The remake of the 1981 comedy "Arthur" has a bit of a drinking problem.
"Arthur" _ Another inferior, unnecessary remake, Russell Brand's comedy at least is benign fluff that should please younger audiences unfamiliar with the 1981 comedy, even if purists who adore the original may hate this version. The movie is respectful of and faithful to Dudley Moore's original _ maybe too much so. The filmmakers tweak things to modernize the story and fit the persona of drunken, debauched, billionaire man-child onto Brand (not surprisingly, it's no stretch for the British comic with the party-boy past). Yet the alterations are mostly cosmetic, including the big one, changing the sex of Arthur's stern but loving guardian Hobson from a man (John Gielgud as Moore's butler in the original) to a woman (Helen Mirren as Brand's nanny). First-time director Jason Winer (TV's "Modern Family") stuffs this version with too many cute, cloying moments as Brand's Arthur grows up while finding true love with a penniless tour guide (Greta Gerwig) and avoiding an arranged marriage with a corporate-climbing executive (Jennifer Garner). Considering the crudeness of many remakes, this could have turned out much worse. PG-13 for alcohol use throughout, sexual content, language and some drug references. 110 minutes. Two stars out of four.
Actress Jennifer Garner is coming home to West Virginia to help Save the Children open six sites in the state.
