Movie Review Catch Up II (2010)

Again there has been a back log of feature length audio-video viewings of which I am self obligated to pretentiously post textual commentary and critique (some longer than others it would seem). I guess this’ll happen more often. Fortunately I feel the last few movies have been quite worthwhile so perhaps this will be a more positive article.

Anyways:

Extract

Mike Judge director of Office Space and Idiocracy, comes back with another installment feeling close to his work in Office Space and TV work in King of the Hill. Although it bears a similarity in tone and style to his previous comedies it still delivers a fresh amount of laughs, and to be fair his dry and dull (yet oddly positive) style of American suburbia feels welcome.

Even though Extract has a nice ensemble cast including Ben Affleck, Mila Kunis, J.K. Simmons and Clifton Collins Jr. (to name a few), it is Jason Bateman that stars as Joel Reynolds, a bored and sexually frustrated Extract plant owner, who attempts in his own way, to change the things in his life that are bothering him. Although Bateman’s performance bears a similarity to his previous roles it’s not fair to criticise this because it’s the kind of thing that worked then and works now, much like Mike Judge’s own style. Jason Bateman’s nervy subtly deadpan nice guy who means well always has my attention and he carries the movie with a nice gentle charm similar to Extract‘s own atmosphere.

It may not be a breakthrough in your face comedy, but Extract delivers laughs and good pace making it a good warm film with enough small subtle dark twists to give it that Mike Judge spin.

3 out of 5

Iron Man 2

A jet plane flies over New York. Iron Man leaps out, skydiving into Flushing Meadows landing perfectly and stylishly at the middle of a stage to cheering crowd, while accompanied by a group of sexy female dancers. The Iron Man suit disassembles revealing Tony Stark (role reprised by Robert Downey Jr.) behind the mask as he says “It’s good to be back!”. And you know what? It is.

Iron Man 2 doesn’t deliver more of the same but rather goes further with its characters letting them carry the film, as they did with the first installment. Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark shows that he’s not going to go from sinner to saint over night as he is still challenged by his own arrogance and vanity while also having a crazed avenger (term to be used literally in this case) after him with two electric whips and such other tricks, on his tail. Don Cheadle fills James Rhodes’ shoes very nicely but really it’s Mickey Rourke as Ivan Vanko the aforementioned avenger, that makes a memorable appearance in the saga as he plays a villain who is perhaps simplistic evil but none the less charismatically eerie and driven making an entertaining performance.

Iron Man 2 is funny and action packed like it’s predecessor. It may be quite episodic, however this is perhaps not outside the intentions of Marvel Studios as they are building towards something bigger with their series and since these are films the source material of which, originally told their stories in monthly installments, perhaps this is not too strange an execution to make. While there are many of the great be all and end all or broad spectacle superhero films, it’s still good to see this kind of work being done if not as a successful well made group of films then at least as an interesting experiment.

4 out of 5

[Updated from 3.5 after re-watching it on DVD.]

Hot Tub Time Machine

John Cusack, Rob Corddry and Craig Robinson take a trip out to their former favourite holiday resort only to find themselves on a nostalgia trip gone awry when they unexpectedly travel back  in time to the 80s (How? It’s in the title) and must relive a night of their former glory days as drinking partying youths. Also Clark Duke comes along for the ride but that’s just for laughs. Well actually it’s all for laughs. And good ones.

Hot Tub Time Machine is a film that has what I like to call, the “ronseal deal” meaning “it does exactly what it says on the tin“. In other words Hot Tub Time Machine is a high concept film well managed. While it does have good jokes this is a film that is more about having four people being funny. Cusack, Corddry and Robinson bounce off each other well enough for you to believe that they have been friends for a long time, which is something that is not always present in your average comedy as often there’s an air of awkwardness and discomfort. Clark Duke’s character has a purpose of being the younger character that allows audience members not so experienced in the 80s, to relate more easily but he  in no way feels like an add-on or a token character. He’s certainly not a Robin. His role as Jacob, Adam (John Cusack)’s nephew fits into the story as well as the rest of them and his representation of this generation’s cyber slacker geek is in my opinion, quite accurate.

Coming back to the story, that is one thing not great about this film. While in theory the ideas revolving around the actual plot of Hot Tub Time Machine are sound, they don’t quite flesh out in practice and it would have been nice if they had. This isn’t the core of the film which is in fact its clever reflection of the 1980s in America, something I know only so much about having spent the last two years of the decade as a baby,  seeing a pile of movies of that time so stylistic they’re considered to have their own genre and having had a couple of stupid but enjoyable, conversations. None the less, I think it means something that this is a film about the 1980s particularly the image of teenage love at that time, with John Cusack a teen idol of that era, as not only a star but also a producer. But although its portrait is good, it’s poorly structured story and plot still hold it back.

It’s a film that does what it needed to do just fine, but didn’t quite do all that it could. But none the less, it’s still a funny, relaxing comedy.

3.5 out of 5

Four Lions

Whether you’re excited about the fact that Four Lions is the directorial feature debut by genius television satirist and cult comedic writer and actor Chris Morris, or you’re intrigued by the concept of a British comedy focusing on Muslim suicide bombers the general curiousity has been around the question of how controversial this film really is and is it funny?

The answers are not very and yes, yes it is. Very funny.

Four Lions is quite simply an old fashioned traditionally formatted British comedy about a modern subject that is definitely ballsy to cover, but the result is in no way offensive or objective. It’s performance and dialogue is sharp, witty and quite frankly hilarious but it’s characters have all three dimensions to them and it leaves you with some insight and an interesting perspective. Although it may appear light, the film is the result of about 3 years of research and perhaps its naturalistic tone is to be taken as a sign of respect.

Four Lions is a sharp, witty comedy that creates a portrait of a world with people that are cartoonishly dumb but none the less human and passionately driven, albeit misdirected. It may come off as some light entertainment to watch but it’s still truly great that something like this can be produced and therefore exist for audiences.

And perhaps seeing that Morris’ work in cinema is far far less uproarious then his work in television, there’s something to be said about the two individual formats, in comparison.

4 out of 5

Well finally that’s all out and I won’t feel too guilty or obligated to catch up on my next cinema visit which should hopefully be soon now that the summer blockbusters are arriving.

Can’t wait!

- Kirk Out

Advertisement