MOVIE REVIEW: HORRIBLE BOSSES

IN THEATERS

HORRIBLE BOSSES



Colin Farrell, Jennifer Aniston, Jason Bateman, and Charlie Day star in this workplace comedy about three frustrated employees who hatch a plan to kill their micromanaging bosses, only to find their murderous plot snowballing into disaster. Seth Gordon (The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters) directs a screenplay written by Michael Markowitz, Jonathan Goldstein, and John Francis Daley. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Seth Gordon

Cast: Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis, Charlie Day, Jennifer Aniston, Kevin Spacey

Release Date: Jul 08, 2011

Rated: Crude and sexual content, pervasive language and some drug material

Runtime: 1 hr. 40 min.

Genres: Comedy

Review:

Horrible Bosses isn’t perfect but ultimately it’s a fairly good time, a testament to the strong cast assembled. Seth Gordon sloppily directs this film. His biggest fault is never finding a steady rhythm to the proceedings, after a strong start he just seems disinterested as he’s more than happy to leave all the heavy lifting to the cast. Luckily the cast is game. Bateman, Sudeikis and Day have wonderful chemistry together. They breathe life into a mediocre script. All three bring a certain kind of energy to the film and it works very well. The trio’s energy keeps the film alive throughout with Charlie Day being the real standout of the group. His manic energy is really something to behold, no shock to fans of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Colin Farrell has more of a cameo than an actual role. Kevin Spacey the primary antagonist here and he’s clearly having a ball. Jennifer Aniston delivers dirty lines with the conviction of a 3rd grader but she’s limited to a small role. Most of the jokes are fairly pedestrian which is kind of surprising considering the subject matter but it does find a solid footing in the second half but I don’t think it’s the kind of comedy that’ll hold up after repeat viewings as it never reaches the heights of 80’s film 9 to 5.

C+

Bluray quality; Video soft but sharp ; Sound is decent but unimpressive.

I was hand-selected to be a member of Blu-ray Elite, a beta program from Warner Home Video which has graciously sent me this free Blu-ray disc.

TV SHOW REVIEW: GAME OF THRONES SEASON 1

Synopsis: Kings, queens, knights and renegades use schemes and swords to battle for the The Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms.

Cast: Lena Headey, Jack Gleeson, Sean Bean, Michelle Fairley, Emilia Clarke, Peter Dinklage, Mark Addy, Jason Momoa

I’ve never been much of a fantasy fan so it shouldn’t come as a huge surprise that I’d never heard of the “A Song of Ice and Fire” fantasy book series. In all honesty I came to Game of Thrones, the HBO series, as green as you could possibly come. I was aware of it simply because I’d heard other people talking about but never quite knew what it was actually about. I watched the first episode and I was still fairly confused as to what it was all about, not to mention being bombarded with family names, locations and story mythology. If you come to this series as green as I did then don’t be surprised if you feel like you are already trying to catch up with what’s going on right from the start. That being said, once you get a better handle of story’s dynamics, 2 to 3 episodes in for me, Game of Thrones just drags you into it’s gritty devilishly delicious story of intrigue and backstabbing. It’s the type of series that wonderfully produced, acted and executed. The plot contains enough twist and turns to leave you in knots after major events; this is especially true in the final episodes of season 1. The cast is filled with top notch actors and actress working off strong scripts that really pack some punch. Multiple intertwined storyline create an epic scope that’s incredibly engrossing. As I mentioned earlier the cast is top notch, so much so that attempting to explain how each actor impresses would read like some sort of shipping manifest. Sean Bean stars and he’s more than capable as the honor bound Ned Stark. Other truly impressive performances are turned in by Emilia Clarke, Maisie Williams, Aidan Gillen and Mark Addy. Peter Dinklage truly shines as Tyrion “The Imp” Lannister, he’s simply magnetic anytime he’s on screen. As a whole, the first season is a perfect hook and one that’s sure to leave you wanting more after you watch the open ended season finale.

A

TV SHOW REVIEW: CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL: THE COMPLETE FIRST AND SECOND SEASONS DVD

TV SHOW REVIEW: CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL: THE COMPLETE FIRST AND SECOND SEASONS DVD



Synopsis: Short parodies of medical dramas.

Cast: Rob Corddry, Rob Huebel, Megan Mullally, Erinn Hayes, Ken Marino, Michael Cera, Lake Bell, Henry Winkler, Malin Akerman, Zandy Hartig, Nick Offerman

Review:

Children’s Hospital is an incredibly funny rapid fire show. First season is comprised of the 4-5 minute “episodes” which shoot medical drama parody jokes at you at an amazing rate. It’s hilarious for the most part, when it doesn’t quite hit the mark it helped by its format because nothing ever lingers too much on screen. The 2nd season offers up longer 11 minute “episodes” which still have the same effect but occasionally linger a tad to long when a joke isn’t working. The cast is a collection of wonderful comedians who are all in throughout. Nothing is off-limits and they aren’t afraid to go for the cheapest laughs while setting higher concept laughs either (such as mocking every type of behinds the scenes, live shows, TV show deaths, etc..). There’s a very loosely connected overall plot but its sparse and fairly unnecessary since it’s not really the point. Satire and parody are the name of the game here and its down quite well.

B-

MOVIE REVIEW: TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON

IN THEATERS

TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON



The interstellar war between the Autobots and Decepticons shifts into overdrive following the discovery of Sentinel Prime (voice of Leonard Nimoy) in this sequel from director Michael Bay. Only a precious handful of officials in the government and military realize that the 1969 moon mission was the result of an event that threatened profound repercussions for the entire human race. When the Apollo 11 astronauts discover the wrecked remains of Sentinel Prime on the surface of our natural satellite, they bring him back to planet Earth. But Sentinel Prime wasn't the only alien object on the moon, and when a malevolent new enemy makes its presence known, only the Autobots can save humankind from certain destruction. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Michael Bay

Cast: Shia LaBeouf, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, John Turturro, John Malkovich, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley

Release Date: Jun 29, 2011

Rated PG-13 for intense prolonged sequences of sci-fi action violence, mayhem and destruction, and for language, some sexuality and innuendo

Runtime: 2 hr. 37 min.

Genres: Action/Adventure

Review:

A literal orgy of action, Transformers Dark of the Moon shows that Michael Bay can adjust his style, to a certain extent at least. Dark of the Moon doesn’t correct a lot of the issues that over took Revenge of the Fallen as much as he just limits them a bit. He’s still Bay and there’s never much subtlety in anything he does. Michael Bay has always been an action maestro but the human element has always been lacking. The first third of Dark of the Moon is mostly a dreary trek through Sam’s struggle finding a job which is incredibly boring especially since you are just waiting all hell to break loose. Shia LaBeouf delivers a performance that look like it was sponsored by cocaine; he’s manic and unhinged throughout. Rosie Huntington-Whiteley is a Victoria Secret model and Bay treats her as such, her acting is comprised of pervy shots of her thighs and her lower portions. She also blessed with more costume changes than a Lady Gaga concert, apocalypse be damned! John Malkovich has an interesting cameo part but is gone as soon as he shows up. John Turturro, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson and Alan Tudyk all show up for small roles each reminding you they are in fact alive. Of course this is all pointless; Dark of the Moon is about robot on robot action. In stunning 3D the carnage that is the last act of the film is truly impressive. A couple of the set pieces, the building collapse in particular, are insanity to the nth degree. Bay doesn’t even bother moving the story forward anymore; he just stops it to film all this madness. It’s a feast for the eyes and Bay is smart enough to move back the camera enough so that you’re always aware of what’s happening, a major change up from Revenge of the Fallen. Unfortunately it just end, the narrative just kind of stops. Credit roll but it doesn’t feel like there’s a sufficient wrap up for the level of stakes posed throughout the movie. It’s a bit of shame but not enough to detract from it all.

B-

TV SHOW REVIEW: LOUIE: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON DVD / BLURAY

Synopsis: Louis C.K. as a successful stand-up comedian and newly single father raising two daughters in New York.

Cast: Louis C.K., Hadley Delany and Ursula Parker

REVIEW:

If you haven’t seen any of Louie C.K.’s stand up, I’d recommend it first and foremost. That way you’ll have a solid understanding of the type of humor C.K. offers up. Personally, I find his stand up hilarious and I’m hardly in the minority as Louie C.K. is considered one of the best stand up comedians in the biz. He’s had bit roles here and there in films and TV shows but this show is entirely him. He writes and directs every episode so this is firmly his vision. While I expected the show to be funny, which it is more so than not, it’s also incredibly elegant and even poignant at times. The episodes are written and directed with a deft hand really highlighting the level of talent that C.K. posses. It’s simplistic but complex at the same time. The show is a mixture of his stand up and narrative parts which are semi autobiographical. The show stays grounded in reality most of the time but occasionally it’ll drift into the reaches of fantasy and visual hyperbole. It’s wonderfully done and even though there are some big tonal shifts throughout the season but it never fails to surprise, impress and crack you up all at once.

A

[Trailer] MISSION IMPOSSIBLE GHOST PROTOCOL

The Mission Impossible series got a bit of boost after a stronger 3rd entry, the less that’s said about the over stylized super slow-mo second film the better. This fourth entry feels more like the original Brian De Palma film.

Tom Cruise, Ving Rhames and Simon Pegg are joined by series new comers Josh Hollaway and Jeremy Renner who’s rumored to be prepped to take over the franchise from Cruise.

This first teaser trailer looks like good old fashion spy fun with Brad Bird at the helm, I always felt he gave The Incredibles a very 70’s era Bond feel, I’m kind of optimistic.