MOVIE REVIEW: THE HAPPYTIME MURDERS

In the seedy underbelly of Los Angeles, two clashing detectives -- one human and the other a puppet -- must work together to solve the brutal murders of former cast members of a beloved puppet TV show.

Director: Brian Henson

Cast: Melissa McCarthy, Bill Barretta, Maya Rudolph, Joel McHale,  Elizabeth Banks

Release Date: August 24, 2018

Genres: Action, Comedy, Crime 

Rated R for strong crude and sexual content and language throughout, and some drug material

Runtime: 1h 31min

Review:

Your enjoyment of The Happytime Murders will depend on how “cutting edge” you consider the conceit.  If you think it’s the first time felt puppets have gone R rated raunchy then it’ll be a more enjoyable experience than those are familiar with an old Peter Jackson film.  The Happytime Murders isn’t Meet The Feebles.  It’s raunchy and vulgar but it’s never as offensive as it thinks it is.  To its credit, the film does hold some solid laughs for people who came to see R rated hijinks on the puppet side of life.  Melissa McCarthy seems to be enjoying herself while partnering with her puppet partner.  McCarthy and Bill Barretta share some solid chemistry even if his character is just a 40’s noir detective.  The biggest drawback of Brian Henson’s film is that once you get past the puppet sex, drugs and vulgarity your left with a pretty standard film noir complete with a femme fatale.  It plays along those beats predictably throughout making it’s 90-minute runtime feel longer than it actually is.  It’s a shame that they didn’t take some more risk with their story and go for something truly outrageous.  Instead it plays it safe and starts to overstay it’s welcome as it heads toward the finale.  The Happytime Murders is one of those high concept films that has a great idea but doesn’t take advantage of its full potential.

C+

MOVIE REVIEW: DELIVER US FROM EVIL

A cop and a priest team up on a case of demonic possession in this Screen Gems horror film. Scott Derrickson directs from a script he wrote with Paul Harris Boardman. Eric Bana, Édgar Ramírez, and Olivia Munn star. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi

Director: Scott Derrickson 

Cast: Eric Bana, Edgar Ramirez, Olivia Munn, Sean Harris, Joel McHale

Release Date: Jul 02, 2014

Runtime: 1 hr. 58 min. 

Genres: Horror 

Review:

Deliver Us from Evil has an interesting conceit of mixing police procedural with an exorcism tale.  Scott Derrickson’s film establishes a nice bit of atmosphere at the start but the tension and scares are rather lacking.  The main issue at play is that everything is terribly routine for even the greenest of genre fans.  It’s a difficult thing to take something you’ve seen millions of times before and make it interesting, something that made last years The Conjuring so impressive.  Derrickson’s film is watchable if a tad overlong.  Sadly it’s not terribly memorable either except for Bana and Munn’s mega NU YARK accents and Jole McHale’s random inclusion.  The best thing about the film is obviously Edgar Ramirez who’s just effortless as the coolest Jesuit priest this side of The Exorcist.  Deliver Us from Evil is the kind of film that show up on cable at some point in the future and you watch portions of it, never actually watching the whole thing in the long run, cinematic purgatory.

C

MOVIE REVIEW: TED

IN THEATERS

TED




A man wrestles with the lingering consequences of a childhood wish in this live-action comedy from Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane. As a young boy, John Bennett wanted nothing more than for his beloved teddy bear Ted (voice of MacFarlane) to come to life. Incredibly, that wish was granted. But now that John (Mark Wahlberg) is all grown up, his boyhood dream has become a nightmare nuisance. Mila Kunis, Joel McHale, and Giovanni Ribisi co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Seth MacFarlane

Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis, Seth MacFarlane, Joel McHale, Giovanni Ribisi.

Release Date: Jun 29, 2012

Rated R for some Drug Use, Pervasive Language and Crude and Sexual Content

Runtime: 1 hr. 46 min.

Genres: Comedy

Review:

If you are familiar with Seth MacFarlane’s brand of humor from Family Guy, American Dad etc… then you’ll know what to expect in his first feature film. It’s very much in keeping with those way lengths, even teetering closely into full crossover with Ted sounding very much like Peter Griffin. MacFarlane transposes a standard rom-com plot; annoying friend comes between couple, and mixes it up with a foul mouthed CGI bear. It’s raucous vulgar and generally a lot of fun. MacFarlane is allowed to go balls to the wall without having to worry about TV censors and it’s pretty much what you’d expect, frat boy humor gone wild. Along the way a certain 80’s cult movie star shows up during a crazy party scene and one of the most hilarious fights I’ve sat through since Borat. It’s all utterly silly and stupid and it never takes itself too seriously. The cast is all game with each actor and actress hitting their marks around an impressively realized CGI star voiced with great gusto by MacFarlane. A few hiccups come in the form of the aforementioned well worn plot and kind of unnecessary subplot that adds an extra 15 minutes to the film that could have been excised without much issue. Regardless, Ted is the kind of comedy that’ll end up on many a shelf when it hits video.

B-

MOVIE REVIEW: THE INFORMANT!

Tuesday, March 09, 2010

ON DVD



THE INFORMANT!



A rising star in the agricultural industry suddenly turns whistleblower in hopes of gaining a lucrative promotion and becoming a hero of the common people, inadvertently revealing his penchant for helping himself to the corporate coffers and ultimately threatening to derail the very investigation he helped to launch in this offbeat comedy from Academy Award-winning director Steven Soderbergh. Mark Whitacre (Matt Damon) was fast rising through the ranks at agri-industry powerhouse Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) when he became savvy to the company's multinational price-fixing conspiracy, and decided to turn evidence for the FBI. Convinced that he'll be hailed as a hero of the people for his efforts, Whitacre agrees to wear a wire in order to gather the evidence needed to convict the greedy money-grabbers at ADM. Unfortunately, both the case -- and Whitacre's integrity -- are compromised when FBI agents become frustrated by their informant's ever-shifting account, and discover that he isn't exactly the saintly figure he made himself out to be. Unable to discern reality from Whitacre's fantasy as they struggle to build their case against ADM, the FBI watches in horror as the highest-ranking corporate bust in U.S. history threatens to implode before their very eyes. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide




Director: Steven Soderbergh

Cast: Matt Damon, Scott Bakula, Joel McHale, Melanie Lynskey, Rick Overton.

Release Date: Sep 18, 2009

Rated R for language

Runtime: 1 hr. 48 min.



Genres: Comedy, Crime Drama, Thriller




Review:




Steven Soderbergh’s The Informant! is the type of film that keeps you off balance but he does it in such a subtle way that you don’t know it till the end. Soderbergh’s film has a light and engaging feel that keeps you interested even with what seems like a fairly straight forward plot. Interesting visual and musical choices give this film a 70’s feel even though the entire thing takes place in the 90’s. His direction is organic and never forced something he’s perfected over the years. A hefty Matt Damon is equally impressive in the lead role as Mark Whitacre, giving the audience a real sense of the character’s state of mind and seemingly endless circular logic. Damon gives his a character an undeniable likability even as we find out more about him. Needless to say, he’s in top form here and he supported by a strong and if unexpected cast. Outside of Scott Bakula, the majority of the supporting players are made up of stand up comics in non comedic roles. It makes for an interesting effect and maintains the off balance sensibility of the overall film. Soderbergh’s approach may not be for every one especially people who are expecting a certain type of film going in but it’s hard to deny how clever and witty the overall construction of it is. It’s the type of film that requires repeated viewings to appreciate fully.


B+