Jon Francis Daley and Jonathan M. Goldstein’s Vacation (C) reboots the classic comedy franchise with an affable Ed Helms as “Rusty Griswold” taking his family on a cross-country car trip to the fictional West Coast Wally World theme park. Amidst the barrage of gross-out humor, there is a legitimate glimpse at a modern American family with genuine marital struggle, raucous sibling rivalry and a road to redemption. Most of the predictable humor springs from unease and awkwardness, and there could have been a whole lot more inspiration in the episodic stops along the way. There were very few surprises but still a good deal of laughs on this holiday road. Let’s hope if this clan does Europe next, it will be less by-the-books.
Tag Archives: Comedy
“Tangerine” Introduces Viewers to Refreshingly New Screen Characters
Famously shot on three iPhone 5s smartphones and the toast of Sundance, Sean Baker’s new indie comedy/drama Tangerine (B) is an exotic fruit indeed. The movie showcases two transgender actresses, Kiki Kitana Rodriguez and Mya Taylor, who magnificently play sassy prostitutes (as one character says “a trainwreck and a hot mess”) involved in antics to exact revenge on the woman who has been sleeping with their pimp while one of our heroines was incarcerated. The film is a bit challenged in tone, varying like a whirling dervish from comic misadventures to more somber moments. The quality of the filming is gorgeous, with a near-Technicolor glow that makes a seedy Los Angeles of doughnut shop and alleyway encounters come to vivid life. Dare I say it all feels a bit like a gender-bending Clerks! One character says, “L.A. is a beautifully wrapped lie,” and by the end, the city itself becomes quite a character.
Game Over for “Pixels”
There’s lots of inspired stuff in a movie about a 1982 time capsule that prompts modern-day extraterrestrials to co-opt nostalgic video game iconography to attack the planet, but director Chris Columbus and an Adam Sandler-led comedic ensemble drain Pixels (D-) of any sense of wit or charm. The filmmakers barely summon hand-eye coordination in mishandling a story about how a rag-tag group of misfits conjure their inner joysticks and roller controllers to topple Galaga, Centipede, Pac-Man and a gaggle of galactic meanies. When a film employs intentionally dated graphics and an absurd premise, it requires credible acting and a logical thematic through-line; that’s why Ghostbusters worked so brilliantly. Alas the game is over long before it starts for Pixels, with everything from Tom Arnold playing the U.S. President as Sandler’s best friend and Michelle Monaghan as Sadler’s love interest being but two of the plot points catalogued in the not-credible category. As Sandler and Josh Gad exert their action antics and moribund comedy to a not-at-all thrilling conclusion, one simply wonders what would have happened had the studio chosen a different adventure with better talent to tell this tale. For a better foray into the 8-bit heyday, I recommend the documentary King of Kong.
“Trainwreck” a Funny Showcase for Schumer
Writer and lead comic actress Amy Schumer couldn’t ask for a better feature film maiden voyage vehicle than Judd Apatow’s Trainwreck (B), a screwball character study shrouded in rom com clothing. Schumer’s central character is a boozy and sexually liberated magazine writer who meets her match in a well-grounded sports physician, warmly and effectively played by Bill Hader. Both Schumer and Hader are unconventional casting choices; and honestly, I wasn’t entirely convinced of their chemistry despite lived-in performances. But the film packs a comic punch with jabs at the mores of modern dating and has moments of poignancy in the heroine’s relationship with her misanthropic papa. There are shades of Pretty Woman and Bridesmaids as the film navigates some typical narrative arcs, and “Apatowesque” will now just be my adjective for overlong comedies. But as a sassy star is born, her film is a filling and funny frolic.
“Magic Mike XXL” Isn’t Any Less Shallow
Gregory Jacobs’ Magic Mike XXL (C+) takes a long time to get to the money shot: twenty minutes of wish fulfillment by a sextet of reunited male strippers in the form of some crazy cool choreography. The film mostly meanders through road trip, “let’s put on a show,” and several other genres before it lands on a “let’s just give ’em what they want” finale. Despite the perfunctory nature of most of this episodic trek, it is a mild improvement over its more pedigreed predecessor thanks largely to standout performances by Channing Tatum and Joe Manganiello as the one lured back in and the one reinventing himself, respectively. A trio of female performers – Jada Pinkett Smith, Andie MacDowell and Elizabeth Banks – also imbue the festivities with a bit of subtext that makes the activities seem a bit more easy and less sleazy. Although not directed by Steven Soderbergh this time around, that director stays involved under a pseudonym as director of photography. It’s still unclear why he’s involved in this franchise which always seems like a documentary of the same subject with these fun actors would be more entertaining than what ultimately ends up on screen. Some of the activities simply seem directed by the party drug Molly. Still, after not much happens for most of the film’s duration as the gaggle of go-gos travel to Myrtle Beach for a stripper showcase, their final dances have a mild Wizard of Oz quality as they vanquish their vulnerabilities.
“Ted 2” is Teddy Fair
Seth MacFarlane’s sophomoric stoner sequel Ted 2 (C) has enough funny parts to warrant a cable TV viewing, but the buddy comedy highjinks don’t match the punch of its predecessor. The first film wisely focused on the central bromance of Mark Wahlberg’s lovable lug and his foul-mouthed living teddy bear, voiced by the writer/director. Here the action shifts to a fable about the plush character’s civil rights, and the uneasy mix of comedy and legal procedural just doesn’t do the humor justice. Some comic bits with football star Tom Brady and at Comic Con are wasted opportunities, and Wahlberg’s relationship with Amanda Seyfried is underdeveloped (and wasn’t the whole first film about scoring Mila Kunis?). Despite the vulgarity, both Ted films have heart, but this one has diminishing returns on plot and laughs. It’s more muddle than cuddle.
“Me and Earl and the Dying Girl” a Bright Coming of Age Film
Poignant, inventive and altogether different from other summer movie offerings, Alfonzo Gomez-Rejon’s Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (A-) deserves to be the sleeper hit of the summer. Anchored by Thomas Mann’s impressive acting as an anxiety-struck and self-effacing teen, this coming of age dramedy is laced with clever animations, amusing parodies of foreign films and spry dialogue that takes you into the mind of outsider teens finding connection. Olivia Cooke and Ronald Cyler are enjoyable in their roles inhabiting high school characters that haven’t been rendered this way before. Plot parallels to Fault in Our Stars don’t hinder this story from forging its own path. Nick Offerman and Molly Shannon also shine in small comedic roles. Cinephiles will adore the preciousness of some of the film techniques which recall both Stanley Kubrick and Wes Anderson because that’s just the way this movie rolls. It’s a delight from start to finish with only one act of narrative trickery threatening to derail the momentum. The movie promises to reward multiple viewings and is likely to achieve a bit of cult status.
“Spy” (2015) a Funny Treat
Spy (B+), the latest collaboration between Bridesmaids director Paul Feig and his comic muse Melissa McCarthy, is both a successful send-up of espionage films and a running showcase of hilarious dialogue and pratfalls. Although it falls into the overlong territory (Judd Apatow started this trend in comedies), it is stuffed with double-crosses, witty quips and madcap action. McCarthy is a hoot as an unexpected but ultimately highly credible heroine, and she becomes more and more comfortable in her own skin as she dons an array of frumpy disguises. Rose Byrne is a fabulous foil as an Eastern Bloc baddie, with piercing, non-ironic zingers leveled at our protagonist. Jason Statham and Jude Law are surprisingly daft in their comic moments as well. The film is a great escape, brassy, vulgar and a laugh riot.
“Pitch Perfect 2” Brings On the Sonic Sisterhood
Furious 7 delivered a winning formula earlier this spring: a diverse, likable ensemble with over-the-top automotive stunts and even a bit of nostalgia. Replace race cars with riffs, and you have the imminently pleasing aca-comedy sequel Pitch Perfect 2 (B+), sure to please the franchise faithful. Elizabeth Banks, who repeats her funny gig as a wry music contest commentator, takes the helm as director of PP2, and she orchestrates a creative bumper-crop of pranks, pratfalls, life lessons and female empowerment. Anna Kendrick gets a smart subplot working for a music producer (masterfully played by Keegan-Michael Key) while Hailee Steinfeld skillfully assumes the ingenue role. Rebel Wilson and Adam DeVine bring ample comic relief from the frantic quest to restore the Bellas’ good names after a wardrobe malfunction causes global pandemonium. Several sequences are mild misfires, but mostly it’s a summer camp-fest of fun and surprises. There’s music and one-liners aplenty to keep this pop bonbon sweet and sassy. The script’s respect for the female ensemble and for music itself is admirable. It’s a rollicking ride that at times surpasses the original film’s cult success and is certainly bound for box office glory.
“Paddington” is a Charming Delight
Paul King’s British live action/animated comedy Paddington (A) is quite simply one of the most consistently satisfying family films ever made, following each instinct of visual whim and whimsy with clever and entertaining results. The film chronicles a polite young marmalade-obsessed bear’s journey from the jungles of Peru to the heart of modern-day London as he is taken in by a kindly family (charmingly headlined by Sally Hawkins and Hugh Bonneville) and embarks on a series of madcap adventures. The art direction and production design are exquisite and would leave Wes Anderson slackjawed with its artisan detail. The family home rendered as a dollhouse, the city archives like a scene out of Brazil, the menacing Natural History Museum populated by juicy taxidermist villain (a delightful Nicole Kidman) and the colorful streets filled with antiquities and street music troubadours dot the movie with resplendent visuals which are a wonder to behold. There is also genuine menace in some of the action sequences and an affecting level of sentimentality that never crosses into preciousness. The crafty screenplay is full of double entendres and fun asides that deliver a droll and altogether unexpected joy that adults can appreciate as much as kids. It’s brisk, funny and memorable and joins films such as Babe, The Muppet Movie and Willy Wonka as family classics.
“The Interview” is a Bold Comic Swing
Directors Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg have certainly stirred up a lot of controversy with The Interview (C), but it’s basically just another bro-comedy in the tradition of 21 Jump Street, although not as good. Seth Rogen and James Franco mug and try to outwit each other with vulgarities during an extended adventure to assassinate the Communist Korean leader. Cartoonish silliness ensues with little real insight into the grand stage hornet’s nest of geopolitics with which the filmmakers are provoking. Most of the humor comes from the barrage of back and forth insults between the two comic leads. It’s much ado about something not so distinctive.
“Pride” (2014) an Inspiring Tale of Community
Matthew Warchus’s Pride (B-) is a delightful true story about a group of London-based gay and lesbian activists who raise money for families affected by the British miners’ strike in 1984. When the national union passes on their support, the activists take their donations directly to a small mining village in Wales, resulting in an alliance between the two oppressed communities and of course a bit of fish-out-of-water culture clashes. Many popular British stars are on hand, with Bill Nighy, Imelda Staunton and Dominic West providing some familiar faces for the festivities. But it is Ben Schnetzer as the ringleader and Georgia MacKay as the reluctant hero who shine in central roles. The same formula that worked for Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, The Full Monty and countless others works for the most part here. The period detail is a highlight, and the film is a stirring tribute to outcast communities banding together. The film could have had a bit more meat on its bones to sustain the final reel, and you can see many of the conflicts from a mile away, but it’s a good-hearted romp and a nice surprising history lesson to boot.