Nebraska Review

The one million dollar man----Bruce Dern and Will Forte as a man whose son takes him on a road trip to claim a million dollar prize in Nebraska
              Nebraska is much more than a film. It is the defining moment of four (count them---four) careers. First there's Bruce Dern, a man who has proven time and time again to be one of the greatest living actors. He gives his best performance to date here playing simultaneously vulnerable and ludicrous very well. Next there's Will Forte, who has built his career on playing enormously wacky characters, most notably MacGruber. He actually has to be the straight man and in his first dramatic performance proves to have a great future ahead of them. June Squibb, a woman whose name is not exactly household steals every scene she's in and makes the audience hope to see her in more. Lastly there's Bob Odenkirk who many will recognize from "Breaking Bad" but who also did the brilliant sketch comedy "Mr. Show" with fellow comedian David Cross. He gives a truly wonderful supporting performance and proves to be a true movie star.

             The set up---Woody Grant (Dern) is a confused old man who gets a letter from a sweepstakes telling him he's won a million dollars. His wife Kate (June Squibb) thinks he's crazy for ever believing that letter let alone letting himself become obsessed with him. Much to the chagrin of his brother Ross (Odenkirk) and Kate...Woody's son, David (Forte) agrees to drive him up to Lincoln, Nebraska to collect his winnings. There they stop in their old town where a flame reheats with Woody's ex business partner Ed (Stacy Keach) and a debate sparks about whether or not Woody is off his rocker.

              The film is directed in beautiful black and white by Alexander Payne who has made a name for himself on movies about mid or late life crises (About Schmidt, Sideways, The Descendants.) This, however is by far his best film to date. The performances, as I have already mentioned, are terrific and the film is visually stunning. I can't say exactly how but the black and white perfectly fits the mood of the film. Also---each character has their likable side but are never let off the hook for their wrongdoings. Woody is just trying to help his family but is also completely naive about how little he is actually doing so. David and Ross are good sons but they both tend to get into sticky situations too deep. Kate is incredibly sympathetic and obviously cares about Woody but is also a bit of a nasty old woman. Ed just wants Woody to help him out but approaches it from all the wrong angles. The writing is razor sharp, giving everyone both a comedic moment to shine and a very nice dramatic moment. Also....the film never peters out. In fact...the ending is perfect and it never lets its characters down.

              Nebraska is written by first time writer Bob Nelson who has proven to be a man to look out for. Payne proves again to be one of the finest directors working today and this proves to be quite possibly the best film of 2013.
(5 out of 5 Stars, The film is rated R for some language)

Ten Worst Films Of 2013

         Here they are..the ten films I despised the most in 2013. Before I start this shameful list...I want to lay out the groundwork for my list. Unlike most critics...I will pick on small films if I truly hated them. I don't care if no one will see them even without this list...I believe in listing the 10 films I hated the most. Also...I do these in order of how much the film straight up offended me or how much I truly hated, not how particularly bad it may have been. So without further ado...here's my list.

(10) Movie 43 

       I didn't even realize how bad of a year it was until I constructed this list and saw that this steaming pile of garbage was actually only the film I hated 10th most. I don't even want to call this a film. It's more of a series of sketches that weren't even funny enough to be on "Mad TV" and yet have huge name stars in them.

(9) Tyler Perry's A Madea Christmas

         I will enjoy just about any Christmas film I watch. I even enjoy Surviving Christmas, Jingle All The Way, ETC. However, this film was just a bunch of obnoxious characters sitting around telling terrible jokes that they though were funny. It's like that one guy at the party who thinks he's a comedian but ends up getting thrown out for being obnoxious.

(8) 47 Ronin 

        An actor as dull as Keanu Reeves thrown into a film as dull as this one is not a good mix at all. In fact...it's pretty damn unwatchable. The action set pieces are ugly, the story dumb and the writing absolutely despicable. Need I say more?

(7) Grown Ups 2

          When there's a single laugh in a film starring Adam Sandler, David Spade, Chris Rock and Kevin James...all of whom can be legitimately great and the laugh is elicited from the ever so terrible Taylor Lautner....you know your film sucks. This is such an uninteresting film that I started counting how many poop and piss jokes there were in the film. I lost count at 44. 

(6) Only God Forgives

           Ryan Gosling has the ability to be a magnetic, excellent actor (just take a look at Half Nelson or The Notebook.) However, he's just a walking zombie in this incredibly unwatchable revenge flick that reunites him with his Drive director, Nicolas Winding Refn. Throw in a hammy performance by Kristin Scott Thomas, another excellent performer as Gosling's mother and a plot point directly involving incest and you've got yourself one steaming pile of crap.

(5) After Earth

            It's telling when a film I could barely sit through is only number five on my list. Although Will Smith obviously made his son Jaden star in this film for his own ego...I still have to hold Jaden's feet to the fire. Jaden Smith is asked to act by himself most of the time...a role that would be tough for anybody. However, I can't just let the fact that he's not experienced enough of an actor to pull this off slide. This is a true waste of time where someone could fall asleep at any point and not miss anything of importance.

(4) Riddick

             I wrote in my review of this film that it was by and large the worst film that came out all year. Then I remembered two from early in the year that make this look like a masterpiece by comparison. However, this is still as dull as dishwater and absolutely uneventful. 

(3) Scary Movie V 

             The last spoof film I found anything funny in was Scary Movie 3. Here...the once great writer David Zucker and the very talented director Malcolm D. Lee take the Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer place as making a spoof film that thinks just because something in pop culture is mentioned it's automatically funny. They're totally wrong. At least Lee redeemed himself with his sequel The Best Man Holiday. Zucker has nothing to show for making this garbage.

(2) A Haunted House 

       Racist, misogynistic, homophobic and genuinely gross. Unless you're a complete embezzle I can't imagine why that's what you would want to see in a spoof film. How this film ever got green lit is beyond me. The fact that there's a sequel in the works is just shameful.

(1) Mr. Nobody 

           I think Jared Leto's an incredibly talented actor and musician and he seems like a genuinely nice guy. However, this film irked me more than any other this year. It's an incredibly pretentious film that thinks it's smart but is actually really dumb and although one could argue that effort was made with this film unlike some others on this list...this film was inarguably made with cynical effort which may just be worse than no effort at all. There was obviously some potential here but any sign of a good film got squandered and became the most miserable two and a half hours of my life. 

Out Of The Furnace Review

Dead in the furnace---Christian Bale and Casey Affleck as struggling brothers in Out Of The Furnace
                        This is the biggest waste of talent and plot potential I can think of since perhaps 2010 when Clive Owen, Robert De Niro and Jason Statham starred in what could have and should have been a really cool film called Killer Elite. Out Of The Furnace is an incredibly dull film with a cast that refuses to do much of anything. When actors such as Christian Bale, Casey Affleck, Zoe Saldana, Willem Dafoe, Woody Harrelson, Forest Whitaker and Sam Shepard are front and center in a film...I don't expect such a long slog to take place.

      The film's plot is loose and yet can't be explained without giving a lot away. Essentially---Rodney (Affleck) must take a dive for fight coordinator Harlan (Harrelson.) However, the dive or intentional loss doesn't work out because Rodney can not control his anger during fights so Rodney's brother Russell (Bale) must take matters into his own hands.

                        The acting is actually half decent. Everyone is giving it their all from Harrelson in his most menacing work ever to Dafoe's perfectly cast fight promoter to Whitaker as a fateful cop to Shepard as Russell and Rodney's uncle. However, the script allows the actors nothing to do. In other words---just because an actor is capable of giving a good performance does not mean that the script will allow them to do so. The script doesn't explain anything and keeps jumping back and forth with no explanation of why the audience is at the position they are at.

                        Writer/director Scott Cooper (Crazy Heart) also makes the film look ugly which may have felt purposeful had it been explained. Cooper and first time co-writer Brad Ingelsby make all their characters way too unlikable and dumb so that by the end even the one logical and nice character does something so ludicrous that there's no one to root for anymore.

                         Despite the acting (which can't even be considered that great because the script doesn't allow it to be,) Out Of The Furnace is a terrible film. It's an impressively dull and slow slog through a wasteland of people that any sane audience member won't give two hoots about while watching the film and won't remember at all once the end credits roll.
(1 out of 5 Stars, The film is rated R for strong violence, language and drug content)

Homefront Review

Don't mess with the south----James Franco and Winona Ryder as a pair of drug dealers who must take down an undercover cop (Jason Statham) in Homefront
                                            I never thought I would say this much less open a review with it but this film whose screenplay is written by Sylvester Stallone is way too complicated. When I go to a film starring Jason Statham as an undercover cop being hunted by a drug dealer (James Franco)...I don't want to think. Don't get me wrong...I highly respect both of these actors and they are both obviously very smart men but the film goes off in too many directions about how Gator, the drug dealer needs to get this and Phil, the undercover cop needs to do this. All I want is to see Statham kick some serious butt. My wish doesn't go completely unfulfilled but there's simply not enough to justify sitting through a two hour film that features 90 minutes of boring, pointless dialogue and a 20 minute final scene with a somewhat unsatisfying conclusion.

                                              I'll try my best to explain the plot without giving any of the contrived plot twists away. Here it goes---Statham plays Phil Broker, an undercover cop who moves to a small town. When his daughter beats up a fellow student, the student's mother, Cassie (Kate Bosworth) will not have any of it. She hires her brother, Gator (Franco)...a local drug dealer to simply scare him. However, when Phil makes things right with Cassie and she becomes sympathetic to him...Gator finds out that through ways that are way too complex to go into detail about, Phil can help his drug business. Gator is no nonsense and all business so naturally he becomes determined to catch Phil no matter how much Cassie tries to persuade him otherwise.

                                              Homefront is not a terrible film by any stretch of the imagination. After giving a career high in Harmony Korine's Spring Breakers...Franco once again proves just how versatile of an actor he is. He plays the deep fried southern villain with such realism and terror that I was afraid he was actually going to come out of the screen and shoot me. As well...Statham, an actor I have found incredibly charming and fun ever since Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels makes Phil an incredibly sympathetic and nice character even when he's throwing dudes through windows. Statham is not a typical action star a la Jean Claude Van Damme or Steven Seagal and I mean that in the best way possible. He's a really good actor who just so happens to be able to kick butt.

                                             The problem I had with the film is that Sylvester Stallone and director Gary Fleder (Runaway Jury, Don't Say A Word) fill the screen with too many attempts at explanation as to why characters are doing what they're doing. These end up falling flat not only because they don't matter at all in a film like this but also because the explanations make absolutely no sense. They end up feeling too forced into the script to make a logical film and end up making the film significantly more illogical in the process. Also....the film is way too long. If Fleder and Stallone just cut out 20 minutes of the film then I would have been a happier man. Although I liked Phil's relationship with his daughter...there are a few too many scenes showing the audience just how much Phil cares for his daughter, for example. Another example would be Sheryl (Winona Ryder), Gator's plaything and assistant who adds nothing to the story and actually makes Gator a little less threatening when introduced. I generally like Ryder as an actress but it was not only an unnecessary character but a terrible performance.

                                               Homefront is my least favorite type of film to write a review on. I neither hated it or loved it. I had a very middle of the road reaction and that bores me. I can only say that I hope Franco and Statham continue being the very talented actors they are but in better films.
(2 out of 5 Stars, The film is rated R for strong violence, pervasive language, drug content and brief sexuality)

The Best Man Holiday Review

Reunited and it feels so good----Harold Perrineau, Taye Diggs and Terrence Howard see each other again after 14  years for a Christmas get together in The Best Man Holiday
                               It hasn't been fair on adults when it comes to films about the holidays. It seems as if children get the greats like Elf, Frosty The Snowman, The Santa Clause and the list goes on. I am not a kid so it seems for us adults we don't really get much of anything for holiday films. Sure....all the kids films I mentioned can also be thoroughly enjoyed by the parents. However, the only film that gives the parents any alone time for watching a holiday film seems to be Christmas slashers. While those are some of my biggest guilty pleasures, they are not quality films. Now comes The Best Man Holiday....a film that should be a Christmas classic strictly for adults for years to come. It's been 14 years since The Best Man came out and if this sequel proves anything, it's that a sequel is better when it's not rushed out into theaters as a desperate cash grab a la The Hangover Part III or Grown Ups 2. This latest addition features all of the same cast members doing quality work. As well the script is in turns funny, sad and touching without the comedy being too broad or the drama being too syrupy.

                                   The film opens with the showing of everyone becoming successful after when the first film took place. Julian (Harold Perrineau) has opened a school with wife Candace (Regina Hall.) Harper (Taye Diggs) has become a bestselling author and his wife, Robyn (Sanaa Lathan) is a thriving chef. Lance (Morris Chestnut) is a star pro football player while his wife Mia (Monica Calhoun) is a happy stay at home mom. Jordan (Nia Long) is a career obsessed executive who's dating Brian (Eddie Cibrian.) Quentin (Terrence Howard) has found success in the music business and Shelby (Melissa De Sousa) is now a reality TV show hit. On one fateful weekend, they all get back together at Lance and Mia's house while secrets are revealed, trust is broken and a lot of laughs even ensue.

                                      While this film does have moments that genuinely made me cry, I want to talk about the comedic elements first. First and foremost---Howard is at his comedic best here. After being in the despicable sketch comedy Movie 43....he redeems himself by showing just how hilarious he can be when given the right material. The rest of the cast, notably Diggs and Hall who are two of the most likable working actors today also get quite a few very funny lines.

                                      The drama is also present, however. Chestnut, after having played a dreadful role in the incompetently made and dull as the doldrums Kick Ass 2  also proves once again what a great actor he can be. Most of the drama comes from a secret Lance and Mia are holding which I choose not to give away. I will say nothing more about it except that this secret tugs at the heartstrings throughout the film. Writer-director Malcolm D. Lee knows how to make this film work wonders and if you've seen the original it will come as no surprise that the cast still has amazing chemistry after 14 years. However, you don't need to have seen the original to love this film as much as I did.

                                     The Best Man Holiday is an absolutely delightful film. It doesn't try any cheap jokes or sappy, unjustified moments. While I can't honestly say this is going to make my top 10 best films come January...I can say with the utmost confidence that it will be in my top 10 surprises of 2013. Although I loved The Best Man.....I didn't have any confidence that this sequel would deliver. Oh how wrong I was.
(4 and 1/2 out of 5 Stars, The film is rated R for language, sexual content and brief nudity)

About Time Review

Not so frequently asked questions about time travel---Domnhall Gleeson and Bill Nighy as a father and son with the ability to travel in time in About Time

                                Let me preface this review by saying that Notting Hill is my favorite romance film ever and Love Actually is my second. I say this to display that, naturally, I expect quite a bit from the man who made these films. That man is Richard Curtis and his newest film, About Time is the most enjoyable romantic comedy of the past couple of years until a point but I'll get to that later. This is a wonderful film in general, however.

                                 The film stars Brendan Gleeson's son, Domnhall Gleeson as Tim....a rather unremarkable young man who messes up just about every chance he gets. On the day of his 21st birthday, his father (Bill Nighy) tells Tim about a gift the men in their family have---they can travel in time. There are a couple of rules, however. They can't travel into the future and they can only travel back to a place they've been. This makes it so that you can make a bad day good by doing everything right or just fix a simple mistake. The film then follows Tim as he meets Mary (Rachel McAdams) and forms an incredible relationship with her. Oh yeah and Tim learns the true meaning of life.

                                  This is in general an excellent film. Gleeson, Nighy and McAdams are all absolutely terrific and all have incredibly palpable chemistry with one another. Nighy is the most underrated actor working in Hollywood in my eyes while Gleeson proves to have a long career ahead of him and McAdams proves to be the ideal romantic lead. The film has a great message about learning to see the beauty in life. However, the last half an hour or so of the film almost ruins it for me. Even though that's when the nice message comes in----it feels as if writer-director Curtis had no idea how to end it. The film features about seven shots in which it could easily had ended and when the final shot does come---it's pretty bland. The last act of the film, however can not ruing how delightful the rest is---it can just come close. 

                                 About Time can't quite live up to the sheer excellence of Notting Hill or Love Actually but it's the freshest, funniest and best romance to come out in the past five years or so. That may not seem like much of a complaint considering the smut that been disguised as romance over those years but I can say this is a very, very, very good film. 

(4 out of 5 Stars, The film is rated R for language and some sexual content)

Captain Phillips Review

We're going to need a bigger ship---Tom Hanks as the captain of a ship being taken hostage in Captain Phillips
                         Captain Phillips is a defining, confirming moment in an already spectacular career. This is a film that never would have worked if not for the presence of the lead actor. That lead actor is Tom Hanks who, despite having already won two Oscars and having been nominated five times altogether, will be robbed if he doesn't AT LEAST get a nomination for the upcoming February awards show. This is a performance in which Hanks does more with one glance than most actors can do with a whole screenplay. That's not to say there's not other great performances in the film. Barkhad Abdi, in his very first role plays Muse...the leader of the Hijackers who Captain Richard Phillips (Hanks) must fight off and defeat.

                              The film is based on the autobiography of Phillips which focuses on the events in this film. Namely---Phillips's ship was taken over by four modern day Somali pirates. That's as far as I'm going to get into the plot because a lot of what happens is not exactly what one would expect to happen with this basic outlined plot at hand. I will say, however, that Captian Phillips is a modern day masterpiece as well as the most intenser 134 minutes any audience member will spend gripped to their seat.

                                Directed by Paul Greengrass---this is somewhat similar to his film, United 93 which was shot in real time. While this is not shot in real time...there is very little time manipulation at hand. Also, as with United 93....Greengrass directs Captain Phillips with such a gritty and realistic style that one feels as if they are with Phillips himself. The screenplay by Billy Ray (The Hunger Games, Breach, State Of Play) is also quite fantastic. It attempts to very much humanize the pirates and does. By the end...you feel bad for them and that makes the film a total success alone.

                                Fantastic acting, incredibly skilled direction and a tight, intense script make Captain Phillips one of the best films of the year so far. If you haven't seen this film...by all means, do so especially considering that this film is going to get nominated and most likely win all kinds of oscars.
(5 out of 5 Stars, The film is rated PG-13 for sustained intense sequences of menace, some violence with bloody images and substance use)

Last Vegas Review

The old and the resting---Morgan Freeman, Michael Douglas, Robert De Niro and Kevin Kline get together for a weekend in Last Vegas
                               Last Vegas is definite proof of the death of comedy. Of course, this expression is not as literal as it sounds. Audiences of all demographics will, of course, always be treated to comedies that make them laugh and may even touch them. However, if this is what needs to happen for the older demographic to laugh then the world is all kinds of wrong. As far as old people jokes go---this film contains a count of over a hundred. The cast proves to be talented no matter how bad the script is but the sheer puerile nature of the film also proves the low point of everyone in this film's career.

                                 The film follows Billy (Michael Douglas)....a man who's planning to get married to a woman half  his age. He calls up his buddies, Archie and Sam (Morgan Freeman and Kevin Kline) but, of course, leaves out Paddy (Robert De Niro) of whom he has a longstanding grudge with. However, all four manage to pack up and head to Las Vegas where they become the life of every party. They meet a lounge singer named Diana (Mary Steenburgen, the only genuinely good thing in the entire film but I'll get to that in a second) and prove that old guys still have it in them to have a great time.

                                  The main problem I had with the film is that everyone barring Diana is totally and completely dehumanized. All four of the guys are portrayed as geriatric party boys living in a world of completely fantasy. The hotel worker (Romany Malco) assigned to wait on them hand and foot is just there to serve them. There's even a subplot involving a youngster (Jerry Ferrara) who attempts to fight the old men and has to make it up to them by ALSO waiting on them hand and foot. Diana is the only character who's not just there for the purpose of hokey laughs. She is a person who has feelings and shows emotions and has some kind of personality. Everyone else is just there to make sure that the old people fell young again and laugh in the process.

                                   Now---you may be thinking "I'm old...I would like it." Let me stop you right there. By old---I mean anyone 100 and over. I am a young guy but  I could tell that even if you are 85 or so....you will not laugh at this film. In fact...anyone 60-99 might just be incredibly offended at the ideas it offers. All this would be forgivable, however, if it were funny. There is not one genuine laugh in the entire picture. An attempt at a huge laugh involving rapper Curtis Jackson AKA 50 Cent stood out as falling particularly flat as does a wet bikini contest scene. However, there are many more scenes that are 100X more painful than those scenes.

                                    Like I said-----the cast tries to overcome the egregious material but Last Vegas just falls flat at every turn. It is not funny, it is not charming and after all the wackiness and dehumanizing ensues---it tries to turn schmaltzy at the end. Needless to say---this screwball comedy commits more than just a few sins.
(1 out of 5 Stars, The film is rated PG-13 for sexual content and language)

ACOD Review

Parental misguidance---Adam Scott as a son trying to get his bitterly divorced parents (Richard Jenkins and Catherine O'Hara) to get along in ACOD
                                            Ever since I saw him in Step Brothers...I always knew that Adam Scott had the chops to be a leading man buried deep down inside of him. ACOD, which stands for Adult Children Of Divorce gives Scott the opportunity to prove to the whole world what I knew for years now. Not only is he absolutely delightful in this film but he is the anchor that keeps it afloat. If his character were played by just about anyone else...I would have been incredibly annoyed. As written, Scott's character is a prick, a loser and a constant whiner but he manages to make it work because he's so damn likable.

                                             In the film, Scott plays Carter whose little brother Trey (Clark Duke) is abruptly getting married to his short time girlfriend. Carter and Trey's parents, Hugh and Melissa (Richard Jenkins and Catherine O'Hara) are bitterly divorced. When I say bitter divorce...I am totally sugarcoating it. These two have not been in a room together for over 10 years because they can't stand the sight of one another. This presents a problem seeing that Trey wants both of them at his wedding and he recruits Carter into trying to make them get along. I'm going to stop with the plot there because an incredible amount of delightfully wicked twists pursue after this.

                                             The whole cast is great. Hugh is a total jerk about everything and Jenkins plays him perfectly. O'Hara is great as the bitchy Melissa who just wants to be left alone. Duke is very funny as the unspeakably oblivious Trey. Mary Elizabeth Winstead plays Lauren---Carter's dedicated girlfriend and she is quite good. Jane Lynch is funny as always playing the voice of reason for Carter. Lastly---Amy Poehler and Ken Howard play Hugh and Melissa's new spouses and are quite good. I particularly love how the film didn't write them off as evil people like most films of this type tend to do.

                                              The screenplay by Ben Karlin and director Stu Zicherman is quite sharp. It has a lot to say about the dangers of marriage and falling in love too quickly as well as the quirkiness and unpredictable nature of life in general. However, I must state that the cast really keeps this film afloat. Although the writing is razor sharp, almost every character is written in an unlikable fashion and the cast really does make this film better than it should have been.

                                              I really liked ACOD even though I was aware that I only really liked it because of what Scott and the rest of the cast do with the material. However, I can't complain about this. I have seen so many films this year that don't work at all despite great performances (Lee Daniels' The Butler, Afternoon Delight, The Fifth Estate, ETC) that I was delighted to see one that worked because of the performances.
(4 out of 5 Stars, The film is rated R for language and brief sexual content)

Bad Grandpa Review

Grandpa's got a brand new bag---Irving Zisman (Johnny Knoxville) must take his grandson Billy (Jackson Nicoll) to his dad in Bad Grandpa

                              Bad Grandpa is a hard film to review. It is one of those films where I can only judge the film on if I laughed or not. If I judge the film on quality, style, filmmaking, ETC then I'll be accused of trying too hard. This is also a hard film to review because in order to explain why I barely laughed at it...I will have to discuss quality and filmmaking aspects---specifically plot. Unlike the other Jackass films...Bad Grandpa attempts to hone in on a plot. The pleasure of the Jackass films were seeing a bunch of dumb guys practically kill one another as well as themselves. Sure---it's an incredibly acquired taste but I laughed at those films. With Bad Grandpa....the pleasure is gone. Don't get me wrong...I laughed at some individual moments but not enough. Also----there was no one thing that stood out as particularly funny to me in Bad Grandpa a la the car rental scene in the first Jackass.

                               The film stars Johnny Knoxville as Irving Zisman who, through a series of events, has to take his grandson Billy (Jackson Nicoll) on a road trip to reunite with his father. Sure...this plot, as described, seems like a thin layer of nothing in order to get to the pranks and mishaps. However, they devote a good amount of time at the beginning and end to the plot. This is arguably the most detrimental flaw of the film. If you're going to make a film where the plot doesn't mean anything...don't spend around 30 minutes on said plot. 

                               Although I had to compare films...I have to compare this with Borat seeing as that's where this film is taking a lot of lessons from. However, Bad Grandpa is no Borat for many reasons. First---Borat had something to say about society while Bad Grandpa does not. I wasn't asking for a lesson about society in a film starring Knoxville in old man make up pooping on a wall. However, it would have helped quite a bit. Second----not many people watched "Da Ali G Show" before Borat came out so it was believable that the reactions were people's real reactions. Jackass 3D set a then fall opening weekend record so the fact that the reactions in Bad Grandpa are supposed to be natural is totally unbelievable. Third-----Borat didn't do anything too extreme while Irving does things that would surely get him thrown in jail or killed. Lastly----Borat is still one of the funniest and smartest  films I have ever seen while Bad Grandpa is dumb and 99% of the jokes fall flat.

                                I can't say I didn't laugh a couple of times. There are a few funny scenes but nothing that really made me do anything more than chuckle. Nicoll is perfectly cast and having worked with Knoxville on the god awful Fun Size a year ago....their chemistry is very realistic. However, it's just not that funny at all. Knoxville is convincing but this is definitive proof that a little bit of Irving goes a very long way.

(1 and 1/2 out of 5 Stars, The film is rated R for strong crude and sexual content throughout, language, some graphic nudity and brief drug use)

Escape From Tomorrow Review

It's a small film after all---Roy Abramsohn and Katelynn Rodriguez as a father and daughter taking a trip to Disney World in Escape From Tomorrow
                       Escape From Tomorrow gets the honor of the most simultaneously bizarre and tame film I have ever seen. It's weird to the point of insanity and yet it plays it significantly too safe. The film is written and directed by first time director Randy Moore, whose running gag is that this is a truly messed up horror film being shot in secrecy at the various Disney theme parks. The only problem is that Moore never really does anything with the location and focuses more on the half baked plot thus having the gag of the Disney park locations become tired very quickly.

                        I suppose I shouldn't tell of the half baked plot since Moore obviously doesn't want people to know about it. He has gone so far as to only release a minute long trailer that says nothing about any of the events in the film. However, I will say that once the big (and may I say fairly obvious) reveal is shown...the film still goes on for another twenty minutes. It was exhausting to sit in the theater and watch a film that essentially consists of one joke milked endlessly.

                         Moore starts out with a delightfully twisted opening scene but goes nowhere from there. The film is too tame with its subject matter, perhaps due to the fact that they didn't want to get sued by Disney themselves when it should have been going all out. If you're going to make a film that attempts to demolish Disney's reputation...at least attempt to make a film that actually says something evil or mean spirited about Disney.

                         The cast is also terrible. I guess I shouldn't be surprised since star (and most well known cast member) Roy Abramsohn was previously most notable for playing Groucho Marx in a completely unknown TV film. Still....they have easy material to work with here. No one is exactly asked to play Gandhi and yet no one can pull of anything except annoying the hell out of the audience.

                           Escape From Tomorrow is a rather boring film that could have and should have been so much more. The film consists of bad actors saying terrible lines, most of which don't even relate back to the initial premise. If "Seinfeld" was a show about about nothing...Escape From Tomorrow is a film about nothing.
(1 out of 5 Stars, The film is Not Rated)

The Fifth Estate Review

Return to sender----Daniel Bruhl and Benedict Cumberbatch as Daniel Berg and Julian Assange in The Fifth Estate
                    The story of WikiLeaks and its founder Julian Assange is among one of the most fascinating stories of all time. It changed the way every single person looks at media as well as the spread of information and turned the whole world flat on its face. That's why it's so incredibly disappointing to see a film with great actors and a story as fascinating as the one of WikiLeaks that somehow still manages to be what is perhaps the dullest film of the year. The Fifth Estate drags on for so long and is so tedious that I started to question if this story is as fascinating as I thought it was. Fortunately...I googled the story minutes after the final credits rolled and my faith in the story was restored.

                     The film stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks and Daniel Bruhl as Daniel Berg, a man who played a vital role in the success of the website. These are two terrific actors playing very interesting people and still managing to come across as wooden. I'm not blaming Cumberbatch or Bruhl. These two actors might just be incapable of giving a bad performance and they're both fantastic here. It's just that the screenplay by Josh Singer (who has only worked on quality television such as "The West Wing" and "Fringe" prior to this film) is so intent on constantly reminding the audience that Assange was a weirdo and that Berg helped lay so much of the foundation that the audience never gets anything beyond that. There is a subplot involving Laura Linney, Stanley Tucci and Anthony Mackie as defense politicians who are desperately trying to stop WikiLeaks but that story goes nowhere. The film is so one sided in its argument against WikiLeaks that it never explores the story with any depth or grace.

                       Another problem I had with the film is that none of the characters are ones anyone can get even remotely attached to. In one way or another...these are all completely reprehensible people and there's no way to root for anyone. I know that perhaps this is the point but it's detrimental to a film that's already really bad to have characters who aren't even connectable through hate. In other words...by the end of the film, I didn't feel any emotions for a single character.

                         The Fifth Estate is definite proof that great acting can't save a lousy screenplay and stale direction. There is an interview at the end of the film with the real Assange. This is a major flaw by director Bill Condon to include this part in the film because it makes the audience realize that a five minute interview with Assange himself is significantly more interesting than anything in his film.
(1 out of 5 Stars, The film is rated R for language and some violence)

                     

Zaytoun Review

At war with itself-----Stephen Dorff as an Israeli fighter pilot who befriends a Palestinian boy (Abdallah El Akal) in Zaytoun
                               Although many people do not like it at all---I love John Waters's Cecil B Demented. The main reason behind my love for it is the excellent work of Stephen Dorff in the film. However, that was the last time I could ever say I saw Dorff give a decent performance. When you have films such as Feardotcom, Deuces Wild, Shadowboxer, Alone In The Dark, Immortals, Cold Creek Manor and the infamously ghastly Bucky Larson: Born To Be A Star on your resume...you're not exactly batting a thousand and neither is your agent. In fact---my least favorite Dorff performance and film was Somewhere...a film that somehow won people over despite the fact that it was literally just Dorff looking and acting depressed for two hours. Now comes Zaytoun....a film that features Dorff in an incredibly miscast role as Israeli fighter pilot Yoni.

                            The film follows Yoni as he unrealistically befriends a Palestinian boy named Fahed (Abdallah El Akal.) It is at this point that the audience is injected with the most awkward mix of road trip comedy and depressing war film one could imagine. The conflicting tones of the film make it too lightweight to grip the audience and too depressing to entertain the audience. What the audience is left with is just an unnecessarily long and drawn out relationship that features no chemistry whatsoever.

                            Dorff is, as previously mentioned, completely miscast here. His performance is so simultaneously lackluster and over the top---I was surprised when Nicolas Cage didn't show up as Ghost Rider. Akal is alright here considering it's his first starring role (he certainly outshines Dorff) but he's not exactly going to be getting calls anytime in the immediate future for another performance. What he plays here is a prop that the film revolves around. Although Akal admittedly tries his best...Fahed is such a cliche, unrealistic character that it's hard to buy anything that's coming out of his mouth.

                            There are admittedly a few good parts about Zaytoun. It creates a nice looking atmosphere and has one or two compellingly shot war scenes. However, the film is too awkward and too jarring to be considered anything other than a failure. I'm tempted to say watch it on cable when it comes on Encore! or Starz but that would just be unfairly taking two long hours of your life away.
(1 and 1/2 out of 5 Stars, The film is Not Rated)

                             

Don Jon Review

When nudity calls---Joseph Gordon Levitt and Scarlett Johansson as a couple who share very different tastes in film in Don Jon

                                      We've all been there. That relationship in which pornography is a massive argument point. Now with Fifty Shades Of Grey's popularity skyrocketing day by day---it seems as if the writing and directorial debut of Joseph Gordon Levitt, Don Jon is more relevant than ever. This isn't anywhere close to being the most realistic film in the world but it does make many good points about the state of relationships nowadays.

                                        The film stars Levitt as Jon---a lothario who shares much in common with "Jersey Shore"'s Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino in his respect for women. He sleeps with them, immediately watches porn and plans to never see them again. That is until he meets Barbara (Scarlett Johansson)---a woman whose life has always gone her way and doesn't respect the idea of porn. She does, however love cliche romantic comedies. This gives Jon the task of having to hide his porn addiction from her.

                                        While I can not honestly say everyone should go out and see this film---I can say certain groups will love it. First off---couples, oddly enough will enjoy it because they will see much of their own relationship in these characters. Of course---fans of Levitt (myself included) will be glad to see what a confident and even excellent writing-directing debut he has made. I would also say that people who enjoy study the art of filmmaking and especially aspiring filmmakers should see it to observe what can be done for their first time making a film.

                                         The supporting performances are also great. Glenne Headly is great as Jon's mother who is enthusiastic about him possibly finding the one. Julianne Moore is excellent as a classmate Jon befriends. Saving the best for last...I can not forget Tony Danza as Jon's father. He is also pretty obsessed with sex but doesn't see eye to eye with Jon on anything. There's a very funny argument involving the use of TiVo, in fact. 

                                          Like I said----Don Jon is going to turn a lot of people off. Whether that be because of its redundant (albeit well done) scenes, because of its subject matter or because of the constant graphicness both visually and orally. However, I enjoyed myself thoroughly while watching it and can honestly say that while it is not flawless (the ending, while sweet, still left me pretty cold, for example)---it's a nice surprise and a great debut for Levitt's other talents.

(4 out of 5 Stars, The film is rated R for strong graphic sexual material and dialogue throughout, nudity, language and some drug use)

Metallica: Through The Never Review

The plot that never comes---James Hetfield rocks out with his band live in Metallica: Through The Never
                There's really three ways to look at the newest concert film, Metallica: Through The Never. You can look at it for what it is---a standard but incredibly cool concert film. You can look at it as an actual concert that you pay 16 dollars for rather than between 50 and 100 which, in that regard, it works brilliant. Lastly---you can look at it from the perspective of a film with all of the necessary elements (plot, structure, character, ETC) in which it sucks. This is a film that not only makes you feel as if you're at the concert but makes you feel as if you're jamming out with the band on stage. It may be the most well shot concert film I have ever seen, in fact. At the very least..the film comes in at a close second to Talking Heads' concert film, Stop Making Sense. That's why it's so unfortunate that writer-director Nimrod Antal (Predators) had to throw in a completely unnecessary and out of place plot that involves a roadie (Dane DeHaan)'s wacky night out.

                 I am not a die hard fan of Metallica as a lot of people are. Don't get me wrong---I think they're fantastic and four of the coolest guys in the world. However, I'm not obsessive about them. Watching them jam out in IMAX 3D (which is the only way you'll get any of the effect of the film) is terrific. It's amazing that these guys still have such raw talent and can still be so cool and charismatic on stage. The set decorations by Elizabeth Wilcox and cinematograph by Gyula Pados are absolutely stunning and the film uses its visual style to the nines. However, that plot does get in the way and almost ruins the entire film.

                 There are so many problems with the plot but I'll explain the two biggest reasons the plot is detrimental to the film. For one...the plot completely takes away from the concert aspect. When the audience sees these guys jamming out...they feel like they're up on stage with them. However, whenever even a shot of DeHaan's character comes up...it turns the film into an extended music video. The other reason is (and some may considering this a spoiler so skip to the next paragraph if you don't want to be told what happens) that the plot is never explained. There's people on horses wearing masks and the roadie has to get a mysterious bag to the band right away. However, even at the end...they don't explain why this all happened. The filmmakers simply leave the audience wondering why the hell they just watched that plot unfold. Also...there is an incredibly tasteless scene that happens before the band plays its final song that feels completely forced.

                   I can't give this film a complete endorsement due to the unnecessary, gimmicky and pretentious plot. However, if you happen to be near a theater showing this in IMAX 3D....go see it if you can. This is the closest you'll ever get to seeing an actual Metallica concert without paying any more than 20 dollars for it.
(3 out of 5 Stars, The film is rated R for some violent content and language)

Drinking Buddies Review

Beer me----Olivia Wilde and Jake Johnson as work spouses who fall for each other while in relationships in Drinking Buddies
                              Walking out of Drinking Buddies....I had a thought rushing through my head that I never thought I would. I couldn't help but think that Anna Kendrick and Ron Livingston---two of my favorite actors working today---actually made the film a lot less interesting. Kendrick plays Jill...boyfriend of Luke (Jake Johnson) who is desperately in love with his work wife Kate (Olivia Wilde) but doesn't quite know it. Livingston plays Chris....the man that Kate is dating despite the fact that they have absolutely nothing in common with one another.

                                I'll explain why Kendrick and Livingston made this a lot less interesting. All the stuff between Luke and Kate rings true and is in turns funny and touching. However, Jill and Chris have nothing in common with their significant others and yet the film never acknowledges that. By never directly saying just how little the two couples belong together....writer-director Joe Swanberg manages to make a film that is filled with some of the most incredibly awkward scenes in recent memory. For example....when Jill and Chris share an intimate moment (which is not a spoiler at all)....Swanberg obviously didn't know how to set that up properly.

                                The last half an hour is actually the best part of the film. I won't say what happens...I'll just say that it's the best part due to the fact that it focuses strictly on Luke and Kate. Also...the ending is perfectly non-eventful. Johnson and Wilde are terrific together. However, I found Johnson to be the only one out of the four who really tried and succeeded. Johnson is an incredibly funny guy and a damn good actor but when he's the best performer in a film that also features Ron Livingston, Anna Kendrick and Olivia Wilde...you know you're in trouble.

                                 Swanberg is obviously an incredibly talented man. He was great in You're Next and he has done some very solid mumblecore films such as Uncle Kent, LOL and Hannah Takes The Stairs. Drinking Buddies falls far short of the mumblecore spectrum. This doesn't really affect the film either way except to let me say that I think Swanberg, when writing and directing, should stick to his roots.
(2 out of 5 Stars, The film is rated R for language throughout)

Afternoon Delight Review

Strip teasing----Juno Temple as a stripper who gets invited into the home of a well intentioned woman (Kathryn Hahn) in Afternoon Delight

                                                         Afternoon Delight introduces a side of actress Kathryn Hahn no one has ever seen before. Hahn is generally one of those people who plays a fairly large supporting role but never goes beyond that. Here...she gets the opportunity to shine in his first leading role and shine she does. However, the film is lacking in many aspects. That's not to say it's a terrible film. It's just that for her first starring role...Hahn gives a great performance but the film isn't there to back her up.

                                                         In the film...Hahn plays Rachel...a well meaning wife and mother whose husband, Jeff (Josh Radnor) doesn't seem to be excited by their marriage anymore. She doesn't, either but she's at least working to improve it. Rachel meets McKenna (Juno Temple)...a seemingly innocent stripper at a gentleman's club. When Rachel runs into her on the street again....she invites McKenna to come live with her and Jeff.

                                                         While Hahn proves herself as a force to be reckoned with....the whole films rings false a lot of the time. Radnor is also quite good but I never bought that Rachel and Jeff would have ever given each other the time of day much less be married and have a kid. And yes...I know that the plot involves their marriage being on the rocks but still....it's so unbelievable that these two people would EVER fall for each other. Also..the relationship between Rachel and her pretend friends feels forced and pandering. The only relationship I bought was that of Rachel and McKenna but that even fell completely apart in the third act.

                                                          The film also tries to force sentimentality where it's not needed. A good example is a scene in which Rachel is talking to her therapist (Jane Lynch) who spews into rants that have nothing to do with what Rachel was saying. Eventually...Rachel confronts her and the therapist is a bit insulted. Later....well, you know where this is going. There are multiple scenes such as that one that ring completely false. First time writer-director Jill Soloway obviously knows what she's doing and intended to do something very specific. It's just that she didn't know how to construct it properly. 

                                                           It's not that Afternoon Delight is terrible. In fact...I kind of enjoyed it. I don't expect realism in all of the films I go and see. I don't want to walk out of Lethal Weapon and say "what an incredibly realistic film that was." However, this film should have been more realistic and less gooey. Hahn is the main reason to see this film. If it weren't for her...I may be telling you to avoid it like the plague.

(2 and 1/2 out of 5 Stars, The film is rated R for strong sometimes graphic sexual content, language and some drug use)

Riddick Review

The dark night----Vin Diesel returns as a man who can see in the dark being hunted down by mercenaries in Riddick
                                        Perhaps I'm not the right person to review this film. I really didn't like The Chronicles Of Riddick or Pitch Black so maybe this just wasn't for me. Still---my opinion on this film needs to be heard. Riddick might be the single worst film I have ever seen. Like I said...I didn't really like the previous two films but I didn't despise them, either. At least those films had a thin excuse for a story. In the newest reboot---there is no story, theme, idea or anything being put up on screen. I'll lay the film out for you right here to save you 10 bucks. First 30 minutes or so---Riddick (Vin Diesel) walks around and occasionally blandly kills something. Next hour-----bounty hunters who have come to kill Riddick stand around and spew the worst dialogue this side of The Room. Last 30 minutes----boring action that should have happened earlier takes place. There....I just saved you 10 bucks as well as two hours of your life.

                                        The film has something to do with some bounty hunters or something. Honestly----I was so incredibly bored by the time this film actually showed any hints of a story that I didn't even try to find a story when it *kind of* appeared. The film is completely hideous in every way possible. The action set pieces are so obviously green screened and look even more painted on than anything. Having seen this on an IMAX sized screen....I legitimately walked out of the theater with my eyes stinging. Vin Diesel has always been quite the charming actor to me. However, he obviously doesn't care here. At least he was having fun in Furious 6. Here...he knows how pointless it is for this film to exist.

                                         I can't write a review of this film, however, without mentioning the performance of Jordi Molla...an actor who has been in other films and has never really become a well known name, either. In this film....Molla is so unbelievably bad that his performance stands out as by far the worst of the year. As with the rest of the film...his performance is all the more frustrating because it's bad without reaching so bad it's good or fun level.

                                         Absolutely nothing works in this film. NOTHING!!!!!!!!!! It's a completely incomprehensible, despicable mess. Riddick is by far the worst film of the year and this is the year where such duds as A Haunted House, Scary Movie 5 and After Earth have come out.
(0 out of 5 Stars, The film is rated R for strong violence, language and some sexual content/nudity)

Led Zeppelin Played Here Review

The mystery of rock----Outside of Wheaton Community Center where Led Zeppelin supposedly played and where Jeff Krulik makes his newest documentary
                                        Jeff Krulik's newest documentary, Led Zeppelin Played Here is a truly great example of just how much a documentary not only relies on its subject but its maker. Being from the area in which this documentary takes place may make me a bit biased in writing this review but not to a fault. Krulik knows how to engage the audience throughout and the diverse subjects who debate the mystery of a concert in Wheaton, MD are endlessly fascinating.

                                         A little background----the film premiered at the AFI Silver in downtown Silver Spring in its entire glory. I was one of the people fortunate enough to sit down and watch this fascinating piece of work. It's expending to more festivals and if it's at a festival near you---I highly recommend you check it out.

                                          The film follows a quest to find out if rock band Led Zeppelin played at the Community Center in Wheaton. Krulik talks to all kinds of people. Some say there's no way they didn't and some say there's no way they did. The fact that both sides put up a very convincing argument makes the film all the more fascinating. Krulik delivers lots of humor and talks a lot about other well known artists and bands while still holding the audience down with that ultimate question---did Led Zeppelin play there?

                                           I also saw an unfinished preview cut of the film back in January of this year and while I thought the unfinished cut was terrific...the full length version is even better. The audience gets a glimpse inside a ton of fascinating people ranging from a man who collects everything Led Zeppelin to music archivists to people who claim that they were there on that fateful night. The subjects he speaks to are simultaneously fascinating and funny. Also---no matter what side they're on---they put up a good argument as to why they think what they think.

                                            Krulik has made a truly fascinating film here. He sucks in the audience in with this one burning question and never lets go. I honestly can't think of a documentary that I've enjoyed more in the past couple of years. If this comes anywhere near you...by all means, see it.
(5 out of 5 Stars, The film is Not Rated)

You're Next Review

A home invasion away from home----Sharni Vinson as the victim of a home invasion in You're Next
                                 The ads for You're Next are among the worst I have ever seen. It made the film look intriguing enough but it also suggested that this was yet another home invasion horror film a la The Purge or The Strangers. In actuality, You're Next is (without overselling it) one of the greatest things ever put on film. It is the most innovative, entertaining, creepy, delightfully gory and surprisingly intentionally very funny films of any sort of the past few decades. Words lose me when trying to describe my love for this film. This is one of those films where you walk out of the theater vibrating from the awesomeness that you have just experienced. There is so much life and energy as well as originality to every frame of this film that it can only be praised as a modern masterpiece. Directed by Adam Wingard  and written by Simon Barrett who did the wraparound story for the much-lauded V/H/S (which I actually found pretty enjoyable).....this is a film that should be shown to film students for decades to come on how to make a legitimately amazing film.

                                  I'm not going to tell you the plot because the less you know about this film---the more you'll love it. I will say it's a home invasion film like no other. Other than that---going into this film fresh will make you love this film even more than I did (if that's even possible.)  

                                   I always talk about great acting in films that I review. While this film does have some excellent acting including a hilarious performance from Joe Swanberg (whose character we needed more of)...the directing, writing and most important---editing are key here. Director Wingard shows us almost every scene of violence in full. While this will cause just about anyone to turn away multiple times....it also makes for a delightfully gory horror film. All the horror films from this year (barring Evil Dead) have been too afraid to go the extra mile. That is to say the filmmakers were afraid too much gore would be a turn off for audiences. Here's a little secret to the filmmakers----a lot of gore actually makes for a more fun and creepy film than a dumbed down PG-13 horror film. The writing is very funny while still managing to be incredibly creepy. The dialogue could probably go up against Aaron Sorkin's screenplays---no joke. It is fast, funny, fierce and menacing. Also----the story keeps you hooked wondering what's going to happen next and the outcome doesn't disappoint. The editing uses many quick jump cuts to make for a very disturbing look. Too many horror films nowadays think that if one shot is shown for a long time---that's creepy. Rather, it just gets boring and repetitive. The fact that the film's editing uses a lot of jump cuts and fast paced cinematography actually makes it 1000 times more enjoyable than any other horror film from the past few decades. Also...the score is fantastic. The progressively loud music adds to the creepiness of each situation and the technique (which I will not give away) of playing a certain song is downright brilliant.

                                      You're Next is the very definition of a flawless film. If I had anything close to one complaint---it would be that the characters are unlikable. However, even that's a positive for the film. You wouldn't want to see Shailene Woodley's character from The Spectacular Now get brutally killed...would you? Thus having unlikable people makes a lot of sense for this film. If you haven't seen You're Next yet...do so now. It is a legitimately amazing piece of filmmaking.
(5 out of 5 Stars, The film is rated R for strong bloody violence, language and some sexuality/nudity)

Lee Daniels' The Butler Review

To protest and to serve----Forest Whitaker and Oprah Winfrey as a White House employee and his wife in Lee Daniels' The Butler
                                 Lee Daniels' The Butler is the very definition of Oscar bait. The film was made simply to attract the attention of the Academy. This isn't a terrible film by any means but it is a frustrating one due to the fact that there is nothing here that suggests a film was attempting to be more than a hook for the Academy. The film is also definitive proof that great acting doesn't always make a great film. It is an expertly performed film but rather bland if you ask me. For all of its potential---the film seems to be a huge missed opportunity.

                                   The film follows Cecil Gaines (Forest Whitaker)....a man who has suffered through years of oppression and gets his chance at the good life when The White House calls him to offer him a job as a butler. This is a true story of a man who overcame the odds and served as butler for eight presidents. The performances of these presidents range from skillfully underplayed (James Marsden as John F. Kennedy and Robin Williams as Dwight D. Eisenhower) to merrily and accurately over the top (Liev Schreiber as Lyndon B. Johnson and John Cusack as Richard Nixon) to kind of just there (I'm sorry Alan Rickman, but your Ronald Reagan just isn't cutting it.) Considering this is a truly fascinating and inspiring story.....there's not a whole lot here to make it worth the 130 minute running time.

                                    There are some nice turns from Cuba Gooding, JR. and Lenny Kravitz as fellow butlers and Whitaker is great here. However, actors such as Terrence Howard, David Oyelowo and Vanessa Redgrave are just kind of left in the dust. Their roles hold no significance and the entire film could have been done without them. However, even the great performances simply feel like an attempt to get the Academy's attention. Also...Oprah Winfrey as Cecil's wife, Gloria is a well written character but Winfrey makes the character seem like the most annoying human being on earth simply by acting like she generally does. The story lags so much that you start to wonder why the film needed to be over two hours.

                                     I'm not saying this a terrible film by any means whatsoever. It's just that there's nothing to it. There are one or two individual moments in which director Lee Daniels and writer Danny Strong (who did the excellent HBO film Recount) don't try to pull in the Oscars. Those are the moments that stand out as truly excellent because they're attempting to be interesting and succeeding quite well. However, those moments are too little too late and I'm disappointed to report that I don't think Lee Daniels' The Butler should get any attention come Oscar season.
(2 out of 5 Stars, The film is rated PG-13 for some violence and disturbing images, language, sexual material, thematic elements and smoking)

Kick-Ass 2 Review

Holding out for a hero----Chloe Grace Moretz and Aaron Taylor-Johnson are superheroes once again in Kick-Ass 2
                               Kick-Ass 2 is right up there with Poltergeist II: The Other Side, The Sting II, Jaws 2 and Exorcist II: The Heretic as one of the most lifeless, dumbest sequels ever made. The sequel that Kick-Ass 2 is most reminiscent of, however, also came out this year. That sequel is The Hangover Part III. This is due to the fact that, just as that film did...Kick-Ass 2 pulls a complete 360. It takes a completely different tone from the first one and changes the whole idea of the film and doesn't work at all. This is a very bad film with two bright spots that kept me from being totally bored. The first Kick-Ass being a legitimately great film in my eyes...I have some biased towards this dumbed down sequel and will make some comparisons through the course of this review.

                                This time...Kick-Ass/Dave (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) is being taught by Hit Girl/Mindy  (Chloe Grace Moretz) how to become a great fighter/superhero. However, Mindy just wants to lead a normal high school life and steps down from being Hit Girl. This happens right as rich kid Chris (Christopher Mintz-Plasse....one of the bright spots) plans to become the world's first super villain. His villain name is a name that would be unprofessional of me to type in this review. His assistant, Javier (John Leguizamo....there's the other bright spot) doesn't know what to think of his evil plans. Meanwhile, Kick-Ass joins a group of real-life superheroes that include such wacky characters as Colonel Stars And Stripes (Jim Carrey) and Dr. Gravity (Donald Faison.)

                                    The film can be summed up by a line that is uttered a few times. In a few scenes...a character says "This isn't a comic book." The fatal flaw of the film, however is that it IS a comic book. A lot of the fun in the first one came from the fact that the superheroes lived in the real world and were totally out of place when they were walking on the streets. Here....they're placed into a world in which everyone is a cartoon therefore making no one interesting. There's a lot of stuff involving Mindy and her struggles at school as well as her trouble with her adoptive father, Marcus (Morris Chestnut.) This aspect of the film annoyed me beyond belief. I don't go to a film like this to see a teenage girl struggle through high school. That's like going to a horror film to see Pauly Shore do his schtick. Carrey could have been great but it ultimately ended up feeling like they were forcing a big name actor to be in an unrecognizable part. Moretz and Taylor-Johnson are fine but they obviously don't really want to be there. Also... all the action scenes are shot in shaky-cam...the most annoying way to shoot anything in a film.

                                        Mintz-Plasse and Leguizamo are both funny in and of themselves and work well together. Leguizamo is in the same league as Christopher Walken, Gary Oldman, Philip Baker Hall and Woody Harrelson as an actor that never disappoints. However, the whole motive behind Chris could have been better executed and more interesting. I will say if you've seen the first film...you'll be disappointed that they didn't do more with Chris's motive. Javier is just there to provide a bit of comic energy as well he should be since nothing else in the film is all that entertaining. In fact...a lot of it is very, very boring.

                                           Writer-Director Jeff Wadlow, who previously did the fighting drama Never Back Down which is admittedly a guilty pleasure for me and the pathetic high school horror film Cry_Wolf obviously has no idea to do with the material at hand here. The first one was directed by Matthew Vaughn who did the amazing action film Layer Cake before he made Kick-Ass. It showed that Vaughn knew what he was doing when directing action sequences as well as when writing an action film. The first film took a while to get started but at least both the non-superhero stuff and the superhero stuff were entertaining because they showed the absolute absurdity of the situation. Here....the film is set in such a caricature filled world that the film itself is not interesting. I know I should suspend disbelief for films like Kick-Ass 2 and I tried to. However, when the film's not only uninteresting but genuinely boring...that's where I need to put my foot down.
(1 out of 5 Stars, The film is rated R for strong violence, pervasive language, crude and sexual content and brief nudity)

We're The Millers Review

Coked out family road trip---Jason Sudekis, Jennifer Aniston, Will Poulter and Emma Roberts as a fake family of drug smugglers in We're The Millers

                                      To quote George Costanza in "Seinfeld"....We're The Millers is right in that meaty part of the curve...not showing off and not falling behind. It's a comedy with an enormous amount of chuckle worthy moments that never reaches its full potential. There is nothing that particularly stands out as hysterical but nothing particularly stands out as awful, either. The film is directed by Rawson Marshall Thunder...the guy who directed the surprisingly hilarious Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story. Similarly....the film is written by Bob Fisher and Steve Faber...the writers of the instant classic Wedding Crashers. The other two writers on the film (yes...there are two more) are Sean Anders and Josh Morris who did the surprisingly great comedy Hot Tub Time Machine and the very funny Sex Drive. When you put up this film against any four of those comedies...they will always make me laugh more than this comedy. That's not to say that We're The Millers isn't funny. As I previously mentioned...there are many chuckle worthy moments. It's just to say that it's strange how such a typical, by the numbers, predictable comedy took four incredibly gifted writers and an excellent director to make.

                                      The film follows David Clark (Jason Sudekis)....a pot dealer who's good at what he does and yet kind of secretly yearns to be part of a family. One day...David loses all of his pot and his drug kingpin boss (Ed Helms...oddly enough) offers him a way to pay back his debt by smuggling some marijuana across the border. David realizes that he would be caught right at the border if he went alone. Because family's dont get a second look...he hires a stripper (Jennifer Aniston), a dorky kid from his building (Will Poulter) and a drifter (Emma Roberts) to  pose as his fake family.

                                         This is a funny concept and I laughed consistently during the film. However, those moments are all in the back of my brain at this point. This is not only due to the fact that the film has a problem of being both detached from itself and too into itself but mostly because of how predictable it is. I'll give you a good example. The fake family meets u with a real family of campers. The dork immediately falls for the dorky daughter (Molly Quinn). The dad (Nick Offerman) is a DEA agent and the mom (Kathryn Hahn) is just there to be wacky. How do you think the fact that the dad is a DEA agent will play into the story? If you didn't already mumble the answer to yourself...you need to think a bit harder.

                                             What it comes down to with a film like this is did I laugh? The answer in this case is yes...multiple times. However, I didn't laugh as much as I think I should have. Sudekis and Aniston have great comic timing and their chemistry works. Offerman, as always, is great and makes me laugh and Poulter and Roberts make good supporting players. However, nothing stood out to me here. It's not that We're The Millers is a bad film. In fact....it's pretty damn good. It's just that I wish it was a bit better.
(3 and 1/2 out of 5 Stars, The film is rated R for crude sexual content, pervasive language, drug material and brief graphic nudity)