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.

 

 

Recent DVD Release: American Hustle

Published April 4, 2014 by mrsrag

Starring: Christian Bale, Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper, Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Louis C.K., Jack Huston, Michael Pena, Shea Whigham, Paul Herman, Anthony Zerbe, Robert De Niro.

Rated: R.  Crime/Drama/A Little History.  Running Time: 2 hours 18 minutes.

 

The hair.  This movie is worth a watch for the sole purpose of seeing Christian Bale’s incomparable comb over.  Or peeping Bradley Cooper’s remarkable perm.  And the clothes.  Amy Adams and Jennifer Lawrence sport some deep v’s that rival that of awards season fashion.  And the guys are looking sharp in big collared shirts with flashy bell bottomed pants.  This amiable ensemble is the glue for David O’Russell’s sophomore directorial picture.  The film opens with the intriguing bit “A lot of this happened”…which leaves the audience to deduce that some of did not.  Artistic liberty, I would guess.  American Hustle is the story of con artist Irving Rosenfeld (Bale) and his sultry sidekick, Sydney Prosser (Adams).  The pair are busted by the FBI during one of their loan scams and an overzealous agent forces the two to participate in a larger bust.  That bust being the FBI ABSCAM operation of the 1970’s; an elaborate sting targeting corrupt politicians.  The eager agent, Richie DiMaso (Cooper), is young, dumb and full of…bad ideas.  He gets the trio entangled in schemes involving the mafia and the entrapment of some very high up officials.  Including Mayor Carmine Polito (Renner), a family man of sorts who is widely known and loved by his constituents.  Polito and Rosenfeld form a friendship, which serves in leading the operation to its limited success.  And also leads to Rosenfeld developing a much needed conscience.

I was around during ABSCAM (Maria had not yet graced the Earth with her arrival), but I must admit, I don’t remember too much about it.  A fake sheik, the FBI and some money hungry politicians.  It did seem like the crimes were concocted by the feds and dangled in front of the poor saps.  I suppose they could have said “no” to the cash, but as the deals were all fabricated, it’s somewhat like a wife sending horny, naked babes to her husband’s office and having them stick their hands down his pants; and then divorcing him if he cheats on her.  Maria mentioned the hair and the clothes, which are indeed worth watching American Hustle on their own, but the acting?!  Oh my goodness, the four leads here throw out performances for the ages.  To me the subject matter was secondary; watching the interaction of these crazy, quirky, complicated characters brought to life by Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper and most of all Jennifer Lawrence, is better than any reality show on TV.  Bale has been a standout since he burst on the scene in Empire of the Sun, and I always expect greatness from him.  Jennifer Lawrence at 23 is already at the very top of Hollywood’s A list, as is her Silver Linings Playbook co-star Bradley Cooper.  And Amy Adams hasn’t been nominated for five Academy Awards by accident, the girl can act!  I mean honestly, how many more movies do you think will be made where Jeremy Renner is an afterthought?      

Very true.  Renner is always superb and it’s shocking that he’s so easy to overlook in this role.  Lawrence absolutely steals the show as Rosenfeld’s manipulative and conniving old lady.  She commands every ounce of attention every time she’s on screen.  The casting of this movie is both interesting and impressive.  I would never have imagined Bale or Cooper in either of the roles they portray here, but somehow it works.  The heart of the story didn’t quite pique my interest as much as I had hoped.  However, the conclusion did add some much needed spice.  As Ross had stated, the fabulous performances are what drive this piece.  Unfortunately, this was one of those cliché experiences when a movie gets way over hyped before you get a chance to see it.  Too much awards season buzz mixed with friendly entertainment gossip.  It isn’t going to make me forget about Silver Linings Playbook anytime soon, but I liked it.

I liked American Hustle too, I didn’t love it.  I do love the stars of the film and can’t wait to see all of them in their future projects.  The last Hunger Games with J-Law and hopefully a third collaboration with Bradley Cooper sooner rather than later.  How about another in the Bourne series with Jeremy Renner?  Maybe even bring back Matt Damon?  What a kick ass duo they would make!!   Who knows what Christian Bale will pick next, he loves to mix it up, maybe he won’t have to lose or gain weight for it (AH-fat. The Fighter and Rescue Dawn-emaciated).  Certainly will be exciting to see what the future brings.  While we wait check out American Hustle.  ABSCAM as a  backdrop, goofy hairdos, bad clothes and fantastic performances equals an entertaining couple of hours that won’t leave you disappointed. 

Maria’s Rating:  3.75 Gummy Bears out of 5.

Ross’ Rating: 3.5 Gummies. 

 

 

 

 

    

Recent DVD Release: Dallas Buyers Club

Published March 20, 2014 by mrsrag

Starring:  Matthew McConaughey, Jared Leto, Jennifer Garner, Steve Zahn, Denis O’Hare, Michael O’Neill, Griffin Dunne.

Rated: R.  Biography/Drama/History.  Running Time: 1 hour 57 minutes.

Wow, Matthew McConaughey is on fire!  After viewing the abysmal movie duo of Killer Joe and The Paperboy within the last couple of years, I thought this guy was heading for career suicide.  He got me to consider jumping back on his bandwagon with Mud, then reeled me in hook, line and sinker with his turn in the amazing HBO series, True Detective (see TV Talk at MRSRAG.com), and apparently everyone else has hitched to his star after his Oscar winning performance in Dallas Buyers Club.  The true story of a bull riding, con artist/hustler, electrician, bigot, drug using, and all around asshole named Ron Woodroof; who contracts AIDS in Dallas in 1985.  He’s so far gone by the time he goes to the doctor that they give him a measly thirty days to live.  McConaughey lost more than forty pounds for the role, and he looked so bad it was hard to watch on several occasions.  ’85 was close to the beginning of society’s understanding of the disease, and treatment was non-existent or VERY hard to come by.  You could say many things about Woodroof, but a quitter he was not, and he goes literally to the ends of the Earth to stay alive.  Along the way he meets, and forms an unlikely partnership with, Rayon (an almost unrecognizable Jared Leto), a homosexual cross dresser.  Together they hustle to get the drugs that people with AIDS need but can’t get through regular and legal channels.  It’s no mission of mercy to start with for sure, they make tons of money and they need the drugs themselves, but eventually the whole story morphs into something deeper. 

The sheer magnitude of the transformation these two actors have gone through for the authenticity of their roles is just impressive.  There’s no other way to put it.  I pointed Jared Leto out to Ross and he hadn’t even realized it was him on the screen.  And McConaughey is seriously hard to watch in the first half hour of this film.  His usually muscled and healthy looking physique is a sheer shell of what it normally looks like.  The appearance is capped off by some non-stop hard drinking, drug use and altogether hard to watch activities…including stomach turning coughing fits.  This film is not my favorite type of fare, although I do enjoy a true story every once in a while.  But DBC did more than depress the shit out of me.  It also showcased the unbelievable transformation of a total douchebag, highlighted a majorly disturbing road block our government set in the path of some seriously ill citizens and seamlessly told a story of overwhelming struggle and the amazing human spirit.  There is no doubt in my mind that these men deserved their Academy Awards.  They earned them with these unforgettable and powerful performances.

They absolutely deserved their trophies, no question, but Hollywood loves an actor who will change their body for a part.  Think Robert De Niro in Raging Bull and Tom Hanks in Philadelphia and Cast Away (Golden Globe).  I read that the script for Dallas Buyers Club had been floating around out there for a while, and that the people with the money were having a hard time envisioning it having commercial success.  I can understand it, as Maria mentioned, the movie is a series of unsettling scenes.  I would submit that there are at least a couple of enduring lessons to be learned from DBC.  One is to appreciate life and what you have and try not to sweat the small shit.  And also, try to understand your fellow man and the trials and tribulations they may be encountering.  Ron Woodroof is a bad man.  He is a bigot and a homophobe and it’s not until he has to walk in the shoes of some of the people he reviles that he begins to transform.  It’s a shame and an indictment  on the human condition, that oftentimes it takes a tragedy or loss in our lives to truly appreciate what we have or to take a really good look in the mirror.   Hopefully, watching Dallas Buyers Club can turn on the light bulb for some of us, yours truly included.

It’s so true.  You can’t help but feel blessed to have your health after watching this.  We’re all guilty of taking the small things for granted and it’s nice to have something to remind us how lucky we truly are.  I enjoyed the movie a great deal more than I expected, which is always a nice surprise when it comes to film.  I remember the first time I saw McConaughey in one of my all time favorite crime/thrillers, A Time to Kill.  He was so young and handsome – and he just oozed stardom.  I can never forget the scene when he lets out that genuine and lovable laugh when he views his ‘on-the-curb’ drunken parking job.  A laugh as recognizable as his dimpled face these days.  It seems he has found his niche in Hollywood.  Let’s hope he keeps on this newly found path.

Ross’ Rating: 3.5 Gummy Bears out of 5.

Maria’s Rating: 4 Gummies.

Movie Review: Mr. Peabody and Sherman

Published March 12, 2014 by mrsrag

Starring the voices of:  Ty Burrell, Max Charles, Ariel Winter, Allison Janney, Stephen Colbert, Leslie Mann, Patrick Warburton, Mel Brooks, Stanley Tucci.

Rated: PG.  Animated/Comedy.  Running Time: 1 hour 42 minutes.

Smart.  Witty.  Furry.  Mr. Peabody is one sharp pup and he lights up the screen in this wonderfully clever tale.  Peabody (Burell) is in jeopardy of losing custody of Sherman (Winter), his adopted human son.  And all because of a total misunderstanding on Sherman’s first day of school.  Well, because of the misunderstanding and also because he was being antagonized by a very mean classmate.  Up until now, Mr. Peabody and Sherman have been living a happy, healthy and quite interesting life together.  Peabody is an advanced canine who can speak – and he speaks quite eloquently.  He is an acclaimed scientist, a Nobel laureate, a gourmet chef, a musician, a business titan and an inventor.  But his favorite role is being a father to his pride and joy, his tiny ginger pal, Sherman.  His most prized invention is a time machine called the WABAC (pronounced “way back”).  He and Sherman time travel in the WABAC and learn all about history.  Peabody is wonderfully charming and he can usually weave his way through any hardship with sheer intelligence and swagger.  But he meets his match in Mrs. Grunion (Janney), the beastly woman from child services who seems Hell bent on taking Sherman away from Mr. Peabody.

Maria, and probably most of you reading this, have never seen the old cartoon version of Mr. Peabody and Sherman.  Part of the Rocky and Bullwinkle Show, I watched them when I was a little dude in the 70’s and I can attest that screenwriter Craig Wright has brought our heroes to the present day in style.  Mr. Peabody and Sherman followed a theme, pardon the pun, way back then; Sherman would get into mischief and Mr. Peabody would have to bail him out, and I’m happy to report they’ve stuck with what works.  Ty Burrell is terrific as the smartest canine in history (though I had wrongly guessed he was Hugh Laurie, a rare miss), and the Sherlock Holmes-esque scenes of Peabody showing us how he figures his way out of impossible situations in a split second, are pure genius.  If you’ve seen the Robert Downey Jr. versions of Holmes, you know what I mean.  The romp through time is hilarious and educational, the time spent with da Vinci is a personal favorite, but we also run into King Tut, Marie Antoinette, The Trojan Horse and Einstein among others.  The world has never seen anything like Mr. Peabody, now or in the past, and he has a positive effect on all he encounters.  My only concern is that he’s following (a bit too closely perhaps?) the megahit, The Lego Movie.  Hopefully, parents aren’t tapped out from the two or three trips they’ve had to take to the land of interlocking blocks. MPAS is too good though, word of mouth should easily help recoup it’s daunting $120,000,000 production cost.

The Lego Movie was certainly a hard act to follow, but this animated feature should do well.  It’s way too cute and endearing to be overlooked.  And the spruced up animation of yesteryear still echoes a familiarity to its roots, while adding some much needed flair and excitement.  I was extremely impressed with the 3-D effects, which is one of my biggest pet peeves with these animated films.  But MPAS put it to good use with scenes involving the time travelling and Mr. Peabody’s daily shenanigans.  I thoroughly enjoyed this movie, especially because it was smart and very well done.  It maintains its fun and hilarity, while providing some educational anecdotes.  And Mr. Peabody drops a lot of puns, which is one of our favorite sources of amusement.  Ethan had to ask us to explain a few of them, which only benefits his already impressive vocabulary.  I mean, the kid references Stockholm Syndrome.

Retooling old franchises is a Hollywood staple.  But for every Superman there is a Lone Ranger.  Every Batman a Green Hornet.  Every Scooby Doo a Flintstones.  I must admit when I heard about Mr. Peabody and Sherman, I was thinking “there’s a friggin’ train wreck ready to happen”, but it was very well done and I’m happy a whole new generation, or two, will enjoy the adventures through the WABAC machine.  I’m guessing it’s success will lead to a parade of more obscure characters from the 60’s and 70’s being resurrected.  Who might be next?  Snagglepuss.  “Exit, stage left.”   Tennessee Tuxedo and Chumley, the penguin and walrus team always trying to escape from the zoo?  Maybe Top Cat, that wisecracking, streetwise hustler?  Anybody but Woody Woodpecker, that guy always annoyed the shit out of me!     

Maria’s Rating: 3.5 Gummy Bears out of 5.

Ross’ Rating: 3.75 Gummies.