‘Stretch Armstrong’ Lands Writer, Director – Deadline.com

Forge a few extra Oscars for: Stretch Armstrong, the Movie

It will star master thespian Taylor Lautner as the Flexible One.

It may finally be time for me to dust off my script, "Slinky, the Movie" (teaser-trailer below). In a world gone mad, it will be nuclear Armageddon unless somebody - or something - can get to the bottom of the Pentagon stairs and hit the 'disable' switch. Is there nobody - or nothing - up to the job? Er ... I mean 'down to the job.' With the fate of humanity in the balance, only one man - or one thing - holds the key to survival.

Shia Lebeouf shows some real acting chops when he takes on challenging dual roles as "voice of Slinky" and "the insipid guy at the top of the stairs who owns a Slinky." Until the very end we wonder whether Slinky really can talk or whether the voice is just in the head of the Slinky owner. Talk about dramatic tension.

My favorite scene (spoilers ahead) is the grand finale when the Generic American President and the Generic Foreign Premier shake hands and co-operate to pin a medal on Shia, then reach down together to pin a tiny medal on Slinky. Immediately afterwards, to the roar of the cheering throng, Shia descends from the ceremonial platform back toward his seat in the front row, and into the arms of his best girl. Right behind him, making its way down the stairs in its own inimitable fashion, is the heroic Slinky. Cue the Slinky theme song and roll the end credits.