The Happytime Murders

The Happytime Murders is a crime comedy film featuring puppets. That is all you need to know. The main plot focuses on former partners, Philips voiced by, (Bill Barretta) and Edwards, (Melissa McCarthy), who have to work together again to solve a series of murders. The film’s main aim seems to be to disprove the idea that puppets are synonyms with family-friendly fun, why it wants to do this is anyone’s guess. Does it work? Well, that I can answer for you, no it most certainly doesn’t.

Before I carry on, I want to say that I had low expectations for this film; in that regard, the film did manage to surpass my ideas about it, even making me laugh a few times. However, it is not a good film or one I would recommend, simply put, when compared to McCarthy’s other 2018 work, Life of the Party– it is merely a small step up.

First, this is a film no one asked for, throughout the film’s entire runtime it never gave any justification for its existence; beyond being solely for the money. Feeling needless in the worst way.

The plot and story feel like a rehashing of genre tropes, with nothing new added to them, lacking all the charm of other genre films such as the Nice Guys. The screenplay places an emotional significance on the fallout between Edwards and Phillips, even having flashbacks. These are to little effect as each emotional beat of the arc feels played out and predictable. This is not helped at all by the fact that Edwards and Phillips have no chemistry, none, watching their back and forths is often painful and unfunny.

Melissa McCarthy is forgettable and mildly annoying here, she brings very little to the role; with her jokes feeling straight to DVD quality. Conversely, Elizabeth Banks’ portrayal of Jenny, Phillips old flame, is one of the highlights of the film; though she is in my opinion sorely underused. To me, that is the criminal issue with this film, the good elements, such as Banks’ character and the world building, are ignored in favour of the formulaic, generic buddy cop cliches that have been done a million times before.

Finally, the humour of the film is needlessly profane, feeling done just for the sake of it rather than for the comedy. A lot of the jokes in the film will not make you laugh; with it being the serious moments that are often the funniest.

Overall this film fails as it tries overly to be edgy, being bland and boring in the process; nothing more than a collection of the Pulp Detective genre’s worst tropes. Not worth your time or money.

1/5

Reviewed by Luke

The Spy Who Dumped Me

The Spy Who Dumped Me is a comedy spy film, focusing on Audrey, (Mila Kunis), who after breaking up with her boyfriend later learns he is a spy. Hijinks ensue. The premise alone is not terrible, though it does feel oddly dated, it does seem like there are some laughs to be had here- there is potential. However, it is never fully implemented. The film is a mostly meh affair, being serviceable but not a whole lot more.
The script is weak, with the character work being likewise. The characters lack any motivation and, the film itself has very weak stakes. You never really care about the characters; even to the extent that you will remember their names when you leave the cinema. Kunis gives the best performance of the whole film, being the only likeable character; the rest are variants on either bland– or incredibly annoying. That brings us nicely to the other main character Morgan, (Kate McKinnon). Morgan does have some funny lines, let that be said, however, for the majority of the film her character is irritating. She is needlessly over the top and, a vast amount of her jokes don’t land. This poor character work is also present in Drew, (Justin Theroux). Drew is the titular spy, however other than a few brief sequences, some of which are devoid of any real meaning, he is absent. What’s more Theroux character is also very unlikeable, primarily because once again he is another annoying character.
The main positive of the film is the stunt work and the action choreography, both of which were far better than I was expecting. Said sequences aren’t on par with the likes of Bond or Mission Impossible, but they are still impressive in their own right.
Conversely, the film’s comedy is a collection of hits and misses, far more of the latter than the former. With the humour often being cringey and woefully off the mark.
To conclude, this film is, in essence, a complete waste of potential. It is never either good or bad, instead quite content in being meh. Additionally, the likeability of Kunis is tarnished and, eventually destroyed by the plethora of irritating characters.
2/5
Reviewed by Luke

Christopher Robin

Christopher Robin is a film that answers the question of what happened after the 100 Acre Wood, what happened when Christopher Robin became too old to play with Winnie the Pooh. The reality of that being that Robin has lost his ability to have fun, his work consumes him and, he is neglectful of his family. Of course, the re-emergence of Pooh in his life changes all that.

Though the plot may sound formulaic, it is surprisingly deep. If you can read past the simple premise, this film has a lot to say about growing up- about life. However, it is not a deep meditative affair, merely, a children’s comedy film with surprising insight. Furthermore, there are plenty of warm moments that remind you why you feel in love with the 100 Acre Wood gang in the first place, as well as many laughs to be had.

The CGI on Pooh and his compatriots is all done to the calibre you would expect from Disney-truly outstanding. Pooh himself has all the best lines, many of which you will remember long after you leave the cinema. What’s more the performances from Ewan McGregor, (Christopher Robin), and Hayley Atwell, (Evelyn Robin), are both fantastic; with both bringing emotional weight and a sense of whimsey to their respective roles.

The only minor issue with the film is that Evelyn, along with some of the members of the 100 Acre Wood gang, were not developed as much as they could have been. The reason for this is because the relationship between Pooh and Christopher takes centre stage, as it rightfully should, so I can’t be too angry about the underdeveloped side characters. The dynamic between a grown-up Christopher Robin and Pooh is superb, to sum it up acutely it is the relationship between an adult and a child, which is both fascinating and also able to work on many levels; given the context of the narrative.

Overall, this film greatly surprised me, vastly exceeding my expectations. With it being both feel-good family fun and, also having an ability to make you think and even reflect.

4/5

Reviewed by Luke

The Festival

The Festival is a British comedy film centring around two friends who attend a musical festival. One Nick, (Joe Thomas) goes to the festival to recover from a messy breakup and the other Shane, (Hammed Animashaun), goes to meet his hero DJ Hammer Head- hijinks ensue. Those who are familiar with the Inbetweeners, (a British comedy tv series), will find a lot of similar tissue here, due to similar creative teams. These similarities are my biggest issue with the film, many of the gags and jokes seem a little too familiar, and Thomas’s Nick is a near replica of his character of Simon from the Inbetweeners. However, that said, these similarities are not wholly a detriment to the film. If anything, they show this film for what it was a missed opportunity, as it could have easily been called the Inbetweeners 3 and it would have gained more fanfare.

The film’s humour is a perfect mix of cringe comedy and hilarious moments; working to great effect throughout. The standout character in this regard is Shane’s stepfather Robin, (Jemaine Clement), who steals every scene he is in; never failing to make me laugh.

As well as the film’s humour it also shares what the inbetweeners did so well, relatability. A false Hollywood esque studio comedy this is not. The film also manages to make most of the characters memorable and likeable, with the obvious example here being the effortlessly charming Amy, (Claudia O’ Doherty). Amy easily has some of the best lines of the film, and the relationship between her and Shane felt very genuine; O’Doherty is the breakout star of the film. Sadly, this likeability is not shared by the film’s lead. Thomas’s Nick is an annoying character in many ways, as such he is hard for root for; though I do think this was a conscious choice on behalf of the writers.

Finally, this film is a treasure trove of cameos from British comedians, with the likes of Nick Frost and Noel Fielding making terrific appearances.

Overall, if you loved the Inbetweeners, this is more of the same. The film’s greatest sin is that some of the side characters, like Amy, don’t get the attention they deserve, but this pales in light of the funny and relatable tale told.

3.5/5.

Reviewed by Luke

Teen Titans GO to The Movies

Teen Titans Go to The Movies, is an animated superhero film by DC and Warner Brothers; based on the kid’s tv series of the same name. Teen Titans is a blast from start to finish; it is entertaining and incredibly engaging, with it also having many surprisingly good musical numbers. Said musical numbers were all very well used and more importantly memorable; even after the credits roll. The characters were all effortlessly charming, especially Raven, (voiced by Tara Strong), who always put a smile on my face, with her near constant use of sarcasm. However, there was one character who I thought was grating, Starfire, (voiced by Hynden Walch). The reason for this annoyance was the way the character speaks saying things like, “friend Robin”, all too often; with that part of her character being played up. The plot of the film revolves around the team as they try and get Robin, (voiced by Scott Menville), a superhero film of his own. In many ways, this meta-ness coupled with comments throughout the film, on the superhero genre, is what a lot of people were expecting, but crucially didn’t get, from Pixar’s Incredibles 2. To further comment on the plot, in an era where everything is part of a larger shared universe, the self-contained, throwaway nature of Teen Titans Go to The Movies, really helped the film to feel fresh. Conversely, the film’s humour, which is very juvenile is not to everyone’s taste; said humour may make adult audiences feel out of place. Finally, Teen Titans is a treasure trove of references to DC Comics lore, which if you are a comic fan, like me, will put a smile on your face. Overall this is a fun, light-hearted and enjoyable superhero movie, definitely more of a kid’s film than one aimed at adults, but great all the same. Plus, it has one of the best, most adorable shorts ever before it.

3.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Ant-Man and the Wasp

Spoiler Warning.

Ant-Man and the Wasp is the latest film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The plot focuses on the efforts of Hank Pym, (Michael Douglas), and his daughter Hope, (Evangeline Lilly), as they try and bring back Hope’s mother Janet, (Michelle Pfeiffer), from the Quantum Realm. This film is a terrific sequel to the previous Ant-Man; as it deepens our connections to the characters. This is especially true of Hank, as he is given far more to do, even getting a hero moment all of his own. To this end, they introduce Bill Foster, (Lawrence Fishbourne). Foster is someone who has a history with Hank. For the little Fishbourne is used, he makes an impact and his relationship with Ava/Ghost, (Hannah John-Kamen), is one I hope gets explored in future instalments. Moreover, Ghost is the villain of the film, but she is not a generically evil character: she is instead a tortured soul looking for release. To continue on the note of villains, Walton Goggins plays Sunny Burch; who is the films, secondary antagonist. Burch is used as a standard evil villain, but he is also, however, an incredibly weak character. My greatest complaint about this film the character work is it’s incredibly uneven, some secondary characters like Michael Pena’s Luis are expanded whilst other secondary characters are criminally underused. However, there are two positives that offset this. Firstly, Lilly’s character of Hope is expanded wonderfully, with her being by far the standout character of the film. The second thing is that the plot hones in on the father-daughter relationship between Scott and Cassie; making for some incredibly sweet moments. Overall, this film is a step up from its predecessor in every way, being a sweet, funny self-contained bit of Marvel excellence.

4/5

Reviewed by Luke

Mamma Mia 2

Spoilers

Mamma Mia, here we go again is a musical film, with two central plotlines. One is set in the present day focusing on Sophie, (Amanda Seyfried) as she tries to open a hotel in honour of her late mother Donna, (Meryl Streep). The other plotline is a series of flashbacks that chronicle how Donna, met each of Sophies 3 fathers and her early time on the island. Both storylines are good and have emotional weight, which leads to a bittersweet interwoven climax in the film’s third act. Furthermore, the casting of Lilly James as young Donna is spot on, James nails the performance; with it being clear to see she is enjoying every minute of it. However, my one criticism of the flashback storyline is that there is one moment that is clearly trying to be funny but instead comes off as overly awkward. In many ways the present-day storyline, whilst still being good, is overshadowed by the flashbacks. This is true in many ways, such as if we are being honest James is more of an enjoyable presence than Seyfried. The best thing about the present-day storyline is Fernando Cienfuegos, (Andy Garcia), who chews up every scene he is in. Moreover, whilst his character’s late in the game romance with, Ruby, (Cher) produces the best musical number of the whole film, it suffers from being underdeveloped. Finally, the music, the score and the songs themselves are of course superb. However, there is an issue which lies in how the songs are used. Mostly the songs feel spontaneous and natural, but there are a few instances where they feel needless and forced in for the sake of hitting all of ABBA’s greatest hits. Overall, this is a very fun romp, being a nice bit of summer escapism that I strongly recommend you indulge in. This film will make you laugh, cry and most importantly sing along.

3.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Uncle Drew

Uncle Drew is a comedy film about Basketball. The main plot focuses on a former player turned coach Dax, (Lil Rey Howery) as he is forced to put together a new team in hopes of winning the Rucker. Said new team consists of Uncle Drew, (Kyrie Irving), Big Fella, (Shaquille O’ Neal), Preacher, (Chris Webber) along with a lot of other famous faces; disguised by old makeup. For the most part, the cast all give good, if rather cliched, performances. The cast is not given much to work with in terms of the script with it being every sports trope in the book cobbled together, but they still manage to inject some much-needed heart into it. The film does have a lot of famous NBA player cameos, so if you are into your Basketball these should keep you suitably entertained. These cameos don’t feel tacked on, as they easily could have done, rather it seems they are used to give the Basketball community a celebration of the game they love so much. If you can view this film, for more than just what it’s limited story presents, and instead as a love letter to Basketball then you will enjoy it far more. The main antagonist of the film is, Dax’s long-time rival Mookie, (Nick Kroll), who is an easily hateable villain. Howery and Irving are the standout performances of the film. Howery brings a certain hopeless likeability to the role, as he perfectly en-captures the underdog spirit. Whilst Irving plays Drew as not only, slick, suave and ultimately cool but, also with a world-weariness formed by a lifetime of bad decisions, which makes his character quite a nice opposite for Dax. All those positives being said the script is overall very shallow and that isn’t something the film can get away from, the characters, as likeable as some of them are, ultimately amount to little more than caricatures of genre archetypes. Furthermore, the comedy didn’t work, there were moments where I felt myself smiling and maybe one or two laughs, but overall the comedy of the film passed me by and left me cold. In addition, there are scenes in the film that feel strangely dated, such as a dance-off in the films second act, that feels like it belongs to a different decade of cinema. Whether this is a deliberate choice to play off the fact that they are, “old school”, or not, it still feels out of place. The film’s soundtrack is impressive, managing to bridge generations, with something for everyone to like. However, ultimately all these positives are just shiny coats of paint on an otherwise played out, dated and generic sports comedy. Maybe wait until this one comes out on Netflix.
2/5
Reviewed by Luke

Tag

Spoilers ahead

Tag follows a group of friends who have been playing the game for most of their lives, strangely enough, it is also based on a true story. By and large, this film is a by the numbers comedy film, not being great, but not being bad either. Tag has quite a lot of unforeseen surprises in it, that I can guarantee you won’t see coming. Such as some well-choreographed action scenes, that give the film an over the top air, to an end twist that packs a strong emotional blow. The biggest problem this film has is that it doesn’t seem to know what it wants to be, as the three previously mentioned elements do work individually, but not as a larger film. Furthermore, there are several characters and subplots that feel tacked on, to pad out the film’s runtime. An example of this would be the love triangle between, Chilli, (Jake Johnson) Callahan, (Jon Hamm) and Cheryl Deakins, (Rashida Jones). Said love triangle really goes nowhere and doesn’t add much to any of the characters involved. The same could be said for Jerry’s alcoholism, and incredibly obsessive nature when it comes to tag, these plot threads are written in but are never explored in any depth. Overall, the plot is, (with the before mentioned twist being the exception), very familiar, and lacks any kind of uniqueness. The end twist of Hoagie, (Ed Helms), having cancer is quite powerful. Yes, it has been done before, but I feel it is used here to add some much-needed perspective to each of the characters, showing them how Tag isn’t as important as they think it is. The humour for me fell flat. That said, Jake Johnson, Hannibal Buress and Isla Fisher, have the best lines with the latter by far being the funniest character. Jon Hamm and Jeremy Renner, (Jerry), felt strangely miscast as they didn’t act as though they were in a comedy film instead taking it all a little too seriously; with that being especially true in Renner’s case. To add to a previous point, this film feels like it has an identity crisis, as there are times when it’s a zany over the top comedy, and then there are moments where it tries to have character drama, and I don’t believe the two are balanced well. Something else I want to draw attention to is Ed Helm’s performance. As far as leading characters go Helms’ Hoagie is one of the least memorable of recent memory, the other characters, (yes even Hamm and Renner), have something that makes them memorable, but not Helms; he is just playing the same character you’ve seen in 50 other Ed Helms’ films. To conclude there are good elements about this film, the end twist is well used and striking, and the action scene choreography is oddly well done, but overall Tag is a film that seems to be not quite sure what it is, with it trying to put in as many different elements as it can; and as a result, it loses focus.

1.5/5

Reviewed by Luke.

Ocean’s 8

Spoiler ahead!

Ocean’s 8 is the latest film in the series which follows Debbie Ocean, (Sandra Bullock), Danny’s Ocean’s sister. Ocean’s 8 does fall short of Soderbergh’s trilogy, this is most noticeably shown when you look at the films’ screenplays. Soderbergh’s previous films had very intricate heist sequences with everything fitting together elegantly, whereas 8 is a series of events that don’t make sense that come together in a way that leaves you saying, “wait what?”. Furthermore, there are twists that are laughably stupid such as, Anne Hathaway’s Daphne Kluger joining the team. What could have been good character development is instead boiled down to her joining the team because she’s lonely. That is indicative of the fact that the film is poorly written. The characters outside of Debbie are not given much in the way of motivation, feeling one dimensional and shallow. This is best shown through 9 ball, (Rihanna), with it serving to highlight her lack of acting ability and makes her character feel out of place. However, there are also positives. All the cast give good performances, with each actress adding an air of believability to their characters, making them likeable. The two best performances are from Anne Hathaway and a surprisingly funny third act turn by James Corden. Hathaway has all the funniest lines. Whereas Corden excels because he isn’t playing his usual over the top character, instead he plays it mostly straight, to a humour degree.

To conclude if you can ignore the numerous plot holes this is a good film; it is dumb fun and a thrilling ride to boot. Overall this is a good start to a possible new series.

3/5