Friday, Jan. 21, 2000 | 9:49 a.m.
The Movie Guys, starring Jeff Howard and Dave Neil, appears Fridays in the Sun (Movie Buzz written by Thomas Feeney). They can also be seen on the 11 a.m. Friday newscast on KVVU Channel 5. Plus, check them out online at lasvegassun.com/sun/sunlife/ movies and themovieguys.com.
Grades: Jeff: D, Dave: C-.
Starring: Woody Harrelson, Antonio Banderas, Lolita Davidovich, Lucy Liu and Tom Sizemore.
Screenplay: Ron Shelton.
Director: Ron Selton.
Rated: R for violence, strong language, nudity and sexual situations.
Running time: 94 minutes.
Playing at: UA Showcase 8, UA Rainbow Promenade 10, Century Orleans, Century Cinedome 12 Henderson, Rancho Santa Fe 16, Las Vegas Drive-in, Regal Cinemas Sunset Station, Regal Cinemas Colonnade 14, Regal Cinemas Texas Station 18, Regal Cinemas Village Square 18.
Synopsis: Former boxing prospects Caesar Dominguez and Vince Boudreau (Antonio Banderas and Woody Harrelson), both welterweights, get a final shot at boxing's big time. With only a few hours to get to Las Vegas, they take a meandering road trip through the sizzling desert with their quirky girlfriend Grace Pasic (Lolita Davidovich) before entering the ring to salvage their staggering careers.
Dave: The first name that comes to mind when linking sports films to any of today's filmmakers has to be writer/director Ron Shelton. The two are synonymous. Just looking at his filmography shows he has dabbled in a variety of sports genres. He tackled football early in his writing career with "The Best of Times" before making his directorial debut by hitting a critical and box office home run with "Bull Durham" (1988). Soon he applied his efforts to basketball with "White Men Can't Jump," then scored a hole in one with "Tin Cup."
His latest feature, "Play It to the Bone," in which two hack boxers get a final chance to redeem their names, has next to none of the sincere charm or witticism of Shelton's aforementioned films.
Jeff: No charm whatsoever. Blame Shelton's poor writing, plot execution and character development -- pieces he used to master in his previous films. With only a few hours to get to Vegas, our boxers take an unexpectedly indirect road trip through the sizzling Mojave Desert with their girlfriend Grace (played embarrassingly by Davidovich). Did we mention that the road trip to Las Vegas takes more than half the film?
During our car ride we have to listen to the most mundane dialogue by Shelton, which at times becomes so tedious that we wanted the film just to pull over and let us out. Harrelson and Banderas play old buddies, so we are expected to sit and listen to these two talk over old times and drudge up jealous feelings about each other. We find out why Vince lost a big fight due to a vindictive ringside judge and the details of Caesar's legendary bout at Madison Square Garden. The dialogue is forced and the friendship of these two never seems genuine. It is a road trip from hell and you can't escape.
Dave: I began questioning the movie's plot. Just how important is it for them to get Las Vegas again? Sure, you could argue that the two-thirds of the film spent on the road is the needed character development setting up the dramatic payoff in the eventual match between the duo, but why must we endure so many diversions?
The most notable example is the ridiculous sultry hitchhiker (a worthless role for Lucy Liu of "Ally McBeal") the threesome pick up in Barstow, whose only purpose, I assume, is to create a lame adversary for Grace and add to the increasing rift between our fighters. I was hoping to discover something about our boxing would-be champs, defining their passion for the sport and what makes them unique individuals as opposed to stereotypical boxing characters. No such luck.
Jeff: Part of the film was shot at Mandalay Bay, and the opening of the movie has a spectacular shot of the skyline of the Strip, signifying Las Vegas' reputation as the boxing capital of the world.
But by the end the film is as long and dull as pay-per-view grass-growing event. Shelton has stated that boxing is his passion. How a filmmaker who made such emotional films celebrating the sports of baseball and basketball can fall flat on his back here is a mystery. He sets up too many plot dead ends, never revisiting them for the final act. All of the stories we hear on the road trip never reappear. It's all a wasted set-up.
The stereotypes of each main character are a disgrace to the sport of boxing. The movie is a cinematic glorification of two typical (and one homophobic) male chauvinist pigs. I think Shelton has seen "Slap Shot" one too many times. Someone remind of him of what century this is. I'll take "Raging Bull" any day.
Dave: Oh, but wait: This is a boxing movie after all. Therefore, when they do eventually make it to fabulous Las Vegas, we are treated to a spectacle of familiar boxing personalities (including Bob Arum, Marc Ratner, Larry Merchant and George Foreman) lending credibility to the film's fictitious pay-per-view event.
One positive that Shelton has in his corner is his ability to capture the essence of the sport. As exaggerated as the fight may be, you are caught up in the energy of the match with each bloody and bruising hit through every grueling round as the two friends become foes. That is, until the bout's exhaustive conclusion that reminds you exactly what it took to get you to the fight in the first place.
"Play It to the Bone" doesn't go the distance and is down for the count.
Movie buzz
Oh, what a tangled web: Columbia Pictures is lobbying hard to get Sam Raimi ("Darkman," "A Simple Plan") to helm the long-in-development "Spider-Man" movie, and may have found a way to do it. The biggest hurdle is that Raimi is about to begin shooting another film, "The Gift," with Cate Blanchett next month -- which would mean a scheduling conflict for him to work on "Spider-Man." The studio wants to have the Marvel Comics web-slinger on screens by the summer of 2001, and the only way it can be done is if post-production on "The Gift" can be put on hold so Raimi can shoot "Spider-Man" this summer. Raimi would then do post-production on both films simultaneously. Whew! Can it be done? Stay tuned ...
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