Bad Moms Cert: 15 / 101 mins / Dir. Scott Moore & Jon Lucas / Trailer
I'd long suspected it, of course, but it appears that The Hollywood Corporation™ actually has a dedicated department (of rolling-staff) whose sole function is to pen distinctly substandard screenplays, then title them with the word "bad" followed by the description of the main character(s) in a self-effacing attempt to just ride that shit out. Neighbours, Grandpa, Teacher, Education. Each one with the adjective-part of the title serving as a direct warning.
Is it a warning I heed..? Of course not.
I'll be completely upfront, while that trailer didn't fill me with confidence, I really wanted to like Bad Moms as it's got a great central cast. Mila Kunis and Kristen Bell are on top form*1, and Kathryn Hahn deftly steals every scene she's in. Christina Applegate tries her damnedest to make the most of 'generic evil PTA mom', and pretty much everyone else is a cardboard cut-out with the words "Insert characterisation post-prod" written where the face should be.
As is par for the course these days, the aforementioned trailer outlines the film far more thoroughly than it should, but far from spoiling the best gags, the final cut actually features many less-funny variants and ad-libs*2 of the lines we've seen several times, undercutting its own attempts to bring the trailer-watching audience something fresh.
Perhaps the most insulting thing about this ode to dysfunctional motherhood is that it's actually written and directed by two guys. Not just any two guys, but the two guys who wrote The Hangover. Now, I like the Hangover movies, but they are very much what they are; blokey films for blokes by blokes. So there's a part of the equation in Bad Moms which doesn't really hang together. It appears that Messrs Moore and Lucas toyed with crafting a spiritual cousin of Bridesmaids, but ended up knocking out an oestrogen-flavoured Hall Pass instead.
Now obviously, this film wasn't aimed at me, and I by no means hated it. But it loses a point for the final twenty minutes, which are so excruciatingly patronising that they make Emma Roberts' anarchist-mollifying crescendo in Nerve look like James Dean spitting at a vicar's mum. Every misty-eyed, head-tilting, single-tear, standing-ovation-sparking, group-hugging, forced-nostalgia moment, (from Mila's rousing appearance at the PTA election night to the credits-accompanying footage of the cast sitting on sofas with their real-life mums and talking about how simply wonderful everything is) has been calculatingly laid out to convince the audience they've watched something emotionally worthy, rather than just over an hour and a half of dick-jokes and chronically lazy stereotyping.
Credit where it's due though, the rest of tonight's advance-screening audience found the film audibly and regularly amusing. They're either nowhere near as jaded as I am, or the glue-fumes blowing through the air-conditioning units just didn't reach as far as seat F11.
The Bad Moms DVD will, of course, be a staple fixture on the 'Mother's Day Gift Ideas' supermarket display-stands from next year until around the time the Earth goes hurtling into the Sun. And after the last twenty minutes of this movie, I probably wouldn't mind if that was sooner rather than later…
Bad [x] films.
And bad films.
Only if you're desperate to see it as soon as possible and can't wait until it's on the £3 DVD rack.
No.
No.
Amazingly, no.
No.
Level 2: This film's got Jada Pinkett Smith in it, who also starred in 2008's The Women alongside Carrie 'Leia' Fisher.
*1 Although the placement of Kunis and Bell in particular is the second time in as many days that I've been reminded I'd rather be watching Forgetting Sarah Marshall.
*2 Several featuring my second-favourite kind of ad-libbing, where one character delivered a combination feed/punch-line, then someone else on-screen basically describes what just happened and why it's funny. To wit, one character falls over while another stands and winces, saying "oh, that hurt!", their role existing purely to deliver the explanation. Alternatively, one character repeats what another character says for comic effect. The second character berates the first character for repeating them, also for comic effect. Then twenty minutes later, the whole thing is re-enacted again in a different scene. #Comedy
*3 And let's look on the bright-side here. With Jupiter Ascending now fully out in the wild, it's not like any new movie can be Mila Kunis' worst one, right..? (and if you're reading this Mila, that's not a challenge)
DISCLAIMERS:
• ^^^ That's dry, British humour, and most likely sarcasm or facetiousness.
• Yen's blog contains harsh language and even harsher notions of propriety. Reader discretion is advised.
• This is a personal blog. The views and opinions expressed here represent my own thoughts (at the time of writing) and not those of the people, institutions or organisations that I may or may not be related with unless stated explicitly.
Vacation Cert: 15 / 99 mins / Dir. John Francis Daley / Trailer
Well, there's a turn-up. The trailer for Warner Bros' retooling of the National Lampoons' Vacation franchise has been played to death in recent weeks, and it did less to boost my confidence with each re-watch. That the movie has had a right kicking from reviewers in the US didn't help either, so I braced myself for the worst as I sat down for a preview-showing. I mean, I've seen worse in the last month, right?
Well actually, yes. Sure, the minimalistically rebranded Vacation isn't quite as sweet-natured or nostalgic as it'd like to think it is, the gross-out moments aren't as subversive or anarchic as they probably felt in the script-meetings, and the references and in-jokes to the earlier films aren't as clever or subtle as the screenwriters had hoped. But the film more than passed the laugh-test. The chemistry of Ed Helms, Christina Applegate, Skyler Grisondo and Steele Stebbins papers over the cracks and makes for a consistently amusing series of interlinked sketches (which is no more or less than what these movies are intended to be, to be fair).
I laughed, the audience laughed, the film went down very well. Tellingly, most of the gags from the trailer fell a little flat, probably as a result of repeated exposure in recent weeks, so the film's going to be funniest the first time you see it (although the plastic-bag joke worked just as well, probably because it's longer and even more sadistic in the film). Vacation doesn't get too misty-eyed for the past, littered with more than its fair share of bad language and questionable subject matter, but by the same token, it never forgets that it's a film about the Griswold family. And just when you think Chris Hemsworth has overplayed his comedic hand a little, Chevy Chase is wheeled out for a few scenes in the final act and threatens to derail the entire thing. He's not awful (and obviously deserves a place at the table) but his performance is, to put it politely, batshit.
Far better than it has any real right to be, Vacation mixes the farce of The Griswolds with the faeces of The Hangover and just about gets away with it. This time.
Against my wiser instincts, I rather enjoyed it.
Don't tell anyone.
I'm not sure I'd go that far…
This is a DVD with some friends and a few drinks. It won't be a bad movie to have on the shelf, but don't buy it until the price drops.
Again, not sure I'd go that far, although Skyler Gisondo and Steele Stebbins steal the show as the squabbling Griswold kids.
Be an entertaining, disposable Summer comedy? Yes.
Reinvigorate the Vacation franchise for another run of movies? …I'm not sure I'd go that far.
Not at all.
There isn't.
The film features Chris 'Thor' Hemsworth who was in the Avengers movies, of course, with Sam 'Windu' Jackson.
DISCLAIMERS:
• ^^^ That's dry, British humour, and most likely sarcasm or facetiousness.
• Yen's blog contains harsh language and even harsher notions of propriety. Reader discretion is advised.
• This is a personal blog. The views and opinions expressed here represent my own thoughts (at the time of writing) and not those of the people, institutions or organisations that I may or may not be related with unless stated explicitly.
The Book Of Life (3D)
Cert: U / 95 mins / Dir. Jorge R. Gutierrez
Well, there we go. Mere days after pondering about the enduring films of 2014, the 'oh, that looks quite interesting' trailer for Jorge R. Gutierrez's animated adventure, The Book Of Life, translates itself as quite possibly the most outstanding film I've seen this year. No, really. An energetic folk/fairy tale based around Mexico's Day Of The Dead holiday, this is a film which will work on levels for all audiences, and is a thing of immense beauty.
Guardians of the afterlife, La Muerte and Xibalba's tempestuous relationship is based around observing life on Earth and sharing wagers regarding the outcomes of individual stories. Watching three children playing, two boys (Manolo and Joaquin) chasing the affections of a girl (Maria), Xibalba asserts that the showy braggart Joaquin will win the heart of Maria, rather than his aspiring musician counterpart, Manolo. When La Muerte takes the bet, things spiral to a head and we learn that human nature isn't just limited to humans…
What can I tell you? I haven't had this much fun in a U-rated film since Monsters University. The character design is vibrant and varied, as is the accompanying voice acting, with a post-Burtonesque feel that manages to present a story centred around death in a way which is warm and completely unthreatening. And that's what is; a life affirming, tear-inducing*1 triumph of a film.
A modern-day framing device wraps around the story, allowing for unintrusive narration and letting the narrative skip forward at an advanced rate when needs be. As well as the 3D computer animation, the story-in-a-story also dips into traditional 2D methods to present its own flashback sequences, both styles complementing the Mexican aesthetic perfectly. The script is as sharp and layered as any of the major players have given us in recent years (the film's producers Reel FX Animation are relative newcomers to the cinema arena, most notably giving us 2013's Free Birds). The verbal gags aren't so much subversive as outright geekish, referencing (among others) Anchorman's "I immediately regret this decision", set against a backdrop of visual and slapstick jokes.
Also shining past the visuals and bringing an unashamed smile to my face is the film's soundtrack. A mix of original compositions and Mariachi covers of (again, among others) Radiohead and Mumford & Sons, if the music to this film doesn't have you grinning then you're already living in the Land of the Forgotten…
A joy from start to finish, The Book Of Life succeeds by being bold and different without resorting to garishness. Tales of lost love and reanimation don't come much more heartwarming than this…
Largely, although it still sells the film short a little.
I did.
Undoubtedly.
Cinema for the best result, although the 3D's optional (even if it's well implemented).
I just might…
I will.
Didn't hear one, but if you did, let me know.
Come on, when was the last time you watch a U-rated movie that directly quoted Kill Bill*2?
*1 Yup. And from both eyes, no less. #unashamed
*2 After a lengthy serenade and lamppost climb to his love's balcony, potential suitor Manolo is met with Maria's almost-kiss and "You didn't think it was going to be that easy, did you?" … "Actually, I kinda did." A gorgeous, gorgeous moment.
DISCLAIMERS:
• ^^^ That's dry, British humour, and most likely sarcasm or facetiousness.
• Yen's blog contains harsh language and even harsher notions of propriety. Reader discretion is advised.
• This is a personal blog. The views and opinions expressed here represent my own thoughts (at the time of writing) and not those of the people, institutions or organisations that I may or may not be related with unless stated explicitly.
No-one can accurately predict which movies will become breakout hits. On the surface, there's not a lot to differentiate 2004's Anchorman from its classmates; just the right cast, the right script*1 and the right time. The film's success promoted Will Ferrell and Steve Carell to the A-List, and provided a plethora of quotable lines for the office, the pub, and the marketing department for Anchorman 2*2. But how could Dreamworks capitalise on this success? Well, in lieu of a sequel, re-issues of the Anchorman DVD featured a 'bonus movie', Wake Up, Ron Burgundy, created from unused subplots and alternate takes from the film. And that's sort of what Anchorman 2 feels like; a collection of disparate sketches and threads, with the cracks papered over by getting Will Ferrell to ad-lib exclamations (of the 'by Odin's beard!' variety).
Now don't let that dour, judgemental opening fool you: I liked Anchorman 2. There are sketches which work really well (the cruise-control camper van), skteches which fall a little flat (most of the scenes with James Marsden), ones which are excruciating for the right and the wrong reasons (the family dinner*3), and some which just retread past glories (jazz-flute and the battle finale). The problem (for me) is that most of these threads just don't connect with each other; and considering that the film's about a news team and many of Anchorman's finest moments were the on-air antics of that collective, we spend precious little time in the studio with the guys in the sequel (even though the film is centered around them moving to a new station). It may have been written by only two people (Ferrell and director, McKay), but it feels like it's been edited by someone who's never met either of them. Or read the script. That said, even I was impressed by the roll-call of celebrity cameos for the showdown in the park; not impressed that the film could get the names, more that they were all clearly so keen to have it on their CV's (Ford was a pleasant surprise and Cohen and Neeson I'd expect, but not Cotillard).
Apart from that, Anchorman 2 is what you'd imagine, really. Perhaps a little too much. If you're in the market for undemanding laughs then Adam McKay's got something he'd like to sell you, but don't expect to fall in love with Ron Burgundy all over again.
Maybe I'm just expecting too much? Or maybe when the producers of a film wait eight years to make a largely unnecessary follow-up, then there's an expectation that it'll be (at least) the equal of its predecessor? Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues is frequently very funny, but occasionally lazy and feels sloppily assembled. And with the pedigree behind it, you know it's capable of better.
I enjoyed it, and I think most audiences will, too. I, er... just can't think of many good things to say about it…
Well, the trailer is what the film wants to be. You'll understand if you've seen both.
More than half of the time, but less than all.
Making you laugh? Yeah. Continuing the legend of Ron Burgundy? Not really.
You won't lose anything by watching it on DVD.
No.
I will, but not right away.
There isn't, and I genuinely thought we were going to get one in the park-showdown.
…am I asking too much of an Apatow-stable comedy?
*1 Or more accurately, performances, as many of the best lines were ad-libbed. As in actually ad-libbed. Not just having Melissa McCarthy pulling faces and shouting 'fuck' at someone not speaking in the scene. #miaow
*2 Because seriously, some of the tie-in crossover promotions leading up to this film have been just embarrassing. Like they've been written by someone who's watched Anchorman every day for the last eight years and thinks that scripting out previously-used ad-libs isn't going to completely destroy not only the timing, but also the dignity of Ferrell, repeating his 'famous' material like some sort of moustachioed Peter Kay. And yes, I realise I'm being a purist over a Will Ferrell movie.
*3 I also wasn't too keen on how crassly the whole 'Ron's blind' segment was handled either, given that there was no real reason for it being there. Then again, I'm a wooly-liberal at heart, so what do you expect.
DISCLAIMERS:
• ^^^ That's dry, British humour, and most likely sarcasm or facetiousness.
• Yen's blog contains harsh language and even harsher notions of propriety. Reader discretion is advised.
• This is a personal blog. The views and opinions expressed here represent my own thoughts (at the time of writing) and not those of the people, institutions or organisations that I may or may not be related with unless stated explicitly.
