Day 106: August 14th, 2010

The Other Guys




Meet The Other Guys

This comedy film puts Will Ferrell back in the right direction. He still has some ways to go before becoming actually funny again, but with the help of his long time collaborator and new comer Marky Mark Wahlberg, we have a slightly funnier comedy than one would expect.

The Other Guys is in the vein of Hot Fuzz, only with less jazz and more stupid Ferrell humour. It takes the buddy cop action film genre and parodies it. Sam 'The Man' Jackson & Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson are two egocentric big time cops who will do more than millions of dollars in damages to the city just to bust some people running dope. Tango & Cash on steroids. Their untimely exit (you knew it happened, come on) gives the others guys a chance to shine. The other guys are of course Ferrell and Wahlberg. Two polar opposites that when together make for some laughs.

Wahlberg plays up on his bad boy rep as he berates Ferrell every chance he gets. This is a fish out of water style of film for Wahlberg who finally just seems to have found his footing in comedy. Specifically this style of comedy. Ferrell tones it down a notch, but does his typical long winded comedic bits at others. His backstory involving hoes and pimps was a huge misfire in my opinion.

Eva Mendes is the sexy wife who gets nothing to do but be the good looking woman of the film. Her role is minute and her talents are kind of wasted, she does the best she can with the material. I really dug Michael Keaton as the Captain. With this film and Toy Story 3, I hope he has the comeback his so deserves.

The comedy is really hit and miss. I expected it to be a lot worse. As far as McKay and Ferrell comedies go, it's pretty light. It's more grounded than their previous efforts and actually has a bit of plot to give the viewer. The Other Guys is a rental.

7/10

Day 73: July 12th, 2010

Election



Reading, Writing, Revenge.

A high school teacher's life spirals out of control when he complicates things for one student by entering another into the presidential election. Ferris Bueller plays the teacher. The legally blonde Elle Woods is Tracy Flick, the overachieving girl running for president and Chris Klein is the one student tricked into running against her. Alexander Payne cleverly uses the high school setting and antics to poke fun at the political system that runs countries today.

Election has many things going for it. For one, it's incredibly funny. Everyone plays their roles seriously that it's hilarious. Witherspoon is Tracy Flick, without a doubt, my favourite role she has done and her best performance to date. Her goodie attitude is just a shell for her willingness to do anything to get ahead.

Broderick is great as the teacher people seem to hate, yet I oddly found myself on his side a lot of times. Sure, he makes some horrible decisions, but you feel sorry for the character because things simply just don't go his way. Finally Klein, an actor I hate because he has no range, here is actually enjoyable. His out of the loop state of mind is fun and he becomes the enemy of Flick without even knowing it.

Election has smart writing and is well directed by Payne. I find no faults in the film from a technical stand point, it flows well, hits the right tones at the right times and I find myself wanting to watch it every time it's on. Election seems to be one of those films that not many people know about or simply think it's not good. But those who have seen it give it praise, well deserved praise. It might not seem like the type of flick you'll enjoy, but give it a chance and I'm sure it will impress.

Pick Flick.

8.5/10

Day 70: July 9th, 2010

Year One.



Meet your ancestors.

It seems odd to break up two Ramis films with the dry Panic Room and such a polarizing film like From Beyond, but that's what this is all about. Any movie, any day, any genre.

Here we have Year One, the pairing of Jack Black and Michael Cera. An odd choice for sure, but they do end up complimenting each other's comedy style. Once one of them gets banished from their tribe, the two of them go on a journey through our biblical history. Their journey involves rescuing the women they love and their tribe from the city of Sodom.

So the whole pitch behind this film was to have today's style of comedy, which is the dead-pan, let's point out the obvious, talk to ourselves, modern humour to an ancient historical film. It will be hilarious, someone thought. ?Having Jack Black run around, doing his physical funny stuff he does and someone else, someone who is currently hot and in with the popular crowd. That kid from Superbad, Michael Cera.

As a comedy film, the movie stinks. It's script tries for some pretty basic laughs and the only ones you'll get are from the two actors trying their best to save this deadweight material. The intrusion of these two into biblical history is funny once, but overdone later on. The relationship they seem to have with the women they love is typical they fall in love for no reason fare.

The laughs are few and far between and only from two people who try their hardest to get some humour from a humourless script. Ramis direction is sub-par and nothing stands out. It's hard to watch a film like groundhog day and love it so much, then see something like this from the same guy.

The cameos are expected and some are lame. We don't need to see McLovin'. His inclusion in this film is only because he was McLovin'. I thought Year One was funny the first time I saw the trailer. I should have stuck with that one trailer and skipped the film. Two comedians can only hold up a film for so long before it falls from underneath them. They need the material to further the comedy, this had nothing.

3/10

Day 67: July 6th, 2010

Groundhog Day.



He's having the worst day of his life... over, and over...

There are tons of people who have that one movie that they can watch over and over again and never really get sick of it. I'm sure there are dozens here that have a few movies like that and I'm one of them. Groundhog Day fits into this category for me.

Bill Murray shines in the role of Phil, a man who hates everything and everyone around him (big stretch) but he falls into some kind of time loop while in Punxsutawney, PA covering the groundhog story. He is literally living this one day, which he hates, over and over again until he looks at his life from a different perspective.

The lack of reveal as to why this is happening is perfect, we don't need to know the whys or the hows, everything is just happening. Phil goes through the motions of slowly getting things as the same day happens again and again. It's hard to have something be so repetitive and yet still be fresh. Groundhog Day handles this problem with ease, making certain events either hilarious (him trying to pick up his new producer) or heartbreaking (he tries to save a homeless man from dying). Eventually Phil does snap out of his loner attitude and cheers everyone up that is around him.

It is never stated how long this time loop is for in the film, but a counting man will see there are 34 some odd depictions of a different day. If you were to listen to a certain director's commentary track you will learn it went on a lo longer than that.

The film is funny, fresh and original. Interesting to see that one of their best collaborations (Ramis & Murray) was their last, not including video games or yet to be released third incarnations of a ghostbusting series. They had a falling out over the tone of the film. One wanted a more philosophical approach, while the other wanted a comedic one. While I'm glad they settled on the comedic one, you can't help but see that there is a mixture of both.

Groundhog Dog is a great film, one of the best comedies ever and is great to watch, over...and over.....and over....

8.5/10

Day 47: June 16th, 2010

Funny People.



Apatow Matures As A Filmmaker, But Forgot To Tell Us..

George Simmons is dying of a rare disease. Upon reflecting on his life, he becomes aware of all his past mistakes, choosing the money and fame over more important things. He tries to go back to his roots, stand up comedy. Be bombs on his set, but takes to the liking of Ira Wright, an up and coming comedian. He hires Ira to writes jokes for him and to become his assistant. When Simmons discovers that he might have beaten the disease, he decides to try and win back the love of his life, taking Ira on the trip with him.

That last part is not a spoiler of any kind, since every trailer states that he doesn't die and does indeed beat the disease. There are numerous things that misfire with Funny People and many things that it nails right on the head. The biggest problem is that people were not expecting it to be so dramatic. Apatow has matured as a director and writer, but he forgot to tell the audience, which resulted in a mediocre reception to an otherwise decent film.

The film stars the usual Apatow crew, Jonah Hill, Leslie Mann, Seth Rogen, but the main star is long time friend of Apatow, Adam Sandler. This role is a bit odd for Sandler, he is basically playing himself, but a more serious and dramatic side of himself. Simmons starts out in stand up comedy, makes it big with goofy films like being a Merman or having his adult head stuck on a child's body. The life mirrors Sandler's career, and the film acknowledges this with old tapes of Sandler in his younger days. Seeing Sandler that young doing his thing was what stood out the most to me. It was the most genuine moments in the film, an older man reflecting back on his career, the memories and the more funny times.

Funny People tries to be too many things and while some of it is really funny, the depressing subject matter of death and lost love is a bit too much for people going in expecting another Knocked Up or Virgin. The fact that the film plays out like two different movies doesn't help either. What at first looks to be a film about a man trying to accept his fate in life or death, quickly becomes a film about trying to win back your lost love. Is Funny People also a romantic comedy? The film is really long, there were so many parts that could have been cut out. This is coming from the guy who thought Virgin had the right running time. I think the switch in the narrative of the film attributes a lot to the film dragging out longer than it has to. Apatow needs to learn to cut stuff out of his films. Make them shorter, this isn't The Ten Commandments.

Funny People hosts a lot of great cameos from comedians though, many of which are really funny. Eric Bana has the funniest role out of everyone, which is surprising considering he's in a film with dozens of comedians. I guess it's true, seeing the straight laced guys do something fun is always the most entertaining part.. Sandler and Rogen both do well in their roles, even if at times I found their character traits to be a bit odd. Rogen specifically, I can't place my finger on it but he seems to be playing a more mature, drug free loser version of Ben Stone. His weight loss jokes were funny and a nice addition of humour from Apatow and crew.

Funny People is a good movie, marketed as something funnier than what it was. The film is a serious look at life, just from a comedians point of view. It's hard not know that most of the material is from both of their background in stand up and their lives, Sandler and Apatow. You can see the sense of history from comedians in this film and that is interesting. Funny People is funny, just not hysterical. It's depressing, just not cry worthy. It's good, just not great.

7/10

Day 40: June 9th, 2010

Hot Tub Time Machine



Great White Buffalo...

3 friends and one of their nephews go to a ski resort to get away from their boring lives and to try help one that almost committed suicide by accident. The resort isn't what they remembered, it's almost in shambles. They do find a hot tub though and upon entering it get completely wasted and spill some foreign energy drink on the controls, sending them back in time to the 80's. Thinking they can't do anything to change the past or they will screw up the future. Thus, they try to recreate the events that happened back then and try to find a way home before it's too late.

The title alone is what I think got a lot of people interested in the film, it's totally ridiculous and perfect for this style of comedy. The film even plays a joke on the title when one of the lead characters looks right into the camera and says "It must be some kind of...Hot Tub Time Machine". With nudity, drugs, cursing and a lot of sexual and crude jokes, Hot Tub Time Machine manages to stay funny throughout, something I found very surprising. As much as I like the Judd Apatow comedy troupe and their films, it's always refreshing to see a different comedy actually be funny and work.

The cast is an odd one, John Cusack plays Adam, the straight laced guy who finally let's loose when he is stuck in the 80's. Craig Robinson is Nick, the married one from the group and Rob Corddry is Lou, the self proclaimed asshole of the group. Clark Duke is Jacob, Adams nephew. He tags along for the trip because he is staying at Adam's house while his mom lives with her new boyfriend, whom he hates. The young actor manages to keep up with the older gents and even though may seem out of place at first, fits in as the film rolls on. Speaking of being out of place, John Cusack doesn't seem like he would be in this type of film, it's nice to see him play against type, sort to speak. He plays his usual self, just not in his usual self film. If you know what I mean. Corddry and Robinson play their roles perfectly and are the two highlights of the film, sharing the funniest scene involving a bet gone wrong and a bathroom.

I won't go into the time travel properties of the film, it doesn't for one second try to explain or even attempt to have a serious thought about the state of time travel. This isn't Back To The Future, even though George McFly himself has a supporting role here. As long as you can get pass the implausibility of the plot, you'll be fine. You should be able to judge that yourself by the trailer...or even the film's title.

Some minor problems involving characters for me though. Why does the reporter take a liking to Adam? Why was Chevy Chase so cryptic and did he really exist? These things are minor gripes on my end and if you are going into this film just wanting to laugh and not give two craps about that sort of thing, then you'll be able to overlook these details. It's definitely a teen comedy with an R rating. Sometimes it's fun to laugh at immature things.

I can see the film having a cult following. It seems to stand in the shadow of last years The Hangover, but people shouldn't be comparing the two. The only thing the two share in common is a drunken aftermath of problems. See the flick with friends on a Friday night and you will enjoy yourself. If you like comedy that involves oral sex, foul language, a man crying while having sex, and Chevy Chase, you'll be fine. If not, just look to the future.

7.5/10

Day 26: May 26th, 2010

Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs



Cloudy With A Chance Is A Great Fun Time.

After yesterdays film, I figured I'd watch something a little more upbeat. Enter this colourful fun entertaining film.

Failure after failure after failure after failure, Flint decides to solve a certain sardine problem his town has, by converting water into food. He invents a machine, which then goes a bit haywire and launches itself into the sky. Fortunately for him, it worked, and food begins falling out of the sky. Unfortunately it eventually gets a mind of it's own and tries to destroy to town with over-sized food.

Look at the pretty colours. Those were the words from my girlfriend when we saw the trailer for this film, which we sadly did not see in the theatres. Yes, Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs is a great animated kids film with more than enough comedy for the older crowd. Although it wasn't the best animated film last year, it was the funniest in my opinion.

The animation fit the story perfectly and the food falling all over were great visuals. You can tell the animators had a lot of fun with this film. Sony Pictures Animation haven't really had a film in their roster to stand out and to me, this one is their golden ticket. It's a shame it wasn't recognized at the Oscars, as I think it deserved a place on the nomination list.

The kids learn valuable lessons about responsibility and being yourself, while getting to have fun with the images of ice cream snowball fights, a building made out of jello and a school covered by a giant pancake. The adults get the comedy of Bill Hader from SNL, recognizable voices of Mr. T, Neil Patrick Harris and the man, the myth, the legend himself, Bruce Campbell. Each role fit their voice actor perfectly. Usually Anna Faris annoys me, here she made me like her character more because of her unique voice. James Caan as the dad is the added cherry on the top of the cake. Gummi Bear Twilight Zone reference? Brilliant.

The film is really funny and hits every note it has to. The climax works perfectly and the vibrant colours will keep the kids watching the screen. The disaster film has been given the animated kids film treatment and it works wonderfully. I highly recommend Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs for the entire family.

8/10

Day 24: May 24th, 2010

Kung Fu Hustle



Crazy Cartoon Kung Fu Comedy Action.

A young man and his friend try to join the notorious AXE GANG, but in doing so they need to do some pretty nasty things. Through a series of unfortunate events the axe gang stumble upon this place called pig stye alley and they cause chaos for the people who live there. This causes kung fu masters who live there to reveal themselves and begin a war. The young man, Sing, nearly dies during a battle and is reborn as a kung fu master, who must fight the evil one known as The Beast.

I saw Shaolin Soccer and was surprised by how much I loved that film. It had soccer, kung- fu, great comedy and hilarious off the wall moments that would never happen outside of the world created in the film. Chow has taken this concept to the next level with Kung Fu Hustle, a brilliantly funny and ass kicking kung fu film. The quotes about the film are true, it really is a Kill Bill Meets Looney Tunes flick.

Chow is Sing, the lead character, who wants to be really bad. He has trouble doing this because he is horrible at it. It all stemmed from a troubling childhood, in which he was sold some wacky looking kung fu manual, which made him think he knew kung fu. When he sees a young deaf mute girl being picked on, he tries to use his kung fu to help her. Oops, he gets his butt kicked and then he gets urinated on. How's that for humiliation. Now that he's older, he thinks the only way to get things in life is if you take them by force. So he joins the axe gang, but has a battle of conscience and is nearly killed. This unleashes his kung fu skills and then the poop hits the fan.

The film is off the wall wacky fun. The kung fu in the film is really well choreographed and with the added use of funny CGI, it takes the film to another level of entertainment. Chow uses numerous references in his film, from Kill Bill to The Matrix to The Shining. It's fun to spot them here and there. The film never feels like it's cheating or copying others, it's definitely it's own unique film. It just knows where its inspirations are.

I can't recommend this one enough, it has numerous re-watch capabilities. I find myself watching it every time it is on television. If you're a fan of Chow and Shaolin Soccer, Kung fu Hustle manages to outdo it's predecessor. It might take some people a moment or two to get use to the animated style used in the film, it is very Bugs Bunny/Road Runner. Go in with the right expectations and you will have fun.

9.5/10

Day 14: May 14th, 2010

Planes, Trains, & Automobiles



Why did it take me 22 years to watch this?

Trying to get back home to be with his family on Thanksgiving, a serious of unfortunate events prevents one tight ass salesman from doing so. Along the way he makes an unlikely friendship with another salesman, who always tries to look at the bright side of things, much to the annoyance of the other.

John Hughes is a great writer, talented director and had this special skill for comedy that has yet to be matched. The man nearly defined the 80's with his films about teens and this adult comedy starring the late John Candy and the funny man Steve Martin. I don't know why I haven't seen this film until now, I never had the urge to. After seeing it now I am slapping myself on the forehead for not seeing it earlier.

The comedy is great, it lies within the writing from John Hughes. Only to be brought to life perfectly and added upon by the two great leads. John Candy is both irritating and lovable. His scenes near the end are heartbreaking and his outlook on life is uplifting. Steve Martin is the everyday guy who tries to get back home to his family. Things are just not going his way. I'm sure every normal person would act the way he does in this film if these events were to happen to them. The pairing of these two comedians for this script was perfection.

I've seen bits and pieces, but never sat through the entire thing. So I've seen many of the funniest parts. The funny thing is, they were still funny when watching them. The film has classic lines like "Those aren't pillows" and many memorable scenes, like the swearing tirade and the going the wrong way home near death experience. The film has many more, which is why it is so great to watch.

This just might be my favourite John Hughes film, it's got heart, great comedic timing and is so well written that it makes my cry that he did his first draft in 3 days. As a wannabe writer, I'd kill to do that and have it be a fraction of what this is. Planes, Trains and Automobiles is a great comedy and the best Thanksgiving film. It's a shame I waited so long to see it, if you haven't, get it now.

8/10

Day 12: May 12th, 2010

17 Again




Matthew Perry Doesn't Belong Here

A guy's life doesn't turn out the way he wanted it to and wishes he was 17 again. He gets his wish, well, sort of. Instead of going back in time to when he was 17, he turns 17 in the present. Also, Zac Efron will grow up to look like Matthew Perry.

How many times have we seen this? Both Big and 13 going on 30 did it, only in reverse. It's exactly like countless other films in which our main character switches back to their younger self with no explanation. Magic? Who knows. Why should you see it then? I don't know, it's got teen heartthrob Zac Efron. Is that good enough? I didn't think so.

As soon as the film tells you the conflict, you know the resolution. The question is do we care about how we get there, or about the characters we are about to spend the next hour and a half with. Matthew Perry in my mind was really miscast here, he doesn't feel like he belongs. The material isn't his style, Zac Efron on the other hand fits perfectly. I'm not saying the kid is a bad actor, I actually enjoyed him in this, but he fits this target demographic and style of writing.

17 Again is what you'd expect. Obvious plot details about the father learning more about his kids when he sees them from a different light. He tries to still be their father when he's a kid himself. He falls back in love with his wife, who is currently divorcing him. No one knows about him except his best friend. Who is one of the biggest geeks of all time. Thomas Lennon from Reno 911 and countless character roles in comedy films really has the best parts. How he gets his girl in the end is interesting and funny, even if it's unrealistic.

The kids are nothing special and Leslie Mann could have done a bit more with her role, but then again how much material is there for her? How many times have we seen the wife character be written sloppy, sidetracked and never cared about? Countless times, this is one of them. She has more screen time then I expected, but it doesn't amount to anything.

The film is enjoyable on a small scale, I didn't hate it by any means. I just found it to be forgettable and that it never tried hard enough to be a standout film. It felt like the director was satisfied in knowing that his main star vehicle would get the film noticed, regardless of the quality. It's too adequate with its place in the world. Recommended for people who dig this type of film.

5/10

Day 7: May 7th, 2010

In The Loop



Political Satire Done Right.

Simon Foster, the British Minister for International Development accidentally states that war is unforeseeable. This ignites people from both the United States and the U.K. to bring out their political strategies for pro/anti war projects.

That's the best I could come up with regarding this film. I had a hard time following who was responsible for what, how much power they had and what was actually being done. Despite this confusion, the film was still funny and very well written. This is a smart comedy, maybe it was too smart for me, but I was still able to get the jokes because they were at a certain level of just the right amount of crudeness.

The humour is mostly dry, the typical British stuff you would expect. The film doesn't really have any laugh out loud moments, but there is enough smirking and smiling that I was happy with it. To describe the film, I would have to say it felt like Dr. Strangelove mixed with The Office. In content, style and even humour. I can, to an extent, include This Is Spinal Tap. I read one reviewer saying that what This Is Spinal Tap did for heavy metal, In The Loop will do for politics. I completely agree with this statement.

Despite your political views, you will still be able to enjoy In The Loop, although some people always have to find something and complain. It's relatively fast paced and if you don't pay attention, you might get lost in the plot. I got the end game, but how they get there was a bit muddy for me. I don't really reflect this in the writing, but my grasp of politics in general.

The cast is great and work well off each other. It was nice seeing how hectic the British side of things were. From clueless at some points and downright belligerent at others. I really dug James Gandolfini square off against Peter Capald. The whole scene was a who has the bigger pair of you know what.

If your looking for a smart comedy that doesn't involve sex jokes, teens or poop humour, then In The Loop is the adult sophisticated comedy you should check out. It sure has it's crude moments, but it feels appropriate in a weird way. I liked it, I just wish I was able to grasp it more so I could love it.

7/10

DAY 6: May 6th, 2010

Dead Snow




The second half of this film is brilliant.

On a trip up to a cottage in the snowy mountain tops a group of friends encounter some mean nasty Nazi zombies. That's right Nazi zombies. Can they survive? Will we care? Why are we watching a film about Nazi zombies?

There was a lot of hype around this film, simply for those two words. Nazi Zombies. The only other film I remember having hype around it based on a few words was Snakes On A Plane. Dead Snow is a Norwegian horror film that plays up the comedic aspect of actually having Nazi zombies in the film. The entire first half of this film is rubbish, but I couldn't help but have a smile on my face once the sh*t hit the fan.

The film falters on many accounts. Let's see, the acting is atrocious, the characters are dumb and clichéd as hell, some aspects of the film scream low budget, the story is non- existent, some characters exists for expository dialogue, and don't even get me started on the outhouse scene. All of these things exist in campy, crappy horror films. This is a campy crappy horror film.

If there is one thing I hate about recent horror, it's when they reference older horror films, as if to say to the audience "Hey kids, we've seen these older films, so that means we know our stuff". It is so obvious and lame that I want to hurl. Evil Breed did it and Dead Snow does it. One character is a film buff and there are many obvious horror references, such as The Evil Dead and Friday the 13th. He wears Braindead t-shirts and tells the characters not to get bitten by zombies. Vomit.

All of the night attack scenes are boring and hard to actually see. Nothing new yet, it's not until it's actually daylight does the film begin to get where it needed to be 30 minutes ago. This is where the film is having fun and the audience can too. This isn't your typical zombie film, these guys run fast and they actually fight you. Like, throwing punches and dropping elbows.

The make-up work on the zombies is adequate as are the costumes. They really do look like Nazi Zombies. The story never tells us why they are zombies though, they either forgot or they want you to fill in that blank. There is a small bit about the soldiers stealing gold and jewelry while they were alive. It seems that if you take one they come after you, but this plot point is really inconsistent. There is a character who randomly shows up, tells us everything we need to know about the history of the Nazi zombies and then he leaves. Thank you very much for this riveting character.

The gore is great, even if a lot of the blood is obvious CGI. The moment I had the biggest smile on my face was when two characters arm themselves with a shed full of weapons. Yes, even the obligatory chainsaw. The comedy really hits its stride in the rising action of the film. Intestines flying everywhere, machine gun snow-mobiles, amputation, it goes on and on.

I can only recommend this film if you dig what it's selling. Nazi Zombies, if that sounds like fun, join in. If the thought of it makes you wonder why people bother with this trash, obviously skip it. It's not the best horror comedy, but it's something that will put a smile on your face.

Number of times the words Nazi Zombies is mentioned: 8.
The Film: 6

6/10