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The Hangover Part II (2011)

June 1, 2011

Starring: Bradley Cooper, Zack Galifianakis, Ed Helms, Ken Jeong
Director: Todd Phillips (Due Date, The Hangover, Old School)

Quick Thoughts: I feel like I’ve seen this movie. Wait… I think it was called The Hangover and it came out in 2009. Sorry Todd Phillips, but no one roofied my Mountain Dew at the theater and I actually remember already seeing this same story. That’s essentially what The Hangover Part II is: a remake of a film that came out two years ago featuring the exact same actors. Sure, the setting is different–we’re in Bangkok this time–but the antics are only slight variations of what worked the first time around. Unfortunately, what made the original so good was how surprisingly funny the script was and the solid comedic performances from a breakthrough cast. Well, the element of surprise is gone for the sequel, giving the film a very bland flavor and a sense of “been there, done that.” Honestly, this film is such a rehash of the original that ninety minutes into it, I was shocked they hadn’t found a way to work Mike Tyson into the script yet… and then he “shocks” us by making an appearance at Stu’s wedding. Yawn.

Zack Galifianakis is still pretty funny as the sociopath Alan and Ken Jeong’s character is inexplicably written into a bigger role, but Bradley Cooper is stale and Ed Helms is basically reduced to jumping around like an idiot, although the film’s best sequence does involve Helms’ encounter with Thai hookers. I have to give credit to Jeong for his willingness to showcase what is possibly the smallest adult penis on the planet. That takes balls, and judging from his tiny package there’s not much physical evidence that he has any. Mason Lee plays Stu’s future brother-in-law Teddy, a 16 year academic prodigy that immediately becomes Alan’s enemy and a potential source of constant laughs, but he becomes this film’s Doug when he’s lost after the blackout and The Wolfpack spends the majority of the movie trying to locate him, wasting the film’s biggest opportunity for fresh humor.

If The Hangover was a laugh riot, its sequel is a mere chuckle fest. The first act drags quite a bit and the last two acts aren’t particular funny either. By a long shot, the funniest part of the movie is the end credits, when we again get to see the night in question play out through the various pictures taken. Phillips and co. struck pay dirt with The Hangover, but its sequel brings nothing new to the table.

Viewings: 1
Replay Value: Not much.
Sequel Potential: In 5 days, the film already surpassed the $100 million mark, but won’t benefit from the same great word-of-mouth that the original had so I wouldn’t be surprised to see it fall short of that film’s total gross. Regardless, it’s going to do well enough to warrant another sequel, which will probably be even more ridiculous and unoriginal than this one was.
Oscar Potential: None
Nudity: Tons… both female and male.
Grade: 4.5/10 (Netflix It/Worth Watching)
RottenTomatoes Scores: Critics: 35% Audience: 94%
IMDB Rating: 7.1/10
Recommendation: There’s nothing here that we haven’t seen before. Guys looking for a good “bro” comedy are probably still better off going to see Bridesmaids, a film that has gotten the same unavoidable awesome word-of-mouth that the original Hangover received. Don’t take my word for it though, most people I’ve talked to loved this movie and the general public has rated it very favorably, so if you’re in the mood for a completely unimaginative and mindless comedy, this is probably right up your alley.

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Tangled (2010)

May 31, 2011

Starring: Mandy Moore, Zachary Levi, Donna Murphy
Director: Nathan Greno, Byron Howard (Bolt)

Quick Thoughts: Disney goes back to its fairy tale roots with great success. Tangled tells the story of Rapunzel, a princess that was stolen at birth by an old woman because of her magical hair that had the power to keep the old woman looking young. Locked away in a tower through her teenage years, Rapunzel finally seeks adventure when fugitive Flynn Ryder inadvertently seeks escape in her isolated home. Tangled is a perfect addition to the Disney archives, combining innovative animation with good storytelling. 3D and CG technology are used to breath life into characters that resemble the more traditional hand drawn models of Disney’s past. The story and characters are strong and humorous, with Ryder’s noble horse providing the most laughs throughout the film, a remarkable feat for a non-speaking character. The songs in the movie are solid and Mandy Moore is enjoyable in the lead role. I wouldn’t list Tangled amongst Disney’s all-time best work, but it’s close between this and Bolt for Disney’s best animated, non-Pixar feature film of the past decade.

Viewings: 1
Replay Value: Lots of value here for kids and families.
Sequel Potential: Disney likes to make direct-to-video sequels, but the conclusion of the film doesn’t leave much left to explore with these characters.
Oscar Potential: Nominated for Best Original Song and possibly snubbed for Best Animated Feature (I haven’t seen The Illusionist yet).
Nudity: N/A
Grade: 6.5/10 (Recommended)
RottenTomatoes Scores: Critics: 89% Audience: 88%
IMDB Rating: 7.9/10
Recommendation: A solid, but unspectacular Disney movie that is great for kids and enjoyable for adults.

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Little Fockers (2010)

May 30, 2011

Starring: Ben Stiller, Robert De Nero, Teri Polo, Owen Wilson, Dustin Hoffman, Barbara Streissand, Blythe Danner, Jessica Alba
Director: Paul Weitz (About A Boy, American Pie)

Quick Thoughts: The first sequel was not only unnecessary, it was also forgettable. Little Fockers doesn’t suffer the same fate, but unfortunately that’s not for good reason as it will be remembered for being one of the worst comedies of the past decade. I’m not going to spend time talking about the absurd plot to this film–and why should I? It’s not like the filmmakers put any serious thought into the script themselves. Screenwriter John Hamburg is a frequent collaborator with star Ben Stiller, but it’s obvious that Hamburg is much more talented at coming up with original stories (Meet The Parents, I Love You, Man) than continuing previous ones. Little Fockers is star studded with several A-Listers, but the film is terrible and offers very few genuine laughs. I’d recommend for the cast to quit while they’re ahead, but it’s already too late for that and at this point all we can hope for is that Hollywood will put this franchise out of its misery before the sequels put such a powerful taint on the series that we forget how truly fantastic the original was.

Viewings: 1
Replay Value: Zero.
Sequel Potential: Meet The Fockers grossed $280 million in the U.S. and even though business fell off dramatically for Little Fockers, at $148 million, it’s still a box office hit. It was universally destroyed by critics though, so it’s quite possible that the stars of the series will realize it’s time to give it up.
Oscar Potential: None
Nudity: None
Grade: 3/10 (Skip It)
RottenTomatoes Scores: Critics: 9% Audience: 41%
IMDB Rating: 5.3/10
Recommendation: Little Fockers is borderline unwatchable. It’s a comedy that’s not particularly funny and a great barometer for judging someone’s taste in movies. Ask someone enthusiastically: “Have you seen Little Fockers yet?” If they respond with: “Yeah! It was really funny.” then you know never to take their opinion on films seriously again. One of the worst movies of the year, for sure.

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Scream 4 (2011)

April 25, 2011


Starring: Neve Campbell, David Arquette, Courtney Cox, Emma Roberts, Hayden Panettiere, Alison Brie
Director: Wes Craven (A Nightmare On Elm Street, the Scream franchise, New Nightmare)

Quick Thoughts: After a refreshing, original film that changed the landscape of slasher films in the mid-90s the Scream franchise retired in quiet fashion after 2000’s disappointing Scream 3. 11 years later, it’s a new decade and slasher films have taken on a new trend of torture horror led by Eli Roth and the Saw franchise giving the Scream creators something new to talk about. Along with fresh material to reference, the advances in technology in the past decade are utilized heavily in the new film, with the killer taking things to the next level by filming the murders.

For a series that was legitimately intense and chilling when it first started, it doesn’t take long for Scream 4 to establish its tongue-in-cheek tone with back-to-back false openings. By the time you get to the real opening, you half expect the writers to pull the rug out from under you again and this feeling never left me throughout the film, which ultimately made it a lot less scary than it could have been.

Scream has always been noteworthy for its characters’ clever banter about horror films and that trait is still in tact. From Kristen Bell and Anna Paquing talking Saw at the beginning or Sidney Prescott’s cousin Jill and her friends discussing movies, there are enough references to the genre to make any horror fanatic happy.

Ultimately, despite a new decade of movies to reference, technological advances, and ten years of time off to come up with fresh material, Scream 4 feels like more of the same. You can systematically eliminate potential killers: the more likely someone is to be a suspect, the easier it is to cross them off the list. For instance, Jill’s ex-boyfriend, Trevor, is only on screen to point fingers at. There’s never any character development for him outside of being a potential suspect. The characters of Dewey and Sidney are mostly tired. For someone that has been the target of three mass murder sprees, Sidney Prescott seems ridiculously unprepared. Survivor or not, at some point, you’d think it’d be smart to carry a gun at all times. Like all Scream films, there’s a surprise ending where the killer is revealed and this film is no different. I saw a glimmer of hope that the writers were going to grow some balls and go a different, more interesting, risk-taking route, but once again, I found myself slightly disappointed, like I was with most of the movie.

Viewings: 1
Replay Value: I think the film’s faults will be more forgivable over multiple viewings. I’m guessing once you get past the initial disappointment, Scream 4 is a pretty decent slasher flick.
Sequel Potential: Rumors of a 5th and 6th installment are already out there.
Oscar Potential: None
Nudity: Never in a Scream unfortunately.
Grade: 5.5/10 (Worth A Watch/Recommended)
Recommendation: I was expecting director Wes Craven and writer Kevin Williamson to bring their A-games and we didn’t get that, so I wound up being mostly disappointed. Still, the acting and dialogue in this movie are quality and Scream 4 is still a fun watch even if it’s not really bringing much new to the table. Fans of the previous films, or the genre in general, should definitely check it out.

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I Love You Phillip Morris (2010)

April 21, 2011


Starring: Jim Carrey, Ewan McGregor, Leslie Mann
Director: Glenn Ficarra, John Requa

Quick Thoughts: I really had no idea what to expect from this movie. The title led me to believe it might be about the cigarette industry, but it has absolutely nothing to do with that. Rather, Jim Carrey stars as Steven Russell, a seemingly regular family man who makes some drastic life changes after he suffers a brutal car accident. He admits to his wife that he’s actually homosexual and begins a career as con man that eventually finds him locked up in prison, where he meets Phillip Morris (Ewan McGregor) and they have a soul mate connection. Apparently, this is actually a true story based on real people and that fact makes it really hard to swallow because it’s ultimately a tragedy… yet it’s presented as a comedy. There was a moment during the second act of this film where I seriously considered turning it off. Russell’s first stint in prison when he befriends Phillip is excruciating to watch. I’m no homophobe–I thoroughly enjoyed Brokeback Mountain and Milk–but the focus on these characters’ sexuality is over-the-top and, at times, gratuitous, to the point where it feels like it’s being rubbed in your face rather than eloquently portrayed. Fortunately, the story picks up when Steven and Phillip are released into society and the character of Steven Russell becomes quite fascinating; his ability to manipulate borders on genius levels and his repeated escapes from prison later in the film are wildly creative and successful… and often funny. Even so, I can’t help but wonder what the real Steven Russell is like; as smart as his cons are, Jim Carrey mostly plays him as a fool… and maybe he is. After all, he is spending the rest of his life in a maximum security prison.

Viewings: 1
Replay Value: Barely made it through the first viewing.
Sequel Potential: None.
Oscar Potential: None
Nudity: I can’t remember… but there were plenty of uncomfortable scenes.
Grade: 4/10 (Rental)
Recommendation: I struggled through this movie, for sure, but it wound up being watchable. Steven Russell’s story is intriguing, but the execution here left a lot to be desired. No need to go out of your way to see it.

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127 Hours (2010)

April 12, 2011


Starring: James Franco
Director: Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire, 28 Days Later, Trainspotting)

Quick Thoughts: Danny Boyle’s 127 Hours is a gripping, claustrophobic film. James Franco plays Aron Ralston, a perpetual outdoorsman that must fight for his survival after his arm gets trapped under a rock while hiking through the mountains and canyons of Utah. It’s a compelling story, as Ralston slowly realizes the severity of his situation: it takes at least 24 hours for the boulder on Ralston’s arm to transform from major inconvenience to a seriously life-threatening object. No sir, that rock’s not going anywhere. 127 Hours makes you squirm in ways that would make a horror auteur jealous; it’s genuinely scary. Take a step outside the film and realize this is something that actually happened to someone and then put yourself in his shoes… it will send shivers down your spine. Due to the nature of the situation, the scope of the film is pretty limited, but Boyle and Co. more than make up for this in the first twenty minutes, most of which features stunning cinematography of the beautiful landscape this crisis takes place in. Franco is great in this movie and well deserving of his Oscar nomination, displaying a wide range of character that goes from cocky to scared to outright delusional. 127 Hours is a haunting, true tale of survival that is thrilling throughout its duration despite the fact that the majority of the story unfolds in a very small space.

Viewings: 1
Replay Value: Doesn’t strike me as something I’d want to watch repeatedly, but I’d strongly consider buying it.
Sequel Potential: None.
Oscar Potential: Six nominations: Best Actor (Franco), Best Director (Boyle), Best Original Song, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Editing, and Best Picture. No wins.
Nudity: None.
Grade: 7.5/10 (Must See/Excellent)
Recommendation: 127 Hours is a great story with a fast pace and clocks in at just over 90 minutes, making for a quick watch. I’ve heard complaints about the hallucinations (Scooby Dooby Doo… where are you?)–people calling them silly–but I suggest going five days without food or water… or mobility… and seeing how your brain holds up. Personally, I thought this movie was great, but if you didn’t like Into The Wild or Slumdog Millionaire, you suck… and you should probably skip this.

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Love & Other Drugs (2010)

April 4, 2011


Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Anne Hathaway, Hank Azaria, Oliver Platt
Director: Edward Zwick (Blood Diamond, The Last Samurai, Glory)

Quick Thoughts: Love & Other Drugs has the feel of a chick flick, but has enough screen time of Anne Hathaway’s breasts to make any reluctant male companion a happy camper. Also, Jake Gyllenhaal’s Jamie Randall is an easy guy for us to root for: successful at his job, funny, extremely adept at attracting women, and emotionally unavailable. Until he meets Hathaway’s Maggie Murdock, a woman that is basically the female version of himself. They say opposites attract, but in this case, two similar people find something in each other that has been absent from every other relationship they’ve ever had: love. Gyllenhaal is slightly underrated as actor–probably because he’s starred in some substandard action fare (see: The Prince Of Persia)–and he continues to charm here. Anne Hathaway is on my radar as a serious up-and-coming actress. She’s been displaying Oscar talent since her turn in Rachel Getting Married and I can’t wait to see what she does with Selina Kyle (Catwoman) in the next Batman movie. Her performance in Love & Other Drugs as the free-spirited, but unavailable Maggie Murdock, a woman experiencing the early stages of Parkinson’s Disease, is yet another strong performance in her young career. Love & Other Drugs isn’t The Notebook, but it’s an above average romantic dramedy with enough charm, humor and gratuitous female nudity to leave both males and females satisfied.

Viewings: 1
Replay Value: I wouldn’t buy it, but I’d watch it again some day.
Sequel Potential: None.
Oscar Potential: None.
Nudity: YES! Anne Hathaway @ The Oscars: “Whatever happened to the good ‘ole days? It used to be you get naked, you get nominated.”
Grade: 6/10 (Recommended)
Recommendation: A solid romantic comedy with good performances from its leads and Anne Hathaway’s boobs. Repeatedly. I mean, come on!

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Sucker Punch (2011)

April 3, 2011


Starring: Emily Browning, Abbie Cornish, Jena Malone, Vanessa Hudgens, Jamie Chung
Director: Zack Snyder (Watchmen, 300, Dawn Of The Dead)

Quick Thoughts: Zack Snyder’s Sucker Punch follows in the visual footsteps of his previous films 300 and Watchmen, but fails to capture the endearing qualities of either of those films. The action sequences pale in comparison to those of 300 and the story lacks the substance and depth of the script in Watchmen. I didn’t walk away from Sucker Punch thinking I just saw a terrible film, it’s just extremely underwhelming. The story isn’t interesting, the characters are mostly bland, and the acting is mediocre at best. I like Jena Malone in general, but no one else really brought anything special to the table and lead actress Emily Browning as Baby Doll was particularly lifeless. If I’m supposed to find her performance sexually appealing or empowering, mission failed. Sucker Punch started out promising enough but I was over it within the first thirty minutes and ready to move on to other things. Even with mild expectations, I found this movie to be a pretty big disappointment. As a huge Superman fan, I’m definitely scared of what Snyder is going to do to that franchise.

Viewings: 1
Replay Value: 2-3 viewings.
Sequel Potential: It’s tough to see where the story goes from here, but if it does well in the box office, a sequel is probably likely…
Oscar Potential: Maybe a visual effects nod, but probably not.
Nudity: Rated PG-13… by far the worst aspect of the film. Five hot chicks starring and no nudity? Do these people not know how to make money?
Grade: 4/10 (Netflix It)
Recommendation: Sucker Punch is a high octane action film that relies heavily on impressive visuals and it practically bored me to death. I say skip it.

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Limitless (2011)

March 26, 2011


Starring: Bradley Cooper, Robert De Niro, Abbie Cornish
Director: Neil Burger (The Illusionist)

Quick Thoughts: Limitless asks the question: what if we could use the full power of our brains? Unfortunately, the film’s answer isn’t all that exciting: kill the stock market, get a haircut, and win your ex back. Yes, because if I had superhuman intelligence, I’d use it to keep banging the same ordinary chick I’ve been with for years. OK, Bradley Cooper’s character does write a supposedly fantastic novel in an absurdly short amount of time, but who knows what’s so special about the book, because we’re never told anything about it, nor does its success have any bearing on the film’s story whatsoever. I like the concept in Limitless, but the execution leaves a lot to be desired. As expected, our hero becomes addicted to the success his new drug of choice continually brings into his life… but his bottom is quick and the consequences are not very severe. If this was a cautionary tale about the dangers of drug abuse, the lesson seems to be: snort everything and life will work out just fine. This movie sort of reminded me of The Butterfly Effect, but way less cool. Limitless was mildly entertaining, but I can assure you, you won’t need NZT to grasp the full scope of this film.

Viewings: 1
Replay Value: Two viewings tops.
Sequel Potential: Doubtful.
Oscar Potential: None.
Nudity: None? WTF.
Grade: 5/10 (Worth Watching)
Recommendation: Limitless is fun, but it’s kind of stupid and hardly lives up to its name… the experimental drug, NZT, appears to give you access to 30% of your brain, at best.

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Hall Pass (2011)

March 8, 2011

Starring: Owen Wilson, Jason Sudeikis, Jenna Fischer, Christina Applegate
Director: Bobby & Peter Farrelly (There’s Something About Mary, Stuck On You, Kingpin, Shallow Hal)

Quick Thoughts: A solid comedy that kind of loses its mind in the final act of the film. The premise of married men being allowed a week off from their marriages to do whatever they wish obviously provides plenty of laughs, but it’s the banter between Rick (Wilson) and Fred (Sudeikis) when they think no one is listening that are the film’s funniest moments. Being a Farrelly Brothers production, Hall Pass does cross into gross out territory, pushing the envelop a bit with its toilet humor, a sub-genre of comedy I never find particularly funny. The third act essentially ruins the film… transforming it from a quality comedy into something I’ll probably never watch again.

Grade: 5/10 (Worth Watching)
Viewings: 1
Replay Value: Comedies always have the potential to get better over time. Not good enough to buy, but I’d maybe watch it again with a group of friends.
Sequel Potential: Seems like a stretch. Not only would it be tough to find a plausible way to continue this story, it’s not looking like a box office smash either.
Oscar Potential: None.
Nudity: Nicky Whelan gets naked and looks ridiculous.

Recommendation: Hall Pass is an okay comedy. If you’re a fan of the Farrelly Bros. past work this probably won’t disappoint you too much, but the last third of the movie is pretty brutal. It just gets out of control and stops being funny. I feel like they had a good concept for a comedy here with lots of ideas for funny scenes but had no idea how to end their film. If the ending didn’t suck so bad, I’d happily recommend this to most people, but as it is, seems like a rental to me.

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