Identity Thief: Jason Bateman Deserves Better

Identity Thief

1/5

Written by Luke Barnes

This film reminds me of the worst output from Adam Sandler, it is boring, mean spirited and cheap. As I have said at length in other reviews, the joke of Melissa McCarthy being large is not funny, if anything it is offensive to those of that disposition. The jokes are equally as lazy and reek of desperate cliches and stereotypes thought of by people who long since realised they weren’t funny and didn’t know how to be anymore.

The Americans need to realise that being loud and obnoxious is not funny, repeating a joke over and over at a louder decibel does not make it funny- the rest of the world knows this, maybe its time to check your memos. The jokes in this film never really land, there might be the odd chuckle here or there but for the most part they are cheap and base.

Jason Bateman deserves better than this, I am glad to see after this film came out he moved on to better fare- he needs to cut the connection to McCarthy as it is starting to tarnish his good name. Bateman is the only reason this film gets the score it gets; he is the one saving grace.

Overall, yet more cheap comedy fare wherein McCarthy self-deprecates herself for some desperate laughs.

Pros.

Jason Bateman

Cons.

McCarthy

The fat jokes

The obnoxiousness of it

The plot goes nowhere, and you have seen it before

If you enjoyed this review, then please head over to my Patreon to support me, I offer personalized shoutouts, one on one Q and As and the ability for you to tell me what to review next. Check it out!

https://www.patreon.com/AnotherMillennialReviewer

Jack And Jill: Did Anyone Find This Funny? Anyone?

Jack And Jill

0/5

Written by Luke Barnes

I have been a fan of Adam Sandler for years; I have defended many of his films that people think are frequently terrible. However, even I have a line and this film pushed me past it. The joke of the film, it repeats over and over again despite the fact it is not funny is, oh look its Adam Sandler in drag, ha ha. Now, if we unpack that before going any further, you can see how mean spirited and harmful this film really is, why should we laugh at a man in drag? Why is that supposed to be funny? The idea seems to be to laugh at and find humour in those different to you, which has been proven throughout history to be a hell of a bad thing, yet Sandler gets a pass because it is a dumb comedy film?

This surely has to be the lowest point of Sandler’s career, though never say never, as he proves himself to represent all the worst things about the film industry, and also to be out of touch with what people want to see in comedy films. Did anyone want this? Did anyone find this funny?

The rest of the cast who haunt this film are clearly only there for an easy pay day, and they get it but at what cost.

Overall, a terrible film that should be avoided.

Pros.

None.

Cons.

Laughing at people in drag

Adam Sandler

It isn’t funny

It is repetitive

Frankly it is irritating

https://www.patreon.com/AnotherMillennialReviewer

The Switch: Icky, Grim And Distributed By Disney

The Switch

1.5/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Romantic comedies have a strong tendency to be toxic, both in their characters and their messages this has both. Jason Bateman’s Wally, get jealous that his friend who he has a crush on is using another man’s sperm for her artificial impregnation, so he swaps out the baby batter with his own- and forgets to tell her. One could justify this icky behaviour by saying ‘oh he has amnesia because he is drunk’, but then even when he remembers he still doesn’t tell her right away. Wrong.

Is the character punished for his morally dubious actions, yes, but only briefly he still gets together with the girl at the end of the film, so it is okay to behave like the way he did? Trivialising if not justifying.

Both of the leads, Bateman and Jennifer Anniston have a lot of charm and are easy to root for, however, the very nature of the premise makes this almost impossible. The talents of the actors are ultimately wasted as you can’t get around the simply bad act.

Overall, what could have been a very promising romantic comedy is brought low by the plot and its warped morals.

Pros.

Anniston

Bateman

Cons.

The message

The fact that they end up together

Jeff Goldblum’s character is troublesome

We Broke Up: The Romantic Comedy Film For Swingers, Cuckolds And Anyone Else Of An Open Lifestyle

We Broke Up

2/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Why are romantic comedy films so toxic? Why can’t we just have one film without a needlessly nasty message? To wit in this feature the idea seems to be there is nothing hotter than your committed partner fooling around with someone else: as referenced by a scene where the supposedly broken up, but clearly not really, couple have a steamy session after the guy admits being unfaithful. What is this saying?

Moreover the leads, who are broken up for the purposes of the film and drama but are basically a couple; you know how it goes let’s pretend to still be a couple and then get back together at the end, are charmless and cliched. It is a shame as I like both the actors in other things, however here they just can’t do it for me, they have about as much believable chemistry together on screen as two paper cut outs would.

The ending is fairly predictable, and that is the case for the whole film. Though it is very watchable and not terribly bad, hence the 2, there is nothing new here it is the same old same old pumped out again to a vain and desperate effort to separate you from your money.

Overall, bland and disappointing.

Pros.

It is watchable

There are worse rom-coms out there.

Cons.

The leads have no chemistry

The cheating plot line

It is predictable and ultimately boring

https://www.patreon.com/AnotherMillennialReviewer

Bad Witch: The Relatable Witch

Bad Witch

4/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Comedy horror often has the issue of favouring one element over the other, however, as a rare exception this film manages to perfectly capture the essence of both and balance them together well, forming a perfectly rounded comedy horror film.

I enjoyed the comedic gimmick of the unfortunate witch who is just as much of a screw up as the rest of us, I thought it made the character feel very relatable and easily likeable, whilst also helping to bring out and enhance the comedic elements. This film made me laugh a lot throughout.

I also thought the scarier parts of the film worked well, they managed to build on the unsettling moments to create strong through and through scares that stay with you long after the film. I appreciated how the film focused on atmospheric scares over jump scares, I think it is always the more effective route and it is proven so here.

My only problem with this film is that it is poorly paced and does have a few moments that drag on.

Overall, a near perfect comedy horror film that could have been made perfect with a tighter edit.

Pros.

Comedy

Horror

A relatable lead

The ending

Cons.

Pacing, bloat, and needless subplots

https://www.patreon.com/AnotherMillennialReviewer

Pride: Fight For The Change You Want To See In The World

Pride

3/5

Written by Luke Barnes

This film made me both happy and sad, as paradoxical as that might be. On the one hand it was hopeful to see the miners embrace the LGBTQ+ activists, but on the other, seeing the horrible homophobia made me sad. I left the film feeling conflicted towards humanity.

This film can beautifully play with your emotions, as it did to me, and that is a testament to the writing, but also the real events that inspired the film. The film feels empowering to watch, inspiring you to make a change for the betterment of society.

The acting talent on display here is undeniable, Joe Gilgun, Dominic West, Andrew Scott and an always reliable Paddy Considine all perform well and leave an impression long after the film ends. George McKay is a little less strong and does drag down some of the scenes he is in, but thankfully he is not given much of the heavy lifting to do.

Furthermore, Pride does struggle with pacing and ends up feeling overly long and a little indulgent, by the time we reach the end the film is already starting to outstay its welcome.

A final note before concluding, Faye Marsay is terrific and should be cast in more films- a staggering young talent.

Overall, a good film that suffers with pace.

Pros.

The acting, bare McKay

The message

The empowering tone

Cons.

The Pace

George McKay

Thunder Force: Seal Is Overplayed

Thunder Force

2.5/5

Written by Luke Barnes

The team-ups between Melissa McCarthy and her director husband Ben Falcone, have so far produced bad film after bad film. Many would tell you that this film is yet another in that line, however, I have to say it is not as bad as I thought it was going to be.

The world of the film, and the characters other than McCarthy’s lead, are all entertaining and fun enough that you happily watch them for the duration. Jason Bateman as the likeable sub villain turned hero has a lot of great moments on screen and steals the show ultimately. Likewise Octavia Spenser as one of the founding members of the Thunder Force brings a lot of class and presence to the role and makes the most out of it.

The thing that lets this film down is Melissa McCarthy. As many of you know I am no fan of McCarthy or her humour, she is frequently the worst part of the films she is in, and this is a near perfect example of that. Her dated references aren’t funny, the jokes aimed at her being fat or odd aren’t funny and feel needlessly mean, and don’t even get me started on the slapstick.

Overall, not as bad as you have heard, but I still can’t recommend it.

Pros.

Bateman

The world

Cons.

Melissa McCarthy

The humour

The plot/premise and the over familiarity

https://www.patreon.com/AnotherMillennialReviewer

Made In Italy: Who Knew Renovating Old Houses Could Be So Emotional

Written by Luke Barnes

Made In Italy is a comedy drama film directed by James D’Arcy. The plot sees an estranged father and son bond whilst renovating their derelict Italian home for sale.

I enjoy Liam Neeson, I think he is great as an action hero, he is great in his rare comedic roles and he is great as a dramatic actor- this film proves that last point. This film is so passionate and raw that it simply has to hit a nerve in those watching it, and Neeson is a big part of that.

The dynamic and bond between the father and son is so moving and beautiful that it brought a tear to my eye. The relationship is more than a little relatable, and I am sure many can agree on that point, and the scene when the two finally open up to each other and talk about their issues is particularly heart-breaking.

There are a few different romance subplots sown into the film, but where in other films this could prove to be an unwelcomed distraction here it only serve to boost the emotion of the film and at times provide some much needed comedic relief.

Overall, a beautiful and thoughtful film that reached me on an emotional level.

Pros.

The father son dynamic

Neeson as a dramatic actor

The emotion

The ending

The score is also very strong

Cons.

None

5/5

If you enjoyed this review, then please head over to my Patreon to support me, I offer personalized shoutouts and the ability for you to tell me what to review next. Check it out!

https://www.patreon.com/AnotherMillennialReviewer

Bad Trip: The Worst Of Tiffany Haddish

Written by Luke Barnes

Bad Trip is a hidden camera comedy film directed by Kitao Sakurai. The plot sees two best friends (played by Eric Andre and Lil Rel Howley), go on a quest to escape their boring lives and chase love in New York City.

I am split on this film. On the one hand it had several funny moments, mainly from Andre, that made me laugh out loud. However, on the other there were also a fair few jokes and stunts that were in deeply poor taste: such as one where Andre’s character gets his hand caught in a blender, now the reason why this is in poor taste is because those around Andre’s character think it is real and respond as such- this could be potentially traumatic.

Moreover, I didn’t find either of the main characters particularly likeable, however, of the two Andre’s is by far worse, he is a selfish jerk, and it is hard to root for him. I don’t know if this is a deliberate character decision or not, but it does taint the film to a degree.

Furthermore, Tiffany Haddish is unbearably unfunny as the films villain. Haddish has films were she shines, and films were she is the worst part, and this is definitely the latter. Her character has one trait that this film is interested in and that is that she is tough, and the film doesn’t bother to explore her character beyond that.

Overall, though it has a few laugh out loud hilarious parts, the film runs the gambit of bad taste and doesn’t have characters that you can even remotely root for.

Pros.

A few really funny jokes

Cons.

Haddish

Bad taste

Not all of the jokes land

The ending

1/5

If you enjoyed this review, then please head to my Patreon to support me, I offer personalized shoutouts and the ability for you to tell me what to review next. Check it out!

https://www.patreon.com/AnotherMillennialReviewer

Paradise PD: Are You Edgy Enough To Enjoy This Show?

Written by Luke Barnes

Paradise PD is an animated tv show created by Waco O’ Guin and Roger Black. The plot follows the wacky goings on in a small town police department.

Paradise PD and Brickleberry are both very divisive shows. The comedy of this show often goes very dark and tries to out edgy itself, as nothing is off limits; it makes programs like Family Guy look tame.

Usually edgy humour doesn’t bother me, if anything I enjoy it. However, the third season of this show, which is the primary review focus of this piece, took it too far and put me off. It was not a particular thing that was said, but rather the wider attitude of the show. The jokes felt lazy, they were just trying to be as offensive as possible with no wider thought than that: they point this out numerous times with fourth wall breaks, but as I have said in previous reviews pointing out bad writing or in this case bad jokes doesn’t suddenly make them good.

Continuing on in that vein I thought this season was the worst of the show as well in terms of meta-comedy. The previously mentioned fourth wall breaks are used to a point of becoming insufferable here, they have been used in the show before, but now a reference to how the world actually exists as an animated tv show every few minutes, and it really isn’t as clever as the show clearly thinks it is.

Overall, hopefully much like Brickleberry this series will only run for 3 seasons and it won’t go on to tarnish itself.

Pros

One or two good jokes

It was nice to see Gina move beyond her infatuation with Dusty

Cons.

It mostly isn’t funny anymore

It is irritating

The plot for the most part seems unable to advance and has to repeat the same points over and over again

1.5/5 (for season 3) higher for the series as a whole.

If you enjoyed this review, then please head to my Patreon to support me, I offer personalized shoutouts and the ability for you to tell me what to review next. Check it out!

https://www.patreon.com/AnotherMillennialReviewer