Blind Review: The Best Man Holiday

Disclaimer: Blind Reviews are fictional accounts of what I imagine happens in the movie based on the trailer and gratuitous leaps of faith. I have not seen the movie and the review should not be taken seriously in any way.

What do you get when you combine old friends, messy relationships, Christmas, and Blurred Lines? A flawed film that perfectly captures the zeitgeist of life, love, and friendship in the early to mid-2010s. The Best Man Holiday (BMH), sequel to 1999’s The Best Man, won’t change your life, but it will become a Christmas staple airing every holiday season on TBS. That will be enough to make it trend on Twitter once or twice a year which is basically all that matters these days. BMH is leap years ahead of 2013’s other reunion based sequel, Grown Ups 2.

Filled with a talented and multi-cultural cast, BMH has some of the best character acting you’ll see all year. It’s amazing that writer-director Malcolm D. Lee (Undercover Brother, Scary MoVie) could coax such great performances out of actors who have struggled of late. Terrence Howard turns in his best performance since he was the original James War Machine Rhodes (Rhodey) in Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man. Howard, who plays Quentin, in the film has an amazing chemistry with all of the key players, but specifically his rival Harper who is played by Taye Diggs. The rivalries here are top notch.

Not to be outdone by the guys, the ladies provide the film with the depth that will make BMH worth revisiting.  Regina Hall steals the show as Candace, a smart successful woman who any man would be lucky to have. The Mia and Shelby characters have a cat fight for the ages about Shelby’s risqué behavior. The tension here is real, but the whole fight is a lot of fun.

The film isn’t all great though. There’s literally a stretch of the film, almost 10 minutes, where several characters compare and contrast the major phone operating systems. As interesting as the battle between iOS and Android is, and how culturally likely we as Americans are to discuss phones at a holiday get together in 2013, I just didn’t enjoy it. I’d have left this scene on the cutting room floor. There’s also a song and dance number where the guys cover a popular Boyz II Men track that is complete filler. It adds nothing to the feature and makes no sense.

Despite its flaws, BMH is the perfect film for the whole family this Thanksgiving. Sure, there are some scenes that won’t be age-appropriate for the young ones, but they’re going to be seeing this stuff sooner or later. Why not let them learn it from these beautiful people in the controlled environment that is your local cinemaplex? You certainly wouldn’t want to take the kids to see the Hunger Games sequel which will have people killing each other. Let’s face it, there’s nothing worse than murder. Here’s to hoping The Best Man series will continue with The Best Man Divorce or The Best Man Funeral 15 years from now.

B-

Review: 'Monsters University' (2013)

Disney/Pixar

It wasn’t long ago that Pixar was the elite studio in the animated film genre. For years, the nearly flawless, wildly original features that Pixar produced appealed to both adults and children. After an absolute brilliant three year run that included Ratatouille, Wall-E, and Up, the studio has gotten away from the originality that made it so great as three out of its last four features have been sequels. Pixar’s latest revisiting of past projects, Monsters University (a prequel to Monsters, Inc.) continues the discouraging trend of ordinary films that we have seen from the studio as of late.

Monsters University quickly makes it clear that the friendship between Mike Wazowski (voiced by Billy Crystal) and James P. “Sulley” Sullivan (voiced by John Goodman) did not exactly hit it off right away. Mike has always dreamed of being a scarer (a monster that goes into the human world to cause children to scream which powers the monster world). Even though he doesn’t exactly possess the same characteristics of the average scarer, Mike becomes a student at Monsters University and work’s hard to not just do well academically but also to become a successful scarer. His roommate just happens to be the naturally scary Sully who comes from a long line of scarers, giving him the mindset that there is no reason for him to actually try academically. These two different personalities and backgrounds clash making the young relationship far from smooth but when the two find their backs against the wall, they must attempt to put differences aside and work together.        

Don’t get me wrong, Monster University isn’t Brave bad. If we were to look at Monster’s University as a animated film from any other studio than there would not be a whole lot to complain about because it would be slightly above the norm. The problem is that Monsters University is a product of Pixar which means it is judged by high standards set from the gecko and maintained for 15 years. Fair? Maybe not but it also means that these films are being looked at as valuable works for all ages and not just animated movies for one demographic.

One aspect of Monsters University that although not revolutionary but positive considering it is directed towards a younger audience is its message. As the origins of Sullivan and Mike’s relationship are explored, the differences and effects of earning or working for something compared to inheriting or falling into a title or status is also delve into. You have Mike who must work hard to be a good scarer and on the other side of things is Sully who comes from a family of legendary scarers giving him not just a natural nack for it but a sense of entitlement. These personas and characteristics match the characters well and are initially used in a heartfelt manor that stresses how important hard work and determination is.

The problem is that soon after these characteristics and character motives are made clear, narrative decisions are made that goes against what was previously established. In a scene where both Mike and Sully are preparing for a class final that requires them to display a level of scariness, Mike, after studying all semester, scares Sullivan. With this tension filled scene, the audience is given an authentic chance to not only pull for Mike but to believe that his hard work has paid off. However this moment is quickly dismissed and the plot becomes set on the idea that Mike will never be an effective scarer regardless of the effort he puts into it.

Nothing can be considered ground breaking when it comes Monster University’s collegiate setting. There are the fraternity’s. There is the usual competition or rival between these fraternities. There is the underdog taking everyone head on. It’s the formula for every other dance movie so why shouldn’t a post-creative Pixar give it try? The result is as expected: nothing more than ordinary. With that said though, it is this competition that children will find the most laughs.

A lot of what I have said about Monsters University is similar to what I said in a review of Brave a year ago. Like Brave, Monster University fails to connect with all ages. It’s humor and motives harmlessly aims for a younger audiences approval but unlike a strong majority of it’s Pixar predecessors it falls short of being anything original or something that can be valued for years to come. So what should Pixar do now?

I remember watching an extended trailer for Wall-E that featured director Andrew Staunton speaking about how before Toy Story was even released, himself along with other members of the original Pixar creative team such as John Lasseter, Pete Doctor and Joe Ranft sat down and discussed several ideas that included all of Pixar’s first eight original films. Maybe this is in order again or at least something of this nature. It could be important to just take a step back and examine what made Pixar so great and why it isn’t on that same level now.

Grade: B-                    

Quick Take: 'Thor' (2011)

It’s no secret that there are plenty of outlandish comic book anthologies out there. The impossible not only becomes possible but is even seen as normal in the world that it all takes place in. Stan Lee, Larry Lieber and Jack Kirby’s Marvel comic, ‘Thor’, is no exception. Norse mythology meets the superhero filled comic book world. Because of this it is no surprise that Thor’s silver screen treatment is a little on the goofy side. This starts with Thor himself due to not just the classical, over-the-top dialogue he is given but also the delivery by Chris Hemsworth. Surprisingly, this is one of the more entertaining aspects of the film as nearly everything about the character is melodramatic but at the same time fun. In a satisfying performance, Hemsworth embraces how silly the circumstances are which only increases chances of enjoying the character.

Like the Norse characters, similar eloquent and artsy characteristics are incorporated into the scenes that feature their home of Asgard. The scenery is given plenty of time to take center stage which is accompanied by a Patrick Doyle score that attempts to give the shots even more of a noble feel.  The problem is that this artsy, sophisticated approach causes pacing issues. The most notable issues when it comes to pacing comes in the form of awkwardly slow choreographed action sequences. Also keeping Thor from getting into an effective rhythm is the constant setting switch between Asgard and earth with both featuring several emotionless moments. Aiding in this lack of emotion is the fact that nothing is left unsaid (maybe this is why I enjoyed Idris Elba in the role of Heimdall so much). This would not be so bad if the dialogue actually meant something most of the time but this is not the case especially when it comes to the human characters.   

Grade: C-              

2013 Summer Box Office Showdown - Results

It feels like a thousand years ago that Brad, Nick, and I had our 2013 summer movie draft. Well, the results are in and they're shocking. I think this graph really shows it best.

Brad wins, it really wasn't even a contest.

Dollar Totals

Brad               $      1,254,981,853.00

Nick               $        -228,354,885.00

Josh               $         524,119,735.00

Brad absolutely ran away with the victory. I honestly thought that I couldn't be beat with Iron Man 3 but I couldn't have been more wrong. Major losers like Paranoia, Pacific Rim, and White House Down were almost bad enough to completely erase IM3's $700 million plus adjusted gross. Brad proved that the family dollar is plentiful as Despicable Me 2 and Monsters University combined to haul in over $850 million in adjusted gross. Fast and Furious 6 also played a large part in Brad's billion dollar total. Nick had several high grossing films, including the surprise of the summer Purge and Man of Steel, but couldn't overcome the anchor that was The Lone Ranger.

If you care to look at the complete financial picture, take a look at our public spreadsheet. You're welcome to analyze the data in any way, shape, or form, just make sure that you comment here about what you find. 

We've already drafted our movies for the Fall 2013 season, so be on the lookout for a post covering who got what. The Summer 2013 was a good time and I can't wait to see the what surprises the fall has in store.

Review: '2 Guns' (2013)

Universal Pictures 

As the summer movie season reaches its final month, 2 guns appears to be an appropriate film for this point in time. August is somewhat of a cool down month as the big name, mainly franchise installments of the summer have come and gone and all that is left is smaller films with lower expectations (less pressure). This summer is unique though in the way that no film, the ones I have seen anyway, has really lived up to or surpassed expectations, making a film like 2 Guns something that is needed rather than easily dismissed as it could be if circumstances were different.

 It’s clear that 2 Guns isn’t trying to flip the industry on the top of its head as it is not a heavily marketed, big budget spectacle looking to be the first of a franchise. 2 guns looks like a film that blends action and humor while not doing anything more than highlighting the admirable traits of its two stars, Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg and guess what?  That is exactly what it is, making it surprisingly refreshing (oddly enough).      

2 Guns begins with Robert ‘Bobby’ Trench (Denzel Washington) and Michael ‘Stig’ Stigman (Mark Wahlberg) planning to rob $3 million dollars from a bank. It is here that the audience is introduced to the smooth swag of Trench and the energetic, flirtatious ways of Stigman. The duo runs into problems though when the robbery does not go as planned and drug lord Papi Greco (Edward James Olmos), the DEA, the CIA and the Navy all get involved.

I’m aware that the above plot description leaves a lot to be desired but with how things transpire and who’s who plays a major part of the plot, going any further in an explanation would likely spoil something. I will say that it is important to pay close attention due to all that is going on. With all the multiple parties involved along with the motives they possess it becomes difficult to keep everything straight.

To be honest, 2 Guns cluttered plot and the odd use of supporting characters is the films weakest aspects. Earl (Bill Paxton) from the CIA and Deb (Paula Patton) from the DEA are both characters that have a major impact on the plot but these are moments that never feel earned as they continue to abruptly become a part of a situation without any real setup. I guess this is what happens when you have such an outlandish plot which only gives another reason not to take it all too seriously. The good news is that it doesn’t take long to realize that realistic thought isn’t needed. Even better news is that the people on screen are also aware of this.

With all this this said though, it isn’t the story that it is the selling point. Washington and Wahlberg are obviously the two draws and this is where the movie is. So if you’re a Washington or Wahlberg fan than 2 Guns maybe something you should consider watching and if your fan of both then it should be a no brainer. Yes, they both give performances that you have likely seen from them before and there are a few times when things are a little too hammed up but for the most part they fit into the roles quite nicely. Wahlberg has been successful with his tough guy persona mixed with humor which is exactly who Stigman is. Trench is a much darker, subtle character that often gives off the impression that he is in control, something Washington has down pat.

By no means should movies strive to just be ‘alright’. Unfortunately a lot of movies do have ‘alright’ or ‘average’ as a goal and a majority of the time they fail to even reach this poor goal which could be the reason for the heightened entertainment of 2 Guns.  2 Guns is nowhere near a perfect film or even one that has a wide appeal but given how this summer has played out, it’s alright to have a film like this come along. Over the past few months few films have been able to live up to expectations so with 2 Guns not surpassing but meeting expectations, it is a recommendable summer movie even if only for Washington and Wahlberg. 

Grade: C+

Review: 'Coffee Town' (2013)

Launching in 1999, College Humor is a mildly successful website where people can go to watch videos that are usually pretty entertaining. They aren't always great, but I always get a laugh out the ones that star Ben Schwartz. The folks that head up College Humor must have felt similarly because Schwartz is featured prominently in CH's debut feature length film, Coffee Town. Schwartz, who most notably plays the fantastic Jean Ralphio on NBC's Parks and Recreation, shines in a cast full of underrated comedy TV titans including Glenn Howerton (It's Always Sunny) and Steve Little (Eastbound and Down). Coffee Town, a comedy in the spirit of 1999's Office Space, is dark, poignant, and possibly the funniest comedy of 2013. Betcha didn't predict that from kind of praised heaped on College Humor's debut film.

Coffee Town is the story of a disillusioned website manager named Will (Howerton) who works out of a coffee shop, Coffee Town, three blocks from his house. In the year since he was laid off from his office job and started working inside the Coffee Town, Will has grown attached to his new office. It has everything. His friends, the dimwitted Chad (Little) and the incompetent cop Gino (Schwartz), are there, his dream girl, Becca (Palicki), is there, and Will thinks things will stay like this forever. There lies the problem, the management of the Coffee Town wants to transform their best store into a Coffee Town Bistro, where, if this shop is transformed into the bistro, Will would no longer be able to live the good life.

The management of Coffee Town hasn't quite settled on which shop they should make into their flagship bistro store, this spawns an idea. Should Will's Coffee Town be robbed, there is no chance that the management would see this store in the light. Your best store isn't the one with the most risk. So, Will, Chad, and Gino formulate a plan to rob the store. That's plausible, right? From the inception of the idea to the aftermath of the follow through, there are several amazing scenes. One such scene is when Chad fights a kid with Down Syndrome is centerpiece of truly well-written and well-acted film.

Howerton, who never really gets the praise he deserves for his portrayal of Dennis Reynolds on Always Sunny, has a real coming out party here. He has deserved a starring role in a film for years and it's nice to see College Humor reward him. Howerton plays the straight-man to Schwartz' and Little's outrageous characters. Little proves he has a career waiting for him in film when Eastbound and Down comes to a close later this year.

Penning the script sitting in the director's chair, was Brad Copeland (Arrested Development) in his debut film. Copeland displays the same quick wit that was shown throughout the television run of AD and I can't wait to see what he has coming up next in his career. Apparently he has signed on to write a reboot of Knight Rider, which should be, at the very least, interesting.

There's a real synergy to all of the components at play in Coffee Town. It was clear from the trailers that the movie had potential, but I didn't expect it to be this good. From the very first sound of the film, Ratatat's "Lex", I knew that the $7 I paid to rent this film from amazon.com, amazingly on the same day it was released in theaters, would be the best $7 I've spent this summer. Coffee Town isn't a perfect movie but it does everything it sets out to do, and it does so in style. Will worries that if he loses Coffee Town, the world will forget about him, I'm sure that Coffee Town will become a cult classic and will not be forgotten any time soon.

Grade: A-

See it, you'll be glad you did.

Movie of the Week! (6/23/13 - 6/29/13)

The Score (2001)

Sorry about the lack of a Movie of the Week! the last two weeks. We took a little bit of an early summer vacation from the segment. Don't worry though, MotW is back and better than ever with this installment and the ones to follow for the rest of the summer. So be sure and check back right here at Shawgoes to the Movies every week for a new movie!

Throughout his career, Robert DeNiro has done pretty much everything you can do in the world of crime. He's played mobsters, a CIA agent, a safe cracker, and many of these roles have become iconic due to DeNiro's outright mastery of the craft. Combine DeNiro with another great actor who's more than a little familiar with the world of crime, in Marlon Brando in his last film role and you get a film that offers many great reasons for viewing. The Score is a crime thriller that Roger Ebert called "the best pure heist movie in recent years." In addition to being well received by critics, it was also embraced by audiences across the country netting $113.5 million at the box office.

Review: 'The Great Gatsby' (2013)

Over course of his career, Director Baz Luhrmann has become known for his visual eye while other aspects of his films such has character development and structure have been regarded as lacking. His latest outing, The Great Gatsby, struggles to make way for a new reputation. Visually, The Great Gatsby is eye catching to say the least but for a majority of the film’s long running time, it feels more like a gimmick. This only helps in reinforcing that the statement that the film is trying to make is too weak in its execution to be effective. Even with a decent third act, The Great Gatsby fails to be as exploitive and blunt as it wants to be due to a lack luster middle that struggles to keep the audience interested. 

The Great Gatsby begins with an alcoholic and depressed Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire) talking to a psychologist about his experience with a man by the name of Gatsby. As the psychologist sees that Nick is struggling to express himself with words, he tells him to write it down due to his interest in writing. In his story, this man named Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio) seemed to be a real mystery at first as he appears to only be a wealthy neighbor of Nicks who throws extremely extravagant parties for guest that have no idea who he is. This all changes though when Nick is invited to one of these parties and becomes an acquaintance of Gatsby’s.

It is hard to take your eyes off The Great Gatsby when it comes to visuals. Colors pop off the screen when background scenery is either brighten or dimmed to allow for other aspects of a scene to absorb all the attention. This is often the case when the setting is the industrial area outside of New York City. This filthy area features very little color as heavy gray shades dominate the background. This allows the people in the scene, in their luxurious clothing, to stand out.

Like mentioned in the description of the plot, there are plenty of party sequences that merely function as attention getters. The wardrobes, the lights and the movement of people become the main characters in these scenes.  Accompanying these sequences is a very entertaining soundtrack from artist such as JAY Z, Kanye West, Beyoncé Knowles and Lana Del Rey. However this music only stresses the fact that these moments have little to do with the story as they start to feel like one music video after another.

The performances also do nothing wrong but the problem is that they are restricted in their effectiveness as they are given little to work with as far as dialogue and usage. Take Joel Edgerton as Tom Buchanan for example. Edgerton does all that he can with what he is given to work with and arguably could be the only thing keeping the character from being completely dismissible. As film moved along, I was waiting for Buchanan to become a character that would really stand out given the direction that the plot goes in. Unfortunately, this was not case as which does not allow Edgerton to get very far with his performance.

Unlike these supporting roles, DiCaprio and Maguire in more leading roles are given more to work with causing for characters that actually hold some value. If there is any one that can take on such a legendary character it is DiCaprio. Over the past decade, DiCaprio has made it clear that his screen presence is not just powerful but something to admire as he truly embodies the characters he takes on.  So given the mystic and grand spectrum that is J. Gatsby, DiCaprio is perfect for the role which is made even more clear with his performance. McGuire could also be considered as being in a leading role but given the role and usage of the character in regards to the plot, Nick Caraway comes off more of a supporting character. I would argue that this works in both the films and McGuire’s advantage as the character McGuire is taking on is the ‘fish out of water’ type, catering to his strengths.    

When the visuals are pushed to the side and the characters come to focus as a statement about power that stems from wealth and how celebrity status accompanies it is attempted is when The Great Gatsby runs into problems. It seems that after all the extravagant party scenes no energy was left to put towards the film’s central story. The pace slows down tremendously as drawn out, unnecessary scenes fail to be any kind of interesting. This causes for a story and statement that is stuck in neutral, giving the audience no choice but to lose all interest. Normally soap opera dramatics hurt a film’s effectiveness but in this case it could cause for a more confrontational approach needed and would match the atmosphere the film presents and Lurhmann’s style.           

It takes nearly two hours for the films attended message to finally get across as The Great Gatsby’s third act shows real character through raw emotion and motives. Of course all the revealing of true character motives comes into play in this finale but this makes for tension and emotion that was absent from the first two acts. It is not until here that both Daisy (Carey Mulligan) and Tom are actually given some depth that turns the once dull characters into valuable pieces of the story as they demand thought to what type of people they really are.

These finally thirty minutes or so is where the film is at its best but with the films long running time and lack luster middle it is hard to whole heartily recommend it. In fact, even with the solid visuals it would probably be a film best experienced at home. You could skip to the films finale and still not be missing a thing if you’re looking for something more thought engaging regarding characters. If you’re looking for more ascetically pleasing aspects you can only explore the films party scenes or just watch the first half.      

Movie of the Week! (6/2/13-6/8/13)

Pi (1998)

This week’s Movie of the Week, Pi, is the first film from one the most creative filmmakers of the past two decades: Darren Aronofsky. One of the most interesting things about Aronofsky’s films and what I admire most about them is that at the base of each film there is an examination of the human condition. Beneath or accompanying Aronofsky signature approach, Pi  looks at humans race’s continuing pursuit to find a mathematical or scientific meaning in everything around us.    

Movie of the Week! (5/26/13 - 6/1/13)

Into the Wild (2007)

Sometimes real life stories make for truly compelling films. Into the Wild is based on the life of Emory University graduate, Christopher McCandless, and is a film that captures the human spirit very well. McCandless' life is at times deeply beautiful and at others equally tragic. Directed and penned (screenplay) by Sean Penn, Into the Wild was nominated for 2 Oscars and has a solid cast. The only reservation I have about picking this film as MotW is its 148 minute run time which may require digesting it in multiple sittings.

Quick Take: 'The Hangover' (2009)

I have always known that seeing someone with a hangover is a more pleasant experience than having one but I never knew how enjoyable it could really be until I watched The Hangover. The Adventures of Phil (Bradley Cooper), Stew (Ed Helms) and Alan (Zach Galifianakis) after losing their friend Doug (Justin Bartha) due to a wild bachelor party for him in Las Vegas may be the worst possible situation for them but could not be more fun for the audience.  There is no question The Hangover is a full on slap stick comedy and at times the jokes fail to move the film along but they are so funny that it becomes difficult to care. Besides, who needs jokes consistent with the plot when the plot has a certain level of unpredictability (rare for a comedy). To go along with this unique plot is the chemistry between the three leads. Each character is very different with Cooper as the cool one, Helms as the uptight one and Galifianakis as, well, let’s just say the odd one but due to the men filling the roles they all mesh together so well. Both Cooper and Helms hold their own and are perfectly casted but it is Galifianakis that steals the show. Alan would probably be a nightmare to be around in real life but that is probably what makes him so amusing on screen. Whether it be creating a wolf pack or counting cards, Alan’s antics will keep you beyond entertained with the comedic deliver and mannerisms of Galifiankis being a major reason for this. Galiifiankis alone makes The Hangover a must see but there is much more working in its favor to cause for a solid movie. 
Grade: A-

Movie of the Week! (5/19/13-5/25/13)

Friends With Kids (2012)

My selection process for this week’s Movie of the Week was interesting. I knew that I had to improve on my past couple of selections. I attempted to do something different which isn’t necessarily a bad thing but the problem is that I put little thought into my selections and only looked at them on a surface level instead of really examining how worthy they really are of being called Movie of the Week. So with all of this said, for this week’s Movie of the Week I have decided to go with the light hearted, romantic comedy Friends With Kids, a film that can be enjoyed by many. Friends with Kids focuses on Jason (Adam Scott) and Julie (Jennifer Westfeldt), best friends who decide to have a child together but choice not to be in a romantic relationship.  Of course it is predictable but it adds a new element to these types of plots that we see so often. I will admit that I did not select a heavy discussion film which is why I would like to make a promise that my next selection will be my best up to this point but for now enjoy Friends With Kids and then come back to share your thoughts.  

Quick Take: 'Star Trek' (2009)

All you trekkies can take a sigh of relief as J.J. Abrams Star Trek Reboot, Star Trek, combines classic elements of the franchise with modern day visuals all while reintroducing the now legendary characters in a simple but heartfelt story. Star Trek  focuses primarily on James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) and Spock (Zachary Quinto) along with how they become colleagues. In an excellent opening scene, the birth of Kirk takes place as his father George Kirk (Chris Hemsworth), first officer of the USS Kelvin, gives his life as he crashes the ship into the Romulan ship Narada in order to save his wife, new born son and others. Soon after this, a young Spock is ridiculed for having a human mother which leads him to join Starfleet instead of the Vulcan Science Academy. The two cross paths when Starfleet Captain Christopher Pike (Bruce Greenwood) recruits a troubled Kirk. Both Pine and Quinto fill their respected roles nicely as both only enhance the entertainment value of the characteristics that the characters have to offer. I could not help but admire the sleek set designs that Star Trek has to offer, specifically inside the Enterprise. The mostly white, clean crisp Enterprise set gives a fresh look while still managing to incorporate traditional aspects. Another featured throwback is the uniforms that appear to be extremely similar to previous wardrobe. Speaking of throwbacks, Leonard Nimoy initial appearance and involvement is perfect. All this is nice but the reason Star Trek can be considered a solid reboot is because of its story. All though simple, Star Trek’s plot is effective in laying down ground work for future films by its introducing of characters and relationships with one another in a compelling matter, something director J.J. Abrams seems to have a strong hold on.       

Grade: B+    

Review: 'Iron Man 3' (2013)

Walt Disney Pictures

The Iron Man franchise has had quite an impressive run up to this point. Five years ago Iron Man pleased both critics and audiences as it revitalized the super hero genre and launched a massive Marvel film saga. Of course with this type of success, a sequel is a given so two years later Iron Man 2 made its way to theaters. Last year, Iron Man would make his third appearance in the box office juggernaut The Avengers. That brings us to present day where we find Robert Downey Jr. in his fourth outing as the titular character in Iron Man 3. Although Downey Jr. may be back along with other cast members, Iron Man 3 is a much different film than previous installments with its lead character being the biggest difference. 

Iron Man 3 revolves around the idea that every decision we make effects are future. If we make a poor decision or negatively impact someone, we are, according to Tony Stark, ‘creating demons’. As this is being explained by Stark via voice over, the film begins in 1999 at a conference in Switzerland where we find Stark, charismatic as ever, crossing paths with Maya Hanson (Rebecca Hall), a botanist working on a regenerative treatment, and Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce), a scientist pursuing to work for his Advanced Idea Mechanics company.

Flash forward thirteen years to Christmas 2012, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is suffering from anxiety attacks due to the events that took place in New York when working with The Avengers. At the same time, a terrorist that goes by the name The Mandarin (Ben Kingsley) has executed several attacks in the United States with one of them severely injuring Starks body guard Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau). While all of this is happening, both Hanson and Killian reappear into Starks life.      

Maybe the most notable difference between the first two Iron Man films and Iron Man 3 is Tony Stark. His genius, arrogant ways are put on the back burner as a more insecure character is put on display. In the past, the character’s humor came from his witty ways and confidence. That is seen in small portions as this time around the humor comes from him looking like the fool instead of him doing the fooling. The more noticeable insecurity of the character is seen through panic attacks. These moments attempt to make for a more human, compelling character but ultimately struggle to make a real impact in the film.

Because of this different type of character, Robert Downey Jr. is limited in what he can do with his performance. One of the biggest reasons Iron Man/Tony Stark is arguably the most beloved character in the now massive Marvel film universe is Downey Jr. Downey Jr. in the role, like the character, is at his best when the character he is taking on is the smartest, brightest and best looking in the room. With this type of character, Downey’s delivery and mannerisms are brilliant but with a more insecure character this is not the case which denies him from taking over the screen.          

It is not just the character that is different as the film, compared to part one and two, in general has a much different feel to it. It quickly becomes clear that Jon Favreau is no longer in the director’s chair as the fast pace he brought to the first two films is gone as his replacement Shane Black slows things down. The quick fire, witty dialogue is in much smaller doses as it is now drawn out and scenes play out longer. This takes away from the entertainment side of thing concerning the characters and humor but as far as action sequences go this is most detailed of the trilogy.

In regards to the humor and action, Iron Man 3 compares closely to The Avengers. This could have to do with Disney’s evolvement or that the films featured in this marvel saga are becoming more and more connected. The Avengers is referenced to twice as much if not more than past Iron Man solo outings but the style resembles it very closely. Like The Avengers, Iron Man 3’s attempt at humor is very corny and applied very thickly. It’s fun, especially for a younger audience but at times it takes away from some of the films more heartfelt moments.

Working more in the films advantage than its humor is its action sequences that also have an Avengers feel to them. The Marvel saga has become noticeably more action based in the last few films but as they are detailed, well thought out sequences it is hard to complain. In fact, I would go as far to say that the most entertaining and impressive aspects of Iron Man 3 are its action sequences. The action packed finale featuring more than one Iron Man is entertaining to say the least.       

Favreau may not be in charge on set anymore but he can be seen a lot more on screen as his character Happy Hogan plays a larger role than ever before. Also playing a larger role and getting into the action is Gwyneth Paltrow as Tony Starks now girlfriend, Pepper Potts. Don Cheadle is also featured reprising his role as Lt. Col. James Rhodes and like before this character is used merely to assist Iron Man when needed. Like any follow up film, plenty of new comers can be found. Rebecca Hall as Maya Hansen and Guy Pierce as Aldrich Killian play crucial roles in the films plot and Ben Kingsley as The Mandarin is noteworthy for his use of a hypnotizing dialect.     

Ones enjoyment level of Iron Man 3 may depend on what previous Marvel films are preferred. If The Avengers was enjoyed, than Iron Man 3 is a must see due to its similar style. If Iron Man and Iron Man 2 were more your cup of tea than you will be far from disappointed but not fully satisfied. What Marvel and Disney are doing may not be anything more than producing well-crafted actioners. In fact, it is clear that less attention is being given to dialogue and characters than there was when this massive saga started five years ago. With that said though, it is still managing to turn out entertaining films which is a reason to experience Iron Man 3.  

Grade: B-

Movie of the Week! (5/12/13 - 5/18/13)

Arrested Development: Season 1 (2003)

Okay, after two lackluster movies of the week the last two weeks, I decided to really change it up this week. Think about it for a second, who in their right mind would want to watch Equilibrium? I don't think Christian Bale has even seen the whole movie. Therefore, I shouldn't have subjected anyone to that. I'm sorry guys; I won't let that happen again. Now on to my pick, one that I am fully qualified to recommend.

In 2003 America made a huge mistake. Nearly everyone in the world overlooked Arrested Development, the best series of the 00s decade, and possibly the best show ever. Poor ratings killed the show and the only reason we got the three seasons that we did was because of the critics' universal approval of the show. Luckily for the world, the super power that is Netflix has brought back all of the talent back together for another 15 episode season four that will be released on Sunday, May 26, 2013. In honor of the forthcoming season four, I want to give everyone here at Shawgoes the chance to revisit this amazing TV show before May 26. From the writing, to the acting, to the story, to the narration, to the amazing continuity of the jokes, Arrested Development never fails to deliver.

I'll be honest, I've seen every episode at least 10 times so nothing is off limits if you want to discuss the show. Favorite characters, episodes, quotes, etc are all good talking points.

Review: 'The Big Wedding' (2013)

Lionsgate

It only took about ten minutes into The Big Wedding to realize that a more appropriate title for the film would be ‘The dumb parents at the wedding’ or maybe even ‘Blame it on Di Nero’. The film revolves around the mischief caused by the parents of both the bride and groom with Di Nero’s character always being in the middle of it. At least they start to admit to how ignorant they are in the second half of the film but that still doesn’t make up for the mess that The Big Wedding is.

Needless to say The Big Wedding centers around a wedding (actually, this is probably important to note as it is difficult to determine what the setting is while watching the film). The two most sensible people in the film, Alejandro (Ben Barnes) and Missy (Amanda Seyfried), are tying the knot, that is they can keep their family under control. Alejandro has not one, not two but three mothers (sort of). There is his adopted mother Ellie (Diane Keaton), who was once married to his father Don (Robert De Niro). Don is now not married to but living with Ellie’s best friend Bebe (Susan Sarandon), making her an unofficial step mother to Alejandro. Then there is his biological mother Madonna (the one and only Madonna. Just kidding. I couldn’t resist. This little joke is actually funnier than any jokes the film has to offer which doesn’t say much for the film. Madonna is played by Patricia Rae). Since Madonna is a devote catholic, Alejandro feels that his parents should pretend like they are still married so that she will not get upset about them being divorced.

The above plot description is how the film attempts to be funny. The Big Wedding relies on bizarre situations such as the groom having three moms or his divorced parents pretending to be married to carry the films comedy side. The problem is that this isn’t that funny. Maybe the audience is supposed to laugh at the stupidity of the situations and some will but then again, we are talking high level stupid. In one scene, instead of eating inside a restaurant, the brides father decides to have everyone eat outside on a night that rain is expected. Well they start to eat outside and then of course the rain comes which causes everyone to run inside. That’s the joke. Nothing more happens with this. Was I supposed to laugh?

These situations often revolve around sex as everyone is sleeping with each other (according to the film this is funny by itself). Even Alejandro’s brother Jared (Topher Grace) is written into this sex humor as he is a virgin but sees an opportunity to lose this label when he meets Alejandro’s biological sister Nuria (Ana Ayora) which allows for the line “My brother is having sex with my sister”.

Believe it or not, for about the first hour of the film, the ignorance of the family is mild. Do not get me wrong, there is nothing of value and it is easy ask yourself if you are getting dumber by watching it but it’s still bearable. This all goes out the window though with about 30 or so minutes remaining. The end is in sight and survival through this treacherous journey looks like a real possibility and then it hits, a scene full of revealing accusations that are pieced together in such a way that will have you cringing like never before. I keep using degrading words such as dumb, stupid and ignorant but I can’t think of more appropriate words than these for this scene. Let’s just say, I was the only one in the theater but I was embarrassed to be there.

But of course a film like this has to have a heartwarming message about family, being with someone that makes you happy and doing whatever it takes to work things out with them. It just becomes impossible to care or even recognize it after witnessing several ridicules scenes. It also doesn’t help that all of it has been seen before and at times it seems forced and irrational. I will say however that Alejandro making sure that his step mom is still able to make it to the wedding even after she can’t be seen with Don is sweet and causes for a pinch of heartfelt dialogue (also saving this film from receiving an F).   

What it boils down to is that the film industry is not about quality it is about money. How do you make money? You take all the biggest names and put them in one film. The Big Wedding is just the latest example of this but what is interesting is the names they got. Usually the stars of these films are could be considered more of a celebrity rather than an actor but this is not the case in The Big Wedding. In this film you have actors that brought Annie Hall, Travis Bickle and Louise Sawyer to life on the big screen. They agreed to do a film like this? Maybe some of the blame should be given to the actors and the films they agree to be a part of.

Grade: D 

2013 Summer Box Office Showdown

According to my calendar, May is here. This means that the much anticipated summer movie season is finally upon us. As the weather warms up so does the box office as all the heavy weight blockbusters come out to play. Like any summer movie season, this year will feature unexpected hits and misses. The fun comes when trying to determine what movies will fall into these categories.

With this in mind, we at Shawgoes To The Movies have decided to add to this fun by having, what we are calling a Summer Box Office Showdown. I want to start by saying that we are not the first to do this. I first heard of this type of challenge from Rope of Silicon where Brad Brevet and Laremy Legal do this sort of thing on their podcast Brad n’Laremy On Movies. They got the idea from Film Drunk.

The Shawgoes to the Movies edition of this contest consist of myself, Brad Shawgo, Josh Niederer (the other half of the Shawgoes to the Movies writing team) and my brother Nick. On Wednesday, May 1^st we each drafted 12 different movies. With the number one pick in the draft, Josh took the already box office monster, Iron Man 3. With the second pick, I went with the family dollar in the form of Despicable Me 2. With the third and final pick in the first round, Nick took Man of Steel.

The Shawgoes to the Movies Summer Box Office Showdown will use a film’s net gross. We will take each film that was drafted and multiply budgets by 2.5. This is done to make for a more challenging contest. If this were not done, practically every film would have a positive net income. This way, most films have to do well worldwide and not just domestically or internationally. We take this adjusted budget and subtract it from the film earnings. Allow me to use last year’s box office champ, The Avengers, as an example. The Avenger’s budget was $220 million according to Box Office Mojo. That number is multiplied by 2.5 giving us an adjusted budget of $550 million. The Avenger’s had a worldwide gross of $1.5 billion dollars. The $550 million adjusted budget is then subtracted from $1.5 billion which gives us the number that we use: $950 million. We will take all the movies we drafted and add their totals. The person with the greatest total earnings will be named the Summer Box Office Showdown champion. Below is the list of movies that each person drafted.

Josh: Iron Man 3, The Great Gatsby, Star Trek: Into Darkness, The Wolverine, The Great Gatsby, The Heat, This is the End, Percy Jackson, The World’s End, One Direction: This Is Us, Paranoia, Pacific Rim, White House Down

Brad: Despicable Me 2, Monster’s University, Fast and Furious 6, The Smurfs 2, 300: Rise of an Empire, Planes, Grown Ups 2, Turbo, Now you see me, The To Do List, Before Midnight, V/H/S 2

Nick: Man of Steel, The Hangover Part III, Epic, World War Z, The Internship, The Lone Ranger, After Earth, The Purge, 2 Guns, Elysium, Grandmasters, Getaway

What do you think? What movies will be this summer’s box offices surprises? What movies will be flops? What is your most anticipated? Who will win the Summer Box Office Showdown? 

Movie of the Week! (5/5/13-5/11/13)

Color Me Kubrick (2005)

Alan Conway is known for one thing: being Stanley Kubrick. During the early 1990’s, Conway impersonated the legendary film maker Staley Kubrick. Kubrick was rarely seen in public which made it easier for Conway to pull off the massive hoax. The film Color Me Kubrick is a comedic look at Conway’s act. The best thing the film has to offer is John Malkovich as Conway but it also brings up questions of morals and mental health and how they can collide with one another.  

Quick Take: 'Iron Man 2' (2010)

Iron Man 2 takes everything its predecessor did and multiples. The iron suits, irresponsibility of Tony Stark, explosions and bad guys are all doubled, even way beyond that at times. Fortunately, Iron Man 2 is also like the original in the way that it complements its mindless action with a heartfelt, even if small, story. Like Iron Man did through Stark becoming Iron Man, Iron Man 2 is touching as it explores of the relationship between Stark and his late father Howard.  This only reinforces, if not further stresses how great a character Tony Stark is and how great Robert Downey Jr. is in the role.

Grade: B

Quick Take: 'Iron Man' (2008)

Forget being a good comic book adaption, Iron Man is a wildly entertaining film in general. This can be credited to a number of things but above all else there is a great character in Tony Stark and performance that gives him life. Like the film, Tony Stark is cool and extremely confident but deep down there is something much more compelling. Of course though, without the suit, Stark can’t be Iron Man. Just like there can’t be Tony Stark without Robert Downey Jr. Casted perfectly or not, Downey Jr. does not allow the audience to think there is any other choice as he is as brilliant as the mind of Stark. Downey Jr. as Tony Stark does arrogance without coming off as annoying and emotionally shaken without coming off as sappy. It truly is a performance that, like the film, is captivating from start to finish. 
Grade: A-    

Quick Take: 'Broken City' (2013)

Would Broken City be a half way decent movie if all the sub plots that have nothing or little to do with the central story were removed? The answer is no. Broken City has several problems and on their own, none them by themselves are necessarily fatal to the film’s effectiveness but when they are mixed in with one another, the result is appropriate given the film’s title: broken. Above all else, Broken City wants to say loud and clear how corrupt politicians, particularly those of city politics, can be. It is successful in being loud as it puts a lot of energy into the foul play of New York City Mayor Nicholas Hostetler (Russell Crowe) making for a despicable character but is far from being clear with the several sub plots going on and eventually nowhere. On top of the messy story is the weak character in the form of the films protagonist, private detective Billy Taggart (Mark Wahlberg). Billy is supposed to be character that is out for redemption and represents ‘the good man’ but when he isn’t underwritten (like he is for the majority of the film), he is a total drama queen. Let me give you an example of this and how ridiculous Broken City can be at times: when Billy sees his girlfriend, an actress, having sex in a movie, he becomes extremely angry with her and gives up several years of sobriety as he finds the closet bar and begins to throws back drink after drink. Your probably wondering how that fits into the central plot. Well, let me just say, that makes two of us.                                                                                                          

Grade: D+            

Quick Take: 'Silver Linings Playbook' (2012)

Silver Linings Playbook focuses on Pat (Bradley Cooper), a man who has recently been released from a mental health facility after having a break down following the discovery of his wife with another man. Cooper in the role could not be better. It is a much different character than what we are used to him playing but due to the life he gives to the character, the audience has no choose but to root for Pat to find that silver lining. Matching the solid performance of Cooper is Jennifer Lawrence as Tiffany, a woman who isn’t completely mentally or emotionally stable after the death of her husband. This character demands quirkiness, charm along with vulnerability and Lawrence not only meets these demands but exceeds them. Silver Linings Playbook isn’t great due to these performances alone but great because complementing the quality of performances is the direction and writing of David O. Russell.  Russell brilliantly matches the high strung characters and situations with the way he blocks each scene and uses a shaky camera to capture them. Yes, Silver Linings Playbook is well crafted to say the least but it is its story that will have you feeling several different emotions which includes a smile long after the credits role.                  
 Grade: A-   

Movie of the Week! (4/28/13 - 5/4/13)

Equilibrium (2002)

In honor of Oblivion being the number one movie in the country, I felt the time was right for tabbing a sci-fi movie as the Movie of the Week. Released in the wake of The Matrix, Equilibrium offers little in the form of innovation as it steals plot lines from several classic sci-fi stories. Regardless of it being a real mash up of stolen ideas, Equilibrium is an enjoyable viewing experience. Christian Bale stars as a priest/assassin who's duty in life is to hunt down people who can feel and kill them. Feeling has been outlawed by the Father and everyone who lives in Libria has to take vails of medicine so that won't feel. Bale's character sets out to overthrow the system and this becomes the major plotline of the movie. There is a gratuitous amount of action and since the majority of characters can't feel, there is a ton of over acting. This is the perfect B-movie to sit down for a couple of hours and have a few good laughs. The story is interesting and there's even a couple of small twists. 

Review: 'Oblivion'

Universal Pictures

‘Ambitious’ seems like an appropriate term when describing what Oblivion is as a film. Oblivion explores two or three genres in its 124 minute running time. It is a film that is clearly a science fiction film. With this comes a sub-genre, as it can be labeled as an actioner. These genres only function as a canvas for what Oblivion is really trying to be: a story of romance.  So the question becomes, does this ambitious approach work in its favor. As a science fiction film, Oblivion does not do anything wrong, even excelling at times. It is when it wants to tell a romantic story in a poetic matter that it runs into real problems. 

Oblivion begins in 2077 on an earth where humans are no longer present do to a war with an alien race known as Scavengers that destroyed the moon sixty years prior. Humans now occupy a space station called the Tet and Saturn’s moon, Titan but in order to survive in these environments they must harvest earth of some of its last remaining resources. Technicians Jack Harper (Tom Cruise) and Victoria Olsen (Andrea Riseborough), under the surveillance of their commander Sally (Melissa Leo), must stay on earth to make sure that everything goes as planned when acquiring these resources before they can join the others. With just a couple of weeks left until the two can leave earth, trouble arises as Scavengers become more of a threat, the droids they are monitoring begin to fail and a space vessel containing humans crashes nearby.     

It is hard not to see Oblivion as a science fiction film as it uses all of the genre’s usual characteristics and plot points. There is the deserted earth, aliens, droids, space colonies and even more. It may seem like an overload but they are pieced together in way that works (nothing flat out amazing but works). On top of these plot devices comes the twist and turns that keep coming. They eventually start to pile on each other in such a way that it feels that they are the factor that is supposed to make the story interesting. Whether it is planned this way or not, this becomes exactly the case as the film moves along.

As a part of Oblivion’s science fiction base are futuristic visuals and action sequences. It was in my Warm Bodies review that I expressed how post-apocalyptic landscapes often look the same from one movie to the next but this is far from the case in Oblivion. Yes, the color blue seemed to occupy almost every scene but the way that it was used as a back drop in several different shades allows it to stay effective. I could stare at the blown up moon all day.

Complementing the gorgeous scenery are the crisp action sequences. Oblivion avoids messy moments of intense action and the film benefits from it. It is always clear what is going on in these scenes and are never over used. Although simple in their use and appearance, the futuristic, flying, round ball-like droids become an entertaining element to these sequences. Due to all this, credit is due to director Joseph Kosinski for choosing not to over load the film with action but rather focus on a more thoughtful story. It’s just a shame that this story cannot deliver.

Oblivion wants to be more than just a science fiction movie. Whether it be Jack Harpers dreams or the ongoing reference to a poem, it quickly becomes clear that is a film that wants to make a statement. Unfortunately, it’s attempt, although heavy in his application, comes of flat and at times, even shoots itself down. Popping up several times in the films first half is Jack continually having dreams about meeting a woman in pre-war New York City. This alone works as it adds an emotional aspect to Jack. It is when he becomes involved with a survivor of the space vesicle wreckage that the story of romance does not fully work. The relationship between Jack and Julia (Olga Kurylenko) never manages to convey the message that the film is aiming for through this couple: love is for humans and plays a major role in being human. The emotional investment that the two have in each other is never felt. This is due largely to a poor character in the form of Julia and lack of emotional moments allowed to play out.

The other part of Oblivion’s message about what it is to be human and who should create humans involves reference after reference to Thomas Babington Macaulay’s Horatius. It is an excellent exert but given what the story becomes, I am not sure that it is the best fit. Even when its reciting is at its best, it is ruin with the line “Fuck you, Sally”. Maybe it just me but if I were trying to make some poetic statement I would not end it by dropping the F-bomb. Not in this situation anyway.                              

It is fair to say that Oblivion is a film that swings for the fences but instead finds itself on second with a double. As a science fiction film, Oblivion works as it is ascetically pleasing film that appropriately pieces together the usual sci-fi plot devices. When Oblivion tries to be more than just twist and turns and actually say something about love and the human race is when it fails to connect.

Grade: C+