Every Christmas Eve for the last decade, best friends Isaac (Seth Rogen),
Ethan (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), and Chris (Anthony Mackie) have reunited for a
wild night on the town in New York City.
But since the guys are getting older and have to face new responsibilities,
their tradition is about to come to an end. As a result, they plan one last
epic night together, which includes finding their way to a legendary party
called the Nutcracka Ball. Lizzy Caplan, Miley Cyrus, Mindy Kaling, Jillian
Bell, and Michael Shannon co-star. Directed by Jonathan Levine. ~ Jennifer
Lackman, Rovi
Director: Jonathan Levine
Cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen, Anthony Mackie,
Lizzy Caplan, Michael Shannon.
Release Date: Nov
20, 2015
Rated R for
Runtime: 1 hr. 41 min.
Genres: Buddy Film, Holiday Film,
Comedy
Review:
The Night Before is a solid stoner comedy that never
really hits its marks consistently enough to elevate it above better comedies of
its ilk.Jonathan Levine moves his film
along at a brisk pace which helps when we run into one of the many dead spots
in the film.When it hits its mark it’s
really funny with Seth Rogen and Michael Shannon delivering the best bits.Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Anthony Mackie are
decent but they don’t quite have the comedic timing that Rogen pulls off so
well.The film is pepper with plenty of
comedy stalwarts and each takes advantage of their time on screen.It has all the hallmarks of what should be a
classic comedy but it just never gets there for some reason.
In the conclusion of the global-phenomenon, Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence)
stakes her claim as the leader of District 13 and commands the revolution
against the brutal dictatorship of President Snow (Donald Sutherland) and the
Capitol. Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Elizabeth Banks, Jena Malone, and
Julianne Moore all return to reprise their roles one last time, with Francis
Lawrence continuing his directorial duties. ~ Daniel Gelb, Rovi
The Hunger
Games: Mockingjay Part 2 is unfortunately a laborious slog to the finish line
of the franchise.It’s never a
particularly bad movie Francis Lawrence’s direction is solid throughout as are
most of the performances from the films cast.Jennifer Lawrence is fairly comfortable in Katniss skin and she does a
solid job of showing us all sides of the character’s constant perturbness.Donald Sutherland does get plenty of credit
for perfecting the art of eyebrow acting.The biggest issue at play here is the film’s story just isn’t that
interesting.The story plays out exactly
as expected throughout with very little surprise and it never really builds to
a crescendo to finish off the story.It’s probably a result of unnecessarily stretching the story out to 2
films when it could have been handled ably in 1 film.As it stands the final film delivers some solid
action sequences and throws some character deaths at you to keep you awake during
the 2 hours plus runtime but none of it carries all that much weight when it’s
all said and done.
Dearest Blog, yesterday it was off to Marquee Cinemas for the depressing double-bill of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay-Part 2 and Secret in Their Eyes.
Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers.
Mama always said, "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all." If I adhered to that advice, I'd have a free day today, but since I wasted yesterday watching these movies, it seems fitting that I waste today writing about them.
First on the docket: The Hunger Games: Mockingjay-Part 2, the further and final adventures of Katniss Everdeen.
Dear Reader(s), let it be noted that I consider myself a fan of the Hunger Games franchise.
It doesn't talk down to its audience, and the folks responsible for bringing it to the screen have done so with genuine regard for quality, rather than just milking a popular franchise for a cash grab.
It's a miserable premise--the sort of thing I'd never watch more than once--but to this point I've given HG full marks for execution.
Sadly, this final installment is a real letdown.
For as much as Mockingjay-Part 2 has got going on, it is insufferably slow and dull. Perhaps stretching the final book to two movies was a bad idea, or maybe they've just done a poor job of translating events from page to screen, but I was ready to claw out my eyes long before the halfway point.
The film yadda-yadda-yaddas over at least one thing that seems pretty important, and the ending feels like the author just got bored and turned it over to a 14-year-old fan-fiction writer. On the plus side, James Newton Howard has provided his usual strong score, and there are some nifty effects.
The acting is solid from top to bottom, and Jennifer Lawrence is no less outstanding than when she's fronting something the Academy takes seriously.
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay-Part 2 clocks in at an excessive 137 minutes and is rated PG13 for "intense sequences of violence and action, and for some thematic material."
It's not without its good points, but The Hunger Games: Mockingjay-Part 2 is, overall, a disappointment.
Of a possible nine Weasleys, Mockingjay-Part 2 gets five.
Next up: Secret in Their Eyes.
A group of law-enforcement professionals presses the law's limits when one of their young daughters is murdered.
It's clear, at some point, someone fancied Secret in Their Eyes a legitimate awards contender, The film on which it's based has already collected an Oscar (thanks, Maynard Maynard, for that tidbit!), the cast is mint, and it's a Very Serious Story.
Sadly, it's also a tedious affair in which the twists happen exactly how and when you'd expect, and two-thirds of the decorated principals are embarrassingly bad.
Nicole Kidman is about as expressive as a ventriloquist's dummy, which may be less about her actual acting than it is about her tinkering with her face 'til it no longer moves. On the other end of the spectrum, Julia Roberts flails through the proceedings "as if there were no such thing as overacting." (I have shamelessly poached that glorious insult from an old review of Gary Oldman's performance in Bram Stoker's Dracula!)
Chiwetel Ejiofor is terrific, making it hard to believe he's the only one of the three who doesn't (yet) have an Oscar.
An unnecessary romantic subplot adds nothing, and the movie seems to take it as a matter of personal pride that each storyline reaches the least-satisfying resolution possible.
Secret in Their Eyes runs 111 minutes and is rated PG13 for "thematic material involving disturbing violent content, language, and some sexual references."
Secret in Their Eyes has all the pieces of a great bit of cinema, but, unfortunately, it fails to put them together.
Of a possible nine Weasleys, Secret in Their Eyes gets four.
If you are visiting the cinema this weekend, and--like me--you weren't lucky enough to get Legend or Spotlight, I suggest you revisit Spectre or The Peanuts Movie, and take a pass on these two downers.
Dearest Blog: today it was off to Marquee Cinemas for an uncommon treat: Lou Diamond Phillips on the big screen in The 33.
Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers or the news.
A mine in Chile collapses, trapping 33 miners underground for over two months.
Dear reader(s), make no mistake: This is a fascinating, inspiring story that's more than worth hearing.
Shame somebody couldn't do a better job of telling it.
For The 33's purposes, it's not good enough that these men survived such extraordinary circumstances.
Not good enough, the genuine angst of family and friends camped out waiting for any small bit of news. Not good enough, the folks whose great leaps of faith ensured hope was never abandoned.
The melodrama is laid on so thick that connecting to any real emotion is...well...about as easy as finding a bunch of guys buried under thousands of feet of solid rock. The miners' personalities are so broadly-drawn they're little more than caricatures, and the dialogue is just plain cheesy.
That's the bad news. The good news is, an excessive runtime doesn't really feel like it. Despite a well-known outcome, the movie still expertly maintains tension as the audience waits with the miners' loved ones for any positive sign. We West Virginians are no strangers to holding our collective breath through such events, and the painful experience is effectively portrayed onscreen.
There's some strong work among the supporting cast, even if most of the headliners are quite over the top. Lou Diamond Phillips is amazing, because Lou Diamond Phillips is always amazing. (That's a scientific fact.) There are some good laughs and some cheap ones--the good ones lightening the mood at just the right moments--and James Horner's score is terrific.
Overall, an imperfect exercise, but still worth a look.
The 33 clocks in at 127 minutes and is rated PG13 for "a disaster sequence and some language."
The 33 isn't a terrible movie, yet it's hard not to think such a great story deserves better. Of a possible nine Weasleys, The 33 gets five.
Until next time...
