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Bob Mann (459 KP) rated Daddy's Home 2 (2017) in Movies
Sep 29, 2021
Some good comedy moments drowned in schmaltz.
Comedy and tragedy have always gone together hand-in-hand. Every great comedy tends to have its bitter-sweet moments: Roberts Blossom as the “shovel-killer” grandad in “Home Alone” (who always reminds me of my late Dad… in appearance I might add, not that he was a shovel killer!); John Candy’s depressed shower-ring salesman in “Planes Trains and Automobiles”; Ron Burgundy bawling in a phone box in “Anchorman”. The balance between the two is the key thing and comedies can sometimes get it wrong (the Bird Woman in “Home Alone 2” for example!).
Here is another case in point: “Daddy’s Home 2”, which has some laugh-out-loud comedy moments, but is generally so utterly drenched in schmaltz and sentimentality that the film becomes far harder work than it should be. (By the way, I never saw “Daddy’s Home” (but read the IMDB synopsys): it was not a prerequisite for seeing this movie).
A Christmas cast. From left, Alessandra Ambrosio, Didi Costine, Mark Wahlberg, Scarlett Estevez, Will Ferrell, Owen Vaccaro, Linda Cardellini, Conor or Daphne or Dylan Wise(!) and Mel Gibson.
Will Ferrell (“Get Hard“, “Anchorman“) reprises his role as the somewhat incompetent Brad, ‘sharing’ his family of kids and stepkids with the much more streetwise Dusty (Mark Wahlberg, “Patriot’s Day“). After a poignant school recital, the pair realise the damage that a distributed Christmas is doing to their offspring and they determine to spend Christmas all together this year. In the process they vow to try to put aside their attempts at one-upmanship – “the harbour is closed” – in the interests of giving everyone the best Christmas ever.
But their plans are turned upside down when their fathers also turn up for Christmas: Mel Gibson (in a sublime piece of casting) plays Dusty’s dad, astronaut-hero Kurt, who is even more macho and extreme than Dusty, and John Lithgow (“Miss Sloane“; “The Accountant“) plays Brad’s airy-fairy father Don… the apple has not fallen far from the tree there.
Kurt forces the family to ‘fight’ Christmas on a neutral turf by renting a palatial AirBnB in a snowy wilderness. Tensions rise between the diverse individuals until a breaking point is inevitably reached.
There are some great farcical sight-gags in this movie. Quite a few of the funniest ones are spoiled by the trailer, but there are still a few standout routines that made me guffaw. A hi-tech shower is predictable but funny; and Brad’s use of a snowblower to apocalyptic ends is the funniest scene in the movie.
Wahlberg and Ferrell are a trustworthy double act (after their initial surprise pairing in “The Other Guys”). Gibson and Lithgow also inhabit their roles perfectly, although it was hard of me to relate to either of them. The scene on the airport escalator as they arrive is very well done.
The supporting cast all play their parts well: ER’s Linda Cardellini as Brad’s wife and Dusty’s ex-wife; Brazilian model and actress Alessandra Ambrosio, as Dusty’s (almost unbelievably good-looking) new wife Karen; and WWE star John Cena as Karen’s ex-husband. (Doesn’t ANYONE stay married in the US any more?). The kid stars – Didi Costine, Scarlett Estevez and Owen Vaccaro – are also good, with Estevez being particularly appealing.
Watch out for a funny cameo in the final scene as well, which I found very amusing (“You only have one story” … LoL).
“Will my bum look big in this?” – erm… no! Sara (Linda Cardellini) and Karen (Alessandra Ambrosio) on a shopping trip.
What drowns out the comedy though is the sentimental storyline around a personal tragedy being lived out by one of the family. The angst and nasty back-biting that surrounds this I found neither funny nor pleasant. The story builds to a snow-bound cinema (showing “Missile Tow” starring Liam Neeson… a great “pointless answer” for the BBC’s “Pointless” quiz!) and a finale song that is just so over the top that it has both an “awww” factor and is bile-inducing all at the same time. The screenplay is by Sean Anders and John Morris, with Anders also directing.
Will Ferrell films can be like a game of Russian Roulette, and I fully expected this to be truly awful. It wasn’t, and as a Christmas comedy it is an OK watch… and thankfully significantly above “Jingle all the Way”!
Here is another case in point: “Daddy’s Home 2”, which has some laugh-out-loud comedy moments, but is generally so utterly drenched in schmaltz and sentimentality that the film becomes far harder work than it should be. (By the way, I never saw “Daddy’s Home” (but read the IMDB synopsys): it was not a prerequisite for seeing this movie).
A Christmas cast. From left, Alessandra Ambrosio, Didi Costine, Mark Wahlberg, Scarlett Estevez, Will Ferrell, Owen Vaccaro, Linda Cardellini, Conor or Daphne or Dylan Wise(!) and Mel Gibson.
Will Ferrell (“Get Hard“, “Anchorman“) reprises his role as the somewhat incompetent Brad, ‘sharing’ his family of kids and stepkids with the much more streetwise Dusty (Mark Wahlberg, “Patriot’s Day“). After a poignant school recital, the pair realise the damage that a distributed Christmas is doing to their offspring and they determine to spend Christmas all together this year. In the process they vow to try to put aside their attempts at one-upmanship – “the harbour is closed” – in the interests of giving everyone the best Christmas ever.
But their plans are turned upside down when their fathers also turn up for Christmas: Mel Gibson (in a sublime piece of casting) plays Dusty’s dad, astronaut-hero Kurt, who is even more macho and extreme than Dusty, and John Lithgow (“Miss Sloane“; “The Accountant“) plays Brad’s airy-fairy father Don… the apple has not fallen far from the tree there.
Kurt forces the family to ‘fight’ Christmas on a neutral turf by renting a palatial AirBnB in a snowy wilderness. Tensions rise between the diverse individuals until a breaking point is inevitably reached.
There are some great farcical sight-gags in this movie. Quite a few of the funniest ones are spoiled by the trailer, but there are still a few standout routines that made me guffaw. A hi-tech shower is predictable but funny; and Brad’s use of a snowblower to apocalyptic ends is the funniest scene in the movie.
Wahlberg and Ferrell are a trustworthy double act (after their initial surprise pairing in “The Other Guys”). Gibson and Lithgow also inhabit their roles perfectly, although it was hard of me to relate to either of them. The scene on the airport escalator as they arrive is very well done.
The supporting cast all play their parts well: ER’s Linda Cardellini as Brad’s wife and Dusty’s ex-wife; Brazilian model and actress Alessandra Ambrosio, as Dusty’s (almost unbelievably good-looking) new wife Karen; and WWE star John Cena as Karen’s ex-husband. (Doesn’t ANYONE stay married in the US any more?). The kid stars – Didi Costine, Scarlett Estevez and Owen Vaccaro – are also good, with Estevez being particularly appealing.
Watch out for a funny cameo in the final scene as well, which I found very amusing (“You only have one story” … LoL).
“Will my bum look big in this?” – erm… no! Sara (Linda Cardellini) and Karen (Alessandra Ambrosio) on a shopping trip.
What drowns out the comedy though is the sentimental storyline around a personal tragedy being lived out by one of the family. The angst and nasty back-biting that surrounds this I found neither funny nor pleasant. The story builds to a snow-bound cinema (showing “Missile Tow” starring Liam Neeson… a great “pointless answer” for the BBC’s “Pointless” quiz!) and a finale song that is just so over the top that it has both an “awww” factor and is bile-inducing all at the same time. The screenplay is by Sean Anders and John Morris, with Anders also directing.
Will Ferrell films can be like a game of Russian Roulette, and I fully expected this to be truly awful. It wasn’t, and as a Christmas comedy it is an OK watch… and thankfully significantly above “Jingle all the Way”!
kitty ♡ (68 KP) rated Christmas Inheritance (2017) in Movies
Dec 19, 2017
the story line is cute! (3 more)
heartwarming!
family dynamics!
overall a sweet time!
your standard, run-on-the-mill christmas rom com
Contains spoilers, click to show
is anyone else just TIRED of the "i'm engaged to the Worst Person Alive and won't do anything about it until i meet this down to earth single person who makes me feel like i've never felt before but i'm gonna lead them on until i'm finally fed up with how my fiance treats me and everyone else" plot? what is it with movies that feature engaged people that just stops them from being in a relationship with decent people, and the movie doesn't end with the engaged person dumping their fiance for the one they met like a week ago?
regardless, this movie is kind of cute. it features a great dynamic between the main character, Ellie, and her father as well as a friendship to strive toward (her father and uncle Zeke). it's a very sweet story, and despite my little rant up top, i did enjoy it. it's heart warming, entertaining, and the ending had me tearing up a little bit?
regardless, this movie is kind of cute. it features a great dynamic between the main character, Ellie, and her father as well as a friendship to strive toward (her father and uncle Zeke). it's a very sweet story, and despite my little rant up top, i did enjoy it. it's heart warming, entertaining, and the ending had me tearing up a little bit?
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Scent of a Woman (1992) in Movies
Nov 29, 2020
Woo-Ah!!!
When you look up thansgiving movies, Scent of a Women comes up. Yes even though it takes over thanksgiving break, it is far from a thanksgiving movie. Its depressing, sad, motived, caring and heartwarming. Its a excellent movie, but man its very depressing and sad. Both Al Pacino and Chris O'Donnell are excellent.
The plot: Frank is a retired Lt. Col. in the US army. He's blind and impossible to get along with. Charlie is at school and is looking forward to going to college. To help pay for a trip home for Christmas, he agrees to look after Frank over Thanksgiving. Frank's niece says this will be easy money, but she didn't reckon on Frank spending his Thanksgiving in New York.
Pacino painstakingly researched his part in Scent of a Woman. To understand what it feels like to be blind, he met with clients of New York's Associated Blind, being particularly interested in seeing from those who had lost their sight due to trauma. Clients traced the entire progression for him—from the moment they knew they would never see again to the depression and through to acceptance and adjustment. The Lighthouse, also in New York, schooled him in techniques a blind person might use to find a chair and seat themselves, pour liquid from a bottle and light a cigar.
Its a excellent movie, but its very depressing and sad at moments. So get ready to cry at those moments.
The plot: Frank is a retired Lt. Col. in the US army. He's blind and impossible to get along with. Charlie is at school and is looking forward to going to college. To help pay for a trip home for Christmas, he agrees to look after Frank over Thanksgiving. Frank's niece says this will be easy money, but she didn't reckon on Frank spending his Thanksgiving in New York.
Pacino painstakingly researched his part in Scent of a Woman. To understand what it feels like to be blind, he met with clients of New York's Associated Blind, being particularly interested in seeing from those who had lost their sight due to trauma. Clients traced the entire progression for him—from the moment they knew they would never see again to the depression and through to acceptance and adjustment. The Lighthouse, also in New York, schooled him in techniques a blind person might use to find a chair and seat themselves, pour liquid from a bottle and light a cigar.
Its a excellent movie, but its very depressing and sad at moments. So get ready to cry at those moments.
Sam (74 KP) rated Let it Snow in Books
Mar 27, 2019
Three stories that slowly merge into one? I need more of this in my life. Why can’t more books be written like this? Because I love that you get three different points of view and you get to see the turn of events that means that all three stories merge in the most unlikely way.
Every character is quirky, and I can’t say I would expect anything less from this group of authors. They are all so individual and really developed. It read like a perfect novel, with no plot holes or nothing left unexplained.
And I loved that it is so unique! There isn’t a Christmas novel out there that is quite like this, and I’m still hoping that one day it will get turned into a movie. It would make the most amazing film to snuggle up with.
Every character is quirky, and I can’t say I would expect anything less from this group of authors. They are all so individual and really developed. It read like a perfect novel, with no plot holes or nothing left unexplained.
And I loved that it is so unique! There isn’t a Christmas novel out there that is quite like this, and I’m still hoping that one day it will get turned into a movie. It would make the most amazing film to snuggle up with.
Hollywood Celebrates the Holidays: 1920-1970
Karie Bible and Mary Nan S. Mallory
Book
Marvelously illustrated with more than 200 rare images from the silent era through the 1970s, this...
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Daddy's Home 2 (2017) in Movies
Jun 28, 2019 (Updated Sep 25, 2019)
Following the events of the first film, Brad and Dusty have to deal with their intrusive fathers, Don and Kurt during their first Together Christmas, along with Dusty's conflict with his stepchild's biological father, Roger.
Mini moan first... I'm super annoyed that the meet and greet at the airport that I kept seeing in the trailer was not how it happened in the actual movie.
I like Mark Wahlberg doing comedy, and there are a lot of good actors in this film doing some really funny work. The whole improv thing with John Lithgow was a little painful to watch, I really wish they'd found a different way to do that part of the story.
Generally though there are some good laughs, this isn't going to be one I buy, but I definitely wouldn't change the channel if it was on the TV.
Mini moan first... I'm super annoyed that the meet and greet at the airport that I kept seeing in the trailer was not how it happened in the actual movie.
I like Mark Wahlberg doing comedy, and there are a lot of good actors in this film doing some really funny work. The whole improv thing with John Lithgow was a little painful to watch, I really wish they'd found a different way to do that part of the story.
Generally though there are some good laughs, this isn't going to be one I buy, but I definitely wouldn't change the channel if it was on the TV.
David McK (3649 KP) rated Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991) in Movies
Sep 20, 2020 (Updated Apr 10, 2023)
The last truly enjoyable Robin Hood movie, mostly because of Alan Rickman's sneering and preening Sheriff of Nottingham ("no more merciful beheadings, and call off Christmas!"), even if Costner can't do an English accent ("This is true English courage", said with a Californian drawl), that it has no understanding of English geography (apparently Nottingham is only a few miles walk from Dover) or that it is darker than you remember (ending with, essentially, an attempted rape scene).
For all that, however, this - at least - attempted to deepen and add some context to the Robin Hood legend - I think this may be the first where Robin returns from the Crusades with as Moorish companion? - and has a killer soundtrack by both Michael Kamen (especially the overture) and Bryan Adams (with *that* song in the end credits).
For all that, however, this - at least - attempted to deepen and add some context to the Robin Hood legend - I think this may be the first where Robin returns from the Crusades with as Moorish companion? - and has a killer soundtrack by both Michael Kamen (especially the overture) and Bryan Adams (with *that* song in the end credits).
David McK (3649 KP) rated Frozen (2013) in Movies
Dec 27, 2021
I remember that, in 2013 the song 'Let it Go' was everywhere,
And I do mean everywhere.
Which is perhaps why I never actually saw this movie at all, thinking it wasn't for me, until it was shown on TV over the Christmas period.
This is based loosely on the Hans Christian Anderson tale 'The Snow Queen', and introduces the characters of Anna and Elsa as well as Christoph, Sven and (of course) Olaf, who continues the Disney comic-relief tradition of stealing nearly every scene he is in.
Lots have also been made over the years about how it replaces the typical Disney convention of true love between a Prince and a Princess with that between two sisters: this is true, while it does also make room for a more conventional romance sub-plot to bubble along underneath.
And I do mean everywhere.
Which is perhaps why I never actually saw this movie at all, thinking it wasn't for me, until it was shown on TV over the Christmas period.
This is based loosely on the Hans Christian Anderson tale 'The Snow Queen', and introduces the characters of Anna and Elsa as well as Christoph, Sven and (of course) Olaf, who continues the Disney comic-relief tradition of stealing nearly every scene he is in.
Lots have also been made over the years about how it replaces the typical Disney convention of true love between a Prince and a Princess with that between two sisters: this is true, while it does also make room for a more conventional romance sub-plot to bubble along underneath.
Andrew Thomas (363 KP) rated Santa's Slay (2004) in Movies
Aug 12, 2020 (Updated Aug 14, 2020)
Santa Claus is a slasher villain...nuff said!
Contains spoilers, click to show
Santa's Slay was a direct to video selection on the shelf at my local video store that I normally would have walked right by...yet I was compelled to check it out. I was expecting it to be terrible, but it turned out to be in the category of "so bad but fun"
First you have wrestler Bill Goldberg as Santa and oddly enough...he's perfect in this particular interpretation of the character. He plays Santa as an unrepentant badass who loves death and destruction...and he does it with such relish.
Second, while this particular approach to making an evil version of Santa Claus is pretty silly, it is an interesting backstory nonetheless and they give the obligatory exposition scene a touch of nostalgia by using stop motion animation that's on par with holiday classics like Santa Claus is Coming to Town or Frosty the Snowman.
Third, the wholesale carnage that Santa perpetrates is nothing if inventive. In the opening scene he completely annihilates an entire family of aholes...using everything on the dinner table. Not even the local strip club is safe from Santa's wrath as he turns a stripper pole into a weapon.
Santa's Slay is not the kind of movie you watch for an engaging story or great acting. It's a movie that you can laugh at and forget your worries for an hour or so.
First you have wrestler Bill Goldberg as Santa and oddly enough...he's perfect in this particular interpretation of the character. He plays Santa as an unrepentant badass who loves death and destruction...and he does it with such relish.
Second, while this particular approach to making an evil version of Santa Claus is pretty silly, it is an interesting backstory nonetheless and they give the obligatory exposition scene a touch of nostalgia by using stop motion animation that's on par with holiday classics like Santa Claus is Coming to Town or Frosty the Snowman.
Third, the wholesale carnage that Santa perpetrates is nothing if inventive. In the opening scene he completely annihilates an entire family of aholes...using everything on the dinner table. Not even the local strip club is safe from Santa's wrath as he turns a stripper pole into a weapon.
Santa's Slay is not the kind of movie you watch for an engaging story or great acting. It's a movie that you can laugh at and forget your worries for an hour or so.
Lee (2222 KP) rated The Red Turtle (2016) in Movies
Mar 19, 2018
Mesmerisingly Beautiful
I'd not heard a great deal about this Studio Ghibli movie, other than some fairly positive buzz online, so when it hit Amazon Prime at Christmas last year, I quickly added it to my watch list. It's taken all this time, until a cold and wintry Sunday afternoon in March, for me to finally sit down and watch it.
A man is washed up on a deserted island and after exploring his surroundings, sets about trying to escape. He builds a number of rafts from the trees but each time his escape is thwarted by an unknown force breaking his raft apart from beneath. On the third time this happens, the man discovers the cause of the destruction to be a large red turtle and when he later sees the turtle shuffling up the beach, he seeks revenge, overturning it and leaving it to suffer in the heat of the sun as it fails to correct itself.
Eventually the man feels remorse, but it appears to be too late...
Not a single word is spoken throughout the whole movie (other than the occasional 'Hey!'). It's a simple, beautiful tale that drew me in and left me feeling totally mesmerised and emotional with it's profound ideas and messages. Simply wonderful.
A man is washed up on a deserted island and after exploring his surroundings, sets about trying to escape. He builds a number of rafts from the trees but each time his escape is thwarted by an unknown force breaking his raft apart from beneath. On the third time this happens, the man discovers the cause of the destruction to be a large red turtle and when he later sees the turtle shuffling up the beach, he seeks revenge, overturning it and leaving it to suffer in the heat of the sun as it fails to correct itself.
Eventually the man feels remorse, but it appears to be too late...
Not a single word is spoken throughout the whole movie (other than the occasional 'Hey!'). It's a simple, beautiful tale that drew me in and left me feeling totally mesmerised and emotional with it's profound ideas and messages. Simply wonderful.