ARTS C The Michigan Daily Tuesday, March 18, 1986 Page S 'Mediocre cornball By Seth Flicker There are few young directors who have an impact comparable to that of Ron Howard. His films have all been big successes with the young as well as the older audiences. From the dark horse-turned-hit Night Shift to the mega-money-makers Splash and Cocoon, Howard hits hard with creativity and imagination. Unfortunately, Howard's new film, Gung Ho is one of those films that moves fast but goes nowhere. There is always something happening in this film, but it becomes a dead end street. Thus, there is only so far the film can go before it becomes completely im- mobile. This movie, like Howard's past movies, makes use of the alien. This is when unusual people enter the seemingly normal life of the other characters in the movie. This theme was seen in Nightshift in which the aliens (in this case-prostitutes) en- ter into the ordinary life of Michael Keaton and Henry Winkler. It was again seen in Splash (mermaid meets produce distributor) and in Cocoon (essentric elderly and aliens). Gung Ho employs this theme as well, but the aliens this time are the Japanese. Gung Ho involves itself with a Pen- nyslvanian auto company which goes under. Michael Keaton plays Hunt Stevenson, an all-American go-up- and-get-'em type of guy who travels to Tokyo to try to convince a Japanese auto firm to take over the company. When the Japanese accept this plan, they're in for more than they bargained for. The often stereotyped "unfun and hard-working" Japanese clash head-on with the so-called laid back and irrespectable Americans. This erupts into a war of traditions and egos. The movie starts off on the right foot: funny lines, intriguing plot and interesting characters. However, as the film progresses, the lines and plot become sappy and corn-ball and the interest in the characters just drops. Keaton is his ususal self in this pic- ture: aloof and biting. We have seen this type of Keaton in both Mr. Mom and Johnny Dangerously but it just doesn't work in this film. It wasn't that Keaton was completely wrong for this part, it just seemd that he felt uncomfortable in it. The lines were unmalleable and dry. This is sur- prising because Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel, who wrote Gung Ho, also wrote the screenplays for Splash and Nightshift. Gedde Watanabe (Sixteen Candles) who plays Kazahiro, is a much-needed breath of fresh air in this picture. Kazahiro is the Japanes executive who is put in charge of the American auto plant. This part is both humorous and touching and it seems as if Watanabe is really enjoying it. Keaton and Watanabe have the same part in the movie; they are respon- sible for bridging the gap between the Japanese and American cultures. But the reason Watanabe succeeds over Keaton is probably due to the writing. Watanabe's lines are crisp and clean and they have a strong impact. For the most part, the supporting cast is quite excellent. Soh Yamamura plays the head of the Japanese auto company. Though a small-part, Yamamura executes it with finesse and strength. Sab Shimono plays the ass-kissing Japanese executive set on his own methods to get things done. This was perhaps the most difficult character to play, but Shimono gave a forceful delivery. Since the whole movie is quite cor- nball, Gungo Ho is the type of movie which teenagers would find dull and adults would find juvenile. This is where Howard gets himself into a dead end. It seems that in trying so hard to appeal to every kind of audience, he has backfired. Howard, no doubt, is a fine director: creative and powerful. And one can see in Gung Ho that because he tried a little bit too hard, he came out with an awkward and flimsy film. Michael Keaton comes up against a cultural clash in Ron Howard's new film, Gung Ho. Play gives cross signals By Lauren Schreiber COLLEGE STUDENTS today seem to have an endless fascination with the '60s: the music, the drugs, the high ideals. Last weekend, the University Players examined life in the '60s with the production of Moon- children, Michael Weller's comic drama about a group of college students living together at this time. Taken from his own college ex- periences during this time, Weller presents a more critical look at the '60s than mast people are perhaps ac- customed tG. Moonchildren is a disparaging ivok at a group of idealistic students who pick on each other at the same time that they preach peace for the world. In spite of their visionary ideas, they cannot agree on whose hamburgers are in the icebox. Weller's play, although helpful in dispelling the many myths about the '60s, is overdramatic and his message overly obvious. Because it is mainly a comedy, the few serious moments in the play did not blend in well with the rest. The extremely depressing and serious ending left the audience num- bed and shocked after all the comedy that preceded it. In spite of the faults in their material, the University Players produced a good show. Director William Wright avoided the many pit- falls of directing in greno; not one of the four sides were cheated in their view of the stage. For the most part, the acting was believable, though the best perfor- mances came from the minor charac- ters. Brian Abbrecht and Darrious Hilmon practically stole the show in their respective roles of the landlord and the plumber, as did Laura Romanoff in the role of Shelly, a friend of the students. Ethan Franzel as Mike and his cohort, Craig Neuman Free Intensive on SELF-DISCOVERY MICHIGAN LEAGUE Henderson Room Sun., March 23 - 10 a.m. - 8 p.m. Public Invited as Cootie, were also excellent and brought a lot of humor into the show. The costumes, set, and background music added a lot to the production, creating a realistic atmosphere, yet full of nostalgia. BLOOM COUNTY al na... / Watch for it in An under-the-table scene from the University Players production of Moonchildren, peformed last week at the Trueblood Theater. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Fabbal and Myth- W' By arwulf arwulf W HETHER he's appearing with the Griot Galaxy, in trio per- formance with Anthony Holland and A. Spencer Barefield, with Roy Brooks' Aboriginal Percussion Choir, or as leader of his own Myth-World Rhythm Troupe, Tani Tabbal is un- deniably the man to watch. He has a presence, a glowing grace about him that catches the eye and warms the heart. This man, with his Ua strummed a Kora; Modibo Keita, congas; Robert Allison, vibes, marimba and xylophone; Fahali Igbo, bass, and James Dupree,-guitar & violin. It was an evening of wonderment. Vieux sang a blues in African, which the rest of the band, donning stetsons and pimp hats for effect, translated into English: You got to go back/go back/go back to where you from. This was effective as a mingling of Detroit and African realities. They covered a wide spectrum of textures, including Funk, Reggae, (with Tani singing "No Lies"), and pure Pan- African percussion. Perhaps the highest point was reached near the end of the evening, when five of them marched out front with immense drums suspended from their bodies and drummed us to a lather, in- creasing the velocity of the rhythm and chanting loudly, 'til we stood and cheered. This is the primal state of the drums, by the way it's meant to be done, the tribal assembly. The Myth-World Rhythm Troupe has issued a tape of their performance at the DIA last year, entitled Tribute to Mjumbe. Mjumbe is Roy Brooks. I first saw these brothers get them- selves together in a troupe when the Aboriginal Percussion Choir ap- peared at the Michigan League Ballroom. They have prospered and grown into a terrifically inspiring orld unite band of improvisors, and their tape should be available here in Ann Arbor in the near future. For more information contact PJ's Used Records, or the Creative Arts Collective at 16641 Princeton DetrQit, MI 48221. HENRY RUSSEL LECTURE FOR 1985-86 THOMAS M. DONAHUE Professor of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sci.nce "THE ORIGIN AND EVOLUTION OF THE ATMOSPHERES AND OCEANS OF EARTH AND VENUS" TUESDAY, MARCH 18 4:00 p.m. TEST- YOUR SKILL. U dreadlocks and beautiful smile, im- mediately summons a vision of An- cient Ethiopia. He lifts his sticks with the sweet loft of a dancer, com- municates his joy with the exacting gesticulations of a skilled mime. Saturday night Tani appeared at the Detroit Institute of the Arts with the Myth-World Rhythm Troupe, con- sisting of Vieux Diop, a small power- ful man who sang in African and ., - _ . _. N ISRAEL INFORMATION r Thursday, March 20, 10:00 - 5:00 p.m. PF 0000-0, i .60 . I ovyrri. v in Toronl n vv-mr %f a* Av Vihh~r-Y ~aw