MOVIE REVIEW: COMING 2 AMERICA

Set in the lush and royal country of Zamunda, newly-crowned King Akeem (Eddie Murphy) and his trusted confidante Semmi (Arsenio Hall) embark on an all-new hilarious adventure that has them traversing the globe from their great African nation to the borough of Queens, New York - where it all began.

Director: Craig Brewer

Cast: Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall, Jermaine Fowler, Leslie Jones, Tracy Morgan, KiKi Layne, Shari Headley, Teyana Taylor, Wesley Snipes, James Earl Jones

Release Date: December 18, 2020

Genre: Comedy

Rated PG-13 for crude and sexual content, language and drug content

Runtime: 1 h 50 min

Review:

Coming 2 America feels like many of recent unnecessary sequels to beloved classics in that it offers fun bits of nostalgia but never reaches the level of the original.  Craig Brewer’s film fits some familiar beats which will leave fans of the original happy but some maybe surprised to find that much of the film takes place in Zamunda and the story’s mainly focused on Jermaine Fowler’s character.  The story flips the script of the original by making the Folwer the outsider; it’s a decent if uninspired take.  Folwer is capable enough but he’s hardly on the same comedic talent level of Eddie Murphy or Arsenio Hall.  The latter do have plenty of chances to shine and they make great use of their screen time in revisiting their classic characters.  The supporting cast is filled with familiar faces with Wesley Snipes clearly having a ball playing General Izzi.  Ultimately, Coming 2 America is a fun little bit of comedic comfort food even if it’ll never touch the originals quality. 

C+

Cindy Prascik' s Reviews of The Infiltrator & Ghostbusters

 

 

Dearest Blog: Yesterday it was off to Marquee Cinemas for a pair of strange bedfellows: The Infiltrator and Ghostbusters. 

 

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers. First on the docket: The Infiltrator. 

 

A US Customs officer launches a dangerous undercover mission to catch one of the world's top drug kingpins. 

 

It is both a blessing and a curse that The Infiltrator is good, but not special. In an age where the Internet has no problem convincing people they hate films they haven't even seen yet, being neither great nor terrible enough to be buzzworthy isn't necessarily a bad thing. 

 

Still, structured as it is around a decorated actor (Bryan Cranston) in a role tailor-made to earn him more hardware, the tense tale ultimately can't help feeling a little disappointing. Cranston is solid in the lead, but it's John Leguizamo who steals the show as his loose-cannon partner. Diane Kruger, Benjamin Bratt, and Joseph Gilgun are also terrific in supporting roles. 

 

Characters are well fleshed out, so that even the worst earn a bit of sympathy. Focusing on the money side of the illegal narcotics trade, The Infiltrator is less sensational than movies that detail the gorier realities of drug running, but the intense plot has no trouble holding your attention. Sadly, if it's details that elevate a good movie to great, that's where The Infiltrator fails. 

 

Some of the direction is decidedly amateurish, with too-obvious foreshadowing and lingering frames that almost stray into comic territory. Hairstyles, fashions, and music are sometimes not correct for the picture's 1985 setting. There's no obvious filler, but the movie runs a hair too long and drags noticeably in the second act. 

 

The Infiltrator clocks in at 127 minutes and is rated R for "strong violence, language throughout, some sexual content, and drug material." The Infiltrator boasts strong performances and well-definted characters, offering solid "grown-up" counterprogramming on a blockbuster family-release weekend. 

 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, The Infiltrator gets six and a half. Fangirl points: Jason Isaacs! 

 

Next up: the poliarizing reboot of Ghostbusters, a.k.a. why it's best to ignore Internet trolls. Three scientists, an MTA employee, and the world's best-looking receptionist team up to quash a ghost infestation in New York. 

 

Dear Reader(s): We all have things we love enough to drive us past the point of reason. I am no stranger to this phenomenon, and, thus, in my presence it is best not to speak of that unfunny, unholy, disrespectful dumpster fire that is 2004's Starsky & Hutch. Herein I shall attempt to give even the staunchest fan of the original Ghostbusters a few reasons why 2016's Ghostbusters is NOT 2004's Starsky & Hutch. 

Ghostbusters is a well-and-truly funny comedy, with laugh-out-loud moments throughout. Rather than bastardizing beloved characters, it reboots with new ones. Kristin Wiig and Melissa McCarthy are delightful as estranged friends reunited by the spirit crisis; their chemistry is fantastic. Leslie Jones' wisecracks and physical comedy provide the movie's funniest moments, and Chris Hemsworth is perfect as the dopey but ridiculously-hot office assistant. 

 

There's nostalgia aplenty for those who want it, in faces both living and undead, the recurring Ghostbusters theme, and that very familiar logo. 

 

Though rarer than laughs, there are a fair few proper scares to be had as well. The movie boasts super effects and 3D that is not just worthwhile, but great! Ghosts run the gamut from pretty terrifying to pretty hilarious. The comedy slows up a bit in the movie's second act, displaced by some fun, well-executed action sequences. 

 

Only Kate McKinnon's character, Jillian Holtzman, is a weak link, so jarringly off that every appearance becomes an unfortunate distraction. Writers and actress must share blame for bringing to life possibly the most irritating character I've ever seen on the silver screen (and, yes, I'm including Jar-Jar Binks in that equation). 

 

Ghostbusters runs 116 minutes and is rated PG13 for "supernatural action and some crude humor." Ghostbusters is a uniformly funny movie with a great cast and terrific effects. Only that rare individual who strongly feels Chris Hemsworth is better used in something like Black Hat wouldn't find something to enjoy here. 

 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Ghostbusters gets seven and a half. 

 

Fangirl points: Michael Kenneth Williams and one teeny glimpse of my beloved Shubert Theatre! 

 

Until next time...

 

MOVIE REVIEW: GHOSTBUSTERS

Director: Paul Feig 

Cast: Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones, Chris Hemsworth

Release Date: Jul 15, 2016

Rated PG-13 for supernatural action and some crude humor.

Runtime: 1 hr. 47 min.

Genres: Action/Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Review:

Paul Feig’s Ghostbusters isn’t the disaster many predicted but it’s not good enough on it’s own to prove it was necessary either.  I’m one of the few people who always liked Ghostbusters but was never in love with it even though I grew up with it.  There’s a definite fondness for the original film but I never really thought it was sacrilegious to remake it with women.  The director and cast do the best with what they have but it’s clear that there’s an issue with the story.  The overall plot hits a lot of the same notes that the original did but with a more generic punch.  As the film goes on, it does feel like everybody is reigning it in a bit, making me wish they’d decided to go for a full on R rated comedy.  I think that would have been a better choice for this director and cast.  As is, the cast is solid throughout with Chris Hemsworth leaving the biggest impression by displaying some strong comedic chops.  The film is a tad overlong by about 20 minutes or with some noticeable dead spots that could have been easily excised.  The Ghostbusters’ remake isn’t a train wreck but it’s not as good as it should have been to justify its existence. 

C+