TAKE TWO: The Hangover Part II

The Hangover Part II

Rated: R

Starring: Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis, Ed Helms, Ken Cheong

Director: Todd Phillips

Chris’ Take:  I have to say that my expectations for this film were low even before I started reading the early reviews, and honestly, I think that helped. Plus, Pac and I went to a new movie theater near us that served alcohol…that probably helped more.

Beer! Making dumb comedies funnier since 1932.

The Wolfpack reunites in this sequel to the R-Rated comedy smash of 2009,  this time for Stu’s (Ed Helms) wedding in Thailand. Trying not to repeat the mistakes of the past, the gang simply has a one beer bachelor party down on the beach with Stu’s fiance’s younger brother, Teddy, but then wake up in a deserted hotel room in downtown Bangkok and Teddy is nowhere to be found. They now have to put all the pieces from the night before back together, so they can find him and make it back in time for Stu’s wedding.

A lot of critics came out and said that the film is beat for beat like the first one, and while the “formula” (even Todd Phillips calls it that) is very similar, I thought there was just enough disparity to make it at least an entertaining, albeit almost completely forgettable (no pun intended), experience.

As a whole, this really felt like Todd Phillips buying some time before making a completely different film for a third installment; kind of anticipating the demand for them. The jokes were mainly situational in nature, as opposed to the wittier dialogue in the first one. Phillips seemed to rely heavily on sight gags and somebody making a silly face while simply describing the ludicrous scene unfolding before them.

The highlight of the film is Galifianakis, who returns to his usual comedic form as Alan, and his character is what really keeps people entertained. Whether it is staring awkwardly, or his insecurity about his idiocy, he steals the scene. Unfortunately, after about the first forty-five minutes of the movie, he kind of fades into the background and only pops his head up in befuddlement occasionally, like he was expecting to be in a different movie.

While the plot is ridiculous in and of itself, and felt incredibly contrived just to get back to the same storyline, for this kind of film it isn’t really important. We all know where it is going to end up and that it will eventually have a happy ending. However, these people never really seem to grasp the depth of the consequences for their debauchery, which seems even more implausible than the actual plot. They just roll from one problem to the next, laugh and forget about all the traumatic events that just occurred, and keep moving like they never happened.

The film really isn’t that bad, or at least it wasn’t after my lowered expectations (and higher beer intake). Will it be a film that people remember? Probably not. If they saw it, I’m sure there are images that are forever engrained in their head, but the context and dialogue around them will be hazy; kind of like an actual hangover.

If that was Todd Phillips' intention, maybe this is just a misunderstood work of art.

OVERALL: B-

Pac’s Take:   Just because The Hangover part II was on my ten most anticipated films of the summer as well as my most anticipated films of 2011 doesn’t mean that I thought this was going to be a great movie.  Like Chris, my expectations for the movie were modest, though probably slightly higher, but I thoroughly enjoyed the first film and knew come its release I’d be in the mood for a follow up.

After a few pitchers I was set to watch the debauchery unfold as Alan, Stu, and Phil headed to Thailand to repeat the antics of the first film, hopefully in more grandiose fashion.  I was not disappointed.  Despite the film following the same formula as the first film, as Chris, Todd Phillips, Cracked.com and virtually every other opinionated voice pointed out, the formula worked the first time around as well as for the sequel.  While following the formula may have made some antics in the film more predictable and thus less funny due to a decreased shock value, it was apparent that Phillips was aware of this and threw in a few (albeit disgusting) shocks to fill those voids (no pun intended).  At times this did feel a little cheap, but I think for the most part it was handled well considering the circumstances.

I’m on record on this site stating that I supported the dismissal of Mel Gibson from this film and I was excited when I heard he was to be replaced by Liam Neeson.  Unfortunately, Neeson did not appear in the film either, and the lack of cameos actually hindered the film.  After viewing the scene which was supposed to feature Gibson, then Neeson, I would like to retract my previous stance and am disappointed Mel Gibson did not appear as Stu’s tattoo artist.  Normally, the featuring of celebrity cameos comes off as a cheap stunt that inhibit’s a movie’s progress in quality, pacing, and plot, but the presence of Mike Tyson and Heather Graham among others provided the original with memorable moments that the follow-up is sorely lacking.

 

Wiley Whiplash also dropped out due to scheduling conflicts

 

I mostly agree with Chris’s assessment of the film, and in the interest of our readers, do not feel the need to be redundant.  However, there is one aspect of the film that Chris briefly touched on that still has me irritated.  It is absurd that these characters can get themselves into these tumultuous situations without any real consequence.  It is difficult to go into specific detail without providing any spoilers so I will simply leave it as this (those of you who have seen the film will most likely understand).

Overall I give The Hangover part II a B- as well.

TAKE TWO: Due Date (2010)

Due Date

Rated: R

Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Zach Galifianakis, Michelle Monaghan, Jamie Foxx

Director: Todd Phillips

Chris’ Take: Due Date has a lot going for it. It has Todd Phillips, one of the best current comedy writer/directors, and Robert Downey Jr. and Zach Galifianakis, currently two of the funniest people in Hollywood. The question going into the film was whether Phillips could follow up the great success of his last film The Hangover.  I thought that while the film was very entertaining, it will go down as one of Phillips’ more forgettable comedies, right along with School for Scoundrels and Starsky and Hutch.

The premise, is one of the oldest in the comedy genre, the odd-couple road trip. Peter Highman (Robert Downey Jr.) is flying cross country to get to his pregnant wife in time for the arrival of their child, when his plan is completely uprooted by an unruly wannabe-actor nutjob named Ethan Tremblay (Zach Galifianakis). After being placed on the no-fly list, Peter accepts a ride from Ethan, and the two embark on an ill-fated road trip across the United States.

The success of the odd-couple road trip comedy (or OCRTC) relies heavily on the chemistry between the two main characters and this one was pretty successful in that regard. Rumor has it that Galifianakis and Downey Jr. did not get along that well in real life, which you could kind of tell on screen, which actually made it that much better. My problem wasn’t so much with the chemistry, but that the two actually became friends. There was a lot of hatred in the first half of the film that was established and then just seemed to dissipate, actually it was while they were smoking a joint, so logic didn’t really have to apply.

Weed: Therefore your argument is invalid.

 But, still, I didn’t think there were enough reasons for the two to actually become friends after that trip. Maybe enough to strike up a five minute conversation if they ran into each on the street afterwards, but not exactly the friends that Phillips tries to convince you they became.

There were a decent amount of laughs in the film, but outside of what was in the previews, I am kind of forgetting what they were, outside of one particular scene with Downey Jr and some unruly children. Both lead actors have great comedic chops, but I think the script wasn’t quite strong enough for them to make it really memorable.

While, again, this film was pretty entertaining, in my opinion, it failed to reach the levels of some of Phillips better work like Old School and The Hangover. I know Pac probably has a different take , but I  think I can’t give this any higher than a solid B.

• Characters: A-
• Cinematography: B-
• Plot: B-
• Directing: B-
• Performances: A-
• Humor: B
• OVERALL: B

Pac’s Take:

I find this take two particularly interesting because of the difference in opinion Chris and I have with this film.  While it is not unheard of for us to disagree on a film (see Let Me In), it is peculiar that some of the concepts Chris thought hindered this film enhanced it for me.  I think the lack of memorable moments or shock-value in the comedy gave me a strong belief that this film will have some lasting value for me upon subsequent viewings.  That may sound strange but bear with me for a moment.  Consider my favorite genre to talk about, horror; while the Saw movie franchise leave a lot of shock value and memorable kills for the viewer to talk about after the movie, there’s not much staying power for the sequels of this franchise over time.  Back to comedy, a similar example would be American Wedding, leaving the theater you remember Stiffler eating the poop and how shockingly funny that was, but after seeing the film 2 or 3 times it loses its laugh. 

Career foreshadowing...

What Due Date did for me is left me with a feeling of pure enjoyment without really having a stand out moment, it was a steady laugh throughout.  Additionally, the development of the relationship between the two main characters gave this film an endearing quality that is lacking in some of Phillip’s other films.  The internal struggle of Downey Jr’s not only provided laughs but gave his character a depth that allowed this movie to convincingly have some heart.  I did not think that Ethan Tremblay (Zach Galifianakis) had much depth past him coping with his father’s death, but he was more a catalyst for the evolution of Highman (Downey Jr).

I don’t think this film will shine as bright over time as Old School or The Hangover, but I think it was a more mature comedy than these films and will not only have replay value, but will get better with additional viewings.  This film doesn’t come without some concern, however.  You see often with actors such as Adam Sandler and Ice Cube that when they start making more mature comedies a lot of what you loved about the actor’s work and style becomes compromised.  I hope that this film is not the film that leads Todd Phillips down that path as a director, it will be interesting to see what original work he produces after The Hangover 2 and if they escalate from “Raunchy with some heart” to “I want to be able to enjoy my movies with my kids”.

• Characters: A-
• Cinematography: B
• Plot: B+
• Directing: B
• Performances: A
• Humor: A-
• OVERALL: High B+

Opening This Week (Nov 1 – 7, 2010)

We are finally out of October. While there were several good movies to come out, namely The Social Network and Buried, I was getting kind of tired of all the horror films coming out and am glad to finally move into a promising November. Here are the films that are coming out this week:

Due Date 

Rated: R

Starring: Zach Galifianakis, Robert Downey Jr, Jamie Foxx, Michelle Monaghan

Director: Todd Phillips

Synopsis from IMDB:  High-strung father-to-be Peter Highman is forced to hitch a ride with aspiring actor Ethan Tremblay on a road trip in order to make it to his child’s birth on time.

Trailer:

Chris’ Take: I am always hesitant when it comes to Todd Phillips. He has some great comedies (Old School, The Hangover), but he has released some duds as well. I think, from the previews, this looks funny and that Galifianakis and Downey Jr. will have a great chemistry, but my prediction is that the funniest parts were in the previews. Still, it might be worth a look.

Megamind

Rated: PG

Starring: Will Ferrell, Brad Pitt, Tina Fey, Jonah Hill

Director: Tom McGrath, Cameron Hood, Kyle Jefferson

Synopsis from IMDB:  The supervillain Megamind finally conquers his nemesis, the hero Metro Man… but finds his life pointless without a hero to fight.

Trailer:

Chris’ Take: Some of the best films of the year have been animated and it looks like this one will continue the trend. Also, with Ferrell, Pitt, and Fey involved, I think it will add some more adult-oriented humor to this otherwise childish plot.

For Colored Girls

Rated: R

Starring: Janet Jackson, Oprah Winfrey, Loretta Devine, Michael Ealy

Director: Tyler Perry

Synopsis from IMDB: Each of the women portray one of the characters represented in the collection of twenty poems, revealing different issues that impact women in general and women of color in particular.

Trailer:

Chris’ Take: This looks like a very artistic film, with an interesting premise, but I personally have no interest in watching this. I have seen some of Tyler Perry’s work and while it is not without merit, is not necessarily for me.

Limited Releases

127 Hours #1 Recommended Film for this Weekend

Rated: R

Starring: James Franco, Amber Tamblyn

Director: Danny Boyle

Synopsis from IMDB:  A mountain climber becomes trapped under a boulder while canyoneering alone near Moab, Utah and resorts to desperate measures in order to survive.

Trailer:

Chris’ Take: Danny Boyle is becoming one of my favorite directors. He has a very visceral style with an ability to weave heavy emotions into almost every situation. This film has been getting great early reviews and is apparently very graphic, which fits the true story. I think this is going to end up not being a limited release due to the amount of attention it is getting, so take a look at a theater near you.

Fair Game

Rated: PG-13

Starring: Naomi Watts, Sean Penn, Ty Burrell, Sam Shepard

Director: Doug Liman

Synopsis from IMDB: Plame’s status as a CIA agent was revealed by White House officials allegedly out to discredit her husband after he wrote a 2003 New York Times op-ed piece saying that the Bush administration had manipulated intelligence about weapons of mass destruction to justify the invasion of Iraq.

Trailer:

Chris’ Take: I think this will be a good film if you are in the mood for a political drama. I expect that it will feature great acting and a solid script, but is probably best viewed on DVD. I am sure Hollywood is going to gobble this topical film up during awards season as well.

Mel Gibson’s Hangover 2 Cameo Cancelled

Earlier this week, the news came out that Mel Gibson would be appearing as an eccentric tattoo artist in the upcoming film The Hangover 2. The cameo what was probably designed  as a PR stunt similar to that of Mike Tyson appearing in the first film. The day before Gibson was slated to shoot, director Todd Phillips pulled the plug.

There has been a lot of speculation as to why this happened so late in the game and Phillips had this to say about it, ” I thought Mel would have been great in the movie and I had the full backing of [WB president] Jeff Robinov and his team. But,  I realize filmmaking is a collaborative effort, and this decision ultimately did not have the full support of my entire cast and crew.”

According to TMZ, Phillips had let his cast and crew know that Gibson would appear in the film over a month ago and that they seemed onboard. However,  the problem came when the news was released earlier this week and cast and crew members started receiving pressure from friends and family to get it cancelled. There were apparently some cast and crew members that were very vocal about it, but Phillips didn’t name anyone in particular.

The speculation is that Zach Galifianakis was one of the loudest objectors, due to a recent interview he had on a Comedy Death-Ray podcast

Galifianakis

when he said, ” I’m in a deep protest right now with a movie I’m working on, up in arms about something. But I can’t get the guys to [listen]… I’m not making any leeway.” This is obviously all speculation because he never names the film he is talking about, but he hasn’t come out and denied it either.

I think the whole Mel Gibson situation is sad. I in no way condone what he has done off the screen recently, but it is clear his life is a mess and he needs some serious help. I hate to see such a great actor go down like this, but at the same time I can’t really feel bad for him. I think that if he was signed on to be a part of the film, the studio should have stuck with it, and that they approached this the wrong way by axing him at the last second. But, other than that, I really don’t have any further comment on the situation.

Do you think this was the right move by Phillips? Should Gibson get a chance to redeem himself on the big screen?

My Top 5 Anticipated Fall Movies

It’s September now and pretty soon it will start getting cooler and the popcorn movies will have gone stale. We are coming up on the Fall movie season, which promises a number of films trying to vie for Oscar contention. These are the films that I am most looking forward to this Fall (in order of release date).

#5 ” THE TOWN”/ Release Date: September 17th (Wide)

Starring: Ben Affleck, Jeremy Renner, Blake Lively, Jon Hamm

Directed by: Ben Affleck

Plot Summary from IMDB.com: “As he plans his next job, a longtime thief tries to balance his feelings for a bank manager connected to one of his earlier heists, as well as the FBI agent looking to bring him and his crew down.”

TRAILER:

This film is Ben Affleck’s sophmore directorial release, following his directorial debut of “Gone Baby Gone” in 2007. “Gone” did incredibly well with critics (scoring 94% on Rotten Tomatoes) as an artistic and character driven piece, featuring great performances from Casey Affleck and Amy Ryan. “The Town” promises to deliver a similar result, this time boasting the producers of “The Departed” and co-starring Jeremy Renner. The only thing that worries me is that Ben Affleck will be starring this time and I hope he can deliver as strong of a performance as his brother did in “Gone”.

#4 “BURIED“/ Release Date: October 8th, 2010 (Wide)

Starring: Ryan Reynolds

Directed by: Rodrigo Cortes

Plot Summary from IMDB: “Paul is a U.S. contractor working in Iraq. After an attack by a group of Iraqis he wakes to find he is buried alive inside a coffin. With only a lighter and a cell phone it’s a race against time to escape this claustrophobic death trap.”

TRAILER:

“Buried” premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January to great critical reception and it definitely boasts a “less is more” premise. I am excited to see what Ryan Reynolds can do in a dramatic role, especially since he really is going to have to carry this whole movie. Based on early reviews, Reynolds, and the film as a whole, does not disappoint.

#3 “DUE DATE“/ Release Date: Nov 5, 2010 (Wide)

Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Zach Galifianakis

Directed by: Todd Phillips

Plot Summary from IMDB: “High-strung father-to-be Peter Highman is forced to hitch a ride with aspiring actor Ethan Tremblay on a road trip in order to make it to his child’s birth on time.”

TRAILER:

Todd Phillips follows up his success of “The Hangover” with another Zach Galifianakis collaboration. The odd couple road trip idea has been done before, but based on the previews it looks like Galifianakis and Downey Jr have great on-screen chemistry. Let’s hope that Phillips can get another streak of success going and not deliver another “School of Scoundrels” dud.

#2 “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I”/ Release Date: Nov 19, 2010 (Wide)

Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Ralph Fiennes, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson

Directed by: David Yates

Plot Summary from IMDB: “Voldemort’s power is growing stronger. He now has control over the Ministry of Magic and Hogwarts. Harry, Ron, and Hermione decide to finish Dumbledore’s work and find the rest of the Horcruxes to defeat the Dark Lord. But little hope remains for them, so everything they do must go as planned.”

TRAILER:

It’s the first part of the final installment of the Harry Potter series. Do I need to say more?

#1 “Black Swan”/ Release Date: Dec 1, 2010 (Wide)

Starring: Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis

Directed by: Darren Aronofsky

Plot Summary from IMDB: A thriller that hones in on the relationship between a veteran ballet dancer and a rival.

TRAILER:

Based on the plot summary I would have said, “Um, okay….”, but then I dug into the cast. Natalie Portman, great actress, who generally picks her movies very well. Mila Kunis, she is starting to come into her own after “That 70’s Show” and is great at playing someone who seems mentally unstable. Then came the kicker, the film is directed by the brilliant Darren Aronofsky (“Requiem for a Dream“, “Pi“, “The Wrestler“) and I immediately had to find the trailer and it looked beautiful. This film immediately became on of my most anticipated for this fall season.

HONORABLE MENTION:

#1 “Devil”/ Release Date: Sep 17, 2010 (Wide)

WHY IT DIDN’T MAKE THE FINAL CUT: Even with an intruiging preview I am still hesitant to get excited by something boasting, “From the mind of M. Night Shyamalan“. Still, he could make a comeback with this one and he is not directing it, which might work to his favor.

#2 “The Tempest”: Release Date: Dec 10, 2010 (Limited)

WHY IT DIDN’T MAKE THE CUT: Julie Taymor, a visually arresting director, has her fourth big screen release and her second based on a Shakespeare play. As an English major, I was thoroughly impressed with her depiction of Shakespeare’s play “Titus” and the creative wit she displayed. However, I am hesitant to get excited about it due to the fact that Prospero will become “Prospera” and many times she focuses too much on the visuals without constructing a solid story.

#3 “Paranormal Activity 2″/ Release Date: Oct 22, 2010 (Wide)

WHY IT DIDN’T MAKE THE CUT: “Paranormal Activity”, in my opinion, was one of the best horror films in recent history. I am afraid that the premise of home video technology and special effects will be overused, or be replaced by too much CGI. I am also worried that kind of how “Saw” spawned an excessive number of sequels, this will become a franchise like that as well.

Now that I have rambled about what I am looking forward to. What are you most looking forward to this fall?