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Chris Sawin (602 KP) rated Cop Out (2010) in Movies
Jun 22, 2019 (Updated Jun 23, 2019)
Jimmy Monroe (Bruce Willis) and Paul Hodges (Tracy Morgan) have been working as partners at the NYPD for the past nine years. They have a reputation at the precinct for doing things their own sporadic and wreckful way that isn't normal procedure and usually winds up getting them into hot water with the captain. A suspect is brought in for interrogation and when he finally spills the beans on a drug deal happening that afternoon, Jimmy and Paul think it's best to act on it right then and there. After their plan fails, their suspect is killed and months of work is flushed down the drain. Jimmy and Paul are suspended for 30 days without pay, which isn't good news for Jimmy since his daughter is getting married and has the typical expensive wedding of her dreams in mind. Jimmy plans on selling a collectible baseball card that could pay for his daughter's wedding and then some, but the card is stolen by some crackheads before he can get the chance. Now Jimmy's just trying to get the card back to pay for his daughter's wedding, but him and Paul, who's too distracted with his wife's possible infidelity to really concentrate on the task at hand, are thrown into something much deeper.
To tell the truth, I wasn't looking forward to this film at all. I'm a pretty big fan of most of Kevin Smith's work, but he didn't write the film. It could be argued that he did write Jersey Girl and that could be considered a bomb, but his films usually average about $25-$30 million anyway. A Kevin Smith film isn't really about bringing in a large amount of money at the box office. His charm is in his writing, especially the dialogue and interaction between characters. There's a very specific audience his films will appeal to and none of them have really branched away from that. But him not writing this one made me think, "Eh. Not sure what that'll be like since he didn't write it." When it comes to Bruce Willis, I've never talked to anyone who dislikes him entirely. There always seems to be at least one of his films everybody enjoys. Die Hard, The Fifth Element, and Sin City are just a few off the top of my head. The real buzz-killer for me though was Tracy Morgan. He's just never been funny to me. He was beyond lame on Saturday Night Live and 30 Rock has never been able to hold my attention for very long. Not to mention all the trailers for Cop Out didn't make me laugh. Thankfully though, first impressions can be so very wrong.
One of Cop Out's biggest charms is that it feels like a buddy cop comedy you've seen before, but have forgotten how much you enjoy it. The film feels similar to a 48 Hrs or Beverly Hills Cop film. Bulletproof is also a good example. Cop Out is pretty much what you expect when it comes to roles Bruce Willis chooses as it's pretty much no different than his role as John McClane on the surface, but he's a lot funnier this time around. As far as Tracy Morgan goes, the funniest thing I could remember him saying was his one line in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back ("Man... I don't know what the f--- you just said, Little Kid, but you're special man, you reached out, and you touched a brother's heart.") until this film. He was downright hilarious at times. The only person who was funnier than Morgan was Seann William Scott who stole every scene he was in. Even though Kevin Smith didn't pen the script this time around, it still feels like a Kevin Smith film. It could be due to the fact that Jason Lee has a small role in the film, but I like to think it's because Cop Out offers the same kind of comedy you'd find in a Kevin Smith film with a bit more action. It also took me forever to place Scarface from Half Baked as Poh Boy.
Cop Out is surprisingly funny and incredibly entertaining. Give this film a chance even if the trailers may not be doing anything for you. I felt the same way and wound up thoroughly enjoying the film. After a long, stressful day at work, an R-rated comedy with a lot of laughs is one of the best ways to relax and this film offers just that. It's a great film to go into with no expectations other than to just have a good time.
To tell the truth, I wasn't looking forward to this film at all. I'm a pretty big fan of most of Kevin Smith's work, but he didn't write the film. It could be argued that he did write Jersey Girl and that could be considered a bomb, but his films usually average about $25-$30 million anyway. A Kevin Smith film isn't really about bringing in a large amount of money at the box office. His charm is in his writing, especially the dialogue and interaction between characters. There's a very specific audience his films will appeal to and none of them have really branched away from that. But him not writing this one made me think, "Eh. Not sure what that'll be like since he didn't write it." When it comes to Bruce Willis, I've never talked to anyone who dislikes him entirely. There always seems to be at least one of his films everybody enjoys. Die Hard, The Fifth Element, and Sin City are just a few off the top of my head. The real buzz-killer for me though was Tracy Morgan. He's just never been funny to me. He was beyond lame on Saturday Night Live and 30 Rock has never been able to hold my attention for very long. Not to mention all the trailers for Cop Out didn't make me laugh. Thankfully though, first impressions can be so very wrong.
One of Cop Out's biggest charms is that it feels like a buddy cop comedy you've seen before, but have forgotten how much you enjoy it. The film feels similar to a 48 Hrs or Beverly Hills Cop film. Bulletproof is also a good example. Cop Out is pretty much what you expect when it comes to roles Bruce Willis chooses as it's pretty much no different than his role as John McClane on the surface, but he's a lot funnier this time around. As far as Tracy Morgan goes, the funniest thing I could remember him saying was his one line in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back ("Man... I don't know what the f--- you just said, Little Kid, but you're special man, you reached out, and you touched a brother's heart.") until this film. He was downright hilarious at times. The only person who was funnier than Morgan was Seann William Scott who stole every scene he was in. Even though Kevin Smith didn't pen the script this time around, it still feels like a Kevin Smith film. It could be due to the fact that Jason Lee has a small role in the film, but I like to think it's because Cop Out offers the same kind of comedy you'd find in a Kevin Smith film with a bit more action. It also took me forever to place Scarface from Half Baked as Poh Boy.
Cop Out is surprisingly funny and incredibly entertaining. Give this film a chance even if the trailers may not be doing anything for you. I felt the same way and wound up thoroughly enjoying the film. After a long, stressful day at work, an R-rated comedy with a lot of laughs is one of the best ways to relax and this film offers just that. It's a great film to go into with no expectations other than to just have a good time.
Gareth von Kallenbach (971 KP) rated Cop Out (2010) in Movies
Aug 8, 2019
For Detectives Jimmy Monroe (Bruce Willis), and Paul Hodges (Tracy Morgan), life on the beat is about to become very dangerous and complex. In the new movie “Cop Out” the two buddies find themselves at odds with their supervisor after a case goes horribly wrong and looking at a thirty day unpaid suspension.
This is a disaster for Jimmy as his only daughter is about to get married and he needs the money to pay for the wedding to avoid his ego having to absorb the insult of having his former wives new husband pick up the tab.
Undaunted Jimmy decides to sell a prized baseball card to cover the 48K wedding tab, and looks forward to being able to make his daughters dream wedding a reality. Things do not go as planned as Jimmy has his card stolen which forces Paul and Jimmy to take drastic actions to recover it.
The duo track down the card thief (Seann William Scott), and learn that he traded the card to a local drug lord who is as passionate about baseball as he is deadly to all those who stand in his way.
Jimmy and Paul soon realize that they must deal with the enemy in an effort to retrieve the card as his request that they find his stolen Mercedes seems a small price to pay for the safe return of the prized card.
Upon locating the Mercedes, Jimmy and Paul learn that a much larger game is afoot and find themselves on the run for goons and their fellow cops as they try to keep a key witness safe and retrieve the card.
The film has some very funny moments and Director Kevin Smith gets some good laughs from the material but the film suffers from a disjointed plot and some glaring holes which requires some major leaps of faith from the audience.
For example, we are expected to believe that a couple of thieves would steal a car and sell it but nowhere in the process would the thieves or new owner bother to look in the trunk much less hear the noises coming from within.
We are given a few bits about Jimmy and Paul, such as Paul’s paranoia regarding his wife and his inability to question a suspect, but the duo are so thinly developed the seem to have been crafted from the Buddy Cop film 101 guide.
Smith has always been a favorite of mine as I have always liked the way he blends biting satire and humor with interesting characters and conversations.
Action does not seem to yet be an area of comfort for Smith as he does pull off the action sequences in the film but they seem very restrained for what audiences have come to expect from today’s action films.
This time out Smith was limited to directing and editing and the film seems to be badly in need of his writing abilities.
Given his past issues with trying to do films for a big studio, it was a surprise to me that Smith did the film which was originally entitled “The Two Dicks”.
Thankfully his skilled handling of the cast and humor is what tips the scales in the films favor making “Cop Out” a flawed but at times very funny film.
This is a disaster for Jimmy as his only daughter is about to get married and he needs the money to pay for the wedding to avoid his ego having to absorb the insult of having his former wives new husband pick up the tab.
Undaunted Jimmy decides to sell a prized baseball card to cover the 48K wedding tab, and looks forward to being able to make his daughters dream wedding a reality. Things do not go as planned as Jimmy has his card stolen which forces Paul and Jimmy to take drastic actions to recover it.
The duo track down the card thief (Seann William Scott), and learn that he traded the card to a local drug lord who is as passionate about baseball as he is deadly to all those who stand in his way.
Jimmy and Paul soon realize that they must deal with the enemy in an effort to retrieve the card as his request that they find his stolen Mercedes seems a small price to pay for the safe return of the prized card.
Upon locating the Mercedes, Jimmy and Paul learn that a much larger game is afoot and find themselves on the run for goons and their fellow cops as they try to keep a key witness safe and retrieve the card.
The film has some very funny moments and Director Kevin Smith gets some good laughs from the material but the film suffers from a disjointed plot and some glaring holes which requires some major leaps of faith from the audience.
For example, we are expected to believe that a couple of thieves would steal a car and sell it but nowhere in the process would the thieves or new owner bother to look in the trunk much less hear the noises coming from within.
We are given a few bits about Jimmy and Paul, such as Paul’s paranoia regarding his wife and his inability to question a suspect, but the duo are so thinly developed the seem to have been crafted from the Buddy Cop film 101 guide.
Smith has always been a favorite of mine as I have always liked the way he blends biting satire and humor with interesting characters and conversations.
Action does not seem to yet be an area of comfort for Smith as he does pull off the action sequences in the film but they seem very restrained for what audiences have come to expect from today’s action films.
This time out Smith was limited to directing and editing and the film seems to be badly in need of his writing abilities.
Given his past issues with trying to do films for a big studio, it was a surprise to me that Smith did the film which was originally entitled “The Two Dicks”.
Thankfully his skilled handling of the cast and humor is what tips the scales in the films favor making “Cop Out” a flawed but at times very funny film.
JT (287 KP) rated Charlie and Boots (2012) in Movies
Mar 10, 2020
For anyone affiliated with Australia and those who have a soft spot for Paul Hogan, should enjoy this heartwarming tale set against the backdrop of one of the world’s most beautiful countries. When Charlie (Hogan) loses his wife to whom he was married to for forty-five years he struggles to fill an empty void that she leaves behind.
Content to shut himself off from the world he is rescued by his son Boots (Jacobson) who decides to take him on a very impromptu trip to fish off of Australia’s Northern most point, Cape York.
It’s a road trip, a buddy film about dealing with death and the start of new beginnings. Along the way the pair pick up Jess (Morgan Griffin), a young female hitchhiker with boyfriend trouble, and whose happy go lucky outlook on life seem to rub off on the duo.
It’s clear to see from the outset that these two have not had the closest of father son relationships, with a particular family tragedy revealed mid way through, and both have put up strong boundaries. But the trip is a chance to put all that behind them and start a fresh.
Of course amongst all the emotional turmoil there are some funny moments, with Charlie trying to avoid the affections of a female trucker, an altercation with a car load of lawn bowls enthusiasts and a bull!
The film could be seen as a promotional tourist video and some of the landscape and scenery is breathtaking, but this film is about Hogan and Jacobson beginning to feel comfortable in each others company once again.
Hogan is very much an Aussie icon, he’s way short of the Crocodile larrikin he once was but here he still manages to ooze the charm and charisma that everyone will still remember.
Content to shut himself off from the world he is rescued by his son Boots (Jacobson) who decides to take him on a very impromptu trip to fish off of Australia’s Northern most point, Cape York.
It’s a road trip, a buddy film about dealing with death and the start of new beginnings. Along the way the pair pick up Jess (Morgan Griffin), a young female hitchhiker with boyfriend trouble, and whose happy go lucky outlook on life seem to rub off on the duo.
It’s clear to see from the outset that these two have not had the closest of father son relationships, with a particular family tragedy revealed mid way through, and both have put up strong boundaries. But the trip is a chance to put all that behind them and start a fresh.
Of course amongst all the emotional turmoil there are some funny moments, with Charlie trying to avoid the affections of a female trucker, an altercation with a car load of lawn bowls enthusiasts and a bull!
The film could be seen as a promotional tourist video and some of the landscape and scenery is breathtaking, but this film is about Hogan and Jacobson beginning to feel comfortable in each others company once again.
Hogan is very much an Aussie icon, he’s way short of the Crocodile larrikin he once was but here he still manages to ooze the charm and charisma that everyone will still remember.
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated The Spy Who Dumped Me (2018) in Movies
Nov 20, 2018
If you like the leads, you'll like this film
The family was surfing through the "Pay-Per-View" films the other night when we settled on THE SPY WHO DUMPED ME. I knew that this action.comedy came and went pretty quickly this past summer, so I wondered what was wrong with it. But with 2 strong leads in Mila Kunis and Kate McKinnon, we decided to give it a try.
And we're glad we did, for THE SPY WHO DUMPED ME is a very fun, very funny action/comedy that delivers the goods with 2 charismatic and very watchable lead actresses.
Kunis stars as Audrey, a waitress who's boyfriend dumps her. Unbeknownst to her, her boyfriend was...any guesses...a spy! And in his things in Audrey's apartment is an item that other spies want to get. Audrey must go on the run with her roommate and best friend, Morgan to escape the "bad guys" and figure out what to do to stay alive while keeping the item safe.
Pretty standard plot set-up, to be sure. But in the hands of 2 comics like Kunis and McKinnon, it rises above average fair. Kunis is winning in her role and is pleasant enough personality to spend 2 hours with. McKinnon, on the other hand, is hilarious. Now, some say that "a little Kate McKinnon goes a long way". I don't agree with that. I find her fascinatingly funny to watch. Ranking right up there with Will Ferrell as a comedian who will go anywhere and do anything for a joke. Joining in on the fun are Jane Curtin and Paul Reiser as the parents of one of the characters. They are a welcome addition to the proceedings.
Writer and Director Susanna Fogel does a nice job of keeping the plot moving and mixes fun action/chase scenes in between the comedy sequences in a formula that works very well, indeed.
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed THE SPY WHO DUMPED - and you (and your house guests) will, too.
Letter Grade: B+
7 (out of 10) stars and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
And we're glad we did, for THE SPY WHO DUMPED ME is a very fun, very funny action/comedy that delivers the goods with 2 charismatic and very watchable lead actresses.
Kunis stars as Audrey, a waitress who's boyfriend dumps her. Unbeknownst to her, her boyfriend was...any guesses...a spy! And in his things in Audrey's apartment is an item that other spies want to get. Audrey must go on the run with her roommate and best friend, Morgan to escape the "bad guys" and figure out what to do to stay alive while keeping the item safe.
Pretty standard plot set-up, to be sure. But in the hands of 2 comics like Kunis and McKinnon, it rises above average fair. Kunis is winning in her role and is pleasant enough personality to spend 2 hours with. McKinnon, on the other hand, is hilarious. Now, some say that "a little Kate McKinnon goes a long way". I don't agree with that. I find her fascinatingly funny to watch. Ranking right up there with Will Ferrell as a comedian who will go anywhere and do anything for a joke. Joining in on the fun are Jane Curtin and Paul Reiser as the parents of one of the characters. They are a welcome addition to the proceedings.
Writer and Director Susanna Fogel does a nice job of keeping the plot moving and mixes fun action/chase scenes in between the comedy sequences in a formula that works very well, indeed.
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed THE SPY WHO DUMPED - and you (and your house guests) will, too.
Letter Grade: B+
7 (out of 10) stars and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated The Batman (2022) in Movies
Mar 12, 2022
Too Long Of a Setup for a Terrific Payoff
The rap on the films of the DCEU - especially the films directed by Zach Snyder - is that they are too dark, dour and a “downer”, with very little joy or sunshine in the images or themes.
The Writer and Director of the new DCEU film, THE BATMAN, Matt Reeves (CLOVERFIELD) has one simple answer for you: “Hold my beer”.
Doubling down on the dark themes, imagery and attitudes of all involved, THE BATMAN is a 3 hour epic that is unrelenting in it’s bleakness with constant rain and dark images with not a peak of sun or color in the entire film. This bleakness and the slowness of the first 5/6 of this film will turn off the average viewer and will thrill only the most diehard of fans.
And that’s too bad for the last 1/2 hour of this film is pretty terrific, paying off the long setup beforehand with a confrontation between Batman (Robert Pattinson) and The Riddler (Paul Dano) that rivals just about any confrontation scene in comic books movie history (this side of Heath Ledger’s Joker).
Let’s start with the overwhelming look and feel of this film. It is a downer. Gotham City is, yet again, a city in decay with the bad guys over-running the good guys. Which begs this question - why would anyone join the Gotham City Police Department? But Director/Writer Reeves is is sure-handed in his approach to this material and he is unwavering in his bleakness. It is a strongly directed film that knows what it wants to be and does not pretend to be anything else - nor does it apologize for being what it is.
In this world is dropped Robert Pattinson (the TWILIGHT films) as the titular Batman and he is a perfect choice for this role in this film. His Batman is morose, dour, thoughtful and razor focused on being “vengeance”. He is not interested in being a good guy or a superhero, rather this version of Batman is focused on being a really good Detective, ferreting out evil-doers and administering punishment when they are caught. This film barely mentions Batman’s alter-ego, Bruce Wayne, and when Pattinson is on the screen in the guise as Bruce Wayne he looks uninterested in being Bruce Wayne, he’d rather be Batman - and this is a compliment for that is how this movie portrays this dual role. Batman is disguising himself as Bruce Wayne (and not vica-versa).
Assisting Batman in his Detective work is Lt. James Gordon (the always terrific Jeffrey Wright), the only honest cop in a corrupt Police Department. These 2 work as a Detective team, and this film often-times feels like a Detective procedural, some liken it to SEVEN with Brad Pitt/Morgan Freeman, I look at it more like the first season of TRUE DETECTIVE(the one with Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson), dark and interesting in their search for the bad guys.
As is typical of these types of films, we have a rogues gallery of villains. Some fair well - an unrecognizable Colin Farrel as Oz (the Penguin) and John Torturro as mob boss Carmine Falcone. While others fair less well - Peter Sarsgaard as corrupt District Attorney Gil Colson and, unfortunately, Zoe Kravitz as Selina Kyle (Catwoman). Both of these roles are not fleshed out well. Kravitz hits the screen looking good in her cat suit and while there is unmistakable sexual chemistry between Catwoman and Batman (not, it should be noted, between Selina Kyle and Bruce Wayne), but this only takes the character so far and Selina really wasn’t the bad-ass conflicted villain/hero that one would expect.
A pleasant surprise was the performance of the always interesting Paul Dano as the Riddler. He underplays this character in much the same way that most have overplayed him. Clearly, this is a smart, if mentally off, person who talks through riddles but has an overall plan to bring down “The Bat’ and the City. Not to spoil this film, but it didn’t really grab my attention until after the masked Riddler was unmasked and that was very late in the game - almost too late.
And that’s the problem with this film. The last 1/2 hour is TERRIFIC, but one has to sit through 2 1/2 hours of dark, dour setup to get there and for most, that journey will not be worth the payoff.
Letter Grade: B
7 Stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
The Writer and Director of the new DCEU film, THE BATMAN, Matt Reeves (CLOVERFIELD) has one simple answer for you: “Hold my beer”.
Doubling down on the dark themes, imagery and attitudes of all involved, THE BATMAN is a 3 hour epic that is unrelenting in it’s bleakness with constant rain and dark images with not a peak of sun or color in the entire film. This bleakness and the slowness of the first 5/6 of this film will turn off the average viewer and will thrill only the most diehard of fans.
And that’s too bad for the last 1/2 hour of this film is pretty terrific, paying off the long setup beforehand with a confrontation between Batman (Robert Pattinson) and The Riddler (Paul Dano) that rivals just about any confrontation scene in comic books movie history (this side of Heath Ledger’s Joker).
Let’s start with the overwhelming look and feel of this film. It is a downer. Gotham City is, yet again, a city in decay with the bad guys over-running the good guys. Which begs this question - why would anyone join the Gotham City Police Department? But Director/Writer Reeves is is sure-handed in his approach to this material and he is unwavering in his bleakness. It is a strongly directed film that knows what it wants to be and does not pretend to be anything else - nor does it apologize for being what it is.
In this world is dropped Robert Pattinson (the TWILIGHT films) as the titular Batman and he is a perfect choice for this role in this film. His Batman is morose, dour, thoughtful and razor focused on being “vengeance”. He is not interested in being a good guy or a superhero, rather this version of Batman is focused on being a really good Detective, ferreting out evil-doers and administering punishment when they are caught. This film barely mentions Batman’s alter-ego, Bruce Wayne, and when Pattinson is on the screen in the guise as Bruce Wayne he looks uninterested in being Bruce Wayne, he’d rather be Batman - and this is a compliment for that is how this movie portrays this dual role. Batman is disguising himself as Bruce Wayne (and not vica-versa).
Assisting Batman in his Detective work is Lt. James Gordon (the always terrific Jeffrey Wright), the only honest cop in a corrupt Police Department. These 2 work as a Detective team, and this film often-times feels like a Detective procedural, some liken it to SEVEN with Brad Pitt/Morgan Freeman, I look at it more like the first season of TRUE DETECTIVE(the one with Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson), dark and interesting in their search for the bad guys.
As is typical of these types of films, we have a rogues gallery of villains. Some fair well - an unrecognizable Colin Farrel as Oz (the Penguin) and John Torturro as mob boss Carmine Falcone. While others fair less well - Peter Sarsgaard as corrupt District Attorney Gil Colson and, unfortunately, Zoe Kravitz as Selina Kyle (Catwoman). Both of these roles are not fleshed out well. Kravitz hits the screen looking good in her cat suit and while there is unmistakable sexual chemistry between Catwoman and Batman (not, it should be noted, between Selina Kyle and Bruce Wayne), but this only takes the character so far and Selina really wasn’t the bad-ass conflicted villain/hero that one would expect.
A pleasant surprise was the performance of the always interesting Paul Dano as the Riddler. He underplays this character in much the same way that most have overplayed him. Clearly, this is a smart, if mentally off, person who talks through riddles but has an overall plan to bring down “The Bat’ and the City. Not to spoil this film, but it didn’t really grab my attention until after the masked Riddler was unmasked and that was very late in the game - almost too late.
And that’s the problem with this film. The last 1/2 hour is TERRIFIC, but one has to sit through 2 1/2 hours of dark, dour setup to get there and for most, that journey will not be worth the payoff.
Letter Grade: B
7 Stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated What Men Want (2019) in Movies
Jun 22, 2019 (Updated Sep 25, 2019)
Who wouldn't want to know what goes through a man's mind on occasion? Actually, you know what... I'm fine, I'm not sure I really want to hear everything... *shudder*
Ali is looking for the recognition she deserves for the hard work she puts in. She's successful, but in an office full of men she might not get out of her lane and be equal with the men around her. Without the supernatural twist the outcome could have eventually been the same, but that wouldn't have made for such an entertaining movie.
What Men Want is entirely predictable, after all we saw it all before in What Women Want but it's also like a whole bunch of romcoms out there. Character encounters an obstacle, character finds romance, character finds a way to fix the obstacle and in the process of that mucks up romance, obstacle gets fixed, character realises that none of it is worthwhile without romance and gets them back with big gesture, The End.
Taraji P. Henson is right up near the top of my favourite actresses, she's got so many great performances under her belt. Ali isn't going to appear very near the top of that list. Everything in Ali, as well as the film, seems to be at opposite ends of the scale. When we have comedy it sometimes feels over the top, when we have real life it's serious. Had there been more of a balance I think we could have had a better result. That being said, I thought she was great, she's very good at visual acting.
When it comes to the supporting cast it doesn't quite hit the spot. Again, this is partly due to the Jekyll and Hyde nature of everything. You've got characters who are serious, textbook romcomers, some for comedy and a handful of sports stars doing cameos, it's difficult to make them all gel. Pete Davidson and Tracy Morgan in both stick out from the rest because they bring quite a harsh comedy which I didn't find all that entertaining.
On the flip side though I was pleased to see Aldis Hodge make an appearance, he's got just the right amount of humour and serious in there and against Henson in scenes he works particularly well. Josh Brener also brought something fun to the mix, and possibly had the best part overall. Getting to sit on both sides of the storyline allows him to interact in fun ways with Ali when she's discovering her abilities as well as later on when he's trying to hide his inner thoughts.
Speaking of which, men's inner thoughts throughout aren't badly done, though there's the occasional over the top effort. Jamal Barry/Shane Paul McGhie had the winner for me when he was meeting his sporting hero though.
Looking back at this film I think I'm actually talking it out of stars in my head. I enjoyed it a lot at the cinema, it was funny (if a little excessive at times) and it eventually shows Ali being able to empower herself even if she does cock it up along the way. It flowed well and I wasn't finding myself urging it along... but... it's not a massively consistent film. The storyline with her female friends in obviously essential to the beginning but its addition later on holds little impact apart from giving her multiple points to claim some redemption.
I can honestly say that on first viewing I was amused and entertained, but I'm not sure how well it would hold up to a second.
What you should do
When talking to people who have seen What Men Want it is fairly consistent, men tend not to like it while women say they found it entertaining (admittedly that's somewhere between 2.5 and 4 stars). I think it's worth watching, and it would probably make a good film for a girls night.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
I've completely talked myself out of hearing men's thoughts so maybe box seats instead?
Ali is looking for the recognition she deserves for the hard work she puts in. She's successful, but in an office full of men she might not get out of her lane and be equal with the men around her. Without the supernatural twist the outcome could have eventually been the same, but that wouldn't have made for such an entertaining movie.
What Men Want is entirely predictable, after all we saw it all before in What Women Want but it's also like a whole bunch of romcoms out there. Character encounters an obstacle, character finds romance, character finds a way to fix the obstacle and in the process of that mucks up romance, obstacle gets fixed, character realises that none of it is worthwhile without romance and gets them back with big gesture, The End.
Taraji P. Henson is right up near the top of my favourite actresses, she's got so many great performances under her belt. Ali isn't going to appear very near the top of that list. Everything in Ali, as well as the film, seems to be at opposite ends of the scale. When we have comedy it sometimes feels over the top, when we have real life it's serious. Had there been more of a balance I think we could have had a better result. That being said, I thought she was great, she's very good at visual acting.
When it comes to the supporting cast it doesn't quite hit the spot. Again, this is partly due to the Jekyll and Hyde nature of everything. You've got characters who are serious, textbook romcomers, some for comedy and a handful of sports stars doing cameos, it's difficult to make them all gel. Pete Davidson and Tracy Morgan in both stick out from the rest because they bring quite a harsh comedy which I didn't find all that entertaining.
On the flip side though I was pleased to see Aldis Hodge make an appearance, he's got just the right amount of humour and serious in there and against Henson in scenes he works particularly well. Josh Brener also brought something fun to the mix, and possibly had the best part overall. Getting to sit on both sides of the storyline allows him to interact in fun ways with Ali when she's discovering her abilities as well as later on when he's trying to hide his inner thoughts.
Speaking of which, men's inner thoughts throughout aren't badly done, though there's the occasional over the top effort. Jamal Barry/Shane Paul McGhie had the winner for me when he was meeting his sporting hero though.
Looking back at this film I think I'm actually talking it out of stars in my head. I enjoyed it a lot at the cinema, it was funny (if a little excessive at times) and it eventually shows Ali being able to empower herself even if she does cock it up along the way. It flowed well and I wasn't finding myself urging it along... but... it's not a massively consistent film. The storyline with her female friends in obviously essential to the beginning but its addition later on holds little impact apart from giving her multiple points to claim some redemption.
I can honestly say that on first viewing I was amused and entertained, but I'm not sure how well it would hold up to a second.
What you should do
When talking to people who have seen What Men Want it is fairly consistent, men tend not to like it while women say they found it entertaining (admittedly that's somewhere between 2.5 and 4 stars). I think it's worth watching, and it would probably make a good film for a girls night.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
I've completely talked myself out of hearing men's thoughts so maybe box seats instead?
Gareth von Kallenbach (971 KP) rated Transcendence (2014) in Movies
Aug 6, 2019
First time director and Academy award-winning cinematographer Wally Pfister (Inception, The Dark
Knight Trilogy) takes on an ambitious film both visually and thematically for his first attempt at the
director chair. And while he hits all the visual cues you would expect from someone who has worked
so closely with Christopher Nolan on several films, he does less so when it comes telling us a story
that works in the world that he is presenting to us on screen. And thus this film falls flat, muddled and
fragmented in its story.
Visually the film provides you with framing and movement that that is easy to follow and pleasing to
look at. Along with the score, the look of the film constantly feels like it is taking you somewhere grand
or eye-opening. However it never quite gets there as the passage of time is not clear which creates a
fragmented sense of reality.
Furthermore, because of the structure of the film, the viewer is expecting a form of payoff or definitive
stance from the message of the story. But instead the story falls flat upon itself by not clearly defining
the characters motivations on screen. That is not to say that the film is acted poorly, it is just that
there really isn’t any reason to believe the motivations of the characters because they were never
shown to us. We are supposed to believe that the love between Johnny Depp as Dr. Will Caster, the
leading artificial intelligence researcher and his wife Evelyn (Rebecca Hall) is the reason why the plot is
developing. But we are never truly shown the reason why their love is so strong. Furthermore, when Dr.
Caster is shot to stop him from furthering his research, his own wife Evelyn barley even sheds a tear.
Why then would I believe her ridiculous motivations to follow a self-aware artificial intelligence that she
believes is her husband, down the rabbit hole for years without constant reassurance that it is in fact her
Husband, which we never really get any explanation of? Nor do we get any reassurance that she loves
him, other than an occasional had touching a computer screen. I get that people greave in different
ways, but not all ways work on advancing a story on film.
Perhaps the biggest disjointed story development is when the Caster’s close friend and colleague Max
(Paul Bettany) is kidnapped by extremists for two years and no one is looking for him. Furthermore,
when he reappears after being told that two years has passed, he is now trying to stop the evolution of
AI that he helped create without more than a mere sentence. The film keeps reminding us that people
fear what they don’t understand, which is right. I fear I don’t understand the motivation behind the
characters without being shown or explained what happened to them or why they are doing something.
As if this was not enough, at no real point did any of ancillary characters matter. Cillian Murphy
represents the government at large as the lone FBI agent in the film. But his purpose is meaningless as
he does nothing to stop anything suspicious until the final act. What is worse, is that he was brought in
to stop the extremist (that are mostly forgotten after the first act) but then sides with them to attempt
to stop the AI. The same AI he let grow out of control in the first place.
I am not even going to go into the “pod-people” plot as it seemed as a way to try to advance the story
to an ending. As if these good scientists, who are just trying to help the world, have crossed the line or
something. This, which Evelyn still doesn’t see a problem with and continues to allow for years until
Morgan Freeman shows up and tells her to get out of her situation and away from the AI. At which
point, she mulls it over for perhaps a day and decides she is done. Ugh. You have come this far with no
reason, why stop? Just keep going?
I, like most movie goers, am willing to suspend my disbelief as long as the reasons for what I am
watching on screen make sense in the world shown to me. A few scenes here or there that provided
explanation or reason why is should care about these characters would have been appreciated and
helped this movie be less disjointed and muddled. Because of this, I really cannot recommend this film
to anyone except those who want to think abstractly about AI. But be warned, thematically, there is no
clear stance on weather that is good or bad either.
Knight Trilogy) takes on an ambitious film both visually and thematically for his first attempt at the
director chair. And while he hits all the visual cues you would expect from someone who has worked
so closely with Christopher Nolan on several films, he does less so when it comes telling us a story
that works in the world that he is presenting to us on screen. And thus this film falls flat, muddled and
fragmented in its story.
Visually the film provides you with framing and movement that that is easy to follow and pleasing to
look at. Along with the score, the look of the film constantly feels like it is taking you somewhere grand
or eye-opening. However it never quite gets there as the passage of time is not clear which creates a
fragmented sense of reality.
Furthermore, because of the structure of the film, the viewer is expecting a form of payoff or definitive
stance from the message of the story. But instead the story falls flat upon itself by not clearly defining
the characters motivations on screen. That is not to say that the film is acted poorly, it is just that
there really isn’t any reason to believe the motivations of the characters because they were never
shown to us. We are supposed to believe that the love between Johnny Depp as Dr. Will Caster, the
leading artificial intelligence researcher and his wife Evelyn (Rebecca Hall) is the reason why the plot is
developing. But we are never truly shown the reason why their love is so strong. Furthermore, when Dr.
Caster is shot to stop him from furthering his research, his own wife Evelyn barley even sheds a tear.
Why then would I believe her ridiculous motivations to follow a self-aware artificial intelligence that she
believes is her husband, down the rabbit hole for years without constant reassurance that it is in fact her
Husband, which we never really get any explanation of? Nor do we get any reassurance that she loves
him, other than an occasional had touching a computer screen. I get that people greave in different
ways, but not all ways work on advancing a story on film.
Perhaps the biggest disjointed story development is when the Caster’s close friend and colleague Max
(Paul Bettany) is kidnapped by extremists for two years and no one is looking for him. Furthermore,
when he reappears after being told that two years has passed, he is now trying to stop the evolution of
AI that he helped create without more than a mere sentence. The film keeps reminding us that people
fear what they don’t understand, which is right. I fear I don’t understand the motivation behind the
characters without being shown or explained what happened to them or why they are doing something.
As if this was not enough, at no real point did any of ancillary characters matter. Cillian Murphy
represents the government at large as the lone FBI agent in the film. But his purpose is meaningless as
he does nothing to stop anything suspicious until the final act. What is worse, is that he was brought in
to stop the extremist (that are mostly forgotten after the first act) but then sides with them to attempt
to stop the AI. The same AI he let grow out of control in the first place.
I am not even going to go into the “pod-people” plot as it seemed as a way to try to advance the story
to an ending. As if these good scientists, who are just trying to help the world, have crossed the line or
something. This, which Evelyn still doesn’t see a problem with and continues to allow for years until
Morgan Freeman shows up and tells her to get out of her situation and away from the AI. At which
point, she mulls it over for perhaps a day and decides she is done. Ugh. You have come this far with no
reason, why stop? Just keep going?
I, like most movie goers, am willing to suspend my disbelief as long as the reasons for what I am
watching on screen make sense in the world shown to me. A few scenes here or there that provided
explanation or reason why is should care about these characters would have been appreciated and
helped this movie be less disjointed and muddled. Because of this, I really cannot recommend this film
to anyone except those who want to think abstractly about AI. But be warned, thematically, there is no
clear stance on weather that is good or bad either.