MINI-REVIEW: Despicable Me 2 3D

MOVIE
Despicable Me 2

CAST
Steve Carell, Kristan Wiig

RATING
PG

RELEASE
July 3, 2013

DIRECTOR(S)
Pierre Coffin, Chris Renaud

STUDIO(S)
Universal Pictures,
Illumination Entertainment

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 38 minutes






STARS
***1/4










REVIEW:

If you were dying without The Minions from "Despicable Me" in your life, then don't fret anymore, as "Despicable Me 2" is here with more Minion jokes than ever.  Luckily the Minion jokes, while often funny, were not the only clever and hilarious jokes in this movie.  "Despicable Me 2" is just as good as the original in every way imaginable.  I'm not saying that as a bad thing, because the first one, while flawed, is still a good family film.  A sequel to "Despicable Me" was never needed in the first place, but I will admit that it was nice to see what Gru's been up to after becoming a full on dad/good guy.  The voice acting's great, the story is fine, and the animation/3D is gorgeous.  If your kids enjoyed the first film, then take them to see this one.  Chances are that they'll be entertained, as will you.  The only problems with "Despicable Me 2" is that it's predictable, some of the humor falls flat, and the villain, El Macho, isn't as clever or funny as Vector from the first film was.  Other than that, "Despicable Me 2" is an enjoyable 3D family flick that kids and parents are gonna eat up like tasty popcorn.  Plus, it's pretty hard to resist the Minions, who are surprisingly the best part of this film.





PREVIEWS YOU MAY SEE:

The Smurfs 2

Turbo

R.I.P.D.

The Lego Movie

Frozen

REVIEW: The Heat

MOVIE
The Heat

CAST
Sandra Bullock,
Melissa McCarthy

RATING
R

RELEASE
June 28, 2013

DIRECTOR
Paul Feig

STUDIO
20th Century Fox

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 57 minutes






STARS
***1/2






REVIEW:

The formula of the up-tight cop teaming up with the street-smart cop might show up in many movies, but for the most part, it never gets old.  Last year we were given "21 Jump Street," and in 2010 "The Other Guys" came out.  The buddy-cop formula might not be original, but if done right, it can be flat out hilarious.  "The Heat," luckily, is one of those flat-out hilarious buddy-cop films.  Thanks to the chemistry between its two leads and the improv Melissa McCarthy is able to spew out of her mouth a mile a minute, "The Heat" is one of the funniest comedies of the summer thus far.  It doesn't exactly have the heart between its two leads like "21 Jump Street" did, but it did manage to have me on the floor laughing, as well as have a couple of shocking moments in there that are either hysterical or just shocking in terms of "I didn't see that coming."

FBI Agent Sarah Ashburn is the best of the best, being able to crack cases faster and better than a dog's nose when looking for drugs.  Unfortunately, her arrogance gets in the way of her work as none of her co-workers like her.  That is one of the big reasons why her captain transfers her from New York to Boston in order to take down some of the local drug lords.  Unfortunately for Ashburn, she has no idea what she got herself in to, as she encounters Shannon Mullins, a loud, foul-mouthed person who happens to be one of Boston's best cops.  These two unlikely partners are forced to join up in order to take down a powerful drug lord under the name of Simon Larkin, and hopefully become friends along the way.

This film wouldn't even work if it wasn't for the chemistry between Bullock and McCarthy.  Sure McCarthy has the best jokes in the movie and a really good sense of humor overall, but she needed Bullock's straight performance to bounce off of.  If it wasn't for that, McCarthy would have derailed and just had the comedy feel old and irritating.  Bullock's straight performance overall is hilarious, especially in the final act of the film when she breaks her "PG" persona and starts spewing F-bombs like there's no tomorrow.  McCarthy does just that throughout the entire movie, and almost every single line that came out of her mouth just resulted in huge belly laughs from this critic here.  The rest of the cast is good overall, but there's nobody really else to talk about other than Bullock and McCarthy.

What else is there to say about this movie other than the fact that it's a laugh-a-minute riot that gets some of the biggest audience howls of the year.  "The Heat" isn't a perfect comedy, mainly because it felt a little too formulaic at time, but it is something I will check out again on DVD.  Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy are hilarious in this movie and have great chemistry together.  Paul Feig, the director of "Bridesmaids," definitely has a sense of when to make violence in a movie hilarious, including one particular scene that takes place in a Denny's.  I can tell that screenwriter Katie Dippold, who is best known for writing the TV show "Parks and Recreation," had a fun time writing this, as all of the jokes and the plot twists (there are few, don't worry) hit you like a bullet to the chest, but they all work.  "The Heat," overall, is silly, outrageous, and crude; But damn, it's also a hilarious movie.  Aside from "This is The End," this is the comedy of the summer for ya.  If you don't like Melissa McCarthy doing what she does best, though, which is swearing and making jokes about everyone around her, then stay as far away from this movie as possible.  You might not be able to handle how hot this film gets with her sense of humor.




PREVIEWS YOU MAY SEE:

Anchorman: The Legend Continues

Delivery Man

About Time

The To Do List

Grown Ups 2

Runner, Runner

The Wolverine

REVIEW: Monsters University

MOVIE
Monsters University

CAST
Billy Crystal, John Goodman

RATING
G

RELEASE
June 21, 2013

DIRECTOR
Dan Scanlon

STUDIO(S)
Disney·Pixar

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 50 minutes







STARS
****







REVIEW:

It might be the summertime, but the school year at "Monsters University" is just beginning.  Serving as a prequel to the classic Pixar film "Monsters, Inc.," "Monsters University" depicts the rivalry turned friendship between James P, Sullivan, aka Sully, and Mike Wasowski during their freshman year at Monsters University, a college where the best scarers in the monster world learn how to be ferocious and terrifying to young human children.  As someone who wasn't the biggest fan of "Inc," but still really enjoy it, I have to say that I was looking forward to what Pixar had in store for audiences.  Sure enough, what they had was something hilarious, heartwarming, and overall a fantastic family movie.  After films like "Cars 2" and "Brave" disappointing audiences, "Monsters University" shows that Pixar still has the same magic that was able to give us "Up," "The Incredibles," and the "Toy Story" trilogy.

The fact that Pixar managed to get much of the star power from the original film, including Billy Crystal, John Goodman, and Steve Buschemi, shows how much faith they put into this film.  Goodman and Crystal brought Mike and Sully back in their highest form, almost as if they haven't been away for 12 years.  Steve Buscemi's small role as Randall, or Randy in this film, is also great.  The newcomers to the film, including Nathan Fillion as a jock/fraternity leader at MU and Helen Mirren as the cold and somewhat sinister headmaster of the college, all deliver in their own way, whether it was geared towards a more evil approach or a more likable/comedic approach.  Comedic members of the newcomers to the "Monsters" series include Charlie Day, Joel Murray, and Aubrey Plaza, and they are all hilarious in their roles, whether they were small or rather large.  Either way, every voice in the film brings these vibrant and colorful characters to life in ways that even improve on the film's quality.

The animation in this film is comparable to "Toy Story 3," in which we, the audience are able to see our favorite nostalgic characters once more, only this time they look somewhat different thanks to the advances in technology over the past decade.  The characters in this film all look fantastic and engaging, and the animation in the film overall is a real feast for the eyes, especially in 3D, which I have to say looks superb.  Animated movies are usually the best films to see in 3D because of how great animation is in the third dimension, and "University" is no exception.  This may very well be the best use of 3D for Pixar since the double feature of the first two "Toy Story" movies back in 2009.  Even if you don't pay extra for the third dimension, the film as a whole is a real feast for the eyes.  A truly great animated movie must have a great story and script, however.  Luckily, 'Monsters University' has just that.

Daniel Gerson, Robert L. Baird, and Dan Scanlon successfully manage to bring back these characters for a new generation, as well as put them in a setting that can be relatable, ala "Toy Story 3."  Other than Daniel Gerson's work on the original "Monsters, Inc," this was the first time for these writers to write an entire screenplay.  For first time screenwriters, these three men not only bring back so many nostalgic memories from the first film, but they also successfully connect both films in such a linear and smooth way that it almost feels as if these two films could be one big movie.  Director Don Scanlon also channels the directorial mind of Pete Doctor and tells such a great story that you never know when it's going to end.  And even when it does eventually end, you never want it to because of how damn good the film is.

"Monsters University" is as good, maybe even better, than its predecessor, or sequel for the matter, due to the fact that this is a prequel to "Monsters, Inc."  The movie is hilarious, heartfelt, and manages to tie in to the original film with such a linear flow.  Pixar proves that they still possess the magic to create such visceral and gorgeous worlds, as well as to tell a fantastic story that can please just about everyone.  The movie isn't original, as most films these days aren't, but that doesn't take away from just how fun this is to watch in a theater.  School might be out for the summer, but "Monsters University" is enrolling, and I think you'll really want to apply.



PREVIEWS YOU MAY SEE:

The Lego Movie

The Smurfs 2

Frozen

Turbo

Planes

REVIEW: The Way, Way Back

MOVIE
The Way, Way Back

CAST
Liam James, Sam Rockwell

RATING
PG-13

RELEASE
July 5, 2013

DIRECTOR(S)
Nat Faxon, Jim Rash

STUDIO
Fox Searchlight Pictures

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 43 minutes






STARS
****









REVIEW:

Friendships can come from the most unlikely of places. I know this from my own experience. I've made friends with college kids, fellow critics, and even my middle school vice-principal, all due to our common interest in film. Friendships in movies sort of happen the same way, though many times they can spark up miraculously. In "The Way, Way Back," the directorial debut of Oscar-winning screenwriters Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, 14 year-old protagonist Duncan finds a friend (and a summer job) in Owen, the manager of the Water Wizz water park that's just a bike ride away from the summer home of his Mom's jerky boyfriend. The friendship between the sarcastic yet lovable Owen and the shy/lonely Duncan is reminiscent of the friendship between Bill Murray and Chris Makepeace's characters in the 1979 comedy "Meatballs," in which the outgoing adult takes the lonely underdog under his wing and gets him to break out of his shell in order to have a great summer. "The Way, Way Back" got a lot of praise at Sundance this year, and I can definitely see why. The film is both emotional and hilarious, as well as relatable, which makes it one of the summer's freshest and most likable movies.

By far the best performances in the film come from Steve Carell and Sam Rockwell, but each for different reasons. Steve Carell plays someone I don't think we've ever seen in a film of his before: a despicable, cruel human being. The trailer for the film doesn't even show his most evil moments in the movie, which is a good thing. Carell proves with his performance here that he can actually succeed at giving a strong dramatic performance that maintains little to no laughs at all. I can see Carell going on the same pathway as fellow comedians Robin Williams, Jim Carrey and Adam Sandler, who've all shown that their talents extend far beyond comedic roles.

As for Sam Rockwell, he's doing just fine as a comedic actor. Rockwell channels the comedic mannerisms of Bill Murray in his portrayal of Owen. Owen is one of those guys who you just want to be best friends with because of how hilarious and cool he is. Everything Rockwell says or does simply makes you like the character more. If Melissa MacCarthy is able to get an Supporting Actress Oscar nomination for her role in "Bridesmaids," then Sam Rockwell here deserves to win it. Seriously, Rockwell steals the movie from all of his co-stars, despite all of the co-stars being really good.

Liam James' role in this movie reminded me of Keir Gilchrist from "It's Kind of A Funny Story," in which the performance was good, but at times unconvincing. James, who was in the disaster flick "2012," gives a convincing enough performance that is pretty relatable for the most part, but there was one particular scene where the emotion felt forced and not entirely genuine. That's not saying that it ruined the entire film, it just slightly took away from the one particular scene. But, like "It's Kind of A Funny Story," the film itself is still impactful and sets off a blender of emotions that mix comedy and drama into something quite beautiful.

"The Way, Way Back" is the type of movie that will just make you smile upon leaving the theater. There are plenty of laughs to be had, particularly from Sam Rockwell and Alison Janney. The drama for the most part flows very well and really makes you sympathize with Duncan and his situation. This is a summer film that families might fall in love with. Despite being PG-13, there is something that even the 6 year old kid in the family will love. Sure, it gets thematic and a little heavy at times. I give props to Nat Faxon and Jim Rash for making this film harmless yet effective, and, like Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg with "This is The End," being able to make a very solid directorial debut that can just about please everyone.  With this and "The Descendants" under their belts, I can't wait to see what these two geniuses write and direct in the near future.  Hopefully the films they come out with in the future will be just as endearing as this film. "The Way, Way Back" is a hilarious, poignant, and relatable coming-of-age flick that families of all ages should seek out when it hits theaters.









Me with "The Way, Way Back" Co-Writers/Co-Directors Nat Faxon and Jim Rash at a Special Advance Screening in Philadelphia on July 2, 2013

REVIEW: The Lone Ranger

MOVIE
The Lone Ranger

CAST
Johnny Depp, Armie Hammer

RATING
PG-13

RELEASE
July 3, 2013

DIRECTOR
Gore Verbinski

STUDIO
Disney

RUNNING TIME
2 hours 29 minutes






RATING
***1/4









REVIEW:

It's a pretty well known fact that whenever Johnny Depp portrays a bizarre character, he literally BECOMES the character.  Many examples include Jack Sparrow, Sweeney Todd, and even Willy Wonka for the matter.  His next transformation comes in the form of Tonto, the wise and spiritual Indian sidekick to The Lone Ranger.  Based on the radio serial of the same name, "The Lone Ranger" tells the story of John Reid's resurrection from the dead and his adventures with Tonto and their quest to fight for injustice, but it's somewhat told from the perspective of Tonto.  While a fair amount of people aren't looking forward to this much, I personally was, as it looked like nothing more than a summer blockbuster in the style of "Pirates of the Caribbean."  You know what?  That's exactly what I received: a fun summer blockbuster with the style of "Pirates" and the human setting of "Rango."  I don't know how loyal this film was to the original serials, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't have a good time watching this film.  "The Lone Ranger" is a great way to celebrate the 4th of July, and to just have a fun time in general.

Johnny Depp is the standout of this film, as he is in almost all of his movies.  While he mostly channels the mannerisms of Jack Sparrow in the way he moves and reacts, Depp does make Tonto a completely unique and great character on its own.  Hell, Tonto is probably going to be one of, if not the first thing you're thinking about as the credits begin rolling.  Armie Hammer is somewhat the comedic relief of the movie, acting as the straight man who gets into crazy situations.  As for his performance overall, he did a solid job as the title character.  There is heart to his character, and he never gets annoying, even in the more dramatic parts of the film.  If given more parts in movies, I believe Hammer can become a true A-lister in Hollywood.  Hopefully he doesn't become like Taylor Kitsch after his numerous bombs last year, including "John Carter" and "Battleship."  The rest of the supporting cast are all good in their own ways, but it is Depp primarily who makes the film, with Armie Hammer coming in at a close second.

Helena Bonham Carter has a much smaller role in the film than the trailers suggest.  She only has three scenes in the film, and all she really does is pose, talk, and use her prosthetic leg to shoot others, as shown in the trailers.  She was good in the film, though, as she always is.  William Fichtner plays a great villain in this flick, continuing to show just how talented of an actor he is.  Tom Wilkinson and Barry Pepper also have smallish roles in the film, and they're good for the time they're in it.  Ruth Wilson is also good as Ruth Reid, the widow to the brother of John Reid, aka The Lone Ranger.  She might be the somewhat stereotypical damsel in distress in the film, but she's good and seems to be having a fun time playing her.  Overall, all of the acting is good in the film, with no bad acting to be found.

Director Gore Verbinski definitely manages to make a summer movie that, while a little too long, is exciting and a lot of fun.  He is able to successfully create these over the top action sequences (to the tune of the original theme song to "The Lone Ranger") that are just so wacky and crazy that you can't help but have fun while watching them.  After proving how good he is with westerns with "Rango," Verbinski shows that he has a keen eye for big set pieces, crazy action sequences, and a sense of adventure that keeps the audience captivated throughout.  Screenwriters Justin Haythe, Ted Elliott, and  Terry Rossio managed to write a movie that never takes itself too seriously and develops a good relationship between Tonto and The Lone Ranger, as well as make some pretty hilarious moments.  There may be some of the same old cliches that have been in every Western ever made, but that doesn't really take away from just how fun and exciting this film is.

While it isn't groundbreaking on any levels, "The Lone Ranger" is a great example of just how fun and crazy movies can still be these days while maintaining a level where it doesn't become too goofy.  Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer give solid lead performances, the story is interesting, and the action is over the top but help make the movie all the more enjoyable.  The film also manages to have a humorous side to it, as it is quite hysterical at many points during the film.  People who go to see this may be disappointed by it due to the fact that it's kind of trying to copy off the uniqueness of the first "Pirates of the Caribbean" film.  In truth, though, that's exactly what I wanted out of this movie.  If you're not fond of the idea of a "Pirates" flick set in Western times, then chances are you won't enjoy the film.  I, for one, had a lot of fun with it, and will definitely see it again at least one more time.  Hi ho silver, away!