From the moment I saw the first trailer, I knew Battleship would be nothing special. Not just because of it being based off of a board game, but because it looked so similar to the Transformers franchise, and I was shocked to learn it was not a sequel, (but not to find out it’s made by the same studio!). It just looked like a lot of explosions and loud noise, which turns out, it is. But there a little bit of fun to be had with it, just not enough to make enjoyable.
Lets start with the acting. Even if your story is pretty bland, sometimes it can be saved with the right actors who can deliver the performances needed to save it. Taylor Kitsch is best known for his role in the hit television show Friday Night Lights and he was pretty believable in John Carter (despite it being a box office flop). But he does nothing special in this movie. He’s not bard, just remarkably average. Where they went really wrong on the casing was putting Rihanna in this thing. I never really enjoyed her as a music artist, but after this role, I know she should stay that way for sure. Lian Neeson is of course fun to watch, but he gets so little screen time that he eventually becomes an after thought when thinking about the movie. They use his star power to push the marketing of the movie forward and then when it comes to his role in the actual film, it’s very minimal. The one who actually surprised me the most was Brooklyn Decker. Don’t get me wrong, she wasn’t giving an Oscar worthy performance or anything, but she really stood out to me. The girlfriend role in most movies barely gets any thought or detail put into her, but Decker’s character actually gets a real back story and reason for being where she is and doing what she’s doing, and for what it all called for, she really gives it her all.
The action this film has to offer really needs to be something good. Really, that’s the reason people are going to see this thing anyway right? No looks at the trailer and says “I think this has a real interesting story and fun characters I’d like to get to know, LETS GO SEE IT”! No. They go because they see giant ships blasting away at alien invaders and because they hear loud noises going along with it. This is a summer movie that’s reliant on it’s action, and for an okay amount of time it delivers the goods. However, after a while things get very repetitive. After seeing a Naval destroyer ship rotate it’s guns and blast away at it’s enemies four or five times for the past couple hours, you really being to feel bored, because you get a giant case of “been there done that” with the action put on display. There is a point where the aliens get on the ship the crew is forced to fight them hands on, but these scenes are so short that it comes off as forgettable in the end. At the end of the day, when you have an action movie where the action doesn’t impress all the way through, you have a problem.
Now I didn’t expect the writing for this movie to be top notch or anything, but man, was this a bad screen play. There was even a point of the movie where one the characters blurts out “who talks like that?!” We know from the first scene he’s in that Kitsch plays a screw up who can’t get his life together, yet we get a constant reminder every time a new character comes on in the first half saying things like “you have so much potential, but you waste it all!” (or at least that’s a paraphrase). I will give the writers/director (Peter Berg) credit for making it feel at least a little like a Battleship movie. The missiles shot at the ships look like pegs used in the board game and at one point the Navel team pulls up a grid where they are able to track down their enemies where abouts, which works as a nice throwback to how the game is played. To bad none of these guys have placed Battleship the game in real life or else maybe they would have had an easier time with the system.
Not that every movie has to play by this rule, especially an alien invasion movie. But I would have liked to have known a little more about these alien life forms that where coming to overtake our planet. There is no main bad guy to root against or even feel connected to in anyway, just a group of intergalactic predators coming to wipe us out. Come to think of it, I’m not even sure what their over all plan even was. Maybe it was all just an extermination plot to get us off our planet so these guys have somewhere else to live. All I got from this experience was humans good, space creatures bad.
What could have been something cool and forgettable, will only go down as loud and forgettable. No one will remember this movie come the end of the summer, expect for maybe what a wasted opportunity it was for Hasbro to produce another hit franchise. Some of the action, explosions and Ship battles were exciting to watch, but there comes a time where that becomes old and boring and we want something else. More than just the standard “boom boom, look at what I can do with my computer”. It should also have heart and originality. This is just one summer idea that didn’t work and I hope it’s a lesson to filmmakers out there that we as an audience want more than just explosions and poor characters.
Grade: C-
I won’t say I’m a fan of Sacha Baron Cohen, but I do respect the way he does comedy and I enjoy the way he pushes the envelope when most people are afraid to. He shocked the world with the politically incorrect Borat, he disappointed the world with Bruno and now Cohen is back doing what he does best, playing an offensive character in hopes of getting laughs. Most of the time the jokes are funny, other times, just plain dumb. Is the Dictator a winner, or just a massive bomb? Sorry, that was dark.
The story follows General Aladeen (Cohen) who travels to America to represent…whatever made-up country he was from, in a United Nations peace treaty signing, but the plot of the movie doesn’t really matter much. There are cameos from celebrities like Megan Fox and John Reilly but their roles are so small it’s almost not worth going into. A lack of an interesting plot may sound like a weakness in most movies but people don’t come to these kinds of movies to see how the story comes together. Instead, they come for the offensive jokes and very dirty humor. If that’s your thing, this movie has a lot of it. If not, then stay away.
Come to think of it, it almost seems silly for me to write a review of this movie because you should know based on what type of movie this is if you will like it or not. If you are an easily-offended person who gets all flabbergasted after every punch to America, then there is no shot you are going to like this movie. To me, I’m a guy who doesn’t get easily offended. Yes, jokes like this are terrible if used with the wrong people in the wrong context and no one should try to offend anybody on purpose. But, you have a choice to see this movie or not. You can’t go into it and complain about how dirty and offensive it is because you already know that’s exactly what the movie is - dirty and offensive. Calling it this is a compliment to Cohen and Co. imagine going to a Transformers movie and complaining about watching loud fighting robots. So, since I don’t get easily offended, I found the movie pretty funny. I also found it entertaining to see what wacky characters Cohen comes up with and how he uses them as relevant placements in pop culture.
That having been said, the film had it’s fair share of missteps. Unlike Borat and Bruno, The Dictator tried to be an actual story style movie instead of a mockumentary that had been working out well for Cohen. Part of what made his past work so hilarious was the shocking reactions to people as they were captured on hidden camera. Here, with everything staged, it just seemed like it was missing something vital to keep the laughs fresh. Also, Borat and Bruno had stories, but they were simple ones. This plot isn’t a complex one, but they tried way too hard at making sure there was one, which sometimes took away from the humor and nature of the material. Maybe this is Cohen’s transition into more serious style of movie, but for this one, I would have loved to see a mockumentary. Another sign that Cohen might be turning a over a new leaf is that this movie actually tried having a serious side, or a semi-serious side. Unfortunately for him, the serious elements failed, and every time it seemed that’s what they were going for, an offensive joke would be spit out to bring it back to the raunchy realm. It was almost like they were afraid to commit to a dramatic side of the story.
I know it seems like all I’m doing is complaining, but I can’t fully compliment the movie without talking about the jokes and all I can really say about them are that they are aimed for the target audience. I can’t stress this enough, if you are easily offended, don’t see this movie! But if you can enjoy jokes like this without really focusing too much on its flawed plot structured, it can be a fun time at the movies. For me, I laughed a lot and that’s all I was looking for going in. I just wish it could have been up to Borat level.
Grade: B
Well, the summer movie season is finally here. The first weekend in May traditionally kicks off with a Marvel Superhero movie and, for the most part, they are pretty entertaining and well worth the time of anyone searching for a fun popcorn flick. But man, what we have this year is something special. Marvel Studios did the unthinkable and created a crossover movie between favorites including Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor and Captain America, and gives them all a chance to shine in their own way. This is one of the few blockbusters I’ve seen that I have been so excited for and then blown away by how much more the film delivered.
Because the biggest selling point of the movie is the fact that these heroes come to together for the first time, I’m going to write about each character and how they contributed and gave a reason for this event to even happen in the first place. This isn’t just any superhero movie, this is THE AVENGERS!
Iron Man: The thing I appreciated the most out of how the character of Tony Stark was handled, is not really in what he did, but what he didn’t do. Robert Downey Jr. was not the scene stealer that I thought he was going to be, and that’s a good thing. He could have easily been the head guy who gives orders and has all the best lines, but they put him in the background for a decent amount of time while still putting him to good use when needed. They stayed true to his character and self absorbed nature with out giving him the reins to orchestrate everything. Some of the most entertaining scenes involving Stark are when he’s interacting with the other characters. He loves Bruce Banner and his smarts, he thinks Captain America is an outdated pretty boy and right from the get-go he and Thor don’t see eye to eye.
Thor: Now the thing about Thor is that he is an interesting mesh of every other character (because he’s, you know, a god). In his own world it may work, but putting him among these other heroes will be a real challenge. Well, Joss Whedon accepted the challenge and nailed it. Thor kicks so much enemy butt in this movie while also having sentimental feelings toward his brother Loki (the film’s villain). Thor is the character who understands Loki the most and still wants to help him despite his evil ways. When you look at it as brotherly love, it’s easy to respect where he’s coming from. Compared to the other heroes who had their own movies, I would say Thor is used the least, but still maintains that sense of belonging and relevance that makes you love every second he’s on screen, smashing the life out of things with his hammer.
Captain America: Captain America really stayed true to who he was despite now living in a different time period after being frozen in ice for 70 years (Spoiler alert, I guess?) He was still the corny but lovable Captain that we rooted for in his first movie but now we get to see a different side of him, a side of confusion, and how he adapts to the new world. What I loved about seeing Captain America in action with all the others is he was able to give orders with being the team’s leader and, toward the end, everyone respected him for it. He stays in the lower level and helps the civilians while Hulk, Iron Man and Thor take care of the high ground, which is really awesome to see even in this movie because when it comes down to it, the Captain is a people person who loves defended their lives and freedoms.
The Hulk: Every review you read or every person you talk to you probably tells you the same thing, “Hulk steals the show, man!” (or if you are a girl, it might sound like “Hulk steals the show, girl!”) And yes, The Incredible Hulk lights up the screen in every single scene he is in. He got the biggest round of applause and laughter out of any of the characters and he was just so incredible (see what I did there?) to watch as he smashed everything in his path. In addition to having The Hulk as an awesome force of destruction (in a good way), Mark Ruffalo is also a fantastic Bruce Banner. Edward Norton was great in the role back in 2008, but Ruffalo makes the part his own and brings more to the table for this round fun. He was much better than I expected him to be.
Black Widow/Hawkeye: The reason I’m putting these two in the same section is because they are both side characters who never got their own movie. They work for S.H.I.E.L.D and fight along side the other big time heroes. It actually impressed me how deep they got with Black Widow in developing her back story. There is still some mystery to her, but you know so much more about her from this than what Iron Man 2 told us. In that film, she was just there to say, “Hey! We have an Avengers movie coming out real soon. You can tell because of all the characters we are throwing in.” But now, she actually has a purpose and gets to show off even more of her fighting skills (and look real good while doing so). Hawkeye, at least to me, was a bit of a letdown, but the fact that he was never a key hero in this set of stories never brought down my enjoyment of the movie. He was just kind of there as filler. When you compare him to the rest of the team, he contributed the least. Then again, maybe that’s his thing. Maybe in the comics he’s more of the “high ground, look-out guy”. But at the end of the day, I felt if they didn’t write him in the movie in the first place, nothing drastic would have changed. That having been said, when he did get action scenes, he was fun to watch.
Loki: To most, Loki seems like an interesting choice to play the villain in Marvel’s first superhero mash up, but even if you are skeptical, he will not disappoint. He’s still the same old Loki who struggles with inferiority issues and is jealous of living in the shadow on his brother (Thor), but he is menacing to a dangerous degree here. The second he comes in screen for the first time and makes that evil face, you know things just got real. I had an issue at first with the alien race that he recruits to work with him in conquering Earth and that they never really got a proper back story or anything, but when I thought about it, they were essentially just bowling pins being killed every second in the fight scenes. To take time explaining them would serve no purpose because we don’t care who they are if there are thousands being killed per second. Loki is the real villain and a scary one he is.
The blending of the characters is what makes this movie work. Without the chemistry and the reason for being together the movie would have failed. But Joss Whedon brought this movie to life in ways no comic book or movie fan could have ever imagined possible. And if that wasn’t difficult enough, the script was written with a giant helping of comedy. I laughed more in this movie than any other superhero movie thus far, and even though comedy isn’t the key to making a great superhero movie, it’s still a key ingredient to making a fun time at the movies for everyone.
So if you couldn’t tell already, I absolutely loved this movie. I can’t imagine anyone who loved the films prior to this and being a superhero fan in general being disappointed. If the rest of the summer movie releases are even a fraction as good as this one (with the exception of The Dark Knight Rises), then we have reached summer movie heaven for the next couple months. Summer is here and The Avengers rocks!
Grade: A
Right from the get go, I knew I would find enjoyment from The Five Year Engagement. When I saw that Jason Segel was a part of this movie, I was sold. Not to mention one of my favorite writer/directors of comedy, Nicolas Stoller (Director of Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Get Him To The Greek), was behind the camera. This movie screams generic on paper but it is anything but that. This movie does pretty much everything a romantic comedy should do, but rarely does.
Segel and Emily Blunt play Tom and Violet. A couple living in San Francisco who have just decided to tie the knot and live happily together in each others’ arms. Then Violet gets a job offer in Michigan that puts their lives on hold for, oh, I don’t know, about five years or so. Segel becomes unhappy with his new lifestyle and the couple begins to face new problems and challenges that puts them on edge. Most of the movie is hilarious but other times it’s pretty emotional watching this couple have to push their wedding back year after year.
This movie could have easily been stupid. On paper, it sounds like a cliched romantic comedy with some laughs but no substance. If that’s what you thought going in then I am pleased to tell you that you are very wrong. Segel has fantastic comedic timing and Blunt has such great chemistry with anyone she’s in a scene with that it’s a wonder she’s not in more movies. Blunt gets her own story line with different problems than the men, but they still matter to us, because she is a powerful female character that we want to see succeed. The movie handles its jokes and drama quite well and it mostly felt like a movie that Judd Apatow was a part of (maybe it has to do with the fact that he produced it). Yes, Apatow (director of The 40 Year Old Virgin, Knocked Up and Funny People) basically rewrote the raunchy comedy rule book and found a happy medium where movies can have gross-out humor and simple conversations among friends, yet still be smart and heartfelt. That’s what The Five Year Engagement is, a movie that spins the “Rom-Com” genre and gets you to actually care about the characters and situations they face rather than just saying “Oh, I know where this is going.” Even the ending, which is really expected, is played off in such a goofy and fun way that you’ve seen it before without actually seeing it before.
In addition to Segel and Blunt being pitch perfect in their roles, the supporting cast works wonders too. Allison Brie (of Community fame) plays Violet’s sister and Chris Pratt (of Parks and Recreation fame) play’s Tom best friend. The two of them have such funny characters, laugh-out-loud lines and an interesting story that I wouldn’t mind seeing a spin off that is about them some day. Needless to say, they stole the show when on screen. Also, Kevin Hart has a small role in here too. He doesn’t have much range when it comes to movies, but he’s a comedian playing small roles in comedies, what else is he going to do?
Having a comedy run over two hours is risky business no matter what it’s actually about, so there will be some down time among the pacing. Unfortunately, the film does suffer from an uneven pace at a few small points in the movie. At one moment you’ll be watching a riotous scene in which Jason Segel has transformed into a wilderness hunter and makes proud comments about his slaughtered deer collection, and the next you will see serious relationship problems that Tom and Violet face. Don’t get me wrong, it’s good to have the drama in there because that’s part of what makes the movie so special, but when the transition between comedy and drama is thin and jerky, things can get awkward for your audience real fast. A movie like this can work for two hours, but you need to have it tightly directed to the point where everything is where it should be and all the fat is trimmed during editing. With all it’s false endings and thin transitions, it seemed to me that someone dropped the ball somewhere in post production, but it never got to the point where I stopped enjoying the movie just because I thought it was going to be over when really, it wasn’t.
The main thing I look for in a great comedy is the smart writing in its script. I mean, I like a silly, screwball comedy like every other guy (I’m one of the ten people on Earth who liked Hot Rod), but what separates the good comedies from the great ones is all in a witty and unpredictable script and the actors who can deliver on it, which Segel and Blunt do marvelously. When looking at a comedy check list, The Five Year Engagement hits every mark and proves once again that it’s okay to be silly and raunchy, just as long as you are smart about it.
Grade: A-
Joss Whedon’s The Cabin In The Woods is going to be such a difficult movie for me talk about, or for anyone to talk about. This thing is full of surprises and twists that it’s pretty much what the whole movie consists of. Take the poster for example, it shows a cabin acting like a Rubik’s cube, and that is all you need to know about this movie. Whatever you think it’s going to be going into it, you are dead wrong. But all this is a refreshing change of pace for anyone who complains that the horror genre, or any genre for that matter, has become way to predictable over the years. Whether you find yourself loving it or hating it has the plot unfolds, one things for sure, you wont see it coming.
The film starts off like any ordinary horror movie. You have your set-up, which is the group of college students getting together and packing up for the big weekend at the lake, you get the creepy old gas station owner who warns them about whats to come if they travel any further and then you get the creepy cabin itself that looks like a hurricane got the best of it. After all these cliches are laid out on the table, the crazy reason you came to this movie in the first place starts to unfold. Which brings me back to why its very hard to discuss this movie, because part of the fun is not knowing what is going to happen, until it actually happens. I can’t joke around when I say my jaw hit the floor when the movie ended, because I could not believe the turn around the movie made. It went from slasher film to action film with a snap of a finger, while still sticking to a comedic tone.
Another unique aspect about this movie is how well it mashes genres together. I’d say this is equal parts horror and comedy. The situations the group find themselves in and the numerous jump scares are a part of the creepy effect, but the banter between all the characters and the sharp written dialogue written for each of them made me laugh a lot more than I ever though I would in a movie like this. The best is, it was all intentional humor. Most of the jokes come from the stoner friend of the bunch, Marty (played by Fran Kranz). He’s one of those guys that comes off as a fool because of all the pot he smokes, but is actually on to whats happened to him and his friends in the cabin. So in addition to being one of the funniest in the movie he is also the most interesting.
Almost everyone here is an unknown talent, with the exception of Chris Hemsworth (Thor himself). There some other known actors sprinkled throughout the film, but to tell you who they are would lead me to tell you who their character is, and to do that would give away a large chuck, if not all, of the surprise. So well leave that to be a mystery for the time being.
Many reviews you read for this film are not going to be very informative, because you can’t discuss it fully with someone who hasn’t seen it. 1). So that it doesn’t give away all the great twist the movie has to offer, 2). Whoever you are telling probably wont believe you anyway. Yes, it’s that insane. Yes, the film is scary but not terrifying. It is also hilarious fun with likable characters and a plot unlike anything you’ve seen before, even though the set-up and basic premise would suggest otherwise. This is all thanks to the minds of Joss Whedon (creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly and director of the upcoming Avengers movie) and Drew Goddard (writer of Cloverfield and Lost). These men know how to do pop culture right and how to get fans excited for their work. I hope to see these guys push the envelope more often, because when they do, it is something special.
Grade: B+
After years and years of 2D cartoons being Disney’s main production, all the stories are now being told as a live action adventure. Alice In Wonderland started the trend a few years back, and while I may not have been a fan of it, it’s still pretty cool to see these old classics come to life with the use of live action. The next entry is Mirror Mirror, a tale of Snow White and the evil queen in a magical kingdom. Visually, it’s exciting and fun to look at. Anywhere you turn there is something pleasing to look at and it all makes you feel like a part of this fantasy world. Unfortunately, the rest of the movie is not as strong.
The best part about Mirror Mirror are it’s visuals, that is obvious. The director, Tarsem Singh (director of The Cell and last year’s, Immortals) , is known for creating very visually oriented films. The kingdom looks absolutely stunning and so does the forrest and even the mirror room where the Queen must recite her ever famous line “Mirror mirror on the wall, whose the fairest of them all”? Well, she never actually says that last part, but you get the idea. In a nutshell, everything is nice to look at and i would not be surprised to see this movie show up at the Oscars for a best costume or makeup nomination.
The writing is cheesy, no question about it. But at least the acting was not as bad as I thought it might be. Lily Collins was beyond words awful in last year’s Abduction, so I figured she couldn’t be any better. Well, she actually fit the role well. She did nothing amazing, but it was nice to see her as Snow White and she never got as annoying as she looks. Armie Hammer is pretty much the same exact way. He talks in this high and mighty deep voice (apparently that’s how every Prince is suppose to sound), but it was actually humorous at a lot of times. It’s a real shame he wasn’t outstanding though, because this could have been his third terrific performance in a row, right behind The Social Network and J.Edger. The one I did actually have an issue with was Julia Roberts. She just seemed as awkward playing the Queen because she tried to be both menacing and funny, but turned out to be neither.
Now, back to the way it was scripted. I like the idea of a live action Snow White movie, i really do. However, this story, just like Robert’s performance, was really awkward. It tried to hard to be funny in all kinds of spots, but the jokes just didn’t work out. most examples of this can be found in the banter of the seven dwarfs and Nathan Lane was the Queen’s royal slave. (What? That’s what he is).
I may not be the target audience for this movie, but that doesn’t mean I don’t expect a decent story with my film, whether it be a kids movie or not. This was just not a compelling or interesting story. We are suppose to sympathize with Snow White and Prince because the Queen is about to marry him and Snow is in love with him (and vis versa), but they only actually had a good 5-10 minutes of screen time together before these emotions were stirred up and now were suppose to root for them to be together. A little to forced if you ask me. There is a small portion of the story having to do with a small village that has gone into poverty because of the Queen’s reign, but after the half way point the town, and the people in it, are never bought back or discussed again. i would have liked to have seen more of them and more of the magical landscape than dreadful scenes with Julia Roberts interaction with the Prince or her silly little man slave.
Mirror Mirror has fun parts to it that younger kids will probably enjoy. It’s got great visual effects, silly characters and light story and a short running time that seems to be custom made for that audience. But to me, the great live action classic Disney story has still yet to be made. Mirror Mirror didn’t anger to the point of hating it, but it did disappoint me because it just felt like one missed opportunity after another and far from enchanting. Lets hope this summer’s Snow White and the Huntsman can be a actual hit, or else the tale of Snow White will only be remembered as the “the story that could have been”.
Grade: C+
After the the charming and witty efforts of last year’s Midnight In Paris, Woody Allen brings us yet another look into the beauty of a foreign country, this time, in Italy. Also like Midnight, there is quite the large cast of characters in this new film - ranging from Allen himself, to Alec Baldwin to Jesse Eisenberg. Personally, I’m really looking forward to it. I know Mr. Allen is very hit or miss with his films, but with a similar vibe to Midnight In Paris, I have high hopes for this next glorious adventure. Also, from the looks of this trailer, it appears as though Alec Baldwin could be turning in a performance worthy on an Oscar nomination! We shall see…
I loved this movie. There, that should give you a sense of what I think pretty clearly. It’s been a long time since I laughed this hard and this often while sitting there watching one movie. Which is odd, because this stars Jonah Hill (who is actually often funny) and, wait for it…Channing Tatum! Yes, the hate for this man and the movies he has been a part of are huge, but I actually loved him in this movie. This is also suppose to be an adaptation of an 80’s TV show that really kicked Johnny Depp’s career into high gear (maybe you’ve heard of the guy), but from what I hear (because I’ve never actually seen the show) it really has nothing to do with what the show was like back in the day. No one seems to have a problem with that, so neither do I!
This is not a stupid comedy. Yes, it’s premise is a little juvenile, but it’s so self aware of the type of movie it is that the writers play that as a strength. Everything in the movie knows that Hill and Tatum look to old to be in high school and it’s addressed multiple times and when explaining the 21 Jump Street Program to these two guys, their boss says “They’re reviving a cancelled program from the 80’s, apparently no one can come up with anything original so they just keep recycling the same stuff over and over”. Okay, that’s not EXACTLY how the quote goes, but you get my point. They know how ridiculous the plot is and how familiar it feels, so they make jokes about it! Another action movie cliche they play into is during a highway car chase, people keep shooting at things all over the place and Hill yells “wow, i really thought that was going to blow up!”. Because if you have every seen a buddy cop flick or a Michael Bay film) you know that EVERYTHING blows up. It’s almost like a rule or something.
The comedy is consistent in this movie. Many comedies will have funny lines or things about them, but they may have a dry spot or two that forgets to be funny. 21 Jump Street never had a dull moment as far as laughs are concerned (at least for me). The pace is quick and the lines are witty and fresh without always going for the lame “fat” or “gay” joke. The jokes were more pop culture based and how the times had changed in High School from when Schmidt and Jenko (Hill and Tatum) attended for real and when they go back undercover. They switch roles and friend groups in that time span, Hill goes from being a nerdy guy to a popular ones (mostly hanging out with James Franco’s actual younger brother, Dave Franco) and Tatum goes from the popular crowd to actually hanging and having fake light saber battles with the nerdy kids. Hill loves his new found power, while Tatum hates his demotion as a nerd, but in the end he actually starts to like his new friends and realize that people are just people and “cool” kids can be found in any group.
The chemistry between Hill and Tatum is spot on. Who would have thought that these guys would make such a great pair playing partners/best friends? Not me. Most of the reason why the comedy works is because it works so well when the lines are delivered by these two guys and the banter between them is hilarious to the max. Their relationship is developed very nicely in the first couple minutes, but it seemed a bit rushed to me. They quickly went from High School, to training at the police academy, to being bicycle cops in the park all in a matter of ten minutes. But is this really something to complain about? Not really. Any longer and the scenes may have been drawn out to the point of boredom.
I’ve talked so much about the comedy this movie offers that I haven’t said much about the action. That’s because, while the action is pretty exciting, these scenes are not the movies strong point. But, they are exciting. Nothing is over the top or unbelievable in the action, with no huge stunts to be seen. But seriously, it was awesome to see Hill and Tatum take part in a gun battle/car chase with thugs from the hood while wearing white suits and having no real experience dealing with this type of situation. It really plays up a dream we all secretly have. To be a part of some high energy action involving drug dealers, car chases and guns, even though we know in real life we would be killed in an instant. Or maybe that’s just me…
Hilarious dialogue that’s not entirely mean spirited, some pretty sweet action scenes, the best cameo appearance I’ve seen in a long time (don’t worry, wont spoil it. But it’s kind of obvious) actors who can deliver fun material and writers and directors who know exactly how silly their production is. Combine all of this and you get a very entertaining movie that turns out to be not only the funniest movie of this year so far, but of last year as well.
Grade: A
The 80’s had Fast Times At Ridgemont High, the 90’s had Dazed and Confused, recently we had Superbad and now the creators of The Hangover try to replicate the success of those high school party movies by making one that is relevant to this generation. At times this movie is pure stupidity, at other times it’s actually kind of funny and at others it’s just insane.
Project X follows a trio of high school nerd who try to throw the biggest party of all time as a “game changer” to make themselves cool in school. I liked the fact that they documented the events leading up to the party and how the whole “planning” process played out. That made it feel like there was an actual story to be seen and established these three guys as great friends. Once the party actually starts though, it feels like I’m watching a music video rather than a real movie, and I blame the “found footage” feature for that effect. I feel like I could have taken it a bit more seriously as a real movie if they had filmed it the normal way instead of having a random kid follow them around with a camera. Which by the way, that’s what they do, a random kid who they barely even know follows them around all day and night to get the footage. All other found footage movies have some sort of motivation for why they want to film the daily events, but here, it’s all just “you have hands, come film our party so we could play it back whenever we get bored”.
This movie is comedy, but most of the humor is just cheap and unoriginal. I have no problem with a few fat jokes, but that’s all the one friend was around for. He’s fat, and they make fun at his weight every chance they get. It was funny the first time, but the same joke in a new way doesn’t mean it doesn’t get old just as fast. The movie wasn’t funny for it’s lines, but for it’s situations. Actually, the situations were barley even funny, just shocking. I had my jaw open from from watching these crazy things unfold more times than when I was actually laughing. Things such as, neighbors being harassed, midgets being put in ovens, dogs being tied to balloons and houses being set on fire are only a few things that happen at this party and if this actually happened, people would most likely be dead. Well, maybe not dead, but it’s just to crazy to imagine ANYONE doing these things.
I think party people well definitely enjoy this movie. In fact, I know party people will enjoy this movie. The tag-line for the poster is “The party you’ve only dreamed about” and I know that’s true for most people because of how they want this to happen. The people who aren’t really into the party scene may not like it as much, but I can still see them enjoying it if they know what they are getting into. I’m not a huge party guy myself, but I still fond enjoyment out of the music, the energy and the insane situations that took place. Some of the things hat happen you just can’t help but laugh at, even if in real life you know you would never do that.
Thinking about it afterwards I was unsure of how i felt about this movie. Because despite what most people will tell you, this is NOT a quality movie. Granted, it is a fun one, but it might not be one worth spending large amounts of money to have some sort of profound message or emotional rage hit you. But the more I think about it, the more I realize the crew aren’t trying to make that kind of movie. They are trying to make a fun, light headed party movie that most people of this day and age can relate to, and in those terms, I believe they succeed.
Most of the party scenes felt like I was watching a music video or something MTV would air on one of their many adolescent shows and the music is no different than what you would hear on any pop radio station or high school prom, but I can still enjoy that music too. Project X can be a fun movie if you have the right mind set and can find enjoyment out of crazy occurrences. I know this is not the traditional “good” movie, but i can’t deny I enjoyed watching most of it once. Would I watch it again? Maybe down the road, but not anytime soon.
Grade: B-
*Fun Fact*: A sequel is already in the works. I don’t know what else they could possibly do, all i know is that’s it seems pretty unnecessary.
Will Ferrell protagoniza una nueva comedia de los creadores de presentador, pero esta no es la típica película de Ferrell. Esta es una comedia, dijo en su totalidad enlugar de español y teniendo en México. La gran pregunta es, ¿Will Ferrell todavía ser divertido en otro idioma?
Not fluent in the Spanish language? Fine, I’ll write the rest of English. To be fair, I haven’t taken a single year of Spanish in school. Google translator is marvelous isn’t it? Anyway, where was I?
Casa De Mi Padre isn’t a movie I was planning on seeing nor is it a movie everyone is going to like. Despite Ferrell being the star and it being produced by American studios, this is a foreign language film and they are not always popular with mainstream audience members. To be honest, I kind of enjoyed it. It wasn’t a laugh a minute comedy like some of the ones Ferrell has been in, but it was funny in its own way. The reason it was funny was because it embraced the fact that it was a cheesy Spanish movie made my Americans. All throughout, you would get fake props used to resemble real animals, obviously fake backgrounds that would have the same stuff going by on a loop as the characters traveled and jumpy editing from one scene to an entirely different one. All of this makes the movie silly, and it works.
Say what you will about Will Ferrell, but for someone to become fluent in the Spanish language just for a role in a movie is pure dedication if you ask me, and I’m sure glad he did this. He translates his humor into the Spanish in a way I never thought would make me laugh, but did. The rest of the cast is great, but not everyone is as funny as Ferrell. With the exception of his two buddies that just follow him around (who mostly spend their time laughing at jokes other people make), the rest of the cast is pretty serious. Diego Luna plays Ferrell’s brother who gets into some crazy business with Mexican drug dealers and who is soon to wed the incredibly hot, Genesis Rodriguez. These two young Mexican actors have great chemistry mixing it up with Ferrell and, as serious as they are, they are still entertaining to watch.
The plot gets pretty serious at times. Basically, it’s all about the drug business, and how deep Ferrell’s brother gets in with the Mexican gangsters who want him dead. It’s much more serious than the average plot of a comedy and sometimes it just seems just generic. But the silly parts that are sprinkled in the story really lighten the mood and make the so-so plot into a pretty funny farce. Toward the end, the movie goes into a full out action scene that turns out pretty awesome, but also feels misplaced.
This movie can be described as a frequently flipped coin toss. It flip flops between silly and serious, but doesn’t always transition between the two well. One minute you’ll be laughing, and the next someone will be shot and killed - taking the movie in a sudden and serious turn. So in those terms, the movie is very mixed. This will never be one the oft-quoted Will Ferrell movies. Those will always be Anchorman, Step Brothers, Talladega Nights, and maybe even Old School, but Casa De Mi Padre is really only funny for its ideas and effects, not its lines or story telling. Never the less, it can be a fun, silly time if you are in the right mood/mind set. It’s a mixed bag, but a mixed bag that’s enjoyable at times.
Grade: B-
*Fun Fact*: No hay ningún hecho de la diversión en esta ocasión, yo sólo quería para sentirse bien mediante el uso de Google Translator otra vez! Simplemente le da a este últimocomo una idea extranjera.
