He paused, waiting for my reaction, taking this time to gnaw on the toothpick sticking out of his mouth like a butch woodchuck. I rolled my eyes and said “This is an idea that’s been batted around forever. What else do you have?” “They’re aliens with weird zombie faces.” I walked away. This was a mistake. He tackled me to the ground and kneed me in the groin several times while screaming for me to put his sunglasses on. If he wasn’t so fervently knee-punting my doodlebops I would have agreed immediately, but I was in for about five minutes of continuous nutcrackering before he finally calmed down. In a voice that was several octaves higher than I remember my voice being when I woke up that morning, I agreed to put them on. What I saw changed everything.

The most unique feature this movie accentuates is the idea that the characters in it are not evil or good. Nick Naylor isn’t the Anti-Christ, he isn’t Josef Stalin, he’s just a guy doing his job. Yeah, it’s not a popular position and he’ll be the first one to tell you that. Even the people who oppose him. You know, the people who are supposed to be the heroes? They don’t care if they're saving the world or not, they just want to get re-elected. It’s a great sign of a satire when you end up liking no one but connecting with them all at some level. And that’s what this film does. Don’t bring the kids, but sit down and watch this. You’ll be glad you did.

If there's one thing Danny DeVito likes more than starring in the movies he directs, it's darkness. The movie introduces us to shady character after shady character, to the point to when we see Vincent Schiavelli as another disgraced kid's show host, it just seems a little contrived. The cynical and wry tone this movie strikes makes Sheldon Mopes seem more like Jesus than the cheeseball he is, which just plays up the absurdity of it all. The film flies off the rails towards the end, which is really saying something considering where it had taken us beforehand, and after it wraps up, the audience is treated to an ending that they were in no way prepared for, but schmaltzy as it is, it's cute. Just like a children's program.

The heart and imagination of children is central to this film, from its ridiculous contraptions and characters, like a bunk bed sofa and a cybernetic pirate, everything just seeps with fun, creativity, and most importantly, awesomeness. There’s a bit of a predictable twist toward the end, but it’s worked in such a way that it’s still heartwarming and cute. However, the simplicity of the story makes a great frame for the comedy while also referring to source material faithfully and subtly. These are toys created for children, to spark creativity in all forms, including storytelling. The film shows the most colorful and heartfelt recreation of a story that might have been created by a kid who’s spent the day dinking around with their Legos, rug burn on their knees and wrinkles on their shirt from putting together amazing creations envisioned in his mind’s eye. The humor, thankfully, is much richer.

Good afternoon my fellow Americans. George W. Bush here, and I’m here to talk to you about this movie that came out about just around the time I left office as leader of the greatest nation in the world. It was done by that dude Will Ferrell. He did me a lot back in the day, and I guess kinda still does. But you know, I took a lot of jabs at me durin’ my presidency. I swear, from the day I got in office, it's been like one of those Friar Tuck Roasts anytime I turn on the TV. And I can say, hand to God, he done it best. But ya know, even if he was takin’ one last crack at me with this, I just can’t watch it and feel a little proud, ya know? I did all these great things, like landin’ a plane on a nucular-powered aircraft carrier, takin 40% of my presidency off, and handlin’ two of the biggest disasters in American history in a style that would make America remember me forever, and hey, here they are, at the twilight of my term, part of a big ol’ show based on my time in office. And ya know what? It’s dang funny.

I Love You Phillip Morris is a witty and poignant examination of the power of love. It makes us do crazy things, no matter who we are or what society tells us. It does have some very strong language and sexual content, so the easily offended may want to steer clear from this one. However, Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor deliver some amazing, hilarious, and very out-of-character performances, which alone makes this worth a watch. If you can get past its rough exterior, inside there's a truly funny and endearing movie for anyone who is looking for an antidote to the traditional romantic comedy.

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