hoadleygr Reviews

Welcome to Mooseport (2004)

Former President moves to small town and gets involved in small town politics.

[6/10 · 16 August 2004]

Ray Romano (Everyone loves Raymond) brings this movie down. His character has none, he's just too bland. Gene Hackman is excellent, Lord help us if he ever did run for President. Producers missed an excellent chance to spice things up by underscoring Christine Baranski's ex-wife to the president character. She brought the movie life in an otherwise stale plot and a melodramatic movie. Romano is so unconvincing as a hardware man that he is the only actor lacking in the entire movie. Marcia Gay Harden is someone who although becoming associated with older men, is strong in her role as Grace the Presidents adviser. Rip Torn is his usual excellent self.

Maura Tierney is becoming type cast in everything she does, but she is enjoyable to watch. Overall, the movie doesn't get to know the characters well enough to be meaningful. Baranski has gotten sexier and sassier since 'The Ref'. Her screaming scene on the golf course is the priceless moment of the movie for me. I'm just glad I didn't waste the money seeing this in theaters.

Men at Work (1990)

Local sanitations workers find body of local politician, mayhem ensues.

[8/10 · 16 August 2004]

In his directorial debut, Estevez directs self and brother Charlie Sheen in a small budget comedy about two garbage men (sanitary technicians) who come along the dead body of a local politician on their route. Mayhem follows them as they try to find the killer on their own instead of going to the police, who are looking to bust our two unsuspecting heroes. Estevez does a good job for a beginning director and doesn't try to overdo it. Sheen and Estevez are good, not great, together as they were in 'Young Guns'. Keith David is the solid part of the movie, his portrayal as the 'ex-military' Viet Nam Veteran, asked to baby sit garbage men carries the movie with his unpredictable cop hating nature. Leslie Hope is very nice to look at and give credit to Estevez, makes her character a strong one, not a helpless female as women once were portrayed in movies. Movie has given me much enjoyment over the years as my children enjoyed playing garbage men around the house in their younger days.