Horrible Bosses 2 (5/10): Some laughs, but you can't help but feel it's a waste of a strong cast

“I hate to break it to you, but the American dream is in China.”

I was a huge fan of the first film so I had some expectations for this sequel considering Christoph Waltz and Chris Pine were the new additions to an already impressive cast. What could go wrong with a comedy I had already enjoyed starring three Oscar winners? A lot when you bring in a new director whose most popular film up to now was That’s My Boy. The sequel tries to bank off the success from the strong chemistry between the three lead actors (Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis, and Charlie Day), but unfortunately the formula felt repetitive and excessive at times. As much as I enjoyed their chemistry there were some moments that felt forced this time around. I am glad they didn’t repeat the same scenario from the first film and tried to change the structure of the comedy by centering on a kidnap attempt, but despite some funny scenes the sequel still falls flat by repeating some of the jokes from the first movie. Chris Pine was an excellent addition and once again the cameos from Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Aniston, and Kevin Spacey are the highlight of the film, but I was expecting a lot more from Christoph Waltz, who’s an actor I highly admire. I think he could be great in this sort of comical villainous role, but he was underused here. All in all, Horrible Bosses 2 fails to deliver the same amount of laughs as the original but it still remains as a watchable and entertaining comedy. 2014 has yet to deliver a satisfying comedy, but if you’re bored this is a sequel that will keep you entertained for a while. 

I actually found the first half of this film a bit stronger than the second half. It begins with a lot of promise introducing some of the new characters while centering on the relationship between the three amigos. Chris Pine is hilarious as well and he plays off the leads very well. There are several funny moments including the cameos with Jamie Foxx, Kevin Spacey, and Jennifer Aniston who you can tell is very uncomfortable with the dialogue she has to say but pulls it off nonetheless. The weakest part of the film is the resolution which in my opinion was a bit exaggerated, and many people might find the jokes offensive. It doesn’t come close to matching the potential of the original film, but I didn’t hate it either. The film is silly, but the cast makes it a worthwhile experience elevating the dull material and making it a little more fun than it had the right to be.

My Review: Life of Crime (5/10)

"She looks like a million bucks."

If you were to run into Life of Crime prior to having seen Quentin Tarantino's Jackie Brown then you probably wouldn't feel in the mood to see it considering Daniel Schechter's film is a bit of a letdown. Despite being a prequel to Jackie Brown, which was also based on Elmore Leonard's novel, this film doesn't have that same punch to it. This proves just how difficult it is to do what Tarantino does so well. Leonard always writes rich characters who at times seem quirky. He mixes black humor with action pretty well, but in Life of Crime that spark is missing. The film relies on a talented cast who make the movie a bit more entertaining, but the story simply fails to engage and at times everything seems so light and pointless. There is something phony about these characters and the plot which constantly reminds the audience that there isn't anything true or authentic about this world. For a film based on a Leonard novel, the characters don't seem to have much going for them either. These aren't the characters we fell in love with in films like Jackie Brown, Out of Sight, and Get Shorty which were all created by Leonard. If I had to compare it to another adaptation from a Leonard novel I would say this is much more similar to Armitage's The Big Bounce starring Owen Wilson and Morgan Freeman. It is that disappointing no matter how much you  like the cast here. Life of Crime doesn't have anything remarkable to say really, it simply is content with existing and perhaps trying to hook Jackie Brown fans along the way. The comedy doesn't work really well, while the vibe and tone of the film is way too silly to take the action seriously. Perhaps I was just familiar with the characters this time around and found the entire premise a bit too ridiculous, but the film simply didn't engage me as much as other Leonard adaptations have in the past. 

Life of Crime's talented cast doesn't save this mediocre film, although they provide some enjoyment. The one who stands out is John Hawkes who plays Louis (Robert De Niro's character in Jackie Brown). It is remarkable how he can play such a scary and creepy role in one film and then all of a sudden you see how likable and sweet he can be in another. This time around, Hawkes is extremely likable and charming despite being a kidnapper. His partner in crime is Ordell (played by Mos Def in this film and Samuel L. Jackson in Jackie Brown). Def is also charming in this film and the two play off one another extremely well. As thieves they are completely incompetent, but we still want them to succeed. The weak link in this film was Jennifer Aniston who plays Mickey, the wife who is kidnapped. She simply didn't sell the character. Tim Robbins plays her husband, Frank, who is having an affair with Isla Fisher's Melanie. So you can see how the kidnappers plans are ruined when they find out that the husband has no interest in paying the ransom. That is kind of the whole joke of the film. Will Forte and Mark Boone Junior give strong supporting roles as well and there were actually a few moments involving the two that stood out for me comedic wise. The film did open pretty strongly but it didn't seem to go anywhere and several elements were completely left out. For example, Mickey and Frank's son who was introduced in the opening scenes is completely left out of the picture during the ransom. It's as if director Schechter simply didn't know where to take the story once all the characters were introduced. I was a huge fan of Jackie Brown so I was quite disappointed with this prequel. 

My Review: We're the Millers (5/10)

"This is not a smidge of pot! You got me moving enough weed to kill Willie Nelson, man!"

We're the Millers is a raunchy comedy with some funny moments. It's an entertaining movie, but ultimately the script felt a bit lazy. The premise and the cast promised more, but director Rawson Marshall Thurber uses jokes and gags we've seen in other comedies. I did laugh at several scenes and there were some great lines, but I can't just judge a comedy based on that because usually I will laugh at anything. You know there is a problem with a comedy when all the audience laughs more during the end credits in the blooper reals than during the entire film. There are some awkward and uncomfortable scenes as well, and I didn't like the fact that they made all the lovable families look uncool and act as dorks in this film.  Jason Sudeikis is a great actor and I would love to see him starring in more comedies. He has great comedic timing and delivers his lines with a perfect precision. Jennifer Aniston is also a very likable actress despite the fact that she really hasn't made a great film, but there is something about her that draws the audience. Will Poulter was the star of this film as he had the funniest scenes. He didn't have to say much, his facial expression alone was hilarious. This is the first comedy I've seen him in, although he did have some funny scenes in the last Narnia movie. Emma Roberts was probably the weakest link in this film, but I wouldn't blame her because her character was the least developed in the film. Ed Helms was a big disappointment for me here, his performance was way over the top, but Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation) was effortlesly hilarious. I was a huge fan of Thurber's earlier film, Dodgeball (perhaps one of the few people who enjoyed that movie), but I can't give him a passing grade for this movie although I didn't have a bad time either.

David (Jason Sudeikis) is a low profile pot dealer who receives his supplies from Brad Gurdlinger (Ed Helms). After getting robbed during a deal, Brad forces him to go to Mexico and bring back his latest marihuana shipment in order to pay his debt. Being a small dealer David has no idea how to cross the border as he realizes the consequences his actions may have. He believes that the best way to cross the border safely will be pretending he is on a family trip. The only problem is that he is single so he gets a local stripper named Rose (Jennifer Aniston) to pretend she is his wife, a streetwise angry teen named Casey (Emma Roberts), and his kind hearted neighbor Kenny (Will Poulter) to pretend they are his kids. He plans on getting across the border without problems by driving his apparently wonderful family on their big RV.

The funniest scene in the movie happened during the final credits, but I also though there were some funny moments here and there, like when Kenny realizes that David is paying Rose and Casey to come along with him, or when Kenny gets bit by a spider. I also enjoyed some of the pop cultural references like when David thought he was going to be killed because of the plastic he was standing on claiming to know what it means because he has watched Dexter. The cameo with Luis Guzman was pretty funny as well. Those were some of the silly moments, but nothing that stood out or that I will probably remember tomorrow. The film is predictable and you know where it is heading, but it still is an enjoyable movie.

My Review: Horrible Bosses (8/10)

¨You can't win a marathon without putting some band aids on your nipples! ¨

I`ve been on a hot streak recently with comedies; this is the third one in a row that I`ve found really funny. The laughs began with Bridesmaids, then came Cedar Rapids, and now Horrible Bosses; another hilarious comedy that perhaps is a little more mainstream than the others and has more stereotypical characters, but it is saved by the wonderful cast who really got a lot of laughs off me. Sometimes it can be hilarious to make fun of some of these stereotypes, especially when we are dealing with bosses. The characters aren`t deep or anything, they are more of caricatures than normal people, but that is ok because when a comedy is done right it totally works. The plot of the story isn’t new either; we`ve seen it before in other movies and the film even mentions them. So why did I have such a fun time with this film? The cast was brilliant! We got to see Jennifer Aniston in a role that I never thought she would do; she says things you`d never think would come out of her mouth. Then you have the rest of the cast all delivering several laughs. Sometimes the actors have such a great chemistry together that the movie just clicks and you find all the situations funny. It`s like when you hear a joke that isn`t that funny, but the person who tells it does it in such a great way that you just can`t stop laughing. The cast makes this R-rated comedy worth it and I had a great time with Horrible Bosses.

The premise of the story is pretty simple: it`s about three friends who hate their bosses (extremely horrible ones) and begin talking about how they wish they would die. They can`t just quit their jobs because they run into an old schoolmate of theirs who shows them how difficult it is to get a job during the recession. Their only option seems to be to kill their bosses. Nick Hendricks (Jason Bateman) works for Dave Harken (Kevin Spacey) at an important business company. Nick has worked really hard the last few months in order to get the promotion he has been expecting for a long time. Dave however gets upset because Nick happened to show up two minutes late one day to work and doesn’t give him the promotion he rightfully deserves, and goes as far as blackmailing him so he won`t quit either. Dale (Charlie Day) works as a dental assistant for Dr. Julia Harris (Jennifer Aniston) who sexually harasses him and claims she will tell Dale`s fiancé that they`ve had sex if he doesn’t sleep with her. Dale can’t get a job anywhere else because he`s been mistakenly charged with a child sex offence for peeing in a park near to a school. Kurt Buckman (Jason Sudeikis) on the other hand loves his job and his boss Jack Pellit (Donald Sutherland), but unfortunately he suffers a heart attack and passes away, leaving the company in his coke addict son`s hands: Bobby (Colin Farrell). He wants to cuts expenses and tells Kurt that he must fire all the obese and disabled employers. Kurt, Dale, and Nick get together and decide the only solution to their problems is murdering each other`s boss.

Horrible Bosses is extremely funny, despite the strong language. It has memorable performances from Jennifer Aniston, Kevin Spacey, and Colin Farrell in roles we are not used to seeing them in. Jason Sudeikis, Charlie Day, and Jason Bateman are extremely funny in every scene they are together in; their chemistry was just great. The situations these guys got themselves into was hilarious; beginning from trying to hire a hitman online (with a really funny cameo from Ioan Gruffudd), to getting criminal advice from an ex-con named Dean MF Jones (played by Jamie Foxx), ending up breaking into Bobby`s house and accidently sniffing some of his cocaine. Charlie Day also gets some laughs while lip singing to The Ting Tings ¨That`s Not My Name¨ while staking Dave`s house. I had a really great time during the entire movie, and there are just too many memorable scenes to point them all out. All I can say is that you should go check out this movie if you ever felt like you had it bad with your boss. I guarantee you won`t complain anymore after seeing what these guys had to put up with. Seth Gordon did a great job with the direction of this film and I highly recommend it if you`re in the mood for laughing.

  

http://estebueno10.blogspot.com/

My Review: The Switch (7/10)

¨It`s complicated, it`s messy, it`s about horrible timing, and fumbled opportunities, and not being able to say what you need to say when you need to say it. At least, that`s the way it was for me.¨

The last film that Josh Gordon and Will Speck had directed together was the sport comedy Blades of Glory staring Will Ferrell and Jon Heder. The Switch is a very different type of comedy, it`s a romantic one which perhaps was marketed in the wrong way. Like any other romantic comedy it is very predictable, but I found it very entertaining and fresh at the same time. I think the main problem is that they marketed The Switch with Jennifer Aniston as the leading character, and although she is one of the leads she is perhaps the least entertaining one of the movie. Jason Bateman is the true star of the movie and this is the role he is perfect for as the kind of pessimistic likeable character. The kid, Thomas Robinson, is also great in this movie and I think his relationship with Bateman`s character is the central part of this movie and what makes this romantic comedy work. I was more interested in the relationship between Bateman and Robinson than the actual romantic love story. The dialogue in the movie was also pretty good. Allan Loeb did a much better job with this script than he did with either of his two 2011 films (Just Go With It and The Dilemma). Loeb did have a lot of help considering he adapted the screenplay from Jeffrey Eugenides`s short story ¨Baster.¨ I expected The Switch to be just another chick flick, but I ended up enjoying it  a lot more thanks to the performances from Bateman and Robinson.

Wally Mars (Jason Bateman) and Kassie Larson (Jennifer Aniston) have been best friends for a long time. They used to date in the past, but that was a long time ago and Kassie decided Wally was more of a friend type of guy. They`ve had a great relationship over the years, but Kassie realizes that time has gone by rather quickly and that the moment to have a baby is now. She is not willing to wait any longer for the right person to come along; it is time to be a mother, and the only way to do so at the moment is through artificial insemination. Kassie`s friend, Debbie (Juliette Lewis) decides to throw her an artificial insemination party once she has chosen Roland (Patrick Wilson) as the sperm donor. At the party Wally gets drunk and when he goes to use the bathroom he finds the sperm and accidently dumps it while playing around with the sample. Wally replaces the lost sperm with his own, although he is way too wasted to remember what went on. His manager and friend, Leonard (Jeff Goldblum) reminds him about everything he had done once he got home, but Wally has no recollection of what went on. Kassie becomes pregnant and decides that New York isn’t the place to raise a child so she tells Wally she is moving back home. Wally never tells Kassie his feelings for her, because he himself isn’t sure about them. Seven years go by and Wally receives a call from Kassie that she is returning to New York with her young son Sebastian (Thomas Robinson). Sebastian is very similar to Wally and thus the comedy begins and the plot thickens.

The relationship between Sebastian and Wally is the true highlight of the film. Robinson proved in his film debut that he can act better than pretty much any other child actor. He was really captivating and believable in his role. Bateman also was great in his role as he began to realize that he had a sort of special connection with this kid. The chemistry between them was for more believable than the one he had with Aniston. Aniston played her usual self; she did a decent job although her role wasn’t very memorable at all. The two supporting characters in this movie were great: Jeff Goldblum and Juliette Lewis both played really funny characters and delivered some of the funniest lines in the film. I really loved the performances and actually enjoyed this movie more than I had anticipated. The Switch worked thanks to these special performances and moments that the movie had; it allowed me to see beyond the typical and predictable love story that so many romantic comedies have grown us accustomed too. So considering all I`ve said I`m going to recommend The Switch although I admit it is very predictable at times and there is no doubt whatsoever as to what direction the movie is going to take. If you don’t have any problem with that then you might enjoy The Switch as much as I did.

http://estebueno10.blogspot.com/

My Review: Just Go With It (4/10)

¨Feels good being honest, doesn`t it? Were you telling the truth when you said you might be in love with me? ¨

It actually feels good being honest; unfortunately there is nothing honest about this romantic comedy. The movie is just one big lie after another and I simply couldn`t just go along with it. It made no sense at all and at the same time a five year old could know where this movie was heading from the opening credits. The jokes and gags have been told before by Adam Sandler himself and repeated over and over again in his movies. It was funny in his early Billy Madison and Happy Gilmore days, but listening to the same joke repeated time after time again is simply not funny anymore. As for the romance, if you`ve ever seen a chic flick you`ve also seen Just Go With It and it`s clichés. Dennis Dugan has directed Adam Sandler at least half a dozen times before and they seem to be making the same movie over and over again. I don`t blame them: their films make money in the box office and they seem to be having a lot of fun at work because they don`t even have to try to make a good film because audiences simply are willing to just go with it. If you are the type of viewer who doesn`t really care too much about originality, good acting, or good scripts, then you probably will have a good time just going with it, but I guarantee you will forget you even saw it the next day. This movie was just so predictable from the very beginning to the very end that I simply couldn`t just go with it.

This time around Adam Sandler is Danny, a plastic surgeon and a player with the ladies. His heart was broken several years ago on his wedding night, but he also learned an important lesson on how to get girls to fall for him. He keeps the ring and tells the girls he is married, but is going through a rough time. Apparently they all seem to have a weakness for broken hearted and committed men so he gets what he wants: a one night stand and no relationships. The only person who he is really honest to is his assistant, Katherine (Jennifer Aniston), who somehow finds his ¨romantic stories¨ amusing. She is a single loving mother of two children: Maggie (Bailee Madison) and Michael (Griffin Gluck). The player finally ends up falling in love with a gorgeous and much younger woman named Palmer (Brooklyn Decker) who is a sweet math teacher. Danny never actually plays the married card with her, but the next morning she discovers the ring in Danny`s pocket and is upset that she has slept with a married man. Her parents got divorced and she had promised herself she would never wreck a marriage. Danny really likes this girl so he does the only thing he really knows how to do which is to lie. He says that he is getting divorced, that his wife cheated on him, but Palmer won`t believe him until she hears it from his soon to be ex-wife. Danny asks Katherine to act as her, but through a mix up her kids also get involved and now Palmer wants to spend time with the kids so they all travel together to Hawaii and the lies begin to build.

Adam Sandler always finds the best locations to make his movies. He really makes sure he is going to have a fun time while filming. I don’t blame him; he is a great comedian and really doesn’t have to try too hard. He has proven he can act in dramatic roles as well like Drunk Punch Love or Reign Over Me, but those great movies simply don`t get that much recognition or bring in huge box office numbers, so why stress out when audiences continue to go with his light comedies? Jennifer Aniston is a great actress, and she was alright in this movie. Brooklyn Decker might be beautiful, but she isn`t a good actress. My favorite performance came from Bailee Madison; the girl has a lot of charisma and she delivered the most laughs in my opinion. Nicole Kidman and Dave Matthews play secondary characters and they share some moments, but the script really didn`t help anyone out that much. Nick Swardson played the role of the dumb and obsessed with girls’ character that always shows up in an Adam Sandler film. His sole purpose in the movie is just to be ridiculous. I didn’t find him funny at all. I really don’t understand how Sandler`s character was planning on having a long relationship with this girl with all these lies he was telling her. How does a loving mother go along by dragging her kids into this mess? I mean the kids weren’t going to disappear after the ¨family vacation, ¨ but I guess it really didn`t matter because we knew exactly what direction the movie was going to go anyway. All we had to do was sit down, leave our brains at home, and just go with it.

http://estebueno10.blogspot.com/