Dayton937

Things to do in Dayton | Restaurants, Theatre, Music and More

Tabari McCoy

McCoy on Movies: Alice Through the Looking Glass

By

Alice Through the Looking Glass may make anyone who’s hit puberty want to look away for a better family-friendly film

 

“That watch is NEVER gonna fit on my wrist!” Alice (Mia Wasikowska) gets a look at the Grand Clock of time in a scene from ALICE THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS. Credit: Disney Pictures. All rights reserved. 

 

WATCH THE TRAILER HERE:


KEY CAST MEMBERS: Johnny Depp, Mia Wasikowska, Sacha Baron Cohen, Helena Bonham Carter, Anne Hathaway, Lindsey Duncan, Matt Lucas, Michael Sheen, Stephen Fry, Rhys Ifans, Leo Bill and the late Alan Rickman
WRITER(S): Linda Woolverton (screenplay); Lewis Carroll (original novel on which the film is based)
DIRECTOR(S): James Bobin
THE STORY AS BEST WE KNOW IT: Loosely inspired by the works of Lewis Carroll, Alice Through the Looking Glass stars Mia Wasikowska as Alice Kingsleigh. Now grown up, Alice has spent the last few years at sea as the captain of her late father’s boat. Returning to London, Alice comes across a magical looking glass (hence the title) – and of course, she steps in only to find herself returned to the Underland. And once she’s there, she’s reunited with her old friends the White Rabbit (Michael Sheen), Absolem (the late Alan Rickman), the Cheshire Cat (Stephen Fry) and
the Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp). But the Mad Hatter is not himself – for he has lost his muchness and no one seems to know why, save for perhaps the Hatter himself. For he is convinced his family is alive, which prompts Mirana the White Queen (Anne Hathaway) to send Alice on a new mission: Find the Chronosphere from Time himself (Sacha Baron Cohen) and see what she can do to help save the Hatter’s life. For the Chronosphere will allow Alice to travel throughout time and – while she cannot change the past – she might learn something that may help figure out how to save his life.But of course, if Iracabeth the Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter) wasn’t involved in the story, Alice’s quest wouldn’t be the same now, would it?

WHO WILL LIKE THIS MOVIE THE MOST? Johnny Depp fans; Helena Bonham Carter fans; people who enjoy easily digestible fantasy tales; those happy to see a strong female character presented in a film 
WHO WILL HATE THIS MOVIE THE MOST? Those “over” Tim Burton style movies; adult males who despite the film having a good, strong female lead character will be bored by the story’s somewhat plodding pace and predictable story; those who don’t enjoy children’s fare when it’s strictly kiddie business
SO IS IT GOOD, GREAT, JUST ALL RIGHT OR DOWNRIGHT AWFUL? Alice Through the Looking Glass is a movie that could have been better and honestly should have been better … But given just how well, boring, the finished result is, it would have been better likely being re-done before it hits theaters this week. 


Alice Through the Looking Glass looks like it should be good. After all, the cast is solid, the visuals are good and there is enough of a pedigree present to make this Tim Burton-produced (he didn’t direct this one; that task fell upon James Bobin of Muppets Most Wanted infamy). Likewise, Wasikowska does a formidable job as Alice, making her a convincing lead character that is equal parts courageous and courteous, strong and yet sensitive. And Bonham Carter delivers a very enjoyable performance as the Red Queen, delivering much needed humor that doesn’t feel as zany (but not out of place, mind you) as that as delivered by Baron Cohen as the embodiment of time as a half human, half machine creature.


There’s just one – well, more than one, but that’s not the expression now is it? – problem: Alice Through the Looking Glass is boring, suitable mostly only for children (ages 12 and younger) from start to finish and is fairly predictable for far too long before it garners any intrigue. I don’t say this because I found myself fighting sleep for the first 40 minutes of the film … But because the guy next to me at the screening I saw DID fall asleep … As did the guy behind me. Throw in the fact the women next to me offered up an “eh” shoulder shrug at the end of the film and the claps that were to be heard quickly faded into the larger surrounding silence and you’ll come to the same conclusion I did: This paint by numbers feature isn’t exactly a fabulous fairy tale after all.Does Alice Through the Looking Glass add anything to the tale of Alice in Wonderland or the Tim Burton 2010 release? No, not in particular. Is it horrible? No – it’s just slooooooowwww. Too slow. And the whole Chronosphere time travel device thing never comes together as it should; sadly, while Sacha Baron Cohen plays his over-the-top character in fine over-the-top fashion, the lack of defintion of the character becomes some one note that each tick-tock feels longer than the last. Poor Anne Hathaway looks lost – literally – for most of the picture, so it’s no wonder her character feels like an add-on when she is supposed to be an important cog in the overall story.

If it seems like I’m having a hard time articulating the disappointment of the experience of watching the film, it’s because the film should be so much better than it is. Instead, it comes off so heavy-handed that it’s hard to become engrossed in it when the paint-by-numbers nature of it that feels like it was aimed at nothing BUT a pre-puberty audience. Sure, there are some good moments, but they rarely feel organic and come too few and far between. Sorry, James Bobin, but your lackluster Muppets misadventure has now tagged another would-be franchise with too many lame jokes, outlandish episodes and missed opportunities.

In short, instead of going through the looking glass, poor Alice should have seen that nothing that was as good as it could, should and would have been better if maybe she came back later instead.

 
RATING OUT OF FOUR BUCKETS OF POPCORN:

 

McCoy on Movies: The Nice Guys

By

 

“What do we have here … It looks like … A script!” Holland March (Ryan Gosling, left), Jessica (Daisy Tahan, next to Gosling), Holly (Angourie Rice) and Jackson Healey (Russell Crowe, far right) take a gander in a scene from co-writer/director Shane Black’s action-comedy THE NICE GUYS. Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures. © 2016 Nice Guys, LLC.

WATCH THE TRAILER HERE:


 

 


KEY CAST MEMBERS: Ryan Gosling, Russell Crowe, Angourie Rice, Margaret Qualley, Keith David, Beau Knapp, Matt Bomer, Yaya DaCosta, Daisy Tahan, Jack Kilmer and Kim Basinger
WRITER(S): Anthony Bagarozzi and Shane Black
DIRECTOR(S): Shane Black
THE STORY AS BEST WE KNOW IT: Set in the sleaziest of times of 1977 Los Angeles, The Nice Guys stars Ryan Gosling as Holland March, a private investigator who is more apt at taking gullible clients’ money than he is at actually solving cases. Raising his precocious daughter Holly (Angourie Rice) by himself after the death of his wife, Holland stumbles upon the wrong case when Mrs. Glenn (Lois Smith) asks him to find her niece, adult film star Misty Mountains (Murielle Tielo). 
Unfortunately, Misty died in a massive car crash a few days ago. And the girl that might know something, Amelia (Margaret Qualley), does not want to be found – which is why she has hired Jackson Healy (Russell Crowe) – to do what he does best: Send a “message” (via a physical assault) to stop Holland from checking up on her. 
What Holland and Jackson both don’t know, however, is why Amelia is trying to make herself so scarce. But once two thugs (Keith David and Beau Knapp) start showing up and the head of the Justice Department (Kim Basinger) gets thrown into the mix, one thing becomes clear: Amelia’s life is clearly in danger and our unlikely tandem is about to get involved WAY over their head.
WHO WILL LIKE THIS MOVIE THE MOST? Ryan Gosling fans; people who love the 1970s and all its over-the-top (or at least as depicted in movies) excess; people who can appreciate when a child actress steps up in a big way to not only add to a story, but be an integral part of it; people who like it when characters in films meet ends that seem fitting 
WHO WILL HATE THIS MOVIE THE MOST? People who hate the 1970s and all its over-the-top (or at least as depicted in movies) excess; people who hate when a child actor is an integral part of a story no child should be mixed up in; those who hate watching a lighthearted character in fatal situations; those who can’t buy in to the film’s premise
SO IS IT GOOD, GREAT, JUST ALL RIGHT OR DOWNRIGHT AWFUL? For a film that on the surface looks like it could be just another mismatched homage to a bygone era, The Nice Guys is actually a very entertaining adventure that allows its cast to use their collective range to the audience’s enjoyment. 
Co-writer and director Shane Black’s 1970s send up is equal parts comical and dramatic while making sure to never let one extreme become too extreme for the film’s own good. While the premise of the film seems a bit outlandish to say the least once you’ve figured out how all the moving parts work together, Black does a stellar job of making sure you understand why they fit within the world he’s created. Never trying to emulate too much a Boogie Nights vibe or imitate other ‘70s crime stories, he keeps The Nice Guys balanced but making sure each scene fits in the overall mix to add as things go back and forth from comical to (somewhat) dramatic. You get your laughs, you get some unexpected surprises and – while he never leans in on making the film have a truly serious tone – you get enough of a semblance of reason to keep you involved in watching his characters progress.
Speaking of the characters, Ryan Gosling is hilarious as the sleazy-yet-sensitive Holland March, proving himself proficient at being both the comical butt of the joke time and time again whilst others get to deliver the (in many cases) literal punchline. His take on the role of the private investigator never falls into the stereotypically stupid department, instead teetering on the line between clever and corny quite well throughout the film’s near 2 hour run time. Likewise, Crowe plays the straight man with artistic ease, using all his off-screen bravado to channel a very simple character into one you enjoy rooting for thoroughly. 
The biggest scene-stealer, however, is by far any of those that happen to feature Angourie Rice as Holly. A classic WAY-too-beyond-her-13-years-of-age character, Rice accomplishes the rare feat of not only making her character essential to the story, but also so likable you nearly forget she shouldn’t be so good – both as a character and an actress. Black gets the most out of his cast by continually placing them into wacky scenarios, but be it one where she needs to help out her dad or provide a sensitive moment, Rice comes out as the biggest winner. While Black and his fellow co-writer Anthony Bagarozzi deliver enough of a story to keep you intrigued with its various twists and not-so-predictable turns, the cast’s ability to run with it is what ultimately makes The Nice Guys as enjoyable as it is. 
And what it is is a pretty nice way to enjoy something different at the movies. 
 
RATING OUT OF FOUR BUCKETS OF POPCORN:
<

McCoy on Movies: Captain America

By

Marvel’s first Avenger returns for another spectacular superhero adventure in Civil War

“… And we say, we like Pepsi better than Coke! What?! ‘Dem’s fighting words!” L to R: Black Panther/T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman), Vision (Paul Bettany), Iron Man/Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson), and War Machine/James Rhodey (Don Cheadle) prepare to square off against their fellow superheroes in a scene from CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR. Credit: Film Frame..© Marvel 2016.


WATCH THE TRAILER(S) HERE:



 

KEY CAST MEMBERS: Chris Evans, Robert Downey, Jr., Chadwick Boseman, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Paul Rudd, Tom Holland, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Martin Freeman, Emily VanCamp, Sebastian Stan and Anthony Mackie with Frank Grillo, William Hurt, Marisa Tomei, Daniel Brühl and John Kani.

WRITER(S): Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely (screenplay); Mark Millar (comic book); Joe Simon and Jack Kirby (characters) 

DIRECTOR(S): Anthony & Joe Russo

WEB SITE: http://marvel.com/captainamericapremiere
60 SECOND PLOT SUMMARY (OR AS CLOSE TO THAT TIME AS ONE CAN MAKE IT): Following up after the events of Avengers: Age of Ultron and Ant-Man, Captain America: Civil War does something most Marvel movies don’t do: Flashing back in time to 1991 to find Joseph Buchanan “Bucky” Barnes in the control of Hydra agents being read a seemingly innocuous series of words that have a very specific purpose: Triggering the “Winter Soldier,” a near-unstoppable one-man killing machine capable of crimes on command.


The Avengers, however, have their own problem in the modern world: The Sokovia Accords, a document that 117 countries have come together to sign in favor of get the team under control given all the collateral damage they have done in New York, Washington, D.C., Sokovia and most recently Lagos in dealing with Brock Rumlow (Frank Grillo), which has earned the ire of King T’Chaka (John Kani), ruler of Wakanda (the African nation where the vibranium comes from. If you don’t know what vibranium is, you’re watching the wrong movie. Anyway …)


Iron Man’s human alter ego Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.) knows which side he is on. It’s the same one his best friend James “Rhodey” Rhodes a.k.a Iron Patriot (Don Cheadle), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), the Vision (Paul Bettany) and now Secretary of State Thunderbolt Ross (William Hurt) is on: Putting the Avengers in check and signing off on the document. Unfortunately, Steve Rogers a.k.a. Captain America (Chris Evans) is not – and neither is Wanda Maximoff a.ka. the Scarlett Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), Sam Wilson a.k.a. the Falcon (Anthony Mackie) nor the now-retired Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner). But despite their objections, the countries are going to sign the document, making it a foregone conclusion that the world’s protectors must play by the rules or be subjected to the law lie anyone else when they wantonly break it. 


Then there’s a bombing in Geneva the day the accords are to be signed, which kills King T’Chaka, much to chagrin of his son T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman). And to make things worse, the Winter Soldier is believed to be the culprit. So now, with the world placing blame on the Avengers for even more trouble, the suspected bomber being Steve Rogers’ former best friend Bucky Barnes who’s been on the run since the events of the last Captain America film. So now, Captain America is trying to protect his friend and fight off the Sokova Accords, while Iron Man is trying to bring Cap in before the government does – and not in a nice fashion. And therein lies a bit of a conflict in terms of how far will someone go for friendship and does the end justify the means when people are dying in the process?


And that would be bad enough … But since no one is quite sure what in the world Helmut Zemo (Daniel Brühl) is up and why, Captain America is going to have his hands full if he is to prevent the world from falling apart. 

WHO WILL LIKE THIS FILM THE MOST? Fans of just about every other Marvel movie; Chris Evans fans; Robert Downey, Jr. fans; Chadwick Boseman fans; people who were worried about how Black Panther and Spider-Man would fit into the mix; people who love Stan Lee’s cameos 

WHO WON’T (OR SHOULDN’T) LIKE THIS MOVIE? Pretty much anyone who still thinks D.C. makes better movies than Marvel and/or anyone who doesn’t like superhero movies 
SO, IS IT GOOD, BAD OR ABSOLUTELY AWFUL? OK, show of hands – How many of you would have picked the Captain America franchise to be the one to turn out three terrific (dare I say classic) superhero films when you heard about Marvel Studios’ plans to make films centered around its core Avengers characters? Exactly. For while Captain America might be the oldest, he certainly was never considered to be the coolest of the bunch in the comic book world. 


Now, not only is Captain America an essential part of the Marvel Universe, he’s possibly its on-screen MVP, with Civil War being another top notch on his belt – or shield, as the case may be. 

Say what you want about superhero movies; there is no way – and if I was to channel my inner Dwayne Johnson, no way! – Civil War would work without the actors behind the characters layering and committing their respective selves to their roles as well as they do in the movie. Fortunately, directors Joe and Anthony Russo and their cast continue their excellent precedent set in The Winter Soldier by ACTING AS IF THEY ARE ADJUSTING TO THE WORLD and NOT AS IF THEY ARE ACTING IN A SUPERHERO MOVIE. If you’ve seen last summer’s disastrous Fantastic Four reboot, you know exactly what I mean. Instead of acting like they are doing something heroic, Evans, Downey, Jr. and company are simply trying to do what each thinks is best to secure the world. Yes, there are moments of cracking jokes and some really dynamic action sequences, but none of it would matter if the characters were not presented in a fashion were you felt their highs, lows and the relationships between them felt as real as possible. Civil War delivers on all those fronts to the point where you are emotionally invested in their individual outcomes, which is enhanced by the storytelling which never drags, features major incomprehensible sequences (looking at YOU, Batman Vs. Superman) and manages to tie up most if not all of its loose ends well. 


Thrown in the grand introduction of a major character seamlessly into the mix and the interpolation of the one that many fans wanted to see in the main Marvel universe and Civil War hits high marks at every turn. Instead of being a typical good-vs-evil story, this is a battle of principles that turns high stakes and adds to the overall Marvel canon. Evans holds the Captain America mantle with ease and aplomb as the moral center while Downey, Jr. serves as the hotheaded-even-though-he’s-calmer-and-less-impulsive perfect adversary (even though both should be concerned with someone else). Meanwhile, Bettany brings the Dr. Manhattan-like (yes, I DID mention a D.C. Comics character in a Marvel review in a positive sense!) nature of the Vision to life better than he did in Age of Ultron and Boseman does a strong job of establishing the man you can now look forward to seeing in two years in his own solo flick. 


While the film is fairly serious in tone, subject matter and its battles, Civil War does feature some great joke exchanges of near Deadpool like quality (but NOT subject manner and language!) Rudd delivers “giant” comic relief as Scott Lang (a.k.a. Ant-Man) and Tom Holland may have found a way to master a role that some may have thought near impossible for another actor to make his own.  To say much more about that would ruin how well things are tied together and excel … And that would be enough to cause a war between myself and anyone who reads this review.


But if you’re still reading this, you likely haven’t figured out you need to just go see the movie, I’m not sure what I can say that will. For Captain America: Civil War is another great Marvel flick – and one worthy of your time and interest … If you’re into that sort of thing.


OVERALL RATING (OUT OF FOUR POSSIBLE BUCKETS OF POPCORN):

McCoy on Movies: Keanu

By

Visionary sketch duo offer up laughs (but in a less-than-purr-fect) big screen feature debut

“Whaa … Comedy Central was gonna give us the money Dave Chappelle didn’t take if we stayed on the air longer? Son of a …” Clarence (Keegan Michael-Key) and Rell (Jordan Peele), with the titular character, get some new information in a scene from director Peter Atencio’s action-comedy KEANU. Credit: Steve Dietl. © 2016 Warner Bros. Pictures and Ratpac-Dune Entertainment, LLC. All rights reserved. 


WATCH THE TRAILER(S) HERE:



KEY CAST MEMBERS: Keegan Michael-Key, Jordan Peele, Method Man, Tiffany Haddish, Will Forte, Jason Mitchell, Luis Guzmán, Anna Faris, Rob Huebel and Nia Long

WRITER(S): Jordan Peele, Alex Rubens

DIRECTOR(S): Peter Atencio

WEB SITE: http://keanumovie.com/
60 SECOND PLOT SUMMARY (OR AS CLOSE TO THAT TIME AS ONE CAN MAKE IT): The first feature length offering starring the two leads behind Comedy Central too short-lived hit sketch series Key & Peele, Keanu stars Jordan Peele as Rell, a man who has just been dumped by his girlfriend and is down in the emotional doldrums as a result. Fortunately for Rell, his cousin Clarence (Keegan Michael-Key) is determined to cheer him up with his can-do attitude … And love of George Michael. But before Clarence can reach Rell, his cousin gets an unexpected visitor in the form of an adorably cute kitten which Rell names Keanu. And it blossoms into a beautiful relationship which uplifts Rell’s spirits in a tremendous – some might almost say dangerously obsessive – fashion.


Then Rell and Clarence go out one night – and come back to Rell’s home to discover that the place has been ransacked and Keanu is gone.


Checking with his drug dealer/neighbor Hulka (Will Forte), Rell learns that Keanu might be in the hands of the 17th Street Blips gang, run by a notorious drug kingpin named Cheddar (Method Man of Wu-Tang Clan fame). And once they realize their initial plan of going in to ask for the kitten back won’t work, Clarence and Rell launch a hair-brained scheme on the fly that just might work: pose as the notorious Allentown hitmen (also played by Key and Peele) that just shot up a rival drug dealer’s church hideout. In exchange for their service, Cheddar agrees to give the duo the kitten back, provided they show his crew – Hi-C (Tiffany Haddish), Trunk (Darrell Britt-Gibson), Stitches (Jamar Malachi Neighbors) and Bud (Straight Outta Compton‘s Jason Mitchell) – how to do things like real gangsters.


Now all Clarence and Rell have to do is survive … And prove that when it comes to the drug game, they are the cat’s pajamas. 

WHO WILL LIKE THIS FILM THE MOST? Key & Peele fans; Luis Guzman fans; people who can enjoy a silly comedy; kitten lovers; PETA; anyone looking for something … Different … At the movies this Spring.

WHO WON’T (OR SHOULDN’T) LIKE THIS MOVIE? People who hate movies with silly plots; people who don’t like Anna Faris; people of all races uncomfortable with the use of the “n” word (don’t like you don’t know what I’m talking about) for comedic purposes; those who like comedies that don’t spend an extended period of time setting up the remainder of the movie.
SO, IS IT GOOD, BAD OR ABSOLUTELY AWFUL? A film that is not what even the most die-hard Key & Peele fan would expect, Keanu is a ridiculously silly film about a man’s love for his cat … That more often than it does not hits with entertaining jokes. 


As anyone well-versed in Key & Peele’s five season run on Comedy Central (or, prior to that, their respective time on the under-appreciated MADTV), the duo was prone to find humor in just about anything (and I do mean, anything) – but their best work was unquestionably in exploring different racial constructs and deconstructing various avenues of African-American/ethnic culture, such as the East-West college football game, their formerly-of-an-inner-city-school-and-now-in-the-suburbs substitute teacher, the world’s two biggest Liam Neeson fans and of course, President Obama’s anger translator. Keanu, however, really doesn’t do that as much simply present the duo in roles that in anything other than a really silly (and in turn, mostly fun for the audience) situation and watch them work their way out of it. ‘


Now, when I say silly, I mean “silly” with a capital “S.” This is a story of a grown-ass man. Who goes into the nest of a drug dealer. And gets his cousin to go along with him. To rescue a kitten. If you cannot get past that idea because it is admittedly too silly, you should stop here. If you are willing to look past that and just go with it, however, you will eventually be treated to a mix of physical and situational humor that will feel like (or at least, what I assume) a comedic acid trip is like thanks to plays on traditional action movie staples like gun battles, what villains act like and getting out of sticky situations. It will, however, take a moment to get to those moments as for a 1 hour, 38 minute film, Keanu drags a bit for the first half of the film with a lot of needless filler that could be wrapped up quicker (see the Anna Faris scene … Or rather, just see the latter half of it, anyway). 


Other than that, there’s not a whole lot else you need to know about Keanu – stand-up comic Tiffany Haddish does a decent job in her role as do Method Man and Will Forte, but this is really Key and Peele’s show (no pun intended). The duo expands upon their abilities to play things comedically by playing them out as if they are simply just regular guys dealing with extreme circumstances while staying true to the nature of their characters (and in turn, their respective selves).


And if you’re expecting me to end this on a “they’re the coolest cats in the comedy game” bad joke, well … I’m not. But they have laid an interesting foundation that should make comedy fans interested to see what they do next. OVERALL RATING (OUT OF FOUR POSSIBLE BUCKETS OF POPCORN):

 

McCoy on Movies: EVERYBODY WANTS SOME

By

The “Spiritual Sequel” to Dazed & Confused offers up plenty of funky outfits, music and fun despite a lack of emotional depth

“Yeah, boy – let’s rock these horrible 80s pastels & get busy, fellas!” Plummer (Temple Baker), Roper (Ryan Guzman) and Jake (Blake Jenner) get ready to rock the disco in a scene from writer/director Richard Linklater’s “spiritual sequel” to Dazed & Confused, EVERYBODY WANTS SOME. Credit: Van Redin © 2015 Paramount Pictures. All rights reserved. 


WATCH THE TRAILER(S) HERE:



KEY CAST MEMBERS: Will Brittain, Zoey Deutch, Ryan Guzman, Tyler Hoechlin, Blake Jenner, J. Quinton Johnson, Glen Powell, Juston Street, Tanner Kalina, Forrest Vickery and Wyatt Russell

WRITER(S): Richard Linklater 

DIRECTOR(S): Richard Linklater 

WEB SITE: http://www.everybodywantssomemovie.com/

60 SECOND PLOT SUMMARY (OR AS CLOSE TO THAT TIME AS ONE CAN MAKE IT): The “spiritual sequel” to his beloved (by many) 1970s opus Dazed & Confused, Everybody Wants Some begins by introducing us to Jake (Blake Jenner), a 1979 second team high school all-star baseball player preparing to enter his first year in college in his native Texas. Moving into one of the two off-campus houses the baseball team occupies, Jake meets a cast of colorful characters within minutes of each other. 


This includes Roper (Ryan Guzman) and Finnegan (Glen Powell), the unofficial leaders and ladies men of the house who are always down for a good time; Reynolds (Tyler Hoechlin), a strong, Mike Schmidt-styled mustachioed power hitter; Jay Niles (Juston Street), a Detroit-born pitcher who tells everyone who will listen that the “raw dog” is a top pro prospect; resident knuckles game champ Nesbit (Austin Amelio), Dale (J. Quinton Johnson), the resident cool black guy/second baseman; heavy sleeper Coma (Forest Vickery), fellow freshman outfielder Brumley (Tanner Kalina); Willoughby (Wyatt Russell), a California transfer who’s got many tricks up his sleeve and Beuter (Will Brittain), Jake’s country roommate who has very strong opinions on following the coach’s rules. And over the course of the next three days, Jake and his newfound cast of merry men will party hard and often now that they are away from home with no direct adult supervisor to lord over them.


And Beverly (Zoey Deutch) is an alluring young woman on her own … But where could she possibly fit into Jake’s newfound world of beer, babes and baseball? The weekend is young – and he’s got plenty of time to figure that out. 
WHO WILL LIKE THIS FILM THE MOST? People who enjoyed Dazed & Confused; those who enjoyed the 70s portion of Boogie Nights before they hit the 80s second act; children of the late 70s/early 80s; people who like upbeat, coming-of-age stories filled with nostalgia; those who enjoyed 70s-era disco and country music and fashion; anyone in search of a light-hearted romp that is more focused on the fun aspects of youth than truly “growing up” 

WHO WON’T (OR SHOULDN’T) LIKE THIS MOVIE? Those looking for a direct Dazed & Confused link in terms of tone or character development; people who find 70s/80s nostalgia a bit over-romanticized; those who wish the film dived into deeper levels of what it meant to grow up during the time period depicted 
SO, IS IT GOOD, BAD OR ABSOLUTELY AWFUL? A film that is essentially a 2 hour party on film that celebrates all the debauchery, care-free spirit and optimism of being young and male at the onset of the 1980s – as well as how guys become friends – Everybody Wants Some is a fun diversion of a film … Even if it doesn’t say or represent nearly as much as it could. 


Whereas Dazed & Confused had a feeling of “this is how many kids in the 1970s felt about growing up and being on the verge of adulthood,” Everybody Wants Some essentially has one vibe: It’s time to party – and party it does. For if there has been a film that has embraced the mantra of letting the proverbial good times role more than Linklater’s 117 minute homage to bad 80s fashion, Smokey and the Bandit-style hair and the national pastime, you’d be hard to find one that has as much fun doing so. Jenner does a strong job presenting Blake as just a guy – not a bad guy, not a good guy but a decent guy – venturing out into the world on his own for the first time.


Much akin to the fashion that Steve Carell’s character was embraced in The 40 Year-Old Virgin by his co-workers, Jake is quickly swept under the tutelage of his newfound chums, each of which adds their own unique element to the mix, save for a few oddballs that add their own sense of humorous lunacy to the proceedings. Whether its Glen Powell channeling his inner Brad Pitt/Matthew McConaughey while spouting off romantic and/or philosophic witticism, Johnson being the cool black guy who isn’t defined by his melanin or dual butts of many jokes Austin Amelio and Juston Street being, well, the butts of many jokes, everything works well together to add to the fun. 


This makes Everybody Wants Some much more of an outright comedy than Dazed ever was, but in turn fails to give it as much impact on your conscious. (You won’t leave the theater pondering anything other than how much time did it take to get those clothes and get the actors’ hair to have that perfect fall 1980s look.) While Deutsch adds a nice balance that adds a little depth to both the film and Jake as he discovers meeting someone who at first is your opposite but may be the perfect person for you once you get to know and realize your commonalities, Everybody Wants Some isn’t here to be deep.


It’s here for you to have fun – and if you’re looking for some, this is what you and everybody you’re going to the movies with should want.

OVERALL RATING (OUT OF FOUR POSSIBLE BUCKETS OF POPCORN):

McCoy on Movies: THE HUNTSMAN: WINTER’S WAR

By

Unexpected prequel/sequel to Snow White & The Huntsman turns in an entertaining, estrogen-filled experience

 
“I’m gonna hold your face real still … Now work that celery out of your teeth!” Sara (Jessica Chastain) embraces her fellow huntsman – and husband – Eric (Chris Hemsworth) in a scene from THE HUNTSMAN: WINTER’S WAR. Credit: Giles Keyte. © 2016 Universal Studios. All rights reserved.


WATCH THE TRAILER(S) HERE:



KEY CAST MEMBERS: Chris Hemsworth, Jessica Chastain, Charlize Theron, Emily Blunt, Nick Frost, Rob Brydon, Alexandra Roach, Sheridan Smith and Sope Dirisu

WRITER(S): Evan Spiliotopoulos, Craig Mazan (screenplay), Evan Daugherty (characters)

DIRECTOR(S): Cedric Nicolas-Troyan

WEB SITE: http://www.thehuntsmanmovie.com/#!/
60 SECOND PLOT SUMMARY (OR AS CLOSE TO THAT TIME AS ONE CAN MAKE IT): A prequel AND a sequel at the same time, The Huntsman: Winter’s War once again stars Chris “I’m more than Thor!” Hemsworth as Eric, a.k.a. the Huntsman who once helped save and then fight alongside (a mostly absent for this go-round) Snow White against the evil Queen Ravenna (Charlize Theron). But that’s not where this story starts.


No, it goes back in time a few years earlier when Ravenna was the unquestioned ruler of the land after the unfortunate passing of the king. Her younger sister Freya (Emily Blunt), however, was not as concerned with ruling as she was in love with William (Sam Clafin), who her sister correctly predicted would bear her a daughter. But, as Ravenna also predicted, he would not – despite his promises – break off his engagement with the woman he was supposed to marry for Freya, leading Freya to have an epic breakdown that transformed her into “the Ice Queen.” Leaving Ravenna before her demise, Freya would head to the north and encapsulate the entire land into a frozen wasteland where the children she would “save” would grow into a powerful army for her and live, provided they never broke one rule: Letting their hearts be open to the idea of love – which is what turned Freya into a woman so feared they were afraid to speak her name – was forbidden.


Fast forward a few years later and Freya is now on the warpath to take the one thing she has never tried to before: Snow White’s kingdom. And to do so, she seeks the one thing that Snow White has cast out of her kingdom: The mirror that once belonged to Ravenna, hence the reason Eric and his dwarf sidekicks Gryff (Rob Brydon) and Nion (Nick Frost) are out tracking – or hunting, if you will – where it could be since someone (or something) has stolen it in hopes of finding it before Freya does.


There’s just one little thing that none of the trio counted on getting in their way: Sara (Jessica Chastain), the female huntsman Eric thought was dead … That also just so happened to once be his wife. 

WHO WILL LIKE THIS FILM THE MOST? Fantasy film and cosplay enthusiasts; films where female characters drive the story; those looking for a date night activity that will have enough to keep the attention of both sexes (or those in the LGBT community – this is not an exclusionary review!) by catering to traditional male and female story elements of interest; people who enjoyed the more serious, straightforward tone of the first film but wanted a bit more humor at times to balance out the swordplay

WHO WON’T (OR SHOULDN’T) LIKE THIS MOVIE? People who were not that enthused with the first Huntsman movie; those who are “too grown” to watch a long adaptation of a story based on a fairy tale and/or simply aren’t interested in the subject matter … And anyone who suffers from Achondroplasiaphobia (look it up for yourself; I took the time to type that in correctly!)
SO, IS IT GOOD, BAD OR ABSOLUTELY AWFUL? The original Snow White & The Huntsman was a surprisingly entertaining tale that did what little thought could – or perhaps, more accurately, should – be done: Put a new spin on a told-to-death (no pun intended) story. That being said, one could be forgiven for wondering who (besides Universal Pictures given the previous installment’s success) was actively clamoring for a follow-up, especially one that serves as both a prequel in its first half and a sequel for the second act.


Well, if you were among those who in fact was in that camp, I have news that once again may be surprising as it was the first time: Winter’s War is a fairly entertaining tale that manages to wrap itself up happily ever after. 


For a film that delves more into the Huntsman’s background, Winter’s War is essentially a feminist power movement … That just so happens to be draped in a world of goblins, fairies and mystical characters. For while Hemsworth character does pretty much everything you’d expect – be charming, smile and be self-deprecating while exhibiting powerful strikes and just enough emotion to let you know he’s likable like John Cena at his non-movie day job. However, Hemsworth’s character is not really so much the star of Winter’s War as much a necessary component of a story that dives into a tale that explores sibling rivalry, relationships and the good ol’ element of good vs. evil – all of which is essentially driven by Winter’s War‘s female characters. 


Whereas Chastain plays alongside Hemsworth as his equal and personal protagonist, Blunt and Theron work as extremely well as the films’ overarching villains. Chastain provides a great personal rival for Hemsworth to keep him in check in regards to both his past and present as they work through their respective issues without ever feeling hokey. Whereas you can feel the emotion crack in Blunt’s character’s psyche, you can feel the pure, unabashed and unflappable evil flowing out of Theron with each sneer, calculated body movement and verbal spear. The biggest scene stealer, however, is Sheridan Smith as Mrs. Bromwyn, a fellow dwarf who sparring sessions with Rob Brydon’s Gryff are at times the best parts of the film. The four ladies really produce a nice spectrum of a range of talent in the film that makes things enjoyable and interesting, which is something that most things pertaining to the words “Snow White” are absent for just about anyone over the age of 13 (or at least should be). But back to what matters …


This is not to suggest Hemsworth is capable in his role by any means; it’s simply to acknowledge just how much Winter’s War smartly uses its female stars in ways that showcase their talent and make them integral as much more than any typical damsel in distress. Whereas the roles of women in film is still something of constant debate – just look at the online scuttlebutt regarding Hemsworth’s upcoming other summer film, the all-female Ghostbusters reboot – Winter’s War is another example that quality acting is quality acting, which is all that ultimately should and does matter at the box office. Yes, the film isn’t perfect– there are a few fairy tale staples that are easy to foresee – but thanks to the well-paced melodrama and special effects as executed under the direction of first-timer Cedric Nicolas-Troyan, Winter’s War is a welcome addition to the spring movie season.


Feel free to bite this apple with no worries of a poisonous aftertaste. 

OVERALL RATING (OUT OF FOUR POSSIBLE BUCKETS OF POPCORN):

McCoy on Movies: The Jungle Book

By

Rudyard Kipling’s beloved collection of short stories gets brought to life in grand fashion in Disney’s latest offering

“Please … For the love of everything … Don’t make this a horror movie and eat me!” Mowgli (Neel Seethi) shares a moment with his adoptive wolf mother Raksha (voiced by Lupita Nyong’o) in a scene from director Jon Favreau’s live-action adaptation of the Rudyard Kipling classic THE JUNGLE BOOK. Credit: © 2015 Disney Enterprises. All rights reserved.
 



WATCH THE TRAILER(S) HERE:





KEY CAST MEMBERS: Neel Seethi, Bill Murray, Idris Elba, Ben Kingsley, Lupita Nyong’o, Giancarlo Esposito, Garry Shandling, Brighton Rose, Scarlett Johansson, and Christopher Walken

WRITER(S): Justin Marks (screenplay); Rudyard Kipling (novel on which the movie is based)

DIRECTOR(S): Jon Favreau

WEB SITE: http://movies.disney.com/the-jungle-book-2016
60 SECOND PLOT SUMMARY (OR AS CLOSE TO THAT TIME AS ONE CAN MAKE IT): Based on part of Joseph Rudyard Kipling’s best-known collection of short stories, the live action version of The Jungle Book stars newcomer Neel Seethi as Mowgli. Mowgli is a “man-cub,” a boy raised by wolves in the jungle after being discovered by Bagheera (voiced by Ben Kingsley), a black panther who discovered him all alone in a cave. While serving as a mentor of sorts, Bagheera turned the young boy over to Raksha (voiced by Lupita Nyong’o) and Akela (voiced by Giancarlo Esposito), a pair of wolves who in turn raised him as one of their own. And all is well.


That is until Shere Khan (voiced by Idris Elba), a tiger with burned face, lets Akela and Raksha that he wants Mowgli turned over to him at once – or face dire consequences. 


Doing what they think is right, Akela and Raksha ask Bagheera to lead Mowgli out of the jungle, which is a tough moment for the young man-cub since he doesn’t want to leave the only mother and father he’s ever really known. But once he’s out on his own, Mowgli will discover a side of the jungle he’s never known, full of characters from the slithering Kaa (voiced by Scarlett Johansson) to the lazy but ingenuitive Baloo (voiced by Bill Murray) and the loquacious King Louie (voiced by Christopher Walken), all of which may make the man-cub have to face a decision he never anticipated:


Is he a man-cub or a man – and if so, what does that mean for him in regards to his place in the only home he’s ever known.  

WHO WILL LIKE THIS FILM THE MOST? People who enjoy films with gorgeous visuals; those who enjoy live action films where the the story moves at a snappy pace; those who felt that the animated version of The Jungle Book is a bit too over-the-top happy/sappy; people who want some realistic “edge” to a tale that should, by its very nature, inherently have some. 

WHO WON’T (OR SHOULDN’T) LIKE THIS MOVIE? People that find animals talking creepy and/or weird; anyone who believes older, revered films shouldn’t be remade for any reason; those who find the action scenes a bit too intense for young children (or his or her self); anyone who feels a more “hard-edged” Jungle Book is not needed
SO, IS IT GOOD, BAD OR ABSOLUTELY AWFUL? A film that brings a maturity to a coming of age tale that by its very nature needs to embrace its animalistic nature, The Jungle Book is a very well done tale that brings its subject matter to life in a way where the call of the wild is answered loudly and vividly.


Child actors are a very mixed lot; while some make a breakthrough performance in their debut film (see Osment, Haley Joe), others often go on to fail to live up to and/or embrace the talent they show in that role thereafter (see Osment, Haley Joe) or worse (see Lloyd, Jake for a recent example). Newcomer Neel Seethi doesn’t do anything remarkable to show superstar potential as the man-cub of the jungle, but he does a very competent job in bringing the essence of Mowgli – a young boy in a world that is clearly not his by birth but becomes his by his actions and spirit – to life. 


What really makes the movie, however, is the synchronicity between the vocal performances of the film’s animal stars and the animation under director Jon Favreau (Iron Man, Elf, the big guy from Swingers and Chef – don’t get mad at me; he was heavy in both movies!) Whereas Nyong’o brings heart, depth and a mother’s love to her role as Raksha and Kingsley adds a stern, old world father sensibility, Murray brings a terrific sense of humor to Baloo that makes the character lovable at each turn while Walken brings a fantastic balance of blowhard and boyish enthusiasm to his role. 


Still, what brings everything together so well is the coordination of the action, emotion and humor under Favreau’s watch, all of which makes for a wonderfully entertaining package enjoyable for adults and children alike. The intense scenes are truly intense, the heartfelt ones are touching without being sappy and the humor comes at the right times without ever being insulting to your intelligence, no matter your age.


And as far as remakes of films you never thought you’d ever want to see go, The Jungle Book delivers a wild and wonderful romp through the jungle with moralistic undertones of which Kipling himself would likely be proud.

OVERALL RATING (OUT OF FOUR POSSIBLE BUCKETS OF POPCORN):

 

McCoy on Movies: The Boss

By

THE BOSS

“You think I look crazy? You should have seen what happened the last time I had a taco salad!” Orphan-turned-entrepreneur Michelle Darnell (Melissa McCarthy) gets some help with her teeth whitening ritual from her assistant Claire (Kristen Bell) in a scene from co-writer/director/McCarthy’s husband Ben Falcone’s comedy THE BOSS. Credit: Hopper Stone. © 2015 Universal Pictures. All rights reserved.

WATCH THE TRAILER(S) HERE: 


 



KEY CAST MEMBERS: Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Bell, Peter Dinklage, Kathy Bates, Tyler Labine, Ella Anderson, Cecily Strong , Annie Mumolo, Kristen Schaal, Timothy Simons and Eva Peterson


WRITER(S): Ben Falcone, Steve Mallory and Melissa McCarthy

DIRECTOR(S): Ben Falcone 

WEB SITE: http://www.thebossfilm.com/
60 SECOND PLOT SUMMARY (OR AS CLOSE TO THAT TIME AS ONE CAN MAKE IT): Michelle Darnell (Melissa McCarthy) had it rough growing up in Illinois. Abandoned/orphaned by her parents in her youth, Michelle has overcome her rough upbringing to become the 47th wealthiest woman in America. Now a powerhouse  as the CEO of three various companies, Michelle is on top of the world. Her success hasn’t made life an easier for Claire (Kristen Bell), Michelle’s top assistant, the Smithers to her Mr. Burns who is also a single mother to Rachel (Ella Anderson), a nice young girl who spends most of her free time with her Dandelions youth troop.


Then her former lover and top rival Renault – a.k.a. Ron (Peter Dinklage) – gets her busted for insider trading, which lands her in federal prison for 5 months and her empire in shambles.


Now with nowhere else to go, Michelle comes looking for refuge at the home of her former assistant, who reluctantly agrees to take her in until she can get back on her feet. But as one might expect, going from the penthouse to the proverbial outhouse of Claire’s tiny two-bedroom apartment. But Michelle is a woman with grit, determination and a never take “no” for an answer attitude, so once she sees an opportunity to re-establish herself, she is ready to seize it – even if that means shaking up Claire and Rachel’s world to no end.


And that’s because she’s the boss – and a boss does what a boss has to do to stay on top.

WHO WILL LIKE THIS FILM THE MOST? Melissa McCarthy fans; people who enjoy watching children – and to lesser extent, adults – behave inappropriately for their age; people who enjoy movies where the nice guy gets a break; people who like movies with characters that, while they may not be well-developed, are fun

WHO WON’T (OR SHOULDN’T) LIKE THIS MOVIE? People that will find Peter Dinklage and/or his character creepy; Anyone who doesn’t find likable characters enough to carry the film’s rather ludicrous third act; people who believe that McCarthy (whether fairly or unfairly) tends to play the same type of characters, anyone who hates when Saturday Night Live sketches seem to run on too long. 
SO, IS IT GOOD, BAD OR ABSOLUTELY AWFUL? A movie with some really likable characters that aren’t exactly placed into a great movie all the time, The Boss is entertaining enough to be forgiven for its shortcomings … Which is why at times it feels like an overly long SNL sketch.


McCarthy is very good at playing characters who appear to be one thing but have a little more going on underneath the surface than one might think at first glance. The Boss continues that streak by adding layers to her character, who is all bluster at first before a more sensitive side is eventually revealed. However, given how Dinklage was either asked or chose to play his character in ridiculously creepy fashion, you might find yourself unsettled or at the very least a little freaked out at times and not so much comedically as McCarthy’s husband/co-writer/director Ben Falcone intended. I’m sure the creative team of the McCarthy. Falcone and Steven Mallory were thinking of a Zoolander– or Anchorman-like level comedic foil for McCarthy, but … Nah, it just doesn’t always come off that way. 


Likewise, Bell is capable at playing the straight woman to McCarthy’s antics as her character is supposed to be a dull single mom … And MAN does she nail it almost to the point where you care about everyone around her more than her. She’s too much of the straightwoman at times, which in turn makes you feel her pain way too much. She’s not bad; it’s just that her character has no value on her own and is only best when paired with McCarthy’s or Tyler Labine as her co-worker/potential would be love interest. While we know everyone around Claire is having fun, it gets to a point where EVERYONE but Claire is having fun.


Fortunately, McCarthy has enough to gumption to keep things moving along and both the supporting and younger cast really shine in the lunatic situations in which they are placed. The aforementioned Labine is terrific in representing the everyman who works in a boring job and is a nice guy who deserves better while never coming off as a lovable loser and McCarthy’s female co-stars – Kristen Schaal, Cecily Strong and Annie Mumolo bring a lot of the party as zany/over-the-top sparring partners for McCarthy, Mumolo especially as a would be power mom of an ambitious girl scout-type. (Eva Peterson plays a scary, foul-mouthed teenage girl about as well as you can comedically, so The Boss could be a start of a nice career for her.)


In short, The Boss is entertaining at its best – there’s a rumble sequence that’s phenomenal – but it’s far fro a perfect film by any means. Dinklage’s character is supposed to be over-the-top, but whether or not you find it funny or just dumb remains to be seen. Likewise, there are a lot of lulls between the funny moments and some are much funnier than others, so depending on your attention level you may find the boss somewhere between “good” to “just okay” on your entertainment scale. 


If nothing else, The Boss will serve as a nice palate cleanser to anyone who has found spring’s early offerings at the theaters to be a bit … Well, not suitable for full-time employment. 

OVERALL RATING (OUT OF FOUR POSSIBLE BUCKETS OF POPCORN):

McCoy on Movies: BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE

By

DC Comics two biggest superheroes finally battle on the big screen to mixed results

“That’s right, super guy – this suit won’t rust out in the rain like Iron Jerk’s!” Batman (Ben Affleck) prepares to face off against Clark Kent, a.k.a. Superman (Henry Cavill) in a scene from director Zack Snyder’s superhero epic BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE. Credit: Clay Enos ™ & © DC Comics. © 2016 Warner Bros. Pictures and Ratpac-Dune Entertainment and Ratpac Entertainment LLC. All rights reserved. 

Clay Enos / TM & © DC Comics


WATCH THE TRAILER(S) HERE: 


 



KEY CAST MEMBERS: Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Ben Affleck, Jesse Eisenberg, Holly Hunter, Gal Gadot, Laurence Fishburne, Jeremy Irons, Diane Lane … And a few other people in smaller yet notable roles

WRITER(S): Chris Terrio and David S. Goyer (screenplay); Bob Kane and Bill Finger (characters); Jerry Siegel and Joel Schuster (characters)

DIRECTOR(S): Zack Snyder


WEB SITE: http://batmanvsuperman.dccomics.com/
60 SECOND PLOT SUMMARY (OR AS CLOSE TO THAT TIME AS ONE CAN MAKE IT): Following up on the events found in director Zack Snyder’s previous effort Man of Steel, Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice finds mankind at odds with the godlike figure that protects them from evil … Who they fear in turn could wipe them all out at a given moment should he choose to do so. This is why billionaire Bruce Wayne, a.k.a. the masked caped crusader better known to criminals throughout Gotham City as Batman (Ben Affleck) is worried about all of the damage and destruction Superman is capable of causing. Bruce’s fears are elevated when Superman (Henry Cavill) shows up on the scene of a supposed terrorist in Africa where journalist Lois Lane (Amy Adams) – has been taken hostage. Considering that Lois is the girlfriend of Superman’s alter ego Clark Kent, however, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the Krytonian came to rescue her. Of course, Superman has his own concerns about the armored vigilante that is seemingly running around Metropolis, taking the law into his own hands – or in some cases, permanently onto his “victims” bodies. 


But what might come as a surprise is who set up the whole scenario and why … But let’s just say the offspring of a certain well-known businessman (Jesse Eisenberg) might have a very dastardly plan up his sleeve that might just take out all super-powered people – human and alien – alike. 


That is, of course, if the world’s greatest detective and the adopted son of a farmer from Kansas don’t destroy each other first …

WHO WILL LIKE THIS FILM THE MOST? Henry Cavill fans; people who have longed to see a film set-up the arrival of D.C. Comics’ Justice League franchise; people who enjoy extended fight sequences in superhero movies; those who have wanted Lex Luthor to be portrayed with less of a campy villainy to him


WHO WON’T (OR SHOULDN’T) LIKE THIS MOVIE? People who don’t like Ben Affleck and/or Jesse Eisenberg; people growing tired of the brooding superhero thing; anyone who has found Zack Snyder’s previous works too bombastic; those who want their characters presented in more traditional than modern means; those who may become bored over the film’s two-and-a-half-hours with all the over-the-top exposition of the plot; anyone suffering from superhero movie hangover; those who just find the whole idea of Superman vs. Batman ludicrous, even in a comic book-inspired world
SO, IS IT GOOD, BAD OR ABSOLUTELY AWFUL? A film that will certainly entertain many while making others entertain the idea of certainly not watching another film in the franchise, Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice does enough things well to make it watchable … Even if it isn’t exactly a “marvel” of a start for franchise universe of costumed superheroes and villains. 


The things that B V S does well are fine, but they often come off with the classic “mixed bag” role of effectiveness: While he’s going to be polarizing no matter what he does simply by being in the film, Affleck does a decent job as portraying Batman as a man steadfast in his cause who truly believes in what he’s doing to the point that even if you don’t like him personally, you have to give him credit for his dedication to the role. Likewise, the addition of Jeremy Irons in a Lucius Fox (remember when Morgan Freeman was in those three Batman movies Christopher Nolan did?) role as Batman’s key assistant can be viewed as a breath of fresh air … Provided that you don’t find Irons’ portrayal as droll as his character apparently views some of his boss’ evening pursuits. Eisenberg, who discussed the advanced criticism of his casting as Lex Luthor during his visit to Cincinnati this January, does a fine job of making the role as the new antagonist for Superman and “the Bat” as he calls him his own. Whether or not you are ready for a hipster (or at least one that is much more a hipster than not as you could picture him on a half pipe at the X-Games or at an Arcade Fire concert more easily than any Luthor prior) version of him, however, remains to be seen …Likewise, some might find the critical (in terms of the story) inclusions of Diane Lane as Ma Kent, Adams as Lois Lane and Gal Gadot as Ms. Diana Prince a.k.a. a famous hot pants-wearing woman of wonder in the 70s re-imagined as a more mysterious super “meta-human” here as good moves. For each has a vital role to the plot and each plays their respective role well … Some, however, might be a bit taken aback at just how involved one of those three is in the unfolding events during the film’s climax – and it ain’t gonna be the one you’d think would make the most sense.

In short, it used to be an old standard that it was impossible to make everyone happy when it came to movies, especially those based on comic books. While Marvel has pretty much taken that idea and thrown it out the window, movies like Green Lantern (yeah, I DID like it) and last summer’s debacle Fantastic Four (NO ONE likes that movie … NO ONE) prove that it still rings as true as any good cliché would. Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice isn’t going to end that debate any time soon, but perhaps that was the point: By creating a film with so many different things going on at once, it’s guaranteed to at least get people talking about the film enough to pique most people’s interests …

Here’s to hoping the inevitable and already well on its way Justice League film it sets up doesn’t leave audiences feeling like a hung jury as much as this one might.

OVERALL RATING (OUT OF FOUR POSSIBLE BUCKETS OF POPCORN):

Two+and+a+half+buckets+of+popcorn
Tabari McCoy (http://mccoyonmovies.blogspot.com)

McCoy on Movies: The Divergent Series: Allegiant

By

The first installment of the two-part finale of the Divergent series is here. But is it a post-apocalyptic masterpiece or a dystopian dud?

“Hold me … Now put on that song by The Wknd you know I love so much …” Four (Theo James) and Tris (Shailene Woodley) in The Divergent Series: Allegiant. Credit: Dan McFadden. © 2016 Summit.


KEY CAST MEMBERS: Shaliene Woodley, Theo James, Ansel Elgort, Maggie Q., Naomi Watts, Miles Teller, Zoë Kravitz, Miles Teller, Jeff Daniels, Octavia Spencer and Bill Skarsgård

 

WRITER(S): Josh Campbell, Matthew Stuecken and Damien Chazelle (screenplay); Josh Campbell and Matthew Stuecken (story)
DIRECTOR(S): Robert Schwentke
 
60 SECOND PLOT SUMMARY (OR AS CLOSE TO THAT TIME AS ONE CAN MAKE IT): The first of the two part , big screen finale adaptation of the Hunger Games Divergent novel series, Allegiant finds our hero Tris (Shaliene Woodley) and her fellow renegade boyfriend Four (Theo James) ready to venture outside the walls of Chicago. No, not Wrigley Field-loving, deep dish pizza Chicago – this is dystopian, the Cubs finally won a World Series and hell-has-frozen-over Chicago. The evil Jeanine (formerly played by Kate Winslet) has been defeated, but a new potential has risen her place in the form of Four’s mother Evelyn (Naomi Watts), who is warring with Johanna (Octavia Spencer) and her new Allegiant group (the old faction system has been taken down). Caleb (Ansel Elgort), meanwhile is preparing to stand trial for his alleged crimes under Jeanine’s rule ….


While they wish to save Caleb, Tris, Four, Christina (Zoë Kravitz) and Peter (Miles Teller) also have their eyes on a greater journey: Venturing outside the walls to discover who has contacted them and saying they are needed. They soon discover that the man who has been calling them is David (Jeff Daniels), the director of the Bureau of Genetic Welfare who explains to Tris how and why the faction system ever came into existence in the first place. 


But what she doesn’t know is the true nature of David’s plans for the future … And how she is the key to unlocking them all. 
 
WHO WILL LIKE THIS FILM THE MOST? Shaliene Woodley and Theo James fans; people who absolutely love the first two films and/or the book series enough to want to see the final two films
 
WHO WON’T (OR SHOULDN’T) LIKE THIS MOVIE? Jeff Daniels and Naomi Watts fans; Hunger Games fans who feel Divergent detracts from that series; people who hate films with poorly constructed dialogue and/or spotty acting; just about anyone not covered in the groups that will like this film

 

SO, IS IT GOOD, BAD OR ABSOLUTELY AWFUL? A movie series that started off strong and has continued to peter out of steam with each installment, the best thing about Allegiant is that its release means there’s only more film to go in the Divergent series. And if that sounds harsh, there’s a reason: It should – because Allegiant is really just not that good.

Poor Theo James. It must be hard being the only actor fully committed to a movie littered with weak, junior high-level dialogue, lackluster efforts from Jeff Daniels, Naomi Watts and what is easily Miles Teller’s worst performance in eons (yup, even worse than that superhero movie from last year that we shall not speak of) and a plot which is executed in a muddled, unexhilirating fashion.


As the Hunger Games series wore on, it did lose a little intrigue each time, but at least it never felt as stale and anti-climatic as the Divergent series has. Woodley, like many of the characters now, unfortunately just feels like she’s along for the ride instead of leading these excursions and the adults have a very obvious going through the motions feel from start to finish. Having not read the books, I cannot obviously say with certainly if they are less muddled than the films, but Allegiant is so jumbled up that by the time you reach the climax, you’re already over it. That may come as bad news since this film is the first of the two-part finale, which has a LOT of work to do to make its villain seem truly threatening and its heroes, well, heroic. For this paint by numbers affair is loaded with tired tropes (the love conflict story, the guy who isn’t what he seems at first, the former coward that does something to redeem himself by acting unselfishly) that if they are this bland in the novel – which is not the same as the story here (it’s true, Google it!) – then one would have to wonder how the Divergent series can hope to offer up anything fresh.


You’d be better off being allegiant to a better to a better teen dystopian series … Or just embracing the apocalypse altogether. 


 


OVERALL RATING (OUT OF FOUR POSSIBLE BUCKETS OF POPCORN):

McCoy on Movies: 10 CLOVERFIELD LANE

By

The unexpected companion film to 2008’s Cloverfield is here …

“So, the plan for the actual last season of Roseanne was – wait, you’re not Becky!” Howard (John Goodman) and Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) share a moment beneath the surface in a scene from 10 CLOVERFIELD LANE. Credit: Michele K. Short © 2016 Paramount Pictures. All rights reserved. 


KEY CAST MEMBERS: Mary Elizabeth Winstead, John Goodman and John Gallagher, Jr.

WRITER(S): Josh Campbell, Matthew Stuecken and Damien Chazelle (screenplay); Josh Campbell and Matthew Stuecken (story)DIRECTOR(S): Dan Trachtenberg

WEB SITE: http://www.10cloverfieldlane.com/60 SECOND PLOT SUMMARY (OR AS CLOSE TO THAT TIME AS ONE CAN MAKE IT): A companion to 2008’s hit “scramble cam” sci-fi/horror/monster movie Cloverfield, 10 Cloverfield Lane stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Michelle. Who is Michelle? She is an engaged Louisiana resident who is less than happy with her boyfriend Ben (to put it mildly). That’s why she has split and hit the road heading north … At least she was heading north until she is involved in a major car accident leaving her red Jetta turned upside in the middle of a field.


As you might imagine, Michelle is a bit distraught as a result of the crash – but not as distraught as she is when she wakes up to find herself chained at the knee to a wall with a mysterious IV in her arm. This is when she eventually meets Howard (John Goodman). Who is Howard? Well, he’s the former Navy satellite specialist who has built a doomsday bunker with help from Emmett (John Gallagher, Jr.) to deal with the potential end of the world threat he’s long suspected will one day happen. And that’s when Howard and Emmett deliver the bad news to Michelle that there has been an attack on the United States and pretty much everyone she ever knew outside is dead. 


But as scared and frightened as she was once she woke up in Howard’s bunker, she has no idea of what lies ahead. For as the film’s poster says, “monsters come in many forms” …

WHO WILL LIKE THIS FILM THE MOST? John Goodman fans; Mary Elizabeth Winstead fans; fans of 1970s low budget thrillers where story and performance were more important than special effects; people looking for a thriller in a market flooded with a lot of the same type of movie

WHO WON’T (OR SHOULDN’T) LIKE THIS MOVIE? People expecting something exactly like the first Cloverfield film; those who find the story tense but too predictable 

SO, IS IT GOOD, BAD OR ABSOLUTELY AWFUL? A film that is a slow burn homage to monster/claustrophobia films of days gone by, 10 Cloverfield Lane is an extremely tense, smart and well-acted old school thriller that proves when done right, there is still some life left in a monster movie – especially when you’re not sure who the bigger monster is.


Now, if you skewer Lane with a fine-toothed comb, there is a LOT of foreshadowing that, depending on how closely you pay attention, could put a damper on your overall enjoyment of the film. However, thanks to strong performances on the part of Howard and Goodman, you likely won’t mind so much as they work so well together that their weird father/daughter-or-is-it-pervert/captive-or-perhaps-even-man trying to make up for some crazy past incident/woman who isn’t sure who to trust but maybe he’s not a psychopath interactions will keep you enthralled. This is slow burn theater where each scene is like a someone slowly poking a bear before the bear goes mad. 


It’s hard to truly articulate just how well Winstead and Goodman enact their roles, for seeing is truly believing. Whereas Winstead starts out following the typical tropes of a young white woman in distress in a situation with no way out, she progresses and grows her character into a very capable and formidable figure. Goodman, however, gets a chance to shine in playing against pretty much almost every type he’s known for by bringing the perfect mix of a creepy yet disarming until he is absolutely alarming physical presence. But in playing Howard as a man who may actually know more than he lets on but believes everything he is doing is not only right but necessary, Goodman delivers the type of performance that should be considered for an acting award even though the genre of the film virtually guarantees he never will be. None of this is designed to serve as a slight to Gallagher, Jr., mind you as he serves as a terrific bridge between Goodman and Winstead’s characters and the drama/danger that surrounds them all as the well-meaning but possibly too naive for his own good guy in the middle.


Saying much more would ruin the fun of the film; of course, in a world where The Walking Dead has delivered end-of-the-world devastation to millions on a weekly basis, 10 Cloverfield Lane may not be the scariest flick on the block, but it might be the best. It’s 90-plus minutes of intense, well-paced and even better performed tension with (thankfully) no gimmicky, shaky camera action to be found.
 
OVERALL RATING (OUT OF FOUR POSSIBLE BUCKETS OF POPCORN):

 

McCoy on Movies: Zootopia

By

Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman headline Disney’s latest excellent animated achievement

 

“If this happened in the real world, everyone would be too busy freaking out animals are talking than to care that they are working at the Department of Motor Vehicles!” Officer Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) tries to desperately get information while Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman) smiles knowing his friend Flash (Raymond S. Persi) works a computer in a scene from ZOOTOPIA. Credit: © 2016 Walt Disney Studios. All rights reserved.


WATCH THE TRAILER HERE:


KEY VOICE CAST MEMBERS: Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Idris Elba, J.K. Simmons, Jenny Slate, Nate Torrence, Bonnie Hunt, Don Lake, Tommy Chong, Octavia Spencer, Maurice LaMarche Shakira, Raymond S. Persim Alan Tudyk and Phil Johnston

WRITER(S): Jared Bush and Phil Johnston (screenplay); Jared Bush, Phil Johnston, Jennifer Lee, Jose Trinidad, Jim Reardon and Rich Moore (story); Dan Fogelman (additional story material) DIRECTOR(S): Byron Howard and Rich Moore; Jared Bush (co-director)

WEB SITE: http://movies.disney.com/zootopia60 SECOND PLOT SUMMARY (OR AS CLOSE TO THAT TIME AS ONE CAN MAKE IT): An animated coming of age, fish out of water – or make that bunny out of meadow? – story, Zootopia begins by introducing us to Jenny Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin), a rabbit living in the rural farm town of Bunnyburrow who dreams of one day moving to Zootopia. What is Zootopia? It’s the magical big city where predators and prey alike live in peace and where Judy hopes to live out her dream: Becoming the first rabbit on the Zootopia police force.


Fast-forward 15 years after a life-changing incident and a now adult Jenny has overcome the odds to achieve her dream … Only to quickly learn that life as a police officer that also happens to be a bunny is not as glamorous or great as she imagined it would be. A little down as the case may be, she decides to do a good deed for someone who, by nature, should be her natural enemy: Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman), a fox who turns out to be quite sly as his species’ reputation would have you believe. But while Nick gets the better of Jenny at first, she quickly turns the tables on him, forcing him to help her with a big case to impress her boss Chief Bogo (Idris Elba) at the risk of getting fired: Discovering what happened to Mr. Otterton, a mild-manner florist who, like several other mammals in Zootopia, has mysteriously disappeared. 


But once Jenny and Nick start going down the rabbit hole, what the predator-and-prey friends discover is bigger than either could have ever imagined …

WHO WILL LIKE THIS FILM THE MOST? Ginnifer Goodwin fans; Jason Bateman fans; adults who will enjoy the allusions to certain decades/elements of pop culture past and modern times; hip kids who get the jokes for the adults; kids and parents who enjoy the light-hearted yet purely Disney positive message of the film

WHO WON’T (OR SHOULDN’T) LIKE THIS MOVIE? Anyone who hates animation; those who feel like the film tries to force feed a message down their cinematic throats; people who dislike mirth

SO, IS IT GOOD, BAD OR ABSOLUTELY AWFUL? With a good amount of pop culture-related humor, plays on traditional roles (for both people and within the animal world) and that trademark movie magic of a life lesson that is stated in the beginning and comes together fully in the final act, Zootopia is Disney’s finest non-Pixar related outings in years and one audiences of all ages will enjoy. 


Whereas Zootopia looks rich and complete as the thriving “what if the world was run by animals?” metropolis its creative team intended to deliver, the characters are truly brought to life by the film’s cast with Goodwin and Bateman leading the way. As Jenny Hopps and Nick Wilde respectively, Goodwin and Bateman have a great vocal chemistry that makes the film, building what goes from a true rivalry to a friendship that compliments each other and feels as natural as can be despite nature’s setup. Whereas Goodwin truly makes Jenny a well-rounded character struggling to find her place in the world while remaining endearing, funny, smart and inspiring for little boys and girls alike, Bateman crafts a nice, snarky yet hard not to appreciative smart guy out of what could have easily become a one note or forced character. 


That’s not to suggest they are the only stars in the film; far from it, in fact. Whereas Elba is sadly limited to just being Jenny’s huff-and-puff boss, Jenny Slate shines as the constantly put-upon vice-mayor Bellweather as does Tommy Chong as ultra-hippie and clueless spa owner Yax. All the characters fit well within the world directors Byron Howard and Rich Moore craft, delivering action sequences totally appropriate for the worlds it explores while making you want to explore it further. 

Likewise, the self-referential jokes work well while being kid-friendly but loaded with more adults sensibility than one might imagine for a PG-rated Disney flick. (Let’s just say there’s a not-so-subtle reference to a very popular TV show that recently ended that has spawned a prequel on AMC that fits into the story so well you might miss it. And that’s not the only one in the movie.) Conventions of police departments and cop movies are broken down, the idea of what it means to fight your limitations are explored well … And if you know someone that collects Funko Pop! figures, expect them to want a Flash, Mr. Big or Clawhauser one soon due to a silly/cuteness factor that continues to bridge the gap between kid movie/adult friendly animated movie. 


Throw in a well-constructed plot twist, an actually interesting story and a general, true sense of fun and Zootopia is a great 3D experience. If you don’t like that, perhaps you ought to be spayed and neutered since your sense of enjoyment at the movies already is. Yup, that’s how good Zootopia is. 

 
OVERALL RATING (OUT OF FOUR POSSIBLE BUCKETS OF POPCORN):

McCoy on Movies: London Has Fallen

By

Gerard Butler’s Secret Service agent returns to kick ass, spew one-liners in presidential-based action sequel

 

“Get down – they’ve got reviews of our last couple non-Fallen films coming right at us!” President Benjamin Asher (Aaron Eckhart) ducks for cover under the protection of top Secret Service agent Mike Banning (Gerard Butler, right) as Secret Service Director Lynne Jacobs (Angela Bassett) gets similar help in a scene from director Babak Najafi’s LONDON HAS FALLEN. Credit: Jack English / Gramercy Pictures

 

WATCH THE TRAILER HERE:
 

 


KEY CAST MEMBERS: Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart, Morgan Freeman, Jackie Earle Haley, Angela Bassett, Melissa Leo, Robert Forster, Waleed Zuaiter, Charlotte Riley, Radha Mitchell and Alon Moni Aboutboul

WRITER(S): Creighton Rothenberger, Katrin Benedikt, Christian Gudegast and Chad St. John (screenplay); Creightton Rothenberger and Katrin Benedikt (story and characters) DIRECTOR: Babak Najafi

WEB SITE: http://triple9movie.com/

60 SECOND PLOT SUMMARY (OR AS CLOSE TO THAT TIME AS ONE CAN MAKE IT): The unexpected sequel to 2013’s White House action opus Olympus Has Fallen, London Has Fallen once again centers around President Benjamin Asher (Aaron Eckhart) and his top Secret Service protector Mike Banning (Gerard Butler). While they two have become the best of friends to the point they are literally now regular running buddies, Mike has been thinking of turning in his resignation and settling down with his pregnant wife Leah (Radha Mitchell). 


Then the Prime Minister of Britain dies unexpectedly following routine surgery, prompting world leaders to all flock to London for his funeral, pressing Banning (his preferred moniker) back into action for the 3-day affair. Banning, you see, doesn’t like having short notice to prepare for things – and neither does Secret Service head Lynne Jacobs (Angela Bassett) nor Vice-President Allan Trumbull (Morgan Freeman). 


Of course, as fate would have it, Banning and company have plenty to worry about because Aamir Barkawi (Alon Moni Aboutboul), a notorious arms dealer of apparent Middle Eastern origin that the U.S. ordered an airstrike against a few years ago, has been waiting for such an event. So when the opportunity arises to take out several of the top world leaders, he can’t wait, even though he plans to save his biggest revenge for last: Executing President Asher live on the Internet for the entire world to see.


Then again, Barkawi has never met Mike Banning … But he’s definitely about to …

WHO WILL LIKE THIS FILM THE MOST? People who loved 80s action movies; Gerard Butler fans; people in search of a new one-liner spewing hero; those who always enjoy watching Morgan Freeman be more Morgan Freeman in am authoritative type of role; those looking for a supporting female hero who is solid in her role

WHO WON’T (OR SHOULDN’T) LIKE THIS MOVIE? Those who were unimpressed with Olympus Has Fallen (which is a better film); Angela Bassett fans; those who fear a film like this is a bit too xenophobic in its execution; anyone who finds the standard guns-n-bad guys film overdone

SO, IS IT GOOD, BAD OR ABSOLUTELY AWFUL? A film that might as well come with a “CNN Headline News/1980s-style action found here!” sticker on it, London Has Fallen doesn’t look to re-invent the wheel by any stretch of the imagination when it comes to action flicks. It simply looks to keep them moving in a stampeding fashion in hopes of box office returns.


Let’s be honest: Gerard Butler is an actor who (depending on how you feel about him, sadly or not) is at his best with a gun or sword in his hands. There’s a reason it’s nearly impossible to think of him and not have this scene from 10 years ago come to mind, for it’s the definitive thing that he does best: Hurt people, spout profane-yet-corny-yet-effective one liners and usually look 80s action hero cool as he does it. London is full of Butler doing all these things as the “I gotta do what my country needs me to do” moments come fast and furious from start to finish. Banning is never without a clever (and potentially derisive) quip or a weapon at just the right time, which does play well against Eckhart’s “I’m just trying to do my best job for the American people so why I am being treated like this” naiveté. 


Make no mistake: Morgan Freeman is the coolest, most level-headed person here and thank God that he is as it is needed in between explosions and fist fights. 


But … That’s where the movie emotionally stops. You don’t care so much as about the characters as individuals as you do as watching America come out on top in what is essentially a live action version of playing Call of Duty or Battlefield with your friends online (complete with an equal amount of cursing and explicit machismo). You can enjoy London Has Fallen as a guilty pleasure – emphasis on “guilty” – on a basic level, but there are no grand statements being made, save for “America will always rise to stop bad guys” and “If you ain’t us, you’re against us.”Liking the film on any other level is on par with the girl who dates a guy for his car, muscles and/or money or the guy who dates a girl because she’s got a million dollar body and a $.10 head – It’s fine, but there’s nothing serious going on there beyond a brief, frivolous fling.Then again, in a world where a reality star could become president, don’t be surprised if you see another sequel with a title like “Tokyo Has Fallen” in 3 years time …
 

OVERALL RATING (OUT OF FOUR POSSIBLE BUCKETS OF POPCORN):

Tabari McCoy (http://mccoyonmovies.blogspot.com)

McCoy on Movies: TRIPLE 9

By

TRIPLE 9
Crime thriller delivers cool characters, but light on story save for some basic cops n’ robbers action

“Are we seriously gonna sit here and let this dude give us secondhand smoke?! I’m trying to enjoy my beer over here!” Marcus Atwood (Anthony Mackie) and Chris Allen (Casey Affleck) unwind at a local bar in a scene from director John Hillcoat’s action thriller TRIPLE 9. Credit: Bob Mahoney. © 2016 Open Road Films.

 


WATCH THE TRAILER HERE:
 


KEY CAST MEMBERS: Casey Affleck, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Anthony Mackie, Woody Harrelson, Kate Winslet, Norman Reedus and Aaron Paul with Gal Gadot and Blake McLennan

WRITER(S): Matt Cook

DIRECTOR: John Hillcoat

WEB SITE: http://triple9movie.com/

60 SECOND PLOT SUMMARY (OR AS CLOSE TO THAT TIME AS ONE CAN MAKE IT): Triple 9 stars Casey Affleck as Chris Allen, a rookie detective with the Atlanta Police Department where his uncle Jeffrey (Woody Harrelson) is a top cop (his position is never fully reveal but let say he’s a chief). Now fully in the police fold, Chris finds himself in a partnership with Marcus (Anthony Mackie), who would rather not work with a rookie on his beat in the urban, gang-infested streets of Hotlanta. However, Marcus realizes that his new partner might just be the perfect person to help him out – not with a case, but with something much more sinister.


You see, Marcus – like Rodriguez (Clifton Collins, Jr.), Gabe Welch (Aaron Paul), his brother Russell (Norman Reedus) and his best friend/fellow former military soldier Michael Atwell (Chiwetel Ejiofor) – is a actually a criminal. Yes, like homicide detective Rodriguez (and formerly Welch), Marcus wears a badge, but is a member of a gang that recently pulled off one of the biggest bank heists in the city’s history. Why? To retrieve information from a safety deposit box for Irina Vslalov (Kate Winslet), wife of a currently incarcerated Russian mob boss who has taken over in her husband’s place. Irina is also the sister of Elena (Gal Gadot), who just so happens to be the mother of Michael’s son Felix. (And now you know why Michael is doing jobs for Irina.)


However, just when Michael thinks he and his boys are out, Irina pulls a bait-and-switch by informing him he has to do one more job so that she can get the information she needs to spring her husband from prison … Unless he never wants to see Felix again and risk them all be mob targets, that is. To pull it off, Michael and his crew realizes there’s only way to create a big enough distraction to draw away the police so they can do the crime: A “triple nine,” or a call to an officer down at the scene of a shooting.


And guess what rookie detective seems like the perfect candidate to suffer the fate of Michael and company’s wrath?

WHO WILL LIKE THIS FILM THE MOST? Casey Affleck fans, Woody Harrelson fans; Chiwetel Ejiofor fans; people who enjoy crime/heist movies and don’t need too much more than cops and robbers to be happy

WHO WON’T (OR SHOULDN’T) LIKE THIS MOVIE? Russian Americans; Anthony Mackie and Aaron Paul fans; people who hate crime flicks that could have been better with a little tweaking; police departments worried this man give some criminals ideas …


SO, IS IT GOOD, BAD OR ABSOLUTELY AWFUL? Triple 9 is a movie that features some really great performances … In a movie that in and of itself is solid but not that memorable overall. Instead of taking the time to fully develop the story through one or perhaps two characters’ eyes, Triple 9 that tries to cram in too many characters in one setting, which kind of wastes the performances of Harrelson, Ejiofor and Affleck, which are excellent. 


While Affleck’s is the character you are seemingly supposed to care most about on the surface, you are given so little about his background and motivations (other than being a good cop) that he has to rely on his sheer quiet intensity to carry you through. We’re not certain why he is a new member of the Atlanta PD, where he came from (apparently he may have been in the military at one point) and the nature of he and his uncle’s relationship and how it led to this situation. Likewise, Harrelson’s character gets to say a lot of cool lines (which fortunately don’t come off as corny at all), but his character does so much foreshadowing that a lot of conflicts that could have been cool to watch play out unfortunately come off predictably or at the very least, expected. While Affleck’s low-key but steady intensity keeps him compelling, it would be nice for him to have more to work with than a very cool demeanor. 


Ejiofor’s character is the one that sadly suffers the most because of this, as his is by far the most interesting character in the mix. But instead his character – who IS the most well-developed of the three mentioned – is given a bit of a mixed presentation to the audience and becomes the most sympathetic one in the entire film. But instead of really going for it, director John Hillcoat seemingly instead chooses to boil it down to a rather bland power struggle between he and Winslet’s character. Sure, there is a payoff, but it’s not as great as it could have been potentially. 


Fortunately, these things are not enough to derail the film, which does deliver entertaining, traditional good guys and bad guys style action sequences with enough flavor to keep you interested even if you always seem to be one step ahead of its characters in terms of what’s happening. The performances of Affleck, Ejiofor and Harrelson are compelling enough you are able to stay engaged and the well executed heist and gun battles scenes deliver much needed shots of adrenaline when necessary. It’s not spectacular, it doesn’t have a Training Day style character or intensity that stands out, but it’s solid enough.


Whether or not you find it solid enough, however, remains to be seen – but chances are good if you choose to see it, you’ll be satisfied with your choice. 

 
OVERALL RATING (OUT OF FOUR POSSIBLE BUCKETS OF POPCORN):

Tabari McCoy (http://mccoyonmovies.blogspot.com)
 

McCoy on Movies: HOW TO BE SINGLE

By

HOW TO BE SINGLE

 

“Man, if this movie isn’t good they’ll have to replace this prop with a real bottle!” Robin (Rebel Wilson) and Alice (Dakota Johnson) enjoy a night out on the town in a scene from director Christian Ditter’s romantic comedy HOW TO BE SINGLE. Credit: Barry Wetcher. © 2016 Warner Bros. Entertainment and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc. and Ratpac-Dune Entertainment, LLC. 

 


WATCH THE TRAILER HERE:
 

 



KEY CAST MEMBERS: Dakota Johnson, Rebel Wilson, Leslie Mann, Alison Brie, Nicholas Braun, Damon Wayans, Jr., Jason Mantzoukas, Jake Lacy and Anders Holm

WRITER(S): Abby Kohn & Marc Silverstein (screenplay); Liz Tucillo (novel on which the movie is based)


DIRECTOR: Christian Ditter

WEB SITE: http://howtobesinglemovie.com/

60 SECOND PLOT SUMMARY (OR AS CLOSE TO THAT TIME AS ONE CAN MAKE IT): Alice (Dakota Johnson) is dating Josh (Nicholas Braun) and everything is fine. Then Alice, much to Josh’s dismay, decides that they should go on a break so that she can find herself. So naturally she moves to New York and gets a job as a paralegal at a law firm which her new loquacious, free-spirited co-worker Robin (Rebel Wilson) describes as “two guys and a Jewish guy – just kidding: they’re all Jewish.” And while Robin does her best to get Alice out into the city to go party, Alice’s sister Meg (Leslie Mann) is all about her job as a doctor delivering babies, even though she has no desire to have one of her own.


Meanwhile, Tom (Anders Holm) is busy running his bar … And Lucy (Brie Larson) is busy stealing his WiFi signal to run the dating algorithm she’s constructed to help her find the perfect mate … On one of the 10 online dating apps she is using. And poor Ken (Jake Lacy)? He just wants to date Meg, even if he is completely unaware of the decision she has already made by the time he meets her.


But no worries – they’re all about to get a valuable collective lesson in the title of this movie.

WHO WILL LIKE THIS FILM THE MOST? Rebel Wilson and Leslie Mann fans; older women trying to talk themselves into dating younger men; people to see a depiction of an interracial couple in a mainstream film where their race is not a focal point of their relationship; people looking for way to either start or end a friends with benefits relationship

WHO WON’T (OR SHOULDN’T) LIKE THIS MOVIE? Rebel Wilson fans who feel her character is one note; people who would like to see Dakota Johnson in something where she can show a better range of her acting talents; those who feel the film’s casual sex depictions are way too casual; people who dislike films where the characters make decisions that feel unnatural/forced for the sake of the story and not based in any real reality; people who like consistent storytelling and/or would prefer for the movie to be much closer to the story in the original novel.


SO, IS IT GOOD, BAD OR ABSOLUTELY AWFUL? How to Be Single is a lot like real dating in the modern world: There are times when it doesn’t make sense, it’s loaded with people that are a mix of self-loathing, psychopathic and, for the most part, self-destructive even when their behavior obviously is. 
In other words, it’s got some nice parts jumbled up with a whole lot of bad ones that – once again like a real relationship – the movie wants you to overlook even though they are killing your enjoyment of it. 
 
How to Be Single‘s characters aren’t really that likable. That’s kind of a problem because you never really care about what happens to most of them, especially by the time the film tries to come around to making them redeemable. Johnson’s put-on helpless romantic casually jumps from one relationship to the other with fool-hearted whimsy, only to watch it of course blow up in her face – but not because of anything she does, mind you. No, that’s up to the dudes to do whether immediately or later as they are pretty much as one note as can be (save for Jason Mantzoukas as one of the suitors for Brie’s character). 


Wilson’s character is there to serve as the comic relief … But other than a barrage of jokes about how promiscuous she is or feels Johnson’s character should be, there’s not much to her. Whereas sometimes you have the “she’s-fun-because-she’s-so-outrageous” vibe with a character, Wilson’s is more of the “I’d watch this person from a distance but never really wanna hang out them because she’s annoying and not a good person.” In short, her character is just a garden tool  – and no, I don’t mean a rake – that says inappropriate things and then is supposed to be “fun.” This is another main problem with the film as the characters come off either severely undeveloped or illogical thanks to weak storytelling (see the character portrayed by Damon Wayans, Jr.), the others come off as one-dimensional (see Johnson), fun but dumb and one dimensional (see Wilson) or way too good of a person to be in the situation they are in so you’ll root for them because they deserve better (see Jake Lacy). 


Now, will the film make you laugh? A bit – I can’t deny that there aren’t funny parts as Lacy and Mann have a good chemistry together and fans of Mantzoukas work of the FX show The League will be happy to see he can channel his inner Rafi in a calmer, nicer character without losing his comedic edge. However, since Johnson is neither the funny one or one you feel enough care for to get completely invested in her and her alone, she’s kind of just there to take the punches for the most part. 


The fault for that falls squarely on the shoulders of director Christian Ditter and the film’s screenwriting team. By trying to cram so many stories in at once, they fail to really make one of them standout before wrapping everything up at the end in a “see, it all makes sense now, see?!” fashion. (Maybe diverting from the source material wasn’t such a good idea, hmm?) 


In summary, How to Be Single is a movie that’s not bad enough to hate, but definitely not good enough to love or recommend or more than a silly diversion (at a matinee price). However, if you are currently dating someone and have a desire to be single, take them to this movie under the guise of thinking it’s a must-see romantic comedy.


You’ll likely be single by the time the credits roll.
 

OVERALL RATING (OUT OF FOUR POSSIBLE BUCKETS OF POPCORN):

The most insane superhero antihero movie of all time hits the big screen … But should you see it?

By

DEADPOOL
The most insane superhero antihero movie of all time hits the big screen

“Oooh – this movie blogger thinks he can come up with a better snarky caption for my own photo as I break the fourth wall?! Good luck with that there, butter – I hope you and your four readers enjoy this!” The titular character (Ryan Reynolds, center) prepares to break the fourth wall before heading into battle with Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianna Hildebrand) and the aptly-named Colossus (voiced by Stefan Kapicic) in a scene from director Tim Miller’s debut feature DEADPOOL. ™ & © 2015 Marvel & Subs.  ™ & © Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All rights reserved. 

WATCH THE TRAILER HERE:


 

 


KEY CAST MEMBERS: Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin, Ed Skrein, T.J. Miller, Gina Carano, Karan Soni, Leslie Uggams, Jed Rees, Brianna Hildebrand and the voice of Stefan Kapicic

WRITER(S): Rob Liefeld and Fabian Nicieza (character); Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick (screenplay)

WEB SITE: http://www.foxmovies.com/movies/deadpool


60 SECOND PLOT SUMMARY (OR AS CLOSE TO THAT TIME AS ONE CAN MAKE IT): A most unconventional movie that was a LONG time in the making,  Deadpool stars Hal Jor-, er, Ryan Reynolds as Wade Wilson. Who is Wade Wilson? He’s just your average former special forces mercenary turned man for hire. The notorious “merc with a mouth” is living a pretty low-key life, hanging out a bar run by a guy simply known as Weasel (T.J. Miller) that is unlike any other in town. 


Then he meets Vanessa (Morena Baccarin), a woman just as seemingly sick and twisted as he is with whom he of course falls madly in love with. 


However, as Wade is telling all this to his cab driver Dopinder (Karan Soni), he’s actually preparing for something more than just a leisurely ride: Getting revenge on Francis a.k.a. Ajax (Ed Skrein), the “doctor” the recruiter (Jed Rees) told him he would cure him of the cancer that was bound to kill him. And while it did cure of him of his cancer, the treatment had some serious side effects that no 30-second commercial could fit into that tiny disclaimer text at the bottom of the screen. Getting to Ajax won’t be easy, though, since his female enforcer Angel Dust (Gina Carano) is strong enough that she would make what Holly Holm did to Ronda Rousey look like a proverbial day in the park … And if that wasn’t bad enough, Colossus (voiced by Stefan Kapicic) and the girl with what Wade admits is the coolest name ever, Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianne Hildebrand) – two devotees of a certain bald professor you may have seen before – are determined to keep Wade and is rebellious ways in check. 


Yeah, you might wanna get ready for what follows as you’ve definitely never seen a superhero – make that anti-hero – movie like this before.

WHO WILL LIKE THIS FILM THE MOST? Ryan Reynolds fans; T.J. Miller fans; Pretty much anyone who likes the Deadpool comic books, the 2013 video game or saw the test footage short (that ended up in the movie) on YouTube and went “WHAT WAS THAT?”

WHO WON’T (OR SHOULDN’T) LIKE THIS MOVIE? Parents who want to drag their underage kids along and then are upset at how much they have to block their child’s eyes and/or ears during the hour and 40 minutes-plus run time; people who hate foul-language and/or extreme violence; those who want Deadpool’s origin story to stick 100% to the comic book’s canon; anyone who finds Ryan Reynolds annoying


SO, IS IT GOOD, BAD OR ABSOLUTELY AWFUL? Arguably the most anticipated Marvel movie debut* (yes, any dedicated Marvel movie fan knows that Wade Wilson has appeared in other X-Men movies but we mean solo movie centered around him) since Iron Man, Deadpool delivers the most insane, ridiculous super – or anti-hero, rather – movie you could possibly imagine. 


Fortunately, that is a very, very good thing: Because Deadpool is a can’t miss love story that is perfect for anyone looking for a Valentine’s Day treat … Provided they don’t mind the profanity, gun violence and sexual innuendo to make Amy Schumer blush.


Deadpool, much like Reynolds breakout eponymous character in Van Wilder, is the superhero equivalent of the 1980s high school cool kid who cracks wise and has no one who can tell him what to do yet underneath it all is actually a good dude. In this case, however, he’s just an extremely foul-mouthed, prone to fits of violence, heckler-who’s-funnier-and-much-more-self-aware-than-the-comic-on-stage-and-knows-it good dude who is going to get the last word by hook or crook. Reynolds plays the character with pretty much all the wiseass yet sensitive exuberance needed to bring him to life, nailing each bit of the action along the way. When Deadpool breaks the fourth wall, Reynolds makes sure to do it in the way that the character shows he knows you know what the joke is. Likewise, when he cracks wise or curses, Reynolds is sure to do so in a way that either goes right for the burn to whoever the target of his verbal slice is and in similar fashion when the film enters its serious territory he adeptly conveys why what’s going down is serious business.


Of course, the movie wouldn’t work without the expert level performances of the surrounding cast as Skrein’s banter with Reynolds’ character comes off in a spirited, almost seemingly serendipitous fashion. Likewise, whereas Soni does a phenomenal job in becoming caught up in Deadpool’s world and worldview, Miller does what he does best – being a calmer, thinner and more intellectual version of Seth Rogen in Judd Apatow movies – as Deadpool’s confidant who before and after his transformation. The same can be said for Kapicic as the voice of the CGI-created Colossus, who’s attempts to make a true hero out of Deadpool fail in vain in nature as much as they are fodder for comedic enjoyment, which is often.


Thankfully, the ladies are not left out in the Deadpool world as they are critical – and entertaining – parts of the story as well. Whereas Baccarin delivers on providing the former Wade Wilson a strong – and more importantly, 100 percent believable – love interest (these two characters are made for each other), Carano and Hildebrand provide two interesting characters who prove you can make a big impact on screen without having to say that much. Throw in screen veteran Leslie Uggams as Wade’s elderly blind roommate and the ladies of Deadpool add enough testosterone-friendly estrogen to the mix to make it appealing to men and women alike. 


For a man making his directorial debut, Tim Miller really shines in keeping all of the chaos of Deadpool to a high level of enjoyment. The action sequences snap with a dynamic mix of adrenaline and inappropriateness fitting of its subject, the visual effects never feel out of place and the actors deliver dedicated, inspired performances at every turn. The bullets, swords, fists and … Well, Negasonic Teenage Warheads fly with purposeful intent, the dialogue is full of “Wait, he/she said WHAT?!” moments and the story is told with a skill to make all of the insanity make as much sense as possible to have you develop both interest and empathy for its protagonist. Throw in a tight interweaving of the past and present to show the viewer how Deadpool went from a simple (alright, NOTHING about him is “simple”) mercenary to an enhanced superhuman and Miller’s debut piece is one future superhero movie directors would be wise to emulate. Make no mistake: Deadpool is not a movie for everyone. There is a ton of profanity, sexual situations (that means nudity!) and some liberties taken with a few of the characters, Deadpool included. (Spoiler alert: his signature vehicle is not seen in the movie unless it’s in a post-credit scene, I guess you’ll have to settle for this in the meantime.) Those minor issues notwithstanding, Deadpool is a movie that was largely made in part by the fans and in turn pays them back by giving them pretty much exactly what they want: A cool guy in a suit with superpowers who makes them laugh while kicking a lot of ass in the process, but still has a good heart underneath it all.Don’t believe me? Watch the movie – he’ll likely tell you that himself.

OVERALL RATING (OUT OF FOUR POSSIBLE BUCKETS OF POPCORN):

 
Tabari McCoy (http://mccoyonmovies.blogspot.com)