Screens
Opening this week
Horrible Bosses 2
Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis
Former child actor Jason Bateman knows horrible bosses. He cut his teeth in the H’Wood trenches (Little House: A New Beginning, Silver Spoons, The Hogan Family), but recaptured the industry’s attention and reignited his career by playing Michael Bluth on Fox’s irreverent sitcom Arrested Development (Season 5 of which has recently been confirmed by Netflix). After earning his stripes in raunchy comedies (Couples Retreat, Bad Words), Oscar-baiting fare (Juno, Up in the Air) and summer blockbusters alike (Hancock, The Kingdom), he’s earned himself a sequel. In this R-rated follow-up to the 2011 hit comedy, Nick (Bateman), Kurt (Sudeikis) and Dale (Charlie Day) pull off an inept kidnapping scheme after a slick investor (Christoph Waltz) steals their business idea. The Plus: The genre. When they connect, R-rated comedies ignite the box office (Neighbors, 22 Jump Street, Let’s Be Cops). Horrible Bosses grossed just less than $120 million in the U.S., making it a bona fide smash. Let’s face it, not everybody has kids and is looking for clean family fun come Thanksgiving, the one holiday when most people return home because of the long weekend. Here, writer-director Sean Anders (That’s My Boy) reunites cast members Bateman (This is Where I Leave You), Sudeikis (Fury), Day (FXX’s It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia), Jennifer Aniston (We’re the Millers), Kevin Spacey (Netflix’s House of Cards) and Jamie Foxx (The Amazing Spider-Man 2) with newbies Waltz (Django Unchained), Chris Pine (Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit), Keegan Michael Key (Comedy Central’s Key and Peele) and Jonathan Banks (AMC’s Breaking Bad). The Minus: The material. For the most part, critics didn’t hate Horrible Bosses. Sequels, however, rarely come close to equaling the quality of their forebear. Here Anders replaces original director Seth Gordon (the forthcoming video game adaptation Uncharted) and, with his writing partner John Morris (Sex Drive, She’s Out of My League, Dumb and Dumber To), replaces Bosses’ original screenwriters.
The Penguins of Madagascar
Voices of Tom McGrath, Chris Miller
In this PG-rated animated spin-off of Madagascar, Skipper (McGrath), Kowalski (Miller), Rico (Conrad Vernon) and Private (Christopher Knights) join forces with undercover organization The North Wind to stop a villainous doctor from destroying the world. The Plus: The franchise. Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted banked nearly $150 million in the U.S. From writing to celebrity voices, Dreamworks Animation always assembles an impressive roster of talent. This flick boasts the A-List pipes of Benedict Cumberbatch (BBC’s Sherlock), John Malkovich (RED 2), Ken Jeong (The Hangover Part III) and Peter Stormare (NBC’s The Blacklist). The Minus: The odds. Dreamworks Animation isn’t exactly exempt from critical and audience rejection. In 2013, the title of Turbo proved rather appropriate at the box office when compared with expectations.
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The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1
Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson
*** — Hungry Ayes
Mostly satisfying the Hunger of moviegoers despite keeping its head in the Games too long, Mockingjay Part 1 nonetheless keeps the fires of excitement and contemplation burning toward the conclusion. In this PG-13-rated sci-fi adventure, Katniss Everdeen (Lawrence) works to save Peeta (Hutcherson) and a nation moved by her courage under the leadership of President Coin (Julianne Moore) and the advice of her trusted friends. Without question, many scenes in this third chapter thrill and engage to an amazing degree. These scenes also drag on too long, nearly losing their dramatic punch. After Harry Potter successfully extended its ending chapter into two parts, it suddenly seemed en vogue to split your finale like aces. For that franchise, an impressive six above average episodes into the action by that time, the extension of Deathly Hallows paid off in spades, story wise and box office wise (plus, when you’re already capping it at seven chapters, is the audience really going to mind an eighth?). In regards to The Twilight Saga, the series’ material never proved very entertaining or thought-provoking so prolonging the brand hurt nothing in regards to quality because very little existed. The Hunger Games, however, had a good thing going, offering up a rare sequel that improved upon its forebear. Also, a trilogy provides a solid round three-act structure that’s perfect for storytelling. Instead, Mockingjay could’ve provided a last hurrah full of awe-striking bite and might … but it gets stretched to an almost uninteresting level like a once-edgy tattoo on a person quickly becoming obese. The suspense as well as societal commentary and political intrigue continue to rouse but the narrative had no business (beyond cashing in, at least) padding what should’ve been a taut driven storyline like the last go-round. There are long points where we just stare at Katniss for an uncomfortably long period. At least, Jennifer Lawrence shows up for a good fight, leading a charged cast all on their A-game. Their Part 1 is good but could’ve been great.
Whiplash
Miles Teller, J.K. Simmons
**** — Ringo of Fire
Drumming up an exhilarating and emotional rollercoaster of a drama, writer-director Damien Chazelle’s blistering music-story plays so fast and furiously with the audience’s sympathies that whiplash nearly occurs. In this R-rated musical drama, a promising young drummer (Teller) enrolls at a cutthroat music conservatory where a driven instructor (Simmons) stops at nothing to realize the student’s potential. If the Great Santini taught at Fame, it might look a lot like this. What price, greatness? That’s a question that Whiplash nails down violently and profanely. On one hand, the teacher goes too far. On the other hand, the student gives a better performance. Anybody pushed by a mentor or who strives under their own worst critic — themselves — surely relates. It’s the authenticity of the acting and, by proxy, to the performance, instrument playing that really makes you consider this price, however. In an intentionally polarizing role that makes Sgt. Hartman from Full Metal Jacket come off like Pooh Bear, J.K. Simmons gives the greatest performance of his already great career and one of the best dramatic turns of the year. As a filmgoer, you bristle at his maniacal slave-driving. When hot-headed, blister-handed Miles Teller drums himself into a seemingly possessed absolute frenzy at the climax, however, you practically sweat and bleed along with him. Due every bit of recognition surely coming his way this awards season, this actor plays every note of Tim Simonec’s amazing, original jazz songbook. Yes, what results from their hard work truly makes you think … but you’ll be tapping your knee to keep time while the brain toils all the same. With such frenetic performances and an improvisational jazz influence, filmgoers might suspect that writer-director Damien Chazelle would mostly take a handheld approach. They’d be wrong. Using stead-cam to capture the on-screen madness only keeps the explosive goings-on that much MORE in focus.
Birdman
Michael Keaton, Edward Norton
****1/2 – Birdman Forever
Daringly taking filmgoers on an ambitious flight of fancy, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s brilliantly layered, acted and staged bit of fuss and feathers surges the boundaries of filmmaking and filmgoing forward. In this R-rated absurdist comedy, a washed-up actor known for playing an iconic superhero (Keaton) must overcome his ego and family trouble as he mounts a Broadway play in a bid to reclaim his past glory. Birdman might serve up the existential crisis of a man who may or may not be suffering a breakdown, but the film fails to provoke an ounce of sadness. Pity’s another thing entirely. As funny as it is dazzling, the film keeps the audience amused as they unwittingly get whipped up into the director’s imaginative frenzy. Birdman effortlessly whisks you into its intoxicating insanity because the story feels so real, the performances so true and our own delicate bruised egos so exposed, just like characters themselves.
Dumb and Dumber To
Jim Carrey, Jeff Daniels
** — Dumbed Thumbs Down
Gagging moviegoers as it goes, second place sequel Dumb and Dumber To proves chock full o’ bits … for fans’ betterment and everybody else’s worsening. In this PG-13-rated comedy set 20 years after the dimwits bungled their way through their first adventure, simpletons Lloyd (Carrey) and Harry (Daniels) head out in search of the latter’s long lost daughter in the hopes of gaining a new kidney. This deuce impressively follows up its forebear with near-perfection, seamlessly cut from the same poo-stained cloth. If you like Dumb and Dumber, however, you’ll like this follow-up a lot … because it’s practically the same movie. For the rest of moviegoers, however, it’s the exact same yawn and dance recycled two decades later. Frustratingly, the Farrelly Brothers already floundered at making a Dumb and Dumber sequel with The Three Stooges. Think about it: through several connected comedy bits, some knockabout best friend lamebrains make a mockery out of the upper class and anything qualifying as “the establishment.” Harry and Lloyd are one Howard Brother short of being a classic comedy team … minus the classic comedy, of course.
Small screens
The Merv Griffin Show (1962-1986)
Merv Griffin, Jay Leno
***1/2 — Bain Glorious
Clocking in at 2520 minutes and 12 discs, this new super-deluxe Merv Griffin Show release can’t inspire a complete review … yet. Still, just perusing the highlights of these programs — some complete and some segments — shows off a wealth of nostalgic retro-cool glee. For the older set, this way-back machine offers conversational gems from some late greats (Salvador Dali, Bette Davis, Dr. Timothy Leary, Sammy Davis Jr., Andy Warhol, Richard Pryor, Ingrid Bergman, Whitney Houston, George Carlin and Orson Welles, who died hours after his interview). For the younger set, however, this open time capsule offers an opportunity to hear the voice and watch the mannerisms of icons rarely seen or heard outside of history books (Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks, Pres. Ronald Reagan and Sen. Robert F. Kennedy) as well as stars just getting their start (Leno, Jerry Seinfeld and George Clooney). Griffin may not have been as quick as Johnny Carson, as witty as Dick Cavett, as smart-alecky as Tom Snyder or as polished as Mike Douglas (indeed, his sometimes fumbling manner of interviewing can make you feel uncomfortable), but his couch boasted a lot of wisdom, talent and bon mots nonetheless.