We're the Millers

I liked this. It’s a subversive comedy asking, “What is a family?” The filmmakers feel comfortable declaring: it’s any group of misfits who can stick together. Jason Sudeikis has had plenty of time to rehearse this character on SNL. First he’s a bachelor drug dealer, then he’s a guy pretending to be the squarest dad in the world. So there’s always a little sass in his voice as he tries to play it straight. People pick on Jennifer Aniston for being one-note, but she always manages to go toe-to-toe with the biggest smart-alecks in the business and she ends up holding her own. With cannabis starting to become legal and accepted, bits of this script feel like they were ripped from a bygone era; a Cheech and Chong movie. But the funny and likeable cast works the timeless theme of “a family can be anything” to their advantage.

Elysium

This is about a lot of big ideas. Politically, it’s everything but the kitchen sink: Health care, discrimination, immigration, class warfare. It’s important that filmmakers are thinking about these subjects and using sci-fi to tell their story. Some of the best political statements in the history of movies and literature have been told in a sci-fi realm. The problem is, big ideas don’t leave a lot of room for character development. Characters tend to be allegories. That’s Matt Damon’s everyman, “Max” -- similarities to Mad Max are purely intentional. He’s a trope; an archetype. Nothing wrong with that, it’s just that: they had Matt Damon. They could have used him a little better. Same story with Jodie Foster. If she signs up to be the villain, make her play the villain. Notwithstanding, there’s a lot of entertainment value here, even if there aren’t a lot of surprises. And we need guys like Neill Blomkamp thinking of the big ideas about how to change the world, and then beating us over the head with them. 

This is the End

Yep. I saw it again. It's not as surprising the second time (obviously), but it's still really funny.

The Conjuring

Beware of the clichés! They're everywhere! It’s the family moving into the new/old house with the spooky basement and the spooky toys and the children are in peril and they can’t move and it turns out to be something about witches and blah, blah, blah. I was not impressed. Also, regarding the whole plot point about witches being evil and referencing the witch trials, let’s not forget: the witch trials were an atrocity. They are an embarrassment to American history, and the expression “witch hunt” is used as an example of condemning people without any evidence. So, trying to lend credibility to that? Claiming there were real “witches” in the witch trials? I ain’t got time for that.

The Wolverine

** SPOILERS **

A refreshing change of style for a “superhero” movie. In fact, this is much more like a martial arts movie than an “X-Men” movie. The filmmakers establish mood and tone expertly. The compositions and shots are gorgeous and fluid, and they lack the cuttiness of most of the summer’s action/Man of Steel fare. Hugh Jackman is badass as Wolverine, as always, and there are ample amounts of ass-kicking on display. Nice, too, to see Jean Grey hanging on to her power over him, as super-heroines are prone to do to superheroes. While not a planet-saving journey for Wolverine, it’s a well-made chapter of the legend.

Blue Jasmine

Cate Blanchette nails it. Unraveling and well-dressed, her character uses high fashion and appearance to mask her nervous breakdown. She and the entire supporting cast are great. But the movie ends IN THE WRONG PLACE! It ends only with destruction and no resolution. I’m not saying I require a “happy” ending, but I do require an ending. This movie does NOT have one which makes the whole experience annoying and depressing.

Big Trouble in Little China

Nice to see this on the big screen. My memory of this movie is fuzzy, and I am not sure if I ever saw the whole thing. It's such a weird and funny mix of Asian mysticism, kung fu, and 1980s style macho action. The smart-alecky silliness is the best part about it. The score by John Carpenter is by far the worst part about it. If Spielberg, Lucas and Ridley Scott can all re-cut their movies, maybe somebody can convince Carpenter to re-do the score?

20 Feet From Stardom

A fantastic, fascinating, and emotional documentary about backup singers. But not just any backup singers. Black backup singers and their very important place in rock 'n roll. I recommend this movie to everybody. You won't be disappointed.

The Way Way Back

Yep. Saw it twice.

Pacific Rim

The joke I made when I left the theater was this felt like what the Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers might be like if they had a lot of money. While it's true that it's harmlessly stupid, it's still a loving and worthwhile tribute to the beloved genre: giant monsters attacking cities. There is a fancy Japanese word for it, but I'm not so pretentious as to try and use it in a sentence.

The Way Way Back

14-year-old Duncan never has the drive or the ambition of a typical movie protagonist. More often than not he wants to get away from things. It makes movie this delightfully unusual. The existing world of adults is awful, and it’s not until he meets Owen (show stealing by Sam Rockwell) that he begins his “coming of age.” In this case, that means having a father figure/big brother figure who brings him out of his shell and encourages him to communicate. Someone positive. The cast is consummate, the script is the right amounts of unique and familiar, and the resolution is worthwhile. Really, really good movie.

Man Of Steel

** SPOILERS **

Second viewing. I gave it another chance, in 2D, and my opinion of this movie did not improve. It could have started a half an hour later. The plot, the business of recovering the DNA of all Kryptonians imbedded in Clark’s body, is foggy and uncompelling. Besides, who cares? Except for Clark, all Kryptonians seem like a bunch of dicks anyway. Why should we care so much about saving them? The action is way too cutty and CG-ish. Seeing this movie a second time made me appreciate The Lone Ranger more. Apologies to Zach Snyder. (You’re still a talented mensch, Zach! Let’s do lunch!)

The Lone Ranger

** HI-HO SPOILER ALERT! **

Gore Verbinski has a taste for the surreal. Going all the way back to Mousehunt and The Mexican, he takes traditional stories, characters, and situations and throws in a big shot of heatstroke-induced quirkiness. The Lone Ranger fits right into Verbinksi’s milieu. Although casual fans of the Ranger might be put-off by this sobering reality: this is actually the Tonto story, and it’s not a straight telling.

There’s a satirical edge to Tonto, slyly needling the white man’s stereotype of “The Noble Savage.” Depp’s Tonto is just a weird medicine man at first. But when the movie dips into his back-story, we learn why his own tribe cast him away. He has a quest, and he just might be insane with revenge. As his behavior becomes more erratic and he starts talking to the horses, you start to wonder if maybe Tonto is that Indian following Jim Morrison around in Oliver Stone’s Doors movie -- high on peyote.

The ranger, John Reid, is the sidekick here, and he and Tonto bounce back and forth between bickering like characters in a Woody Allen movie to saving each other’s asses from the movie’s formidable railroad tycoon villains. But after all the back-story, lingering desert weirdness, and scene-stealing by the various horses, the action is glorious. From the thrilling days of yesteryear and a mighty high-ho silver Verbinski and company orchestrate one of the most fun, most exhilarating movie climaxes in many a moon. Long takes and wide shots make the incredible action easy to follow (unlike Man of Steel), and it doesn’t hurt that Rossini’s on the soundtrack. I embrace Verbinski for all the hi-jinks and all the weirdness. I loved the “Pirates” movies and I loved Rango. There’s so much imagination on display here, it’s a shame more people aren’t seeing it.

Monsters U

Monsters Inc was so mind-blowingly creative. The world, the characters, and the story. Every frame is sublime. And it was about energy – alternative energy. Harnessing laughter. Deep stuff. Monsters U gives us the same world and same characters, with a standard, college clichés, Revenge of the Nerds plot. It’s not about anything we haven’t seen before. The animation is good, but a little too cutesy and cuddly. The story isn’t meant to appeal to a demo over 8 years old, and some of it doesn’t track with the other movie. I understand why Pixar/Disney would need to slide their target age down a ways. I, Doug Howell, middle-aged man, am not buying the toys or riding the rides. But it’s a shame this movie is so thematically inferior to its predecessor.

The Heat

Lots and lots of female laughter in the crowded audience. It’s not the clichéd story, it’s not the plot, and it’s not the writing that makes it funny. It’s all about the delivery. The two leads, Bullock and McCarthy, fine-tune their timing so that even non-jokes can get a laugh. On paper or in the wrong hands this could have been a disaster. Instead, it’s amusing, light-hearted, and predictable without being irritating.

The Purge

A commendable low-budget thriller, using limited locations wisely. Throughout the movie, the ridiculous premise remains a sticking point. Plot holes are rampant, which cause the audience to wonder why the villains are even bothering with their killing spree. At least the townspeople in Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” had their reasons, however stupid and crazy they were. But it’s not supposed to be taken literally. The whole movie is meant to be a rich vs. poor, 1% parable, which sort of works some of the time, but they could have pushed their symbols much harder.