cameron finally dare to stand up and protest for his black society. While Tommy was driving back, he met Peter who is hitch-hiking. He tought Peter wanna rob him and accidentally shot him to death.

The persian owner was not happy that his shop was rob and went looking for the mexican locksmith with the gun he bought. He shot the locksmith but the mexican's daughter rush up and hug her dad. But luckily, the Persian's daughter did not buy the real bullet for him. Persian owner regret on his behavior and went back home. As for Jean, she falled from the stairs and called her best friend to help, but the best friend claim that she's busying doing her nails and is not free. Only the hispanic maid came for help. Finally Jean realised her own racists mind is not correct.

As for Graham, he finally found his brother's dead body. The mother will not forgive him.

L² Scored: 8.5/10

L² Comment:

One word, wow~ Love the way how the story presented. All the actors and actresses are A class :) Especially Don Cheadle. The whole film mainly talk about the discrimination of races and the change of their thoughts, very nice and real. Kinda heavy though. But i would not miss this nice film. Oscar best film in 2005 which beat down the Brokeback Mountain.