MOVIE REVIEW WE’RE THE MILLERS

A low-level pot dealer poses as a family man in order to pay back a debt to his supplier in this comedy starring Saturday Night Live alumni Jason Sudeikis. When David attempts to perform a good deed and gets robbed in the process, however, his supplier Brad (Ed Helms) is none too happy. Now, in order to pay Brad back before the hammer drops, David must retrieve a big drug shipment from Mexico and sneak back across the border undetected. It's a risky job for sure, but with the help of a few neighbors David might just pull it off. With sardonic stripper Rose (Jennifer Aniston) assuming the role of housewife, teenage misfit Kenny (Will Poulter) posing as the awkward son, and rebellious Casey (Emma Roberts) filling in as his sister, David slips on some khakis, and starts heading south. Nick Offerman, Kathryn Hahn, and Ken Marino co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Rawson Marshall Thurber

Cast: Jennifer Aniston, Jason Sudeikis, Will Poulter, Emma Roberts, Ed Helms

Release Date: Aug 07, 2013

Rated R for crude sexual content, pervasive language, drug material and brief graphic nudity.

Runtime: 1 hr. 50 min.

Genres: Action/Adventure, Comedy

Review:

We’re the Millers is fun raunchy little romp of movie with cartoonish characters in cartoonish situations. It’s well aware of the type of film it is but for some reason it wants to tack on a redemptive ending for some generally bad characters. Personally I’ve never understood why raunchy comedies feel the need to teach its characters a lesson especially when it doesn’t make sense. Jason Sudeikis’s character is more or less jerk, albeit a funny one, throughout until he has his A-HA moment in an eye rolling moment. I know I’ve probably belabored the point about the ending but it does kind of leave a WTF taste in your mouth. Regardless, the better portion of the film is consistently funny while remaining fairly harmless for an R rated film. Aniston, who I can’t stand for some reason, is solid throughout even though her chemistry with Sudeikis is extremely forced. Will Poulter is lots of fun while Emma Roberts comes across as nondescript in an underwritten role. We’re The Millers isn’t going to be considered a classic but it’s the perfect kind of comedy for a lazy afternoon.

B-

Cindy Prascik's Reviews of Homefront & Enough Said

Dearest Blog, over the long weekend I was fortunate to make two trips to two different cinemas. Thanks to the busy weekend, I'm only just posting my reviews. Apologies for the delay.

Spoiler level here will be mild-ish, I guess.

Thanks to my benevolent employer dismissing at noon on Wednesday, I spent my afternoon enjoying Jason Statham's latest flick, Homefront.

A former DEA agent moves with his daughter to a small town, which proves less peaceful than expected when he has to face off with the local meth dealer.

Statham Disclaimer (yes, he has his own disclaimer): Jason Statham is one of my favorite people who makes movies, and he almost unerringly makes movies I like. Opening weekend isn't good enough for Statham movies; I'm willing to burn vacation time to see them opening day. I am perfectly capable of loving a terrible movie just because Jason Statham in it (though that's not always the case).

I think Homefront would have been a good enough movie with or without Statham, but for Statham fans there's no denying it's a happy return to form after the drudgery of Redemption (a.k.a. Hummingbird).

Homefront does a nice job of maintaining tension throughout, and really kept me on the edge of my seat. There's not only the obvious good guy versus bad guy plot, but also the more relatable theme of trying to fit in...an idea that probably terrifies me more than the prospect of a firefight with the local drug lord! As you would expect in any movie that involves drug dealers, there's a fair bit of gun violence and things blowing up, but, for the most part we get to see Statham in hand-to-hand combat, which is definitely where he shines. It's all the more entertaining for knowing he insists on doing as much of his own stunt-work as the insurance will allow!

James Franco serves as an oddly-perfect foil to Statham's tough guy, and (to me, anyway) the character was enjoyable despite being a generally horrible person. Kate Bosworth is freakishly accurate as Franco's druggie sister, and Winona Ryder looks born to play the role of a meth-head prostitute. It was nice to see Omar Benson Miller again, too, reminding me how much I actually miss the idiotic glory of CSI: Miami.

Homefront runs 100 minutes and is rated R for "strong violence, pervasive language, drug content, and brief sexuality."

Come awards season, Homefront won't make anyone's lists, but, for my money, it was one of the more enjoyable afternoons I've passed at the cinema this year. Of a possible nine Weasleys, Homefront gets seven.

On Saturday, my Mother, who normally wouldn't sit through a movie if someone demanded it at gunpoint, got in her head that she wanted to see the flick playing at our tiny local theatre, which shows some smaller and indie releases when it isn't hosting live performances from our local theatre troupe. As my luck would have it, the film they were showing last weekend was the Julia Louis-Dreyfuss/James Gandolfini rom-com, Enough Said. (I must have crossed paths with a black cat or broken a mirror or something.)

Eva (Louis-Dreyfuss) and Albert (Gandolfini) meet at a party and get romantically involved...but another party guest may ruin the relationship.

I don't think I need to tell anyone that, of all the genres in all of cinema, the romantic comedy is my least favorite by a mile. The only way I'll consider a rom-com is if it stars someone I absolutely can't miss, or if I get pressganged into it. (Read: Mother wants to go to the local movie house on Small Business Saturday.) That's not to say I can't be won over by such a film if it's cute or the characters are likable enough, but unfortunately Enough Said embodies absolutely everything I hate about romantic comedies and then some.

Enough Said is a criminal waste of its two stellar leads, who manage to turn in nice performances while reciting some of the dopiest dialogue I've ever heard outside a Twilight movie. I understand that, to some degree, it's meant to convey the discomfort of getting used to someone new, but too much of it is just bad. Both characters are divorced with daughters about to head off to college, and the kids are so vile I wanted to bang their heads together. (As my sister says, "I don't understand how anyone decides to have kids once they've met a teenager.") The rancid icing on this putrid cake was having to look at my least-favorite actress, Toni Collette, who had more screen time than anyone other than the two main characters. That woman makes me want to throw a shoe at the screen! (If you were wondering, I didn't.)

Enough Said sells those tired, old rom-com principles: there's someone for everyone, nice people should give even the most awful people a second chance, and everyone deserves a happy ending, all of which are less believable to me than anything I've ever seen in a Marvel film or Claymation Christmas special. With the exception of Albert, I found every single character so unlikable that the movie's brief runtime felt like about six hours, and I left thinking they all deserved to die alone and miserable.

Enough Said clocks in at 93 minutes. It is rated PG13 for "crude and sexual content, comic violence, language, and partial nudity." Its impressive IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes ratings tell me I'm in the minority, but I hated nearly every minute. Of a possible nine Weasleys, Enough Said gets three.

Finally, though it relates to neither of this week's films, I want to acknowledge the unexpected passing of Paul Walker over the weekend. When I first I saw the news, I spent the next hour refreshing the screen and hoping someone would prove it a hoax, until his reps officially confirmed via his official Facebook and Twitter. Walker seemed like a genuinely decent guy who was universally well-loved, particularly by his Fast & Furious family and fans, and I am having a hard time shaking off the blues over this one. So, rest peacefully, Paul Walker, and thanks for all the fun times at the movies.

Until next time...

Cindy Prascik's The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Dearest Blog, today I was off to the cinema with every single teenager on Earth to catch the latest Hunger Games installment, Catching Fire.

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers.

Following her victory in the 74th Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen becomes a symbol of hope to the people of Panem, sparking a rebellion against the Capitol.

I haven't read The Hunger Games series and therefore shall take no side in the age-old books vs. movies debate.

Catching Fire is, like its predecessor, a very good movie, and not something only the die-hard fandom can appreciate. If you're looking for a well-written, well-acted, nail-biter of a film, Catching Fire is the one for you.

That's not to say the Hunger Games movies are always an easy or pleasant watch; on the contrary, these are the Game of Thrones of the big screen. Don't go getting too attached to anyone, ya hear? What's important is any unpleasantness feels organic and absolutely integral to moving the story along, nothing is done just for shock value.

Jennifer Lawrence is as fantastic as ever in the lead. I could be accused of some bias there, and the accusation would be fair, but the young lady is a treasure. There's truthfully not a weak link among the cast, though Woody Harrelson is once again my favorite. Can't say having Philip Seymour Hoffman around ever hurt a movie, either.

Catching Fire gets full marks for costumes and set design, the lavish ridiculousness of the Capitol standing in stark contrast to the desolation of the other districts.

Catching Fire runs a slightly overlong 146 minutes and is rated PG13 for "intense sequences of violence and action, some frightening images, thematic elements, a suggestive situation, and language."

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is an outstanding film from start to finish. It features sharp writing, a terrific cast, and will leave you on the edge of your seat until The Hunger Games: Mockingjay is released next Thansgiving.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire gets seven and a half.

Next week we get a new Statham flick, so I'm sure I don't need to tell anyone where to find me!!

Until next time...



Oh, hai...just having some folks over to watch the game...

THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE

The Hunger Games saga continues in this sequel that finds a revolution brewing as Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) take a "Victor's Tour" of the districts, and President Snow (Donald Sutherland) plots their downfall during preparations for The Quarter Quell, which only occurs every 25 years in celebration of the Capitol's victory over the districts. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Francis Lawrence

Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Elizabeth Banks, Stanley Tucci, Jena Malone, Woody Harrelson

Release Date: Nov 22, 2013

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, some
frightening images, thematic elements, a suggestive situation and language.

Runtime: 2 hr. 26 min.

Genres: Action/Adventure

Review:

The 2nd film in a major film franchise is typically the most difficult. It has to deal with heightened expectations first and foremost with most films failing to match the energy that made the first entry successful. Thankfully The Hunger Games: Catching Fire isn’t one of those films. Catching Fire does everything you want a 2nd entry in a big budget franchise to do, it corrects chemistry and story problems from the 1st film while expanding the world, while delivering a deeper exploration of the themes at play. It’s an impressive feat accomplished by the cast and crew. Francis Lawrence’s direction is steady and capable making the 2 and ½ hour run seem necessary with rarely a wasted scene in the whole film. Lawrence moves the film at a steady pace, giving the audience enough time to digest the events on screen but never lingering. The first two acts in particular are quite impressive mainly because with a lesser director, cast and script it’d be a laborious slog through exposition. Instead the first act serves nicely as an epilogue/entry point for the new film as it shows the after effects of the first film. The 2nd act starts the main plot in earnest even though we do start to run into some retread moments with slightly different spins with the 3rd act leaving you with an overwhelming sense of déjà vu. It’s not a major fault but it does feel very familiar until the last 15 minutes change up the entire game. The cast lead by Jennifer Lawrence, providing even more depth to the reluctant rebel, is excellent throughout. Lawrence is the center of the film providing it with heart and strength while maintaining a tangible vulnerability. Thankfully, Josh Hutcherson’s character and performance in this entry is stronger overall even if he does seem to suffer from damsel in distress syndrome quite a bit. The returning cast member, Harrelson and Banks in particular, are given a bit more to chew on, fleshing out their characters into living breathing human beings. Sam Claflin and Jena Malone are both welcome additions to the cast even if Malone tends to oversell her performance from time to time. When you add it all up, Catching Fire really delivers on nearly all counts, stumbling slightly in the 3rd act which can get a little repetitive before an interesting turn and cliffhanger.

B+

[Trailer] Noah

The first trailer for the upcoming religious epic is finally out and we get 2 tonally different trailer. The American trailer seems to hit more traditional beats playing up the religious angle more so than the International trailer which plays more like a traditional FX event film. Honestly, if Darren Aronofsky and Russell Crowe weren’t attached to this project I probably would have ignored it.

With Aronofsky in the director’s chair it leaves the door open to all kinds of possibilities, just think about his underrated film The Fountain. Both trailers look intriguing if a tad safe, either way I’m interested enough to mark this one on my calendar.

Official Trailer


International Trailer

Cindy Prascik’s review of Thor: The Dark World

Dearest Blog, yesterday I was off to the cinema with the masses to worship at the altar of the mighty Thor.
Spoiler level here will be mild, almost nothing you didn't see in a trailer somewhere.

Disclaimer: This review is being written through a haze of cold meds...and I think I accidentally may have taken the nighttime stuff instead of the daytime stuff. (Didn't the nighttime stuff used to be green??) Reader discretion is advised.
As the Nine Realms align, they are threatened by an enemy so powerful that Thor must make an unlikely alliance to save them.

Getting the requisite shallowness out of the way, the first thing you'll notice about Thor is that it looks terrific, and I mean across the board. The sets and effects are spectacular, the costumes are gorgeous, and most of the cast is hurt-your-eyes good looking. (Tiny spoiler alert) Chris Hemsworth has an early shirtless scene and the reaction across my theatre was so ridiculous it was like when an extra-hot person walks into a sitcom.

If the Marvel cinematic universe is noted for being a good time, in my opinion, the two Thor films represent the best time of all the Marvel properties. The Dark World does, of course, have its serious moments (with the universe at risk and all!), but there are one-liners aplenty, and almost all of them hit their marks. The action is huge and keeps things moving along nicely, though I did feel the first hour maybe could have been trimmed a bit. Performances are terrific across the board, with Tom Hiddleston's Loki again the standout.

I ended up in a 3D showing because I'm apparently too chemically addled to correctly read movie listings, and I wouldn't say the 3D was worth much. There's maybe a bit of added depth here and there, but Idris Elba never actually landed in my lap, so I'd suggest you go ahead and hang onto that extra three bucks.

Thor: The Dark World is everything I want in a superhero flick. The action and effects are huge and the cast has great chemistry, just a great time all around.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Thor: The Dark World gets eight.

Until next time...