This Is the End

Film: This Is the End

Starring: Seth Rogen (50/50), Jay Baruchel (Goon) and James Franco (127 Hours)

Directors: Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg

U.S. Release: June 12th, 2013

Genre: Comedy

Runtime: 107 minutes


Seth Rogen's first legitimate major motion picture impact came in 2005's The 40 Year Old Virgin. It's hard to believe that Rogen's stranglehold on the comedy market hasn't even lasted a full decade yet. However, the actor/writer and now director uses his latest platform, This Is the End, to reiterate the fact that he's not quite done yet.

When the longtime friendship between Canadian-born pals Seth Rogen & Jay Baruchel begins to slowly wither away, Baruchel takes one last trip to California to salvage the relationship. Desperate to include Jay in his new group of friends, Rogen invites his childhood buddy to a party at James Franco's pad. But rather than spending the evening renewing their friendship and, from Rogen's standpoint, building new ones, the party full of celebrities must find a way to survive the apocalypse.

Crude, vulgar and downright hilarious, This Is the End is a refreshingly pleasing comedic affair. While some pundits may argue that the film offers nothing more than cheap jokes and excessively immature humor, I would refute that writers/directors Seth Rogen and childhood friend Evan Goldberg stay loyal to their story. Even by the film's satisfying conclusion (prior to the strange cameo-filled finale), This Is the End is a movie about "friendship". Surely the jokes are overtly simple and frequently vile, yet they're also plentiful and consistent. One huge selling point to the comedy is the fact that its characters are based on the real-life actors, actresses and entertainers we've grown to love over the years. In doing so, the cameo's are absolutely hysterical and the viewer becomes transported into the story. Perhaps the finest one comes from Michael Cera. The scrawny and pale actor is uproariously funny playing the party animal role. Cera's brief but impactful cameo is just one of many effective elements in the summer blockbuster.

Despite the fact that This Is the End is a worthwhile flick, its weaker elements certainly can't be ignored. For example, the film's midsection clearly drags on while the plot appears indecisive about where it wants to go. Therefore, the comedy feels every bit of its 107 minute running time. Moreover, since This Is the End addresses apocalyptic themes, there are a great deal of special effects needed to sell the feature. Some are convincing, but many aren't. But although the movie includes a slowly progressing storyline and weak visual effects, This Is the End accomplishes its ultimate goal of generating a plethora of laughs.

The beauty behind This Is the End is the hilarious interaction between its celebrity stars. Danny McBride, Jonah Hill and Craig Robinson all deliver valuable supporting turns that aid in welcoming the moviegoer into the inside joke that is the film. With no shortage of laugh-out-loud moments and a purposeful "message" hidden somewhere in its moderately flimsy story, This Is the End feels like a summer comedy standout. If you find yourself searching for a fun-filled good time, I suggest taking a shot on This Is the End. Just make sure that you go in with tempered expectations.


Stars: 3 stars out of 4

Grade: B

The Way, Way Back

Film: The Way, Way Back

Starring: Liam James (2012), Sam Rockwell (Seven Psychopaths) and Steve Carell (Crazy Stupid Love)

Directors: Nat Faxon & Jim Rash

U.S. Release: July 5th, 2013 (Rated PG-13)

Genre: Comedy

Runtime: 96 minutes


Things aren't usually better the second time around. Looking at real world examples like Hollywood remakes, cover songs and leftovers from last night's dinner, it's pretty difficult to refute this notion. Therefore, when I heard about the back story surrounding this summer's release, The Way, Way Back, I justifiably became a bit skeptical. From the same producers and featuring many of the same stars as the 2006 indie sensation, The Way, Way Back has been unfairly labeled as "the next Little Miss Sunshine". While in actuality, The Way, Way Back stands tall enough on its own.

Duncan (played by Liam James) is an awkward and lonely teenager "forced" to spend the summer months at his mom's boyfriend's shore house. As Duncan's mom (played by Toni Collette) appears blind to Trent's (played by Steve Carell) harsh belittling of him, the teenager ventures off to be as far away from her boyfriend as possible. Duncan eventually stumbles across a water park and sparks a unique friendship with the manager, Owen (played by Sam Rockwell). Owen senses the youngster's loneliness and offers him a summer job at the park. It's there where Duncan finally learns how to open up and be his true self.

The Way, Way Back represents yet another fine indie selection from this year's exceptional Sundance Film Festival class. While it's inevitable to pit this effort against its festival foe, The Kings of Summer (which arrives in theatres in the next few weeks), The Way, Way Back is an overall small step down, but clearly a delightful film all on its own. The heart and soul of the feature resides in the role-model relationship built between Sam Rockwell's and Liam James' characters. The vastly underrated Rockwell once again shows why he belongs in the same conversation as Hollywood's best actors. He delivers his one-liners with remarkably-timed precision and his dramatic moments with profound tenderness. Through the use of his affable see-through "cool guy" exterior, Rockwell commands the screen and demonstrates that he can just about do it all. Furthermore, the always respectable Steve Carell goes against the grain and shows some versatility as a despicable and unforgivable confidence-crusher to the film's teenage protagonist. Having grown accustom to Carell as an often-lovable character, he is regrettably convincing and most likely setting the stage for his Oscar-bound role in this year's fall release, Foxcatcher. Although I could continue to go on-and-on in detail about all of the other fine performances in the film, instead I will couple them together by reaffirming that The Way, Way Back is a wonderfully acted and heartfelt coming-of-age film suitable for just about any viewer.

Despite the picture's all-around winning vibe, there are a few blemishes to discuss. For starters, many of the film's characters feel like completely overblown and animated caricatures. While the "good" are VERY good and the "bad" are VERY bad, The Way, Way Back suffers from a black and white approach to its onscreen roles. Therefore, expressing its characters in such a way creates an inauthentic and disingenuous feel. In addition, the feature opens in a very unusual manner. Although the first act fails to adequately hook the audience, it does serve a unique purpose to the film's bigger picture. But when all is said and done, The Way, Way Back hurdles these faults and offers laugh-out-loud humor and an assortment of endearing characters.

While The Way, Way Back comes close to, but never quite reaches, the heights of 2006's Little Miss Sunshine and its festival competitor The Kings of Summer, it's still a praiseworthy coming-of-age tale all on its own. And since the jokes are abundant and the performances are stellar, there's plenty to enjoy. When The Way, Way Back reaches theatres nationwide in July, you won't be disappointed by catching another indie gem such as this one.


Stars: 3 stars out of 4

Grade: B

Don Jon and We're The Millers (Red Band) Trailers

Rising star Joseph Gordon-Levitt writes, directs and stars in his Sundance comedy Don Jon. Gordon-Levitt plays a porn addict who finally meets a woman (played by Scarlett Johansson) that makes him want to overcome the addiction. With an interesting trailer, to say the least, Don Jon is slated for an October release. Check out the trailer for Don Jon below.





One of this summer's most talked about comedies is We're The Millers. Jason Sudeikis stars as a pot dealer who creates a fake family (the psuedo-wife played by Jennifer Aniston) in order to successfully transport a HUGE shipment of marijuana from Mexico to the United States. And as you could expect, everything imaginable goes wrong. I have my reservations about it, but check out the Red Band trailer for We're The Millers below and decide for yourself.

The Hangover Part III

Film: The Hangover Part III

Starring: Zach Galifianakis (The Campaign), Bradley Cooper (Silver Linings Playbook) and Ed Helms (Cedar Rapids)

Director: Todd Phillips (Old School)

U.S. Release: May 23rd, 2013 (Rated R)

Genre: Comedy

Runtime: 100 minutes


2009 seems like such a short time ago. Yet, almost four years have passed since Todd Phillips' The Hangover helped set the bar for modern day comedies. Then, like clockwork, Phillips and the people at Warner Bros. decided to milk this cash cow for all it's worth. With dollar signs in their eyes, they began a four year plan releasing The Hangover Part II in 2011 and the third installment this weekend. While many may feel that the franchise has run its course, especially after the disappointment of "Part II", the newest inclusion is definitely a step up over its immediate predecessor.

Freshly off his meds, Alan (Galifianakis) has reclaimed his impulsive ways and becomes too much for his friends and family to handle. After agreeing to check into a facility, the Wolfpack ventures to Arizona to help Alan receive the treatment that he needs. However, the trip is quickly derailed when a drug lord named Marshall (played by John Goodman) takes Doug hostage and threatens to kill him in three days unless they bring him Leslie Chow (played by Ken Jeong), who has robbed the kingpin of millions of dollars.

Breaking from the tiresome and formulaic structure of the franchise's first two installments, The Hangover Part III is a fluctuating adventure filled with an abundance of hysterical moments alongside a downtrodden dose of Mr. Chow's character. Clearly an improvement over Phillips' previous visit to the Wolfpack universe, the film dishes out a healthy portion of outrageously hilarious scenes. It's also moderately gratifying to watch the franchise come full circle. Taking a Seinfeld finale approach, The Hangover Part III marks the return for many of the original's memorable characters (thankfully, there's no Mike Tyson). Phillips gives a valiant attempt at wrapping everything up with a nice little bow. However, the post credit clip reminds us that when it comes to a brand that's grossed north of $500 million dollars in box office revenue, the door must be left open for a return. Representing another unfitting and unjustifiable decision from the director.

Although The Hangover Part III has no shortage of laughs, there is plenty to dislike about the Wolfpack's alleged final adventure. It became apparent during the less-than-acceptable sequel that Mr. Chow is a leech, sucking the blood and life out of the entire franchise. Therefore, his inexcusably grand role in this third chapter ultimately deflates the film. Chow receives far more onscreen attention than every other character except Alan. Moreover, much to its detriment, these two oddballs have managed to attract an increasing level of absurdity throughout the course of the trilogy. The beauty behind the original was the collaborative comedic efforts from its trio of stars. Yet, Cooper and Helms, along with an under-utilized cameo by the always phenomenal John Goodman, take a back seat to the shenanigans of Alan and Chow, merely making them props to the story. Consequently, it does the film a huge disservice, leaving plenty to be desired with The Hangover Part III.

If you've poured enough of your hard earned dollars into the first two inclusions of the franchise, then there's nothing lost by avoiding The Hangover Part III in theatres. Despite being a step up from the second installment, the newest effort is still a huge drop off from the timeless magic captured in the original. Hardcore fans will inevitably enjoy the full-circle approach taken by director Todd Phillips, yet there's no valid argument against waiting to catch The Hangover Part III on DVD.


Stars: 2 stars out of 4

Grade: C+

Europa Report and V/H/S/2 (RED BAND) Trailers

In 2009, many of us were thankfully caught off-guard by Neill Blomkamp's deeply original sci-fi adventure District 9. The film's star, Sharlto Copley, plans to leave 2013 as the king of sci-fi. First, Copley holds a major role in Blomkamp's follow-up effort, Elysium, due to hit theatres in August. But before Copley and Blomkamp make a grand return to the big screen, Copley will star in the lesser known feature Europa Report. The film follows a team of astronauts (headed by Copley) who take a seemingly disastrous journey to Jupiter's fourth moon, Europa. With a premise eerily similar to 2011's dud Apollo 18, we can only hope that Europa Report offers much more. Intriguing at the least, check out the trailer for Europa Report below.





At 2012's Sundance Film Festival, horror fans spoke highly about the low budget found footage feature V/H/S. However, the film expanded to a somewhat mediocre reception from many horror gurus. This year, we're graced with the sequel, V/H/S/2, and critics are clamoring that the second installment is a must-see. Creepy as hell, the trailer is extremely enticing and this horror fan is about as giddy as a school girl over it. V/H/S/2 centers around two private investigators searching for a missing woman. But when they break into a house and discover a series of video tapes, they sense that something evil is behind the disappearance. Check out the Red Band trailer for V/H/S/2 below.

Now You See Me

Film: Now You See Me

Starring: Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network), Mark Ruffalo (The Avengers) and Morgan Freeman (The Dark Knight Rises)

Director: Louis Leterrier (Clash of the Titans)

U.S. Release: May 21st, 2013

Genre: Thriller

Runtime: 116 minutes


Despite being in the full swing of the summer blockbuster season, one less-than-typical big budget film to hit theatres this month is Louis Leterrier's Now You See Me. Leterrier, who's best known for his direction of Clash of the Titans and Transporter 1 & 2, gives a high octane dose of magic. This mystery-thriller surprisingly delivers enough action and energy to help warrant its "blockbuster" classification. Therefore, when you head to the theatre this summer seeking out the gaudiest box-office hits possible, writing off Now You See Me as a minuscule magic-centered movie simply means, the joke's on you.

A quartet of extremely talented street-performing illusionists and mentalists (played by Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher and Dave Franco) are summoned together to accomplish some of the grandest feats in history. But after robbing millions of dollars from a Parisian bank as their Las Vegas stage finale (without ever leaving the room), the FBI must unravel how and why these magicians are up to no good. Yet, the closer agent Dylan Hobbs (Mark Ruffalo) and famed magic-debunker Thaddeus Bradley (Morgan Freeman) get to figuring it all out, the less they actually know.

Now You See Me is an above average thrill ride possessing a completely star-studded cast and a unique story. First and foremost, Jesse Eisenberg and Mark Ruffalo lead a superb collection of new and old Hollywood greats. Legends such as Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine and the always amazing Woody Harrelson cross talents with a newer generation of stars. The result is a set of wonderfully branded characters that undoubtedly raise Now You See Me to the next level. While Eisenberg and Ruffalo lead the way, Harrelson offers his usual scene-stealing supporting efforts that never leave a dull moment for the audience. In fact, Eisenberg admittedly stated that once Harrelson was on board, the script was slightly reworked to better fit his comedic talents. And believe me, the results show. Another significant glowing aspect to the film is its carefully crafted story. Thanks to a commendable amount of originality to the script, Now You See Me constantly feels fresh and new. With all of the remakes, sequels and rehashed ideas floating around the industry, it's refreshing to find an energetic and singular story.

Although Louis Leterrier's Now You See Me successfully grabs the audience, the feature still manages to illustrate some significant flaws. For starters, as a film about illusionists and magicians, there was an immense focus on delivering an abundance of stunning visuals. While I can understand their desire to do so, I found some of the effects to be completely unnecessary and distracting to the movie's finer elements. Furthermore, Now You See Me caters to a summertime audience by doing all of the work for you. As an active-viewer who enjoys thinking for himself (to a reasonably attainable and not overly-ambiguous degree), the film refuses to allow the moviegoer to dissect the mystery on their own. Containing an almost insurmountable amount of unrealistic sequences followed by an undetectable conclusion, Now You See Me requires that the audience simply watch and be entertained. At least the thrills and uniqueness make the ride enjoyable.

There will be plenty of hits and even more misses during this summer's blockbuster season. Now You See Me is one of those films that lands somewhere in between. For sheer entertainment value, it's well worth the price of admission. The jokes are a nice little touch, the action is beyond what you'd expect and the story isn't very robust, but compelling nonetheless. While I wouldn't recommend flocking to theatres to catch Now You See Me (a DVD rental will do just fine), you won't be disappointed if you do.


Stars: 2 and a half stars out of 4

Grade: B-