SHORTS

Maybe, just maybe, it's a blessing that we can't have everything we think we want.

Shorts is a fabulously inventive kids' movie that's sharp enough to be enjoyed by the whole family.  With Robert Rodriguez at the helm, this comes as no surprise, but the extent to which he incorporates his trademark style is impressive.  In fact, you don't even need kids to have fun with this movie.

In the town of Black Falls, everyone works for Mr. Black (James Spader), inventor of the Black Box, a do-all gadget that's very likely to eliminate all competition and take over the world.  Who needs phones or toys or can openers when the Black Box is all those things and more?  It's brilliant!  And Mr. Black isn't giving up until his dream of global domination has come true...or is he?  Maybe having that much power isn't such a good thing after all.

Young Toe Thompson (Jimmy Bennett) learns this firsthand when a rainbow-colored wishing rock drops out of the sky one day.  Though Toe basically wishes he weren't such an outcast (not much harm in that), the plot thickens as the rock passes from kid to kid.  Each short within the film depicts a new adventure with the wishing rock, and by the time it falls into the hands of the grown-ups, the town is in a state of chaos.  Toe's parents (Leslie Mann and Jon Cryer) are joined at the hip after wishing they could be closer, and with every use of the words, "I wish," thing spiral further out of control. 

All of this makes for a lively and entertaining viewing experience, but there's a lesson to be learned: not all wishes should come true, and we shouldn't all have to cope with the ramifications of one person's whim.  Seeing the pandemonium around him causes a tiny little light bulb to go off in Mr. Black's head.  Perhaps there's a reason certain things are beyond our control, and maybe, just maybe, it's a blessing that we can't have everything we think we want.
 
DVD NOTES
 
Extra features include "Ten Minute Cooking School" where we learn to make Chocolate Chip Volcano Cookies with Robert Rodriguez and his daughter Rhiannon.  They make an adorable duo, and it's nice to see that Rodriguez is such a softie in real life.  Also included is "Ten Minute Film School" which takes a looks at the home movies that inspired the film Shorts.