From powerful life lessons to crass humor, preachings of girl power, numerous superstar cameos, and a 'sneak-up' on you sort of love story, Trainwreck proved to be a standup film.
Gordon, father of Amy, is flawlessly played by Colin Quinn. He sets the tone in the first few minutes by preaching about monogamy through paralleling marriage to playing with one doll for a lifetime to young Amy and her sister Kim. One minor, but appreciated detail is Amy Schumer's character taking on her actual name. This allows the audience to fully associate the humor of the character with the well-known humor Schumer uses in her standup, interviews, casual encounters, and basically every second of every day.
Amy's sister Kim, played by Brie Larson seems to have an emotionally perpendicular relationship with Amy. Amy is stuck in a life full of one night stands and inebriated decision-making. At second glance, we find that Amy isn't stuck, but rather reveling in 'whoring it up'. Kim, on the other hand, has an everpresent family with a constant attraction to stability. Intersecting with Amy, the two butt heads constantly as they create paths clearly in different directions. Larson plays the role well, and creates a somewhat believable bloodline for Amy. However, their chemistry on screen was less than thrilling. For me, Larson was the only character that could be replaced.
John Cena as Steven and penny-pinching LeBron James are surprisingly huge successes for Trainwreck. Many movies fail to succeed in their attempt to include off-screen superstars; the cameos are forced or out of place but Trainwreck nailed it, especially with John Cena. If anyone is looking for a knee-slapping sex scene, this is where to find it. As protein pumping Steven seems a bit weak in his ability to "talk dirty", he pushes to the finish line (pun intended) with Nike-like slogans. LeBron, as himself, is the honest, sensitive companion of leading man Aaron, played by Bill Hader. These two are an unbeatable pair on the court and even in coffee shops. Showing his sensitivity, LeBron questions the intentions of 'easy Amy' with Aaron asking, "Do you hear his name when you listen to the wind?" A laughable moment from a 'man's man'.
Playing Dianna is Tilda Swinton, who is somewhat unrecognizeable in the role. Regardless, she absorbed the character with ease, forcing the audience to roll their eyes at her ignorance and total disregard as she teaches lessons in the workplace such as "What is our demographic? Everyfuckingone." and "The best way to grieve, don't do it." Also in the workplace, is Nikki, played by Vanessa Bayer. Every moment on screen with Nikki is awkward, adorable, naive, and a total consignment store statement.
Truly stealing the stage is Amy Schumer herself. As the writer, Schumer has given us her full embodiment in Trainwreck. Her crass jokes, witty banter, and "I don't give a fuck" attitude all take center stage. Her eating habits in the film and associated pride is one to be appreciated by women of all ages. I'm sure we've all had days when breakfast, lunch, and a snack by noon is accompanied by some additional hunger. The total disregard for anyone's feelings and opinion is one that is surely envied by everyone at some point throughout their lives, if not throughout the day. Being super direct, she offers helpful coaching, "Everything important is up at the top." It doesn't stop there. She is a front runner in setting the tone for cuddling suggesting "if I sleep here, can we sleep in a realistic position." And the quotes go on and on.
Overall, expect to walk away with a smile on your face trying to recall all of the memorable scenes just so you can shake your head and relive them for the first time. I would expect to see some additional roles, as Amy has done a solid job at proving herself as an actress, writer, and visionary.
Wednesday, July 22, 2015
Thursday, July 16, 2015
MINIONS (2015) 3.3
Like most adults, I'm sure, I was extremely excited to see this movie. I'm sure anyone who has seen any previews within the last six months have seen one for Minions. The budget for the film, just for publicity before the film was released reached almost $600 million. Anticipation for children and adults alike is very much a weak choice of diction to use. I'm sorry to say, the expectations were at a much higher level than what the film actually had to offer. Many films have done it before, and Minions is a perfect example of a movie that included all of the "tell your friends" funny moments in the previews, leaving little to talk about after watching for 91 minutes.
As we watch the minions quest through hurdles to find the perfect villain to serve, the cuteness factor is definitely there. The three minions to take the stage are Kevin who had a plan, Stuart with his ukulele, and my personal favorite, tiny Bob with the loyal teddy bear in hand (?). With very few words in the film, these minions have a perfect way of capturing everyday emotions such as embarrassment, loneliness, vulnerability, and the most simple, happiness. What little is spoken, much of it had an Italian influence with phrases like "ti amo!" The language of Minions is definitely one that has sparked a student in myself. Minion translators is my favorite current internet binge activity. This is my personal favorite: http://minionstranslator.com/.
The actual quest to Villain-Con in Orlando is likely the best portion of the film. After all, it is "so much fun it's a crime." The minions will soon find their ideal leader, Scarlett Overkill, voiced by Sandra Bullock. I would venture to say that 80% of the population, if not more, are fans of Bullock. A complaint to go along with this is that she could have been incorporated into more of the film. She is a definitely flawless fit for the role.
I would encourage viewers to stay for the closing credits, as these were a bit more entertaining for the film as a whole. It would have been nice to see additional screen time for Gru; however, he is only on screen the last 2 minutes (not including those credits).
Walking away from the film, Minions it seems these cute creatures can definitely star in funny memes, short commercials, and can be star student sidekicks, but not feature in their own film. One takeaway we can all consider and take to heart early on in the film is a rather simple opening line: "They're all different but they share the same goal."
In the event that you would like to read this blog in Minionese, see below:
Ko meja poiuta, Het udo, Ka tos melups elabs da verlo ba ore. Het udo seegem ben hego gad alga previews wopa ta tepo cay aysalb kaylay gad da nunu Minions. Ta lobwo nunu ta hyp, sola nunu netbye bidom ta hyp tos gulbis awetet respin 600 mawaye. Idscoz nunu yokpye yee poiuta lis tis mupa mucha a sel cobcaw de diction da uso. Het bido da tom, ta juggum lemar een fem en a mucha diflax rod pan whaaat? ta hyp hagan da pec. Mublai gum kaylay pin pik bidom, yee Minions tis a absfou spyqi de a ore pak lavova tadda ta "tell tu friends" sim don een ta previews, tika isko ipo da pluka cama temer coryea nunu 91 sacwad.
As pem copa ta minions quest thru hurdles da pen ta absfou villian da pul, ta cuteness sermm tis unex bada. Ta thru minions da nupi ta we fem Lum ben hagan a eth, Fouwet com lo uke, yee mi tiejee lamkeg, libo Yok com ta ped teddy oso een na. Com mupa foop mew een ta hyp, les minions kaylay a absfou via de capturing everyday emotions ko embarrassment, loneliness, vulnerability, yee ta meja pet, happiness. Whaaat? ipo tos baano, mucha de pik hagan nan Podall ohthe com phrases ko "ti amo"! Ta lingu de Minions tis unex da pak hego tuiash a atthuh een tokas. Ka polo gaenu lapa nunu Minions translators. Ba tos mi tiejee lamkeg.
The macoxo quest da VillianCon een Tarhay tos elscob ta obe wyevet de ta hyp. Afterall, pik tis "so mucha agei labada a crime". Ta minions sama kye pen tus hen benhep, Scarlett Overkill, voiced bey Sandra Bullock. Ka polo michow da tom pak 80 de ta wagleu, asa non mas nama azo de Bullock. A agelaw da go ghi com ba tis pak lam tup kaylay bem setand enta mas de ta hyp. Lam tos a unex flawless our nunu ta orb.
I polo dewleg mixla da aloo nunu ta tegli iffmu, sim les fem a jot mas entertaining nunu ta hyp sim a et. Pik polo kaylay bem wed da verlo kabmix screentime nunu Gru yaylop, le tis solo en bedeb nunu elscob ta tepo 2 sacwad non ownmoa be iffmu.
Walking cos da ta hyp, Minions tos resfay de a missa. Pik eat les til creatures pudum unex teebo een sim meems, biz rebjar, yee pudum be teebo atthuh sidekicks, pelo non teebo een tus mio hyp. Da takeaway pem pudum tadda powya temer yee nupi da la ma nii pat en een ta hyp "They're tadda filava pelo feila keg ta mismo goal"
.
As we watch the minions quest through hurdles to find the perfect villain to serve, the cuteness factor is definitely there. The three minions to take the stage are Kevin who had a plan, Stuart with his ukulele, and my personal favorite, tiny Bob with the loyal teddy bear in hand (?). With very few words in the film, these minions have a perfect way of capturing everyday emotions such as embarrassment, loneliness, vulnerability, and the most simple, happiness. What little is spoken, much of it had an Italian influence with phrases like "ti amo!" The language of Minions is definitely one that has sparked a student in myself. Minion translators is my favorite current internet binge activity. This is my personal favorite: http://minionstranslator.com/.
The actual quest to Villain-Con in Orlando is likely the best portion of the film. After all, it is "so much fun it's a crime." The minions will soon find their ideal leader, Scarlett Overkill, voiced by Sandra Bullock. I would venture to say that 80% of the population, if not more, are fans of Bullock. A complaint to go along with this is that she could have been incorporated into more of the film. She is a definitely flawless fit for the role.
I would encourage viewers to stay for the closing credits, as these were a bit more entertaining for the film as a whole. It would have been nice to see additional screen time for Gru; however, he is only on screen the last 2 minutes (not including those credits).
Walking away from the film, Minions it seems these cute creatures can definitely star in funny memes, short commercials, and can be star student sidekicks, but not feature in their own film. One takeaway we can all consider and take to heart early on in the film is a rather simple opening line: "They're all different but they share the same goal."
In the event that you would like to read this blog in Minionese, see below:
Ko meja poiuta, Het udo, Ka tos melups elabs da verlo ba ore. Het udo seegem ben hego gad alga previews wopa ta tepo cay aysalb kaylay gad da nunu Minions. Ta lobwo nunu ta hyp, sola nunu netbye bidom ta hyp tos gulbis awetet respin 600 mawaye. Idscoz nunu yokpye yee poiuta lis tis mupa mucha a sel cobcaw de diction da uso. Het bido da tom, ta juggum lemar een fem en a mucha diflax rod pan whaaat? ta hyp hagan da pec. Mublai gum kaylay pin pik bidom, yee Minions tis a absfou spyqi de a ore pak lavova tadda ta "tell tu friends" sim don een ta previews, tika isko ipo da pluka cama temer coryea nunu 91 sacwad.
As pem copa ta minions quest thru hurdles da pen ta absfou villian da pul, ta cuteness sermm tis unex bada. Ta thru minions da nupi ta we fem Lum ben hagan a eth, Fouwet com lo uke, yee mi tiejee lamkeg, libo Yok com ta ped teddy oso een na. Com mupa foop mew een ta hyp, les minions kaylay a absfou via de capturing everyday emotions ko embarrassment, loneliness, vulnerability, yee ta meja pet, happiness. Whaaat? ipo tos baano, mucha de pik hagan nan Podall ohthe com phrases ko "ti amo"! Ta lingu de Minions tis unex da pak hego tuiash a atthuh een tokas. Ka polo gaenu lapa nunu Minions translators. Ba tos mi tiejee lamkeg.
The macoxo quest da VillianCon een Tarhay tos elscob ta obe wyevet de ta hyp. Afterall, pik tis "so mucha agei labada a crime". Ta minions sama kye pen tus hen benhep, Scarlett Overkill, voiced bey Sandra Bullock. Ka polo michow da tom pak 80 de ta wagleu, asa non mas nama azo de Bullock. A agelaw da go ghi com ba tis pak lam tup kaylay bem setand enta mas de ta hyp. Lam tos a unex flawless our nunu ta orb.
I polo dewleg mixla da aloo nunu ta tegli iffmu, sim les fem a jot mas entertaining nunu ta hyp sim a et. Pik polo kaylay bem wed da verlo kabmix screentime nunu Gru yaylop, le tis solo en bedeb nunu elscob ta tepo 2 sacwad non ownmoa be iffmu.
Walking cos da ta hyp, Minions tos resfay de a missa. Pik eat les til creatures pudum unex teebo een sim meems, biz rebjar, yee pudum be teebo atthuh sidekicks, pelo non teebo een tus mio hyp. Da takeaway pem pudum tadda powya temer yee nupi da la ma nii pat en een ta hyp "They're tadda filava pelo feila keg ta mismo goal"
.
Wednesday, July 15, 2015
TERMINATOR GENISYS (2015) 3.6
"You just go and you don't look back."
Commencing with a literal bang, Terminator Genisys features a strong, succint introduction. Having never fully followed a piece of the Terminator saga, I was quickly briefed on the story within the first few minutes of Genisys. As Kyle Reese travels in time to prevent Judgment Day and the launch of Skynet, Sarah Connor and the well-known Guardian played by Arnold Schwarzenegger are an unlikely but loyal pair to assist in staving off a world ruled by machines.
Jai Courtney as Kyle Reese seems like an odd fit for the role until he begins to develop the unavoidable relationship with Sarah played by Emilia Clarke. As for Clarke's role, her portrayal of Sarah Connor was seemingly awkward until her relationship with Reese further developed. Taking an aerial view of the film, this was the first in a while where I did not feel a relationship with the characters, but rather watched and maintained a view point from the third person. I felt very little connection with these roles, although it did not interfere with my liking of the movie overall.
John Connor played by Jason Clarke felt a bit off. In my opinion, this was mainly due to the awful make up on screen. The deep scars in his face up close lost all validity. Considering his concrete role in the film, this caught me by surprise. Often Schwarzenegger's makeup also had the same downfall. While the appearance of the characters seems to fall a bit short, the action and fighting scenes amongst machines, humans and between the two is to be appreciated. I personally have high standards for action scenes and these standards were met without reservation.
Sarah Connor, Kyle Reese, John Connor and the Guardian are the obvious primary cast members of this film, however, worth mentioning is a program by Skynet called Genisys that takes on a role of its own. Fathered by John Connor (from another dimension), Genisys is a beastly AI version of our present day Cloud, promising to make lives easier through seamless technological integration whilst also threatening the world's end. The fusion of this scarily plausible interface could have stood to be featured further in this film; otherwise, the character of Genisys was a nice and refreshing addition to the Terminator saga.
The screentime for Terminator Genisys falls at 126 minutes. This does seem a bit long. That aside, the film overall was pretty solid. The plot development took care of the details and didn't leave many questions to linger. Incorporation of the backstory was absolutely seamless.
"The future is not set."
Commencing with a literal bang, Terminator Genisys features a strong, succint introduction. Having never fully followed a piece of the Terminator saga, I was quickly briefed on the story within the first few minutes of Genisys. As Kyle Reese travels in time to prevent Judgment Day and the launch of Skynet, Sarah Connor and the well-known Guardian played by Arnold Schwarzenegger are an unlikely but loyal pair to assist in staving off a world ruled by machines.
Jai Courtney as Kyle Reese seems like an odd fit for the role until he begins to develop the unavoidable relationship with Sarah played by Emilia Clarke. As for Clarke's role, her portrayal of Sarah Connor was seemingly awkward until her relationship with Reese further developed. Taking an aerial view of the film, this was the first in a while where I did not feel a relationship with the characters, but rather watched and maintained a view point from the third person. I felt very little connection with these roles, although it did not interfere with my liking of the movie overall.
John Connor played by Jason Clarke felt a bit off. In my opinion, this was mainly due to the awful make up on screen. The deep scars in his face up close lost all validity. Considering his concrete role in the film, this caught me by surprise. Often Schwarzenegger's makeup also had the same downfall. While the appearance of the characters seems to fall a bit short, the action and fighting scenes amongst machines, humans and between the two is to be appreciated. I personally have high standards for action scenes and these standards were met without reservation.
Sarah Connor, Kyle Reese, John Connor and the Guardian are the obvious primary cast members of this film, however, worth mentioning is a program by Skynet called Genisys that takes on a role of its own. Fathered by John Connor (from another dimension), Genisys is a beastly AI version of our present day Cloud, promising to make lives easier through seamless technological integration whilst also threatening the world's end. The fusion of this scarily plausible interface could have stood to be featured further in this film; otherwise, the character of Genisys was a nice and refreshing addition to the Terminator saga.
The screentime for Terminator Genisys falls at 126 minutes. This does seem a bit long. That aside, the film overall was pretty solid. The plot development took care of the details and didn't leave many questions to linger. Incorporation of the backstory was absolutely seamless.
"The future is not set."
Tuesday, July 14, 2015
MAX (2015) 2.0
Max offers a solid story line filled with plenty of ethos, sure to pull on the heart strings of many. The execution of this story and not the story itself is where I found major holes. The film was flawed in more ways than one. Let me explain.
Having seen previews, many of you already know the plot of the film. A soldier, Kyle Wincott passes away (SPOILER ALERT) and his brother, Justin is meant to adopt his war dog, as he will cooperate for nobody else. In the midst, a military brother and lifelong friend named Tyler, played by Luke Kleintank, disrupts this mourning by illegally selling war weapons. That being said, there is not much time for the audience to develop any relationship with Kyle before he is killed overseas. This has a slight domino effect on feeling a connection with the dog, Max, and even with comprehension of how Justin is processing the loss. Had we gotten to know Kyle a bit more, we would have felt the devastation that his family felt.
It seems like huge game changers happen rather quickly in the film, but the small sides stories have an overdose of screen time. These side stories lack substance and only scratch the surface of these other emotional struggles and life encounters. Taking a step back, Max seems more like a made-for-TV movie due to how the plot is developed and unfortunately, the background music. This soundtrack overpowers what was happening on screen, which creates a whimsical tone and lack of credibility. Max and Homeward Bound carry a familiar sound.
As a huge fan of Lauren Graham, she also seems to fall short as the mother, Pamela Wincott. Her relationship with Ray Wincott, played by Thomas Haden Church is not at all convincing. They didn't have any chemistry and the 7 year age difference for Graham and Church feels like a much larger, awkward gap. Face it, Graham's a MILF, and Church should be so lucky. Justin's friends, Carmen and Chuy played by Mia Xitlali and Dejon LaQuake only contribute to the made-for-TV move or ABC Family movie feel. That aside, I do have a feeling we will be seeing a lot more of Xitlali.
Overall, the movie just seems like a miss for me. The intentions of the film were definitely there, but the screen translation missed the mark. Expect to leave this film not knowing how to describe your experience or being able to 'put your finger on' what is missing
On a side note, Max the dog did a wonderful job. Woof, woof, high paw!
Thursday, July 9, 2015
MAGIC MIKE XXL (2015) 2.3
Magic Mike XXL is for the most part what any viewer would expect having seen the first installment. Personally, I tend to have lower expectations for sequels. That being said, these low expectations may have been surpassed.
The movie starts out rather slow, seemingly struggling to pull a plot together. This trend carries on throughout the movie, with multiple scenes drawn out way too long almost creating an awkward feeling for the audience; it urged us all to check the time on our watches. One scene that comes to mind is on the beach when we are introduced to "Dolly Tits" who 'loves couponing and NASCAR'. This scene is so dark that when she predictably reenters the story, there is a struggle to make the connection that this is the same character.
On the other end of the spectrum, there are funny scenes in the movie that translated well to the female audience. I laughed out loud at one of the characters Oprah reference and another's challenge to make that gas station cashier smile. "How much for the Cheetos and water?" he asks. Another quote than can be taken away is "Maybe it's like the glass slipper" when Big Dick Richie is trying to find a woman who is up for the well-endowed challenge.
Casting seems to be the only portion of the movie that is a win. Bringing the main characters from the first film into the next, Kevin Nash as Tarzan, Matt Bomer as Ken and, of course, Channing Tatum as Mike are a solid fit. The only room for improvement is having selected Jada Pinkett Smith as the guest MC and Tatum's prior love-interest. She seems a bit too old for the role, and this helps contribute to the awkward feeling as mentioned before. Amber Heard as Zoe, Tatum's current love interest is a gladly accepted addition to the cast. Her hippie tendencies and love for red velvet cake only enhance her presence with Tatum, even for an audience who will happily take her place with him.
Overall, the film is not a win. Considering what small plot line there is, I expect more than the very little dancing provided on screen. The final scene also features a short finale when speaking of the screen time for Tatum dancing. At 115 minutes, the film could be honestly been 45 minutes shorter. The movie leaves much to be desired. As a female with female proclivities, I was personally disappointed with the lack of on screen male libido. That says A LOT!
More meat, Magic Mike!
Wednesday, July 8, 2015
TED 2 (2015) 3.2
I was pleasantly surprised by this movie. Being a sequel, my expectations are always set somewhat lower to avoid defeat. From the first shot, the audience was laughing and ready to get into teddy bear, adult humor, as odd as that sounds.
Kicking it off with some laughs from Guy, played by Patrick Warburton and his boyfriend, this pair is an absolute win. They make several appearances throughout the movie, most prevalently at Comicon, and these are a hit every time. All the characters in the film fit quite seamlessly. From Jay Leno and his bathroom violations to Liam Nissan and his interrogation with Ted about the potential punishment for eating Trix as an adult, these are not overdone and served their purpose well. Tom Brady also makes an appearance as Ted tries to coax some "donations" from him. Code 317!
Jessica Barth as Tami-Lynn and Amanda Seyfried is Samantha L Jackson, Ted's first lawyer, are the only characters that potential who are somewhat forgettable in their roles. The blatant stupidity of Tami-Lynn is nevertheless communicated very well with lines such as, "I would kick so much ass mommying." The only aspect of the film locking Seyfried into the role is the constant reference to Gollum, her doppelganger.
Cocoa Brown plays the role of Joy, a cashier who works at Bay Colony with Ted and Tami-Lynn. Having very few other major motion picture roles, she absolutely sells the character and completely nails the few scenes she does have.
Overall, the flow and pace of the movie is on point. The screen time is 115 minutes and full of quotes and references that stick such as, "toothless and ready to go," "Tuesdays we throw apples at joggers," "You have give us the ring my precious eyes" and the constant search retrieval of black cocks.
:)
Wednesday, July 1, 2015
DOPE (2015) 2.2
Now here's a funky introduction of how nice I am.
Going into this movie, I knew only what was featured in previews. I feel that the film is a solid concept, but has been somewhat lost in translation. The audience is able to grasp the overall intention by watching the first ten minutes of the film and the last. Most of the scenes sandwiched between do little to contribute to the ultimate plot.
At a 103 screen time, I was bored throughout most of the film. The only follow through in characterization is with the main character, and even that features very little development. Malcolm, played by up and comer Shameik Moore, is a geek who is out of place in a "tough neighborhood." However, other than him knowing the dictionary definition of "slippery slope" and being able to get access to the chemistry lab without suspicion, there is no other proof of this reputation or knowledge. The concepts seem to struggle to go beyond the surface. This development is communicated with the previews just as much as it was with the entire film.
Other characters in this movie are somewhat forgettable. The beginning starts off strong in terms of characterization, but fades overtime. On a positive note, the style and commitment to clothing and the 90's obsession of these teens is strong. From the small details of the jewelry to even the types of bikes they ride, it feels extremely genuine. It goes without saying because of this 90's theme and style, the soundtrack was on point and definitely one with a future on the charts.
You on point, Phife? All the time, Tip.
Going into this movie, I knew only what was featured in previews. I feel that the film is a solid concept, but has been somewhat lost in translation. The audience is able to grasp the overall intention by watching the first ten minutes of the film and the last. Most of the scenes sandwiched between do little to contribute to the ultimate plot.
At a 103 screen time, I was bored throughout most of the film. The only follow through in characterization is with the main character, and even that features very little development. Malcolm, played by up and comer Shameik Moore, is a geek who is out of place in a "tough neighborhood." However, other than him knowing the dictionary definition of "slippery slope" and being able to get access to the chemistry lab without suspicion, there is no other proof of this reputation or knowledge. The concepts seem to struggle to go beyond the surface. This development is communicated with the previews just as much as it was with the entire film.
Other characters in this movie are somewhat forgettable. The beginning starts off strong in terms of characterization, but fades overtime. On a positive note, the style and commitment to clothing and the 90's obsession of these teens is strong. From the small details of the jewelry to even the types of bikes they ride, it feels extremely genuine. It goes without saying because of this 90's theme and style, the soundtrack was on point and definitely one with a future on the charts.
You on point, Phife? All the time, Tip.
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