Horrible Bosses 2 (2014) review

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; 2011, while not really the best year when it came to movies, did have both some surprises and some surprise hits. One that fell into the latter group was the comedy ‘Horrible Bosses’, in which Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis, and Charlie Day starred as a trio of friends who conspired to kill their titular ‘Horrible Bosses’ when they found that they were unsatisfied with their current job statuses. I didn’t see it when it first came out but I did end up getting it on Blu-Ray and I watched it before seeing the sequel. Overall I can’t say that it’s one of my all-time favorite comedies but it did have quite a good amount of laughs, which mostly stemmed from the fact that the three main characters were, to put it bluntly, a bunch of idiots. Korey Coleman from DoubleToasted.com (formerly Spill.com) said it best when he noted that this is pretty much the closest that we might ever get to a modern-day Three Stooges movie and sure enough that’s exactly what the first ‘Horrible Bosses’ was. So now we have ‘Horrible Bosses 2’, with the majority of the main cast from the first movie (save for one, whose identity I won’t spoil for those who haven’t seen the first film) returning albeit now under a different director, with Sean Anders taking over for Seth Gordon. And overall, while I can’t say that ‘Horrible Bosses 2’ is the absolute best comedy of this year, or that it’s even better than the first film, I will say that it does have a decent amount of laughs primarily thanks to the camaraderie of its cast.

After spending most of their careers working for terrible bosses, best friends Nick Hendricks (Jason Bateman), Dale Arbus (Charlie Day), and Kurt Buckman (Jason Sudekis) decide to start up their own business so that they can be their own bosses. They come up with an idea for a car wash inspired shower product which they call the ‘Shower Buddy’ and they agree to a manufacturing deal with investor Burt Hanson (Christoph Waltz). However, after the trio take out a business loan in order to produce the 500,000 units that were asked for in the deal, Burt suddenly backs out of their deal as he plans to take all of their inventory and sell it himself. Now facing a huge debt as a result of their loan, the trio look to find a way to save their company. After what they went through in the first movie trying to kill their old bosses, they decide to resort to kidnapping as they plan to kidnap Burt’s son Rex (Chris Pine) and hold him hostage for ransom. But after their first kidnap attempt, they suddenly find that Rex is very eager to help them get revenge on his dad because of the strained relationship they’ve currently been having. Though hesitant at first, they accept his help as they all plan to get back at Burt but as in the last movie, things really don’t end up going as well as they plan.

Now ‘Horrible Bosses 2’ does commit the same mistake that most comedy sequels do; instead of trying something different, it’s mostly just the same general beats from the first movie (what I’m guessing studios like to call what they think is a ‘tried and tested’ formula). There are some very, very minor differences like how in this one the trio is doing a kidnapping instead of murdering their adversaries and how one of their adversaries ends up helping them, but for the most part the film maintains a fairly similar structure to the first film in terms of its plot. Still, despite that, the film still has a fairly decent amount of laughs. I didn’t really think there was any major laugh-out-loud moment like there was in the first film (like when Dale tries to save one of the trio’s bosses when he is affected by a peanut allergy) but overall this sequel still had its fair share of laughs. Like the first film, it is due to the pure stupidity of the main characters of Nick, Kurt, and Dale. I mean when you really get down to it, these three just have no idea what they’re doing. And that’s really what makes these films so funny is how we see them constantly screw up in their plans, from forgetting to do something because they get distracted to revealing something that they didn’t want anyone else to know. As noted earlier, they’re the modern-day ‘Three Stooges’.

Once again, this film primarily succeeds thanks to the great camaraderie between the three leads; Bateman, Day, and Sudekis. They do work off each other incredibly well even if when these three characters are together you know they’re going to do a lot of really, really dumb things and also sometimes they ramble over each other to the point where sometimes you have no idea what they’re saying. Jennifer Aniston and Kevin Spacey also reprise their roles as Dale and Nick’s former bosses Dr. Julia Harris and Dave Harken, respectively, as does Jamie Foxx as Motherf***er Jones and they all have their own memorable moments in their fairly brief bits of screen-time. Of the new cast additions, the biggest standout is easily Chris Pine. Pine showcases some excellent comedic chops (which I do think we saw bits and pieces of from his work in the recent ‘Star Trek’ films) and he also works well off of the three leads just as much as they do with each other. Still, some of the new additions to the cast unfortunately are wasted in this, namely Christoph Waltz and Jonathan Banks (AKA Breaking Bad’s Mike Ehrmantraut), the latter of whom plays the detective working the ‘case’ of Rex’s kidnapping. That’s basically due to the fact that because the film focuses so much on the lead trio and Pine, Waltz and Banks don’t get much to work with here.

Like with many comedy sequels, ‘Horrible Bosses 2’ doesn’t really do much new when compared to the first film. It’s basically the same plot just with a slight few differences. Still, as far as the comedy sequels that do copy the same plot of their predecessors go, this is one of the better ones of that group even if it isn’t self-aware of this fact like ‘22 Jump Street’ was earlier this year. No, it’s not the funniest film of the year and I can’t even say it’s better than the first film. Still, it does manage to get by thanks to the whole scenario of the stupid actions committed by the three lead characters and the excellent camaraderie amongst the three main leads in Jason Bateman, Jason Sudekis, and Charlie Day. Ultimately, I feel that whether or not you do like this movie may depend on what you thought of the first film, seeing how this is basically the same general movie. It was a solid hit commercially but I am aware of some criticizing it for some mean-spirited (racist, homophobic, etc.) jokes and yeah there are definitely some jokes of that nature in both of these movies. Despite this, I did like the first ‘Horrible Bosses’ and ultimately I did like ‘Horrible Bosses 2’ even if this film does rehash a lot of bits from the first film. So if you did like the first film, I bet you’ll like this one too.

Rating: 3.5/5

22 Jump Street (2014) review

At the beginning of ‘22 Jump Street’, Officers Schmidt and Jenko are in the office of Deputy Chief Hardy who says the following statement to them; “Ladies, no one gave a s*** about the Jump Street reboot but you got lucky…” That statement alone can pretty much sum up how 2012’s ‘21 Jump Street’ turned out. I mean, I doubt that many people were actually looking forward to the film, being that it was a film based off of an old TV show of the same name from the 1980’s that was perhaps most famous for launching the career of Johnny Depp more than anything else. But in the end, ‘21 Jump Street’ ended up being one of the funniest films of that year and now directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller, who are coming into this fresh off of this year’s smash hit ‘The LEGO Movie’, and the main cast return for the sequel, ‘22 Jump Street’. Now of course, we all know that most comedy sequels tend to be pretty inferior to their predecessors, usually because a lot of them just copy the same plot as the first film but don’t have the same good material to work with. And while this film does basically copy the same plot of its predecessor, at the same time the filmmakers are completely aware of that and because of that, ‘22 Jump Street’ turns out to be one of the best comedy sequels of all time due to the fact that it’s so self-aware of what it is doing.

After their successful stint going undercover as high school students as part of the resurrected ‘Jump Street’ program, Officers Morton Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Greg Jenko (Channing Tatum) are eager to continue working as regular police officers. However, after a botched attempt at capturing a group of drug dealers, Deputy Chief Hardy (Nick Offerman) puts them back into the program (now located at 22 Jump Street after the Koreans bought back the church at 21 Jump Street) because, as he puts it, the reason they failed to catch the drug dealers was because they weren’t doing the ‘same undercover student thing’ that they did the first time. As for this time, Schmidt and Jenko are assigned by Captain Dickson (Ice Cube) to go undercover at M.C. State in order to locate the supplier of a new drug referred to as WHYPHY which, like the drug from the last film, resulted in the death of a student. While their mission seems simple enough (after all, this is the same exact mission they did before when they went undercover as high school students), Schmidt and Jenko’s relationship starts to be challenged when Jenko befriends a jock on the football team named Zook (Wyatt Russell), resulting in Schmidt beginning to feel left out.

So yeah, this film’s plot is basically just rehashing the same beats from the first film with not too many differences in regards to how it’s structured; Schmidt and Jenko try to do their jobs as cops, they mess up, they’re sent undercover to find a drug supplier, and their relationship starts to become strained when one of them becomes more popular than the other. Really the only difference here is that Jenko is the one who becomes popular, not Schmidt. So with all of that said, why then is the material here just as good as it was in the previous film, if arguably not better? Well, the main reason for this is, as I stated earlier, the cast and crew do realize that they are copying the same plot as the first film. The amount of meta humor in this film is ridiculously high. It constantly acknowledges the similar plot threads along with the fact that they have a bigger budget this time to work with ($50 million compared to the first film’s $42 million budget) although, halfway through the movie, it’s noted that they’re really starting to run out of money. Because of this, this film could probably go down as one of the smartest comedy films of all time for managing to have so much great humor in this film while also playing off of the fact that we’ve seen all of this already in the previous film.

As in the first film, Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum are both terrific here and of course one of the greatest strengths of the film as a whole is their camaraderie with each other (or, to reference the RT consensus, ‘bromantic chemistry’). These two work off each other so well and I really like how in this film, Tatum does some really impressive stunt work in this that doesn’t really seem that possible for anyone to do (in fact, I’m pretty sure I recall that at one point, Schmidt (who of course they play up as not being as fit as Jenko) says that he’s like Superman or something… ironic considering how Tatum played Superman in ‘The LEGO Movie’). They also give Ice Cube more to do here than in the first film (where really all he did was just yell at Schmidt and Jenko… this time he becomes much more involved in the plot) which then results in one of the film’s funniest moments. Now don’t worry, I won’t dare give it away but I will say that it does revolve around an incredibly awkward situation that emerges between him and Schmidt due to something that the latter does in this that, simply put, the Captain doesn’t approve of. The other new additions to the cast, including Wyatt Russell, Amber Stevens, and Jillian Bell also do really good jobs as well.

I know that I talked about this a few months ago when I reviewed ‘The LEGO Movie’ but after seeing how this film turned out I once again have to point out directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller’s phenomenal track record. They’ve made two excellent animated films; one based off of a very short children’s book and the other based off a toy line, the latter of which could have easily have ended up being nothing more than a commercial for the brand. Then they made an excellent live-action comedy out of an old TV show, which ironically was a drama in its first iteration. Now, they’ve made quite frankly one of the best comedy sequels of all time, if arguably not the best. These two have made a name for themselves when it comes to taking projects that don’t seem like they would be able to work and being able to make phenomenal films out of them. And in regards to this film, that’s saying a lot considering that this film’s plot is a near ‘carbon-copy’ of the first film. But thankfully, everyone involved realized this resulting in a film that is incredibly self-aware of what it’s doing with excellent material that has quite a lot of meta humor in it. This is easily my favorite comedy of the year so far; in fact, dare I say it, I think this film’s even better than the first one.

(P.S. Make sure to stick around for the first half of the end credits. Why? Because you don’t want to miss some of the best ending credits to ever be in a film.)

Rating: 4.5/5

A Million Ways to Die in the West (2014) review

After establishing his own animation empire with ‘Family Guy’, which continues to run after surviving not one but two cancellations, ‘American Dad!’, and ‘The Cleveland Show’, Seth MacFarlane transitioned into film with his directorial debut, ‘Ted’, and the film was a pretty big hit when it released in June 2012. Not only did it receive generally solid reviews from critics, but it also ended up becoming the highest grossing original comedy of all time with nearly $550 million worldwide at the box office. A few months later, MacFarlane was selected to host the 85^th Academy Awards and while he, as usual, attracted a lot of controversy due to his trademark style of humor, I was one of those who thought that he did a really good job and felt that his turn as host was a breath of fresh air for the annual awards ceremony. But now he’s back with his next directorial effort, ‘A Million Ways to Die in the West’, and this time instead of just portraying a motion capture character as he did in ‘Ted’, he makes his live-action debut in the lead role. So how does this film hold up? Well, ultimately I can’t say that it was as good as ‘Ted’ for a few glaring reasons but overall it still provided a decent amount of laughs though how it will fare with audiences could ultimately depend on whether or not you’re a fan of MacFarlane’s work.

The film centers on Albert Stark (Seth MacFarlane), a cowardly sheep farmer in Arizona who constantly complains about how awful the Wild West in 1882 is, and that’s mostly because there are multiple ways (‘a million’ to be specific) to die there; disease, outlaws, animals, the doctor, etc. His lack of courage ends up resulting in him losing his girlfriend Louise (Amanda Seyfried) to the town’s moustache shop owner Foy (Neil Patrick Harris) after he withdraws from a duel. Albert then decides to leave for San Francisco, but ends up staying when a mysterious woman named Anna (Charlize Theron) moves into town. As she and Albert start to become friends, he starts to gain a bit more confidence as he attempts to win back the heart of Louise. But soon he finds himself having to stand his ground not against Foy, but against Anna’s husband, the notorious outlaw Clinch Leatherwood (Liam Neeson), when he arrives in town seeking revenge on Stark after he started to develop a relationship with Anna. In order to deal with this, Anna helps Albert by teaching him how to shoot better so that Albert can stand a chance against the most vicious gunslinger in the territory.

This film’s humor is exactly what you would expect from MacFarlane given his line of work; fairly crass and juvenile. If you’re someone who likes that kind of humor, you’ll probably enjoy this movie and overall there are a solid amount of funny moments in this film. I’ve heard some people say that the best stuff is in the trailer and for the most part they’re fairly right but there were still a few good funny moments peppered in here and there that weren’t featured in the trailers. However, the big problem here is that there are a few instances where there’s no humor at all. And you know some comedies do have moments where the humor doesn’t fly well but that’s not the case here because there are a few instances where nothing funny is happening for a good 10 to 15 minutes. A lot of critics have said that this film is ‘overlong’, and I have to say that I do agree with that. This film may only be about 10 minutes longer than ‘Ted’, but that film’s humor was much more consistent and ultimately had enough material to justify its runtime. This film, sadly, doesn’t have enough material to be nearly two hours long. In fact, the whole plot involving Liam Neeson’s character… is actually more or less just the subplot for the third act. Seriously, most of the movie’s buildup revolves around a duel between Albert and Foy, not with Albert and Clinch as the trailers are indicating.

But still, this film does benefit from a pretty solid cast even if they don’t always have enough good material to work with. In his first major live-action leading role, MacFarlane does a pretty good job and his chemistry with Theron, who’s really good here as well, is also really good. It always helps in a movie like this when the chemistry between the two leads is really good though remember what I said about those instances that had a severe lack of humor? That’s because those scenes are mainly focused on developing the relationship between the two and though it really is a nice little romance that these two develop, this film sort of focuses on that relationship a bit too much. All of the other major members of the cast, including Seyfried, Harris, Giovanni Ribisi, who plays Albert’s best friend Edward, and Sarah Silverman, who plays Edward’s fiancé Ruth, have their own moments to shine here as well. Unfortunately though, Liam Neeson doesn’t get much to do here; his character is pretty one-note, which is a shame after his hilarious turn as Bad Cop/Good Cop in ‘The LEGO Movie’. As for the multiple cameos in this movie (another thing you can expect from a MacFarlane production), there a few really noteworthy cameos here that produce some quality laughs though one cameo unfortunately had to be involved in probably the weakest post-credits scene ever. It’s a fairly brief scene and the cameo itself was pretty cool but quite frankly it just isn’t worth it after waiting through the entire credits.

I don’t think ‘A Million Ways to Die in the West’ is that bad; I feel that it’s better than a lot of comedies that are coming out these days and at the end of the day there are a good decent amount of laughs to be had here. However, as far as MacFarlane’s directorial efforts go, ‘Ted’ was the funnier film. This film just doesn’t have enough material to justify a near two-hour runtime. There are at least two or three instances where no humor is occurring for at least 10-15 minutes and while those scenes are setting up a nice little romance between MacFarlane and Theron’s characters, that romance is focused on just a bit too much. Still, the cast is pretty game for the material, there are a few really fun cameos here, and overall if you’re a fan of MacFarlane’s work you’ll probably like this. If you’re not a fan, well, obviously you’re probably not going to like this film. But really, if you haven’t seen ‘Neighbors’ yet, I’d recommend that film over this one because at the end of the day that is still the best comedy of this year so far. Again, I don’t think this film was that bad, but it’s a rather disappointing follow-up to ‘Ted’ and it could have been a lot funnier.

Rating: 3/5

Neighbors (2014) review

I’m finding that the quality of most comedies these days tends to vary year in and year out. 2012 was one of the better years for comedies with films like ‘Ted’ and ’21 Jump Street’. 2013, on the other hand, was probably one of the worst years for comedies… ever. And I mean it; a lot of comedies last year really stunk, like ‘Movie 43’ or ‘Grown Ups 2’. That year was so bad that I only remembered one or two ‘good’ comedies and I listed one, ‘The World’s End’, as one of my Top 12 favorite films of the year (partially out of pity for having to be a part of such a crappy year for the genre). But overall this year is looking much better for the genre, at least when it comes to the summer’s lineup of comedies. Later this summer, we’re getting ‘A Million Ways to Die in the West’ and ’22 Jump Street’ but the summer comedy season does get off to a pretty good start with ‘Neighbors’, the latest film from Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, the duo behind last year’s surprise hit ‘This is the End’ (the other ‘good’ comedy of 2013). This time around, they team up with Nicholas Stoller, director of ‘Forgetting Sarah Marshall’ and writer for the recent ‘Muppet’ movies, for a really fun comedy that will also be very pleasing to anyone who’s in a fraternity and I can verify that having seen it with my friend Matt, who is in a fraternity; Sigma Chi’s University of Rhode Island chapter, to be exact.

Mac (Seth Rogen) and Kelly (Rose Byrne) Radner are a couple with a newborn girl who look to maintain their old ‘crazy’ lifestyle but continuously find trouble trying to do so because of their new ‘parent’ statuses. One day, they find that a fraternity from the local university, Delta Psi, have moved in next door and at first, they seem to bond with the frat and their leader Teddy Sanders (Zac Efron)… but that doesn’t last very long. Realizing the troubles that could come from their parties, Mac and Kelly initially ask Teddy and the frat that they ‘keep it down’, which they agree to do but ask that, in return, they come to them first and ask and not call the police. But one night, when they are unable to get in contact with Teddy, Mac and Kelly do end up calling the cops, though while they intend to be anonymous, they do end up getting caught in the act. This ends up resulting in a prank war between the two ‘parties’ as both try to get back at one another with hilarious results.

What’s really interesting about this film is that while it is focused on what can pretty much be called a ‘turf war’ between the Radners and Delta Psi, there’s really no definable ‘villain’ in this film. As the main characters, Mac and Kelly are a really likable couple but at the same time, the movie doesn’t paint their ‘enemies’, Delta Psi, as a bunch of despicable people. You see that Teddy is driven to become a part of Delta Psi history, which is a pretty respectable goal. Not only that, but you can really sense the strong connections that he has with his ‘brothers’, especially the frat’s Vice President, Pete (Dave Franco). As Matt pointed out, this film really does a great job at portraying the relationship between frat brothers, who will stick by each other no matter what even though they do sometimes fight. And that, to me, is why this movie works really well. It’s just a fun little prank war or ‘Family vs. Frat’ as is advertised on the poster and the movie never really feels ‘mean-spirited’. After all, if this film did portray the members of the frat as incredibly unlikable people, then that would just be a bad representation of the Greek community in general and I can tell that this wasn’t the filmmakers’ goal.

And as a comedy, it’s a really funny one and the laughs are pretty consistent throughout. Plus, at just 96 minutes, you never get bored and the film never feels like its dragged out (which, from what I’m hearing, was the main problem with Stoller’s last film ‘The Five Year Engagement’). Even better is the fact that the trailers actually don’t give away all of the jokes in the film, which is a problem that has plagued comedy films in recent years. But of course, a great comedy wouldn’t work without a great cast, and this film’s cast is no exception. Rogen and Byrne have great chemistry (Byrne in particular is a standout; she has great comic timing just as much as Rogen and Efron do and it’s clear that she really shines when it comes to comedic roles), Rogen and Efron have a great ‘back and forth’ camaraderie, and the entire group of Delta Psi, particularly Efron and Franco, really sell their ‘brotherhood’. Like Byrne, Franco is also one of the big standouts in this, particularly during the scene where the frat is hosting a ‘Robert De Niro’ party and he’s the ‘Meet the Fockers’ De Niro (‘You call the cops, you violate the circle of trust, Focker!’)

So, overall, ‘Neighbors’ serves as a very nice start to this year’s summer comedies. Not only is it full of laughs and solidly paced, but it’s also just a fun little movie that’s not really mean-spirited in any way. After all, it could’ve been a lot more mean-spirited had it not portrayed the group of Delta Psi in a fairly positive way. Sure, Rogen and Byrne’s character are the main protagonists, but you can still sympathize with the frat because they have an admirable goal; to become Delta Psi legends. Plus, this is a really nice representation of the ‘brotherhood’ that occurs amongst members of a fraternity. Now, I can’t fully vouch for that seeing how I am not in a fraternity (at least at the time that I’m writing this) but having seen it with someone who is in a fraternity, we both agree that this does do a good job representing fraternities in general. Because of that, ‘Neighbors’ is a film that I do recommend and the first great comedy of the year and I think it’s safe to say that this film is ‘frat approved’.

Rating: 4/5

Last Vegas (2013): Short Review

What happens when you take four major Hollywood stars and put them together for a comedy? You get a pretty entertaining film, which is the case of ‘Last Vegas’, a film that stars Michael Douglas, Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman, and Kevin Kline as a group of friends who get together for a bachelor party in Las Vegas when Douglas’ character is about to get married. The film really benefits from its four leads. They have great camaraderie and the moment they all get together is when the film really starts to have a lot of hilarious moments. Kline in particular is probably the standout of the film. He’s actually the youngest of the four and yet ironically his character sort of feels like the oldest. But of course, De Niro, Freeman, and Douglas are also great as well. On the surface, this may seem like a less raunchy version of ‘The Hangover’ and in a sense, it kind of is. But at the same time, it’s still really funny, even if at times it’s a bit corny. It’s just really cool to see these four Hollywood legends on screen together; that’s something that I doubt we’ll ever get to see again. If I had any complaints, it was that at times the film kind of feels a little bit too much like a commercial for Vegas mainly just because of certain shots highlighting the sights and sounds of Sin City. Still, in the end, ‘Last Vegas’ is a pretty enjoyable film made even more so by its quartet of leads.

Rating: 4/5

This is the End (2013): SHORT REVIEW

While the whole ‘December 21, 2012’ doomsday theory was proven false and the world did not end on that day, 2013 has seen quite a few movies that have taken place in a post-apocalyptic universe, like ‘Oblivion’ and ‘After Earth’. ‘This is the End’, directed by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg (the duo behind ‘Pineapple Express’ and ‘Superbad’), does something different by being an apocalypse-themed comedy and the end result is a very funny movie. For the record though, this film is… bizarre. I’m not going to reveal anything that happens in the film but some very weird things happen in this movie. But aside from that, the film is still really funny and that’s mainly in part because of the main cast; Seth Rogen, James Franco, Jay Baruchel, Jonah Hill, Craig Robinson, and Danny McBride, who all play fictionalized versions of themselves along with some other celebrity cameos (which I won’t dare to reveal). The six actors work off each other very well and you can see the strong camaraderie amongst them. All in all, ‘This is the End’ may be one of the most bizarre comedies ever made, but it is still a pretty hilarious film. It’s easily the best comedy this year so far.

 

Rating: 4/5

2013 Preview: January

Back in September, I did a four-part preview of the final quarter of films for 2012. Now, as 2013 has begun, it's time to look ahead to the lineup of films coming up in the following months. This is the first entry in a year-long preview of 2013. Expect new posts to come out during the first week of each upcoming month. With that said, it's time to look ahead for the year of 2013. Here is the lineup of movies coming out in January.



*The year starts off with a horror film, this one in question being 'Texas Chainsaw 3D'. This is the seventh film in the 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre' franchise and can also sort of be classified as the second attempted reboot of the franchise following the 2003 remake and its 2006 prequel, both of which were produced by Michael Bay. This new film reportedly will be set right after the original 1974 film directed by Tobe Hooper. Expect this film January 4^th.



*On January 11^th, there were be two films coming out that weekend. The first is 'A Haunted House'. This film, written by and starring Marlon Wayans, is a horror spoof film, parodying the 'Paranormal Activity' franchise and other films of the 'found-footage' genre.

*The same weekend will see the release of the film 'Gangster Squad' and this is after the film was originally supposed to be released back in September of 2012. However, following the Aurora shootings, Warner Bros pulled the first trailer for the film as it contained a scene of gunmen shooting inside a movie theater. The movie has since gone through re-shoots and it is unclear if that original scene will remain in the film. The film stars Josh Brolin and Ryan Gosling as members of an elite police force that takes on gangster Mickey Cohen, played by Sean Penn, in 1940's/50's Los Angeles. Emma Stone, Anthony Mackie, and Nick Nolte also star in the film.

*Three films are scheduled for release the weekend of January 18^th. The first is a crime-drama titled 'Broken City'. It's stars Mark Wahlberg as a ex-cop who becomes immersed in a scandal when he begins to follow the wife of the mayor of New York City, played by Russell Crowe.

*January 18^th also sees the long-awaited return of action star Arnold Schwarzenegger with 'The Last Stand'. It is Schwarzenegger's first leading role since 2003's 'Terminator 3' and the first following his tenure as Governor of California. In the film, he plays the sherriff of a quiet town who must take on a drug cartel leader heading for the Mexican Border.



*Finally, there is 'Mama', a Spanish horror film based on a 2008 short film from the same director, Andres Muschietti. Guillermo Del Toro serves as executive producer and Jessica Chastain stars in the leading role.



*On January 25^th, another film that was originally supposed to be released in 2012 (note: the same will apply for many other films this year) comes out. 'Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters' continues the story of the original fairy tale from the Brothers Grimm. 15 years after their original encounter with a witch, the two become bounty hunters looking to take down witches. Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton star as Hansel and Gretel. Originally the film was supposed to be released in March of 2012, but was pushed back in the wake of Renner's two big films from last year, 'The Avengers' and 'The Bourne Legacy'.



*The final major release of January 2013 is 'Movie 43'. This movie is a compilation of 12 story-lines, all done by different directors including Peter Farrelly, Brett Ratner, and Elizabeth Banks. It also has a very large ensemble cast, including Hugh Jackman, Emma Stone, Kate Winslet, Kristen Bell, Halle Berry, and much, much more.

*The sole limited release of the month is Parker, an crime thriller starring Jason Statham as a thief who enacts revenge on those that he trusted after he is left for dead. Jennifer Lopez and Michael Chiklis also star in the movie, which be released the same week as 'Hansel and Gretel' and 'Movie 43'.

Check back next month for the next '2013 preview' entry.

WORST FILM OF THE YEAR

(WARNING: There will be spoilers because, well, I don't really recommend that you see the following film in the first place)

 

As I mentioned in my Top 5 Disappointing Films of the Year post, 2012 was such a great year for movies that there was only one film that I saw all year that I really hated, which meant that I can't really do a Top 5 worst films of the year list. But, I will still talk about this one movie and explain why it is my pick for the worst film of 2012. Well, the movie in question today is a romantic comedy, a genre that usually does result in some rather bad and unfunny films. But this one in particular actually has a really good cast backing it up and yet nothing good comes out of it. I am course referring to...

THIS MEANS WAR

This film is one of those comedies that revolves around two characters who are long-time friends but then they become rivals and try to sabotage each other in order to get something that they both want but can't have at the same time. In the case of this film, we have two CIA agents who are vying for the affections of the same woman. I'll get to the 'humor' of this movie in a bit, but first I'm going to talk about the really big problem of the movie and that is the whole romance aspect of it all. Now, I am not referring to the chemistry between the film's leads as Tom Hardy and Chris Pine do both have really good chemistry with Reese Witherspoon. It's another thing entirely that ruins the whole movie. To explain this in full detail, I'm going to have to go into the film's plot first.

Pine and Hardy play FDR Foster (yes, that is really Pine's character's name) and Tuck, two CIA agents who would take a bullet for each other, as Tuck points out in one scene. Tuck has just gone through a divorce and decides to get back on the market. He soon meets Lauren (Witherspoon), a product testing executive who is also dealing with relationship issues after her ex-boyfriend get engaged. The two hit it off, but then FDR strolls in and ends up dating her as well, at first not knowing that she's also dating his best friend. Eventually, the two guys do find out they're dating the same woman and originally agree not to tell her that they're friends, or even try to sabotage each other. But, they eventually do start sabotaging each other (using CIA equipment) while on dates with Lauren.


Now, the thing that really bugs me about this romance is how Witherspoon's character doesn't even try to tell each of her 'boyfriends' that she's dating someone else. She just lets it slide and even worse, I feel that she picked the wrong guy at the end. Now you see, Tuck is portrayed as the nice guy of the two friends (yes, Tom Hardy, the same guy who broke Batman's back) while FDR is the womanizer of the two. The movie does try to have FDR change his ways while he is dating Lauren, but that still doesn't really change much. So, in the end, she ends up going with FDR. Sure, Tuck does get back with his ex-wife at the end of the film, but I just feel that he should have ended up with Lauren.

Really, the implausibility of this movie frequently hits record highs. Not only do FDR and Tuck use the CIA's equipment without their permission, but they don't even get in trouble for doing so. Their only excuse is really 'The Patriot Act' and also, for the record, they use the equipment to stalk Lauren, which is just plain creepy and makes both of these characters pretty unlikable in that sense. The romance plays such an important part in this movie that the film just straight up ignores the other subplot of the film that has FDR and Tuck going after a criminal named Heinrich, played by Til Schweiger, who is very underused in this film except for at the end when he kidnaps Lauren just so that Tuck and FDR can resolve their differences and rescue her.

And then we get to the humor, which as you may have guessed is very much lacking, particularly during the first half which is not just unfunny but kind of painful actually to watch. The only real funny moment I remember from this half of the movie wasn't even a joke. It revolved around this scene where Tuck is confronted by a larger man. The reason why I bring this up is because Tom Hardy is noticeably smaller in this film than he has been in some of his other movies. I just find it funny that this other guy is confronting him because I just imagine how the scene would turn out if Hardy was Bane or his character from 'Warrior'. To put it simply, I wouldn't mess with Hardy, even if he's rather small like he is in this film.

However, once FDR and Tuck do start to sabotage each other, the humor does actually pick up the pace which is why I don't think this is a total waste of time. It also does help that both Pine and Hardy do have really good chemistry with Witherspoon and heck, even the two of them work off each other well. But really, this is one film that I really, really, really don't recommend. It's a film that Tom Hardy and Chris Pine won't be thinking fondly of in the future, and unfortunately this is the kind of movie that poor Reese Witherspoon is probably going to be connected to from now on. In my original review for the film, I stated that this film is only worth renting but even still, I'd recommend you look elsewhere first.

Final Rating: 1/5

Wreck-it Ralph (2012) review

 

Disney's latest animated feature, Wreck-it Ralph, is a film that is tailor-made for a certain crowd, and I am of course referring to the gamer crowd. It's a good thing too because since the 90's, gamers have never really gotten a great film based off one of their favorite video games. So, Disney goes for a mix between Toy Story and Who Framed Roger Rabbit by going for an original story that pays homage to games new and old of every genre, from the first-person shooters like Halo and Call of Duty to the kid-friendly games like Mario Kart to the old-school arcade classics like Donkey Kong and Pac-Man. Needless to say, this movie surely delivers on creating a unique universe and it can appeal to all audiences, even those who are not part of the gamer crowd. The end result is one of the best animated films of the year, if not the best.

The film follows the titular Wreck-it Ralph (John C. Reilly), the villain of a 'Donkey Kong' like arcade game, Fix it Felix Jr. Having been in the same role for thirty years, Ralph yearns to be the good guy for once like the hero of his game, Fix it Felix (Jack McBrayer), who is respected by the characters of Fix it Felix Jr., while Ralph is always shunned for just being 'the bad guy who wrecks the building'. Hoping to change his reputation, Ralph leaves the comforts of his game behind and heads out to explore new games, including the first-person shooter 'Hero's Duty' and the candy-coated racer 'Sugar Rush'. While there, he befriends Vanellope von Schweetz (Sarah Silverman), a glitchy character who, like Ralph, is shunned by her fellow characters and the two of them strive to turn their luck around. However, Ralph's antics spell trouble for not only the world of Fix it Felix Jr., but the entire arcade as well.

Sure, Wreck-it Ralph's plot is your basic tale of a main character trying to find his place in the world, but the way Disney handles it here is unlike anything we have ever seen before. This is not just some film where certain video game icons show up for brief cameos, though of course there are plenty in this film. You become immersed in this universe as you learn the ins and outs of what it's like for video game characters in an arcade. They travel to other games each night when the arcade closes by way of a 'Game Central Station', which takes them to their respected games through each game's power cord. All of the bad guys regularly meet up in the home of the ghosts from Pac-Man for a support group. Of course, we also have some great references to both old-school and modern games that I don't even want to talk about here because they are so good that I recommend that you see them for yourself.

So how does this movie appeal to any non-gamer, you ask? Well, this is a Disney film so of course it has a great message behind it of appreciating yourself for who you are. The animation is terrific as the filmmakers utilize the many genres of games, old and new, to their advantage. There are cool homages to old-school games and we see the contrast between old and new. Of course, the whole world of Sugar Rush features some great eye candy. The voice acting is also very solid, as John C. Reilly does a great job in the role of Ralph, making him very likable even if he's the villain. Sarah Silverman's character admittedly first comes off as rather annoying, but as the film went on, this wasn't as big of an issue. We also have great turns from Jack McBrayer as the truly 'good guy' Felix and Jane Lynch as the tough-as-nails commander of 'Hero's Duty'.

Probably my only real complaint of the movie is that it could have done just a little more when it came to exploring this gaming universe. For the majority of the film, we are mainly confined to three worlds; Fix-it Felix Jr., Hero's Duty, and Sugar Rush. Once Ralph enters the land of Sugar Rush, that's where he remains until the end of the film. Now I understand why they stay in this land, because the character of Vanellope is a glitch and she cannot leave her game because of it. For the record, I'm not saying that this is an entirely bad thing because it does give the animation an opportunity to shine. But considering the massive potential that this film presents through the universe it creates, it feels like the filmmakers could have done just a little bit more to take this film to the next level (no pun intended). Still, what they have done here is nothing short of incredible.

That is why I feel this film has vast amounts of material that could very much result in a franchise. I want to see them explore this universe even further. Maybe we can see what it is like for any of the characters from home console or handheld video games. Maybe we can actually see some more famous licensed characters like Mario and Luigi or Link. Still, for what we got here, Wreck-it Ralph is one of the most entertaining films of the year, as well as one of the year's best animated films. Like any great Disney film, it's one that anybody can enjoy, even if you aren't a gamer. Of course if you are one, this is a must-see that truly does the gaming community justice.

 

Rating: 4.5/5



Short Review: Hotel Transylvania



 

I'm betting that many of you wrote this movie off before it even came out primarily because it stars Adam Sandler who, despite having a solid fan base, has never been a hit with critics. Even now, Sandler has hit a rough patch after 2011's 'Jack and Jill' received every award at the annual Razzies (rightfully so, by the way) and his summer film 'That's My Boy' was a box office flop. However, 'Hotel Transylvania' is a different story and really, it's the best film Sandler has done in a while. A lot of this stems from the film's director Genndy Tartakovsky, the creator of such cartoon classics as Dexter's Lab and Samurai Jack. Tartakovsky infuses the film with a great sense of energy, as shown by the film's pacing and its excellent animation. On top of that, it has a great father-daughter story and the film definitely had some funny moments (particularly during the end, which includes a great jab at Twilight). All in all, it's a great Halloween film for the kids that I'm sure even adults will enjoy as well.

 



Rating: 4/5

The Expendables 2 (2012) review

In 2010, Sylvester Stallone gathered up some of Hollywood’s biggest action stars, old and new, for the ultimate action team-up, something that until that time seemed impossible, especially during the days when stars like Stallone, Bruce Willis, and Arnold Schwarzenegger were at the top of their game. The end result was The Expendables and while it may not have fared well with critics, audiences loved it enough as it was a huge financial success. Really, in regards to the first film’s more negative reception, it’s just one of those movies where you don’t go in expecting Oscar material and the film delivered on what it was supposed to be; good old fashioned action, something that is lacking in a lot of big budget movies these days. You also have to give Stallone a lot of credit as even with all of these big action stars, he managed to give each member a solid part and aside from a few exceptions, no one stole the spotlight from anyone else. Sure, it’s not perfect, but it’s not supposed to be. It’s a loving homage to the action films of old and it did its job very well.

So now we have a sequel. This time, Stallone isn’t behind the camera directing like he did in the first movie. Now, the reigns are handed over to Simon West, who previously helmed films like Con Air and The Mechanic. As with any sequel, the stakes are higher and more of Hollywood’s action legends are joining in for the fun. When you get down to it, you should go into this movie the same way you should’ve done with the first film. This isn’t going to win any major award like an Oscar, but that’s not what this movie is all about. It’s a fun, exhilarating, and overall quite epic action flick and it’s also very much aware of how stupid and silly it is. Also, this is actually even better than the first film in a few areas, from the main villain to some of the fight scenes. If you’re looking for a great time at the movies or if you’re someone who loves the old-school action films of the 80’s, then you’re going to love this film.

The Expendables 2 continues the adventures of a mercenary group known as The Expendables, consisting of leader Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone), knife specialist Lee Christmas (Jason Statham), martial artist Yin Yang (Jet Li), volatile sniper Gunner Jensen (Dolph Lundgren), weapons specialist Hale Caesar (Terry Crews), and demolitions expert Toll Road (Randy Couture). Ross is approached by one of the team’s former employers, CIA agent Mr. Church (Bruce Willis), to take on a job as payback for the last time Church hired the team. What looks to be an easy job soon goes awry when the team runs into Jean Vilain (Jean Claude Van Damme), another mercenary leader who murders one of their members right in front of them. Seeking revenge for their slain comrade, the Expendables head off to fight Vilain and his men before they intend to sell valuable plutonium which can very much mean trouble for the world.

If you go into this movie and you’re not having a good time watching it, then you are very much missing the whole point of this film. This is pure unadulterated 80’s style action to the extreme. Yes, this film isn’t perfect. The characters constantly spew out one-liners, both good and bad. Some of the more serious moments of the film are unintentionally funny, and there are times where the film defies the laws of physics. But if you decide not to go by the book and ignore the film’s flaws, this is just one fun movie. The one major difference when comparing this film to its predecessor is that it is mostly nonstop action and few scenes when the movie takes a breather. But again, that’s no problem when you have some of the best shot action sequences in recent years, particularly during the film’s opening sequence and finale. Like before, every major star gets solid screen time and everyone is clearly having fun here.

For the most part, this is actually a much better movie than the original. Don’t get me wrong, the first Expendables movie was also a really fun and entertaining movie, but this sequel improves on it in a few areas. The editing is a bit smoother especially during the fight scenes, the lighting is much better compared to the first film where it got too dark in a few areas, and probably most importantly with the main villain himself. Jean Claude Van Damme is excellent as the villain and proves to be quite an adversary for the team right from his first appearance on screen. His scenes with Stallone are among the many highlights of the film and the final fight between them is one for the ages. The two main villains in the first movie (the general and the ex-CIA agent played by Eric Roberts) were solid villains too, but Van Damme is more entertaining to watch.

As for the all-star cast, you know what you’re going to get. Sure, maybe some of the acting is rather bad, but it’s clear all of the guys are having fun doing this. There are two standouts in this cast, the first being Van Damme as the villain and the other is Liam Hemsworth as a new member of the team, former Afghanistan veteran Billy the Kid. At first glance, you probably think that he’s not capable of being on a team with guys like Stallone and Statham but when you get down to it, he’s actually the best actor in this whole movie. It’s more along the lines of whether or not this guy is too good of an actor to be in a movie like this. His story arc is also well-done and you can see how fighting in the war has really affected him. It’s just like in the first movie with Mickey Rourke’s tale of how one person he could’ve saved changed his life forever. It’s also great to see Arnold Schwarzenegger back in action, even if he’s rather rusty (we’ll let it pass because he’s been out of it for a while) and Chuck Norris’ role in the film is both hilarious and awesome, with a great line of dialogue spoofing all of those jokes about how Norris is apparently a super-being. Sadly, Jet Li is underutilized here as he only appears in the opening sequence and then leaves the movie altogether after that scene.

Is this movie stupid? Yes, it very much is. Is it a fun movie? Oh hell yeah! This is exactly the movie that you think it’s going to be. It’s one of the most entertaining movies of the year and it doesn’t have to be the most well-written or well-acted movie to do so. It’s just a fun time to be had at the movies. It’s also a big improvement over its predecessor mostly due in part to its lead villain and a few technical aspects such as editing and cinematography. Does an ‘Expendables 3’ sound like a good idea? Sure, I’d be interested in it. They already have Nicolas Cage signed on and are considering bringing in Harrison Ford and Wesley Snipes (maybe Liam Neeson perhaps?). Stallone may be an old action star, but he isn’t going down that easily and this movie is the epitome of great action flicks. Both old-school and newcomer action fans are sure to love this movie.

Rating: 4.5/5

Short Review: The Campaign

When it comes to writing reviews, sometimes you just can't think of material for each new review so this is the first of a series of short reviews that I might do from time to time in case I can't make up a review for a new movie. Enjoy!

The latest film from Jay Roach, who also brought us the 'Austin Powers' and 'Meet the Parents' series as well as 2010's 'Dinner for Schmucks', The Campaign is certainly one funny comedy. Both Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis are hilarious and the two work off each other extremely well. The one that steals the show, however, is Dylan McDermott as Galifianakis' shady campaign manager. There are certainly some big laughs in this movie, and even someone like me who doesn't know much about politics got most of the jokes. Also, for a comedy that in the end may just be another one of those dumb comedies, it did expose some of the problems that go on in politics, like how sometimes the wrong people are elected because they're backed by rich people. Overall, I can't say it's the funniest movie of the year, but it definitely had some big laughs. This really pleases me because 2011 was a really horrible year for comedy movies. The only real good comedy I remember seeing from last year was 'Crazy, Stupid, Love' and that didn't even crack my Top 10. On the other hand, 3 comedies ('Zookeeper', 'The Dilemma', and 'Jack and Jill') made my worst of list. This year has been much better as we had not only this movie, but 'Ted' as well. Another reason why this year has been such a better year for movies.

Rating: 4/5

Ted (2012) review

Seth MacFarlane made a name for himself in 1999 when he created the hit animated sitcom 'Family Guy'. Even though the show was canceled not once, but two times by Fox early on in its run, its cult following helped it get back on the air in 2005 and since then, it has become one of Fox's biggest hits. I've been a fan of Family Guy ever since about 2008 but like everyone else, I agree that the show has certainly declined in overall quality in recent years. Now there can be many reasons for this, but it seems that one of the main reasons for it would be that MacFarlane was busy with his directorial debut, 'Ted', and the reason why I say this is because Ted is easily one of the funniest movies I have seen in a long time. MacFarlane brings his trademark humor to the big screen with great success, with a film that is not just funny as hell but also very heartwarming at the same time, which is something that doesn't really happen that much with most R-rated comedies.

John Bennett (Mark Wahlberg) is a normal guy from Boston whose life changed on the day he got a teddy bear for Christmas when he was 8. Longing for a friend, he wishes that the bear would come to life and by the miracle of a shooting star, he does. The two become inseparable and 27 years later, John and Ted (voiced by MacFarlane) are still best friends. However, Ted's vulgar and immature lifestyle has affected John's life greatly, even when he is in the midst of a relationship with Lori (Mila Kunis), who asks John to have Ted move out so that they could move on with their lives. This forces John to start acting his age, even when his relationship with Ted keeps preventing that from happening and John must find a way to keep both his girlfriend and his best friend in his life.

'Ted' is very similar in style and tone to Family Guy. It takes place in New England, one of the main characters is something that shouldn't even exist, and the characters of John and Ted do very much resemble Peter and Brian on Family Guy. In fact, Ted sounds exactly like Peter Griffin and they even make a joke about it in the film. On Family Guy, MacFarlane constantly pushes the envelope for what can be shown on television, and 'Ted' pretty much gives him free reign to do even more than what he could get away with on Family Guy. There are racial jokes, ethnic jokes, 80's references, and so on. Basically, it's the usual crazy stuff you see on Family Guy, and trust me when I say that this film truly deserves the 'R' rating it has been given.

But 'Ted' has something that makes it all work and that is heart. True, both John and Ted act immature and vulgar, but both are actually pretty likeable and are true friends to the end. The main message of the film of growing up and taking responsibility for yourself is very genuine and despite all of the racist and ethnic humor that this movie spews out constantly, it's not hateful in any way. The ending in particular is enough to warm the heart of any New Englander. The screenplay is very well-written and the film never gets dull at any point. Patrick Stewart as the narrator goes beyond the boundaries of your typical narrator, and even when the film becomes more of a thriller during the final act, MacFarlane still pulls in enough jokes to make it all worthwhile.

Mark Wahlberg does a great job here, and really should be given a lot of credit for interacting with something that was only added into the film in post-production. MacFarlane, of course, gets the biggest laughs as this vulgar and obnoxious teddy bear, and him and Wahlberg have great chemistry together. Wahlberg also has great chemistry with Mila Kunis as well, and the filmmakers don't go the cheap route with how her character is written. Instead of just making her a heartless objector of Ted's actions, she's someone who does love her boyfriend but is annoyed that he still acts like a child, obviously because of the bear who has been his best friend since he was 8 years old, which is affecting any chance they have at taking their relationship to the next level. The other members of the cast bring some great humor as well, including Joel McHale as Lori's boss who keeps trying to hit on her and Giovanni Ribisi as a creepy father who tries to acquire Ted for his son.

Seth MacFarlane's directorial debut is one for the ages and is easily the funniest film of the year so far. Wahlberg, MacFarlane, Kunis are great together and as crude, vulgar, and crazy as much of this film is, it does have a lot of heart to it. This easily makes up for the lackluster run that Family Guy has been on for the last few seasons, and while I'm not exactly saying that MacFarlane should stop doing Family Guy just yet, it's clear that MacFarlane should focus on his film career now because he has a lot to offer. Obviously, if you're a fan of Family Guy, then you'll love this movie. But even if you aren't, then I would still recommend this movie because I guarantee that you will be very much entertained by it.

Rating: 5/5!