Twins: Two Brothers Who Are Perhaps Too Close

2.5/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito are twins made in a lab experiment who find each other after years apart.

I understand this film is considered by some to be a classic, but personally I struggle to see it as anything above average.

Yes, Schwarzenegger and DeVito have strong chemistry together on screen and a rather impressive back and forth but that only goes so far. I didn’t find either to be hugely funny, and for the most part the jokes of the film left me cold.

Moreover, there were a number of lines that were troublesome for a plethora of reasons, and yes though some will say ‘oh it was made in a different time’ that is still no excuse. Whilst the icky jokes and comments didn’t put me off the film they were enough to be jarring and to take me out of it.

I would say I preferred DeVito’s character to Schwarzenegger’s as he had numerous funny lines and was written as a more interesting character with layers, as opposed to Schwarzenegger’s who was very one note.

Another issue I had with the film was the wider story. Beyond the twins meeting and then setting out on an adventure together the rest of the story here is a mess. It is one of the most overly convoluted plots I have seen in a while, with twists and a needlessly large amount of side characters stuffed in to try and make the film as confusing as possible.

Overall, though watchable and at times even moderately entertaining there is no way this is a classic.

Pros.

DeVito

A few funny lines

DeVito and Schwarzenegger’s chemistry together

Cons.

It is convoluted

There are too many side characters

Some of the lines are icky

The jokes mostly don’t work

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The House Next Door, Meet The Blacks Two: From Surviving The Purge To Fighting Vampires

3/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

After surviving the events of terror night, the Blacks are now beset by vampires next door.

Very rarely is a sequel better than the film that proceeded it, even less so in horror. However, this film is a noticeable improvement over the first.

The first film was very reliant on cliches, racial stereotypes, and trendy internet buzz words. This film, however, actually manages to be funny and to be a worthwhile contribution to the horror comedy genre.

A big part of that is the fact that this time around Karl Black, Mike Epps, is actually likeable. This film makes the character far more sympathetic, so much so that you root for him and want to see him defeat the vampire that is living next door.

Katt Williams as Doctor Mamuwalde, the vampire, is easily the best thing about this film. Williams is a scene stealer and makes for a terrific villain. I would like to see him return in some capacity again if they make a third film as he really adds something to proceedings.

However, the main reason this film is better than the first is because it is funnier. Yes, this film made me laugh several times throughout and it made me smile more than that. Though humour may be subjective I think it is very unlikely someone would find the first film funnier than this one.

Overall, a successful sequel that is much more fun to watch than its predecessor.

Pros.

Williams

The characters are far more likeable

The ending and set up for further mystical adventures

Cons.

Other than Karl the rest of the family are side-lined

Still quite cliched and lazy at times

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Fifty Shades Of Black: Marlon Wayans Needs To Retire

0.5/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

A parody of Fifty Shades Of Gray.

This film is one of the worst I’ve seen in a while and shows just how far Marlon Wayans has fallen.

Firstly not only is it not funny all of the jokes are the same and are equally painful. The film reads like it was written by a teenager and relies on gross out humour and weak physical comedy to try and get a cheap laugh out of the audience, but even still it fails.

Secondly, this film has a storyline, or should I say a whole character whose soul purpose is to date rape his friend. Yes, that’s right the female leads best friend spends the whole film trying to force her into sex in some fashion. Sick and wrong, and worst of all the film thinks this is funny. Someone wants to have a look into the private goings on of the people who made this film if they think sexual assault is funny.

Thirdly, and this is something the film can be proud of, the film is so bad it makes the Fifty Shades movies better. I never thought I would end up saying that about a film but sadly it applies here, it is just so awful that even those films look better by comparison.

Overall, not only is this film trash those who made it should be made to apologies.

Pros.

It makes Fifty Shades, and its sequels look like fine cinema

Cons

It makes a joke out of sexual assault

It is boring

It tries too hard to be edgy

It is not funny

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Werewolves Within: A Property Deal Gone Bad

2.5/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

A group of people in a small town get trapped during a werewolf attack.

Once this film gets going, which admittedly takes a while, and the werewolf begins to actually play a large role in the story this film really takes off- sadly that is about ten minutes from the end.

It has been a while since we had a truly good werewolf film, maybe WolfCop was the last good one but even that was a while ago now. As such I had a lot riding on this in terms of excitement and it struggled to deliver. The final ten minutes of werewolf goodness almost make all of the boring build up worth it.

Therein lies the problem with this film and why it can get no higher, it spends a long time introducing you to basically pointless characters who become werewolf chow and tries to make you care about these characters and the mystery of who is the werewolf. In both of these aims the film fails. I only cared about Finn, Sam Richardson, and Cecily, Milana Vayntrub, the rest of the characters just faded to the background. This film wastes too much time getting to the moments you actually want to see.

The final fight is fun to watch and is certainly a highpoint for the film.

Finally, this is a comedy horror film, but really it is neither. It is not scary nor is it funny. So I ask you what is it?

Overall, a let down that only has a very brief sequence of werewolf goodness

Pros.

Richardson

Vayntrub

The werewolf fight at the end

Cons.

It is not funny

It is not scary

It spends too long with pointless side characters

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iCarly: i’M Cursed

3.5/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

Carly has trouble celebrating her birthday as she believes she is cursed with yearly bad luck.

These last two episodes of iCarly have been the best of the series so far, they have been less interested in trying to lampoon online culture and have instead focused on our characters as people having fun together. It turns out when they are not trying to force an outdated meme reference into every episode, the series works a lot better.

Moreover, Miranda Cosgrove is finally starting to get back into the groove with the character managing to hit the sweet spot between being likeable and being self-involved. You actually root for the character here and want to see her have a nice birthday, this episode does a lot to make her sympathetic.

Though I enjoyed the main Carly storyline, I thought the Harper and Freddie side stories were on the weaker side and could have definitely done with being further developed because as they stand they seem incredibly throw away. Freddie reverts back to a partying student as he worries that he has wasted his twenties being too serious and mature and Harper can’t talk to someone she admires, both of these sub-plots feel simply written to give these characters something to do as the show clearly doesn’t know what to do with them.

Overall, a good, fun episode of iCarly with some story issues but nothing too bad.

Pros.

Carly’s curse

Miranda Cosgrove

Moving away from referencing/mocking memes

A few funny moments

Cons.

The side stories feel throw away

The episode is badly paced

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The Polka King: Netflix Needs To Try Harder

2.5/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

Based on a true story. Jan Lewan, played by Jack Black, is the self-styled King of Polka, however when the bills start to pile up he turns to committing wide scale fraud in order to maintain his reputation and keep his family comfortable.

I can’t help but compare this to Bernie the Richard Linklater directed true crime film wherein Jack Black played another oddly eccentric criminal. However where that film had exciting stakes this film just seems to keep the same pace never really ramping up to anything, and then he gets caught. It is underwhelming.

Moreover, Black’s performance is okay, but he has certainly been better. Usually, I would deem it heresy to say anything bad about the singing ability of Black, but here he is particularly not good. I don’t know if it is the repetitive nature of the songs themselves, but whenever it cut to one of his concerts I actively felt off put and couldn’t wait for it to be over.

By far the best thing about this film is Jason Schwartzman, who excels in offbeat comedy films dark and otherwise. Schwartzman made this film for me, and whenever he was on-screen it was a delight. Honestly the film needed more of him, Black was doing all he could to keep the film together, but it wasn’t enough: they should have given Schwartzman more to do.

Overall, a very middling film that is not a great showing for anyone other than Jason Schwartzman who can’t be brought down by the films mediocrity

Pros.

Schwartzman

Black is trying

It is has promise

Cons.

It lacks stakes the crimes all feel very much on the same level

Black singing polka music is off putting

It is painfully slow

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Hell Baby: Straight From The Pits Of Hell

1/5

Written by Luke Barnes

I understand comedy is subjective, but I don’t see how anyone can find this film funny. There are long drawn out ‘jokes’ where the funny element is that the characters are just eating and making repetitive noises over and over again- how is that funny?

The only reason this film got a 1 is because of Kegan Michael-Key who frankly is doing everything he can to save this film, but even his herculean effort can’t stop this film from being awful. There were only a handful of moments where I laughed in this film, and they were all as a result of Key.

Moreover, this film much in the same vein as Coming To America 2 and A Haunted House made light of male sexual abuse. This is a recurring theme within comedy films, and it needs to stop, it is not only in bad taste, but it also sets a bad precedent for male victims of sexual abuse to be laughed off or treated as not serious. The scene in questions sees the lead receiving unwanted oral sex from someone he thinks is his wife only to later find out it is not, when it is revealed that he has been abused he is then made to feel lesser by his wife- real bad message there.

Furthermore, there is also a drawn out needless nude scene with Riki Lindhome’s character. This scene goes on and on and on, and it makes you think is the joke supposed to be that the people who made this were/are creeps or am I missing something. The whole thing feels very exploitative.

Overall, this is bottom of the barrel comedy horror, it does neither well and though Kegan Michael-Key tries his best this film deserves damnation.

Pros.

Key

Cons.

Playing off male sexual assault as a joke

The icky nude scene

It is mostly deeply unfunny

It is nothing you haven’t seen before

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Ritchie Rich: Kevin McAllister’s Adventures After Home Alone

3/5

Written by Luke Barnes

This film almost feels like a spiritual follow up to Home Alone. That is not just because Culkin is basically playing the same character, but also because it continues America’s fascination of stopping those who are after their wealth, and the idea that if you’re rich you will have to defend your fortune at least once.

I felt that this film was sweet and heart-warming, not Home Alone charming but still fairly feel good. Though the film can feel overly sentimental at times, it also still feels fun to watch. For the most part I enjoyed the story, I found it entertaining to watch this little kid use gadgets to defeat an evil corporate man intent on stealing his families fortune: it really is Home Alone.

We do manage to feel some sympathy for this incredibly privileged character and though he could have felt somewhat unrelatable or even cold if it were an adult in the same role, Culkin makes the character easy to like and we do root for him to befriend the local children and be able to be a normal kid just like everyone else.

I found the plot of the film to fall apart the more I thought about it, but I won’t overly analyse this as it is a kids film, and they are not known for their air tight logic or quick wits.

Overall, fun and breezy, but not something that you will think about again once it is over.
Pros.

Culkin

The fun

It is basically Home Alone all over again

Cons.

The plot falls apart

It is insanely predictable

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Tuca And Bertie: Nighttime Friend

2.5/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

Bertie deals with her TV induced narcolepsy and Tuca tries to find something to do at night as she can’t sleep.

Man, I watched this back to back with the recent Rick and Morty episode and that was a bad choice. Both episodes are incredibly sad, and I came away from the viewing wanting a cry.

Considering this series is a comedy I was expecting a few laughs, however there is nothing even remotely funny about this episode. The show doesn’t have to be silly or cracking out a joke a minute, but it also shouldn’t be depressing.

I enjoyed finally getting to see Tuca have the spotlight for the episode. Often Bertie gets the focus, so it is nice to see Tuca have the limelight for once. I thought exploring the idea of Tuca and responsibility was interesting, usually the character tries to remain breezy and actively avoids intense situations, but you can’t always escape them and sometimes you have to do the grown up thing. Moreover, I thought the relationship between Tuca, and her user Aunt was heart-breaking. Seeing her Aunt use her and then turn on her when she refuses to bring her anymore alcohol is powerful and shows the uncomfortable positions of being trapped in a toxic familial relationship.

I thought Bertie’s B storyline was fine, clearly it was set up as comedic relief, but I didn’t really find it funny: though I did appreciate the break.

Overall, I don’t think this series is a comedy anymore, and that is both a good and a bad thing.

Pros.

Seeing Tuca have to deal with adult responsibility

Bertie’s B story provided a nice break

Cons.

It is sad

It is not funny

It is hard to get through

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Rick And Morty: A Rickconvenient Mort

2.5/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

Morty falls in love with an elemental being, and Rick and Summer go on an end of the world sex binge.

Man this episode bummed me out. This might be the most depressing episode of Rick and Morty yet, forget the ending of season four, or when Rick gets arrested, this episode is heart breaking. Both the A and B plots are just sad, I hope you have something happy lined up after this.

I enjoy the episodes of Rick and Morty that explore the duo as people and as individuals, and this does that but proves that I need to be careful what I wish for. The character work is strong but honestly it is hard to watch. Morty seems to be all over the place in this episode, murdering people like they are nothing maybe he has been spending too much time with Rick. I thought his relationship with Plaentina was icky and twisted as it implies the two sleep together and he is below the age of consent. It was nice having Alison Brie provide her voice to the episode, she certainly brings a memorable performance and hopefully the character will return in the future.

The Rick and Summer storyline is odd, and the emotion of it doesn’t land in the way they would like it to. Straight off the bat it is a little strange how cool Rick is with going on a sex rampage with his granddaughter. Secondly the jealously angle with Summer preventing an apocalypse to prove that Rick’s happy relationship is false also feels somewhat jarring and maybe even a bit creepy. Widely this storyline is forgettable.

The stuff with Beth was probably the highpoint of the episode and it was nice to see her as a concerned and nurturing parent even if the episode takes its sweet time getting to it.

Overall, a depressing and maybe even upsetting episode of Rick and Morty and one I might skip on my next rewatch.

Pros.

Summer has a few funny lines

Alison Brie is a good guest star, and her character is interesting

Cons.

It is depressing

The Rick and Summer storyline has no point

Morty just flips out and kills a bunch of people and other than one throw away line it is never mentioned or reacted to

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