Movie Review For June 26, 2015: TED 2, MAX, and ME, AND EARL, AND THE DYING GIRL

TED 2
Rated: R
Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Amanda Seyfried, Seth MacFarlane
Plot: Ted's civil rights are under attack by people saying he is nothing more than property, but Ted's friends are their to help in their own special way.
Trailer

Clint Says: Don't even bother, unless you love raunchy, juvenile humor.

TED 2 is full of stupid, juvenile, and raunchy humor. It has a ridiculous plot, the story is thin and the characters are all one-dimensional idiots.

That said, this movie is stupidly funny. I missed the dialogue of a good five minutes of this film because the audience was laughing so hard we couldn't hear it. There are three scenes in particular that are easily three of the funniest scenes I have ever seen on the big screen.

A special "thank you" needs to go out to Amanda Seyfried for playing along with a great gag in the movie that is spectacularly funny.

I really can't recommend this movie on any level other than comedy, at that it excels. In all other areas of film it fails miserably.  But if all you are looking for is a night of dirty jokes this movie will be more than enough.




MAX
Rated: PG
Stars: Thomas Hayden Church, Josh Wiggins, Luke Kleintank
Plot: A military dog is given to the family of his military trainer after the trainer dies
Trailer

Clint Says: Wait for the DVD

This is one of those movies that could have been so much better if it had been PG-13. I understand what they wanted to do and the audience they wanted to reach and for that I am thankful, but this movie depended on quite a bit of action and suspense that had to be watered down significantly in order to keep the PG rating.

This feels more like a made-for-TV special than a big screen feature film. The acting is mediocre at best, and sometimes it is truly cringe-worthy. The story feels forced and contrived, and the drama, conflict, and suspense are hardly there.

While the film is good for almost all ages, there is nothing in this movie that makes it worth seeing in the theater. Wait for the DVD. You won't miss anything at all and you'll save a few bucks as well.




ME, AND EARL, AND THE DYING GIRL
Rated: PG-13
Stars: Thomas Mann, Olivia Cooke, RJ Cyler
Plot: Two friends that make movies together try to make one for another friend with Leukemia
Trailer

Clint Says: Drop everything and go see this movie now

This may be my favorite film of the year so far. I wouldn't be surprised or unhappy if it ended up on my Top 10 list for 2015.

It is quirky, awkward, authentic, incredibly funny and despairingly sad. It's like THE FAULT IN OUR STARS and NAPOLEON DYNAMITE mashed into one film with a little bit of DIARY OF A WIMPY KID thrown in for good measure.

The three main characters are perfectly cast and the chemistry between them all is beautiful. It's striking to see how well three completely different people can come together in such a harmonious way.

Grab a friend, grab some tissues and go see this movie as soon as possible. But make sure you leave some extra free time after the movie to talk about it with your friends because you will HAVE to talk about this film after you see it.

DVD Review For April 28, 2015: PADDINGTON, THE WEDDING RINGER, INHERENT VICE, THE BOY NEXT DOOR, THE GAMBLER

PADDINGTON
Rated: PG
Stars: Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, Nicole Kidman
Plot: A young, lonely bear is discovered at Paddington Station and given a place to stay by the Brown family.
Trailer

Clint Says: Buy this DVD for your elementary school kids

Technically speaking, PADDINGTON is astounding. The level of effects used to bring the bear to life and the mastery of those effects are evident in this film. That being said, the overall movie is okay at best.

The film has some beautiful set design and costumes, but it doesn't make up for the fact that the story is fairly bland and slow-moving. This is a kid's movie through and through so I know they couldn't ramp up the drama and action too much, but a little bit more would have been fine.

I fear that this movie is a bit too complicated for the under 5 audience to grasp and anyone over 10 is going to spend a good portion of the movie bored. But the elementary school crowd will really enjoy PADDINGTON.




THE WEDDING RINGER
Rated: R
Stars: Kevin Hart, Josh Gad, Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting
Plot: A groom in need of a best man turns to a service that offers fake friendships...for a price.
Trailer

Clint Says: Rent this movie this weekend

I was completely shocked as to how much I enjoyed this film. Kevin Hart is really funny, but he has a tendency to wear me out with his humor. However, in this film, Josh Gad balances out Hart perfectly making for a stellar comedy duo.

The story is unique and the hi-jinks will keep you laughing all the way through. And while the guffaws are aplenty, it's also a heartwarming story with enough of a deeper message to make it more than a simple bromance flick, but not so deep that it loses it's comedic edge.

This is a great flick for a night out with the guys, or a fun date. And fans of LOST, be ready to run to the bathroom as soon as the credits roll, because the very last line of the movie is going to make you laugh so hard you'll almost pee your pants.




INHERENT VICE
Rated: R
Stars: Joaquin Phoenix, Katherine Waterston, Josh Brolin
Plot: A Los Angeles P.I. investigates the disappearance of a former girlfriend and her lover.
Trailer

Clint Says: Wait for a free stream on Netflix

This is one of those movies where the trailer is way better than the film, and the trailer makes it look like you will be seeing an entirely different movie than you actually end up seeing.

Clocking in at just shy of 2 1/2 hours, INHERENT VICE is a slow-moving, odd, quirky and nearly useless film. While Joaquin Phoenix does an incredible job in his role, I found myself several times trying to figure out why this movie was even made. It's not terribly entertaining, it isn't a ground-breaking piece of cinematic history, and as a mystery movie it is mediocre at best.

If you are interested in seeing this film you'd be much better off just watching the very well done trailer and then spending your money on something else.




THE BOY NEXT DOOR
Rated: R
Stars: Jennifer Lopez, Ryan Guzman, Kristin Chenoweth
Plot: A high school teacher is stalked by one of her new students after a night that shouldn't have happened
Trailer

Clint Says: Wait for a free stream on Netflix

This is one of those movies that is about an inch deep, but it's still a fun date movie. There is zero thinking required, the ending is absurdly cliche, and what little mystery there is is elementary at best. That said, there is enough suspense and chills to make it fun.

Jennifer Lopez is exactly what you have seen before in all of her other movies, not bad, not great. Ryan Guzman plays the lovable psycho well, and Kristin Chenoweth is her usual nails-on-the-chalkboard self. Why anyone casts her in anything I will never understand.

I will say that the trailer is somewhat misleading. Yes, she does sleep with one of her students, but he's also almost 20 years old. (I'm not saying what she did is right, I'm simply pointing out that the trailer makes it look like statutory rape, but it isn't.)

It's the kind of movie you'll forget you saw a couple of months from now, but you won't feel like you wasted 90 minutes of your life while watching it.




THE GAMBLER
Rated: R
Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Jessica Lange, John Goodman, Brie Larson
Plot: A university professor with a gambling addiction has one week to pay back a quarter of a million dollars to loan sharks.
Trailer

Clint Says: Don't even bother

THE GAMBLER is full of spectacular acting in a spectacularly bad flick. This is one of those films where I feel like I saw a completely different movie than most of the critics. I've seen many of them raving about this film, but I just don't get it.

When the film begins it dumps us in the middle of the story, which I am fine with and many time enjoy, but THE GAMBLER doesn't give us any flashbacks or back story to fill in the gaps. At no point are we shown why he has the addiction in the first place, nor do we ever see any motivation the main character has to do the things he does.

The romance feels weird and forced, John Goodman is a creeptastic, human version of Jabba The Hutt, and the editor must have been on vacation for most of the editing because there are many scenes that drag on endlessly for no reason.

This movie got so long, boring and annoying that near the end I was hoping the main character would get hit by a bus and the credits would roll. (You'll recognize the scene I'm referring to if you are unlucky enough to have to sit through this mess).

Wahlberg and Lange both give performances that are incredible to watch, unfortunately the story is total crap.

Movie Review For December 28, 2014

THE GAMBLER
Rated: R
Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Jessica Lange, John Goodman, Brie Larson
Plot: A university professor with a gambling addiction has one week to pay back a quarter of a million dollars to loan sharks.
Trailer

Clint Says: Don't even bother

THE GAMBLER is full of spectacular acting in a spectacularly bad flick. This is one of those films where I feel like I saw a completely different movie than most of the critics. I've seen many of them raving about this film, but I just don't get it.

When the film begins it dumps us in the middle of the story, which I am fine with and many time enjoy, but THE GAMBLER doesn't give us any flashbacks or back story to fill in the gaps. At no point are we shown why he has the addiction in the first place, nor do we ever see any motivation the main character has to do the things he does.

The romance feels weird and forced, John Goodman is a creeptastic, human version of Jabba The Hutt, and the editor must have been on vacation for most of the editing because there are many scenes that drag on endlessly for no reason.

This movie got so long, boring and annoying that near the end I was hoping the main character would get hit by a bus and the credits would roll. (You'll recognize the scene I'm referring to if you are unlucky enough to have to sit through this mess).

Wahlberg and Lange both give performances that are incredible to watch, unfortunately the story is total crap.



FOXCATCHER
Rated: R
Stars: Steve Carell, Channing Tatum, Mark Ruffalo
Plot: The story of John du Pont and his obsession with USA Wrestling.
Trailer

Clint Says: See this in theaters if you can find it

Steve Carell has already received several award nominations for his spot-on portrayal of John du Pont and I'm sure there are many more nominations to come. All of them are well-deserved. Steve Carell is not on the screen, it is John du Pont, and it's not just because of the makeup.

Tatum and Ruffalo also hold up their end of the film as well as evidenced by the award nominations they are both receiving .

This is one of the rare instances where I think it might be a better movie-going experience if you don't already know the story. The twists and turns are fascinating and intriguing, but for those that know the story you will notice the major plot changes and the film will feel slow.

FOXCATCHER is a disturbing and creepy film that is strangely gripping and mesmerizing. It is the kind of film that gets into your brain and will sit there for days.

Hopefully, this film will gain more attention and be released in more theaters as the bigger nominations come in, but as for now, you'll have to search it out to see it.

DVD Review For September 30, 2014

TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION
Rated: PG-13
Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Nicola Peltz, Stanley Tucci
Plot: A down-on-his-luck inventor finds one of the few remaining transformers and sets off a chain-reation of events that may lead to the end of humanity.
Trailer

Clint Says: If you have to see this movie, make someone else rent it

This is currently in the top 5 highest grossing films of 2014, but this movie is horrible. The only thing it has going for it are the incredible special effects and world-class explosions.

If you care at all about plot, character development, or meaningful dialogue rent something else. If you are only interested in things that go boom while spouting off cheesy lines you'll still think this 2 hour and 45 minute movie is an hour too long, but you'll be relatively happy. I would compare the cheese factor of this movie to a lame Saturday morning cartoon, but that would be an insult to the cartoon.

I also found the way the film treats the female lead throughout the movie to be thoroughly offensive. She spends the entire movie in tight shirts and either super-short cutoff jeans or painted on pants, her dialogue mainly consists of her yelling for her dad to rescue her, and her age is mentioned several times as 17. So, basically, she's supposed to be a minor that has daddy issues and is only there to provide eye candy rather than have a meaningful role. It's frustrating to see another summer blockbuster that uses the female lead as scenery rather than a legitimate plot-important character.

Just over halfway through the movie I was begging for it to end. When it finally did end it was left so wide open for a sequel that they barely finished this movie.

Save your money.

CHEF

Rated: R

Stars: Jon Favreau, Sofia Vergara, Scarlett Johansson, John Leguizamo, Emjay Anthony

Plot: After a bad review a head chef loses his job and works to regain his love for cooking and his family through working a food truck.

Trailer

Clint Says: Rent this movie as soon as possible

This is one of those movies that is really good, but for whatever reason seems to fly under the radar. Foodies will love it for the tasty dishes, movie fans will love it for the heartwarming story and the superb acting by Jon Favreau.

It's an interesting mix of typical film genres. On one hand you have the trying-to-get-back-my-lost-love theme, but you also have the father-son-road-trip theme. Even so, the two styles mix together well. Like salty and sweet.

It's a fun film that is worth seeing.

Movie Review for June 27, 2014

TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION
Rated: PG-13
Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Stanley Tucci, Nicola Peltz
Plot: A down-on-his-luck inventor finds one of the few remaining transformers and sets off a chain-reation of events that may lead to the end of humanity.
Trailer

Clint Says: Wait for the DVD and let someone else rent it

This may become one of the highest grossing films of 2014 just by the nature of the franchise and its "summer blockbuster" release date, but this movie is horrible. The only thing it has going for it are the incredible special effects and world-class explosions.

If you care at all about plot, character development, or meaningful dialogue go see something else. If you are only interested in things that go boom while spouting off cheesy lines you'll still think this 2 hour and 45 minute movie is an hour too long, but you'll be relatively happy. I would compare the cheese factor of this movie to a lame Saturday morning cartoon, but that would be an insult to the cartoon.

I also found the way the film treats the female lead throughout the movie to be thoroughly offensive. She spends the entire movie in tight shirts and either super-short cutoff jeans or painted on pants, her dialogue mainly consists of her yelling for her dad to rescue her, and her age is mentioned several times as 17. So, basically, she's supposed to be a minor that has daddy issues and is only there to provide eye candy rather than have a meaningful role. It's frustrating to see another summer blockbuster that uses the female lead as scenery rather than a legitimate plot-important character.

Just over halfway through the movie I was begging for it to end. When it finally did end it was left so wide open for a sequel that they barely finished this movie.

Save your money and wait for a good action flick.

DVD Review for June 3, 2014

LONE SURVIVOR
Rated: R
Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Taylor Kitsch
Plot: A small group of Navy SEALs find their mission compromised and are surrounded by hundreds of Taliban supporters.
Trailer

Clint Says: Buy this DVD

LONE SURVIVOR, based on the true story of Operation Red Wings, is very difficult to watch, but it worth every minute of your time. Wahlberg and the rest of the cast do an exemplary job of portraying the impossibility of their situation without straying from their military training. The tribute to the real heroes of Operation Red Wings at the end of the movie is worth the price of the DVD itself. If you liked ZERO DARK THIRTY you will love LONE SURVIVOR.



ROBOCOP
Rated: PG-13
Stars: Joel Kinnaman, Gary Oldman, Michael Keaton, Samuel L. Jackson
Plot: In the near future, technology allows for OmniCorp to create a human/robot hybrid cop to fight out-of-control crime.
Trailer

Clint Says: Rent this movie now

This movie is leaps and bounds better than it's predecessor. The graphics are obviously better, but so is the story. This is a classic style action flick, but it has a large focus on the ethics of the situation as well as biting commentary on the ridiculous 24-hour news shows so prevalent today.

Keaton and Oldman's characters are well juxtaposed and add a level of tension and thought usually not seen in action movies. Samuel L. Jackson plays the role of newscaster/salesman so well you almost fall for his pitch. If you are in the mood for an action film, this is as good a choice as any.



SON OF GOD
Rated: PG-13
Stars: Diogo Morgado, Greg Hicks
Plot: The story of Jesus from birth to Resurrection.

Trailer

Clint Says: Rent THE BIBLE instead.

SON OF GOD is well done, but if you already watched Mark Burnett's mini-series THE BIBLE you've seen this. It's the same footage from the mini-series only cut down to just the story of Jesus.

 

It is well done and stays true to the bible, but it's not as powerful as THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST. If you want to see it I would recommend getting the most bang for your buck and just buying the entire mini-series.

Movie Review for January 10, 2014

LONE SURVIVOR
Rated R
Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Taylor Kitsch
Plot: A small group of Navy SEALs have their mission compromised and find themselves surrounded by hundreds of Taliban supporters.
Trailer
Clint Says: Drop everything and go see this now

LONE SURVIVOR, based on the true story of Operation Red Wings, is very difficult to watch, but it worth every minute of your time. Wahlberg and the rest of the cast do an exemplary job of portraying the impossibility of their situation without straying from their military training. The tribute to the real heroes of Operation Red Wings at the end of the movie is worth the price of admission itself. If you liked ZERO DARK THIRTY you will love LONE SURVIVOR.


THE LEGEND OF HERCULES
Rated PG-13
Stars: Kellan Lutz, Gaia Weiss
Plot: The story of the birth, rejection and rise to power of the demi-god Hercules.
Trailer
Clint Says: Wait for the DVD and let someone else rent it

Can somebody please make a great movie of the story Hercules? This movie misses the mark in every way possible. First off, he's a demi-god with super-human powers and he only uses them twice. What!? Second, there are plot holes you could drive a truck through. Third, the graphics (which most of this movie is done in CGI) look like they were done in 1998. Fourth, the 3D version uses gimmicky 3D tricks to make the movie look more intense, but audiences are over that now. Finally, I thought that dialogue was important to a movie, I guess the execs on this film disagree with me.

The only audience that will find this movie enjoyable are males between 17 and 22. Everyone else shouldn't bother.



HER
Rated R
Stars: Joaquin Phoenix, Scarlett Johansson, Amy Adams
Plot: A loner falls in love with his computer's artificial intelligence operating system.
Trailer
Clint Says: Save some money and go see a matinee

When I first heard about the premise of HER I thought, "that sounds creepy and weird." Then I went to see it and thought, "that was creepy and weird." Don't get me wrong, the movie is well done and very well acted, especially by Joaquin Phoenix, but it's still creepy and weird. It's played out in a not-too-distant future and is set up in a way that makes it seem like it is something that could actually happen. That's probably why it came across as creepy and weird.

There are people that will love every aspect of this film and others will be offended by the very premise. My recommendation, go see this movie based on your level of comfort with the plot.



AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY
Rated R
Stars: Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts
Plot: The Weston women return home with all of their dysfunctional baggage in tow.
Trailer
Clint Says: Wait for the DVD

This movie is best summed up this way: An incredible cast overacting a mediocre script allowing for a slightly above average film.



INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS
Rated R
Stars: Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan
Plot: A folk singer tries to hit the big time, but his life keeps pulling him down.
Trailer
Clint Says: Don't even bother

This is easily one of the worst films I have ever seen. I know a lot of Hollywood types think this film is brilliant, but they are the same people that are convinced the Coen brothers fart unicorns on glitter rainbows. This movie starts about 5 chapters too late and ends 5 chapters too soon. Even so, I don't know if that would have saved this plodding, obnoxious borefest.