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A Bad Moms Christmas (2017)
A Bad Moms Christmas (2017)
2017 | Comedy
Should appeal to the same — dare I say it? — demo that “Bad Moms” did, even though it’s not nearly as wild a comedy. “A Bad Moms Christmas” fills a niche, but as this series itself might say, moms deserve better.
Critic- Owen Gleiberman
Original Score: 6 out of 10

Read Review: http://variety.com/2017/film/reviews/a-bad-moms-christmas-review-mila-kunis-kristen-bell-1202602716/
  
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Dean (6921 KP) rated CHIPS (2017) in Movies

Feb 9, 2018 (Updated Feb 9, 2018)  
CHIPS (2017)
CHIPS (2017)
2017 | Action, Comedy, Crime
Good stunts (1 more)
Quite funny
Surprisingly good
I thought the worst when I first saw this film was being made about the 70's cop show. I never saw the TV series but often these films are a let down.
So it was a nice surprise this was actually quite funny, had some good action scenes and felt like it had a decent budget. Nothing amazing but good enough for a nights viewing. Starring and Directed by Dax Shepard with a role for his wife Kristen Bell as well.
  
Veronica Mars (2014)
Veronica Mars (2014)
2014 | Comedy, Drama, Mystery
Kristen Bell (1 more)
The fact the film came about by fans backing on Kickstarter
Average plot (0 more)
One for fans
I might be one who actually missed the 3 TV series which were made around 9 years ago. They had a big fan base and this film was funded by the fans on the Kickstarter site. Which I assume is a first for a major film. It has all the main characters from the show from what I can tell. So there is a nostalgia angle for fans seeing the story continue years after the TV series finished. For non-fans it's just an average detective story that is lacking any real tension or suspense.
  
Hit & Run (2012)
Hit & Run (2012)
2012 | Action, Comedy, Romance
8
7.0 (4 Ratings)
Movie Rating
In this fast passed action comedy, Dax Shepard and Kristen Bell are a young couple who live in the small town of Milton. Charlie Bronson (Dax Shepard) has a sordid past that prevents him from leaving the small town that he and his girlfriend live in. Charlie’s past includes a bank robber without a name (Bradley Cooper) and he is out to seek revenge against Charlie for testifying against him in an older bank robbery case.

After Annie gets a promotion outside of Milton in L.A., the couple end up heading on a road trip as Charley is determined to get her to her new job on time. Little does she know the road trip to her future may be the end of her relationship, a crazy adventure or a new beginning.

This movie is nothing short of hilarious. In my opinion Tom Arnold who plays Charlie’s protection makes this entire movie worth watching and that is saying something.

While I was not a fan of the cinematography used in this film , the humor makes up for it for sure. This film should not be missed especially if you like really fast cars.
  
Veronica Mars (2014)
Veronica Mars (2014)
2014 | Comedy, Drama, Mystery
The incomparable Rob Thomas has delivered a masterpiece of dramatic film that all Veronica Mars fans will thoroughly enjoy.

(Note: I am a rabid fan of the Veronica Mars TV series. Much of the review will be clearly colored by this.)

10 years after the debut of an exceptional TV show, and eight years after it was unceremoniously pulled from the airwaves, Rob Thomas put up a Kickstarter campaign to fund a movie. It had a goal of $2 million, which would get the movie made — but it wouldn’t get us much.

As it turned out, 91,585 people liked his plan to create a film that would wrap up storylines from the series. They liked it enough that rather than pledging just $2 million, the backers generated over $5.7 million.

In the process of doing so, they achieved a number of amazing Kickstarter awards:

Fastest project to reach $1 million.

Fastest project to reach $2 million.

All-time highest-funded project in the FILM category.

Third-highest-funded project in Kickstarter history.

Most project backers of any project in Kickstarter history.

On to the movie itself.

The movies share its title with the TV show: Veronica Mars. It opens with a quick recap of the show’s two-season run before launching forward to a time 10 years after the series ended (intelligently appropriate, Rob).

Veronica (Kristen Bell) is primed to take the bar exam and become a lawyer. For a reason I can’t explain, she is interviewing with a very prestigious law firm in New York City. It’s a firm which, I have to imagine, doesn’t hire people fresh out of school, especially those who haven’t even passed the bar yet.

In the midst of her interviews, she gets a call from an old high school love interest, Logan Echolls (Jason Dohring). He has been accused of murder (again).

Naturally, Veronica decides to pack up, say goodbye to her boyfriend, Stosh “piz” Piznarski (Chris Lowell), and head back to her sunny home town of Neptune, California.

Logan, an Air Force pilot, is relieved to see his friend. He starts bringing her up to speed, and shortly thereafter, the rest of the familiar faces join in: Gia Goodman (Krysten Ritter), Mac (Cindy Majorino), Dick Casablancas (Ryan Hansen), Weevil (Francis Copa), Keith Mars (Enrico Colantoni), Wallace Fennel (Percy Daggs III), and many more that will delight returning viewers.

As you might imagine, a complex series of issues comes to light, creating a symphony of drama, and, in typical Rob-Thomas fashion, some true laugh-out-loud moments.

While this is a great standalone film, it is peppered with many humorous references and nods to the movie’s predecessor. If you are a fan of the series, you won’t be disappointed. There are many giggle-worthy moments: from the guy on the street singing, “we used to be friends,” to Dax Shepard’s appearance, to the mention of Veronica supposedly going to work for the FBI (referring to a potential third season).

My only real note of contention is, admittedly, somewhat petty. Kristen Bell was just recovering from having her child with husband Dax Shepard. The unfortunate (and expected) weight gain from that wonderful life event left her looking very unlike the character we all fell in love with, and distracted from the film. I’m curious to know why they couldn’t have waited a few more months to start filming, to allow Bell to get back into shape for the movie.

Aside from that one tiny note, the film was fantastic. The script was masterfully written, the acting superb, the humor gut-heaving, and the drama well done.

Cinematography for the film was indistinguishable from other high-quality films, and it’s easy to see that a lot of time, effort, and care went into it. Its creators ensured that the $5.7 million of pledges went into a work of art that does not disappoint.

As one of the 91,000+ backers, I am proud to be a part of this community effort. As a huge fan of Thomas, the series, and the mythos, I am ecstatic to report that this is an excellent film.
  
Veronica Mars (2014)
Veronica Mars (2014)
2014 | Comedy, Drama, Mystery
Story: Veronica Mars starts as Veronica Mars (Bell) fills the fans of the show in with the last few years of her life after the television show finished and gave us first time viewers a chance to get a basic grip of who the main characters are going to be.

Veronica is now about to take her bar exam, but when her ex-boyfriend Logan Echolls (Dohring) is accused of killing his celebrity girlfriend, Veronica returns home to get to the bottom of the crime, re-living her private eye ways and catching up with old friends.

 

Thoughts on Veronica Mars

 

Characters – Veronica Mars is the former private eye that has moved on to study law only to learn a former friend has been accused of murder. The character gets to return to see old friends to see where they are in life now and how things have changed, in the biggest case of her life. Logan Echolls is the ex-boyfriend of Veronica that has been accused of murder, he needs her help to prove his innocence.

Performances – Kristen Bell made this role her own on television and now you can see her own enjoyment of returning to this role. Jason Bohring is solid enough in the role of the suspect. It would be fair to say the whole returning cast enjoyed coming back and it worked for the film.

Story – The story plays into the hands of the fans of the show wonderfully, the problem comes if you never saw the show, you will never understand the moments between characters in this movie. This isn’t a film for people that never saw the show, but it does bring our character back to her old role to see where friends are which is always a nice touch for popular shows.

Crime/Mystery – The crime mystery tone is everything the TV show kept up with the light-hearted comic tone of the movie, with plenty of mystery moments to keep us guessing.

Settings – The settings do help the fans of the original show that have returned to their favourite show, seeing all the places we saw their favourite characters.


Scene of the Movie – Reunion.

That Moment That Annoyed Me – Not knowing enough from the TV show.

Final Thoughts – This is a wonderful treat for the fans of the show, catching up with our favourite characters is something we all like to do and this is no different.

 

Overall: Good TV show to movie.
  
The Boss (2016)
The Boss (2016)
2016 | Comedy
5
5.7 (10 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Where's the comedy?
Melissa McCarthy is one of the biggest stars in Hollywood. Her rise to fame has been nothing short of extraordinary, helped in part by her leading roles in The Heat, Spy and of course the hilarious Bridesmaids.

However, each of those examples of comedic brilliance had one thing in common, apart from McCarthy, director Paul Feig. He brings out the very best in the actress and we’ll see if this formula continues to work with the controversial Ghostbusters reboot, released later this year.

For now, McCarthy teams up with director and real-life husband Ben Falcone (Tammy) in The Boss. But does it offer you a laugh a minute?

The Boss follows the fall from grace of Michelle Darnell (McCarthy), one of America’s wealthiest women, and her efforts to get back on top. Her plan? To start a cake-making empire. Alongside her for the ride is long-suffering assistant Claire (Kristen Bell). Side roles are reserved for Game of Thrones star Peter Dinklage as Michelle’s rival and Kathy Bates as her mentor.

Unfortunately, the biggest problem The Boss has is one that blights many films nowadays; the best bits have already been shown in the trailer. For an action adventure, this is disappointing, but for a comedy, it’s silver-screen suicide. Having laughed in the pre-release clips already, the rest of the film is as barren as the Sahara when it comes to raising a titter.

That’s a real shame as the film’s plot, whilst hardly ground-breaking, is fundamentally solid and the acting is, Dinklage’s hammy performance aside, decent. McCarthy in particular takes a poor script and injects some much-needed spice into it – a testament to her incredible talents as a comedienne. Bell is on-point and bounces off McCarthy’s presence very well while Kathy Bates provides the film with one of its more memorable scenes, albeit one already used in the trailer.

There’s also a well-choreographed bust-up between two groups of teenage girls that manages to raise a chuckle, but again the majority of it was added to the most recent trailer.

Overall, The Boss is McCarthy’s second true turkey with Tammy being the first, but there’s no blame to be placed on her shoulders here. Michelle Darnell is a cracking character, despite her striking resemblance to Rita from Coronation Street, and is one that deserves far better than a film that’s light on laughs and has to rest on the laurels of its lead star – now that’s just lazy.

Perhaps the next time her husband asks her to star in one of his comedies, she should really, really think about it first.

https://moviemetropolis.net/2016/06/11/wheres-the-comedy-the-boss-review/
  
A Bad Moms Christmas (2017)
A Bad Moms Christmas (2017)
2017 | Comedy
Christmas is the happiest time of the year. At least it’s supposed to be, Moms are expected to work tirelessly throughout the Christmas season to ensure that the holiday is absolute perfection for their families. The gifts are to be wrapped with precision, decorations hanging from every available bough, food that could be lifted from the pages of Bon Appétit magazine, all done without breaking a sweat. Tis the season for family and frolic, yet our Bad Moms are stressed beyond their imagination this holiday season. Why? Because their mothers have arrived.

This Christmas, Amy (Mila Kunis), Kiki (Kristen Bell) and Carla (Kathryn Hahn) are enter the holiday season feeling the pressure of Christmas present. With all that need to be done, they agree that this is the Christmas where they make the rules. Amy decides that they are going to have a low key holiday. However, that goes against the everything Ruth (Christine Baranski), Amy’s mom believes and expects as she arrives in a tornado of holiday perfection, trailed by her blissfully oblivious husband Hank (Peter Gallagher). Ruth is a perfectionist, a task master extraordinaire who expects no less from her child. Amy, tired of trying to get her mother’s approval, decides to change the traditions.

 Kiki’s Mom Sandy (Cheryl Hines) is the clinging, overbearing type who’s behavior could be classified as stalker; if she were not Kiki’s mom. Sandy’s need to be close to her daughter crosses the comfort zone in so many ways. Kiki decides to see Dr. Karl (Wanda Sykes), the family therapist, who explains the maternal process of insanity in hilariously truthful detail.

Isis (Susan Sarandon) shows up at Carla’s house unexpectedly. She seems to only show up at Carla’s door when she has run out of money. She is on the other side of the maternal spectrum, the hands off type. Carla has had to fend for herself for years and expects her mother to take off without a moment’s notice.

I enjoyed the first Bad Moms, but I was hesitant to watch the sequel because there was a chance that it would not be as good as the first. I quite surprised by how much I enjoyed the movie. It made me snort laugh more than once. This is the perfect movie for a Girls Night Out. Grab your BFFs and head to the theater to take a break this holiday season!
  
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Gareth von Kallenbach (962 KP) rated Bad Moms (2016) in Movies

Aug 6, 2019 (Updated Aug 6, 2019)  
Bad Moms (2016)
Bad Moms (2016)
2016 | Comedy
When moms get tired of being perfect, not being appreciated and decide to give their spoiled children a lesson and just enjoy every minute of their day instead – that’s when the movie Bad Moms happens.

Amy Mitchell (Mila Kunis) is a 32-year-old modern mom, who has a seemingly perfect life: a great marriage, over-achieving kids, a beautiful home and a career. However, she is over-worked and so exhausted that she’s reached the point where she is about to snap. Her life has been reduced to spending a lot of time driving her kids to their extracurricular activities and trying to be just in time for everything. Her perfect life is just a smoke screen, her husband Mike (David Walton) has been unemployed for a while, doesn’t care about helping with anything house- or kids-related, and enjoys a little bit too much online entertainment. In addition to being spoiled, her daughter Jane (Oona Laurence) has some anxiety issues and her son Dylan (Emjay Anthony) has never done his own homework. To make it even more interesting, Amy has to deal with the judgement of PTA Queen, Bee Gwendolyn, (Christina Applegate) and her minions Stacy (Jada Pinkett Smith) and Vicky (Annie Mumolo).

After one hectic day, all Amy can do is stop at a bar and grab a glass of whiskey. There she meets two other underappreciated moms, Kiki (Kristen Bell) and Carla (Kathryn Hahn). Over drinks they vent and declare that they’re tired of living up to expectations and not being appreciated for all their hard work. So they decide to be bad moms.

I love seeing Christina Applegate as the villain; she is smart, evil and pulls all the strings, driving everyone to the edge but nobody can say anything because they’re terrified of her. But the one that dominates the comedy is Kathryn Hann. You would think you might be tired of seeing her in just about every movie released in the last 10 years, but oh boy is this woman hilarious! She plays the divorced working mother whose every line, good or bad, makes the audience ask again and again “Did she just say that?”

I really enjoyed this movie. It is the perfect summer comedy that all audiences can enjoy, especially moms who can really relate. This is The Hangover for moms. I assure you will laugh nonstop because it has a wild drunk trip to the grocery store, a memorable show-and-tell demonstration and a really funny lecture about unflattering bras. I promise you will leave the theater with a smile.
  
Frozen II (2019)
Frozen II (2019)
2019 | Adventure, Animation, Fantasy
Better Than The Original
I never really had much desire/interest in revisiting the sisters from Arendelle and thought the much-hyped sequel to the 2013 mega-hit, FROZEN, was nothing more than a cash grab. But...my daughter talked me into checking it out, so it was with much harumphing that I sat down for a viewing of FROZEN 2.

I loved it.

Loved it, so much so, that I have since watched it a 2nd time - and liked it even more.

Set 6 years after the events in the first film, life in Arendelle has settled down for Queen Elsa, her sister Anna, Anna's boyfriend Kristoff, his reindeer Sven and good ol' Olaf the Snowman (who still likes warm hugs). But something is stirring inside Elsa. Is it a longing for more? Is it a calling from outside? Is it something more? I won't spoil it, but the journey/adventure that this stirring from Elsa begets is a welcome "road trip" for some old friends. It lets us, the audience, spend some more quality time with these characters - with some wonderful music, to boot.

All voice actors from the first film are back (why wouldn't they be) and their voice performances are stronger and more self-assured than in the first film. Idina Menzel, Jonathan Groff, Josh Gad and the under-rated Kristin Bell all "bring-it" to this adventure while newcomers like Sterling K. Brown, Evan Rachel Wood and Martha Plimpton all join in with aplomb making a very appealing film with an fun adventure that has, at it's core, heart. Which, I think, is what makes both of the Frozen films work. The deep heart at the core of these films, and their underlying theme of familial love will win out against all odds.

Add to that the FANTASTIC songs written, yet again, by Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez. They are catchy, fun, hummable and TERRIFIC. It was worth the 2nd viewing just to hear the songs again.

The direction by Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee (the Directors of the first FROZEN) is just as self-assured and strong. They "up" the precedings by picking up the pace and adding to the "difficulty" level (shooting much of this film on water) and they succeed mostly throughout the film.

It is always fun for me to be surprised by a film - and I was most definitely surpised by Frozen 2 - and I would venture to guess that you will be too, especially if you drop any "attitude" you have about this sequel existing and just sit back and enjoy the ride that you are going to be on.

Letter Grade: A

9 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the BankofMarquis

FROZEN 2 is free to stream for subscribers of DISNEY+ or can be streamed for a fee (to rent or own) on most major platforms like YouTube, GooglePlay, Vudu and Amazon.