Ben Stiller doesn’t have to work the boob tube circuit.

The star of those “Focker” films as well as the “Night at the Museum” franchise is a pretty safe bet in box office circles. So why did he just sign a deal with HBO to direct, produce and star in a new Jewish family comedy alongside Alan Alda?

A cynic might say it’s a sign Stiller feels insecure over the weak box office receipts for his last film, “Tower Heist.” Even mega-stars can be as paranoid as screen newbies. Why else would Will Smith sign up for “Men in Black III” after his drama “Seven Pounds” gave him a rare flop?

For Stiller, the chance to oversee his own HBO comedy offers the kind of creative outlet he can’t get with movies. And that’s a sad thing to say about an industry obsessed with remakes, sequels and other too safe bets.

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You can call back the search parties; the funny Eddie Murphy has been found and is alive, well and part of the crack ensemble comedy “Tower Heist.”

No fat suits, kiddie co-stars or superfluous sequels. Just Murphy being Murphy – fast talking, lightning fast and utterly captivating.

But Murphy’s renaissance isn’t all that’s right with “Tower Heist.” Much maligned director Brett Ratner (the “Rush Hour” trilogy) squeezes everything out of his cast to make this a rare treat – a mainstream action comedy that doesn’t insult the audience.

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Ben Stiller stars as Josh Kovacs, a dedicated hotel manager who knows precisely how to make every guest happy. He’s especially clued into the building’s resident millionaire, Arthur Shaw (Alan Alda). The two play chess via their computers, and Josh makes it his business to see that all of Arthur’s material needs are met.

Arthur insists he’s still just a kid from Astoria, even if he swims in a rooftop pool every evening. It’s a nice pose, one that has the hotel workers fooled … for a while.

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If you’ve seen Superman: The Movie (1978), you surely remember the character of Perry White, the tough-as-nails editor of The Daily Planet. Played pitch-perfect by actor Jackie Cooper, he’s one of the comedic highlights of the picture. “I want the name of this flying whatchamacallit to go with the Daily Planet like bacon and eggs! Franks and beans! Death and taxes! Politics and corruption!”

Cooper delivers his one-liners in a Preston Sturges staccato that helps give the 1970s film a pleasant 1930s gloss, bridging the gap between comic book and movie. But if, like me, you were just a kid when you saw Superman, you may not have known that here was an actor who, fifty years earlier, was one of the most popular and recognizable in the world, courtesy of a little picture called The Champ. (more…)