It’s that time again. The 5th Annual PCB Summer Movie List!

With the release of ‘Iron Man 3’ this weekend we’re officially entering summer blockbuster season. Keeping with tradition of the past four years, (yikes, has it really been that long) below are all of the summer movies I’m interested in seeing (subject to change based on buzz and reception). 

I do this mostly as a reference for myself, and like usual I’ll be crossing off the ones I’ve seen and linking to any reviews I write. Look for sporadic reblogs of this post throughout the summer to check in on my progress.

• ‘Iron Man 3’ - May 3
• ‘The Great Gatsby’ - May 10
• ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’ - May 17
• ‘The Hangover Part III’ - May 24
• ‘After Earth’ - May 31
• ‘The Kings of Summer’ - May 31
• ‘The Internship’ - June 7
• ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ - June 7
• ‘Man of Steel’ - June 14
• ‘This Is The End’ - June 14
• ‘The Bling Ring’ - June 14
• ‘Monsters University’ - June 21
• ‘World War Z’ - June 21
• ‘The Heat’ - June 28
• ‘The Way Way Back’ - July 5
• ‘Pacific Rim’ - July 12
• ‘RIPD’ - July 19
• ‘The Wolverine’ - July 26
• ‘Blue Jasmine’ - July 26
• ‘Elysium’ - Aug 9
• ‘Kick-Ass 2’ - Aug 16
• ‘The To-Do List’ - Aug 16
• ‘The World’s End’ - Aug 23

Review: ‘Brave’

Once upon a time, there lived a princess in a castle… think you know the rest? About one third into Pixar’s latest, you’ll probably think you do, but as with all good storytelling, nothing is what it seems. And what seems like a straight forward story about a princess and her suitors turns out to be something else entirely. And we all should thank Mark Andrews, Pixar, Disney, and Disney’s marketing department for keeping it a secret.

Anyone that was concerned about another misstep from the people who brought you ‘Up’, ‘Toy Story’, ‘Wall-E’, ‘Finding Nemo’, ‘Ratatouille’, and ‘The Incredibles’ can rest assured. ‘Brave’ is firmly in the win column, and only improves upon their already high batting average. It belongs far more in the same breath as those than it does with ‘A Bug’s Life’ or ‘Cars’. It has everything you’ve come to expect from them, including but not limited to breathtaking visuals, relatable, enriched characters, strong, effective storytelling and vast, deep emotion. 

Disney has built much of its legacy on telling stories about princesses. Pixar, who finally got around to taking a stab at it, manage not only to pay tribute to the path that’s been paved, but cut their own way. ‘Brave’ echoes ‘Mulan’ and ‘Beauty and the Beast’ but only barely. Their princess, Merida, has higher concerns and feels more modern than many to come before her. On a design level, she immediately becomes iconic; her lush, almost-unbelievable red locks pop off the screen in every scene (and I saw it in 2D). Her motivations and character growth are pure, if a bit hazy on a grander scale. ’Brave’ is a storybook come to life, with much of what you’d expect from such a film. It includes castles, an evil witch, magic, horses, kings and queens - but never does it feel redundant or derivative. 

Like Merida herself, ‘Brave’ isn’t interested in finding love. Well, not the love you’re expecting anyway. Where a lesser film would be about Merida breaking out on her own, not wishing to settle down with a prince, the focus is instead on [SPOILERS HERE IN] the mother-daughter relationship. It’s one that isn’t often explored in these types of stories, but makes logical sense as a conflict. That and it’s entirely relatable as an allegory for modern mother-daughter relationships.

Pixar and Disney did such a fantastic job at keeping this aspect a secret, that it comes as a genuine shock when the Queen turns into a bear (there I said it). It’s the opposite of the complaints lobbed at ‘Prometheus’ and should become a new standard in Hollywood. Showing only the first act in the ads and trailers allows for a much more resonant, genuine and complete film. The full-bleed emotion catches you off guard and registers hard. ‘Brave’ isn’t even overly complicated, it doesn’t have many plot twists after that first major one, but because you’re not able to get there before the movie does it becomes more powerful. [END OF SPOILERS]

There’s a certain lack of subtlety that may turn some viewers off. Early on and then less throughout, there are some painful, slapstick-y moments that seem to be out of another film or belonging to another animation studio. They’re somewhat far and in between and are surely there for younger viewers, but to a more mature palette (with a perhaps skewed version of Pixar in their heads) it can be bothersome. 

In a lot of ways, ‘Brave’ lives up to its title. It bucks many trends of typical fairytale princess stories, while operating within the system. One can only hope its marketing plan sets a precedent in the industry. It’s unlikely but movies would be better off for it. Pixar, keep up the good work.

Review: Prometheus

By its nature, ‘Prometheus’ had large shoes to fill, and just as large expectations. The second the term “Alien prequel” was thrown out, and that it would be original director Ridley Scott’s return to form with Damon Lindelof working on the script, the stakes were immediately raised. Pair that with a marketing scheme that was not only meant to invoke ‘Alien’, but was seemingly inspired by the success of ‘Inception’, and you’ve got a perfect storm of high hopes. ‘Prometheus’ is an enjoyable movie but all of this may have worked to its disadvantage.

It should be said, that I saw this at midnight on proper, large format IMAX in 3D. (At the Lincoln Square AMC. If you live in the NYC area you’re likely familiar with this screen, and if you’re not, you should be.) It’s hard for a movie to look bad on that screen and ‘Prometheus’ delivered ten fold in overwhelming, immersive imagery. Whereas ‘Alien’ (and ‘Aliens’) contains much of its action to claustrophobic hallways and air vents, Prometheus, the ship, and ‘Prometheus’ the movie felt big and inviting. This worked to the film’s favor in putting the human heroes at a properly inferior place. Practical special effects combined with detailed and purposely-‘Alien’-evoking production design gave the movie a visceral and striking aura. This comes out all over the place (literally), but mostly in gut-wrenching, unexpectedly gruesome set pieces. Its imagery is purposeful and memorable and makes it worthwhile.

The question of whether this is a prequel or not is an interesting one to look into. For a while now Scott and Lindelof have been denying that it’s a true prequel. Perhaps that was to avoid those aforementioned big expectations (didn’t work) or to misguide the audience story-wise, but in the end, SPOILER ALERT it pretty much is an ‘Alien’ prequel. That said, it may be one of the stronger prequels ever made, if only because it doesn’t end up at the beginning of ‘Alien’, but it still takes a lot of the right cues. It’s akin to JJ Abrams’ ‘Star Trek’ in that it’s a play on the original universe and tropes but manages to be thoroughly modern. “Spiritual sequel,” “not prequel,” or just straight-up “prequel”, whatever you call it, ‘Prometheus’ did a superb job in honoring the original without bastardizing it with a formulaic sequel. If it was a choice between another ‘Alien’ movie and this, I’d pick this every time. And though structurally and sometimes thematically the two sync up very well, other times … not so much.

It’s hard to ignore the fact that ‘Prometheus’ frequently gets lost in its own head. It has a lot of big ideas and is trying to say a lot about creation, evolution, gender roles, rape, free will, religion, why are we here, what’s point of it all, and on and on, that it inevitably ends up skimming most of these. A movie shouldn’t ever give all the answers but maybe pick one or two of these issues instead of all of them and go a little deeper. For every eye-popping set piece and thought-provoking theme, there’s a heavy-handed metaphor or clunky reveal. The script presents a lot of creativity and interesting sci-fi that manifests well, but most of its characters lack characterization and it takes some unfortunate leaps for sake of plot. All of this comes under a microscope largely thanks to ‘Alien’ and the film’s marketing. We’ve been set up for such a stunning, revolutionary movie, that anything short is a disappointment. 

Then there’s the issue of spoilers in the promotional material. While I’m sure the onslaught of trailers and TV spots will get people in the seats, it comes at the cost of them knowing everything that happens. The entire climax of the movie is in the trailers and commercials. This is a big problem and while I’d normally criticize people for complaining about something being “ruined” for them, in this instance, it took away a lot of the magic of this film. Especially, SPOILER ALERT, the fact that Prometheus plunges into the alien ship at the end. That is the freaking climax of the film and it has no business being shown outside of the movie.

Being a reincarnation of ‘Alien’ clearly had its pros and cons, but ‘Prometheus’ is far from a total waste. I’d recommend seeing in the biggest theater possible and in 3D (which it was shot in), I’m not sure I would have liked it as much if I saw it any other. If for nothing else you’ll get to see Idris Elba play a mini-accordian. 

Review: Men In Black 3

I’m not going to dwell on Men In Black 3, because for the most part it’s just adequate. It’s an enjoyable summertime flick that has all the elements, but never lives up to the full potential of the original. (Full disclosure: I have never seen MIB2, have heard it’s quite bad, and have no intention to see it.)

Will Smith is in top form, doing his thing. Since it’s been so long since his last comparable role (Hancock in 2008), this seems like a revelation. He’s quick, funny, charming — all that you’d expect from him in the 90s. Good to know he’s still got it. Josh Brolin embodies Tommy Lee Jones, which makes the transition between the two seamless. It’s a shame then that his backstory that is teased throughout isn’t that interesting.  Jemaine Clement is excellent as the villain (stroke of genius casting there), and is only out done by Michael Stuhlbarg who carries the heart of the movie on his shoulders and does a damn good job. His character and portrayal are one of the few things that makes MIB3 worthwhile. Thankfully, Nicole Scherzinger appears only briefly and has very few lines.

The film has its share of comedic and cool sci-fi, creature stuff but nothing that really knocks you back. On a macro level, it has a clever and well-laid script, but once one dives in a little deeper it’s full of contrivances and logic-holes. Time travel is great, but it gets confusing fast and MIB3 breaks one too many of its own rules to really pull it off. 

[Lastly, and this isn’t much of a criticism but more a question, wasn’t it set up in the original that Men In Black agents don’t sleep? Why then is J shown playing video games in his apartment in front of a bed?]

Review: The Dictator

Sacha Baron Cohen is not for everybody. His particular brand of humor aims to offend and at times can lean towards the juvenile. The Dictator has more than your average comedy’s worth of gross out gags and raunchy humor. It’s sure to turn off a lot of viewers. But it also has more than your average comedy’s worth of satire and, dare I say, intelligence to keep it afloat. 

Beat to beat The Dictator is an incredibly funny movie, proving that Cohen can craft a humorous character and universe without exploiting everyday simpletons. It’s a loose string of often-hilarious set pieces, 85% of which work to much comic effect. When you take a step back and examine The Dictator as a piece of storytelling things get a little more hairy (pun intended). The love story and many of the plot details are completely throw away, serve little purpose and barely make sense. Not that it matters though when the filler is as laugh-out-loud as much of this is. (Honorable mentions should be given to several running gags and the soundtrack.)

Larry Charles and Cohen managed to stick every funny person they could find into what turns out to be a large cast. Comedy fans will be delighted at the sheer number of cameos in almost every scene. Jason Mantzoukas though, steals the movie. His talents have gone unrecognized for too long and his turn here is top notch; you’d almost wish you could hear he and Cohen banter all day long. Their (what I’m assuming are) improvs are that funny. Anna Faris, on the other hand, is unremarkable and bland.

For all of its low brow humor, The Dictator feels fresh, relevant, and utterly satirical. Cohen chops and blends bits of current events and dictator-lore into a reflective persona that serves its over-the-top purpose. The underlying satire keeps it from dipping into Mike Meyers or Adam Sandler territory, while reminding us of Cohen’s past bites at society.

All of this reaches climax in a wondrously executed monologue where Cohen turns the Dictator’s mirror on the US and the image is just as ugly as it was on his TV show. Of course this is followed by a nonsensical, motivation-less ending. Because you can’t win ‘em all. 

Review: Marvel’s The Avengers

Previously, on The Avengers. 

You have to hand it to Kevin Feige. There’s no reason six different films from five different directors with five different writing teams should work as a cohesive body of work. Setting all of these stories within the same universe and having them work under the same rules, all complimenting each other in aesthetic and theme is an absurd undertaking. One writer-director can barely pull this off. And yet here we stand, Marvel’s The Avengers opening across the globe, and with much thanks to Joss Whedon, pulling it off with literal flying colors.

The Avengers initiative (and I’m talking about making the movies themselves not the parallel assemblage of super heroes within the movies) is more than just a franchise or string of sequels. In many ways it’s a mega-franchise that directly evokes the medium from which it’s adapted. Warner Brothers was bold in their choice of Alfonso Cuaron for the 3rd Harry Potter film. He elevated and widened the series while bringing his own much needed talent. The WB unfortunately never followed up on their boldness, as that was the last daring choice that series truly saw. Marvel took this approach a step further, realizing that each of their heroes, while tied, would need a distinct and appropriate voice. As a body, this decision worked in spades; all stand on their own but contribute to the grand scheme storytelling they were shooting for. And boy, does it come together. 

Though it’s a loud, raucous action film, The Avengers actually makes the audience feel smart. (Which is largely why it’s a geek magnet and such a pleasurable experience.) The film never blasts you over the head with the background details from the previous movies. They’re there, but subtly laid. Instead, the audience is left to recall what happened in the past and put the dots together themselves. This is what makes hunting easter eggs and finding hidden references so fun. Knowing the characters’ backstories shades their choices and gives everything more depth than what meets the eye. You see this all the time in television, and it works wonders for Marvel here. (Double all that if you’ve read the comics).

But where would any of this be without Joss Whedon. Whedon’s particular brand is all over this film. From snappy, referential dialogue to sudden death to grand, imaginative set pieces, you can tell he is responsible for much of The Avengers’ success. The movie is as funny as it is exciting. You’d think with a plethora of super heroes and ancillary characters, some would go under utilized and forgotten. That’s simply not the case. Every character gets a shining memorable moment and like their individual films works towards the cohesive whole. He even makes excellent use out of Scarlet Johansson’s Black Widow.

Now more than ever, Joss Whedon has proven himself as a master of pop culture and genre storytelling. He makes stepping into the shoes of 5 previous directors and writers seem like a cake walk and manages to make all of their work look better in the process. On almost every level, he just gets it. 

But such a task is not without its pitfalls, and I would be remiss not to mention its simplistic plot made to feel complicated and its forgettable villain army. The story of The Avengers is actually fairly straightforward. Loki has teamed up with the space-meanies, the Chitauri, to conquer Earth, meanwhile S.H.I.E.L.D. is harvesting the power of the magical-energy source, the Tesseract, Loki steals it so he can bring the Chitauri to Earth, Nick Fury assembles The Avengers to fight him, they fight each other, they put their differences aside, you know the rest. In the film this is much more drawn out and grandiose, without really needing to be. On the Chitauri, they’re given no backstory and no motivation, they’re literally faceless, angry aliens and it’s a detriment to the otherwise shaded story. Loki stands in and is compelling but the audience is aware that he’s a pawn and doesn’t learn much about the Chitauri or their leader. That lack-of-knowledge-makes-the-audience-feel-smart thing can be a double edged sword.

American audiences get not one but two post credit scenes - a welcome tradition for Marvel, which has now bled into almost every major movie. (I never leave before the credits are done anymore, no matter what the film is.) The former appeals only to Marvel comic fans and may come as a disappointment to casual viewers, while the latter shot but 3 weeks ago (all the way at the end of the credits) is genuinely hilarious and trademark Joss. As a side note, the 9:40 am audience I saw it with was the most excited, enthusiastic audience I have ever witnessed in a theater. One Hulk moment in particular, during the film’s climactic battle, had people on their feet cheering. If that’s any indication, this is unbridled movie going pleasure and no matter where Marvel and Disney take their mega-franchise from here, they can at least relish the fact that they pulled off something unprecedented. 

It’s back! The 4th Annual PCB Summer Movie List!

With the release of The Avengers next weekend we’re officially entering summer blockbuster season. Keeping with tradition of the past three years, below are all of the summer movies I’m interested in seeing (subject to change based on buzz and reception). As this list is longer than it’s been in the past, chances are I won’t manage to see all of them. 

I do this mostly as a reference for myself, and like usual I’ll be crossing off the ones I’ve seen and linking to any reviews I write. Look for sporadic reblogs of this post throughout the summer to check in on my progress.

• The Avengers - May 4
• The Dictator - May 11
• Men In Black 3 - May 25
• Moonrise Kingdom - May 25
• Piranha 3DD - June 1
• Snow White and the Huntsman - June 1
• Prometheus - June 8
• Safety Not Guaranteed - June 8
• Rock of Ages - June 15
• That’s My Boy - June 15
• Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter - June 22
• Brave - June 22
• Seeking a Friend for the End of the World - June 22
• To Rome With Love - June 22
• Magic Mike - June 29
• People Like Us - June 29
• The Amazing Spider-Man - July 3
• Ted - July 13
• The Dark Knight Rises - July 20
• Neighborhood Watch - July 27
• The Bourne Legacy - Aug 3
• Total Recall - Aug 3
• The Campaign - Aug 10
• Premium Rush - Aug 24

As August winds down, another summer blockbuster season has come and gone. I faired out pretty well this year, maybe better than others in wish-to-see::actually-saw ratio. My apologies for not writing more reviews as the summer went on. 

• Thor - May 6
• Bridesmaids - May 13 Review
• The Hangover Part II - May 27 Review
• The Tree of Life - May 27
• X Men First Class - June 3
• Super 8 - June 10 Review
• Green Lantern - June 17
• Cars 2 - June 24
• Bad Teacher - June 24
• Attack The Block Review
• Transformers: Dark of the Moon - July 1
• Larry Crowne - July 1
• Horrible Bosses - July 8
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 - July 15
• Captain America - July 22
• Friends With Benefits - July 22
• Cowboys & Aliens - July 29
• Rise of the Planet of the Apes - Aug 5
• 30 Minutes or Less - Aug 12

How many have you seen?

Review: Super 8

JJ Abrams successfully pastiches classic Spielberg with thrilling flare (and not just lens flare*). Super 8 delivers a revived sense of movie magic, that despite the recent onslaught of super hero capers and tent poles, has been vacant from multiplexes. Oh, big budget action movies are supposed to have heart? I think I remember that. Oh, and they’re supposed to wow you with cool, new ideas and creativity? Go figure. Consider it something you didn’t realize you missed until you got it back. 

The father/son dynamic while given the old college try is a bit lacking. One or two more establishing scenes between these two central characters could have gone a long way. To this end, first timer Joel Courtney, though a cute face, is somewhat flat. Good thing then that the rest of the child ensemble around him is brilliant - especially Elle Fanning who is nothing short of a revelation. 

Super 8 is a fun, whole experience worth seeing in a theater on the big screen. And while it never transcends to blow-you-away genius (like Inception or even District 9) it holds its own as a glorious reminder of the magic of cinema and the innocence of a bygone era.   

*Though he does love his lens flare.

Review: The Hangover Part II

How different do you like your sequels?  Do you like seeing the same characters in entirely different situations? Or would you like to see a reprise of familiar antics but with new characters? Do the actors have to be the same? Do the characters have to have learned something and be applying their previous canon knowledge? All of these questions may come across your mind during a screening of The Hangover Part II, a film which plays out as half empty-minded fluff, half cinematic conundrum.

Many have noted and joked that The Hangover Part II is a repeat of The Hangover (part I). (Just see the Madlibs gag posted here). And while there is absolutely no denying this to be the case, before we go and bash the filmmakers for doing so, one has to consider the motivation behind making such a move. First is money. This is a big summer blockbuster release, aiming for mass appeal. There’s a reason procedural television programs like Law & Order and CSI (to name two of the most successful) find routine audiences. They’re comforting to watch; the procedure is familiar to the audience. If we critically approach The Hangover Part II in such a fashion and consider it episode two in The Hangover episodic series it goes down a little smoother.

On some level audiences want to see characters they love get into familiar hijinks. Fortunately for Part II the gags work. The characters are just as funny. Zach Galifiniakis again is a scene stealer. It works on a level in which they can build upon the original Besides, the script goes incredibly dark. So dark and taboo that one can’t help but marvel at the fact that this is still a giant, blockbuster summer release. Because had it been released any other time of year, under a different name, it would be heralded as the bleakest of dark comedy. What with all the full frontal transvestites, shootings, missing fingers, and lethal drug use. It’s almost too much at some points, where it veers from comedy into straight tragedy. 

The second half of its reasoning to be a carbon copy is a bit more below the surface. Is it possible that The Hangover Part II was made as a replica of The Hangover, dare I say, on purpose? The woefully wrong title leads one to think not. “Part II” alludes to the continuation of a story - wherein characters would have some kind of development over the greater arc. Instead here they make the same mistakes and learn the same lessons. That’s not a “Part II” by any means.

But what if we imagine The Hangover as a prequel story to The Hangover II, where everything from the first film was in fact foreshadow for the larger stakes of the second film. Still not working for you? Consider actor Bryan Callen. Callen shows up in both films as two different instances of the same character. In The Hangover he plays Eddie, Las Vegas chapel owner, in Part II, he’s Samir, underworld strip club operator. In both episodes he’s a fringe character that comes into contact with the wolf pack along their journey, offering some type of guidance and hostility. It should be noted that never do the characters acknowledge that he looks familiar or say “Aren’t you the guy?” Such a casting decision is not made on accident, and for me proves the two stories are intrinsically linked and mirror images of each other for reasons other than laziness. The fact that it plays out so subtly indicates these two stories are cosmically tied on a subconscious level for these characters. 

In the end I’m probably reading too deeply into what is just meant to be fleeting entertainment. (Successful fleeting entertainment though). If nothing else, the picture is surprisingly well shot for its genre. Just take a look at the image above. Thought was given to location and composition throughout, and certain scenes such as a fantasy inside Galifianakis’ mind and a series of black and white snapshots of a drug mule-ing monkey are artfully stylized. The Hangover Part II is an exercise in a different type of sequel than what we’ve come to expect as savvy modern movie goers, but that doesn’t mean it’s a total waste of time. 

Review: Bridesmaids

So rarely does a movie with this high of expectations live up to its buzz. Whether trumpeted by marketing, commercials, or talk show appearances, the over appraisal of a release can be a dangerous thing. Pair that with the enormous stakes Hollywood and movie fans alike have burdened Bridesmaids with and a storm of potential disaster is a-brewing. But damn it all, if the movie doesn’t quash everyone of those fears, riotously claiming the spot of 2011’s first truly great movie.

A lot of effort has been spent by the studio, the stars, and the critics to convince people this is not a chick flick. [Personally I had to do this last night with my male friends]. Plagued by a loaded title and female lead cast, within the greater context it’s an understandable problem. But it was a necessary effort because it can’t be stressed enough that it’s not a chick flick. It’s a flick with chicks, but “chick flick.” No. It’s not a dick flick or guy’s movie either. It’s not women written as men, doing crazy things that guys would do. It’s a movie without gender bias. With many parallels to previous Apatow production I Love You Man (if you like that one you’re going to love this one), it brings equal balance of outrageous, incredibly funny humor, and emotional, deep heart. All with universal appeal.

Apatow is nothing if not an amazing manager of talent. He knows how to wrangle up strong writers, directors, performers and just let them do their thing. Kristen Wiig and her writing partner Annie Mumolo have put together a surprising, brilliantly written script. The amount of empathy we feel for Wiig’s main character Annie as her life falls apart is palpable and is the main reason the movie works so well. Miraculous then is how they can on one page churn out an incredibly heartfelt, touching moment and on the next crack a raunchy c-word joke. And mind you this is impressive not just because they’re women. This would be a spectacular feat if a man were to do it as well. 

Wiig takes double duty and opts to star in the thing. Watching her deliver is like watching a movie star be born, a real bona-fide, relatable star. She’s a master of physical comedy, line delivery, and authenticity, talent of the kind that we haven’t seen in a long time. The deep empathy found in the film is only half brought to you by writing, the other half coming from Wiig’s take on the character - even as she self destructs.

But it doesn’t stop there. Bridesmaids is packed to the wall with scene stealers. A lot has been said about Melissa McCarthy and her walking away with this movie. Yes she does do this. Quite often in fact. Take for example one of the movie’s many thesis scenes, in which her and Wiig go from physically fighting to honest discourse. Special attention should also be paid to primary love interest Chris O’Dowd. His Officer Rhodes is a highlight of the movie and makes you wonder where has he been all this time. In a lot of ways though Bridesmaids is an ensemble picture with everyone turning in winning performances. From Maya Rudolph to Ellie Kemper to Wendi McLendon-Covey to Matt Lucas and Rebel Wilson to fucking Jon Hamm. God damnit is Jon Hamm hilarious in this film.

Which of course leaves Rose Byrne. Poor Rose Byrne. She is a fine actress with plenty of comedic chops but when it came to casting she really got the short straw. Despite all the praise for writing and production, which it very much deserves, Byrne’s character Helen (essentially the antagonist) is woefully underwritten and painfully one sided. You want to be able to sympathize with her as well but not until the very end (and even just barely then) does she get to become anything more than an intolerable shrew. Her acts throughout are immoral and selfish to the point of disbelief. It would have been nice for that character to seem more like a human being.

Not to worry though, it’s entirely bearable considering everything around her is near perfect. Bridesmaids quite possibly brings to the table more than any previous Apatow film. Just look at another one of the film’s various “thesis” scenes. After having a particularly hard day Annie, who is a baker, comes home and makes herself one cupcake. She slaves over it, molding fondant into flower pedals, painting each one with a miniature brush, covering every meticulous detail until it is perfect. And there sits a beautifully ornate cupcake (enough to make the audience I saw it with gasp). She stares at it for a bit, picks it up, and takes a huge bite. Obviously a play on the old axiom of one having their cake and eating it to, but it speaks to a great thematic about the character’s penchant for self destruction. How often do you see that kind of metaphor in a chick flick? Or a dick flick for that matter? Not very often.

With the release of Thor this weekend we’re officially entering summer blockbuster season. Keeping with tradition of the past two years, below are all of the summer movies I’m interested in seeing*, mostly as a reference for myself. Like years past I’ll be crossing off the ones I’ve seen and linking to any reviews I write. Look for sporadic reblogs of this post throughout the summer to check in on my progress.

• Thor - May 6
• Bridesmaids - May 13
• The Hangover Part II - May 27
• The Tree of Life - May 27
• X Men First Class - June 3
• Super 8 - June 10
• Green Lantern - June 17
• Cars 2 - June 24
• Bad Teacher - June 24
• Transformers: Dark of the Moon - July 1
• Larry Crowne - July 1
• Horrible Bosses - July 8
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 - July 15
• Captain America - July 22
• Friends With Benefits - July 22
• Cowboys & Aliens - July 29
• Rise of the Planet of the Apes - Aug 5
• 30 Minutes or Less - Aug 12

*Subject to change.

Summer is over. Lets see how I did…

• Iron Man 2 - May 7th Review
• Macgruber - May 21 Review
• Karate Kid Review
• A Team
• Get Him To The Greek - June 4 Review
• Splice - June 4 Review
• Toy Story 3 - June 18 Review
• Cyrus - June 18
• Grown Ups - June 25 Review
• Despicable Me - July 9
• Inception - July 16 Review
• Salt - July 23
• Dinner For Schmucks - July 23
• The Other Guys - August 6 Review
• Scott Pilgrim Vs The World - August 13 Review
• Piranha 3D - August 27
• Machete - Sept 3

Not bad. The only remaining movies I’m really interested in seeing are Machete and Cyrus. All in all I think it was a pretty good summer quality wise, more than half of these were above average. If I had to pick a favorite for the season I think it’s going to be Scott Pilgrim, by a nose over Inception. Worst is easily Grown Ups.

Review: The Other Guys

Two big screen action comedy buddy-cop send ups were coming out this year. The Other Guys and Cop Out. Speaking honestly, I thought Cop Out was going to be great. Even though Other Guys was from Adam McKay and Will Ferrell and featured an all star cast, Cop Out was based on a blacklist script (originally titled A Couple of Dicks), starred Tracy Morgan and was being directed by Kevin Smith. How wrong I was. Cop Out ended up a dud. Understand then my skepticism going into The Other Guys. Could it succeed where others had failed?

Yes, yes it could. The Other Guys is Adam McKay and Will Ferrell’s best comedy since Talladega Nights, it’s also they’re most grown up comedy. The situations, jokes, characters, and action all work together very nicely. It’s laugh-per-minute ratio is high, but there are still big pay off moments. I’m not going to go into any details on jokes or plot because they’re best experienced unspoiled. There are some highly unexpected moments, that are riotously funny in a way only McKay and Ferrell’s movies can be. Mark Wahlberg and Ferrell play off each other well, with comedic timing and dynamic so practiced you’d think they had been a comedy duo for years. 

While it has its surreal aspects, The Other Guys is based in reality. More so than their past work, and it lends a great believability and resonance to the movie. Shooting on location was another bonus for this film, all of which shot in New York at the real life places. Maybe it’s my vicinity to the action but New York really shines in this movie and gives the film another added level of respectability. The amount of on location that was done is unbelievable.

There’s some neat technical creativity as well that takes it to another level. A drunken night in a bar is shot all in frozen, 3D stills as the camera moves through. It’s hard to explain but very cool to witness, certainly a “how’d-they-do-that?” moment. Not something typical of an over-the-top Will Ferrell comedy.

The third act drags a bit, while you wait for the action to resolve. The climax doesn’t have the proper emphasis that it should, and the case the detectives are trying to crack at times is confusing. Also, there’s an informational graphic sequence over the credits that gives some context for the crime in the movie, but essentially changes the post-theater conversation. It’s a zany action comedy that alludes to some deeper socio-political issues, but with the added info graphics at at the end it suddenly becomes way more serious. May not have been the best move. But if you sit through it you’ll be rewarded with a bonus scene.

The Other Guys exceeds expectations. It’s funny, original and toes the line of action and comedy very well. It should go down as one of Ferrell and McKay’s best, joining the ranks of Anchorman in the modern comedy echelon.