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Monday, June 18, 2007
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
FILM IN BRIEF
Low tide for "Surfer"
"Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver
Surfer"
At Quality 16 and Showcase
Twentieth Century Fox
This just isn't the summer for
superhero movies.
The sequel to the painful "Fan-
tastic Four," "Fantastic Four: Rise
of the Silver Surfer" inspired
little hype and isolated pockets
of excitement. Frankly, "Silver
Surfer" doesn't surprise: It's hack-
neyed, trite, mostly boring and
overwhelmed with snecial effects.
The band of superheroes known
as the Fantastic Four are begin-
ning to cope with their celebrity.
They find their lives riddled with
unconvincing identity crises and
a galactic invader set on consum-
ing Earth. Just another day at the
office for a walking rock, atalking
conflagration, a sort-of invisible
woman and a pliable man.
Much like "Spider-man 3," the
moral of "Silver Surfer" is that we
always have a choice. The clear
choice here is to save your seven
dollars and stay home.
on the other hand, "Silver Surf-
er" supasses its predecessor as a
film. Ambitious pyrotechnics, Lau-
rence Fishburne ("The Matrix")
voicing the metallic villain and a
runtime under 90 minutes make
"Silver Surfer" a smash and grab
job on the wallet and set the stage
for future "Fantastic" movies.
ELIE ZWIEBEL
Drew's got a clue
"Nancy Drew"
At Quality 16 and Showcase
Warner Bros.
In Andrew Fleming's "Nancy
Drew," we find a dilemma many
film directors face in adapting a
tale already cherished by so many
people. Like many better men
before him, Fleming fails to convey
the feeling, place and mood of his
famous character and her exploits.
But the film isn't a disaster - far
from it. Nancy Drew still handles
the bat pretty well in this endearing,
if erratic, take the pint-sized sleuth.
While in Los Angeles, Nancy
(Emma Roberts, "Aquamarine")
uncovers a treacherous plot:Decades
ago, actress Dehlia Draycott van-
ished in her own home just as she
was set to change her will. Now,
Nancy and her crew are out to set the
record straight and maybe reunite
some families while they're at it.
The biggest flaw in this largely
affable film is that it isn't sure what
to be. Nancy Drew has evolved
considerably since her conception
in the '30s, but this film is a mish-
mash of eras, styles and ideals
all haphazardly thrown together
without a sense of purpose. Here
we find Nancy dressed like your
grandmother circa 1954, yet she's
got an iPod. What's that all about?
When the lines of authenticity,
parody, homage and salience blur so
untraceably,it'senoughtoleave even
the actors confused. But the film is
so harmless and undeniably charm-
ing, you just smile and play along.
IMRAN SYED
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Classes Start: July 7th
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Michigan Head * Pain & Neurological Institute is seeking adults to
take part in a research study of an investigational device for
the treatment of migraine headaches while the pain is still mild.
You may qualify for this study if you:
- Have a history of migraines with or without aura for at least 1 year
* Are between the ages of 18-65 years
* Experienced 2-8 migraine headaches per month for the past 3
months
* Pain typically starts as mild
If you qualify, you will receive study related exams, procedures,
and study treatments at no cost to you. You will also receive
compensation for time and travel. Please call a Research
Coordinator at (734) 677-6000, option 4, for more information
about your particioation in this study.
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