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Movie Review: Maleficent

Published June 2, 2014 by mrsrag

Starring: Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning, Sharlto Copley, Lesley Manville, Imelda Staunton, Juno Temple, Sam Riley, Brenton Thwaites, Isobelle Molloy, Michael Higgins.

Rated: PG.   Action/Adventure/Fantasy.  Running Time: 1 hour 37 minutes.

Maria and I are getting married in two months.  As a result, her two sisters and three of her closest friends have come to Florida this weekend to have her bachelorette party.  They’ve driven to the Keys and are having/have had a fantastic time.  With her gone, Ethan and I went to see Maleficent today without her, and he is going to be a guest reviewer on MRSRAG today, a first!  Let me begin by saying Maleficent, the story formerly known as Sleeping Beauty, is going to make you rethink everything you know about that fairy tale. Two kingdoms, one full of fantastical beings, the other of man; adjoin each other.  Their cohabitation is not copasetic, though we’re not sure why or how bad it is.  The story begins with Maleficent as a child (Molloy) and future King Stefan as a boy (Higgins). meeting and getting along quite well.  We follow the relationship through the years between the human and the fairy through montage, and everything appears like they will have a bright future.  What fun would that be though?  Soon there is a horrible betrayal, which sets events in motion, and the movie begins in earnest. 

I know that my dad and Maria talk about me all the time.  We certainly missed Maria today at the movie, but I’m excited to tell you what I thought about Maleficent.  In the beginning I thought this movie was going to be a love story, but I was quickly proven wrong.  Dad said we shouldn’t tell you too many spoilers, but I don’t think it’ll ruin anything if I tell you that Stefan (Copley) is a big fat butt nugget.  This movie is not only a remake of the classic story of Sleeping Beauty, but it also tells the origin of Maleficent (Jolie).  It truly shows how Maleficent feels as you see the world through her eyes.  Her character is made by the things good and bad that she has happen to her.  Maleficent may seem like a hollow shell but there’s more under that black cloak than you think.

Pretty good for a ten year old on his first try, don’t you think?  I love the recent trend of changing up our age old fairy tales, with some new and inventive plots.  Think Snow White and the Huntsman, Jack the Giant Slayer to name a couple.  Maleficent is the best of the bunch IMO.  Angelina Jolie is very good as the conflicted title character and Dakota Fanning’s little sister Elle, is perfectly cast as the wide-eyed, wonderfully pure Aurora, AKA Miss Beauty.  Another highlight for me were the three small winged creatures (fairies? pixies?) that were charged with raising Aurora.  Played by Manville, Temple and Staunton, their interactions provide all of the film’s comic relief.  They’re noteworthy for one more reason; as Imelda Staunton is best known for her portrayal of  the vile Delores Umbridge from the Harry Potter movies, probably my favorite (least favorite?) villain of all time.  I HATED her.  She plays the opposite here, very sweet and caring, and like Ethan said to me, “Maybe this will make me feel better about Delores Umbridge.  No, probably not.”  Probably not indeed.  I give Maleficent, a better than average thumbs up.  It has many attributes that are “all Ross”, but in the spirit of not being a spoiler, I’ll keep those tidbits to myself.  So take your kids, but a word of advice, just see it in regular form, the 3D is a waste of time and money.

Maleficent gave me many chills and thrills.  It was interesting to see how Maleficent became how she was.  The movie was very good and I recommend it highly.  I would mention one thing about the PG rating though, the blood curdling screams, the fairly severe injuries maybe too much for kids ages 6 and under.  I’m not saying you shouldn’t take them, just wouldn’t recommend it.  It’s been fun sharing my thoughts on this movie with you, hope you have a Maleficent (magnificent) day!

Ross’ Rating: 3.75 Gummy Bears out of 5.

Ethan’s Rating: 4 Gummies.

 

 

Movie Review: Neighbors

Published May 21, 2014 by mrsrag

Starring:  Seth Rogen, Rose Byrne, Zac Efron, Dave Franco, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Ike Barinholtz, Carla Gallo, Lisa Kudrow.

Rated: R.  Comedy.  Running Time: 1 hour 36 minutes.

 

Having watched This Is The End over and over in recent months, it’s on HBO like everyday, I was pretty psyched to see Neighbors.  This scenario quite often doesn’t work out for me too well, high expectations, and unfortunately that was the case this time too.  Mac (Rogen) and Kelly (Byrne) are a young suburban couple with a new baby, and it’s pretty apparent early, that they are not the greatest parents.  When a fraternity moves in next door led by Teddy (Efron) and Pete (Franco), they get worried about what may transpire, i.e. partying and noise.  The problem is, they are clearly frustrated by their lives being stifled by being parents and they LOVE to party.  They go over to “welcome” the guys with the ulterior motive of asking them to keep the noise down, and end up staying all night doing drugs and shots, leaving their infant next door at home.  They did have a baby monitor, but I’m pretty sure social services wouldn’t be crazy with this practice.   The next night it’s more of the same at the frat, but now they need them to be quiet, so they call the cops.  The rest of the movie the two sides are at “war”, and there are some chuckles, but the best ones were already shown in the trailers.  I believe the more they show you in commercials, the weaker the movie is, and that should have been a tipoff.  The air bags absolutely should not have been revealed, still funny, but would’ve been off the charts without prior knowledge.  These Neighbors have a lot of problems, and the movie does too.  

I expect too much.  Just because someone strikes gold once does not mean that everything they do is going to be superb.  That being said…I can’t help being disappointed.  Just as I was disappointed with Anchorman 2.  And The Internship.  And The Hangover 3.  I am guilty of assuming that because a certain person or group of people that I find hilarious have chosen to participate in a project that it will knock my socks off.  But you put Byrne, who flawlessly executed super sweet bitch Helen in Bridesmaids and Seth Rogen, a man that makes me laugh when he plays himself – which is pretty much every role, and well, I am going to have high expectations.  As Ross said, they showed way too much in the trailers.  And somewhere along the line, they just missed the mark.  The humor was extremely crude, which I usually love.  But the majority of these jokes lacked the cleverness that balance out the perverse nature.  There were several laughs that make this one worth watching, but the best advice I can provide is to rent it out of the RedBox.  Or wait until it’s On Demand.

There was a cool cameo from our boys from Workaholics (now there’s a show! catch it on Comedy Central), Blake, Adam and Ders; much too brief though.  Andy Samberg’s mug shows up for a second or two as well.  I have to be honest, director Nicholas Stoller and I just aren’t on the same page.  This is his fourth movie, I’ve seen them all, and I have nearly the same opinion of every one: not bad, not good, some laughs but not enough, wait for video.  Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Get Him To The Greek, The Five Year Engagement, Neighbors; all ordinary and forgettable.  One final note on the human race, what looked to be a grandmother escorted two boys ages around twelve into the movie then left them there.  Are you kidding me?!  The first scene Rogen and Byrne are screwing and it doesn’t get much milder from there.  Just not sure what people are thinking.  We took Ethan to Universal on Friday and the shit the girls were wearing at 12 and younger is fucking unbelievable!  Common sense seems to have left parenting for the most part.  Trust me, I’m the furthest thing from a prude that there is, but children are no longer being allowed to have a childhood.  Don’t let them dress like tramps; let them play Sonic and Mario and NOT Call of Duty.  And don’t dump them at R rated movies!  Sorry about that, but I have a 10 year old son, and it infuriates me when I see this kind of stuff.  Neighbors is okay.  If you have to see it, go.  If you’re on the fence, pass and don’t give it another thought.    

I agree with Ross’ assessment of the human race.  However, when it comes to Mr. Stoller’s resume, our opinions differ.  I loved Get Him To The Greek.  And I was a fan of Forgetting Sarah Marshall as well.  So, it seemed only natural that I would take to Neighbors.  But I didn’t.  It had its moments.  But in its entirety – it was quite disappointing.  Back to that human race assessment…I am still in disbelief that someone would be naïve enough to drop two kids of that age at this movie.  Another primo example of the lack of social awareness on this planet.  Not only is it a shameful act, but it kind of impeded our enjoyment.  Every time something perverse graced the screen, Ross and I were concerned about those two kids.  Parenting has reached a new low.

Ross’ Rating: 2.75 Gummy Bears out of 5.

Maria’s Rating:  2.5 Gummies.

 

 

Movie Review: Rio 2

Published April 23, 2014 by mrsrag

Starring the voices of: Jesse Eisenberg, Anne Hathaway, Andy Garcia, George Lopez, Jamie Foxx, Leslie Mann, Miguel Ferrer, Kristen Chenoweth, Rita Moreno, Tracy Morgan, Will i Am, Bruno Mars, Jemaine Clement.

Rated: G.  Animated.  Running Time: 1 hour 41 minutes.

 

This is going to be a difficult review for me to write.  First off, I didn’t see the first Rio.  I’ve seen bits and pieces of it, but never viewed it in its entirety.   And secondly, we’ve seen so many fantastic kids movies recently that I have become a super tough judge.  The plot of this second installment lacked ingenuity and although it’s a heartwarming story of protecting your family and your home – it still has an air of formulaic storytelling.  Rio 2 lacked something else that I believe to be the most important aspect of a kids flick; clever and abundant humor.  I giggled a few times, but no memorable jokes come to mind as I’m writing this.  I like when Ross, Ethan and I can sit around and recall the funniest moments or jokes that we find hysterical.  One thing I did enjoy about Rio 2 was the music.  Bruno Mars joins the cast in this sequel as the lady killing crooner, Roberto.  His voice is unmistakable as were introduced to him moments before the rainforest erupts into head bopping song.  I also enjoyed Chenoweth’s Gabi, who’s unrequited love for Nigel (Clement) is literally toxic.  She’s a poisonous frog and he’s a bird.  The musical number she performs was the highlight for me.  None of the kids movies are bad, but Rio 2 was pretty forgettable.

It’s really too bad Maria didn’t get to see Rio because it was far superior to this generic sequel.  In the original, Blu (Eisenberg) lives a nice cozy, domestic life with his owner Linda (Mann).  A Brazilian scientist shows up claiming to have a female (Jewel voiced by Hathaway) of the same species as Blu, and as they’re believed to be the last of their kind, Blu and Linda head for Rio.  They run into smugglers and an assortment of creatures, friendly and not so friendly.  The romp through the jungle and eventually Carnivale, coupled with Blu learning to fly while falling in love with the reluctant Jewel, added up to a very enjoyable film.  Rio 2 finds Blu and Jewel with a family of their own heading into the jungle when it appears that more blue macaws have been located.  What transpires from there is quite predictable.  City birds in the country, long lost relatives, bad guys trying to destroy their habitat, Blu screwing up then saving the day.  Like Maria said, “forgettable”, not horrible, just incredibly mediocre.  The music was absolutely the best part of Rio 2, they let newcomer Bruno Mars strut his stuff plenty and thank goodness for that.  After seeing Frozen, Despicable Me 2 and The Lego Movie within the last six months or so, the bar has been set so high, it’s impossible not to leave the theater disappointed when you view something that doesn’t quite hit the mark. 

Ethan enjoyed it and I guess that’s really all that matters.  But it’s just so much more fun when we all do.  There have been so many awesome kids movies, some of which Ross just listed and it’s tough to compete with those instant classics.  Especially when they have such original and clever storylines.  Ross and I watch quite a number of shows and that market is saturated also.  I found Rio 2 reminiscent of my usual sentiments towards DaVinci’s Demons on Starz.  It’s just not as good as all of the other stuff (i.e. Game of Thrones, Orphan Black, and Deadwood – which HBO has resurrected).

A formulaic plot and not enough laughs did a disservice to a great voice cast.  Rio 2 felt thrown together for a quick 3-D money grab.  Again, not the worst movie ever made, but if your kids aren’t dying to see it, skip this one and don’t give it a second thought.  It’ll be in the Redbox before you know it anyway.

Maria’s Rating: 2.25 Gummy Bears out of 5.

Ross’ Rating: 2.5 Gummies.

 

 

 

 

 

Recent DVD Release: Gravity

Published April 9, 2014 by mrsrag

Starring:  Sandra Bullock, George Clooney.

Rated: PG-13.  Drama/Sci-Fi/Thriller.  Running Time: 1 hour 31 minutes.

There are a few voice actors we could’ve listed in the cast, including a cleverly placed Ed Harris as the voice from mission control (think Apollo 13), but be clear this is a two person movie.  As a matter of fact, George is only here to do a, ‘Danny Ocean in space’ turn, as astronaut-lite comic relief.  This movie IS Sandra Bullock, and I would submit, her best work ever.  I’m sure you must know the plot of this one, catastrophic space accident leads to desperate attempts at survival.  I found myself thinking, “this is like All is Lost, but in space.”  We recently reviewed that Robert Redford one man show, about a mysterious older man alone on a yacht in the middle of the Indian Ocean.  He too has an accident and must pull out all the stops to survive.  Redford’s performance was fantastic, but that script fell far short of Gravity’s, and subsequently only received a 3 Gummy Bear rating from yours truly.  Bullock’s Ryan Stone has much more to work with in Gravity and she really delivers.   

It blows my mind that she didn’t win the Oscar.  Instead Cate Blanchett’s neurotic Jasmine took home the tiny statuette.  But I’m honestly biased because I didn’t care much for Woody Allen’s ‘Blue Jasmine’ and Gravity literally rocked my World.  I saw Gravity in the theatre on a whim and only by circumstance.  Ross and I were hosting our good friend Labs, as we call him, and in an attempt to spare Labs our usual PG, 3-D kids flick, I accompanied him to Gravity whilst Ross and Ethan caught Free Birds.  And Gravity in the theatre was breathtaking.  From the opening visual masterpiece of Earth from space to the reality shattering cinematography – this flick has balls.  There’s no lollygagging – it opens right up into action and ends without ever coming up for air.  As Ross has said, it’s very similar to the Redford survival tale and seemingly identical in the way it makes the sympathetic viewer say, “Give ’em a break.”

I’ll go a step further, I HATED Blue Jasmine, it blew chunks.  Cate Blanchett was appropriately vile in her role, but there is simply no comparison to Sandra Bullock’s performance.  I know why she lost though; the special effects were so mind blowing, the voters must’ve been blinded into thinking that they, not Sandra, was the reason Gravity so mesmerized them.  I wish I had seen it on the big screen, that truly had to be something!  What Gravity had that All is Lost lacked, was a backstory on our heroine.  We know who she is.  We know she held the impossible misery of losing a child.  We know she had withdrawn into her work because of it, and we know that inevitably led her to space.  We also know that through it all, she still had an indefatigable will to live.  Make no mistake, the special effects are out of this world and won well-deserved Oscars, but Sandra Bullock is the reason to see Gravity. 

Gravity won 7 Oscars total, including Best Director for Alfonso Cuarón.  Cuarón also directed Ross’ favorite Harry Potter flick, Prisoner of Azkaban as well as the sci-fi thriller, Children of Men, which he always enjoys watching.  Even though he’s seen it dozens of times.  It’s no stretch that he enjoys the man’s style of directing as much as the rest of the World, including myself.   I had to mention my man crush George Clooney.  And I love when he plays his usual charming smart ass, which he does here as Matt Kowalski.  Half the time he’s either telling some cheeky story or hitting on Bullock’s Ryan Stone.  He’s a welcome distraction from the harrowing struggle…even though it’s fleeting.  There are many reasons to see Gravity.  The performances, the effects and the execution.  It’s hard to pull off a movie of this magnitude and they accomplish it with flying colors.  I can tell you one thing for sure…I never want to go up in space.

Ross’ Rating: 4.25 out of 5 Gummy Bears. 

Maria’s Rating: 4 Gummies.