The Heat: Paul Feig Pulls Off The Impossible Again

The Heat is a buddy cop comedy film directed by Paul Feig. The plot follows uptight FBI agent Ashburn (Sandra Bullock), as she is forced to work with unsavoury, unconventional beat cop Mullin’s (Melissa McCarthy). You guessed it, the two polar opposites learn a little from the other and become more rounded people and friends along the way.

So, yes the premise is uninspired and has been done one million times before, there is very little about this film that feels truly original. The plot is predictable and goes the way you would expect it to, there are no surprises, but this was never going to be that kind of film.

What impress me about this film is that Feig managed to do the impossible twice, the impossible being making Melissa McCarthy funny. Here McCarthy actually has quite a lot of funny moments and jokes that seem thought out, rather than just oh look she feel over, or oh look something about poo; maybe McCarthy should stop making films with her husband and only make comedy films with Feig, cleaning up her poor filmography.

The buddy cop dynamic between Bullock and McCarthy works well and they are each a good foil to the other, Bullock particularly handles the comedy well and manages to keep pace with McCarthy.

Overall, Paul Feig manages to make McCarthy funny which is no mean feat. If the plot was a little more original and a little less familiar I would be giving it top marks, but as is, it is okay.

Pros.

The dynamic between the leads

McCarthy and Bullock are both funny

The jokes are funny and smart

Cons.

It is so familiar

It is too long

2.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Johnny English Reborn: Forget Wick, Hunt, Reacher, Bourne and Eggsy, This Is Bond’s Real Competition

Johnny English Reborn is a comedy spy film directed by Oliver Parker. The plot sees international super spy Johnny English (Rowan Atkinson), come back from disgrace to find the world at the mercy of mysterious evil organisation Vortex, naturally he is the only man who can stop them.

In all honesty this film didn’t need to be made, the first Johnny English works as a perfectly fun standalone adventure, but as the rules of the industry go if something makes a little bit of a profit it must be mined for all it is worth. There is little new here that you haven’t seen before, nor is there any character development or plot intrigue to make it worth your time.

Atkinson is fine here, but again it is nothing you haven’t seen in the previous film. The real star of the show here is Agent Tucker (Daniel Kaluuya), who shines despite only being a glorified side kick. Him and Atkinson have a strong repour that is fun to watch.

The comedy didn’t really do much for me, again it was a retread and a rehash. It was watchable, but it never made me laugh or even smile really, but comedy is subjective. The plot feels like clutching at straws and the big-name actors who are brought in to try and sell more seats, don’t add all that much.

Overall, a deeply needless sequel, that only serves to stretch the jokes and the characters further- breaking both in the process.

Pros.

Daniel Kaluuya

It is very watchable

Cons.

It does not justify its existence

It isn’t funny

The new characters, other than Kaluuya’s Tucker, add nothing

2/5

Reviewed by Luke

The Emperor’s New Groove: A Hidden Gem Of Disney

The Emperors New Groove is an animated family film directed by Mark Dindal. The plot sees Emperor Kuzco (David Spade), be turned into a llama in order for villains to try and usurp this throne. The mighty Emperor must team up with a village peasant (John Goodman), in order to reclaim his birth right.

So despite this film coming out long after the golden years of Disney Animation, I think that this is one of the best Disney films possibly ever, but certainly of the early 2000’s.

The comedy and the charm are what really make this for me. I am a big David Spade fan and usually find him quite amusing, but I enjoyed how this film’s humour played off his personality as was often quite self-deprecating. I thought the choices of narration that breaks the fourth wall was also quite an inspired idea, one that makes the whole film feel more engaging.

I enjoyed the very distinct feel of this film and how because of the unique colour pallet and style it felt different from all the other Disney animated films. A film having a strong personality is always a good thing.

The supporting voice cast also do a good job, with Goodman and veteran Patrick Warburton being the standouts. There characters both feels very well realised, which makes them far more compelling.

Overall, an often-overlooked Disney gem.

Pros.

The unique feel and style

David Spade for the most part

The voice cast as a whole

The comedy

It is very watchable

Cons.

Spade does get a bit annoying at times

5/5

Reviewed by Luke

The War With Grandpa: It Is Not A War It Is A Slaughter

The War With Grandpa is a family comedy film directed by Tim Hill. The plot sees a boy (Oakes Fegley) and his grandfather (Robert De Niro), go to war over a bedroom, when the grandfather moves in with the family.

The premise of this film is lame, and the tame nature of it stops it from ever doing anything truly memorable as far as the war is concerned. I get that this is a family film, but it feels scared to say word like hell, really? It is the tamest film I have seen in a long while.

The war feels fairly one sided in terms of hearts and minds, as the kid is a brat from the get-go and has no redeeming qualities. The performance by Fegley is woeful and is easily crushed by De Niro, even though this is clearly a paycheck role for him.

De Niro manages to capture quite a lot of good sentimentality and actually hit me in the feels by the end of the film, this is much better than something like Dirty Grandpa as it is far more dignified for him and he gives a fairly good performance. I enjoyed all the nods to De Niro’s gangster films that are peppered in throughout I thought they really added something.

I can’t talk about this film without talking about Uma Thurman. She is the star of this film, even if she only has about twenty minutes of screen time. She is both unintentionally hilarious, and just a joy to watch. When she is on screen hamming up her performance it is always good for a laugh. She was easily my favourite character.

Overall, too tame to be enjoyed by some, schlock for the most part and clearly a paycheck for De Niro, but it does have its moments and Walken and Thurman steal the show.

Pros.

Uma Thurman

Some genuine emotion

Christopher Walken

Cons.

Too tame, the war doesn’t feel exciting

The kid is an unlikable brat, you don’t feel torn between the two for a second

3/5

Reviewed by Luke

Bill And Ted Face The Music: One Last Excellent Adventure

Bill & Ted Face The Music is a science fiction comedy film directed by Dean Parisot. The plot reintroduces us to other favourite rockers Bill (Alex Winter), and Ted (Keanu Reeves), who are now all grown up and have teens of their own. Life hasn’t been so kind to the pair and they still haven’t managed to make the song that will unite the universe, then one day they are told it is now or never and the duo set out on one last excellent adventure to save time and space.

This is a very wholesome watch at a time where we need wholesome watches, it is nice to see the duo back on the screen and it feels like they have never really been away. Winters and Reeves still have strong chemistry and it is fascinating to see them now as middle-aged family men.

I enjoyed the fact this film introduced us to Bill and Ted’s daughters, who are just like them, I thought that was a neat twist. The casting of Bridgette Lundy-Paine and the ever-excellent Samara Weaving is pitch perfect and part of me hopes they get their own spinoff; though that is unlikely. My one issue with them would be that the film never uses them enough and often side-lines them, they need more screen time.

The cameos worked well for me and a lot of the best humour came from them. I enjoyed the Dave Grohl bit, and it was nice to see Death (William Sadler), return. However despite this I found the biggest issue with this film was the comedy. A lot of the time the jokes didn’t land for me and were a bit weak and lame, the film often made me smile but never made me laugh. Comedy is subjective.

Overall, a welcome return/conclusion Winters and Reeves are still great together and the daughters are well cast and interesting in their own right. The comedy is a weak point for me, but I still had a lot of enjoyment from this film.

Pros.

Reeves and Winters are still great

Samara Weaving is a scene stealer

The cameos and returns

The ending and the feeling of closure

Cons.

A lot of the humour didn’t land for me

4/5

Reviewed by Luke

Win It All: Having A Heart Attack Is A Great Way Out Of A Losing Hand

Win It All is a comedy film directed by Joe Swanberg. The plot follows Eddie (Jake Johnson), a gambling addict who is tasked with looking after a bag full of money while an acquaintance is in the big house. Rather unsurprisingly Eddie gambles it all away. After reaching rock bottom Eddie realises he needs to get a real job and start trying to rebuild his life, this is all turned on its head when the guy he was watching the money for gets out early and wants his pay day; one last big score is needed.

Jake Johnson is an often-overlooked actor, he is a very versatile performer and this film proves it. His character is a very obvious slob/under achiever, but he is also far more nuanced than that, he is a broken man who wants to be well again, but the thrill of winning or losing big keeps dragging him back down the hole. He is both sympathetic, yet unlikeable. He is a complex character.

I enjoyed the film quite a bit, admittedly I am a Jake Johnson true believer, so I may be a bit bias. My one issue with it is that, despite telling a story grounded in reality, it feels very Hollywood. By that I mean the way things conveniently work out, things that wouldn’t happen in real life, it gets to a point where it is so unbelievable the drama loses no longer feels real.

Overall, an enjoyable watch, but one that almost becomes fascial towards the end.

Pros.

Jake Johnson

His character and performance

It is fun to watch

Cons.

The ending is absurd

Falls apart if you think about it too much.

3/5

Reviewed by Luke

Puss In Boots: The Shrek Spinoff We Needed?

Puss In Boots is an animated film directed by Chris Miller. The plot sees Puss (Antonio Banderas), try to steal the magical Golden Goose from inside the giant’s castle from the tale of Jack and The Bean Stalk.

So, we can all agree the best thing about Shrek 2 was the introduction of Puss In Boots, who would go on to be one of the best characters in the franchise. With that in mind the idea of a Puss centred spin off seems like a very likely bet and that is what this film is.

The story as a whole doesn’t feel like it adds much to the Shrek world, and feels oddly self-contained. The new characters are fine, but again they’re nothing to write home about. Selma Hayek as Kitty Soft Paws is a nice on-screen partner for Puss, but even she can’t be memorable.

Everything new about this film doesn’t really work, but the returning character of Puss is still fun. The only thing that keeps this from being a bad film is the charm of Banderas, which is the film’s saving grace. It is nice seeing Puss get his own film, but it suffers without having the other well-known characters to bounce off.

Overall, a needless spinoff that is kept alive by the bandit esque charm of Antonio Banderas’ Puss, but one that you can give a miss.

Pros.

Banderas

A few good jokes

Cons.

The new characters aren’t interesting

The world feels small

Banderas can only take the film so far

The ending is so dumb

1/5

Reviewed by Luke

Scooby Doo Camp Scare: Oddly Sexual

Scooby Doo Camp Scare is an animated film directed by Ethan Spaulding. The plot sees Scooby (Frank Welker), and the gang head to Camp Little Moose, as Fred (also Welker), wants to relive some of his childhood and has become a councillor there, the gang naturally accompany him. However, once they arrive they realise something stalks the woods, something scary.

So, the first thing I noticed about this film was the animation is different to the other animated Scooby Doo films I have reviewed, not necessarily worse, but certainly newer looking in style. I found this to be jarring at the start of the film, but I found it to be less of an issue as it went on.

The drawn style of the female characters in this one is oddly sexual, they have Daphne (Grey Griffin), in a bikini and pan the camera up and down her body multiple times; you could be forgiven for thinking you were watching the soft core start of a very convincing porn parody. Other female characters suffer the same fate and it just feels a bit icky. Also they walk back some of the character development of Daphne and turn her into the jealous girlfriend cliché

Switching gear, I found this to be much funnier than previous Scooby adventures, this film seemed to be crammed with innuendos and dirty jokes which I appreciated and that did in fact make me laugh.

The Scooby Doo formula is less strikingly apparent here, yes it still ends in the standard way that you would expect but it feels like more freedom was given to the creatives.

Overall, a fun ride, though a little creepy at times in a questionable sort of way.

Pros.

It is very watchable

More creative freedom

Has a few good funny moments

Cons.

Weirdly sexual

A shift in animation

3/5

Reviewed by Luke

Scooby Doo And The Loch Ness Monster: The Scottish Accent Is Further Butchered

Scooby Doo and The Loch Ness Monster is an animated family film directed by Scott Jeralds and Joe Sichta. The plot sees the Mystery Machine gang head to Scotland to meet up with Daphne’s (Grey Griffin), family for the Highland games. However, the most infamous Scottish legend of all is terrorising the proceedings, the one and only Loch Ness Monster.

There is a certain safety in a formula, you know what you’re getting. I have talked at length about the Scooby Doo formula in other reviews and I think for the most part it works, but here it was a little too samey and left the whole film feeling very unmemorable and a little bland.

The Scottish accents were butchered to hell as well, so don’t watch if you’re an easily offended Scottish person. However, unlike in Monster of Mexico, I thought the Scottish side characters were treated as more than mere stereotypes and were okay. They felt like characters in their own right and not cheap clichés so that is a positive.

I also enjoyed the ending tease where it implied that Nessie was in fact real; after having been proven to be people in a costume moments before. I like the fact that this era of Scooby Doo shock things up and didn’t have every monster just be a person in a costume using unrealistic practical effects; the added supernatural mystery of these films gives them more substance.

Overall, a very standard affair, not the best Scooby Doo animated film, but not the worst either. I’m glad the local side characters don’t feel like harmful stereotypes and I think the ending adds some much-needed mystery to things.

Pros.

It is very watchable

The ending tease

Not having the side characters be stereotypes

Fun to turn your brain off to

Cons.

It doesn’t grab you

It is forgettable

3.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

The Week Of: Adam Sandler Just Has To Be An Old Lady, Ruining A Dramatic Performance

The Week Of is a comedy film directed by Robert Smigel. The plot follows Kenny (Adam Sandler), the father of the bride as he tries to make sure everything goes right on his daughter big day, whilst not being out done by the groom’s father Kirby (Chris Rock).

So when I put this film on I was expecting a standard Adam Sandler comedy film, nothing too surprising, a few cheap laughs. However, this film was far more than that. I would say though there are a few badly timed gags and bits this film almost plays like a drama, and I enjoyed that.

Sandler’s character is much more toned down, his usual stick is not here, and he is playing his role in far more of a reserved way. I enjoyed his performance and it reminded me that Sandler can be a good dramatic actor when he wants to be. However, there is one out of place, needless, scene of Sandler dressed as an old lady singing for no reason at all; that stops my praise for his performance from being full on.

When the film did use humour it was sparingly and done with intent, a lot of the jokes felt well throughout and actually made me laugh rather than just seemingly like the writers trying to guess how many dick jokes they can fit into an hour and a half.

Overall, very much a surprise. Both Chris Rock and Adam Sandler act, and do it well.

Pros.

Not Sandler’s usual stick

The comedy is used sparingly

The drama is good and the main focus

Sandler and Rock play it straight for the most part

Cons.

Why did he have to dress as an old lady?

4/5

Reviewed by Luke