Search
JT (287 KP) rated The Dictator (2012) in Movies
Mar 10, 2020
Sacha Baron Cohen is back doing what he does best, offending everyone and anyone without so much as a care in the world. The Dictator is a much funnier venture than Bruno was (while not quite as shocking) and still provides some hilarious moments.Given the recent run of press that dictators like Saddam Hussein, Colonel Gaddafi and Kim Jong Il have had this provides an untapped platform of Cohen’s ability to step up to.
As fictional dictator Hafez Aladeen he rules over The Republic of Wadiya, and Cohen models the character on all of the above in some way. The film is even dedicated to the memory of Kim Jong Il, and let’s not forget his real life appearance at a US awards ceremony where he spilled the ashes of the Korean dictator all over the red carpet and on entertainment anchor Ryan Seacrest.
It’s not that Aladeen is particularly vicious, despite claiming that he has sent men to execution for the slightest thing, say not making weapons of mass destruction with a pointy top, he’s just a bit of an idiot.
After refusing to sell Wadiyan oil internationally and denying that he has or is in the process of making nuclear weapons Aladeen heads to New York to address the UN Council. While there he’s captured and left to fend for himself on the streets of New York, while one of his lookalikes takes his place in order to sign a document democratizing Wadiya and opening the country’s oil fields for business.
In typical Cohen fashion there are some scenes that might still touch the nerves of a few American civilians. One particular involves Aladeen and his former head of the W.M.D. program, Nadal take a joy flight in a helicopter above the New York Skyline.
While surveying the landscape they talk in Wadiyan about Aladeen’s Porsche 911, well you can pretty much see where it’s going to go from there. It’s one of a few great scenes that you’re either going to wince at or laugh out loud. The film also draws in the acting talents of Ben Kingsley (how or why he agreed is beyond me) as Aladeen’s right hand man who is responsible for the plot to bring him down.
Also along for the ride is Anna Faris, no slouch when it comes to the slapstick comedy field, she’s more than at home here as Aladeen’s love interest. Directed by Larry Charles who was also behind the camera for Borat and Bruno it keeps tradition with juvenile humor and un-politically correct jokes. If you don’t laugh you’ll be asking yourself how the hell has he got away with it….again!?
As fictional dictator Hafez Aladeen he rules over The Republic of Wadiya, and Cohen models the character on all of the above in some way. The film is even dedicated to the memory of Kim Jong Il, and let’s not forget his real life appearance at a US awards ceremony where he spilled the ashes of the Korean dictator all over the red carpet and on entertainment anchor Ryan Seacrest.
It’s not that Aladeen is particularly vicious, despite claiming that he has sent men to execution for the slightest thing, say not making weapons of mass destruction with a pointy top, he’s just a bit of an idiot.
After refusing to sell Wadiyan oil internationally and denying that he has or is in the process of making nuclear weapons Aladeen heads to New York to address the UN Council. While there he’s captured and left to fend for himself on the streets of New York, while one of his lookalikes takes his place in order to sign a document democratizing Wadiya and opening the country’s oil fields for business.
In typical Cohen fashion there are some scenes that might still touch the nerves of a few American civilians. One particular involves Aladeen and his former head of the W.M.D. program, Nadal take a joy flight in a helicopter above the New York Skyline.
While surveying the landscape they talk in Wadiyan about Aladeen’s Porsche 911, well you can pretty much see where it’s going to go from there. It’s one of a few great scenes that you’re either going to wince at or laugh out loud. The film also draws in the acting talents of Ben Kingsley (how or why he agreed is beyond me) as Aladeen’s right hand man who is responsible for the plot to bring him down.
Also along for the ride is Anna Faris, no slouch when it comes to the slapstick comedy field, she’s more than at home here as Aladeen’s love interest. Directed by Larry Charles who was also behind the camera for Borat and Bruno it keeps tradition with juvenile humor and un-politically correct jokes. If you don’t laugh you’ll be asking yourself how the hell has he got away with it….again!?
Cinderella by Nosy Crow
Book and Education
App
*** Major new update! *** A brand new, trilingual edition of our award-winning Cinderella app, with...
ArecRain (8 KP) rated Servant: The Kindred (Servant, #3) in Books
Jan 18, 2018
I almost feel bad having this series as my first review since I have absolutely nothing good to say about this book, or the series for that matter. Every element of this book was just terrible, from the language to the plot development, or lack thereof.
By the time I came to the final novel in the Servant trilogy, I quite literally had to force myself to read every page. Unlike the first two, where I became hooked on a goal that Gabrielle Cody was trying to reach, this book just grossed me out, bored me, and irritated me when I wasnt bored. After the first chapter, I lost any hope that this novel was an improvement on the first two.
The foul language was so excessive that I noticed myself just passing over it like you would the word the or and. The fact that Gaby couldnt form a sentence without saying the f-word seemed a bit juvenile to me. Fosters attempt to make Gaby seem uneducated is contradicted when she randomly uses words like cathartic. It was out of her character.
The characters were more frustrating in this novel than in the previous ones. Gaby and Luthers arguing left me so annoyed that, at times, I just skipped over it. I could not understand why Luther was so obsessed with her since any normal person probably would just ignored her from the get go. However, I felt that Gabys character had become more realistic in her feelings and thoughts. I actually liked that Gaby was so jealous of Ann, Luthers partner who is perfect in every way. I also liked the relationship she forms with Bliss, a ex-prostitute that Gaby saved from the streets, and the two orphans that Gaby takes under her wing.
The biggest problem I have with this series is the pedestal that Foster place Gaby upon. Foster makes her protagonist so strong and unbeatable that, more than once, I thought that the author was trying to make Gaby a god on earth. Gaby only obtains one injury through the entire novel, a bullet wound that is used to further the plot. Without the bullet wound, Gaby would have never gone to get a tattoo. Nobody can touch Gaby, something I found not only a nuascance but unlikely.
The final noteworthy thing about this book, is that we discover Gaby ancestry. I felt appeased in my search for discovering more about Gabys past and parents. Any surprise I had about her parentage was nullified by Fosters writing style.
I do believe I have complained enough about this series. I did have hope for it but was disappointed. After reading such an unpleasing series, I am going to read a book I know I should end up enjoying.
By the time I came to the final novel in the Servant trilogy, I quite literally had to force myself to read every page. Unlike the first two, where I became hooked on a goal that Gabrielle Cody was trying to reach, this book just grossed me out, bored me, and irritated me when I wasnt bored. After the first chapter, I lost any hope that this novel was an improvement on the first two.
The foul language was so excessive that I noticed myself just passing over it like you would the word the or and. The fact that Gaby couldnt form a sentence without saying the f-word seemed a bit juvenile to me. Fosters attempt to make Gaby seem uneducated is contradicted when she randomly uses words like cathartic. It was out of her character.
The characters were more frustrating in this novel than in the previous ones. Gaby and Luthers arguing left me so annoyed that, at times, I just skipped over it. I could not understand why Luther was so obsessed with her since any normal person probably would just ignored her from the get go. However, I felt that Gabys character had become more realistic in her feelings and thoughts. I actually liked that Gaby was so jealous of Ann, Luthers partner who is perfect in every way. I also liked the relationship she forms with Bliss, a ex-prostitute that Gaby saved from the streets, and the two orphans that Gaby takes under her wing.
The biggest problem I have with this series is the pedestal that Foster place Gaby upon. Foster makes her protagonist so strong and unbeatable that, more than once, I thought that the author was trying to make Gaby a god on earth. Gaby only obtains one injury through the entire novel, a bullet wound that is used to further the plot. Without the bullet wound, Gaby would have never gone to get a tattoo. Nobody can touch Gaby, something I found not only a nuascance but unlikely.
The final noteworthy thing about this book, is that we discover Gaby ancestry. I felt appeased in my search for discovering more about Gabys past and parents. Any surprise I had about her parentage was nullified by Fosters writing style.
I do believe I have complained enough about this series. I did have hope for it but was disappointed. After reading such an unpleasing series, I am going to read a book I know I should end up enjoying.
Zuky the BookBum (15 KP) rated The Merciless in Books
Mar 15, 2018
Also read my review here: http://bookbum.weebly.com/book-reviews/the-merciless-by-danielle-vega
<b><i>Forgive us, Father, for we have sinned.</b></i>
Well, well, well, what can I say? This thoroughly disappointed me, after giving it some more thought, Ive taken this down to 2 stars.
So we have 3 beautiful and popular God-fearing girls who adopt the new girl into their secretive little gang and warn her against demon-possessed Brooklyn. To cure Brooklyn of her devilish ways they decide to kidnap her, stick her in a basement and torture her, or exorcise her Sound like Im giving too much away? Well yes, I probably am, but the blurb tells you the exact same thing, making the whole suspense element of this book completely useless and a waste of the author's time. <b>Dont try to keep us on our toes when youve already told us whats going to happen.</b>
Due to this being a novel aimed at Young Adult readers, the language, for me, felt simple and lack lustre. I can only read so much before it becomes laughable for me, and laughable it became. All the characters speech was so unrealistic and straightforward it was almost impossible to believe anyone would actually talk like that. This unrealistic speech really made it difficult to connect to any of the characters on a deeper level so I had no empathy for any of them.
The plot, overall, is just a little bit completely ridiculous and nonsensical. The blandness of the characters, scenes and speech make the whole thing feel like a pretty demented, but dumb dream. <spoiler>If Brooklyn had just been evil in a normal teenage girl way and didnt rip out Rileys fucking heart, maybe it would have been a better book</spoiler> I didnt find myself shocked, scared or creeped out at any point in the entire book because it was all so juvenile and cheesy. The reasons the girls did what they did was childish and cringy and it just wouldnt happen in the way Vega wrote it down. And lets not get me started on all the loose ends...
Anyone up for reading one of the most predictable endings ever? My God, what an unexciting end to a pretty unexciting novel - at least it was consistent.
I did read this over the period of just one day, so it had me wanting to finish it, but not for any of the right reasons. I wasnt reading it quickly because I wanted to know what was going to happen next, I was reading it quickly because it was getting stupider and stupider and I wanted to get it over and done with. Do I want to put myself through reading the second book in the series? I dont know Ill give it some time first.
<b><i>Forgive us, Father, for we have sinned.</b></i>
Well, well, well, what can I say? This thoroughly disappointed me, after giving it some more thought, Ive taken this down to 2 stars.
So we have 3 beautiful and popular God-fearing girls who adopt the new girl into their secretive little gang and warn her against demon-possessed Brooklyn. To cure Brooklyn of her devilish ways they decide to kidnap her, stick her in a basement and torture her, or exorcise her Sound like Im giving too much away? Well yes, I probably am, but the blurb tells you the exact same thing, making the whole suspense element of this book completely useless and a waste of the author's time. <b>Dont try to keep us on our toes when youve already told us whats going to happen.</b>
Due to this being a novel aimed at Young Adult readers, the language, for me, felt simple and lack lustre. I can only read so much before it becomes laughable for me, and laughable it became. All the characters speech was so unrealistic and straightforward it was almost impossible to believe anyone would actually talk like that. This unrealistic speech really made it difficult to connect to any of the characters on a deeper level so I had no empathy for any of them.
The plot, overall, is just a little bit completely ridiculous and nonsensical. The blandness of the characters, scenes and speech make the whole thing feel like a pretty demented, but dumb dream. <spoiler>If Brooklyn had just been evil in a normal teenage girl way and didnt rip out Rileys fucking heart, maybe it would have been a better book</spoiler> I didnt find myself shocked, scared or creeped out at any point in the entire book because it was all so juvenile and cheesy. The reasons the girls did what they did was childish and cringy and it just wouldnt happen in the way Vega wrote it down. And lets not get me started on all the loose ends...
Anyone up for reading one of the most predictable endings ever? My God, what an unexciting end to a pretty unexciting novel - at least it was consistent.
I did read this over the period of just one day, so it had me wanting to finish it, but not for any of the right reasons. I wasnt reading it quickly because I wanted to know what was going to happen next, I was reading it quickly because it was getting stupider and stupider and I wanted to get it over and done with. Do I want to put myself through reading the second book in the series? I dont know Ill give it some time first.
Gareth von Kallenbach (971 KP) rated Blades of Glory (2007) in Movies
Aug 14, 2019
Chazz Michael Michaels (Will Ferrell), and Jimmy MacElroy (Jon Heder), are as opposite as two men can be. Chazz is loud, boisterous, and highly sexual, whereas Jimmy is soft, artistic, and reserved.
In the new comedy Blades of Glory the two rivals are about to become the talk of their sport when both lose their medals and are banned from competitive skating after an on ice incident shortly after they tie for the gold medal.
While both are devastated by the events, Jimmy has an even higher cost to pay as his adoptive father disowns him since he is no longer a star athlete who will bring him fame an attention.
Flash forward 3.5 years and we find that life has not been easy for the former two stars. Jimmy toils away in a sporting good shop, while Chazz is reduced to playing a masked character in a themed ice show.
Fate steps in when a stalker informs Jimmy that he is only banned from singles skating and is able to compete in pairs competitions. With the signup for qualifications two days away, Jimmy heads to a local ice show in hopes of finding a partner for the competition.
Sadly Jimmy has chosen the same show were Chazz works, and the two bitter rivals soon find themselves fighting once again.
When the footage makes the local news, Jimmy’s old coach (Craig T. Nelson), hits upon the idea of having the two men compete as the first male team in skating history.
Naturally the two men hate the idea, but with a deadline looming and no other options, Chazz and Jimmy begin to train.
As shocking as this turn of events is to the sporting world, it draws the ire of the reigning champions the Van Waldenberg’s (Will Arnett and Amy Poehler), who setout to ruin Jimmy and Chazz so they can once again capture the gold.
As they train, one hilarious situation after another arises, as the two men with vastly different lifestyles and outlooks must find a way to work with one another to recapture their former glory.
At first I was worried that the films premise would grow old after a few minutes, but I am happy to say it did not. The film is very silly and filled with juvenile humor, but has an easygoing charm that makes it a fun if forgettable film.
Heder and Ferrell work well with one another, and their skating sequences have some truly funny and inspired moments. I do not think I will soon forget the look on Chazz’s face when he has to lift Jimmy one handed while balancing him in a sensitive area.
The film will not be confused anytime soon for a comedic work of genius, but if you want some laughs and are not expecting a deep plot or characters, then this film may be what you are looking for.
In the new comedy Blades of Glory the two rivals are about to become the talk of their sport when both lose their medals and are banned from competitive skating after an on ice incident shortly after they tie for the gold medal.
While both are devastated by the events, Jimmy has an even higher cost to pay as his adoptive father disowns him since he is no longer a star athlete who will bring him fame an attention.
Flash forward 3.5 years and we find that life has not been easy for the former two stars. Jimmy toils away in a sporting good shop, while Chazz is reduced to playing a masked character in a themed ice show.
Fate steps in when a stalker informs Jimmy that he is only banned from singles skating and is able to compete in pairs competitions. With the signup for qualifications two days away, Jimmy heads to a local ice show in hopes of finding a partner for the competition.
Sadly Jimmy has chosen the same show were Chazz works, and the two bitter rivals soon find themselves fighting once again.
When the footage makes the local news, Jimmy’s old coach (Craig T. Nelson), hits upon the idea of having the two men compete as the first male team in skating history.
Naturally the two men hate the idea, but with a deadline looming and no other options, Chazz and Jimmy begin to train.
As shocking as this turn of events is to the sporting world, it draws the ire of the reigning champions the Van Waldenberg’s (Will Arnett and Amy Poehler), who setout to ruin Jimmy and Chazz so they can once again capture the gold.
As they train, one hilarious situation after another arises, as the two men with vastly different lifestyles and outlooks must find a way to work with one another to recapture their former glory.
At first I was worried that the films premise would grow old after a few minutes, but I am happy to say it did not. The film is very silly and filled with juvenile humor, but has an easygoing charm that makes it a fun if forgettable film.
Heder and Ferrell work well with one another, and their skating sequences have some truly funny and inspired moments. I do not think I will soon forget the look on Chazz’s face when he has to lift Jimmy one handed while balancing him in a sensitive area.
The film will not be confused anytime soon for a comedic work of genius, but if you want some laughs and are not expecting a deep plot or characters, then this film may be what you are looking for.
Gareth von Kallenbach (971 KP) rated Blockers (2018) in Movies
Jul 8, 2019
Three childhood friends, Sam (Gideon Adlon), Kayla (Geraldine Viswanathan) and Julie (Kathryn Newton, make a pack that they will all have sex for the first time with their dates on prom night. They get together at Julie’s house the night of prom to and get sent off by all families. They head out in a limo for the most memorable night of their lives. Little do they know that Julie left her laptop on with their group chat open. Julie’s mom, Lisa (Leslie Mann), finds the laptop and with the help of Kayla’s dad, Mitchell (John Cena), and Sam’s dad, Hunter (Ike Barinholtz), they decipher the emoji messages and discover the girls’ sex pact. Lisa a single mom, who just found out that her daughter has been accepted to a college thousands of miles away, thinks her daughter is making a huge mistake and wants to confront her. Mitchell, an overprotective father, agrees and they decide to race after the girls to confront them at the dance. Hunter who has been out of his daughter’s life and just wants her to have a great night tries to first talk them out of it, then physically stop them as they get into Lisa’s car. All three in the car they speed off to what will definitely me a memorable prom night for them and their three daughters.
This comedy is the directorial debut for Kay Cannon (writer Pitch Perfect 2, screenplay Pitch Perfect, actress How to Be Single). She does a good job and this is a well-made comedy. The story does an okay job of blending comedy with a heartfelt story of the relationship between parents and children. There are definitely parts that had the audience roaring in laughter. The jokes at time were a little juvenile and for shock value alone, but other times were very witty. There is also a decent amount of cheesiness in this film that didn’t necessarily fit all of the time. With a rooster in front of the title you have to assume there are going to be some raunchy moments. Over all the performances were good. John Cena has some very funny moments but also some pretty campy lines. I did feel his character had the same moment several times though. They had him cry multiple times throughout the film and by the end the big tough guy crying grew old for me. Ira Barinholtz has some fun moments also.
Sometimes the best moments in a comedy are spoiled in the trailers and for me they did a good job of putting enough of the high points in the trailer will out ruining the punchline. I found myself enjoying the buildup to the payoff more than the big finish. I thought that seeing this film in a theater also helped as many of the laughs more contagious audience laughter than punchlines. Overall I left the theater enjoying the film and thinking it was better than expected.
This comedy is the directorial debut for Kay Cannon (writer Pitch Perfect 2, screenplay Pitch Perfect, actress How to Be Single). She does a good job and this is a well-made comedy. The story does an okay job of blending comedy with a heartfelt story of the relationship between parents and children. There are definitely parts that had the audience roaring in laughter. The jokes at time were a little juvenile and for shock value alone, but other times were very witty. There is also a decent amount of cheesiness in this film that didn’t necessarily fit all of the time. With a rooster in front of the title you have to assume there are going to be some raunchy moments. Over all the performances were good. John Cena has some very funny moments but also some pretty campy lines. I did feel his character had the same moment several times though. They had him cry multiple times throughout the film and by the end the big tough guy crying grew old for me. Ira Barinholtz has some fun moments also.
Sometimes the best moments in a comedy are spoiled in the trailers and for me they did a good job of putting enough of the high points in the trailer will out ruining the punchline. I found myself enjoying the buildup to the payoff more than the big finish. I thought that seeing this film in a theater also helped as many of the laughs more contagious audience laughter than punchlines. Overall I left the theater enjoying the film and thinking it was better than expected.
Hazel (1853 KP) rated Timmy Failure: The Cat Stole My Pants in Books
Sep 12, 2017
Amusing ... If you are a child
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
For fans of Diary of a Wimpy Kid (Kinney, 2004) is a juvenile series by American author, Stephan Pastis, about a young boy who believes he is the world’s greatest detective. A series that is continually growing, the sixth Timmy Failure story is now available for fans and new readers. Subtitled The Cat Stole My Pants, Timmy Failure embarks on an adventure of mystery and crime solving whilst getting himself into all sorts of mischief.
Emulating both real and fictional detectives, Timmy has established his own agency, Failure, Inc., of which he is the sole employee after the flight of his (imaginary) ex-business partner, Total the polar bear, who is currently seeking political asylum in Cuba. Unfortunately, Timmy has been forced to join his mother and Doorman Dave on their honeymoon in Key West, Florida, along with Doorman Dave’s nephew, Emilio.
“Crime doesn’t take a holiday. Neither does greatness.” Determined to continue solving crimes, Timmy hires Emilio as an unpaid intern and sets off searching for crimes, greatly over exaggerating every little piece of “evidence” he finds. However, it soon appears that someone is out to get Timmy and he, along with Emilio, is determined to find out whom.
Timmy is a melodramatic, unconventional child with a large ego and is constantly getting told off. From annoying adults to having his pants stolen by a polydactyl cat – or so he claims – there is no end to the hilarious situations he causes.
The cat that stole Timmy’s pants only makes a brief appearance in the book, therefore the subtitle is more to attract the attention of young readers with its silliness rather than be suggestive of a certain storyline.
Despite his grand claims, Timmy is not a very good detective and a lot of his unsolved crimes have been invented by his overactive imagination. This adds to the humour because, although he seems like an intelligent child, his ideas are completely silly.
Adorned with childish drawings and diagrams, Timmy Failure narrates the story from his subjective point of view, inflating his successes and blaming any failure on poor Emilio. No one takes Timmy seriously, which is something many of the target readers may appreciate, although they should also understand how futile Timmy’s attempts are at being a detective.
The storyline is not particularly clear until the final chapters of the book. Up until that moment, the book is full of disastrous, imaginary detective endeavours that prove Timmy to be nothing more than an annoying, inventive boy.
Some of the language may be above children’s reading capabilities, however, the humour is directly on their level. Whereas an adult may not find the idea of a cat stealing someone’s pants amusing, a child would find that hysterical.
There is no reason to read the Timmy Failure books in order, so if you, like me, read book six first, there is no problem. The stories are particularly aimed at young boys and will hopefully encourage the demographic to start reading more. Whilst it may not be a great feat of literature, it is a good enough introduction to the world of books.
For fans of Diary of a Wimpy Kid (Kinney, 2004) is a juvenile series by American author, Stephan Pastis, about a young boy who believes he is the world’s greatest detective. A series that is continually growing, the sixth Timmy Failure story is now available for fans and new readers. Subtitled The Cat Stole My Pants, Timmy Failure embarks on an adventure of mystery and crime solving whilst getting himself into all sorts of mischief.
Emulating both real and fictional detectives, Timmy has established his own agency, Failure, Inc., of which he is the sole employee after the flight of his (imaginary) ex-business partner, Total the polar bear, who is currently seeking political asylum in Cuba. Unfortunately, Timmy has been forced to join his mother and Doorman Dave on their honeymoon in Key West, Florida, along with Doorman Dave’s nephew, Emilio.
“Crime doesn’t take a holiday. Neither does greatness.” Determined to continue solving crimes, Timmy hires Emilio as an unpaid intern and sets off searching for crimes, greatly over exaggerating every little piece of “evidence” he finds. However, it soon appears that someone is out to get Timmy and he, along with Emilio, is determined to find out whom.
Timmy is a melodramatic, unconventional child with a large ego and is constantly getting told off. From annoying adults to having his pants stolen by a polydactyl cat – or so he claims – there is no end to the hilarious situations he causes.
The cat that stole Timmy’s pants only makes a brief appearance in the book, therefore the subtitle is more to attract the attention of young readers with its silliness rather than be suggestive of a certain storyline.
Despite his grand claims, Timmy is not a very good detective and a lot of his unsolved crimes have been invented by his overactive imagination. This adds to the humour because, although he seems like an intelligent child, his ideas are completely silly.
Adorned with childish drawings and diagrams, Timmy Failure narrates the story from his subjective point of view, inflating his successes and blaming any failure on poor Emilio. No one takes Timmy seriously, which is something many of the target readers may appreciate, although they should also understand how futile Timmy’s attempts are at being a detective.
The storyline is not particularly clear until the final chapters of the book. Up until that moment, the book is full of disastrous, imaginary detective endeavours that prove Timmy to be nothing more than an annoying, inventive boy.
Some of the language may be above children’s reading capabilities, however, the humour is directly on their level. Whereas an adult may not find the idea of a cat stealing someone’s pants amusing, a child would find that hysterical.
There is no reason to read the Timmy Failure books in order, so if you, like me, read book six first, there is no problem. The stories are particularly aimed at young boys and will hopefully encourage the demographic to start reading more. Whilst it may not be a great feat of literature, it is a good enough introduction to the world of books.
Gareth von Kallenbach (971 KP) rated Gridiron Gang (2006) in Movies
Aug 14, 2019
Often the true mark of cinema, this is the category where you will often find the majority of the award winners. The challenge of combining realistic yet sympathetic characters with gripping stories and emotional themes can be a true challenge, but when it works, this is where Hollywood truly shines.
In his latest film Gridiron Gang Dwayne Johnson, better known as the Rock has an appealing mix of sports action, drama, and comedy on his hands that will not only touch you, but will have you cheering.
The Rock stars as Sean Porter, a former college football star who works in a L.A. Area detention center for juvenile offenders. Saddened by the wasted lives of the young men, Sean looks for them to find an alternative to the life of crime, violence, and early death that so many of his inmates face.
With 75% of offenders likely to become repeat offenders, Sean decides to start a football team with the hope of teaching the young inmates the value of hard work, sacrifice, playing as a team, and duty.
Despite some initial obstacles from the system as well as school leagues hesitant to play against convicted offenders, the team son finds themselves with a full schedule and less than three weeks to go before their first game.
The hard practice and coaching style of Sean wears on the players, but they soon find themselves in their first game against a hardened and proven team which underscores just how much work they have to do.
As pressure mounts from all sides, Sean must find a way to meld his team into a winner and prove that this is a project worth doing and that the young men in his care are not lost causes, but are deserving of a new start.
While much of the film may play out as you would expect with the team coming together to play the big game, what is refreshing about the film is the solid performance of The Rock who shows that he is more than just an action star and is very capable of acting. He mixes his portrayal of Sean with equal amounts toughness and caring, to create what is easily his most mature and well defined character to date.
The supporting cast is good, especially Xzibit as Malcolm Moore, who provides a solid supporting presence to The Rock.
While the film is heavy on football action, it also does not shy away from giving the audience a glimpse of the life that the team comes from and how old rivalries and
hostilities can follow them even when they try to leave them behind with the best of intentions.
The action on the field is first-rate as the game choreography never lets up, and is easily the most accurate portrayal of the sport ever committed to film. You can tell that the cast is playing with heart and passion and not simply going through the motions.
Despite a few predictable moments, Gridiron Gang is a very pleasant surprise that is one of the years most enjoyable and satisfying films.
In his latest film Gridiron Gang Dwayne Johnson, better known as the Rock has an appealing mix of sports action, drama, and comedy on his hands that will not only touch you, but will have you cheering.
The Rock stars as Sean Porter, a former college football star who works in a L.A. Area detention center for juvenile offenders. Saddened by the wasted lives of the young men, Sean looks for them to find an alternative to the life of crime, violence, and early death that so many of his inmates face.
With 75% of offenders likely to become repeat offenders, Sean decides to start a football team with the hope of teaching the young inmates the value of hard work, sacrifice, playing as a team, and duty.
Despite some initial obstacles from the system as well as school leagues hesitant to play against convicted offenders, the team son finds themselves with a full schedule and less than three weeks to go before their first game.
The hard practice and coaching style of Sean wears on the players, but they soon find themselves in their first game against a hardened and proven team which underscores just how much work they have to do.
As pressure mounts from all sides, Sean must find a way to meld his team into a winner and prove that this is a project worth doing and that the young men in his care are not lost causes, but are deserving of a new start.
While much of the film may play out as you would expect with the team coming together to play the big game, what is refreshing about the film is the solid performance of The Rock who shows that he is more than just an action star and is very capable of acting. He mixes his portrayal of Sean with equal amounts toughness and caring, to create what is easily his most mature and well defined character to date.
The supporting cast is good, especially Xzibit as Malcolm Moore, who provides a solid supporting presence to The Rock.
While the film is heavy on football action, it also does not shy away from giving the audience a glimpse of the life that the team comes from and how old rivalries and
hostilities can follow them even when they try to leave them behind with the best of intentions.
The action on the field is first-rate as the game choreography never lets up, and is easily the most accurate portrayal of the sport ever committed to film. You can tell that the cast is playing with heart and passion and not simply going through the motions.
Despite a few predictable moments, Gridiron Gang is a very pleasant surprise that is one of the years most enjoyable and satisfying films.
Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) rated Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising (2016) in Movies
Jul 19, 2017
An Unnecessarily Good Time
When the trailers for the first Bad Neighbours movie were released, I really wanted to see it as I’m a big fan of Seth Rogen comedies, but when it was released I was really underwhelmed. Then I heard they were making a sequel and while I’m sure that the first movie made money I just thought that a sequel to Neighbours was totally unneeded. I love it when I’m wrong. Bad Neighbours 2 is a million times better than the first movie and it is also a lot better than the trailers show it to be. The trailers make it out to be a silly slapstick dick joke movie, but some of the comedy is actually really original and more subtly hidden in the dialogue in the script. The slapstick humour is kept to a minimum and the comedic timing from the whole cast is spot on. To be honest going in, I thought that the sorority would annoy me and detract from the comedy in the film, but they were probably the best element in the movie. There was a heavier girl in the movie playing one of the sorority members and I initially thought she would be no more than the Melissa McCarthy or Rebel Wilson character in the movie, where she would just say I’m fat and fall over and say a dirty word and call it comedy but she actually pleasantly surprised me and she was possibly the funniest character in the movie. This film was a breath of fresh air and it totally trumped it’s predecessor. Comedy directors should take note this is how you make a good sequel to a comedy flick.
Don’t get me wrong, its not a perfect comedy by any means and some of the laughs do fall flat, but the vast majority of them do land and there were a few times where I belly laughed really loudly in the picture hall and that is something that has not happened in a while, probably not since Deadpool back in January. If you are looking to switch your brain off and enjoy a good juvenile summer comedy then I would definitely recommend this to you. Zac Effron is kind of doing a Channing Tatum impression these days in a lot of ways, but he, (like Tatum,) is so likable and charming that he pulls it off. His character, as well as Dave Franco’s character and the other guys from the first movie’s fraternity that are also in the sequel are much better written and portrayed across the board in this movie. This film is just superior in every way and it marks a rare occasion when a comedy sequel actually outshines the previous film. Don’t get me wrong though this isn’t the wittiest dialogue ever put to film either, there are plenty of dick jokes and some lazy slapstick, but for the most part the laughs are a bit deeper than what you would expect going in.
Overall I really enjoyed this movie for what it was and it really pleasantly surprised me in a big way. I’d also see it again as I’m sure there are a few jokes I missed the first time around.
Don’t get me wrong, its not a perfect comedy by any means and some of the laughs do fall flat, but the vast majority of them do land and there were a few times where I belly laughed really loudly in the picture hall and that is something that has not happened in a while, probably not since Deadpool back in January. If you are looking to switch your brain off and enjoy a good juvenile summer comedy then I would definitely recommend this to you. Zac Effron is kind of doing a Channing Tatum impression these days in a lot of ways, but he, (like Tatum,) is so likable and charming that he pulls it off. His character, as well as Dave Franco’s character and the other guys from the first movie’s fraternity that are also in the sequel are much better written and portrayed across the board in this movie. This film is just superior in every way and it marks a rare occasion when a comedy sequel actually outshines the previous film. Don’t get me wrong though this isn’t the wittiest dialogue ever put to film either, there are plenty of dick jokes and some lazy slapstick, but for the most part the laughs are a bit deeper than what you would expect going in.
Overall I really enjoyed this movie for what it was and it really pleasantly surprised me in a big way. I’d also see it again as I’m sure there are a few jokes I missed the first time around.