Smashbomb

Search

Search results

All (5000)

Content

Movie Metropolis (309 KP) rated Ted 2 (2015) in Movies

Jun 11, 2019

Ted 2 (2015)

2015 | Comedy

6.8

(12 Ratings)

Movie Rating

The bear is back

The success of Ted was completely unexpected. I doubt even director Seth McFarlane knew just how popular it would go on to become.

From special DVD’s to limited edition cuddly (or not so cuddly) toys, Ted has become something of a phenomenon. A sequel was always going to be on the cards and after three years perfecting it, McFarlane returns with Ted 2. But is it as funny as its predecessor?

Ted 2 follows the titular bear as he embarks on a relationship with Tami-Lynn and continues his friendship with John, the ever-watchable Mark Wahlberg in another great performance.

Unfortunately for Ted, his rights have been challenged by the US government and he must fight to be recognised as a ‘person’, rather than just someone’s ‘property’.

What ensues is a film which whilst being as funny as its predecessor, manages to be somewhat disappointing with a serious shortage of plot. This becomes evident as McFarlane uses Family Guy-esque cut-scenes and incredibly long dance numbers.

The cast, on the whole, is fantastic. Amanda Seyfried takes over from Mila Kunis as John’s love interest and Ted’s lawyer, Samantha. As usual she is a joy to watch but her inexperience in the offensive comedy genre is evident – scenes of her taking drugs just don’t sit right.

Morgan Freeman is sorely underused as a civil rights attorney, though a quick reference to his silky-smooth voice is more than welcome. Giovanni Ribisi also makes a surprising return as Ted’s nemesis Donny.

An absolutely brilliant cameo from Liam Neeson is one of the highlights in a film packed with gags which generally hit the spot – but they’re certainly not for the feint-hearted.

Ted 2 is louder, more obnoxious and much more offensive than its predecessor with numerous scenes involving sperm banks and an endless supply of drug-related comedy.

Unfortunately, all these highs are brought crashing back down to Earth as the story continuously runs out of steam and picks up again. It’s such a shame that a film less than two hours long has such a plot problem.

Thankfully, the original Ted wasn’t a masterpiece and MacFarlane manages to shoot the film well with a real eye for the finer details. His love of movies is apparent with Star Wars references being used well.

Overall, Ted 2 is very close to the standard of its predecessor, despite the excess story-padding that occurs throughout the film. The comedic elements are cracking with Liam Neeson’s cameo being a laugh-out-loud moment – it’s worth a watch, but only if you’re a fan of the first.

https://moviemetropolis.net/2015/07/12/the-bear-is-back-ted-2-review/

Kudos

Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Hope Gap (2020) in Movies

Mar 8, 2020

Hope Gap (2020)

2020 | Drama

4.0

(1 Ratings)

Movie Rating

When picking things to watch at the London Film Festival the criteria was simple... read the synopsis and choose from that. If I got bogged down in anything more I was going to miss things that could have been "hidden gems", my list would also have been never-ending... but when you spot Annette Bening and Bill Nighy in a film together you can't say no really.

Edward and Grace have been married for 29 years but the humdrum living has become too monotonous, for Edward at least. He's felt like his life needs something different for a while, knowing that Grace will react badly he invites their son to aid in his plan to leave, but he too is in the dark about what on the cards for his visit.

I was keen to enjoy this one but I think sadly the film doesn't hit all the right notes. The set up of Edward (Nighy) and Grace (Bening) in the house together perfectly reflects their relationship. Everything is together and yet they're separate. They work in different rooms, their backs to each other and while they acknowledge each other and interact it's more habit than anything else.

I'm not the best at picking up subtle things when watching films the first time around, but I noted down a couple of times that there seemed to be a lot of colour coordination. Both main characters seemed to match with parts of the house and yet those colours never seemed to cross together at any time... one of the perils od not being able to rewind a film to check is that I'm left wondering if I actually saw something or not. Perhaps I imagined it! The similarities also extended to their son Jamie and his room... according to my unverifiable notes.

I thought that Josh O'Connor and Bill Nighy had a great dynamic together, their characters share many "inherited" traits together and that played out well on screen. Annette Bening's performance was strong at times and you could definitely see the progression clearly in Grace... but...

With those good touches came a lethargic pace. The laid back sense of the whole film with just Grace as the energetic feature was a struggle to watch. I can see that it could be exactly how it would happen in reality but that doesn't mean it will work on film when you aren't invested in the parties involved.

Hope Gap touches on some strong points but never seems to address them very directly. I'm not sure I can see another way that this would have jumped off the screen, in my head it feels more suited for the intimate setting of a theatre.

Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2020/03/hope-gap-movie-review.html