Ferrell's Career Looks Lost Indeed

Comedian lands film that could—or could not—be an insightful look at race relations

(NEWSER) - Now’s your chance to make Chris Rock your black friend: the comedian will star in Will You Be My Black Friend? The film's based on the GQ article of the same name, chronicling author Devin Friedman’s attempt to diversify his circle of white buddies. More»

Will Ferrell not enough to save picture

(NEWSER) - Land of the Lost remakes the 1970s TV series, sucking Will Ferrell into a parallel universe that mushes past, present, and future together. Keep this flick out of your own future, critics say:

• “The only marginally interesting, if unsurprising, thing about the pricey movie spinoff is that a lot of money has been spent on yet another cultural throwaway,” writes Manohla Dargis in the New York Times. “Not that I didn’t sometimes laugh anyway.”

Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones return for alien flick

(NEWSER) - Sure, no one was that desperate for a Men in Black 3—but it's actually a pretty good summer movie. Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones are back defending the planet from aliens, and this time, Josh Brolin's along for the ride as a young Jones.

• The movie "turns out to be so much fun," writes AO Scott in the New York Times . While it "carefully fulfills its blockbuster imperatives—with chases and explosions and elaborately contrived plot twists—it swerves into some marvelously silly, unexpectedly witty, and genuinely fresh territory."

And 'SNL' hails 100th Digital Short

(NEWSER) - Will Ferrell returned to his old stomping grounds on Saturday Night Live last night, reports the Hollywood Reporter, in a retro-laden performance that made it seem like he was never gone. Ferrell trotted out his George W Bush to commiserate with Jason Sudeikis' Joe Biden, dejected after having been upstaged by President Obama on gay marriage. "I feel ya," Dubya told him over a not-beer. "I used to catch grief all the time from President Cheney." But at least the issue is totally solved now: "Mission Accomplished!," he crowed. "It's just something I like to say when a problem isn't solved, but I don't like to talk about it anymore." More»

Jason Segel, Emily Blunt star in truthful romantic comedy

(NEWSER) - The Five-Year Engagement clocks in at over two hours, which is a bit too long for many critics. But its honesty about relationships makes the Jason Segel-Emily Blunt rom-com stand out from the pack.

• "Because it's so willing to drill down into Tom and Violet's misery, The Five-Year Engagement involves a higher grim-to-grin ratio than its fluffier brethren," writes Ann Hornaday in the Washington Post . "But there's an unmistakable ring of truth to the couple's conflicts and mixed feelings."