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: The Last Stand (6/10)

¨We are not going to let that guy come through our town without a fight.¨

Believe me, that line sounds a lot cooler when Arnie says it. The Last Stand is his first film in a lead role since Terminator 3 Rise of the Machines way back in 2003. Schwarzenegger is getting old, but he still has the charisma of a true action star. As his character in the Terminator promised he came back and he did so in this guilty pleasure action packed film directed by Jee-woon Kim (I Saw the Devil, The Good the Bad and the Weird) from South Korea. This film shouldn’t be confused with the third film of the X-Men (The Last Stand) franchise, although it does share some similarities in that this is another mindless fun action film in which we can laugh at the craziness of it all. This is a typical Schwarzenegger film that brings back some nostalgic memories of his movies using the same successful formula he used during the 80s and 90s. He is always at his best when he is given short dialogue and can answer back with some clever and funny one liners. That is exactly the case with his role here since he seems to be making fun of himself and his old age. He always has been a good sport parodying himself, his accent and his acting chops. That is what has made him such a likeable actor over the years, and that is the reason this movie is entertaining despite the ridiculous plot and story (written by Andrew Knauer). I think Schwarzenegger fans will be very pleased with this movie and have a fun time because it is a very passable and enjoyable film.

Sheriff Ray Owens (Arnold Schwarzenegger), a former LAPD officer, has moved back to his small local community of Sommerton Junction. He counts only with three inexperienced deputies: Mike (Luis Guzman), Jerry (Zach Gilford), and Sarah (Jaimie Alexander), but they seem to be more than enough since nothing ever really seems to happen in this quiet town. Meanwhile a dangerous drug kingpin named Gabriel Cortez (Eduardo Noriega) has escaped from an FBI prisoner convoy and is headed south in order to try to reach the border before the authorities catch up to him. Agent John Bannister (Forest Whitaker) is in charge of the operation, but his men have failed to catch the elusive fugitive. Now the only thing that stands between Gabriel´s escape is Sommerton, and the Sheriff will be waiting for him, but in order to do so he must prepare his unqualified men with the help of a local weapon fanatic named Lewis Dinkum (Johnny Knoxville). Together this unlikely team will have to do what the FBI couldn’t: stop Gabriel before he reaches the border.

    

This gritty and violent film works really well because it decides to incorporate a lot of comedy. It kind of makes fun of itself in its way, and that self parody is what saves this clichéd action genre film. Arnold Schwarzenegger has a lot of very funny lines and he makes fun of his old age, but he hasn’t lost his physical strength. The rest of the cast is pretty interesting, although Johnny Knoxville goes a bit over the top with his performance. The secondary characters of Sommerton are the real surprise of this film as they share the funniest scenes while interacting with each other. Luis Guzman, Zach Gilford, and Jaimie Alexander all have some funny scenes, but the true star of the film is Arnie with all the gunfights and explosions going on. This mindless film is enjoyable thanks to the funny moments throughout and some entertaining action scenes. There isn’t anything that really stands out about this film; it is just your average action film, but it marks Arnie´s comeback and it´s worth it just for that. I also felt a lot of nostalgia since this film reminded me so much of the movies I watched growing up, but that is about it. This isn’t one film you have to watch, but if you are a Schwarzenegger fan then you will enjoy this movie.

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