MOVIE REVIEW: CHILD’S PLAY

After moving to a new city, young Andy Barclay receives a special present from his mother -- a seemingly innocent Buddi doll that becomes his best friend. When the doll suddenly takes on a life of its own, Andy unites with other neighborhood children to stop the sinister toy from wreaking bloody havoc.

Director: Simon Kinberg

Cast: Gabriel Bateman, Aubrey Plaza, Brian Tyree Henry, Mark Hamill

Rated R for bloody horror violence, and language throughout

Release Date: June 21, 2019

Genres: Horror

Runtime: 1h 30 min

Review:

The remake of Child’s Play bears only passing resemblance to 80s original which isn’t a terrible thing.  Sure purist will complain about it but this new version does feel a bit cleaner and more straightforward which is a good and bad.  The film itself it fairly lean and moves at a decent pace although it does feel a tad rushed in spots.  Gabriel Bateman who plays Andy is solid if unimpressive in the lead role while Aubrey Plaza feels miscast and under utilized at the same time.  Brian Tyree Henry sparks up the film when he’s on screen but much like Plaza, the film doesn’t take advantage of their talents.  Mark Hamill’s voice as Chucky is distinctive enough from Brad Dourif’s work in the previous films to leave an impression.  Still, Dourif’s work is so iconic at this point that it’s hard to believe that anyone would choose this new iteration as their favorite.  Simon Kinberg directs the film with an odd sense of humor but it’s never all that edgy or scary.  Even the violence feels somewhat sanitized and bland, not to mention the general silliness of the whole thing.  Still it wasn’t as if the original films where any bastion of high end writing so perhaps the remake is still in line with the older films.

C+

MOVIE REVIEW: THE MIKE & DAVE NEED WEDDING DATES

Director: Jake Szymanski

Cast: Adam Devine, Zak Efron, Anna Kendrick, Aubrey Plaza, Stephen Root

Release Date: Jul 08, 2016    

Rated R for crude sexual content, language throughout, drug use and some graphic nudity.    

Runtime: 1 hr. 38 min.    

Genres: Comedy

Review:

Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates is a breezy R rated comedy that hits most of the right beat even if it doesn’t reinvent the wheel.  Its cast is loaded with excellent comedic actors.  Adam Devine and Zac Efron’s on screen chemistry is readily apparent which really helps the film along.  Anna Kendrick and Aubrey Plaza are just as funny even if they aren’t quite believable as the characters.  Kendrick in particular seems to have to a hard time taking to the role but she’s still pretty funny through out the film.  There aren’t many surprises throughout the whole thing since it follows a pretty predictable path but you shouldn’t be expecting some massive innovation in the genre.  Still it does it’s main job and makes you laugh during most of it’s economical run time.

B

MOVIE REVIEW: DIRTY GRANDPA

Straight-laced lawyer Jason (Zac Efron) goes on a road trip to Daytona Beach with his horndog grandfather Dick (Robert De Niro), who was recently widowed and is eager to party hard on spring break now that he's a single man. Along the way, Dick prods Jason to let loose and have fun, and tries to convince him that he shouldn't get married to his controlling fiancée (Julianne Hough). Aubrey Plaza, Dermot Mulroney, Zoey Deutch, Jason Mantzoukas, and Adam Pally co-star. Directed by Dan Mazer. ~ Jack Rodgers, Rovi

Director: Dan Mazer

Cast: Robert De Niro, Zac Efron, Julianne Hough, Aubrey Plaza, Dermot Mulroney

Release Date: Jan 22, 2016

Rated R for crude sexual content throughout, graphic nudity, and for language and drug use.

Runtime: 1 hr. 42 min.

Genres: Comedy

Review:

If you walk out of Dirty Granpa offended then I’m not sure exactly what you were expecting.  It’s a crude vulgar comedy that always shoots for the lowest common denominator.  It hits its marks a handful of times due to the cast and Dan Mazer’s speedy direction.  Mazer doesn’t let his film linger too long on anything.  As a result, you almost don’t notice the clichéd characters and paper thin story.  It’s easy to forget when you see Robert De Niro and Zac Efron clearly having a blast film the bawdy comedy.  Some have decried the downfall of De Niro with roles like these but he seems to really enjoy them otherwise he wouldn’t make as many of them, it helps that he’s got some comedic chops.  So personally, I don’t fault him too much.  Efron does a solid job of playing the straight man to De Niro’s wild man.  The film is helped along by a strong supporting turn from Aubrey Plaza who deserves more movie roles to take advance of her comedic talents.  All in all, Dirty Grandpa isn’t anymore or less than it says it is.  It won’t be a classic but it’s good for a chuckle.

C+

MOVIE REVIEW: THE TO DO LIST

A high-school valedictorian makes a list of all of the sexual acts she wants to try before college, and seeks out the right partners to help expedite her sex education in this semiautobiographical comedy from writer/director Maggie Carey.

Director: Maggie Carey

Cast: Aubrey Plaza, Johnny Simmons, Bill Hader, Alia Shawkat, Sarah Steele, Rachel Bilson

Rated R pervasive strong crude and sexual content including graphic dialogue, drug and alcohol use, and language - all involving teens.

Runtime: 1 hr. 44 min.

Genres: Comedy

The To Do List has the makings of a comedy gem. A strong comedic female lead flanked by an equally impressive supporting cast with a funny premise. Unfortunately, it’s evident from the start that Aubrey Plaza is miscast as the valedictorian straight arrow trying to up her sexual IQ. Plaza’s greatest strength is her deadpan sarcastic delivery and this role doesn’t fit her strengths. As a result she never seems comfortable in the role. The script does her very little favors since it can’t help but make obvious jokes, some of which miss badly, and remind us endlessly that it’s set in the 90s. The supporting cast filled out their roles nicely but considering some of the talents they fell slightly underutilized especially Bill Hader and Connie Britton. Rachel Bilson and Plaza have a fun bit of sister chemistry which helps the film in some of the dead spot. There are a few inspired sections that provide some good laughs but they are few and far between unfortunately resulting in a ho-hum comedy that feels a lot longer than its runtime. It could have been Park and Recreation’s Leslie Knope The R Rated Teen Years meets American Pie instead it just misses the mark.

C