© 2013 Ray Wong
Kick-Ass was revolutionary as the first R-rated teen superhero flick starring potty-mouthed teens kicking asses. Kick-Ass 2 follows the same footprints; no wonder it feels less fresh and more predictable.
Soon after the events of Kick-Ass, Dave (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) wants Mindy/Hit Girl (Chloe Grace Moretz) to train him to be a real kick-ass. But Mindy has promised her dead father and her new caretaker Det. Marcus (Morris Chestnut) that she will not doing her crime-fighting bit anymore. Instead, Mindy tries to fit in high school.
So Dave joins an underground crime-fighting league called Justice Force headed by ex military Col. Stars and Stripes (Jim Carrey). The group of rogue superheroes are thrilled to have the original superhero Kick-Ass join them, but what Dave really wants is for Mindy to be there.
Meanwhile, after his father was killed by Kick-Ass, Chris (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) vows to avenge his dad's death. He decides to become the world's first and most bad-assed super villain Motherfucker, and recruits a group of criminals to be his minions. Together, they seek out the Justice Force to destroy them.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Anna Karenina) reprises his role as Dave/Kick-Ass with a new ease as the actor matures. Taylor-Johnson has an effectively naive, nerdy look and demeanor that work well for his character, but we also know that he can be hunky -- as evident in roles in films such as Anna Karenina -- as Kick-Ass, the original superhero. He and Chloe Grace Moretz (Hugo) form a great brother-sister pair that has a weird, but not entirely uncomfortable, romantic tension as Mindy is coming into her own.
The supporting cast includes Jim Carrey as the Colonel. Carrey brings his usual eccentricity to a relatively straight role that definitely draws our empathy. Morris Chestnut (Identity Theft) is dutiful as Mindy's legal guardian. John Leguizamo (Ice Age) has a brief but affecting role as Motherfucker's mentor and loyal butler. And as Motherfucker, Christopher Mintz-Plasse (This Is the End) tends to overact. I understand this is a comedic comic book movie, but I think Mintz-Plasse is the weakest link. Olga Kurkunina stands out as Mother Russia -- you will have to see her to know what I'm talking about.
Jeff Wadlow (Kick-Ass) continues his stride with this sequel. As a comedy, it is pretty dark in places, and not as funny as the first one. There are some tiresome jokes (e.g. "My mother had nice guns!" - "Don't talk about your mom's tits like that!") and ridiculous situations (e.g. Chris knows exactly who Kick-Ass is, so how difficult is it for a billionaire to find Dave?). The Mean Girls subplot about Mindy and high school is also out of place, as funny as parts of it are.
While this is not as good as the first Kick-Ass, the action is still top-notch, and the general humor is there (who wouldn't love the nasty Mother Russia?) And the chemistry between Mindy and Dave is what holds the entire story up.
If you loved the first Kick-Ass, you'd love or at least like the sequel. For casual fans, be aware that the movie is extremely violent with teenagers saying filthy things. If you can handle it, you may have a kick-ass time at the theater.
Stars: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Chloe Grace Moretz, Jim Carrey, Morris Chestnut, Lindy Booth, John Leguizamo, Christopher Mintz-Plasse
Director: Jeff Wadlow
Writers: Jeff Wadlow (based on Mark Miller's comic books)
Distributor: Universal
MPAA Rating: R for extreme violence, pervasive language, crude and sexual content, brief nudity
Running Time: 103 minutes
Ratings:
Script - 7
Performance - 7
Direction - 7
Cinematography - 7
Music/Sound - 7
Editing - 7
Production - 7
Total - 7.0 out of 10.0
© 2013 Ray Wong
Like Shaun of the Dead, and Hot Fuzz, The World's End has similar set up that makes fun of the Brits and horror/sci-fi genres. And like those films, the filmmakers are having a great time trying to give the audience a great time.
Gary (Simon Pegg) is a recovering alcoholic and his big idea is to gather four of his best friends from their young days, head back to their hometown and finish the bar crawl they started 20 years ago but didn't finish. The chums, all respectable "adults" now, agree for old time's sake, but Gary is on a mission. He's determined the hit the last bar, The World's End, of the golden mile.
When they get there, everything seems normal except nobody in town recognize them. Also, the guys are concerned about Gary, who seems to be stuck in the past and can't move on. When an old flame Sam (Rosamund Pike) shows up, things get even more heated between the boys as Steven (Paddy Considine) is also in love with Sam.
As the evening progresses, things take a strange turn that results in a "out of this world" brawl in the bathroom of one of the pubs. The five friends discover a dark secret about their hometown, and they need to pull themselves together, escape and survive. However, Gary insists that they should stay and finish the bar crawl. Obviously, Gary has an ulterior motive, and he has no idea that the fate of mankind rests on his and his friends' hands.
Simon Pegg (Star Trek) and Nick Frost (Snow White and the Huntsman) are the premium British comedic duo. They could almost -- almost -- do no wrong when they join forces in a comedy. And there's a reason. Individually Pegg and Frost are both well trained comedic actors with perfect timing and delivery. Together, they are a dynamic, funny duo with chemistry to spare.
Martin Freeman (The Hobbit) is effectively droll as businessman and Sam's brother Oliver. Paddy Considine (The Bourne Ultimatum) is understated as the group's lovesick stud muffin. Eddie Marson (Jack the Giant Slayer) is wonderfully timid and agreeable as Peter. Rosamund Pike (Jack Reacher) is beautiful as Sam, but she is also resourceful when the situation calls for it. Pierce Brosnan (The Ghost Writer) has a small but pivotal role.
Written by Pegg and director Edgar Wright (Hot Fuzz), the screenplay actually follows a pretty typical set up with ultra fast-paced dialogue, plot movement, and snappy scenes that are decidedly British. It has elements of Shaun of the Dead, especially where the end of the world scenarios are concerned. But the tone and actions reminded me more of Hot Fuzz, as doe the broad, crude humor. There are a few dull spots in the beginning and the movie leads us down a mundane path. At times it gets a bit irritating as Gary continues to act like an idiot and the boys indulge him. But once the twist comes and the story takes off unexpectedly, the plot clips along, hilarity abound.
Wright's direction is spot on. Again, the movie reminds me of Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead, also directed by Wright. In a way, The World's End feels like the third film of a trilogy, even though the three movies do not share a common plot or character thread.
While The World's End is not perfect, it is a roaring good time to be had for anyone who enjoys silly, broad British comedies and parodies of the sci-fi horror genre. See it before the world ends.
Stars: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Martin Freeman, Paddy Considine, Eddie Marsan, Rosamund Pike, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Edgar Wright
Writers: Simon Pegg, Edgar Wright
Distributor: Universal
MPAA Rating: R for pervasive language, sexual references
Running Time: 109 minutes
Ratings:
Script - 7
Performance - 8
Direction - 7
Cinematography - 7
Music/Sound - 7
Editing - 8
Production - 7
Total - 7.5 out of 10.0
© 2013 Ray Wong
Coming of age movies are hot now, especially ones that have the pedigree of being adapted from a popular novel, such as last year's The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Tim Tharp's The Spectacular Now rather falls in the same category but with an utterly different protagonist and a central love story that is both sweet and haunting.
Sutter (Miles Teller) is a popular teenager who strives to live in the moment without plan thoughts on his future. A senior, he hasn't even applied for college yet and has no idea whether he would even graduate high school. But life is good with girlfriend Cassidy (Brie Larson) until a misunderstanding gives her a reason to break up with him and hook up with class president Ricky (Masam Holden).
Distraught, Sutter gets drunk and meets Aimee (Shailene Woodley) a sweet but average girl who goes to the same school as Sutter. Normally Sutter would not even look at someone like Aimee, but being in a tough spot of having just been dumped, Sutter becomes intrigued by Aimee, who is unlike any girl he's ever known. His strange urge to want to help Aimee come out of her shell eventually turns into affection for her -- she is, of course, already smitten with the popular yet previously unavailable Sutter.
But a rebound cannot end well. Sutter knows that and believes Aimee will forget about him soon enough. As Aimee falls deeper and deeper in love with him, Sutter becomes frightened of his own deepening feelings for the girl, and he starts to avoid her. At home, Sutter is also dealing with his own demon, a desire to try to locate and find his father (Kyle Chandler), who has abandoned the family since Sutter was a very young boy. To know who he is, Sutter desperately needs to know his father, as he's convinced that he is his father's son.
Miles Teller (Footloose) first burst into the business with his outstanding role in Rabbit Hole. Reminding us of a young Shia LaBeouf, Teller is a strong talent. He plays the complicated Sutter with an internal sweetness that we can't stop rooting for him even though he often acts like an irresponsible jerk. Sutter handles his aloof scenes just as well as he did with his emotional ones. Shailene Woodley (The Descendants) was amazing in the Descendants. Here, she plays an utterly different character as the sweet, naive, smart but passive Aimee who is smitten with a boy who is not good for her.
Brie Larson (Don Jon) is sparkly and beautiful as Cassidy, the objective of Sutter's affection. Masan Holden (Forgotten Pills) has a brief but effective role as Sutter's best friend. By far the most recognizable stars of the movie are Kyle Chandler (Zero Dark Thirty) and Jennifer Jason Leigh (The Moment) as Sutter's estranged parents.
Adapted by Scott Neustadter ((500) Days of Summer) and Michael H. Webber ((500) Days of Summer), the screenplay stays true to the tone and dialogue of Tharp's YA novel. Neustadter and Webber are no strangers to stories about young love, and they deliver the central love story between Sutter and Aimee with great realism and sensibility. We have a feeling that Sutter is on a rebound and that Aimee should not fall in love with him and get hurt, and yet we also root for them to find themselves as they are good for each other (well, not all the time). The writers handle the "bad boy/good girl" story with delicate balance without being cliched and overwrought. The back and forth dance between the two leads is interesting to watch.
That said, the screenplay is not without flaws. The references to alcoholism and the reveal of Sutter's father are rather heavy-handed. The "father issue" subplot also feels somewhat out of place, even though it helps explain Sutter's character and his eventual awakening. Still, the subplot at times feels like a different movie, and would have benefited with more screen time and development for Chandler's and Leigh's characters.
Still, under James Pondsoldt's (Smashed) deft direction, the movie has a down to earth quality to it that grounds the sometimes obnoxious characters and storyline. Pondsoldt understands the material, and he keeps it real for the better part of the movie. The result is a likable summer sleeper about teen love and growing up. It may not be the most spectacular thing you see this summer, but go see it NOW anyway.
Stars: Miles Teller, Shailene Woodley, Brie Larson, Masam Holden, Kyle Chandler, Jennifer Jason Leigh
Director: James Ponsoldt
Writers: Scott Neustadter, Michael H. Weber (based on novel by Tim Tharp)
Distributor: A24
MPAA Rating: R for alcohol use, language and some sexuality involving teens
Running Time: 95 minutes
Ratings:
Script - 8
Performance - 8
Direction - 7
Cinematography - 7
Music/Sound - 8
Editing - 7
Production - 8
Total - 7.8 out of 10.0
© 2013 Ray Wong
Neill Blomkamp burst into Hollywood with his groundbreaking South African sci-fi drama District 9. This is his big budget Hollywood follow-up and the result is not as impressive as I hoped.
In the year 2154, Earth has become polluted and overpopulated. The rich and privileged have built a paradise on a space station called Elysium, where advanced technology helps keep them healthy and safe. Back on Earth, ex-convict Max (Matt Damon) has been working nonstop to save up for his trip to Elysium. That has been his dream since childhood, and he is determined to go there. An incident at work exposes Max to a high dosage of radiation, and he has only about five days to live.
Max needs to go to Elysium now so he can get healed, but he doesn't have enough to buy a black market ticket. So he volunteers to do a job for an underground op Spider (Wagner Moura), who wants to kidnap an Elysium citizen (William Fitchner) and download secrets from his brain. Spider outfits Max with a body army and a team to carry out the mission, but something goes wrong with Elysium Security Officer Delacourt (Jodie Foster) sends a mercenary named Kruger (Sharlto Copley) to hunt Max down.
When Max gets seriously injured, he seeks help from his childhood sweetheart Frey (Alice Braga) who is now a nurse. Alice needs to take her daughter to Elysium, too, as she has late stage Leukemia. Max promises Frey to take them there. Once they get there, Max realizes his mission is bigger than he thought, and he must decide what to do.
Matt Damon (Behind the Candelabra) is no stranger to playing down-and-out action heroes, as he did in the Bourne series. Here, Damon achieves a new level of grunge and toughness, further establishing him as one of the most versatile actors in Hollywood. Granted, this is not one of the best-developed characters that Damon has played, but he's done his best bringing the humanity to the role. Jodie Foster (Carnage) has surprisingly limited screen time playing a corporate snake as Delacourt, but her role is two one-dimensional to make any real impression. Her arc also doesn't seem fully developed, and that leaves me wanting more.
Sharlto Copley (District 9) teams up with Blomkamp again and plays a very different character this time: a mad man who is out for blood. Copley has the movie's most flamboyant and outrageous character and he gives it his all. Alice Braga (On the Road) is beautiful and sweet as Frey but she, too, has very limited scope to play her character.
The supporting cast includes Wagner Moura (Father's Chair) with an over-the-top performance as Spider; William Fitchner (The Lone Ranger) doing his best as a dispassionate Elysium billionaire, and Diego Luna (Contraband) in a gentle turn as Max's friend Julio.
Blomkamp's screenplay has some neat new concepts and builds on his usual social commentary about the rich vs. the poor. The high concept ideas sound great on paper, but seem to get lost in the execution as it is more complicated than what the story requires. The plot turns out to be a more standard "man saves the world" one with a lot of Hollywood action and violence, but not enough suspense and mystery. Also, I feel that the character development and arc are not up to par with what Blomkamp has done before. What made District 9 so good was not only the structure, social commentary and the wicked ending, but also how the character develops throughout the story. I feel that is what is significantly lacking in this one.
The direction is adequate. It has all the standard Hollywood action adventure, sci-fi trimmings. Special effects are great. The world that Blomkamp has built is similar to that in District 9 and it works. The design and rendering of Elysium is also astounding. Production value is pretty good. The action violence can be over the top at times, with lots of exploding body parts and gore. I think they are necessary, to have a point, if only the story is stronger.
I think Elysium is a decent attempt as a follow-up for Blomkamp, but can't help but feel rather disappointed by the writing and execution. I don't mean that he has sold out to Hollywood, but it seems that he's more interested in the entertainment value here than what he has to say.
Stars: Matt Damon, Jodie Foster, Sharlto Copley, Alice Braga, William Fitchner, Wagner Moura. Diego Luna
Director: Neill Blomkamp
Writer: Neill Blomkamp
Distributor: Sony
MPAA Rating: R for strong violence and language
Running Time: 109 minutes
Ratings:
Script - 7
Performance - 7
Direction - 7
Cinematography - 8
Music/Sound - 7
Editing - 8
Production - 8
Total - 7.5 out of 10.0
© 2013 Ray Wong
For me, Woody Allen is often a hit or miss. He's usually better when he's only directing and not acting in his films. With Blue Jasmine, Allen stays out of the spotlight, which shines primarily on Cate Blanchett. That's a great call.
Jasmine (Cate Blanchett) has lost everything. The wife of wealthy investment banker Hal (Alec Baldwin), she has a nervous breakdown after Hal was arrested for running a Ponzi scheme. She gets better, and with the little possession and money she has, she flies from the Hamptons to San Francisco (via first class, no less) to stay with her sister Ginger (Sally Hawkins) hoping to start over again.
At the core, Jasmine is a snotty elitist who rides on her good looks and good taste, and she has no patience for anyone who she deems "losers," such as Ginger's ex-husband Augie (Andrew Dice Clay). And yet she clings to Jasmine as she is her last hope to survive, even though she doesn't really think much of her adoptive sister or her new beau (Bobby Cannavale) and friends.
Trying to start her life over again, she becomes a receptionist for a dentist while taking computer classes so she can eventually take online classes to become an interior designer. Her plans are deterred when she meets dashing widower Dwight (Peter Sarsgaard). However, Jasmine's troubled past, her mental instability and narrow world view soon threatens her new-found happiness.
Cate Blanchett (The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey) is absolutely stunning and amazing as Jasmine. The movie rests squarely on her shoulders and she delivers a tour-de-force performance as the layered, fragile, but snooty Jasmine. Her range is stunning and the layers she's brought to this shallow, obnoxiously elitist character is incredibly subtle and nuanced, and yet affecting and mesmerizing. You don't want to like her character, but you can't help but want her to find happiness, and it's heartbreaking to watch. Blanchett is haunting to watch. This is truly Blanchett's show.
The supporting cast does a fine job matching Blanchett's superb performance with some exceptions. Alec Baldwin (Rock of Ages) is in excellent form playing a scoundrel; however, it seems that he's channeling his character in 30 Rock. Sally Hawkins (Great Expectations) is also wonderful as Ginger, a very down-to-Earth, likable character that is a complete opposite of Jasmine.
Andrew Dice Clay (Whatever It Takes) stands out like a sore thumb, however, among his fellow veteran actors. Even though he fits the character perfectly, Clay simply doesn't have the acting chops to match the stellar performances of his colleague. Bobby Cannavale (Lovelace) somehow turns his caricature goofy Italian loser into a likable, three dimensional character. Peter Sarsgaard (Lovelace) also turns in a good performance as the love-sick puppy who wants to marry a hot mess.
The screenplay by Allen (Midnight in Paris) is not his strongest, which is riddled with quite a bit of stereotypes and cliches. In fact, without the actors' excellent performances, the characters all sound familiar and cliched on paper. The situations also lack Allen's usual sarcastic, humorous wit. Instead often I feel that he's going for the obvious, cheap laughs but creating quirky and absurd characters that border on being human cartoons. If not for the strong anchor of actors such as Blanchett and Baldwin to hold it down, the story seems to fizzle and is rough on the edges.
Allen's direction also seem to lack a certain finesse that we saw in his recent films. There's a certain low-budget feel to this movie. I am sure Allen didn't work with a budget of hundreds of millions, but compared to the production value of Midnight in Paris, this movie looks cheap (except for the New York and Hamptons sets, of course).
Despite my indifference of Woody Allen's inconsistency, I actually did enjoy the movie mostly because of the actor, led by a stupendous Blanchett. If you're a fan of Blanchett or Allen, you wouldn't be disappointed.
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Alec Baldwin, Sally Hawkins, Andrew Dice Clay, Bobby Cannavale, Max Casella, Peter Sarsgaard
Director: Woody Allen
Writer: Woody Allen
Distributor: Sony Classics
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for mature thematic material, language and sexual content
Running Time: 98 minutes
Ratings:
Script - 7
Performance - 8
Direction - 7
Cinematography - 8
Music/Sound - 7
Editing - 7
Production - 7
Total - 7.3 out of 10.0
