Tag Archives: las vegas

The Kings of Summer

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kings of summer

Director: Jordan Vogt-Roberts

Writer: Chris Galletta

Starring:  Nick Robinson, Gabriel Basso, Moises Arias, Nick Offerman, Erin Moriarty

Tomatometer: 72/61/83 (all critics, top critics, audience)

Spoiler-free Summary: Sick of living with his miserable father, and hoping to impress his sweetheart, Kelly, Joe decides to run away from home and live in the woods.  He is joined by his best pal, Patrick, who is desperate to escape the claws of his own overbearing and unbearably annoying parents.  Somehow, Biaggio, a peculiar neighborhood kid, winds up on the team, as well.

Two Cents: Some movies are summer movies because they are released during the summer.  Others are summer movies because they celebrate the most wonderful blessing ever bestowed on a child – summer!  Not summer in terms of weather and Earth’s position in the galaxy, but summer in terms of vacation from school.  The Kings of Summer, as you may have surmised from its title, is in the latter category.

In this exquisite ode to the freedom and exploration (of nature and self) that are synonymous with summer vacation, three teenagers cause widespread panic as they courageously escape their mundane lives.  The only sad part of the movie is the fact that the main characters are so sheltered, they’ve never even heard of sleep-away camp, a modern and popular alternative to running away from home.  Sad as that may be, Joe, Patrick, and Biaggio make the most of their summer break by building a sweet “tree house” in the woods.  While living there, they encounter all the problems one might expect to befall a suburban teenager living on his own – lack of funds, lack of survival skills, and, most importantly, lack of deodorant.

Although the main characters seek freedom from their parents, that freedom is symbolic.  Not only do these kids live outside of their homes, but they live outside the pressures of teenage social life.  An athlete, a nerd, and a complete nut job become family, much like in The Breakfast Club, simply because they are together, and no one else is watching.  It’s a classic theme in teen movies, and Vogt-Roberts handles it beautifully.  I often remind myself that, were there no one on Earth but we two, Brad Pitt would consider me his best friend.

Robinson, Basso, and Arias are all solid in this film, but none stands out as a future star.  Arias is the most interesting, as he takes awkwardness to new heights, but his act probably isn’t sustainable.  Moriarty does a nice job as Joe’s love interest, but she may not end up being yours.  Nick Offerman is the real star of the movie, delivering his classic mean-spirited, dry sarcasm with incredible touch.  Megan Mullally puts her famously shrill voice to good use as Patrick’s insufferable mother.

Should I/Shouldn’t I: The Kings of Summer is the kind of movie that makes you long for your childhood.  If you’re not seduced by all the billboards and commercials hawking blockbusters this summer, find some time to see this indie.  It won’t be playing in many theaters, and it might not be out for very long, so get on your horse!

Sundae Rating: Two scoops with whipped cream

Now You See Me

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now you see me

Director: Louis Leterrier

Writer: Ed Solomon, Boaz Yakin, Edward Ricourt

Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, Dave Franco, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, Mélanie Laurent

Tomatometer: 47/26/75 (all critics, top critics, audience)

Spoiler-free Summary: Jesse, Woody, Isla, and Dave are all middling street magicians.  A mysterious person in a Zuckerbergian hoodie recruits the four of them to perform as a team.  After a year of preparation, the Four Horsemen open their act in Las Vegas.  For their final trick of opening night, the group magically robs a bank, setting off an FBI-led manhunt and a slew of high-profile crimes.

Two Cents: Like many who saw its trailer, I could not wait for this movie.  Boasting a stellar cast and the combination of a classic film genre (bank robbery) with another that has long been under-appreciated (magic), this movie had “summer fun” written all over it.  Sadly, those words were written with one of these.

The first half of the movie is actually quite entertaining.  Some of the tricks are extremely cool (keep telling yourself they’re not just cheap cinematography tricks), and the story moves with the pace of a Formula-1 car.  However, the movie loses steam toward the end of Act II, as it turns into a game of “Who’s playing whom?”.

Let me be the first to diagnose director Leterrier with Shyamalonosis.  Now You See Me is doomed by Leterrier’s obsession with forcing a shocking twist at the expense of the rest of his film.  Like Shyamalan almost always does, Leterrier fails miserably in his quest, completely wasting a promising build-up and decent performances from Eisenberg, Harrelson, and Ruffalo.  A twist only works when it is supported by that which comes before it, and this movie’s not-so-big twist could be easily debunked by any of the scenes that precedes it.  That’s not a twist, it’s a lie.  (Out of respect for those who have yet to see Now You See Me, I’ll refrain from saying anything that might be considered a spoiler.)  M. Night would be proud of you, Louis, but he’s probably the only one.  Even your own mother thinks you stink.

It was great to see Dave Franco in another big release.  He had a respectable role in last year’s 21 Jump Street, but he has yet to reach the notoriety of his brother James.  He is a gifted comedic actor, and I’m sure we’ll be seeing much more if him in the future.  Isla Fisher must be an awesome person to count as a friend.  She’s married to Sacha Baron Cohen, and she seems to be a ton of fun.  However, even with the world’s greatest push-up bra, she’s completely wasted in this movie.  She’s not a great actress, but she can be entertaining and funny when given the opportunity.  Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine should have saved on airfare and sent cardboard cutouts of themselves to the set.  They could not have seemed more uninterested in this movie.  Mélanie Laurent (Shosanna from Inglourious Basterds) is pretty darn close to mesmerizing, but Leterrier did not get out of her what he could or should have.

Should I/Shouldn’t I: Don’t view the title of this movie as an obligation.  Now You See Me (or, maybe, you don’t) is a fun movie, but it doesn’t nearly reach its potential.  You won’t hate it, but you’ll most likely be disappointed.  With so many blockbusters coming out this summer, you’d be better off letting this one slip through the cracks and catching it on HBO next winter.  If you forget to DVR it, feel free to save two hours and just ask me what happens at the end.

Sundae Rating: One scoop

The Hangover Part III

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hangover 3 poster

Director: Todd Phillips

Writer: Todd Phillips, Craig Mazin

Starring: Zach Galifianakis, Ken Jeong, Ed Helms, Bradley Cooper, John Goodman

Tomatometer: 21/19/88 (all critics, top critics, audience)

Spoiler-free Summary: Alan has gone off his meds, and he’s too much for his parents to handle.  The Wolfpack agrees to shuttle Alan to a psychiatric facility in Arizona.  On the way, the boys are attacked by a criminal mastermind in search of Mr. Chow.  In order to save (white) Doug, the Wolfpack must track down their wacky acquaintance.

Two Cents: What do all great supporting characters have in common?  The word “supporting”.  In the final (please, God) installment of the Hangover series, Todd Phillips makes the grave error of attempting to turn a supporting character into a main character.  Then, in an unprecedented move that must have been sparked by a complete loss of brain function, Phillips attempts to turn an even less significant supporting character into a main character, as well.  I deserve to be punched in the face for using the following term, but I can’t think of anything more apropos: EPIC FAIL!

In The Hangover, we were introduced to Alan, one of the most hilariously clueless characters in buddy comedy history.  Zach Galifianakis’s performance was so inventive and refreshing, it set him down a career path that has, so far, been littered with discount copies of the same exact role.  In The Hangover Part III, Alan becomes the central character and, thanks to reviews like this one, Todd Phillips has finally learned what the people on Hoarders learned long ago – too much of a good thing can really suck.  Alan’s act gets very old very quickly.  As much as I love and admire Galifianakis, fifteen minutes into the movie, I found myself doing something I normally save for my private time – begging for more Bradley Cooper.

Not only does Alan take center stage in Part III, but he’s joined in the spotlight by Ken Jeong’s eccentric and thrill-seeking criminal, Mr. Chow.  In the first installment, Chow was a welcome addition to an already-stellar roster of comedic characters.  In the second, he was the kind of friend from whom you’d like to hear a story or two, but with whom you’d never actually want to spend the time it takes to hear a story or two.  In this installment, he’s just downright unbearable.

Think about some of the great supporting characters from comedy films – Carl Spackler from Caddyshack, Les Grossman from Tropic Thunder, and Farva from Super Troopers, for example.  All these classic characters were introduced to us by directors who understand that wacky supporting performances should be used like salt.  A few shakes  of salt can make a decent meal truly wonderful, but, if you let the cap fall off, the whole dish is ruined.

From the opening sequence of the film to the last, it is painfully obvious that Phillips has run out of ideas for his beloved characters.  Funny can’t be forced, and, apparently, neither can laughter.  As hard as I tried, I did not laugh out loud a single time during this movie.  You know you’ve wasted your money (luckily, I attended a half-price showing) when the big opening joke (the one that sets the tone for the entire movie) revolves around giraffes being taller than cars.  The film ends with a teaser (as every installment in a series of movies should), suggesting the possibility of a fourth Hangover movie, but let’s hope the promotional posters are truthful and “The End” really means the end.

So long, Alan Garner.  I sincerely hope we never meet again.

Should I/Shouldn’t I: You should not.

Sundae Rating: Empty cup