This Is The End

After reading review after review of how funny this movie is, I decided to plop down some cash to go see it in the theater. With a cast of thousands (okay…maybe not thousands but there ARE a lot of early cameos) and an interesting premise for a comedy (actors playing themselves during the Rapture), I figured it couldn’t be the worst thing I could do with $10. Sadly, I hate to say it, but in this case, I overpaid.

Seth Rogan and Jay Baruchel are the top dogs in this one, sharing the bill with James Franco, Jonah Hill, Danny McBride & Craig Robinson. From there, it is a “Who’s Who” of comedy that make quick appearances, sometimes to hilarious effect (Michael Cera is the highlight, Channing Tatum is the oddest) and sometimes to almost unnoticeable (Paul Rudd? Christopher Mintz-Plasse?). The plot goes like this…James Franco has a party. Lots of people show up. The apocalypse begins. And from there, the rest of the movie is about these guys trying to survive in Franco’s Hollywood hills mansion while everything burns and demons roam the earth. It’s a fresh idea and there are some really funny moments but as a complete film, it drags at times. What I CAN tell you is that Danny McBride is hysterical, there is a high volume of drug jokes, lots of cool visual effects with demons and devils and that Jonah Hill steals the show near the end and the scene had me laughing hysterically.

So take this review as you will. For me, “This Is The End” is decent matinee material but I wouldn’t pay full price for it. And if this is THE comedy of the summer, it looks like it’s gonna be a slow summer for the funny.

Overall Rating: C

 

50/50

Adam is a normal guy. Lives in Seattle, works in public radio, hangs with his buddy, has a hot girlfriend, has cancer…

Wait. What’s that last part? Has cancer? Oh man…what a downer! Or…is it? In this film, which is based on the real life of writer Will Reiser, Adam (Joseph Gordon-Levitt)  is somewhat of a recluse but manages to find a little hope and humor in his situation. With the help of his best friend Kyle, they hope to beat the odds…which aren’t bad considering the internet gives him a 50/50 shot of recovering from the cancerous tumor that has attached itself to his spinal column.

This realistic look at cancer and how it affects a person is a unique perspective given that it’s such a dire topic. Director Jonathan Levine takes Reiser’s script and gives it life, following Adam through his daily routines and introducing him to others who are suffering from cancer as well. With the help of Seth Rogan, who plays Adam’s best friend Kyle, this film blooms in a way that few do simply because of the humor that Rogan brings to the role. The banter between he and Gordon-Levitt make the situation bearable and both bring their own styles into the roles with Gordon-Levitt making Adam a quiet, inward personality and Rogan’s Kyle bringing the sarcasm and humor that draws him out.

I pretty much liked everything about this movie. It definitely has a personality that allows it to shine like a really good indie should. Great performances throughout that include Bryce Dallas-Howard as Adam’s selfish girlfriend Rachel, Anjelica Houston is perfectly cast as Adam’s mother and Anna Kendrick seemingly reprises her role as Natalie in “Up In The Air” as therapist Katherine. She has almost the same “ticks” as Natalie and its a role that works well for her. And, of course, Rogan and Gordon-Levitt shine in their roles as well.

A few added bonuses to this movie…the soundtrack and the location. With the location being in Seattle, this allows for a top-notch soundtrack, highlighting alt-rock bands such as Pearl Jam, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes & Cut Copy. So that is a plus!

Overall Rating: B

Kung Fu Panda II

With a summer full of sequels (what summer isn’t these days?), this was one of the ones that I had high hopes for and surprisingly enough…it didn’t disappoint! Pretty much picking up right where the original left off, Po, the newly appointed “Dragon Warrior,” and the Furious Five are defenders of the good and are out to stop an evil albino peacock (???) who is hell-bent on taking over China and possibly…THE WORLD!!! HAHAHAHAHA!

*ahem*

Anyway, this obviously can’t be allowed to happen so Po (voiced with glee by Jack Black) and his friends (voiced by everyone from Angelina Jolie to Seth Rogan) make the journey to China to take on the evil Shen (voiced by Gary Oldman) and save Kung Fu. Of course there is action & adventure around every corner and the fact that the Dragon Warrior is an overweight panda only makes the entire scenario even more humorous. But this film isn’t all about laughs and with a short running time of only an hour and a half, it manages to touch on important aspects of life…friendship, honor and knowing inner peace. So as the friends fight against the evil albino peacock (???) and his minions of jackals, Po is faced with an inner turmoil of wanting to know who his real parents are and why he was abandoned when he was only a baby. As the battle rages, Po must come to terms with his upbringing and his love for his adopted father and this brings him the inner peace that he needs to fight against the evil…peacock (???).

Needless to say, the action is fast and FURIOUS! The dialogue is witty and fun and voices are dead on with guest appearances by Jackie Chan, Lucy Liu, Jean-Claude Van Damme and James Hong. The animation is colorful and when the action is happening, it’s an eye-popping spectacular as Po and his buddies take on hundreds and escape without a scratch. It’s all done with tongue-in-cheek because this story is really about Po and his inner peace but without getting to mushy about it, the staff at Dreamworks have managed to bring us a mighty fine sequel that will definitely spawn at least one more adventure with the Dragon Warrior and the Furious Five. I know I’ll be lining up to see the next one! And so should you…

Overall Rating: A-

Kevin Smith Makes A Bad Porno

I like Kevin Smith movies. His movies are hardcore-talking, testosterone-filled smut fests with a heart of gold. Basically, Kevin Smith movies are for guys around the age of 18-28. I remember when “Clerks” came out, I was surprised by the ballsy writing and the silliness of the characters. But the thing that I really liked was that it was like hanging with a couple of buddies who were all talk. No matter what they talked about, you just knew they were full of bullcrap and hot air. And this philosophy followed on the rest of the Smith collection. From “Chasing Amy” to “Clerks II” (which I thought was hysterical!), Smith always keeps it just above a teenage boy mentality.

In “Zach & Miri Make A Porno” (the 2nd film I’ve seen with the 2 characters named in the title), Smith set out to make a love story wrapped up in a porn flick. And even though you would think this would be an easy task for him, he fails miserably. Like all of his other films, this movie is all talk. Basically the plot revolves 2 best friends (played by Seth Rogen & Elizabeth Banks) who have known each other for 20 years. They are both working dead end jobs and between the 2 of them, they can’t afford to pay rent or the electric or heating bills. Because of this, in order to make money, they decide to make a porno movie.

Now all of this lends itself to be hysterical, especially with Rogan being involved. But it isn’t. As a matter of fact, this is the weakest script that Smith has ever produced. The dialogue isn’t particularly funny in most cases and the love story bogs down the entire ending of the movie. The only true redeeming value of this film is Elizabeth Banks. Hollywood has been producing a strong glut of really good actresses in the last 5 years or so, and Banks is right up there. At one point of this movie, the characters reference Julia Roberts’ turn in “Pretty Woman”. Well…Banks’ smile is right up there with Roberts’. When she smiles or laughs, the whole screen lights up. And she is truly the only saving grace of this film. It doesn’t really offer much else besides a couple of funny scenes (mostly involving Smith-staple, actor Jason Mewes) and a cool late 90’s soundtrack.

Needless to say, if you are a Kevin Smith fan, you probably have already seen this movie. If you’re not, then the title has probably either turned you off or turned you onto it. Either way, it is safe to say that you can pass on this film. It’s not very good. But Banks is, and she is all set to appear in a slew of films coming out soon (you can also see her in the George Bush film “W”)! So be on the lookout for her in more good movies. But, as for “Zach & Miri”, you can pass. There’s nothing new to see here. Even the nudity is watered down…and that makes for some pretty lame movie watching.

Overall Rating: C-