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.

Movie Review For October 24, 2014

JOHN WICK
Rated: R
Stars: Keanu Reeves, Michael Nyqvist, Alfie Allen
Plot: A former hit-man for the Russian mob is pulled back into his old life through a series of unfortunate events.
Trailer

Clint Says: Wait until after opening weekend, but see this in theaters

At its base this is a revenge flick, but this one is very well done. The powers that be added a unique world building aspect to this film that makes it much more interesting and compelling than your typical shoot-'em-up.

Keanu Reeves plays a believable if reluctant hit-man tormented by recent events, and his adversaries are not the typical one-dimensional bad guys that litter the screens of lesser films. That said, there are your usual convenient plot holes, bad guy soliloquies instead of just killing the protagonist, and cheesy one-liners, but thankfully they are minor enough not to distract from the overall story.

For the squeamish among you, JOHN WICK probably breaks the record for the most close-distance head shots. But for the rest of you looking for a kick-butt film, JOHN WICK will satisfy.




OUIJA
Rated: PG-13
Stars: Olivia Cooke, Ana Coto
Plot: After the death of a friend a small group use a Ouija board to try to contact her, but instead they wake an evil spirit.
Trailer

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

It wouldn't be October without a few horror offerings from Hollywood to give us all some scares. Unfortunately, OUIJA is short on scares and long on ridiculousness. The scenes that are supposed to be truly scary are, for the most part, corny and laughable. The only scenes that made the audience I shared this travesty with jump were the contrived scenes where the friends accidentally scare one another. It's a cheap trick that has become old and tired in the horror genre.

This film is full of massive plot holes, incredibly stupid decisions made by the unbearably beautiful teens, and pathetic overacting by the stereotypical ugly old lady.

If you are looking for a scary flick to chill you to the bone for Halloween this is not the film to do it. You'd be much better off renting something else.



ST. VINCENT
Rated: PG-13
Stars: Bill Murray, Melissa McCarthy
Plot: A young boy and a crotchety old man develop an unlikely friendship.
Trailer

Clint Says: Wait until after opening weekend, but see this in theaters

This is one of the better films I've seen this year and while I am a fan of Bill Murray, I think this film would have been an Oscar contender if he had been replaced by a more dramatic actor. It will still be up for awards and, don't get me wrong, Murray does an outstanding job in this film. I just think Hollywood doesn't respect him enough to give him the nod for the big hardware.

I was also pleasantly surprised to see Melissa McCarthy in a role other than the raunchy, bumbling goofball with a sharp, witty tongue. She plays it straight in this film which is refreshing, because she was starting to become very one-dimensional in her roles.

There is a lot about this film that is good. The characters are all deep and complex, the multiple story lines are compelling and the acting is well done.

If you are looking for a movie that will give you all the feels, this is your pick.



23 BLAST
Rated: PG-13
Stars: Mark Hapka, Bram Hoover, Stephen Lang
Plot: A high school football star loses his eyesight, but he learns to play again.
Trailer

Clint Says: Wait for the DVD

This is one of those low-budget, family-friendly, poorly acted films that will inspire you and probably make you bawl for the last 15 minutes.

This movie is based on a true story and while it is made-for-tv quality, it's still the kind of film you see anyway because of the story. I'm sure the real life story is not quite as dramatic as the film adaptation, but the movie holds true to the spirit of the reality.

If you liked movies like SOUL SURFER and DOLPHIN TALE you will find this film quite enjoyable.