Warner Bros. Pictures – Page 3

FIST FIGHT – Review

A showdown’s a’ comin’! Not on the main street of Dodge City, but at the multiplex once again. The final throw down between the hero and villain has been a staple of cinema since its earliest days, mainly in action films and primarily the western. There have been countless screen versions of that infamous incident , the gunfight at the O.K. Corral (the most famous being the Kirk Douglas/Burt Lancaster 1950’s classic) . This most likely inspired many other “oaters”, the most celebrated being the iconic 1952 HIGH NOON (which garnered an Oscar for star Gary Cooper). It’s set in real-time as the clock ticks to 12, while Will Kane readies himself for the arrival of the Miller gang. We’ve seen this plot used in many other genres, providing extra excitement to the final acts of every movie hero’s exploits from Rocky to Bond to Batman. But it’s also been seen in comedies, with this new film taking place in a high school. Could this be a remake/reboot of the thirty year cult classic from Phil Joanou, THREE O’CLOCK HIGH? Not exactly, since that flick concerned two students in a violent conflict. This time it’s two very different teachers from the same school preparing to square off in a FIST FIGHT.

It’s the last day of school before Summer vacation at run-down Roosevelt High, but English teacher Andy Campbell (Charlie Day) isn’t celebrating his three-month break. He’s under pressure at the start of this day, and things go downhill fast. He’s got to rush out at 2:30 to be part of his pre-teen daughter’s song and dance routine at her grade school talent show. His wife Maggie (JoAnna Garcia Swisher) could give birth any second. He fears that he may lose his job due to massive budget cuts (big meeting with the principal and the superintendent). And to top it off the graduating seniors are in full prank mode (they even stole a horse that’s dashing through the hallways). But the big problem comes out of nowhere when the surly intimidating history teacher Mr. Strickland (Ice Cube) asks Andy to help him with some faulty AV equipment. At that class, Andy sees Strickland lose his temper (a desk becomes kindling). The two men are called into Principal Tyler’s (Dean Norris) office, but Strickland isn’t worried since he told Andy that teachers stick together. Then Tyler threatens their jobs and Andy tells the truth about the melt- down. Strickland is fired and as he boxes up his stuff he tells Andy to be in the parking lot at 3 PM where they will settled things with a fist fight. Andy believes it’s a joke, but Strickland is dead, dead serious. As the hours fly by, a very nervous Andy implores his faculty friends, Coach Crawford (Tracy Morgan), who’s just finished another losing season, and guidance counselor in great need of guidance Holly (Jillian Bell), for any advice. Soon, he’s in panic mode doing everything he can, legally or not, to avoid that confrontation. As “high mid-afternoon” approaches, it looks like the mismatched pair will square off in an epic battle royale’.

After honing his comic skills on TV (the cult hit “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”) and supporting roles (HORRIBLE BOSSES, THE HOLLARS, PACIFIC RIM, VACATION) Day makes the most of this, his first true lead role. Based on his energetic work here, I’m sure it will be the first of many. He’s got a real “everyman” vibe, which adds strength to his scenes of slapstick panic. There’s the twitching, the awkward body language, and best of all that voice. When he’s truly agitated or trying to lie his way out, his high-pitched voice jumps several octaves until it’s almost a strained squeak, His exasperated hero is a worthy successor to the energetic mania of the much-missed Gene Wilder (with maybe a dash of Don Knotts). Even as he concocts some devious scheme, the guy’s still so darned lovable that we can’t help but root for him. Ice Cube is an inspired antagonist for him as the human embodiment of an about-to-erupt volcano. His glowering grimacing Strickland intimidates students and faculty alike, as they try to get out of his way before he explodes. Scary as he is, Cube makes this guy really funny. After family friendly work in his BARBERSHOP and ARE WE THERE YET roles, he seems to relish this return to the “bad dude” persona.

Happily the combatants don’t get all the fun (or score all the laughs). That scene stealing Ms. Bell (22 JUMP STREET, THE NIGHT BEFORE) dashes away with several inspired sequences, whether trying to downplay her enthusiasm for illegal substances or justify a crush on a student (all of which horrify Day). Like Day she’ll soon be breaking out into leading roles (playing the Hanks roles in a rumored remake of SPLASH), giving Melissa McCarthy some competition as the queen of movie comedies. Another source of great supporting gags is the always surprising Morgan who’s endearing goofy as the clueless coach. His baffling bits of “wisdom'” confuse Day, until the coach lays down a heavy bit of truth, refusing to sugarcoat what will happen if the battle happens. And somehow Morgan brings a mischievous joy to the role. Norris is an excellent “short fuse” straight man as the beleaguered principal doing a “slow burn” that would make the immortal Edgar Kennedy proud (Google him, folks). Unfortunately the other ladies in the cast are not as well served by the script as Bell. The movies just don’t seem to know what to do with the talented Christina Hendricks (so wonderful on TV’s “Mad Men”). After a dismal role in BAD SANTA 2, she’s wasted here once more as the bombshell French teacher who’s really a sadist (she gleefully offers her blade to gut Andy like a fish). Swisher is yet another “wife on the phone” who looks concerned while we wait for the big birthing scene. And Kumail Nanjinai. so funny as the randy masseuse in last year’s MIKE AND DAVE NEED WEDDING DATES, has little to do as the ineffectual school security officer.
Making his feature film directing debut, after toiling in the TV trenches, Richie Keen proves to be an adept comedy conductor. Like a film veteran he knows how to steer our eyes toward the funny during sequences of mass comedy chaos. Beside eliciting some terrific performances, he knows how to control the flow, whether slowing things down a bit to revel in some inspired wordplay (Holly:” Meth’s more of a gateway drug.” Andy: “No, it’s really the finish line!”) or to accelerate as the senior pranks “amp up” (the mariachi band is a great running gag). Unfortunately he’s tripped up (as are many comedy film makers) by the dreaded lull around the midway mark. Perhaps the script (based on a story by “new Girl” star Max Greenfield and others) needed a bit more polish and another “once over”. This would’ve helped define some characters and trimmed some of the numbing barrage of “f-bombs” and genitalia jokes (to ensure that R-rating, I suppose). As with the recent dud, THE COMEDIAN, they resort to the cheap shock of us hearing a foul-mouthed pre-teen. Much worse than the earlier film and just as lazy. But the first and third acts are so strong, it’s inevitable that the second act would drag. Fortunately the big battle lives up to the long build-up with inspired bits of slapstick, although it never goes “human cartoon” like the 60’s gem THE ADVENTURES OF BULLWHIP GRIFFIN ( a Saturday matinée delight). The talented cast and the laugh-stuffed opening and finale more than make up for its flaws (it could’ve been another MASTERMINDS…yeesh!). It never scores a TKO, but FIST FIGHT delivers some solid strikes to the funny bone.

3.5 Out of 5

THE LEGO BATMAN MOVIE – Review

When it comes to movie concepts, this flick may have the oddest, most tangled roots of all. But somehow things just snapped together (excuse the pun). Three years ago the movie world was stunned when a little kids’ flick, starring a beloved toy, became a box office (ahem) blockbuster! That may be because the WB folks thought outside the (toy) box and enlisted film makers and writers who brought something totally unexpected to the project: satire. Oh, and parody, and a big dose of zany anarchy. It was inevitable that THE LEGO MOVIE would spawn a sequel. But this is more of a spin-off. That earlier flick focused on the journey of everyman Emmet Brickowski and the folks he encountered. Since the Lego company makes themed toys around classic licenced characters, Emmet and his pals teamed up with Batman, whose gravelly voice was supplied by the great comic actor Will Arnett. Though a “super-friend”, Arnett’s Batman stole a Batboat full of scenes. And so, while we wait for Ben Affleck to don that suit, let’s spend some time with a “not quite so” dark knight in THE LEGO BATMAN MOVIE.

After a very funny opening title sequence (shades of DEADPOOL), we’re taken to the candy-colored big block streets of Lego Gotham City. The Joker (voiced by Zach Galifianakis) has enlisted almost all the residents of Arkham Asylum to grab an airliner full of explosives. Where’s the city’s hero?! Why right on top of things, as Batman (Arnett) easily thwarts this plot (after telling a heartbroken Joker that he’s not his main enemy). Joker slithers away as Batman returns to the Batcave for some microwaved lobster thermadore. While channel surfing he stumbles across a news interview with Superman (Channing Tatum) who explains how he banished his arch foe General Zod to the Phantom Zone via a special projector. Of course Batman is not impressed. But life goes on , as Bruce Wayne visits a local orphanage the next day and encounters one very excited, kinda’ nerdy lad, Dick Grayson (Michael Cera). That evening, Bruce attends a retirement party for police commissioner James Gordon (Hector Elizondo). His successor is announced, his daughter Barbara (Rosario Dawson). Bruce is disgusted when she says that her main goal is for the police force is to form a close partnership with Batman. The festivities come to a halt when the Joker and his gang arrive. But he surrenders without a fight. Bruce is livid. Returning to the Batcave, where Alfred (Ralph Fiennes) reminds him that he has adopted Grayson, Batman hatches a plan: he’ll steals Superman’s projector and send the Joker to the Phantom Zone. Unfortunately the clown prince of crime ends up sending hordes of pop culture monsters and menaces to Earth. Now Batman faces his greatest challenge: accepting help from others and becoming a team player.

The vocal dream team seems to be having a real blast (the feeling’s contagious). All appear to be following the lead of the, well, film’s lead. Arnett’s got that all too somber growl down perfectly which makes his absurd boasting riffs (bragging about his 9 pack) and opening battle rap musical number real comic highlights. But he’s not afraid to show us the vulnerable side as Batman finally must ask for help, all while battling that out-of-control ego. And he’s got a great rapport with his co-stars. Cera’s bumbling, hyper-excited Robin is a perfect complement to his grimacing mentor. That goofy youngster delights in living out his dreams, ignoring that garish uniform (“it doesn’t blend in anywhere!”). Bruce’s mentor (kind of an uncle, I suppose) is Fiennes as the dry, acerbic Alfred (very close to John Gielgud in ARTHUR). He’s the scolding voice of reason, the only person who can put Bruce in his place (though he’s often too stubborn to listen). Galifianakis expands on the notion of the Joker as Batman’s mirror image, but twists that with a bit of the jilted or spurned suitor (he dies a bit when Batman says he likes to “fight around”). His own partner, Harley Quinn, is voiced with naughty girl relish by the great Jenny Slate. The whole “bad guy gang” boasts a roster of terrific comic talent (special kudos for Two Face). Rounding out the cast are two superb actresses who give the caped crusader a great assist. Dawson ‘s a quite tough, but tender Babs AKA Batgirl, while Ellie Kemper endows a rainbow-colored brick with loads of personality.

TV vet Chris Mckay (“Moral Orel” and “Robot Chicken”) makes spectacular use of his big screen canvas. Every frame is chock full of bits of whimsy and wonder (lots to see when you hit the pause button on the disc). The big problem is that second half lull, which seems like a let-down after the manic barrage of gags and slapstick in the movie’s first half hour (no way they could keep up that pace). Perhaps the disjointed nature is the result of far too many cooks (five screenwriters) trying add too much spice. But the jokes that land really hit hard, delivering big laughs. The best gags may be those centering around our collective nostalgia for the main character. Loving jabs at all the incarnations of Batman jump out, from the comic books to TV to animation, and, of course, the big blockbusters. If we haven’t “Made America Great Again”, at least they’ve “Made Batman Fun Again”. It’s a nice break before that “gloomy Gus” is back with the JUSTICE LEAGUE. Like that 2014 flick, this is a wry satire that’s truly perfect for the whole family. THE LEGO BATMAN MOVIE is “dada-dada-dada-dada-delightful”.
4 Out of 5

FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM – Review

It’s usually reserved for summer, but for the next few weeks it’s “prequel” time at the multiplex. Of course summer has the “tent poles” and the “franchise” flicks, but two special cases are making a most momentous exception. In about six weeks (December 16 to be exact), film fans will all be abuzz, waiting to journey to that “galaxy far, far away” with ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY, an action fantasy set just before the events of 1977’s much beloved Episode Four. In the meantime, we’re getting a trip back to another movie fantasy world, that of Harry Potter. Actually it’s a history of that setting where “muggles” (human beings) and magical beings mix. This new film peaks behind the pages of one of the textbooks that Harry and his class mates studied at Hogwarts School. Its title? This beloved tome is FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM.

The story begins, of course, many years before Harry arrived at Hogwarts, 90 years ago to be exact. Swooping animated newspapers from 1926, inform us that there’s an uneasy truce between humans and wizards, brokered by the Magic Congress (a group of the supernaturally gifted). The headlines also speak of a destructive entity named “Grindelwald”. One agent of Congress (a magic cop, if you will), Graves (Colin Farrell) is investigating the site of a recent attack. He and his fellow agents are put on high alert against any gifted person entering New York City. Literally getting off the port and going through customs is author/ science research Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) who is stopping over in the states as he track down the title creatures (his tiny suitcases houses a whole “zoofull” of them). While exploring the city, one of the creatures, a kleptomaniac platypus-type of animal, dashes into a bank. Newt’s case is accidently switched with Jacob Kowalski (Dan Folger), a human. He’s a war vet trying to get a bank loan in order to open up a bakery (his case is full of tasty pastries). While locating the escaped beasts, they are “arrested” by Congress agent Porpentina, Tina for short,(Katherine Waterston) and taken to the apartment she shares with her sister, a mind reader named Queenie (Alison Sudol). As the four traverse the burg in search of the “wild things” they try to avoid both human and magic agents while dodging the “anti-witch” zealots led by Mary Lou (Samantha Morton) and her nervous son Credence (Ezra Miller).

The story’s main focus is creature keeper Scamander, and Oscar winner Redmayne handles the role with subtlety and whimsy to spare. He also makes good use of body language to show that this scientist is fairly uncomfortable with people. He doesn’t stoop and slouch when he’s tending his beloved animals though. The film’s breakout star may be the energetic Folger, who makes a most appealing audience surrogate, constantly dazzled by the wonders around him. Kowalsi’s got the panic of Lou Costello, the manic of Curly Howard, and the grace of Jackie Gleason. Waterston plays Tina as an uptight by-the-book enforcer who is slowly melted by the charms of Newt. She’s the counterpoint to Sudol’s playfully sweet (and a bit sultry) Queenie, a bombshell not disturbed (and often charmed) by knowing the inner thoughts of quickly smitten men. She and Folger make quite a charming pair. Farrell’s equally effective as the hard-edged detective (think Jack Webb with a wand), who has a surprising empathy with the tormented twitchy Miller as the somber Credence. He’s terrified of Morton as the street corner rabble-rouser stirring up the masses against the magic folk.

Potter vet David Yates keeps the story moving at a fairly brisk pace, knowing when to amp up the tension with quick cuts or slow things down for a bit to let us gaze in wonder at this new/old world. He’s assembled a talented group of artists who give us a 1920’s Manhattan both familiar and foreign, thanks to the costume design (lots of big flowing coats) and vintage autos and props. And then there’s the CGI wizards that make these beasts both fantastic and fanciful, mixing species (a bird/snake) and instilling them with loads of charm and personality (that platypus is quite the “scene stealer”). All the “eye candy” is complimented by real “ear candy”, that’s the lush soaring score by James Newton Howard. It’s splendid work, but the original screenplay by Potter creator J.K. Rowlings often feels overstuffed, piling too many magic battles and false endings that wear thin. At least we see the destruction being reversed and repaired by the witches and wizards (hmmm, kinda’ like a certain “strange doctor”). Fans of the former series will be eager to leap into the new franchise (at least four more flicks) and most “muggles” will break into a smile while pursuing the first volume of FANTASTIC BEAST AND WHERE TO FIND THEM (at any multiplex, of course).

3.5 Out of 5

WAR DOGS – Review

The kids are heading back to school, it’s getting a touch cooler (the multiplex is still a great place to beat the heat), the superheroes have packed it in (for a couple of months), so are we ready to return to the Middle East, or at least the big conflicts in the sand? That’s how we started out the year, with Michael Bay’s Benghazi docudrama. Well, there were two little films that followed, set in that hostile local. Two “dramadies”, one fact, the other fiction, to be precise. Tom Hanks was a “fish-out-of-water” in HOLOGRAM FOR THE KING, while Tina Fey was a TV news reporter (based on a real person) in WHISKEY TANGO FOXTROT. Yes, this new flick is a comedy, or at least that’s what the near constant onslaught of trailers and TV spots have been hammering home for the last several months. Hey, it’s from the director of the HANGOVER trilogy and it stars a full-fledged member of Judd Apatow’s ensemble. Now to be fair, the Middle East isn’t the only global territory that’s “marked” by these two self titled WAR DOGS. They’re bouncing across the globe, but we first meet one of them in…

Albania, around ten years ago, and David Packouz (Miles Teller) is having the worst morning of his life. Just how did he get in this spot? Well, we’ll need to flash back a few years to the Miami area. David’s barely making ends meet as a personal masseuse, schlepping his foldable cot back and forth to the homes of the wealthy. He’s ambitious, so he buys high-quality wholesale bed sheets and blankets, thinking he can sell them to the many retirement centers. This plan is a bust and the apartment he shares with his gorgeous gal Iz (Ana de Armas) is clogged with cases of the stuff. Then, at the funeral for an old school chum, Dave re-connects with an old pal, Efraim Diveroli (Joanh Hill), who is living the high life, having made a fortune selling high powered weaponry on-line. But now Efraim hopes to become a major player, thanks to the conflict in Iraq. After the scandals over “no bid” arms deals, the doors have been opened to all military suppliers, thanks to a government website listing all weapons needs and entertaining bids from anyone. Efraim offers to make David a partner. When Iz becomes pregnant, David accepts, but he lies to her about the new job, since Iz despises war. Their company, “AEY” scores it first big sale, a huge shipment of Beretta handguns to Iraq. When local laws strand the guns in Jordan, they guys fly in and personally transport the guns via a beaten-up truck to its destination (at great, great peril). They’re ready for a much bigger deal when AEY lands a 300 million dollar contract to outfit the new Afghan army. Efraim and David head to the big arms show in Vegas to find a supplier. They get more than they bargained for when David runs into the shadowy (he’s on the “watch list”) arms dealing legend Henry Girard (Bradley Cooper). He agrees to broker a sale with the government of Albania. They need to quickly unload literally tons of weapons and ammo. After traveling there, the guys believe everything’s on the “up and up”. Of course, many problems arise, needing David to stay there to supervise, leading to that awful morning in the first scene. Are these twenty-something hot shots in way over their heads?

Teller gives another complex performance in a worthy addition to his impressive resume (THE SPECTACULAR NOW, WHIPLASH). He brings an everyman vulnerability to Packouz. He’s a decent person, who chooses the wrong path, that of quick returns reaped from the misery of others. Teller shows us that David is keenly aware of the danger that awaits each step forward, a man full of regret and guilt over deceiving his love. He’s truly conflicted, unlike his partner Efraim, played as an uncontrollable force of nature by the energetic Hill. We think that this role will be one of his blustery buffoons, but Hill surprises us by going into very dark territory. Efraim creates a doppelgänger to seduce every new “mark”, but once the cash and drugs are flowing, his inner demons of greed and paranoia are unleashed. He’ll turn on anyone within striking range. In a terrific supporting performance, Cooper also flips his charming screen persona on its ear, with this true “lord of darkness”, digging his claws into the brash duo, and dragging them down into the fiery pits. Hiding behind massive, tinted glasses. Cooper’s Girard is cold, dead-eyed evil incarnate, a ghost suddenly materializing to wreak havoc. Kudos to de Armas for making Iz the strong-willed conscience of David, and to the ever-dependable Kevin Pollak as Efraim’s affable, clueless investor.

And bravo to director/ co-writer Todd Phillips for leaving the cinematic “comfort zone” of gross-out, hard-partying comedies, to deliver a film with a stinging satiric edge, one with an unapologetic political slant. In the film’s opening segment he fires his own “hypocracy-seeking” movie missile at Washington’s power players (and one recent presidency) with the clever use of graphics showing us a solider’s cost with price tags over every set of “boots on the ground”. Yes, he does overuse the freeze frame effect for emphasis and the chapter titles using bits of dialogue can be cloying and clumsy. And while we’re at it, the slo-mo shots of smoking (look at that big bong!) and snorting could be severely trimmed back (they like their weed, we get it!). But the film truly skewers those in charge thanks to the razor-sharp script Phillips co-wrote with Stephen Chin and Jason Smilovic based on a Rolling Stone article by Guy Lawson. While the David/Iz story might seem a distracting subplot (like those couples helped out by the trio in the MGM Marx Brothers flicks), Phillips uses the scenes to show the devastating cost of David’s descent. Cinematographer also turns in excellent work, giving each locale its own color palette: the Middle East is rust and orange-tinted sand, while Albania is a soggy blue. This flick, much like the recent GHOSTBUSTERS reboot, is another example of a film ill-served by its marketers. The trailers were selling a wacky, zany “bro-mance”, but WAR DOGS is a tough look at those real animals who would profit from tragedy.
3.5 Out of 5

THE NICE GUYS – Review

Los Angeles is maybe known world-wide as an entertainment mecca, ground zero for all things that glitter, but it’s also the locale for thrillers and the “hard-boiled” mystery. Everybody from Bogie to Bob Mitchum threw on a trench coat, adjusted their fedoras, and strolled down those dark streets and alleys, looking for danger (and dangerous dames). This week’s new flick somewhat echoes those noir “programmers”. Being a big Summer release, we’ve got two “gumshoes” dodging bullets. And it’s not post WWII California, but rather post Vietnam War “la la land” circa 1977 (near Christmas-time). Now, with two bickering private eyes, you might consider this a variation of the standard “cop buddy” actioner. That’s appropriate since this movie is directed by the screenwriter who set the template for police team-up flicks back in 1987 with LETHAL WEAPON, Shane Black. It turns out that this movie’s heroes are just as lethal as Riggs and Murtaugh, although they refer to themselves as THE NICE GUYS.
The film’s story does commence in that year of the first STAR WARS adventure, as we witness the spectacular demise of porn actress Misty Mountains (Murielle Telio). But is she really gone? A wealthy relative, Mrs. Glenn (Lois Smith) swears she has seen her, and hires the somewhat disreputable but fully licensed PI Holland March (Ryan Gosling) to find her. During his work, Holland tries to locate another aspiring actress Amelia Kuttner (Margaret Qualley). But Ms. K has hired her own PI (sans said license), self-defense guru Jackson Healy (Russell Crowe), to find out why some guys (plural) are asking her friends about her. Healy catches up to March, strongly advising him to back off during a beat down witnessed by March’s precocious 13 year-old daughter, (Mom’s out of the picture) Holly (Angourie Rice). Case closed, so thinks Healy until two very tough goons bust up his place demanding Amelia’s location. These brutal pros convince Healy that some very powerful folks must be interested in the lady. Reluctantly he teams with March to find her before they do. This pairing sends the miss-matched duo into the seedy world of adult films, ecology protesters, the US auto industry, and the department of justice as the evade a most deadly hit man named, of all things, John Boy (Matt Bomer).

The story’s main draw are indeed, the two “nice” guys at its center. The pleasant surprise may be Crowe, who seems more energetic and engaged than in many of his recent films (his Noah seemed just seemed to lumber and mope about his ship). His expanded physique (Healy is on the wagon, so he appears to be hitting the sweets, with a fondness for the chocolate soda elixer Yoo-Hoo), makes him a most dangerous bear (the grey goatee adds to it), who is surprisingly capable of swift, brutal force. But there’s also a sad, haunted quality to him as though the world has done much more damage to him than any hulking thug. Gosling’s March has a different kind of energy and attitude. He’s a deadly dimwit, always armed but completely clueless. The often somber, serious actor displays a knack for physical comedy, particularly when a bit of action goes awry (“Man, that’s a lotta’ blood!”). March is stubborn and surly, but he can also be a needy puppy, eager for respect from Healy. Rice is quite good as his daughter, often the “straight man” to Gosling. At times she even acts as the responsible parent in the family dynamic. Bomer tosses off his MAGIC MAN “eye candy” roles and makes an often frightening, high-caliber “boogey-man” (there’s a great glint in his eyes as he smiles before another bit of mayhem). Speaking of the bad guys, screen vet Keith David still packs a wallop as the less manic enforcer who tries to keep his younger cohort Beau Knapp in line, as a noir staple, the sniggering unhinged sadist. Plus Crowe’s Oscar-winning co-star from LA CONFIDENTIAL Kim Basinger pops up as a “John (…er Jane) Law” official who may or may not be helping the fellas’ (can it really be two decades since that classic?).
Director (and co-screenwriter) Black makes certain that the film is drenched in 1970’s kitsch (gas lines, record albums, fashions, cars, even an appearance from an iconic disco band), which is amusing, but often seems a distraction from the way too convoluted plot. With the hindsight of history, the big scheme elicits a laugh or two, similar to, but nowhere near as clever as, WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT (who owed a great deal to CHINATOWN). Plus the comedy bits take away much of the danger and urgency of the story, with the film hitting a pacing wall at the one hour mark (like many comedies). After his tenth foul-up, March’s antics truly try our patience with his Closeau-like bumbles and stumbles (he even mimics Lou Costello’s raspy-voiced panic bit). After his daughter is exposed to so much (violence and a porno party), we’re rooting for the authorities to step in (although she is generally more mature than her Pop). The flick truly earns its “R” with lots of random nudity (the beginning bit with Misty is pretty creepy) and plenty of gory gunplay (Black likes to show countless random bystanders going down during the many shoot-outs). Maybe this is to convey a wild “un-PC” vibe, but comes off as mean-spirited. The big auto show finale’ just drags on and on with a ludicrously limp payoff. The two main stars of THE NICE GUYS are indeed nicely paired, but it’s a shame their seventies shenanigans aren’t more interesting and entertaining. Nice try.
3 Out of 5

BARBERSHOP: THE NEXT CUT – Review

This film franchise zeros in on something that many small towns and big cities (really the neighborhoods in said cities) share: mainly a place where everyone seems to gather. Some place aside from the obvious schools, city halls, and churches (or synagogues). It’s actually a business. There’s a popular corner diner, maybe a bar or pub, perhaps a locally owned clothing store. Well, for this neighborhood in the south side of Chicago it’s the hair salon known to moviegoers thanks to 2002’s BARBERSHOP. That modest little “slice of life” flick was popular that it inspired a sequel two years later (BARBERSHOP 2: BACK IN BUSINESS). The following year saw a spin-off (BEAUTY SHOP) and a TV series on premium cable channel Showtime. The scissors and shavers have been silenced for almost a dozen years, but now movie goers have another appointment with Calvin and his crew for BARBERSHOP: THE NEXT CUT.

There have been lots of changes at Calvin’s (Ice Cube) Barbershop over the last twelve years. Sure, many of the hair stylists are still there. Jerrod (Lamorne Morris) and Raja (Utkarsh Ambudkar) are snipping at each other while old-timer Eddie (Cedric the Entertainer) offers unsolicited advice to all. One new addition is Rashad (Common) the eloquent hubby of the enterprising Terri (Eve), a much in demand hair artiste’. She’s part of the other big change at Calvin’s. The shop is now co-ed with a beauty parlor run by Angie (Regina Hall) splitting the floor right in half. One of their most popular beauticians is the bombshell Draya (Nicki Minaj) whose provocative wardrobe attracts the attention of all the fellows and rises the ire of her lady co-workers, particularly Terri who believes that she has set her sights on Rashad. The biggest change has occurred outside the shop, as brutal gang violence has turned the streets of the South Chicago neighborhood into a war zone. Calvin fears that he and his wife Jennifer (Jazsmin Lewis) will lose their teenage son, hoops prodigy Jalen (Michael Rainey, Jr.) to those very mean streets. His concerns are so great, that Calvin secretly makes plans to move his business to a new location on the north side. But before this happens, the employees attempt to stop the bloodshed over the weekend by establishing the shop as a safe zone, a peaceful haven, by offering free cuts over 48 hours.

Just how many film franchises can Ice Cube keep juggling? He’s returned to this one after the action comedy tent poles RIDE ALONG and 21 JUMP STREET, along with the family friendly ARE WE THERE YET?. Here he’s a great anchor/straight man, setting up punch lines and diffusing altercations, along with being a strong, strict but fair father figure. In the workplace, Common makes for an equally impressive, co-anchor especially in the more serious debates over social injustice. It’s a shame that he’s saddled with the silly, sitcom-style infidelity subplot. We never believe that Minaj’s Draya is a serious threat to the fierce Eve as Terri. All her form-fitting outfits don’t distract as from Minaj’s tepid line readings. She’s a talented singer, but she’s not a polished actress quite yet. Cedric is still an entertaining blustery old buffoon although I had some trouble understanding his low guttural growls. TV stars Anthony Anderson (“ABC’s “Black-ish”) scores laughs as food hustler J.D., while new addition J.B. Smoove (HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm”) is funny as all-around hustler (real estate, pharmaceuticals, you name it) and barber “One-Stop”.

Full disclosure: I have not seen the previous entries in the film series, so I can only consider this current effort (with franchises most film goers will debate the merits ala’ “Two is better than the first.”). Director Malcolm D. Lee tries to keep “all the plates spinning”, but eventually the disparate themes of the screenplay by Kenya Barris and Tracy Oliver crash and crumble on the multiplex floor. Every twenty minutes or so a character must deliver a proclamation or observation which halts any momentum of the story (“speech-i-fyin” is the slang phrase that comes to mind). The goofy caricatures and comedy stereotypes never gel with the very somber real-life tragedy that the script attempts to address. One minute Rashad is going down the list of those killed in the headlines and in the next he’s hiding out with Draja, and avoiding his wife Terri. It really trivializes the true situations, especially with the simple-minded ploy to stop the shootings. Free haircuts? Getting celebs to go viral? Shooting endless cell phone video of Draya furiously “twerking” (ugly exploitation)? The well-intentioned hi-jinks comes off as a slap in the face to those truly working at lasting solutions. The hilarious and heavy-handed never mesh, particularly when a regular perishes (he may as well have had a target on his back) and becomes a martyr. Though the film has a very talented cast, BARBERSHOP: THE NEXT CUT just doesn’t really cut it as comedy or “message’ flick.

2 Out of 5

OUR BRAND IS CRISIS (2015) – The Review

So you’re tired of all the news reports and headlines about those campaigning for the president, in an election that’s still over a year away? Well, why not take in a movie at the multiplex? Here’s Sandra Bullock’s latest all about…a presidential campaign. Ah, but Sandy’s not in the running, although she’s dashing around quite a bit. She’s a campaign strategist who’s working for a candidate all the way south, very south, in Bolivia. So are presidential races there the same as up here, with sound bites, negative ads,and other ways to manipulate the media? You bet your ballot! So what does she come up with, how will her hopeful break away from the ‘pack’? Just one way, as Ms. B explains in the film’s first act, OUR BRAND IS CRISIS.

US Public relations vets Ben (Anthony Mackie) and Nell (Ann Dowd) have been hired by General Castillo (Joaquim de Almieda) to get his old job back. He was the president of Bolivia fifteen years ago, but was voted out when he privatized the local industries. Unfortunately the electorate has a long memory, which may account for him being down 28 points in the polls. But Nell has a plan, and so she and Ben drive up to a desolate cabin in the snow. They hope to lure the legendary strategist “Calamity” Jane Bodine (Bullock) out of a self-imposed retirement. After a stint in rehab, preceded by several unsuccessful gigs, she’s hesitant to get back in the game. But when she hears that the front-runner, Rivera, has hired her old nemesis Pat Candy (Billy Bob Thornton), Jane puts away the clay pots and cups and hops on a Bolivian bound private jet. After meeting the third member of the American crew, the prickly Buckley (Scoot McNairy), and the surly, brusque Castillo, Jane hatches a campaign “scenario”: the country is in dire straights, on the brink of collapse, and the general is the only one who can save the day. Bringing in her top aide, “hit woman” LeBlanc (Zoe Kazan), and enlisting an enthusiastic local Eddie (Reynaldo Pacheco), Jane attempts a career comeback, for the candidate and herself, as old demons from the past return.

In her first live action role since Oscar-nominated turn in GRAVITY, Bullock’s star charisma injects much-needed life in many of the story’s soggy stretches. In the scenes back in her tiny snow-bound cottage she projects a great deal of vulnerability with her hesitant line delivery and haunted “seen it all” stare. Upon her arrival on foreign soil, Bullock goes for laughs as Jane battles the effects of the altitude. This plays often as an appeasement to fans hoping for a reprise of the pratfalls from THE HEAT or the MISS CONGENIALITY flicks. But soon she puts down the ever-present bag a’ chips and gets down to business with a hard-driving, “take no prisoners” zeal that propels the plot forward, which seems to mask her sadness over the times she went too far for victory. Once again Bullock ably balances the tough and tender in an expert performance.

Happily, an accomplished ensemble aides Ms. Bullock. Thornton is an excellent sparring partner as the all “too slick” and smooth Mr. Candy, who knows exactly how to get under her skin, with his smug sarcasm twisting like a knife. Mackie is the questioning moral center of the PR team, standing up to Jane when she crosses the line. Dowd is the hardened vet and co-conspirator in Jane’s wild schemes, an “Ethel” to her “Lucy”. McNairy is very funny as the easily irritated and irritating Buckly, always quick with a lousy idea or crass comment. As the candidate, de Almeida, struts about as if the whole affair were beneath his regal, military bearing with a sinister glint in his eyes. It makes us wonder whether he can really woo the populace, as we question his true motives. The delightful Kazan is underused as Jane’s “ace up my sleeve”, but Pacheco has a great deal of youthful charm and energy as the optimistic Eddie who will eventually face the ugly, dark side of politics.

Although the film’s being marketed as a breezy “culture class” comedy, director David Gordon Green breaks out of the stoner comedy cage (YOUR HIGHNESS) to deliver a tough look at dirty side of campaigning. Unfortunately these two goals never quite gel. The high spirits wackiness of making tacky commercials with llamas and racing campaign buses over treacherous mountain roads slams up against ugly internet lies that inspire suicide and exploitation of the poor. Peter Straughan’s screenplay (inspired by the 2005 same-titled documentary) never really finds a way to balance that tone while keeping the story moving at a brisk pace. And the film’s main character is still something of a mystery by the end scenes. At one point she fully plunges back into her old vices (starting with the interminable chain-smoking), boozing with little ramifications other than waking up hung over in a jail cell. In the film’s final moments the script heads down a dark cynical path that is detoured with a contrived hopeful final shot that’s forced (I smell ‘test-marketing’ at work). It’s great to have Bullock back, but her considerable charisma and talents can’t erase the story and pacing flaws of OUR BRAND IS CRISIS.

3 Out of 5

BLACK MASS – The Review

Hit the deck! Rat-a-tat-tat!! These are the sounds of a cinema staple, the gangster genre. From the early silent days, “thugs with dirty mugs” were the source of many a “hit” at the box office, of course. Soon after the Brothers Warner began their studio, they quickly became the premiere producers of these “blood and thunder” morality plays, featuring a “murderers’ row” of movie icons headed by James Cagney, Edward G Robertson, and Humphrey Bogart. In the waning years of Hollywood’s Golden Age, these thrillers often merged with the biography genre with the stories of real-life 20’s and 30’s criminals like John Dillinger, Bonnie Parker, and Clyde Barrow, and, the big man himself, “Scarface” Al Capone. With the phenomenal success of THE GODFATHER, these “public enemies” were back in vogue, continuing even to this day. Now the Warners are back in the true tale gangster biz, but they’re not offering up a new spin on those tommy-gun toting terrors. Here’s a crime kingpin from a much more recent era who’s actually still around. Now, this isn’t a look at his rise and fall. Rather it’s the tale of an unlikely alliance between this brutal underworld czar and a “G-Man”! Suit up for a truly pitch-dark BLACK MASS.

As the film opens, we’re in an interrogation room, as the “lieutenant” of Boston’s infamous “Winter Hill Gang”, Kevin Weeks (Jesse Plemons) talks about his boss, the crime ruler of the Irish south side, James “Whitey” Bulger (Johnny Depp). We then flashback to FBI agent John Connolly (Joel Edgerton) who has returned to his hometown in 1975, along with his bride Marianne (Julianne Nicholson), and is now part of the bureau’s Boston HQ. The local agents are frustrated with their lack of progress in stopping the illegal activities of the Italian mob to the north and Whitey’s south stronghold. Then John gets an idea. He grew up in the same neighborhood as the Bulgers, why not reach out to state Senate politico Billy Bulger (Benedict Cumberbatch) and see if he can put him in contact with Whitey, so that he can recruit him as an informant on his Italian rivals (in exchange, the feds would look the other way on Whitey’s petty crimes). John’s supervisor Charles McGuire (Kevin Bacon) is skeptical, but another agent, John Morris (David Harbour) is supportive. Billy Bulger is insulted by John, but to his shock, Whitey calls the agent. So, an agreement is forged. As long as Whitey supplies the info and steers clear of felonies (particularly murder), the FBI will ease up on his operations. But the hair-trigger Whitey is not so easily restrained, and soon he’s setting up shop in Miami, while providing guns and cash to the IRA. As he and John become a close team (and the agent become a rising star at the bureau), a new prosecutor, Fred Wyshak (Corey Stoll) questions this “relationship”. Can he possibly reign in Whitey’s gang , who’s now protected by the ambitious Connolly?

Whitey-United-States-of-America-v-James-J-Bulger-2014-6 — The real James “Whitey” Bulger

The film’s main selling point is Depp as the almost reptilian mob boss, Whitey, and he most certainly delivers. After more than a decade of maximum quirk as the MVP of Tim Burton and Gore Verbinski flicks, he’s tossed the eyeliner and eccentric duds and nails the complexity of this real life monster mobster. He can be sweet and charming as in the scenes with his sainted mother and adored young son. But then, almost without warning, a switch is flipped and the killer is freed from its shackles. With his hair slicked back to a bullet-like sheen, Depp evokes the image of a human cobra, one that gives no hiss as a warning. On the contrary, he takes great giddy pleasure from lulling his prey into relaxed calm, even shaking their hands, before the out-of-nowhere death strike. With a performance recalling Cagney classics (THE PUBIC ENEMY and WHITE HEAT), it’s nice to see Deep back on earth after so many years in on the planet of the weird. While his image adorns the ads and posters, the film is really the story of the seduction and corruption of Connolly ,and Edgerton, coming off his excellent work on THE GIFT, shows us the ambitious longing in the compromised lawman. He will truly bargain with the devil himself in order to advance his career and get to that next level with the grander title and the bigger office. Later we see the desperation in his eyes as Connolly frantically tries to talk himself out of the deep, deep hole that he has dug, one that traps him as its walls collapse about his feet.

Actually the entire cast is stellar as they support these two very compelling leads. Nicholson as Mrs. Connolly presents a woman quickly falling out of love, with a real sense of disgust as she realizes that her husband shares their emotional bed with a creature of pure evil (a creepy confrontation with Whitey is quite unnerving). Harbor is enthralling as Connolly’s cheerleader/sidekick who slowly learns that he’s very much out of his depth. Bacon is an entertaining hardcase as the big FBI boss, but the terrific Adam Scott has little to do besides modeling tacky 70’s fashions and hairstyles, unfortunately. Stoll proves to be a most capable verbal sparring partner for Edgerton. From his introduction, we sense that he’s a legal pit bull. Cumberbatch tempers his small screen charisma and gives us an original take on an “old school” career politician, one with fierce family pride. He can’t turn his back on his family, especially his brother, no matter the horror tales told behind his back. Peter Sarsgaard shines in a terrific small role as a “coked up” Miami wheeler-dealer nicknamed “Balloonhead”. Plemons and W. Earl Brown are very convincing as two of Whitey’s most trusted enforcers, both morphing into dead-eyed real human terminators, while their cohort Rory Cochrane lets his sadness escape through the eyes of his bulldog-like mug. He lets us see how the humiliation and degradation meted out by his boss has taken its toil on him. That “50 Shades” lady, Dakota Johnson brings out the human side of Whitey in her soft, subtle turn as his common-in-law wife Lindsey Cyr. Great cameo turns by Bill Camp and Juno Temple round out this impressive ensemble.

In his third outing as a director (CRAZY HEART, OUT OF THE FURNACE) former actor Scott Cooper fights a difficult battle to keep this long, meandering screenplay moving forward. Unfortunately it usually gets the better of him, despite his considerable efforts. Although it mainly focuses in on a ten-year period going from the disco 70’s to the grim and gritty 80’s, the script quickly becomes an illustrated rap sheet, checking off a list of crimes (then he did this, then this, then…). There are a few moments between murders where the characters rather than the blood-splattered set pieces take command. One such sequence is the very tense BBQ dinner at the Connolly home, going right from a recipe inquiry (probably too similar to Joe Pesci’s iconic “How am I funny?” monologue, but still strong) to the threat-laced passive-aggressive duet between Whitey and Marianne (just watch the other audience members squirm during this). Bulger supposedly was the inspiration for Jack Nicholson’s “Paddy” Costello character in Martin Scorsese’s THE DEPARTED. Ultimately this new film is swallowed up in the shadow of that Oscar winner, and especially by the even earlier GOODFELLAS (Depp often seems to be doing a mash-up of its DeNiro and Pesci characters). This is a shame, since the movie gets the period look, from autos to fashions, down perfectly and the Boston location work is exceptional. Perhaps another script draft, or a bit more narration would have helped keep things moving. At least the film reminds us of what a terrific actor Depp can be when given challenging material. But really all the actors are superb, it’s just truly frustrating that the narrative fumbles what should be a cinema touchdown. BLACK MASS, like the law man’s plan at its center, is a flawed attempt at greatness.

3.5 Out of 5

THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. – The Review

Oh my, is it be “spy time” once more? Already? Wow, 2015 has been a big movie year for all those “cloak and dagger” undercover men (and women)! Early in the year, audiences were introduced to the “hush-hush” exploits of KINGSMEN: THE SECRET SERVICE, ripped fresh from a very adult graphic novel. As Summer began to heat up, funny lady Melissa McCarthy took satiric aim at the genre in SPY (aided by action vets Jason Statham and Jude Law). And just two weeks ago, film fans were gasping at the daredevil work of Tom Cruise, risking life and limb in his fifth go-round as Ethan Hunt, leader of the IMF in MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: ROGUE NATION (number one at the box office for the last couple weekends). And before the end of the year, the king of “gentlemen agents”, 007 AKA James Bond returns in his (official) twenty-fourth action extravaganza feature film SPECTRE. Besides the genre, this week’s release has connections to two of those aforementioned flicks. Like Mr. Cruise’s current hit, this film is based on a popular weekly network television show from the “swingin’ sixties” (1964-68, to be precise). And Bond’s creator Ian Fleming had a big hand in the development of that TV series (particularly in the naming of a main character). As they’d say into their slick communication gadgets, “Open Channel ‘D’!”. After years in development limbo, THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E finally gets a big screen reboot/remake (THE WILD WILD WEST and GET SMART had movies years ago!). Looks like the secret HQ entrance at Del Floria’s Tailor Shop is now at the multiplex!

The opening credits of this “affair” (each TV episode title ended with that word) gives younger film goers a bit of a history lesson, “Cold War 101”, you could call it as grainy black and white news footage and graphic animation helps place us in the divided city of Berlin Germany circa 1963. Suave, smartly dressed Napoleon Solo (Henry Cavill) glides into the Soviet-occupied Eastern section of the city. We soon learn that Mr. Solo is an undercover CIA agent, recruited by the agency after he was jailed for working in the black market after his military service. He meets up with the focus of his new mission, fiesty auto-mechanic Gaby (Alicia Vikander). She’s the daughter of a scientist who has recently vanished. When Solo sneaks Gaby into West Berlin, they are nearly thwarted by the almost-unstoppable KGB agent Illya Kuryakin (Armie Hammer). Later, we learn that Gaby’s uncle has been snatched up by an Italian auto magnate, Alexander (Luca Calvani) and his wife Victoria (Elizabeth Debicki), who plan to use his skills to create stream-lined, deadly nuclear weapons, which they will sell to the highest bidder. This alarms the spy community and compels the East and West to join forces. Now reluctant partners Solo and Kuryakin will travel to Rome. Solo, posing as an antiques dealer will go after Victoria, while Kuryakin, taking the role of Gaby’s architect fiancée, will circle Alexander. The safety of the world just may depend on this secret agent “odd couple”.

Cavill trades the blue body armor and red cape for several superbly tailored suits, and makes a quite believable sixties spy. He even adopts the clipped, tight-lipped, off-the-cuff delivery of TV’s original Solo, Robert Vaughn crossed with a pinch of Cary Grant charm. He also handles the action scenes well, but really seems to lack the ruthless, dangerous element so evident in spies from Connery to Craig. That lack is somewhat taken up by Hammer who makes Illya a single-minded “weapon of mass destruction”(much more believable here than as a certain “masked man of the plains”). For much of the time he clenches his fists, waiting for the right moment to transform into a blond, blue-eyed hulk. His accent is strictly from Chekov (not the playwright, but the Star Trek staple), which helps to punch up the humor in his often deadpan dialogue. He appears to have more chemistry with Cavill than with his potential paramour, international cinema’s actress of the moment, Vikander. She reveals a loose, frolicking fun side, not really seen in her previous screen work, particularly when her endearing hotel suite “go-go” dance suddenly become a frisky wrestling match with Hammer. Unfortunately she’s never given a chance to join in the action and get “down and dirty” with the boys, and, for most of the third act, is regulated to the “damsel-in-distress” role. The opposing team (the baddies) lack any real charisma. Calvani glares while suppressing the urge to twirl his opulent mustache with menace. His on-screen spouse Debicki slinks about in lush vintage fashions in a game of “cat and mouse” with Cavill, seeming more like a bored trophy wife than villainous (until her cold-blooded side emerges in the film’s last thirty or so minutes). Some of the “evil” slack is taken up by Sylvester Groth as Gaby’s Uncle Rudi, an old-school sadist, who is a part of the film’s funniest, but really twisted, scene. Hugh Grant elicits a few chuckles as the befuddled English aristocrat who constantly crosses paths with Cavill, while the terrific Jared Harris is wasted as his gruff CIA handler.

First up, the good! Big, big kudos to the producers for setting the film in 1963, making it a true prequel to the original TV series (oh, if only the recent FANTASTIC FOUR reboot was set in that era!). The pre-“mod” clothing, cars, and props are almost a love letter to that “pop explosion” from fifty years ago (good period songs along with the nifty score by Daniel Pemberton). Sadly, the plot and direction are oddly lackluster. The director Guy Ritchie, best known for his high-octane, ‘in your face” action sequences, seems strangely muted here, almost muzzled, in fact. There’s none of the frenetic energy last evident in his two SHERLOCK HOLMES flicks. The action set pieces seem closer to a made-for-TV film, especially after the spectacular stunts that Agent Hunt executes in the still “packin’ them in” MI:RN. Hey, the fights and chases from the Connery Bonds were more “pulse-pounding”. These here are closer to Derek Flint and Matt Helm. Speedboats? eh. Antique ATV? Whatever. There’s not even a lot of fun “retro spy gadgets” in use. Ritchie and three others (really?!) penned the tepid. meandering script. At least the Italian locations pop with color, but Berlin is dank, dark, and dull. The film limps along several minutes after the end of the mission to deliver a lackluster coda intended to set things up for a sequel, or a franchise. Now, there’s yer’ impossible mission! “Close channel ‘D'”, please!

We wish to thank the United Network Command for Law and Enforcement without whose assistance this review would not be possible.

2.5 Out of 5

VACATION (2015) – The Review

Oh, can ya’ hear it? That infectious, steady beat emanating from your local multiplex’s state of the art speakers? Is that Lindsay Buckingham imploring you to join him and cruise down the “Holiday Road”? Why of course it is! It’s time again to load up and head out on another VACATION! Oh, but hold up, this isn’t just another excursion, we’re about to switch lanes and take a different route, via the “sequel/reboot highway”. First, lets; a take a glance at our rearview mirror. In the late seventies, the National Lampoon magazine (the counter-culture’s humor monthly of choice) ran a terrific prose article called “Vacation 58” written by freelancer John Hughes (yes, the future “Brat Pack” patron saint). Jump to 1978 when the mag exploded into movie houses with the smash NATIONAL LAMPOON’S ANIMAL HOUSE. The studios desperately wanted more hit flicks from NL. Unfortunately the next few comedies sputtered at the box office (CLASS REUNION, MOVIE MADNESS). Finally, in 1983, Warners produced a film based on that old Hughes piece, albeit with some changes (invading Disneyland and plugging Uncle Walt? Uh, no, along with the 50’s nostalgia). This surprise smash spawned three more adventures with Clark Griswold and the family. But now we’re cruisin’ with Clark’s son Rusty and his own family. Can this new crew continue the comic chaos, or will a “stay-cation” with the DVD boxed set prove a better bet?

Yes, Rusty Griswold (Ed Helms) is all grown up, and as we meet him (after a very funny opening title sequence inspired by a popular website), he’s just returned to Chicago. Midway Airport actually, for he’s a pilot for one of those bargain airlines. Soon he’s in the loving bosom of his family. There’s his gorgeous wife Debbie (Christina Applegate) and his two sons, gangly, awkward James (Skyler Gisondo), and his constant tormentor, pre-teen Kevin (Steele Stebbins). That night they have their neighbors over for dinner, who regale the Griswolds with their tales of their recent vacation in Paris. Rusty brags that, once again, they’re heading to their cabin on a lake up in Michigan. It’s then that he realizes that the fam, particularly Deb, is not that excited about the same spot (going through the scrapbook he sees the smiles morph into a lackluster stare). He’s gotta’ make new fun memories for them, maybe by revisiting one of his golden past trips. The next day Rusty makes the big announcement: they’re driving to California to experience the killer coaster “the Velociraptor” at the premiere amusement park “Wally World”. He piles them into an odd rental vehicle and begins this quest to bring them closer. As they say, it’s not the destination, but the journey, so they make several stops along the way. Hey, let’s drop in on Debbie’s old college, then a natural hot spring. Soon they arrive on the doorstep of Rusty’s sister Audrey (Leslie Mann) and her dim, hunky TV weatherman hubby Stone (Chris Hemsworth). Maybe they’ll make the time to drop in on the grandparents (Chevy Chase, Beverly D’Angelo). But will Rusty’s plans cause his wife and kids to drift even further away?

So, is Helms another Chevy? Well no, he’s an outstanding comic leading man in his own right. After being part of the “wolf pack” in the HANGOVER trilogy, he proves that he can carry his own flick. His take on Rusty combines the panic of the dentist from those flicks along with the awkward bravado of Andy from TV’s “The Office” with the clueless enthusiasm of his CEDAR RAPIDS role to make an endearing doofus daddy. But he’s really not carrying the whole thing on his able shoulders. Applegate reminds us that’s she’s quite a gifted comic actress. Sure she went toe to toe with Ron Burgundy in several funny verbal jousts, but here (specifically in the college sequence) she shows off a skill for slapstick we’ve not seen since she was the Bundys’ blonde bombshell on TV. D’Angelo spent much of her time being exasperated and annoyed at her on-screen hubby, while Ms.A gets down and dirty right alongside the boys. Speaking of the boys, Gisondo (so terrific as young Moe in the recent THREE STOOGES feature) really shines as the nervous, fumbling elder son. There’s a real comic energy and rapport in his scenes with Helms. And he really embodies the terrors of puberty, especially in his encounters with the gorgeous Catherine Missal, the teen dream gal who always pops up at whatever dingy roadside motel the Griswolds occupy for the night. While Gisondo’s James is clumsy sweetness, Stebbins as Kevin is the ultimate “bad seed” who makes the torture of his older bro’ his sole reason for living. He brings a lot of evil energy to his part, often gleefully spouting profanity that would make a sailor, no the whole fleet, blush (a bit the producers too often relay on to get a cheap chuckle or to end a scene). Mann has little to do as the flashy Audrey (she’s much better served in her hubby’s flicks), but Hemsworth shows off his keen comic chops (Thor could be funny, but not this hilarious) particularly as he takes great care to explain the TV controls (oh, that “red band” trailer). Chevy and Beverly do make an appearance in a stilted cameo, but we must make note of the unofficial fifth Griswold on the trip, the mysterious blue oblong enigma, the “Tartan Prancer”, that “all that was left” rental vehicle. It may not be as ugly as the “Wagon Queen Family Truckster”, but “TP” takes its place alongside that classic car in addition to the “Bluesmoble”, “Ecto 1”, the Delta’s “Deathmobile” and even Jack Benny’s “Maxwell” in the comedy car hall of fame. It comes with two gas tank openings, an electrical cord with odd prongs, and an indecipherable remote key (“What is this muffin symbol?”) that produces unexpected actions (“Why would they program that?!”). And the navigation system, that bounces from a calm Nordic voice to an extremely angry Asian, becomes a hysterical narrator to the mayhem.

The writing/directing team of John Frances Daley and Jonathan M. Goldstein, best known for the first HORRIBLE BOSSES, ably carry on the tradition established by the late, great Harold Ramis. Yes, too many gags were used in the ads and trailers, but Rusty’s pep talk about the trip remains a really clever take on current Hollywood marketing. They don’t pull back from the raunch (no wimpy PG-13 remake here), while also going for the family pathos. Sure, yeah, the “heart’ stuff is okay, but we’re just marking time till the next outrageous gag or gross-out. There are countless comedy stars from TV and films that pop up in often very funny bits, but this doesn’t offset the now-familiar comedy flick third act “lull”. So yeah, it could use a 5 or 10 minute trim. But fans of the original series are just here for the big laughs and there are plenty (happily not just pop culture references. I’m, looking at you TED 2!), and to be truthful, it’s a lot better that the EUROPEAN and VEGAS entries (Hmm. just the opposite of the STAR TREK series, whose even-numbered flicks were usually better). The new VACATION is a familiar, but still often riotous comedy re-invention that won’t sully your memories of ole’ Wally World. Just make sure that you listen to the moose out front!

3.5 Out of 5

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: