After being betrayed by his former boss, ex federale Machete (
Bottom Line
Andy- 8/10 Machete is 90 glorious minutes of gore and sex. It’s silly and way over the top, but what else could you expect from a movie about a guy named Machete? It won’t win an
GOING THE DISTANCE
Drew Barrymore and Justin Long star in this movie about a long distance love truly worth flighting for. Garrett (Justin Long) meets Erin (Drew Barrymore) the day of his breakup. The two hit it off instantly, but trouble comes when Erin’s internship ends without career placement and she is forced to go back to California to finish school. Can these two lovers prove that true love really shows no boundaries? Find out in Going the Distance!
Andy: I’m not one for the romantic comedy. I can’t think of a single one I’ve watched and truly enjoyed. Going the Distance may break that statement. This is a movie that straddles the line between romance and comedy very well. While most of the time I find the humor in rom-coms to be bland and generic, I think the writers were putting the comedy first in Going the Distance.
Alexis: One major thing that I noticed about Going the Distance, was that the trailer by no means gave away or ruined all of the funny parts in the movie. Most times, the trailers of romantic comedies give away all of the cheesy, funny moments and save nothing for the film itself. I do have to say, the trailer of this one served no justice to the hilarity of the actual moments in the movie. I found myself laughing so hard to the point that I couldn’t breathe, and that’s not usually something I encounter during typical romantic comedies. I have to agree with Andy, the line between comedy and romance is balanced extraordinarily.
Andy: Now, I wouldn’t go as far as you and say my breathing was impaired by Going the Distance, nor would I say the line between romance and comedy is balanced to an extraordinary level, but I will say that in terms of romantic comedies, Going the Distance is certainly an above average film for the genre. I found the dynamic between Justin Long Jason Sudeikis, and Charlie Day to be very funny and entertaining, so much so that when the love story would come in to play, it almost felt like a chore. I’m not saying I disliked the love story being told, I actually thought it was a pretty unique take on the love story. My issue with the film is that the R rated humor that comes from Justin Long, Jason Sudeikis, and Charlie Day feels like a completely different movie from the love story between Justin Long and Drew Barrymore
Alexis: I’m going to have to disagree. If the film had been separated into a romance and a comedy alone, then each film would have missing elements. The humor provided by Charlie Day, Justin Long, and Jason Sudeikis only added to Going the Distance as a romantic comedy. It created an uplifting and humorous environment to the romance side of it, or in other words so that the love story would have less seriousness. I truly think that both the love story and the comedic spirit of the three friends created a unique, heartening, and entertaining movie.
Bottom Line
Alexis- 9/10 My expectations were high for Going the Distance, and they were far exceeded. If you like raw humor with a hint of romance, give it a shot!
Andy- 6½/10 Going the Distance is a great romantic comedy, but that doesn’t change the fact that it is a romantic comedy. A lot of times it felt like the film could break out of the genre and become something much better, but the filmmakers instead decided to work within the confines of the genre. Either way, it was entertaining, quirky, and much better than a lot of the crap that’s been coming out recently. And Charlie Day is awesome.
THE SWITCH
Kassie Larson (Jennifer Aniston), an unmarried 40 year old New York woman one day decides to have a child using a donor. Her best friend Wally Mars (Jason Bateman) doesn’t think it’s a good idea. Kassie goes along with her plan and lives her life with her child. Meanwhile, Wally has been living with a huge secret: he replaced her donor’s sample with his own.
Andy: Going into The Switch, I had very little knowledge of what the film was going to be about. I hadn’t seen the trailers, and only once did I see the poster of Jason Bateman curiously staring at a cup. I assumed this was going to be a wild, over-the-top sex romp. That being said I was pleasantly surprised to find that The Switch is a cute romantic comedy that doesn’t fill itself with sexual references and jokes, like the plot may have you assume.
Alexis: Unlike you, Andy, I came across the trailer not too long ago and became instantly intrigued. I haven’t yet seen Jason Bateman in anything that I didn’t like so I had hope for The Switch. And I am very happy to report that my previous statement is still going strong. Most romantic-comedies have those classic cheesy moments and one-liners, but I thought that Jason Bateman brought an entirely new feel to the genre.
Andy: While I do love Jason Bateman, I can’t say I loved this movie. I agree it doesn’t lean on many of the conventional romantic comedy devices, The Switch has no problem being ordinary. A strange twist is brought in with this plot, but the setup and the structure of the film is so routine, it makes the film very plain. It’s a shame because I feel like the cast, including Jeff Goldblum, Patrick Wilson, and Juliette Lewis, could have brought a lot more to this film and really pushed the boundaries of the genre, instead they played it safe and made this film as middle of the road as possible so as to not offend anyone.
Alexis: Even though I do agree that they should have pushed the boundaries a little more with this one, due to the stellar cast, I by no means thought it was bad. The story was a bit plain, and straight to the point, but I feel that people will enjoy this one regardless. The Switch is light-hearted, simple, and yet a lot of fun.
Andy: I just hate when a movie like The Switch has a lot of potential, great cast, unique concept, and throws it all away by filling it with mediocrity and political correctness. I didn’t dislike The Switch, and I’m sure people will find it enjoyable, I just feel that this film is nothing spectacular and never will be.
Bottom Line:
Alexis- 7/10 It’s a romantic comedy; ladies will love it, boys won’t mind it.
Andy- 5/10 The Switch relishes in its mediocrity. There are some parts that I found humorous, and Wally and Kassie’s child is very cute, but the whole movie is so plain; I really feel like the filmmakers missed out on the opportunity to make a truly unique film by making this one so universally appealing.
RATED PG-13 (DRUGS, LANGUAGE, SEXUAL SITUATIONS)
RUNNING TIME: 100 MINS
THE OTHER GUYS
Will Farrell and Mark Wahlberg star in the latest comedy from Adam McKay as The Other Guys, two very average cops who have never been in the spotlight, and have never seen real action in the line of duty. When the chance arises for the two to become more than just “the other guys” the duo get to work on what could be the biggest case of their lives.
Alexis: I went into this movie with very little expectations. Recently, Will Farrell has been on a bit of a cold streak, however, I came out of The Other Guys thoroughly surprised and relieved that I wasn’t bored to tears watching yet another Will Farrell/ Adam McKay comedy.
Andy: I will most definitely agree with you Alexis. This was a flick I went in with very low expectations for, but I was genuinely surprised at how entertaining The Other Guys was. While they certainly didn’t stray too far from their ludicrous comedy shtick a la Step Brothers and Anchorman, this time around it really seemed to click and work well, especially with the source material. And I was quite surprised with how funny Mark Wahlberg actually was.
Alexis: I’ve never seen Mark Wahlberg perform anything like this role. I thought the partnership between Wahlberg and Farrell was very unique and worked very well. Wahlberg’s tough as nails cop with a bizarre soft side plays out hilariously against Will Farrell’s nerdy and awkward police accountant. And although the comedy wasn’t too different from McKay’s comedy, the satirical buddy comedy plot and the new characters really breathed new life into his formula.
Andy: It was interesting to see McKay do a film like this, because even though it is primarily a comedic film, I was surprised to see just as much gun-toting action. The Other Guys has dozens of car crashes, firefights, and slow-motion battle sequences that really give it an interesting blend of ridiculous comedy and gripping action. When watching the movie it almost felt like they were doing too much genre bending for one movie.
Alexis: I disagree. I thought all the elements were included in the movie to give it that satirical and over-the-top feeling. I think they were intentionally cramming this film with so much action and comedy to really lampoon the genre. The comedy was great, but the action made the film work as parody as well as straightforward comedy.
Andy: That’s a very valid point, and when you say that it makes a lot of sense. I guess I didn’t totally look at it like that; my only worry is that I won’t be the only to miss that. Maybe the rest of society will be smarter than me and get it, sometimes I’m a little slow at picking up on these things.
Bottom Line:
Alexis- 8/10 Don’t knock it ‘till you try it. It’s more than Step Brothers in a police station, there is great satire and hilarious comedy going on too.
Andy- 7/10 The Other Guys is very silly. A lot of the comedy had me laughing out loud. But as funny as much of the film was, several of the gags not only fell short, but were just too weird to be even remotely funny. The second half also runs low on jokes and it feels like they added more car crashes and gunfights to make up for that in the last half hour or so. Besides all this, I still recommend The Other Guys for a fun night at the movies and a lot of laughs.
SALT
Salt follows the story of a CIA agent named Evelyn Salt (Angelina Jolie) who is accused of being a Russian spy sent on a mission to assassinate a political figure. Her life is turned upside down as her co-workers begin chasing her down. Is Evelyn Salt a traitor to America, or is she being set up in a much larger scheme? Find out in Salt.
Andy: It has been 3 days since we saw Salt and I’m still not completely sure how I feel about it. While I was entertained throughout the entire film and never once looked at my watch, I felt like there was something lacking.
Alexis: I wish I wouldn’t have read into Salt prior to seeing it, because afterward I felt somewhat disappointed. I had high expectations and came out realizing that it is just another overrated summer action flick.
Andy: That’s quite an accurate description. Salt had a great concept, awesome action, and some very solid performances. It could have been something truly unique and different, however, the filmmakers instead went the safe route and made a Bourne Identity rip off and changed Jason Bourne to Evelyn Salt.
Alexis: There were a few twists in the movie that I didn’t see coming, but they added nothing to the story. It was obvious that several key elements of the film were added just to keep our attention; they did nothing to push the plot forward. I feel like these things took a lot from the film, rather than adding emotion to it.
Andy: And more than that, the more they added to get the audience engaged, the more ridiculous the plot became. What started off as a seemingly simple and elegant plot device, a CIA agent being a Russian spy her entire life, turned into something so insane that it just became silly to watch.
Alexis: Exactly. Besides all of this, the film is stuffed to the brim with action, which is good as long as there is explanation. Unfortunately for Salt, there was none, and it just left me confused and annoyed.
Bottom Line
Andy- 6/10 Salt is a good movie to watch and turn your mind off while you watch stuff blow up, but don’t go in expecting Oscar-worthy storytelling. It is the generic, Wal-Mart brand of Bourne Identity, which isn’t bad, just not very good.
Alexis- 5/10 If you want to see Angelina Jolie playing yet another government agent/spy, running and gunning with tight clothing on, check out Salt. If you care about plot and don’t like when a movie is dominated by action, skip this one for Inception. Or at least wait for DVD.
Rated PG-13 (Violence, Language)
Running Time: 100 mins.
INCEPTION
In a world where the technology to enter the human mind through dreams, an idea is the most dangerous weapon known to man. Don Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) is an extractor, one of the best in the world. His job is to enter the dreams of subjects and steal information they are hiding inside their mind and subconscious. Cobb’s life is in shambles, however, after he was exiled from the United States and forced to abandon his children. By a twist of fate, he is offered the chance to fix his life, in exchange for the impossible, to execute inception; planting an idea into a person’s mind without a trace. Can Cobb and his team perform this incredible mission, or is inception only something possible in dreams?
Director Christopher Nolan has a difficult challenge ahead of him. After directing and creating some of Hollywood’s finest modern films including Following, Memento, Insomnia, Batman Begins, The Prestige, The Dark Knight and now Inception, I cannot imagine how he can top himself. Inception is such a wonder to watch, I don’t even know where to begin. The concept is like nothing I’ve ever heard of before, and is totally captivating. Aside from a little confusion in the beginning and some pacing problems in the first half hour, the film left me and the people around me with our jaws on the floor. The entire time I watched the film I kept wondering how such a unique and creative concept was thought up. The only things more captivating were the visuals. Nolan and this team of filmmakers crafted some of the most inventive and awe inspiring visual effects ever. There has not been something so unique and incredible to look at since The Matrix, and I would argue that Inception trumps even that.
Christopher Nolan employed some Hollywood heavyweights for Inception, and they all did a fantastic job. Leonardo DiCaprio is, as always, magnificent as Cobb. DiCaprio embodies the character and brings this disturbed and heartbroken character to life on the screen, but his performance is not overly powerful where it casts a shadow on the other actors and actresses in the film. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is fantastic as Arthur, Cobb’s right hand man. Levitt is charming and cool, and after his performance in this film, I have a feeling we will be seeing a lot more of him. The rest of the cast, including Ellen Page, Ken Watanabe, Michael Caine, Marion Cotillard, Cillian Murphy, and more, all give fantastic performances.
Bottom Line: 9.5/10 Inception is certainly this decade’s The Matrix, but it’s even more than that. It is the rare science-fiction that not only satisfies the audience with fantastic effects and edge of your seat action sequences, Inception also has a sophisticated and highly original story. And underneath all of this, it also manages to fit in a beautiful love story. I adored this film, from the story, to the visuals, the performances, and the music. The biggest flaw of Inception is also one of its greatest strengths, its complex universe. Explaining the vast universe of Inception is difficult to do as it is very rich and deep, which can be somewhat difficult to follow. When watching the film I had some trouble understanding what the characters were doing until they finished, and then I would realize what they had just done. I always felt like I was one step behind the characters simply because the world of Inception is very full and complex. But if you can handle a bit of head spinning story, you will be rewarded with what is certainly the best film I’ve seen all year and will almost definitely be nominated for a slew of awards this season.
RUNNING TIME: 148 MINS.
THE LAST AIRBENDER
The Last Airbender follows the story of a young boy named Aang, the last survivor of the Air nation and the successor to a long line of avatars. As the avatar, Aang must save the Water and Earth nation from being enslaved and conquered by the Fire nation.
Andy: As much as I’ve been disappointed by M. Night Shyamalan’s last few films, I’ve always thought he would eventually come around and make good movies again. I thought that The Last Airbender. Unfortunately, Shyamalan has let me down once again.
Alexis: Sorry, but I’m going to have to disagree with you. I liked The Last Airbender. I thought the effects were awesome and the story was really neat! I will say that some of the dialogue was pretty bad, but overall, I thought it was a pretty enjoyable movie.
Andy: There is no denying that the effects were really cool. That wasn’t the problem I had with this movie. The problem I had was that the movie felt so disconnected. The dialogue was absolutely terrible, the story was convoluted, and the conflict was not engaging. Heck, even the fight scenes were slow and kind of boring.
Alexis: I don’t know what you’re talking about when you say the story was convoluted. I had no problem understanding the story. Sure, there was a lot of information thrown at us, but that’s just because the filmmakers are introducing us to a very big story. I really can’t think of any other way they could have explained the world of The Last Airbender. This film was sort of like the pilot to a television show, it has to introduce the characters, the world and build the conflict for the sequels.
Andy: I agree with what you are saying, to an extent. I realize that this film had a responsibility to introduce us to the world of the Avatar and The Last Airbender, but the way they did it just sort of made my head spin. I felt like they were just dumping all the information onto us in this film so they could have fun in the sequels. Peter Jackson had no problem bringing to life the massive world of Lord of the Rings, so why did Shyamalan have to make this film so hard to watch? And seriously, could the acting and the dialogue have been any more wooden?
Alexis: I really have no idea what your issue was with the story. It made perfect sense to me. Guess this is one of those things we are going to have to agree to disagree on. I must say, though, the acting was atrocious. But even with the bad acting, I still enjoyed this movie, and I think kids will like it a lot. It’s a big budget action flick that is tame enough for kids to enjoy, which is the audience the movie was intended for anyway.
Andy: I suppose kids won’t be so harsh on the awful acting or the poor story telling as myself. But I have no doubt that the parents that take their kids to see this one are going to leave with a headache after trying to figure what the hell they just watched.
Bottom Line
Alexis- 7/10 It is certainly a flawed film, but The Last Airbender was entertaining nonetheless. And while it certainly isn’t Shyamalan’s best, it’s a lot better than Lady in the Water. The effects are great and I feel like the story is necessary for the sequel, if they do end up making it. The kids and fans of the show will have fun too!
Andy- 3/10 Shyamalan let me down yet again. I didn’t have too high of hopes for this suckfest, but even those hopes were shattered by the piss poor acting, lack of character development, and failure to build a successful story arc and plot conflict. It’s a pretty movie to watch, but it just feels so lifeless.
Rated PG (animated violence)
Running Time: 104 mins.
GROWN UPS
Starring Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, Rob Schneider, and David Spade, Grown Ups is a comedy about five friends who reunite years later to honor the passing of their childhood basketball coach. With their wives and kids in tow, they spend the Fourth of July holiday weekend together at the lake house where they celebrated their championship years earlier.
Andy: I have to admit, I had a little hope for this movie. Adam Sandler has been on a bit of a losing streak for quite some time, so I was hoping that with the star power in this flick, he might finally redeem himself. I’m sorry to say, I was wrong, and Grown Ups also fails to deliver.
Alexis: It was by far a disappointment. However, of late, what more can you expect? My biggest issue with this movie was that there was no point to it. There was no conflict, climax, or resolution. Even the “what did we learn?” moment where each character spilled their heart out felt awkward and out of context.
Andy: It was a weird movie. When watching it, I really felt like it was just a bunch of big name stars hanging out on the weekend. There was no legitimate conflict in the film, and a lot of the comedy and jokes fell flat.
Alexis: I totally agree! I felt like an outsider who was hanging out with a close group of friends. It seemed to me that they were all telling inside jokes and I just felt out of place.
Andy: Definitely. A lot of the movie felt like it was probably a lot more fun to make than it was to watch. I really think these guys all had a great time making this movie, they seemed to be having a lot of fun, but it just didn’t translate well to screen. A lot of the humor just wasn’t funny.
Alexis: Again, I think the humor came more from the actors’ friendships rather than the comedy written in the screenplay.
Andy: Wait, was there a screenplay written for this movie? You could have fooled me. The way the filmed moved, I could have sworn they were just sort of playing it by ear.
Alexis: No kidding. It felt like it dragged on forever just because nothing really jumped out. There were no significant plot movements. Many times, I was convinced I was watching a home movie from Adam Sandler’s weekend at the lake.
Andy: Exactly! That is a perfect description of Grown Ups. It is like watching a funny home video that just so happens to star some of Hollywood’s most bankable comedic stars. Don’t get me wrong, there were several funny parts in the movie, but a lot of them fell flat.
Bottom Line
Alexis- 4/10 Save your money and watch Happy Gilmore instead; a time when Adam Sandler was actually funny.
Andy- 5/10 Grown Ups is not a good movie at all. No plot, no conflict, and most of the movie is just not funny. That being said, there are a few parts that will make you chuckle, so it is at least not a total failure. Still not very good, though.
Rated PG-13 (language, crude humor)
TOY STORY 3
As Andy prepares to go away to college, Woody, Buzz and the rest of the gang is accidently sent to Sunnyside Daycare. What seems like a dream come true, with lots of children to be played with every day soon becomes a nightmare as the toys learn that they are to be played with by kids far too young for them. It is up to Woody and the gang to stop the Strawberry scented Lotso Huggin’ Bear and get back to Andy before he leaves for college.
Andy: Well, I have to say, watching Toy Story 3 was quite a nostalgic experience for me. I remember going to the movie theater when I was young to see the first two and being in awe at the idea of my toys coming to life when I wasn’t around and the third film brought me right back to those days. What did you think about it Alexis?
Alexis: Like you, I had flashbacks from my childhood. For me, Toy Story has always been one of those movies you can watch again and again. I remember watching the first two over and over with my little brother and sister on rainy days. With Toy Story 3, I was brought right back to those feelings, but I was both curious and cautious to see how they would return to this world of toys after 10 years. Needless to say, I feel like they succeeded greatly.
Andy: I completely agree. I wasn’t sure if they would be able to create the same atmosphere and make a sequel that didn’t feel tacked on, but I think they did so quite flawlessly. This film flows so well with the other two; it is like they are all seamless. I find it surprising that there was so much time in between their release. The old characters still have their charm, and the new characters add even more.
Alexis: I absolutely loved the addition of Ken and Barbie! I thought it added fresh comedic material to the already hilarious ensemble. I loved seeing some of the toys and reminiscing on playtime with them. I actually owned Ken’s dream house when I was young! It cracked me up!
Andy: Michael Keaton was awesome as Ken! I loved the attention to detail with his character. Because he was a 70’s Ken doll, he used old slang and wore obnoxious clothing and thought he was a stud. It was fantastic. As for the rest of the film, I think the entire story was really great, a perfect finale to a perfect trilogy.
Alexis: I agree. The climax of the film put me on the edge of my seat, and the resolution was bittersweet and beautiful, almost poetic. As the film came to an end, it felt like the end of an era, and really sort of spoke to me and my generation I think. We all grew up with this series, and just like Andy, we have grown out of our toys and learned to move on.
Andy: I felt the same way. It made me sad to see this thing that has been a part of my life for so long come to an end. It was brilliant, and I couldn’t imagine a better way to close the story of Woody, Buzz, Hamm, Mr. Potato Head and everyone else.
Bottom Line
Alexis- 9/10 I really enjoyed Toy Story 3, but I just think with a series this good, you can never be completely satisfied. Kids and adults will both love it! I highly recommend it.
Andy- 10/10 This is about as close to perfect as you can get with a movie. Maybe I’m biased because this series has a special place in my childhood and in my heart, but I felt like a kid again when I watched Toy Story 3. It is fun for the whole family and will make anyone want to be a kid again.
Running Time 103 mins
No waxing occurs in this reimagining of the 1984 classic The Karate Kid, but there is certainly a lot of child ass kicking, and of course, some awesome Jackie Chan stunts. This modern update to The Karate Kid follows Dre Parker (Jaden Smith, the son of Will Smith) a young boy who is forced to move to China with his mother for her new job. As soon as they arrive to their new home in Beijing, Dre meets a couple new friends, but even more enemies. A ruthless group of Chinese boys begin picking on Dre and beating him up regularly, until one day their apartment maintenance man, Mr. Han (Jackie Chan) puts a stop to it, kung-fu style. After Mr. Han beats up the group of children, which I found to be a little strange (I guess it doesn’t count as child abuse in China if you are using kung-fu to beat the kids), Dre is challenged to perform in the kung-fu tournament. It is now up to Mr. Han to teach Dre the ways of kung-fu before the tournament so Dre can honor his family and save his dignity, and of course, stop getting beat up so much. The Karate Kid isn’t a bad film by any means; I just didn’t find it to be as good as it was hyped up to be. My biggest issue with the film was the length. At almost two and a half hours, I was struggling to sit still; I can’t imagine how kids are going to feel. There was a good 30-40 minutes of fluff in this movie that could have easily been cut out. I mean, it’s not like we don’t know what’s going to happen anyway, we all know the story, why do you have to spend nearly 30 minutes setting up the premise? The acting is actually very good. Jaden Smith is very likeable, just like his daddy, and his rival in the film is so unlikeable, this kid has a career as an evil James Bond villain in the future. Of course, Jackie Chan is great, his martial arts are still top notch, and I found his acting to be some of the best and most believable in his career. The film is certainly a crowd pleaser; at the screening I attended people began cheering in during the tournament. I really enjoyed the film, even though it was almost identical to the original in many aspects, but the length of the film truly killed it for me. If they would have cut down on the fluff I would be much less critical. If there is one thing I cannot stand in films it’s when the filmmakers feel like they need to add useless scenes and plot fillers to add length to a film, and unfortunately, The Karate Kid is about ¼ fluff. The action is neat and exciting, but since it is a family flick, the violence never gets too out of hand, like I wanted it to. I’m a huge fan of Kung-Fu movies, so it always makes me sad when the filmmakers are restricted from going all out on their violence. This isn’t a negative aspect of The Karate Kid, but fans of kung-fu movies and martial arts should know going in that the violence is tame, and nobody gets brutally murdered by some awesome ninja kicks. Bottom Line: 6½/10 ONDINE Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Ondine. The acting and cinematography was great and I was very engaged by the story. If they would have trimmed down a few of the scenes, I would be giving this film a nearly perfect score, but I felt that it dragged on just a bit. Bottom Line: 8/10 GET HIM TO THE GREEK
KARATE KID
Running Time: 135 mins
Directed by Neil Jordan, Ondine tells the story of an Irish fisherman named Syracuse (Colin Farrell) who one day catches a mysterious woman who calls herself Ondine (Alicja Bachleda) in his net. Her suspicious attitude and reclusiveness piques both Syracuse and his daughter Annie’s curiosity. Annie believes her to be a selkie, a sort of Scottish mermaid, and after some bizarre occurrences and a shift in Syracuse’s luck, he too begins to believe she is in fact a selkie. The film moves slowly and remains ambiguous until the very end. You are asking yourself, “Is she really a selkie or is she just crazy?” throughout the entire film. The chemistry between Colin Farrell and Alicja Bachleda is fantastic. They feel genuinely interested and intrigued with each other. Some of the scenes drag on and there is some dialogue that really seems to go nowhere, but the overall atmosphere created is wonderful. Ondine is a very simple film, and that is where it succeeds. The plot and the conflict are easy to identify with and interesting enough to keep you engaged throughout the film. Neil Jordan, who also wrote the screenplay, did a great job at not filling the film up with nonsense. By keeping the plot and the characters simple, he made the film much easier to accept and allowed for the audience to focus less on what was happening in the story and more on whether or not this girl was a selkie or if she was just crazy. The film also has some fantastic music, and fabulous cinematography. Jordan filmed Ondine in a way that makes this particular part of Ireland feel rustic and gritty, yet beautiful, in a nostalgic sense, it’s a very interesting juxtaposition on the fantastical story being told and I believe adds another layer to the film.
Rated PG-13 (Language, sexual situations, violence)
Running Time: 111 mins.
Aaron Greenberg (Jonah Hill) just landed the opportunity of a lifetime at the record company he interns at. He has been assigned to escort one of the world’s biggest rock gods, Aldous Snow (Russell Brand) from London to the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles in 2 days for the first stop of a massive tour. Being a huge fan of Aldous Snow’s, Aaron is more than happy to complete this assignment, but Aldous’ out of control rock & roll lifestyle makes him difficult to control, especially for the soft spoken Aaron. Will Aaron get Aldous to the Greek on time, and more importantly, will they both get there alive? Find out in the side-splitting comedy Get Him to the Greek.
Andy: Well I have to say I was a little nervous about this movie when I first saw the trailers, I just wasn’t sure if director Nicholas Stoller could come close to Forgetting Sarah Marshall, but I must admit, he did come very close.
Alexis: Close?! I’d say he outdid Forgetting Sarah Marshall, this movie was absolutely hilarious! I was nearly rolling on the floor! The chemistry between Jonah Hill and Russell Brand was perfect. Russell acts just like you would imagine one of those drugged up, sexed out rock stars to act. Contrast that with Jonah Hill’s shy and uptight Aaron; that’s some great comedic writing.
Andy: Oh I definitely agree it was funny, in fact I too found it to be hilarious in several scenes, but overall I felt it was a little uneven. There were a couple scenes that almost had me in tears from laughing, but I felt that those were harder to come by. Don’t get me wrong, I thought it was very funny, but the really funny parts kind of overshadowed the parts that were just chuckle-worthy.
Alexis: I mean, I wasn’t dying from laughter the entire time, but I found the movie to be thoroughly entertaining. I never got bored, and was very engaged the entire time. You’re right that some of the funniest parts overshadow the less funny parts, but I didn’t have a problem with that. It would almost be impossible to make the entire movie non-stop laughter like that.
Andy: That’s a good point. I guess the movie does have to quiet down to move the plot along, especially when it is a film that cares about plot. And speaking of story, I must say that I do have to agree that I was very entertained throughout the entire flick. I never once looked down at my watch, which means I must have been enjoying it. The story is simplistic and satirical on the lifestyle of rock and roll superstars and of the music industry, but it doesn’t beat you over the head with the satire, which I liked.
Alexis: Yeah, the story is so simplistic, yet it still engages you, and I really enjoy the satire. All of the ridiculous songs Aldous Snow sings made me laugh so hard. I think one of the only things I didn’t like about the movie was the end. It felt like they ran out of ideas, but still needed more in order to wrap things up so they just added some random, ridiculous scenes that didn’t correlate to the plot in any way.
Andy: Yes! They added a snake! When the filmmaker needs something to take up space but still keep the audience interested they just throw in a shocking scene that doesn’t change the story at all, but adds time and engages the audience, and I know exactly which scene you are talking about! I wasn’t really a fan of how they ended the whole movie too. I mean, I don’t know what else I really expected, but I just wasn’t completely satisfied.
Bottom Line
Alexis- 9/10 Get Him to the Greek is loud, wild, and, like a rock star, out of control. If you like R rated comedies, check it out! I loved it!
Andy- 7/10 I thought this movie was really funny, but the comedy felt uneven and the end left me desiring more. But I think we both agree this film is a great summer comedy!
RATED R (NUDITY, DRUGS, SEX, AND ROCK N ROLL!)
RUNNING TIME: 109 MINS
MACGRUBER
Based on a popular Saturday Night Live sketch, Macgruber tells the story of a real American hero. Macgruber (played by SNL’s Will Forte) is a decorated American war hero who has become legendary for getting the job done, and his signature of never using firearms, rather, he uses everyday household items to defeat the bad guys. Macgruber and his teammates, Lt. Dixon Piper and Vicki St. Elmo are trying the stop the evil Dieter Von Cunth (Val Kilmer) from launching a stolen nuclear warhead, headed towards Washington D.C. Will Macgruber and his team of true American crime fighters pound the evil Cunth, or will he snatch away a victory? Find out in the new action/ comedy Macgruber!
Andy: Well let me start by saying that it is so great to be back! Five months in Thailand was the ultimate vacation, but I sure did miss going to the theater to see a movie every week! And what better way to be welcomed home than by a mullet haired Will Forte portraying the ridiculous, crime fighting, badass Macgruber.
Alexis: I couldn’t agree with you more, Andy. Macgruber kicked off our theater going in a positive way. I’m going to be honest though, when you showed me the trailer while we were in Thailand I wasn’t impressed at all. It looked like one of those movies where all of the funny parts were given away in the trailer.
Andy: The trailer surely shows a lot of the funny parts, but by no means does it show all of them. Macgruber isn’t funny in the traditional comedy sense; the humor comes in its absurdity and stupidity. When watching, I don’t remember laughing because the situation was funny. I only remember laughing because what was happening was over the top and nonsensical.
Alexis: This movie isn’t one that I’m going to watch again, or necessarily recommend to my friends. With that being said, however, it was entertaining. Like Andy stated, Macgruber is overly obnoxious and for that reason, and that reason only, I laughed.
Andy: I actually really enjoyed Macgruber, and will probably check it out again when it comes out on dvd. I loved that it took the played out storytelling techniques of popular action flicks like Lethal Weapon and Die Hard, and turned them into absurdist comedy. The sad part is that Macgruber hardly had to try to make those movies look ridiculous.
Alexis: Although Andy may have thoroughly enjoyed this film, I found it to be incredibly vulgar comedy. So, parents, keep your kids far away from this one! I don’t normally mind vulgar comedy, for example Superbad or Knocked Up, but Macgruber took vulgar humor to an entirely different level.
Andy: Definitely keep anyone under 17 away from this flick; it’s a dirty one. I completely agree with you that it takes the vulgar comedy to another level. During a lot of the scenes I felt really awkward, almost embarrassed, but I think that is part of the fun of Macgruber.
Bottom Line
Andy- 8/10 If you like vulgar humor, parodies, or SNL, check out Macgruber, but if you get offended easily, stay the hell away from this movie!
Alexis- 7/10 Macgruber will force you to laugh whether you like it or not, but at times the humor is uneven and the jokes push it too far.
Rated R (for strong crude and sexual content, violence, language and some nudity.)
Running Time: 99 mins
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