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The Happytime Murders (2017)
The Happytime Murders (2017)
2017 | Comedy
Why did some muppet green light this?
Man, this is grim.

The Happytime Murders is set in LA where puppets and humans live together but without much harmony, in a somewhat clumsy parody of racism. In this setting Phil Philips (voiced by Muppets regular Bill Barretta) is a disgraced ex-cop puppet – the first of his kind -drummed out of the force for an indiscretion and now making ends meet as a PI.

But someone is progressively bumping off members of “Happy Time” – an old muppet-style show on the Puppet Television Network featuring Phil’s old flame Jenny (Elizabeth Banks). When a murder hits home close to Pete, he teams with his old police partner Connie (Melissa McCartney) to catch the murderer.

One problem with this film is that the concept – rude puppets – is not new: “Avenue Q” have done this way better on stage and “Team America: World Police” on film. So from the outset the content doesn’t really shock. But the worst problem is that for adults, the screenplay by Todd Berger is just NOT FUNNY ENOUGH. It’s a bad sign when you can count the moments you moved from a smile to a light chuckle on one hand: just three times in fact (with the silly string scene, with the wringing-out scene (“look away”) and with a parody of a famous interrogation scene).

So, based on the ‘laffs-per-minute’ count, this is 90 minutes of my life I’d like back please. Actually, if you cut out the regular swearing and came up with a suitable story about silly string, then – cartoon puppet violence and all – the kids might enjoy it much more!

The only other mildly entertaining aspect for me – which grudgingly earns it an extra half Fad – were the closing titles that showed how some of it was filmed.

McCarthy delivers much of the same shtick we’ve seen from her in all of her recent movie outings, which doesn’t really wash well with me anymore. Banks is good as the love interest Jenny, but has little to do.

It’s directed by Brian Henson, son of the late and great Jim Henson. I’m all for “experiments”, and I notice that this was released under the “Henson Alternative” brand, which is perhaps appropriate, but some experiments work and some just don’t. I personally think this is one that doesn’t extend the Henson brand and needs to be quietly forgotten with a line drawn under it.

Definitely NOT recommended. If someone asks you to go to the cinema with them to see this, tell them to get stuffed!
  
Knock at the cabin (2023)
Knock at the cabin (2023)
2023 | Horror, Mystery
7
7.3 (8 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Writer/Director M. Night Shyamalan is back with his new thriller “Knock at
the Cabin” and like his earlier works; the film blends reality with
supernatural elements to put ordinary people in circumstances that are
dangerous and unnatural.
The film involves a same-sex couple named Eric (Jonathan Groff) and Andrew
(Ben Aldridge), who have taken their adopted daughter Wen (Kristen Cui),
to a secluded cabin for a relaxing vacation.

The arrival of four strangers lead by the imposing but soft-spoken Leonard
(Dave Bautista) becomes dangerous when Leonard informs them that the world
is about to end and only by choosing to sacrifice one of them can the
Apocalypse be diverted.

Leonard explains that the four had the same vision of the end of the world
and that they were drawn to save it by taking such drastic actions. They
inform their captives that they will not harm them but they will not be
allowed to leave as they must make the choice and failure to do so will
doom everyone and force the three of them to exist as the sole-survivors
of the aftermath.

Convinced that the intruders are insane; Eric and Andrew refuse the offer
and watch as one of the four captives sacrifices themselves which is soon
followed by news on the television of a massive earthquakes which resulted
in tsunamis.

Convinced it is a ruse or simply timed events to the days news; the
captives again refuse a request only to see another sacrifice followed by
more news of devastation happening around the world.

What follows is a tight thriller as Eric and Andrew learn more about their
captives and the changing world situation which forces them to confront a
world gone mad.

The film is good at setting a tone and maintaining a mild tension
throughout as the audience is left to wonder how real what is being
presented by Leonard and his associates are. I liked the fact that the
movie did not try to wrap things up nice and tidy and left the audiences
with some questions about the events as well as what would happen in the
aftermath.

Bautista gives an career-best performance and shows that his is capable of
doing more than the action-comedy genre which he has been playing to date
and I hope he continues to seek roles such as this.

While the film may not reach the levels of some of his earlier classics,
Shyamalan has crafted an entertaining film that keeps you guessing.

3.5 stars out of 5
  
22 Jump Street (2014)
22 Jump Street (2014)
2014 | Action, Comedy, Crime
Story: 22 Jump Street starts by filling us in on what happened in the last film like a previous episode. We watch Schmidt (Hill) and Jenko (Tatum) as they try take down a criminal The Ghost (Stormare) but much like the first one, things go slightly wrong. Jenko and Schmidt have to go to college undercover to uncover the latest drug craze. The two go through the opposite direction to the previous film and we get to see how they react to their reverse situations.

team

22 Jump Street uses the first ten minutes poking fun at the idea of a sequel, including talking about doubling the budget, how they got lucky first time after everyone thought the idea would fail. It also forced to tell the same story as well as actually having an upgraded office called 22 Jump Street with 23 Jump Street opening next door. We continue to get plenty of ‘it is a sequel’ jokes through the film so much so that it feels like a glorified extended version of a television show. it is full of jokes, action and personally I think the story is so easy to watch and laugh along with it could be the best I have seen in years. (9/10)

 

Actor Review

 

Jonah Hill: Schmidt big guy to the comedy double act who ends up going through the same problems of not fitting in as Jenko did through the first film. Schmidt gets romantically involved with a Maya a girl on campus who turns out to be Captain Dickson’s daughter. Jonah gives a great performance showing that he really has great comical timing. (9/10)

 scmidt

Channing Tatum: Jenko muscle of the comedy double act who finds himself in college finally getting a chance to fit in much like his time through high school first time. He gets a chance to live a different life which he never got a chance too with his connection with the football team, but his age will catch up with him. Channing gives a great performance showing he is just a muscle man he has comic timing too. (9/10)

channing

Peter Stormare: The Ghost drug deal the couple are after at first before he escapes, only to get into battle with him again once they uncover the truth about the supply at the college. Peter gives a solid performance giving his typical villain role. (7/10)

 

Wyatt Russell: Zook student that becomes good friends with Jenko, helping him get into the good with the sports team. The clues point to Zook but after thinking about the clues they realize they are reading things incorrectly about the fun loving footballer. Wyatt gives a good performance who has good chemistry with Channing. (8/10)

 

Amber Stevens: Maya student who befriends Schmidt and takes him down the calmer side of the college experience. After we are told she is the daughter of the Captain the comedy level raises. Amber gives a solid supporting performance. (6/10)

 maya

Support Cast: 22 Jump Street has a whole host of supporting characters who all give extra laughs, be in the Captain and his protection of his daughter or the jock who wants to take down the goal posts. They all add laughs the main characters work with.

 

Director Review: Phil Lord, Christopher Miller – Phil & Christopher direct this film almost perfectly to take the piss out of the idea it is a sequel and that the first one was successful after many other television shows turned films have bombed. (9/10)

 

Action: 22 Jump Street has good action with chases trying not to break anything while the villains smash everything. (8/10)

Comedy: 22 Jump Street is one of the best comedies I have seen in years, it offers plenty of puns that take the piss out of the idea of it being a sequel. (10/10)

Crime: 22 Jump Street focuses a lot of trying to solve the crime while undercover which works nicely for it. (8/10)

Chemistry: 22 Jump Street has some great chemistry between Jonah and Channing who create one of the best comedy duos in buddy cop history. (10/10)

Settings: 22 Jump Street moves to college which works as the actors are older and it pokes fun that they would have looked way too old for high school. (9/10)

Suggestion: 22 Jump Street is a must watch, you don’t even need to see the first one as it recaps you with a previously at the start. (Watch)

 

Best Part in 22 Jump Street: Chase for the campus.car

Worst Part in 22 Jump Street: I would say the supporting characters are slightly too stereotyped.

Best Action Scene In 22 Jump Street: Chase through the campus.

Funniest Scene in 22 Jump Street: The moment Captain Dickson finds out about Schmidt and his daughter.

 

Believability: No (0/10)

Chances of Tears: No (0/10)

Chances of Sequel: Yeah could have one.

Post Credits Scene: Jokes about what sequels could be in the future.

 

Oscar Chances: No

Box Office: $331 Million

Budget: $50 Million

Runtime: 1 Hour 52 Minutes

Tagline: These undercover cops are going to party like it’s their job

 

Overall: A Must Watch Comedy

https://moviesreview101.com/2014/12/22/22-jump-street-2014/
  
V for Vendetta (2005)
V for Vendetta (2005)
2005 | Action, Thriller
On a dark and silent night, a young woman named Evey (Natalie Portman), treads carefully through the streets of London unaware of the direction her life is about to take. As an attractive young lady, sneaking out of her home after curfew is filled with peril, especially when she is confronted by a gang of local thugs who happen to work for the government. Despite her protests, the men set up Evey only to be confronted by a masked figure.

The masked figure quickly dispatches the assailants and offers to escort Evey to safety. Despite being scared, Evey does accompany the figure to a rooftop where she is treated to a spectacular explosion set to music.

Thus begins V for Vendetta a film that mixes “The Phantom of the Opera” “Beauty and the Beast” and ?” to create a gothic love story and biting social commentary about the dangers of governmental control and censorship in a society gone awry.

In London of the near future, it is learned that a series of terrorist attacks have left thousands dead which resulted in stricter governmental controls and intrusions into privacy and lifestyles. Those who did not conform nor meet expectations often vanished never to be heard from again. Such was the case of Evey’s parents who decided to protest governmental policies and soon found themselves beaten and whisked away in the night.

Behind all of the oppression is a man named Adam Sutler (John Hurt), a monomaniacal leader who rules with an iron fist and an extreme agenda that he has manipulated to make himself and unopposed ruler of the nation.

While most of the population lives in fear of Sutler and his men, there is one who does not, a mysterious masked figure named V (Hugo Weaving), who dons a Guy Fawkes mask in tribute to the man who centuries ago attempted to destroy Parliament. When V is able to temporarily gain control of the television network for the government, he is able to broadcast his message to the people that the time has come to take back their lives and society and stop living in fear. Towards this end, V pledges to the masses that he will destroy Parliament in 1 year and that the people should gather to watch the destruction unfold.

This bold proclamation causes Sutler to stop at nothing to capture V and he tasks his Chief Inspector Finch (Stephen Rea), to locate V. Since Evey worked at the television station and was observed helping V on a security monitor, Finch decides to locate Evey and force her to reveal the locale of the mysterious vigilante.

This task proves difficult as V has taken Evey into his protection and forces her to live in his luxurious yet secluded home in order to avoid the police forces.

It is during this time that Evey learns that V is a study in contrast. On one hand he is a very sophisticated person with a taste for the arts, culture, and a desire to see people free to live their lives as they desire.

During this time V also kills top members of the political party and with the discovery of each new victim, he becomes an even bigger target of a very irate Sutler.

All of which culminates in a race against the clock for V to complete his plan and exact his revenge for past wrongdoings done to him which propels the film to its climatic finale.

While the film is an interesting and at times enjoyable film it is hampered in some ways by a marketing program where early trailers showed the film to be an action filled romp. The truth is there is about 15-20 minutes of action in the films nearly 2hr and 10 minute run time which allows the majority of the film to be spent on the interaction between V and Evey.

While this is interesting and does bring in elements of “Phantom” and “Beauty” as I mentioned earlier, it is at the sacrifice of what I think are important factors. For example we learn a bit about why V is on his vendetta but serious questions from that are not answered. We do not learn the full what, where and why, on his situation. I am trying hard to avoid spoilers here so suffice it to say there are some very important questions about what was done to him, how he survived and so on that need to be answered but are not.

The action sequences though few and far between are well staged and Weaving and Portman have a great chemistry with one another and do make interesting and compelling characters.

The main strength of the film is the message that people need to be aware of what is going on around them and not be so willing to accept everything they are told at face value. There is a real sense of counter-culture with the film as the prevalent theme of question and if needed defy authority permeates the film.

The script written by the Wachowski brothers of The Matrix trilogy fame has chosen to tone down the gimmicky of bullet time effects and instead focus on a character driven drama with a message and it is one that resounds loudly and clearly.
  
Altered Carbon
Altered Carbon
2018 | Sci-Fi
Excellent character development (2 more)
Phenomenal special effects
Edge of your seat action throughout the plot line, never felt the story lagging.
Phenomenal Show
Contains spoilers, click to show
In this age of technology I am rarely singularly glued to the television when a show is playing; I'm playing Candy Crush, surfing Etsy, creating new glassware designs... From the moment Takeshi Kovacs is apprehended from the Protectorate until the very last scene of the series this show had me glued to the screen. It combines the "locked room" mystery Agatha Christie made famous with a sci-fi Game of Thrones feel that evokes the Red Rising trilogy sense of Golds vs. Reds.

The lack of regard for anyone below them (literally as well as figuratively) makes it easy to hate the Meths and the decadence that surrounds them. Their wealth allows a god-like immortality, and a lack of respect for life and "real death". Kovacs was detained for crimes against the Protectorate and his stack placed "on ice" for 250 years until the meth Laurens Bancroft pays for his release and a new skin. As Kovacs accepts the offer to find Bancrofts murder, and as he searches for the killer he finds friendship in an AI Edgar Allen Poe (one of the best characters in the whole show), a former military drunk and his wife and daughter, who is damaged emotionally trapped in virtual life, and a police officer. There are also several people after Elias Ryker (a police officer who was a little too curious), which causes issue for Kovacs because that is the skin Bancroft selected when he was taken off ice.


The locked room mystery portion of the season ends in episode 7, but that is far from the end of the action. As we learn more about Kovacs' history his interest in the Envoy mission of recapturing humanity and forcing real death on the world is made more evident, as is his love for Quell. His sister, Rei, did not believe in the mission as much as spending eternity with her big brother. While Kovacs was on ice his sister built a meth empire, acquiring wealth and power, becoming everything Quell and Kovacs fought against. The final moments with his sister, and his decision to find Quell's stack were gripping.


The cinematography, costuming, and CGI in this show are phenomenal, and the attention to detail is obvious. As Netflix is transitioning to big budget productions it's clear they have the right people handling the decisions. I didn't realize this series was also a book trilogy written by Richard Morgan, this series has definitely peaked my interest and I will be reading the books before the next season drops.