Two new trailers for you, PopWatchers: Fred Claus and Get Smart.One question: Are Vince Vaughn and Steve Carell really going to pull a WillFerrell and become unfunny shtick actors in big-budget Hollywood comedies? (You could argue that they already have, but I don’t think they’ve quite reached Ferrell levels of overexposure.)
Let’s start with Fred Claus, which immediately begs another question: Do we really need another bawdy reimagining of theclassic Santa tale? In my mind ErnestSaves Christmas put the genre to bed back in 1988, but since then the processionhas been endless: Bad Santa, Elf, JingleAll the Way, The Santa Clause,etc. Some of those movies were pretty funny, but even Mozart knew that you can onlyhave so many variations on a theme before it’s time to find a new movement.
The conceit of Fred Claus is pretty simple: Vince Vaughn plays Santa’s roguish older brother — theoutcast of the Christmas-card perfect Claus family — who returns to HQ (aheavily CGI-ed North Pole) and uses his sarcastic charm to snake his way backinto the family business. Paul Giamatti actually seems pretty good as Santa,but Wedding Crashers director DavidDobkin clearly thinks that Vaughn can carry a comedy solo. (Owen Wilson did itdefinitively with You, Me, and Dupree,so why can’t he!?) Things eventually get out of hand, and a calculating KevinSpacey — who appears to head up some sort of evil mega-corporation thatcontrols childhood myths — threatens to close up the shop. Like a goodChristmas stocking, it’s the simple pleasures that make this trailer bearable:the ridiculousness of Ludacris playing an elf, for example. With a few eggnogsbefore, during, and after, this could actually be ok. Just don’t hold the rum.
Get Smart’s teaser keepsits gifts slightly more guarded — perhaps because it doesn’t have many? All wesee of the film — based on the 1960’s TV satire of secret agent genre — isthree examples of the uncouth Maxwell Smart (Carell) doing a bumbling JamesBond impression and then standing around looking silly. What we are promised,however, is an interesting on-screen lineup: Anne Hathaway, Alan Arkin,Terrence Stamp, The Rock, Masi Oka, and Ken Davitian (of Borat naked-wrestling fame).
So what’s the verdict, PopWatchers? Can Vaughn conquer theChristmas box office? Will Get Smartmake amends for Carell’s Evan Almightymisstep? The message boards await your passionate response.
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the trailer for get smart actually looked kinda funny… good cast… the rock is hot…
I love Alan Larkin! He’s my fave!
Thanks for the Will Ferrell take – he really has been overused. I see him and part of my brain goes to sleep.
Vince Vaughn – puffy dude needs to stop the partying, but he doesn’t seem to be able to do a movie that doesn’t bring in some cash. Good for him, but also bad, because he’s starting to calcify as an actor. The santa’s brother movie looks like a stone drag, but young men will most likely go and see it. And kids will drag their parents to it.
Steve Carrell, hmmmm. Get Smart was a very punny, quippy show with lots of slapstick, but it was written by Buck Henry, and overseen early on by Mel Brooks.
Can a new set of writers brought up on Farrelly brothers junk, etc., make a film that competes with Henry? Will it be anything more than just a noisy, soulless laugh piffle with lots of face plants?
Ho hum! When the studios start wondering why box office is low, you’ll tell them, won’t you?
I thought the trailer for Get Smart looked kind of funny too. I really hope it’s better than Evan Almighty.
I am tired of seeing Vince Vaughn playing That Guy.
Sigh. The following comment is going to make me look like a huge dork. But, here goes…
I think you mean “Ernest Saves Christmas.” I can see how that, “Ernest Goes To Camp” and the million other Ernest movies ran together when you were writing and formed one giant KnowWhattaMeanVern Ball.
I’ll now crawl back into my Pop Culture Nerd Cave.
Hi Derek, looks like I might have to join you in that Nerd Cave: I believe it’s Alan Arkin, not Larkin.
Yeah. I must agree that Ferell and Carell as talented as they are, are being used up and given recycled material. I mean seriously, look at what has happened to Dan Aakroyd and Chevy Chase? They went from “Spies Like Us” to bit parts in mediocre movies. Ahem, Zoom anyone? It is a shame. Carell looks almost identical to Don Adams, but that does not mean that “Get Smart” is going to be a fantastic tv show turned movie.
I love “Elf.” It was bawdy?
We earnestly apologize for the Ernest typo.
How about an apology for spelling “Claus” with a K four times?
Why all the Will Ferrell hate? While I am the first one to recognize the fact that not all of is recent movies have been good (KICKING & SCREAMING, THE PRODUCERS–what a beating!), I think Ferrell is a well-rounded actor. He was great in WINTER PASSING & especially in STRANGER THAN FICTION proving that with the right script, he can give interesting performances.
I’ve never thought Vince Vaughn has been very funny. He’s been upstaged in every one of his movies by his costars such as Ben Stiller (DODGEBALL), Borat’s girlfriend (WEDDING CRASHERS), Ferrell (OLDSCHOOL), & Justin Long (THE BREAK-UP).
Steve Carrell on the other hand is hysterical, but has chosen crappy projects!
I saw both of these trailers last night before Harry Potter and am not thrilled with the prospect of either of them (although the packed house at midnight laughed a lot at both of them). I agree with a lot of the posters already – I like Carell a lot but his last few film choices seem not so great and have been tired of Vince Vaughn since he phoned it in for Dodgeball. And is the Owen Wilson comment supposed to be sarcastic?
btw.. I really enjoyed Harry Potter – not as good as III or IV IMHO but still pretty darn entertaining
Vince Vaughn hasn’t been funny since “Swingers”. Steve Carrell is going down the Will Farrell path of doing moview for moview for sake. Do these people NOT remember “Dragnet”; “Car 54 where Are You?” “My Stepmother is an ALien”, etc, etc? WE DO!! and this will keeep us away from other bad remakes or clever idea films.
Anyone want to bet that Agent 23 (the Rock) is the bad guy in the end?
I’m SICK of EW (the mag AND website) trashing Will Ferrell because he’s not “hip”
enough for them (like EW is so hip, anyway!)…how about dumping on someone like Martin Lawrence for a change: he’s NEVER been funny, he’s NEVER made a watchable movie (Wild Hogs S*CKED!), and unilke Ferrell and Carell, he’s a real creep in real life…so how about waking up to these facts people, and not being afraid of dumping on him because you candy-a@@e@ fear you’ll come off as racist!
They dump on Will Farrell because of so many mediocre to just plain awful movies in a row.
I hope Steve Carell is more careful. He can afford to be as he is on one of the best comedies on television.
Then they should dump on Julia “EW’s mangy pet” Roberts even MORE instead of kissing up to her NON-STOP…and of course, NUKE Martin Lawrence into the Stone Age!
Exactly Mike. You see, Anchorman and Stranger Than Fiction are two great examples of how well Will can act. The Producers? While the movie musical was not as brilliant as the original Gene Wilder/Zero Mostel escapade,it did show how well Will can sing. Seriously, we have all of these so-so actors doing Chicago and I have yet to see Will Ferell sing on Broadway. But anyway, I just hope that he does not do anymore half- baked, a few chuckle films that really don’t show his pontential.
I think Fred Claus is the best idea ever but the trailer makes me a little worried.
I think Get Smart also has great potential. But, I have to say I don’t consider Evan Almighty to be a “misstep.” I enjoyed that movie and thought its critical beating was sort of unjustified.
I don’t necessarily think that Evan Almighty was that bad. I mean it wasn’t really good, but it had it’s moments and I wouldn’t consider it a flop at all. Though I wouldn’t be so sure if GET SMART is the type of movie everyone can say will rebound him from this “flop.” I think maybe another collaboration with Judd Apatow or maybe another LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE type role. But I thought the trailer for GET SMART looked pretty funny. Same for FRED CLAUSE. I mean I can see it being roasted and hated by the critics, but you never know. It does have a great cast though-Vince Vaughn, Paul Giamatti, Kathy Bates [their mom], Kevin Spacey, etc. And where was Ludacris in the trailer?
Fred Claus looks like another sappy retread. I could be wrong (and I really hope I am), but it looks awfully familiar from here.
Get Smart though? That trailer actually made me laugh out loud. I loved the show when I was a kid, and Carrell has that Peter Sellers-esque quality to him. Might be okay.
Vince Vaughn can make any movie, no matter how stupid or terrible (i.e., Be Cool), funny. His performances alone are hilarious. I’ll have to think about paying $10 to see him, though. Orlando Bloom – worth $10. Vince Vaughn? Not sure yet.
To “beg the question” means to AVOID the question, not to raise another one. Lately this phrase has been misued so often that I just had to say something. Let’s stop it, one blog at a time!
Actually, to “beg the question” is a term in logic referring to using circular reasoning to prove a statement. So, it doesn’t mean to RAISE a question or to AVOID a question.
Although I will agree with you that it is one of the most misused statements in our culture and I wish people would cut it out. I know people replace “raise” with “beg” to sound more intellectual, but then they actually look stupid because they’re using phrases incorrectly that they don’t even understand.
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