Operation Christmas Drop: Army Porn

Operation Christmas Drop is a romantic comedy Christmas film directed by Martin Wood. The plot sees congressional aid Erica (Kat Graham), travel to a US Army base in Guam to decide whether keeping it open is cost effective. Whilst there she falls in love with handsome, saintly, soldier Andrew (Alexander Ludwig). The two then help to give all the native islanders a great Christmas.

The biggest issue with this film is how into the army it is. I am by no means knocking the armed forces in America or anywhere in the world, but at the same time you don’t want to watch a film that sucks up to them for too long either, to a point this is basically an enlisting advert.

The romance is sweet, not to a sickening point, but it is also nothing special. You have seen this love story before, a lot of times before and believe me it hasn’t gotten any fresher. The odd thing about this film is how conservative it is with the romance, opting to not even have the characters really kiss. I get it is trying to be family friendly but come on.

Overall, this is passably watchable, no Knight Before Christmas or a Christmas Prince, but still worth your time if you have nothing better on.

Pros.

It is watchable

It is fairly upbeat

Cons.

The romance is predictable and familiar

It feels like an army recruitment ad

It is too safe and family friendly

2/5

Reviewed by Luke

Pixie: Risque Photo-Shoots

Pixie is a crime comedy film directed by Barnaby Thompson. The plot sees a robbery go wrong and a lot of people end up dead leaving two boys with a big bag of drugs and a lot of trouble coming after them; in steps Pixie (Oliva Cooke), to save the day and to have some fun along the way.

This film is a star making turn for Cooke, it is nothing short of a damn shame that her other killer breakout roles in Thoroughbreds and Ready Player One have not rewarded her with more of the mainstream spotlight, but hopefully this film will right that wrong. She makes this film, her Pixie is charming and funny, but also a character you never know if you can fully trust. Without Cooke in this film it would be infinitely worse

As far as crime comedies go, usually one of those two elements is placed above the other thereby ruining it as a crime comedy, however here both the crime and the comedy elements are given equal attention and are handled well. There are several scenes such as the photography scene early on that are genuinely funny, in addition there are also scenes that are suitably tense and uncomfortable.

I also applaud the film for not being afraid to go dark when needed. Despite being a crime comedy film the tone of this film is quite light for the most part, but it does stray from that a few times especially when it comes to Pixie’s backstory which is quite upsetting. I think the choice to give her such an emotional and turbulent past is an inspired one as it makes her feel far more human and relatable.

Overall, a very charming crime comedy film, that hopefully leads to big things for Cooke.

Pros.

Oliva Cooke

The shootout scene is well done

Both the crime and comedy elements are there, and both feel distinct

I enjoyed the characters and the world

Cons.

It does have bloat and could do with being shorter

4/5

Reviewed by Luke

Wild Child: The Most Confusing Accent You Have Ever Heard

Wild Child is a teen comedy film directed by Nick Moore. The plot follows spoilt suburban girl Poppy as she is (Emma Roberts), sent away to a stuffy English boarding school; a beneficial culture clash ensues.

This film won’t win points for originality, as this plot line has been done to the point of nauseum. However, the dry comedic talents of Roberts managed to save this film, honestly if it hadn’t been for her then I would have probably stopped watching. She was believable as the brat, but also loveable when she turned it around; she had a lot of that all important rootability.

The humour of this film is very relatable, it reminds you of a lot of the concerns you had when you were a teen. I enjoyed seeing the friendships develop between the girls, with the romance getting a back seat; normally in these sort of films it would be front and centre.

My favourite moment of this film was the short cameo from Nick Frost, it made me laugh quite a bit. I don’t fully understand what sort of accent he is supposed to be doing, but he is still my favourite bit about this film.

Overall, a fun teen romp that is made by Emma Roberts, with a surprisingly great cameo from Frost and the wise choice to focus on friendships over relationships.

Pros.

Emma Roberts

Nick Frost

Focusing on friendship over relationships

It is very relatable

Cons.

You have seen this before

3.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Borat 2: Timely?

Borat Subsequent Movie Film (Or Borat 2), is a mockumentary comedy film directed by Jason Woliner. The plot this time around sees Borat (Sasha Baron Cohen) and his daughter Tutar (Maria Bakalova), venture back to America to try and restore Kazakhstan’s lost honour.

The long-awaited sequel arrives! To thunderous applause from some, I however, am more mixed. I thought though there were funny moments to be had, and Borat as a character is still charming and easy to watch, everything this time around just felt a bit more fake. I know Cohen went undercover for the role, but the people seem just a bit too eager to go along with everything he says and for the most part, don’t question anything, which is more than a little odd.

The film does struggle in my mind to justify its existence. Yes, it does deal heavily with American politics, so I guess an argument can be made for that being timely, but for the most part it just treads down paths that have already been done better by others before it.

The daddy daughter dynamic was fun, and it did lead to some nice heart-warming moments. I found Bakalova to be a lot of fun, she even managed to upstage Cohen a few times. It was quite a breakout for her.

Overall, though there is still some fun to be had this film doesn’t further the characters very much and feels slap dash to meet the election. I do hope this is the last we see from this character for a while.

Pros.

Cohen

Bakalova

A few good jokes

Cons.

It doesn’t justify its existence

It is disappointing and pails in comparison to the first film

It feels fake

2.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

The Wedding Ringer: Hire Your Best Man Today!

The Wedding Ringer is a buddy romantic comedy film directed by Jeremey Garelick. The plot sees friendless Doug (Josh Gad), lie to his fiancé Gretchen (Kaley Cuoco) and say he has a best man arranged for the wedding, this leads him to seek the services of Jimmy Callahan (Kevin Hart), a best man for hire.

Once again I find myself finding Kevin Hart hilarious, he threw me off with those terrible Ride Along movies, but I am now fully back on the Hart train. He made me laugh several times during this film and he brought a hell of a lot of heart, pardon the pun, to the role. I think the film would be a lot worse without him in it.

The buddy relationship between Hart and Gad works well, both nail the emotional beats and make for a very convincing on-screen friendship. Despite being a romantic comedy film for the most part of the film I was rooting for their friendship over the central romance of the narrative.

In regard to said romance, I think this film sorely underused Cuoco’s proven comedic talents and instead relegates her to playing the gold-digging finance that the film goes out of its way to encourage you to hate, which feels like a huge waste. She is given no good moments of her own to shine.

Overall, a solid buddy film, not really a romantic comedy at all. Strong chemistry between Gad and Hart, but Cuoco gets snubbed at every turn. Mixed to positive.

Pros.

Hart

The buddy dynamic

It is quite funny

Cons.

It is not a romantic comedy

Cuoco is wasted

3/5

Reviewed by Luke

Vampires Vs. The Bronx: The Conspiracy Theorists Were Right, Gentrification Is The Work Of Vampires

Vampires Vs. The Bronx is a comedy horror film directed by Oz Rodriguez. The plot sees a group of gentrified vampires try to buy up and take over the Bronx, killing residents as they go, it is down to a group of young kids to defeat the hordes of the undead.

This film was one of the best horror comedy films I have seen in a while, it did both in spades. The jokes made me laugh, or at the very least smile, and the chills were quite effective when used; the bodega scene speaks for itself.

I enjoyed the gentrified twist of Vampires and I think that it worked well as a more meta comment on societal change and keeping one’s identity. I liked the Vivian (Sarah Gadon) twist, I thought though it was quite obvious, I was glad that they developed her character rather than just have her as a plucky helper character for the main group. I also enjoyed it when Vivian became the evil vampire general, I thought Gadon played the character well with just the right amount of menace.

I also thought it was an inspired choice to go a bit more old school and out there with the vampire characters, like at one-point Vivian is flying after the boys, I just think it adds extra whimsey to the film and is a nice difference addition.

Overall, a fun film that is far deeper than it might first seem. Very much worth a watch.

Pros.

The vampires, and going old school

The comedy and the horror

Developing Vivian

The surprisingly emotional turn with Tony (Joel ‘The Kid Mero’ Martinez)

Cons.

Slightly familiar

4.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Hail Caesar: In Hollywood Commies Lurk Around Every Corner

Hail Caesar! Is a comedy film directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. The plot follows a fixer in the Golden Age of Hollywood as he fights to keep everything running smoothly at a movie studio, this involves finding the star of the studio’s big sand and sandals epic who has gone missing.

This might be one of Josh Brolin’s finest performances to date. Brolin play’s the fixer, as you might have guessed, and he plays the part with such gusto and relish that you can’t help but be transfixed by him for the entirety of the movie. I believe no other actor could have done as much with the part as Brolin.

Obviously this film is a love letter, and some what of a scolding critique on the Golden Age of Hollywood as well as it’s contemporary incarnation. While that can sometimes feel a bit smug and cliquey, I believe the love here, and I love the version of the Golden Age this film portrays. I easily got lost in the world and would like to see more content set therein.

The supporting cast all have their moments to shine which I enjoyed, even though most are only relegated to glorified cameos they still leave a mark, which I find impressive. Channing Tatum is especially good in this regard and his musical number might be one of the best I have ever seen.

Overall, a fun ride for those who love the Golden Age with enough interesting goings on to entertain those who might not be so enamoured.

Pros.

Josh Brolin

Channing Tatum

The world

The cameos

Cons.

If you aren’t hugely into the time period or film history you might not like it

4.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Everybody Wants Some: The Life And Times Of 30 Year Old College Freshmen

Everybody Wants Some is a teen comedy film directed by Richard Linklater. The plot follows a group of fresh and returning college baseball players on their first days of the new college year.

This feels very similar to Dazed and Confused which makes sense as this is a spiritual sequel of sorts, and while that film was great this one does just feel like more of the same, which is or isn’t a bad thing depending on your viewpoint. Personally, I was looking to see some growth and evolution that this film didn’t end up providing me with.

On an acting front, the film is a mixed bag. Lead character Jake (Blake Jenner), feels like a wet blanket, he doesn’t have much personality and what he does have he has through osmosis with the other characters, who are much better developed and are much more interesting.

For proof of my point look at Wyatt Russel’s Willoughby, we see him go from a stoner to a fraud over the course of the film, it is a sudden change admittedly, but it results in his character having an arc. Whereas Jake starts and ends on pretty much the same note.

I did enjoy the romance between Jake and Beverly (Zoey Deutch), I thought that was touching and sweet, however I again would have liked to see more of it, and or it developed further.

A pro I will give this film, is it is a star making turn for Glen Powell he is terrific as Finn and basically steals the entire film.

Overall, it is more of the same which personally I find underwhelming. However, it does showcase some great upcoming talent, so worth a watch on that basis.

Pros.

Glen Powell

The romance

The jokes were funny, if a little repetitive

Cons.

There is nothing new here

It lacked depth and a lot of the characters were deeply underdeveloped.

3/5

Reviewed by Luke

Faith Based: Lance Reddick Is GOD

Faith Based is a comedy film directed by Vincent Masciale. The plot follows two slacker friends Luke (Luke Barnett) and Tanner (Tanner Thomason), who decide to make a Christian movie after they hear that they can make a lot of money if they pull it off. Cynically and rather naively the friends think that it will be easy to make a crappy faith-based movie, quickly the learn how wrong they are.

I am loving this trend of Lance Reddick just appearing in random small budget comedy and horror films. He always makes them much better and brings much need gravitas; the man is a treasure. He plays Luke’s adoptive father, who never really believed in this son always viewing him as the screw up. The scenes him and Barnett share are easily the best in the film, there is a sweetness and a tenderness to their relationship that is really quite touching.

I enjoyed this film quite a bit, I liked the satirical edge to it. It never felt mean spirited in its jokes about faith-based films, but it also felt spot on with its commentary hitting all the right spots. The jokes worked for me and often made me laugh, but remember humour is subjective.

Overall, a delightful comedy film that brings a smile to your face and touches your heart.

Pros.

Spot on commentary

It is funny

It doesn’t feel mean spirited

Lance Reddick

Cons.

The leads don’t bring much

4/5

Reviewed by Luke

The Personal History Of David Copperfield: A Modern Take On A Classic Tale

The Personal History Of David Copperfield is a comedy drama film directed by Armando Iannucci, based on the novel David Copperfield written by Charles Dickens. The plot follows the life of David Copperfield (Dev Patel), we see his struggles, his triumphs and the events that define him.

I enjoyed the clearly satirised tone of this film; it doesn’t take itself too seriously which is nice as it allows the film to not get too bogged down. It walks a difficult tightrope as it tries to stay true to the source novel while also reinventing it, that sounds like a very difficult task, but this film does manage it.

I also enjoyed the quirky cast of characters on display here, they each feel so vibrant in their own personality which I liked. I thought all actors involved gave strong performances, from the veterans to the relative newcomers, even though most did not get a lot of screen time they still manage to remain memorable.

My issues with this film come from the dryness of it. I didn’t find the films sense of humour funny; it has a very specific sense of humour that will not be to the taste of a lot. Also the film does have quite a bit of drag that is quite noticeable in the second and third acts that really weigh the film down to the point of you losing any kind of interest.

Overall, a quirky daring film that quickly wears out its welcome

Pros.

The quirkiness

Strong Performances

Keeping true to the novel whilst also innovating on it

Cons.

The humour didn’t work for me

Pacing issues galore

Dev Patel left me cold

2.5/5

Reviewed by Luke