Category Archives: Comedy

06.28.15
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Inside Out

ratings4

Growing up can be a bumpy road, and it’s no exception for 11-year-old Riley, whose family must relocate to San Francisco. Like all of us, Riley is guided by her emotions – Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust, and Sadness. The emotions live in Headquarters, the control center inside Riley’s mind, where they help advise her through everyday life. As Riley and her emotions struggle to adjust to a new life in San Francisco, the emotions conflict on how best to navigate a new city, house and school.

Just like every Pixar movie, Inside Out is a very original treat that both children and adults would enjoy. Its depiction of the brain and what happens inside it is brilliant, and it all ties up with scientific accuracy. The animation is beautiful, from depicting real-life issues to situations in the brain. The cast are all stunning, especially a joyful Amy Poehler as the lead (the only positive emotion of the five), a perfectly casted furious Lewis Black, and a sweet, tearful Phyllis Smith. All the stars are able to carry the movie along in such an excellent way, I never wanted to turn my eyes off their characters. Inside Out is less of a fantasy or science fiction movie than most recent animated movies, and I love how realistic the writers made this movie. Director Pete Docter definitely put in a lot of hard work into this movie, and it sure does pay off (considering that he took inspiration from the movie from his preteen daughter’s behavior, and that he also directed Monsters, Inc. and Up) Unlike Pixar’s last three films, Inside Out is more of a mature drama than a family comedy. I am very glad Pixar is aiming this direction once again, and that by next year, it will be as successful as it was 10 years ago.

Overall, Inside Out is brilliant, hilarious, touching, and definitely brings Pixar back in its game – bringing Joy to us all.

Inside Out (2015 film) poster.jpg

02.28.15
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Kingsman: The Secret Service

ratings4

Harry Hart (Colin Firth) is the head of a elite secret spy organization called the Kingsman. When he finds a regular street kid named Gary “Eggsy” Unwin (newcomer Taron Egerton) down on his luck, he recruits him into the intense training program. Meanwhile, criminal tech mastermind Richard Valentine is planning a mass genocide by activating a rage-inducing mind-control app on everyone’s phone . When the Kingsman learn about the crime, Hart and Eggsy have to spring into action, track down the mastermind and his weapon and stop his plot.

Kingsman: The Secret Service is not your typical spy movie. From the beautifully done action sequences to the solid cast, this is one awesome movie you don’t want to miss. Director Matthew Vaughn adds a light and humorous tone to the film, and directs the movie’s action sequences so well. The action is amazingly choreographed and shot, and the music that goes with the scenes fits them very well. The cast are all hilarious and touching. The one thing it lacks is the heart that Kick-Ass had, and  I didn’t care as much about the characters, even though they’re mostly developed well. Also, I never had hatred of Samuel L. Jackson’s villain, who felt rather funny and charming than menacing and evil. His humor worked and his performance was great but he didn’t feel much like a villain. But other than that, Kingsman: The Secret Service is pure entertainment. Combine Austin Powers, Kill Bill, and James Bond, and this is what you’ll get. So go watch this hell of a film once you have the chance!

Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014) Poster

12.31.14
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The Interview

ratings2

After Dave Skylark (James Franco), a talk show host, lands an interview with Kim Jong Un, he and his executive producer (Seth Rogen) are recruited by the CIA to assassinate him.

This movie was another big disappointment. I was expecting this movie to be great and stand out from the rest of those laugh-out-loud comedies that have flopped, but it wasn’t. The acting in the movie was very bad, especially James Franco. I expected James Franco and Seth Rogen to be a hilarious and unforgettable duo, but instead most of their humor was just tiring and unfunny. Almost all the humor felt the same, and nothing really made me crack up, except for one very hilarious scene at the beginning of the movie.  Besides that, the humor didn’t work. The action felt goofy and bland, and trying to be hilarious, but again, nothing was funny about it. The actors in this movie are all great, but in this movie, their talent was put to waste. The script was bad, it was rushed at parts, and the comedy felt repetitive and boring. A lot of the story felt cliche and predictable.  There was nothing special about it, and I expected more from a Seth Rogen/Evan Goldberg comedy, since I loved This is the End and many of their other comedies.

So overall, The Interview is a disappointing, bland, unfunny, and predictable comedy that puts the directors and actors’ talents to waste. If you’re looking for a fun and hilarious comedy, don’t pick this.

The Interview 2014 poster.jpg

11.10.14
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Big Hero 6

ratings4

Big Hero 6 is the latest movie from Disney animation. It follows a boy named Hiro Hamada, who lives in the city of San Fransokyo, who teams up with his huggable robot Baymax and 4 other people to defeat a supervillain who is using Hiro’s technology to take over the city.

I saw this movie today, and it surprised me. It turned out to be a very fun movie. The humor was smart and very well written. Some of the supporting characters were stupid. Baymax is definitely the highlight of the movie. He is extremely likable, he and Hiro have good chemistry, and he is willing to do anything for Hiro. Some parts in this movie were also very touching, including the relationship between Hiro and his older brother Tadashi, which tragically ends after Tadashi is killed in a freak explosion. The animation in this film is very well done. But the movie felt way too short, and could have been a bit longer. I thought the villain would be weak, but he actually had a purpose and a backstory. At parts it feels cliche and predictable like any other animated movies, but it was also unique in its own way. I thought it was a smart movie but the end was predictable, because there is that same type of ending in almost every animated film nowadays, but Disney still did a good job with this film. But I felt that in an aspect Baymax was a weak character. Of course he had a lot of screen time and was very likable, nothing really revolved around him. None of this stuff, like this villain trying to get revenge on someone else, or Tadashi getting killed, had to do with Baymax. Baymax just came in and eventually became Hiro’s best friend.

But overall Big Hero 6 is a fun animated movie that is a good time for the whole family. I think it would be cool if they made a sequel or even a franchise out of this, but they don’t have to. It would be fine as a stand-alone movie. Big Hero 6 proves that Disney can make great movies without the Pixar brand. But honestly, I’d still prefer Pixar’s movies, since most of them are obviously better, but if you want a movie to see with your family, this would be a good choice.

Big Hero 6 (film) poster.jpg

07.31.14
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Guardians of the Galaxy

My rating: ratings5

Intergalactic adventurer Peter Quill finds himself the object of an unrelenting bounty hunt after stealing a mysterious orb coveted by Ronan, a powerful villain with ambitions that threaten the entire universe. To evade Ronan, Quill is forced into an uneasy truce with a quartet of disparate misfits – Rocket, a gun-toting raccoon, Groot, a tree-like humanoid, the deadly and enigmatic Gamora and the revenge-driven Drax the Destroyer. But when Quill discovers the true power of the orb and the menace it poses to the cosmos, he and his team must find a way to stop Ronan’s madness and save the galaxy.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is improving as it goes. And this movie is definitely it’s best yet. I have to admit, it’s even better than The Avengers! It’s smart, funny, entertaining, and full of heart. The pace is good (it’s never too slow), the characters are all very funny, and best of all, the action scenes are extremely fun to sit through. It really has a Star Wars feel to it, with all the spaceship battles, the fact that the Guardians keep traveling from planet to planet, and I sort of felt that Ronan was sort of like Darth Vader, with a helmet, a low voice, and an ugly face.

One thing that didn’t turn out like I thought it would be but didn’t really bother me was that Thanos (a god-like figure who works with Ronan and is Gamora’s adoptive father) had a smaller role than I expected (just a one minute cameo), but that’s OK. Maybe he’ll have a bigger role in the Avengers 2!

My two favorite characters to see onscreen were Rocket and Groot, the hilarious duo who know how to kick ass. Lots of the other characters were also very charming and funny, especially Quill (the space outlaw who calls himself “Star-Lord”).

In conclusion, Guardians of the Galaxy is brilliant, smart, wonderfully silly, and is as entertaining, awesome, and fun, as any other Marvel movie. I would recommend it for any Marvel movie fans!

The five Guardians, sporting various weapons, arrayed in front of a backdrop of a planet in space.

06.16.14
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Blended

My rating: ratings3

After a disastrous blind date, single parents Jim (Adam Sandler) and Lauren (Drew Barrymore) agree on only one thing: they never want to see each other again. But when they each sign up separately for a fabulous family vacation with their kids, they are all stuck sharing a suite at a luxurious African safari resort for a week, where their attraction grows as their respective kids benefit from the burgeoning relationship.

You might agree with my that most of Adam Sandler’s recent comedies are just plain dumb. Most of them had terrible jokes and failed to make me laugh while also having some heart. Blended is more like last year’s comedy The Internship (which did not involve Adam Sandler at all, for your information), which had a lot of heart and comedy at the same time, and felt like a fun feel-good comedy, than Adam Sandler’s last project, Grown Ups 2. Grown Ups 2 had too much slapstick comedy and eventually started to get dumb. Blended is funny, has a good plot, and isn’t much like any of those dumb recent Sandler movies. Some parts of the movie did remind me of a comedy I saw a very long time ago called Parental Guidance. Here’s why: First of all, one character named Espn (Jim named her after his favorite channel) has an imaginary friend, who is her deceased mother. That reminded me of a character from Parental Guidance named Barker, who had an imaginary kangaroo friend named Carl. Blended also had some weird family traditions like Parental Guidance. 

In conclusion, Blended is a feel-good comedy that is fun to watch and it cracked me up. I would recommend this movie for any comedy fans.

Blended (2014) Poster.jpg

01.28.14
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The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

My rating: ratings3

Walter Mitty (played by Ben Stiller, who also directed the film) is a negative assets manager for Life Magazine who frequently daydreams of fantastic adventures, and has a crush on his coworker Cheryl (played by Kristen Wiig). For the final issue of Life, photographer Sean O’Connell (played by Sean Penn) sends Mitty 25 negatives and says that the 25th one captures the “Quintessence” of Life and that it should be used for the cover. The 25th one, though, is missing, so Mitty must track down O’Connell and travel the world, and makes some stops, including Greenland, Iceland and the Himalayas.

I was not disappointed by this movie, since I was very excited about it when I first saw the trailer. Walter Mitty is filled with comedy and heart, but some parts are a little slower than others. The film has a great plot and great cinematography, but Mitty never really changes throughout the movie. Instead of becoming a better person who doesn’t daydream that often, all he really does is travel the world and make a new friend (an eHarmony employee). I think adults would like this movie just like I did, but it does have some iffy content that might be intense for kids, including some violent scenes and swearing, despite its PG rating. It deserves a PG-13 rating, but I think it would be appropriate for kids 12 and up.

Here is the film’s trailer.

A side profile of a man running with a silver briefcase in hand. Behind him a cityscape.

10.02.13
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Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2

My rating: ratings3

In the end of the first Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs movie, Flint (Bill Hader) destroyed his  “Flint Lockwood Diatonic Super Mutating Dynamic Food Replicator” (FLDSMDFR for short) … or did he? In the sequel, Flint and all the other residents must leave Swallow Falls (because of the food storm in the first Cloudy movie) and be relocated to the city of San Franjose, California. In San Franjose, Flint meets his childhood idol, an inventor named Chester V (Will Forte), the head of a company named Live Corp. One day, Chester recruits Flint to back alone to Swallow Falls to defeat a group of  huge cheespiders, a combination of a cheeseburger and a spider. These cheespiders where created by the FLDSMDFR. But against Chester’s orders, Flint brings along some old friends to the island: weather intern Sam Sparks (The Dictator‘s Anna Faris), policeman Earl (The Expandables‘ Terry Crews), cameraman Manny (Despicable Me 2‘s Benjamin Bratt), chicken mascot Brent (That’s My Boy‘s Andy Samberg), Flint’s dad (James Caan), and Flint’s lab partner, a monkey named Steve (How I Met Your Mother‘s Neil Patrick Harris), who can talk but only says a few things, including that he’s hungry. But when they arrive at Swallow Falls, hey discover that the entire island is infested with foodimals, including tacodiles, watermelophants, shrimpanzees, flamangos, wild scallions, hippotatomuses, mosquitoast, buttoads, fruit cockatiels, buffaloaves, crab cakes, meatbalruses, apple pie-thons, and much more! Now it is up to Flint and his friends to destroy the FLDSMDFR and defeat the foodimals!

I saw this movie not too long ago and was very impressed by the film’s amazing animation. The film was also pretty hilarious. But one major and extremely weird flaw in the movie was that Chester is extremely flexible. He can repeatedly move his arms and legs around in weird ways, as if he has no bones. He is similar to the titular character of an animated TV show called “Uncle Grandpa”.  Another flaw is that Chester keeps calling his second-in-hand (an orangutan named Barb (voiced by Kristen Schaal)) a monkey, but she keeps getting angry and yelling, “I’m an ape!”, but isn’t an ape a type of monkey?

Overall, the movie was hilarious and had amazing animation. I would recommend this movie for children of all ages. Even adults might enjoy this humorous movie.

Here is the film’s site and trailer.

08.29.13
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Turbo

My rating: ratings3

Theo is an ordinary garden snail. He works 24/7 at the garden and dreams of someday racing in the Indianapolis 500, like his idol, Guy Gagne. One day, he gets into a freak accident when he gets sucked up into the supercharger of a street race car, fusing his DNA with Nitrous Oxide. Theo now has super-speed and calls himself Turbo. He makes friends with some more snails, a taco driver named Tito, and Tito’s friends, and together they go to Indianapolis so Turbo can compete in the Indy 500 and live his dream.

This movie, distributed by Dreamworks Animation, is filled with laughs and a lot of heart. I also think the storyline was very well-written. All of the film’s character’s were very funny, even though the minions from Despicable Me 2 are 10 times funnier. The film’s amazing cast includes Ryan Reynolds, Paul Giamatti, Michael Pena, Luiz Guzman, Bill Hader, Michelle Rodriguez, Richard Jenkins, Ken Jeong, Maya Rudolph, Snoop Dogg, and Samuel L. Jackson. I would recommend this movie for kids 6 and up, because there are some things little kids might not understand. Overall the movie was funny and cute, but it was a little too short and is very predictable, too.

Here is the film’s site.

08.15.13
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The Way Way Back

My rating: ratings3

Duncan (Liam James), a 14-year-old boy, goes to a beach house for the summer with his mm, her boyfriend, Trent (Steve Carell), and Trent’s daughter. At a water park near the beach house, Duncan makes friends with Owen (Sam Rockwell) an employee at the water park, who changes his life. This movie also stars Toni Collette, Allison Janney, Anna Sophia Robb, Maya Rudolph, Amanda Peet, and Rob Corddry.

I saw this movie last week. I thought it was very funny. It had a great cast, especially Sam Rockwell, who was hilarious! Although the film was a little too short, it was good, but not great. This isn’t the best movie I’ve seen this month, but it wasn’t so bad, either. I would recommend this movie for people 13 and over and people who like coming-of-age movies.

Also, here is the film’s trailer.