And now, for the fourth time, the guys of Jackass bring their antics to the big screen. This time, they've given a movie to Irving Zisman, the cantankerous old-timer played on the show by Johnny Knoxville. The whole title, simply enough, is Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa.
Irving Zisman is a free man. His wife, Ellie (Catherine Keener), has passed on. So now, he can flirt with anyone and everyone. But first, he has to take his grandson, Billy (Jackson Nicoll), to Raleigh to live with his dad. His mom's going to jail for possession, while his dad just loves the idea of a few hundred bucks a month in Child Support.
Yay! What a wonderful family this is...not.
But that's not why people are going to see this. No, they're here to see folks pull stupid stuff on an unsuspecting public. And for the rest of these 92 minutes, Irving does plenty of stupidity. Including:
1. Causing a ruckus at Ellie's funeral.
2. Crashing a wedding reception.
3. Running over stuff.
4. Getting trapped by an electronic bed.
5. Riding a coin-operated rocket straight through a store window.
And that's just some of the PC-Stuff he does.
Fans of the show may find all of these gags comic gems. The rest of us will find them either funny, awkward, or obnoxious. It's not for everyone, that's for sure.
The makeup artists deserve plenty of praise for aging Knoxville and Keener to unrecognizability. Keener also deserves praise since she spends the movie playing a corpse.
Again, if you're a fan of the show, Bad Grandpa should provide plenty of enjoyable stupidity. The rest of us should know what we're getting into. Either way, don't do these stunts at home and in public!
About Me
- Jethrotcat
- This is the blog where I talk about the latest movies I've seen. These are my two Schnauzers, Rufus (left) and Marley (right, RIP). As of now, the Double Hollywood Strikes are officially over. May the next strikes not last as long as these ones did.
Saturday, October 26, 2013
Monday, October 21, 2013
The Fifth Estate
The proverbial Fifth Estate refers to those who operate outside of society's norm. The movie, The Fifth Estate, is about a site that aptly fits that description: WikiLeaks.
Daniel Domscheit-Berg (Daniel Brühl) was living a dead-end life in Germany. One day, he meets the enigmatic, white-haired genius Julian Assange (Benedict Cumberbatch). Assange wants to let the World Wide Web see what Governments and Corporations don't want the world to see. With Berg's help, he establishes WikiLeaks. For their first leak, they expose corruption in the bank Julius Baer.
Josh Singer's screenplay melds together Berg's book Inside WikiLeaks: My Time with Julian Assange and the World's Most Dangerous Website and the book WikiLeaks: Inside Julian Assange's War on Secrecy by journalists David Leigh and Luke Harding. Say those names ten times fast.
Daniel Domscheit-Berg (Daniel Brühl) was living a dead-end life in Germany. One day, he meets the enigmatic, white-haired genius Julian Assange (Benedict Cumberbatch). Assange wants to let the World Wide Web see what Governments and Corporations don't want the world to see. With Berg's help, he establishes WikiLeaks. For their first leak, they expose corruption in the bank Julius Baer.
Over the next few years, WikiLeaks exposes cover-up after cover-up. But their sources, whom Assange promised anonymity, end up being exposed. And with exposure comes death threats. Over this issue, Berg starts to have second thoughts about associating with Assange.
As realized by director Bill Condon, the movie is average at best. When WikiLeaks starts its thing, we're satisfied to see the Fat Cats fall. As it exposes more cover-ups, we're really thinking about ethics.
But the greatness is diluted by an unusually glacial 128 minutes. When we're not debating ethics, we're wondering what time it is. By the end of the movie, I was one of two people left out of a crowd of five.
The only part that kept me sitting was Cumberbatch. He's a good match, physical and voice-wise, to Assange. He certainly has his International Man of Mystery persona down. His ending monologue, which lambasts the possibility of this movie, made me wonder if that was really Assange (since Assange has publicly disavowed the movie).
The Fifth Estate didn't bore me to annoyance like Anna Karenina did. But I kinda wish it earnestly glued me to the screen more. Still, it should make for an OK onetime viewing on a matinee.
Friday, October 18, 2013
Captain Phillips
It doesn't matter if you know how the events of Captain Phillips end. Director Paul Greengrass's real life thriller will keep you tense until the very end.
In 2009, Richard Phillips (Tom Hanks) takes command of the MV Maersk Alabama on a voyage to Mombasa. A few days at sea, Phillips and his crew narrowly avoid a pirate takeover. The next day, they're not so lucky. Four armed Pirates from Somalia, led by one Abduwali Muse (Barkhad Abdi), seize the ship.
The Pirate Crew wants a hefty bounty real fast; they'll kill Phillips and the crew if they inconvenience them. But the Alabama crew have better things to do than to be hostages. Phillips, meanwhile, is more than willing to cover his men's tracks.
As Phillips, Hanks perfectly leads the film. His character is a reluctant hero, but he'll act when he must. When he acts, it earns the audience's admiration.
The Pirate Crew, Abdi in particular, are great antagonists. They're motivated by desperation, not malice. Even when they threaten Phillips, one can honestly wish they could've avoided piracy. This makes the resolution of the ordeal quite bittersweet.
Editor Christopher Rouse, who won an Oscar for The Bourne Ultimatum, puts himself in consideration for another one. From the attempted hijacking onwards, the film keeps its audience invested in the situation. Assembling Barry Ackroyd's cinematography, the end result feels like an up-close documentary of the situation. Henry Jackman's incredible score also stands out triumphantly.
Some have accused the film's account of exaggerating the actual events. But Captain Phillips is still a spectacular thriller. It's one of those films that we should hear from more in a few months for the right reasons.
In 2009, Richard Phillips (Tom Hanks) takes command of the MV Maersk Alabama on a voyage to Mombasa. A few days at sea, Phillips and his crew narrowly avoid a pirate takeover. The next day, they're not so lucky. Four armed Pirates from Somalia, led by one Abduwali Muse (Barkhad Abdi), seize the ship.
The Pirate Crew wants a hefty bounty real fast; they'll kill Phillips and the crew if they inconvenience them. But the Alabama crew have better things to do than to be hostages. Phillips, meanwhile, is more than willing to cover his men's tracks.
As Phillips, Hanks perfectly leads the film. His character is a reluctant hero, but he'll act when he must. When he acts, it earns the audience's admiration.
The Pirate Crew, Abdi in particular, are great antagonists. They're motivated by desperation, not malice. Even when they threaten Phillips, one can honestly wish they could've avoided piracy. This makes the resolution of the ordeal quite bittersweet.
Editor Christopher Rouse, who won an Oscar for The Bourne Ultimatum, puts himself in consideration for another one. From the attempted hijacking onwards, the film keeps its audience invested in the situation. Assembling Barry Ackroyd's cinematography, the end result feels like an up-close documentary of the situation. Henry Jackman's incredible score also stands out triumphantly.
Some have accused the film's account of exaggerating the actual events. But Captain Phillips is still a spectacular thriller. It's one of those films that we should hear from more in a few months for the right reasons.
Monday, October 7, 2013
Gravity
Let's See:
Two of my past reviews were 127 Hours and Life of Pi. One was about a man pinned to a boulder for the whole movie, and the other was about a young man in a lifeboat with a tiger for most of the movie. Both were good movies, as is Gravity, about two people (and only them) surviving in space.
In the film's first shot, Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) and Matt Kowalski (George Clooney) are in space repairing the Hubble Telescope. Their shuttle, the Explorer, is destroyed by debris from a satellite. They have to find a way back to Earth.
That first shot is the film's first ten minutes. And that above paragraph is pretty much the whole movie.
Oh yeah, and it turns out that space is pretty harsh. Dr. Stone has to stay positive if she's to survive.
Director Alfonso Cuaron's space odyssey is an unusually small ninety-minutes. Those minutes go by pretty fast thanks to Cuaron and his co-editor, Mark Sanger. They're as thrilling as those movies that push through two hours.
Outer space, as photographed by Emmanuel Lubezki, is pretty impressive. Sometimes claustrophobic, other-times expansive, the imagery is one of the best cinematic depictions of outer space. And it makes up for a lack of sound effects with a great score by Steven Price.
The film can get brutal at times, but the screenplay, by Cuaron and his son Jonas, has some comic relief. Much of it is from George Clooney's slick Kowalski...I should stop myself before I'm tempted to spoil.
As an exercise in visual effects, Gravity stays afloat. It's an Epic Fall Blockbuster that will surely be counted as a milestone of the medium. Whether in 3D or Flatscreen, it thrills the audience either way.
Two of my past reviews were 127 Hours and Life of Pi. One was about a man pinned to a boulder for the whole movie, and the other was about a young man in a lifeboat with a tiger for most of the movie. Both were good movies, as is Gravity, about two people (and only them) surviving in space.
In the film's first shot, Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) and Matt Kowalski (George Clooney) are in space repairing the Hubble Telescope. Their shuttle, the Explorer, is destroyed by debris from a satellite. They have to find a way back to Earth.
That first shot is the film's first ten minutes. And that above paragraph is pretty much the whole movie.
Oh yeah, and it turns out that space is pretty harsh. Dr. Stone has to stay positive if she's to survive.
Director Alfonso Cuaron's space odyssey is an unusually small ninety-minutes. Those minutes go by pretty fast thanks to Cuaron and his co-editor, Mark Sanger. They're as thrilling as those movies that push through two hours.
Outer space, as photographed by Emmanuel Lubezki, is pretty impressive. Sometimes claustrophobic, other-times expansive, the imagery is one of the best cinematic depictions of outer space. And it makes up for a lack of sound effects with a great score by Steven Price.
The film can get brutal at times, but the screenplay, by Cuaron and his son Jonas, has some comic relief. Much of it is from George Clooney's slick Kowalski...I should stop myself before I'm tempted to spoil.
As an exercise in visual effects, Gravity stays afloat. It's an Epic Fall Blockbuster that will surely be counted as a milestone of the medium. Whether in 3D or Flatscreen, it thrills the audience either way.
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Rush
Now's the time of year when we get the Oscar movies en-masse. One of the first out of the gate is Rush, a film about racecar drivers. Even if you're not into racing, this real life tale should be a real thrill.
Directed by Ron Howard, Rush is about one of the 70's most famous sports rivalries. James Hunt (Chirs Hemsworth) is the brash and reckless Brit with many Formula Three victories. Niki Lauda (Daniel Brühl) is the level-headed Austrian who literally bought his way into the sport. The two egos instantly dislike each other off the track.
Once they make their way into Formula One, their rivalry on the track gets fierce. When Lauda is nearly killed in a crash, both his and Hunts' egos come down. Only after that are they able to respect each other as equals.
The screenplay is by Peter Morgan, whose play Frost/Nixon was also filmed by Howard. It makes the off-track action as much exciting as the on-track stuff. At times, the audience may find one of the men likable and the other not likable. Both leads are perfectly cast and compelling; by the end of the film, the audience's side is surely on both.
The film's pit crew (sic) also deserve attention. Among them are editors Mike Hill and Daniel P. Hanley, whose quick work keeps the film going. Also setting the mood are cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle, production designer Mark Digby and especially composer Hans Zimmer. The makeup department, meanwhile, gives its actors some very graphic injuries and disfigurements.
Those looking for an intense sports story have found it. Rush will keep the audience entranced for its 123 minute runtime. On the awards side, it should be a good starter for the cinematic parade to come.
Directed by Ron Howard, Rush is about one of the 70's most famous sports rivalries. James Hunt (Chirs Hemsworth) is the brash and reckless Brit with many Formula Three victories. Niki Lauda (Daniel Brühl) is the level-headed Austrian who literally bought his way into the sport. The two egos instantly dislike each other off the track.
Once they make their way into Formula One, their rivalry on the track gets fierce. When Lauda is nearly killed in a crash, both his and Hunts' egos come down. Only after that are they able to respect each other as equals.
The screenplay is by Peter Morgan, whose play Frost/Nixon was also filmed by Howard. It makes the off-track action as much exciting as the on-track stuff. At times, the audience may find one of the men likable and the other not likable. Both leads are perfectly cast and compelling; by the end of the film, the audience's side is surely on both.
The film's pit crew (sic) also deserve attention. Among them are editors Mike Hill and Daniel P. Hanley, whose quick work keeps the film going. Also setting the mood are cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle, production designer Mark Digby and especially composer Hans Zimmer. The makeup department, meanwhile, gives its actors some very graphic injuries and disfigurements.
Those looking for an intense sports story have found it. Rush will keep the audience entranced for its 123 minute runtime. On the awards side, it should be a good starter for the cinematic parade to come.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)