Sunday, June 7, 2009

5 Reasons Why "The Hangover" Is The Funniest Movie I Have Seen In Years

Tonight I saw "The Hangover" - along with millions of others. I was forced to sit in the second row of a packed theater, luckily it was so frickin HILARIOUS that I forgot how uncomfortable I was the entire time. Here is why my stomach muscles still hurt from laughing so hard....

1. I can't tell you. - I wouldn't want to ruin the hilarity of the film for anyone, so I really can't tell you anything. However, I can say that the trailer does not spoil anything - so yes there is a tiger, a singing Mike Tyson, a baby with over sized sunglasses and the use of stun gun. BUT - there is sooooo much more than that. It consistently tops itself with every scene being funnier than the previous. The situations are ridiculous and outrageous but you won't even care.

2. Bradley Cooper - I am so proud of my Will Tippin (his Alias character). I love when someone that I have enjoyed for so long finally gets the attention he deserves. This movie proves that he is a star. (But please Bradley - cut your hair!)

3. The Credits - The whole film pretty much takes place after the Bachelor Party, what actually happened is eluded to here and there - but in the end it's all there in the photos. Absolutely hilarious.

4. It doesn't have Will Ferrell in it - I used to be a fan. His sketches on SNL were great (I still laugh at the sketch were he is Alex Trebek on Celebrity Jeopardy and Darrell Hammond is Sean Connery "The Rapist" instead of "Therapist") and I even enjoyed Old School, Elf and Anchorman, although not as much as the rest of America. But, now his films are awful. Step Brothers was trash (as was Talladega Nights, Blades of Glory and the rest of his "sport" films). Land of the Lost looks awful and I am glad that the rest of America didn't support this garbage (already being dubbed the first box-office bomb of the summer). He needs a career makeover stat.

5. It's obscene, vulgar, insensitive, sexist, politically incorrect and immature- if you don't have a sense of humor - don't see it.

4 Reasons Why "The Brothers Bloom" Is As Good As I Expected

I was so excited to see this film, but even more excited by the fact that it was actually good! Here is why...

1. Rian Johnson's quirky, clever characters - It's your typical con-artist heist film, yet it focuses on the relationships and soul-searching characters which is what separates it from being mediocre (like The Italian Job). Mark Ruffalo and Adrien Brody are inseparable brothers who learned from a very young age that nothing is given to you for free - that is unless you have a master plan. They team up with Japanese actress Rinko Kikuchi (yes, the same actress that gave that memorable, Academy Award nominated performance in Babel) in order to perform a multi-million dollar heist - the victim (although you can't really call her that for very long) is a lonely, eccentric played by Rachel Weisz. Rinko does another brilliant job as BangBang, a mute by choice who specializes in blowing stuff up, while Rachel is equally as satisfying as the girl who knows everything - and if she doesn't know something you better be sure she will find it out. These characters are lively and colorful which is what keeps the story alive. This is exactly what I expected from the writer/director of Brick - is Rian Johnson on his way to becoming one of my favorite filmmakers? I think so...

2. It's funny - Not so much laugh out loud, slapstick kind of funny - it's more subversive, clever and sarcastic humor. Surprisingly, the funniest moments were portrayed by Rinko - which is a huge accomplishment given that she says maybe 4 words through the entire film. Coincidentally, she doesn't speak in Babel either (as she plays a deaf girl) - I think she has found her niche. Ruffalo and Brody have great chemistry together with their quick and witty banter- I feel as though they could actually be related even though they have no physical similarities.

3. It's a love story that I can appreciate - Although, we are constantly wondering if Bloom is actually in love with Penelope or if he is just falling for his own con - the chemistry between them is just right. Their first introduction is awkward and clumsy just like their relationship. It's cute. Really.

4. Their wardrobes! - I don't know if it was a good thing that I was a little distracted it, but I really couldn't take my eyes off of that hat (that seems to be passed around to all of the characters at some point). In general, I loved both BangBang and Penelope's wardrobe - and I do think the costume design is an important aspect to creating memorable characters.

5 Reasons why "Breaking Bad" Got Even Better the 2nd Season

I can't get enough of Breaking Bad. It is a ridiculously amazing show and while most shows fall into a "sophomore slump" during their second season, Breaking Bad has brilliantly become even better (I didn't think it was possible!). Here is why it is successfully breaking the mold...

1. They just keep digging a deeper hole - It is following the footsteps of Weeds by not shying away from the dark side of drug dealing. Walt and Jesse just keep digging themselves into a deeper hole, simply because they are both humans dealing with the very real human emotion (or sin) of greed. They want more. They are not pleasant or appealing characters, instead they are flawed, complex and real.

2. Aaron Paul - In the first season, he was good - but Bryan Cranston outshined everyone. This season Aaron Paul is awe-inspiring. His downward spiral towards the end of the season was so gut-wrenching because as much of a douche-bag he is, we still understand his pain. His pseudo-father/son relationship with Walt is the real heart of the show, because as an audience we know that all Jesse needs is some guidance.

3. The one-eyed pink teddy bear - Some episode this season had a weird scene in the beginning, some of these scenes included this image floating in Walt's pool. It's creepy yet extremely intriguing. When the finale revealed the reason for these scenes it proved my theory that Breaking Bad has the best writers working in tv right now. To think that the entire season was preparing for this one last ohmygod moment is completely satisfying. The chaos that is sure to proceed next season is sure to create an entirely new dynamic for the characters. On a side note - someone on IMDB noted that the titles of the episodes with these beginning scenes form the phrase "Seven Thirty-Seven Down Over ABQ" - obviously someone has some time on there hands to notice such a detail, but it proves my point that the writers had the entire season planned to perfection.


4. The supporting characters - Do you like any of them? I don't. From Skylar's enough with the pregnant, nagging wife routine, to the tool that is Hank and Walter Jr stubbornly insisting to be called Flynn -they all get on my nerves - just like a real family would...

5. Nothing is resolved - and hopefully it never will be...because that wouldn't be very realistic now would it?

4 Suggestions If You Are Planning On Seeing "Terminator Salvation"

I saw Terminator Salvation last week, while I enjoyed it - I have a few suggestions for anyone else who plans on seeing it....

1. See the first 3 Terminator films again - I probably would have enjoyed Salvation more if I had done this beforehand. I didn't quite understand the history behind the film because I couldn't remember the previous films. It was actually quite confusing - It's about future John Connor after Skynet has waged war against humanity, who must now save his father (who is younger than him - played by Anton Yelchin) so that his father can go back to the past to procreate with Sarah Connor- So the goal is really to save his own existence? I think? I wish they did a little re-cap before the credits or explained it a little bit for the people who are merely there as Christian Bale fans.

2. Speaking of...Don't expect too much from Bale instead be pleasantly surprised by Sam Worthington - Bale does nothing spectacular except maybe perfect the masculine whisper, however I found myself mesmerized by Worthington. Where did he come from? I immediately IMDB'd him when I got home and I am not surprised to see he has several future projects in the works including the highly anticipated Avatar and Clash of the Titans. Impressive. And Hot.

3. Don't wait for the DVD - If you plan on seeing it, definitely see it on the big screen. The action sequences are intense, the explosions are grand and the machines are way cooler than any of the previous films. The only way to appreciate such an accomplishment is in the theater. McG has a knack for visually stimulating his audience, it's a shame he doesn't have a knack for conveying human emotions or relationships.

4. Don't expect any on-screen chemistry - Christian Bale and ...Bryce Dallas Howard? Not exactly a perfect match. I'm sure Howard is a fine actress (although I have yet to see her prove this...) but being the eye-candy on the arm of an uber-hot action hero is not exactly her forte. Unfortunately, she is pregnant in the film which leads me to believe she will likely be in the next Terminator film. The other "couple" Worthington and Moon Bloodgood (no joke - that is actually her name) were at least watchable, but unsatisfying. The only actual chemistry belonged to Worthington and Yelchin - while they displayed a much more father/son (or should I say son/father?) relationship than the actual father/son relationship in the film.