22 Jump Street - Overload of Crude Humor

2 out of 5 Stars

I try to keep an open mind about new movies.  I tend to give most movies a chance, even when I am not particularly fond of members of the cast.  With some actors and actresses, it is a little harder for me to do that.  Originally I really wasn’t interested in seeing 22 Jump Street.  I only recently saw the first movie, and, well, it wasn’t a favorite.  I don’t really like Jonah Hill, though I have managed to like some of his movies.  I ended up going to see 22 Jump Street.  I should have followed my initial instincts and avoided it.

After somehow managing to be successful with their assignment out of 21 Jump Street that sent them back to high school looking for drug dealers, partners Jenko and Schmidt have trouble with other assignments.  They get a lead on Ghost, a drug dealer, but mess up in a big way and are sent to 22 Jump Street - across the street in a different abandoned church from 21 Jump Street.  Captain Dickson assigns Jenko and Schmidt to go undercover at the local college to find who is suppling a new drug called WHYPHY that has been linked to the death of a student.

It doesn’t take long for Jenko to start up a friendship with Zook and Rooster, fraternity brother football players.  Schmidt doesn’t fit in with them at all and he starts feeling left out.  He does manage to start a relationship with art student Maya even while being looked down on by Maya’s roommate Mercedes.  Jenko and Schmidt start to drift apart and the investigation, as well as their friendship, suffers.

During the first several minutes of the credits, there are a series of clips from fake sequels that have Jenko and Schmidt going undercover in other schools, like medical school, culinary school, and a seminary - in which Seth Rogen replaces Jonah Hill as Schmidt because of “contract negations”.   The clips are amusing.  At the end of the credits there is a short scene that ties back into something that happened earlier during the movie.  I’m guessing it was supposed to be funny, but I didn’t think it was.  It was just an attempt at a joke being taken too far yet again.

While I did laugh here and there at things happening in 22 Jump Street, I didn’t find the movie that funny overall.  Far too often, the “jokes” fell flat for me.  From very early in the movie there are a lot of jokes about movie sequels being exactly the same as the first movies, how a bigger budget doesn’t guarantee success, and how all sequels stink.  The movie is very self aware, including through the clips during the credits.  That stuff is fine at first, but it gets old fast.  The same thing happens any other time something actually funny happens.  The writers didn’t know when to quit.  Mercedes spends just about every minute she is on screen making cracks about old people and how ancient Schmidt is.  That was just stupid.

There are a lot of gay jokes tied to the relationship between Jenko and Schmidt.  There are some tied to Jenko’s growing friendship with Zook as well later in the movie.  The first few of those jokes was fine, but again, the writers didn’t know when to quit.  It got to a point where it was uncomfortable that they were resorting to that sort of joke again.  The humor would have worked better overall if there wasn’t so much overkill with certain types of jokes going on.   It is almost like someone decided that if it was funny once, then doing the same sort of joke 900 more times will be absolutely hilarious.  It isn’t.  I don’t mind dumb comedies or silly movies at times.  This one just didn’t work for me.  There some pop culture type references, including references to Batman, Robin, and Spider-man.  Sexual references, some of which are rather vulgar, are used throughout the movie.  They are something else that I think were intended to be funny that weren’t.

I don’t know if everything in the movie was actually scripted or if improvisation went on during filming.  Jonah Hill is part of a group of male actors who do a lot of improvisation during their movies.  They seem to think anything they think up on the spot is hilarious no matter how stupid it is.  Saying whatever pops into your head and then laughing doesn’t make something funny.  Some people are really, really good at improvisation, but not everyone is.  Hill - and the group of actors that includes Seth Rogen - isn’t that good at it.  I have seen extras on some DVDs that have actors going on and on and on, trying to come up with something funny by just spewing nonsense.  A lot of the stuff that Mercedes says about how old Schmidt is has that sort of feel to it. 

The few action scenes do seem a bit exaggerated and over the top.  There is sort of a chase at the beginning, and a longer chase later that has Jenko and Schmidt going after two different suspects.  The action does take a back seat to the attempts at humor.  Some violence is in a few scenes without the movie being violent overall.  The word that rhymes with luck, along with variations of it, are used by just about every character, something else that is over done.  Drugs play a part in what is going on, including when Jenko and Schmidt unknowingly ingest some and have a weird trip.  The movie does deserve the R rating, and it isn’t one that children of any age should see.

I didn’t think any of the characters were that interesting.  Jenko is good looking and becomes popular at college, but he is dumber than a box of rocks.  That makes it harder to believe him as a college student than the fact that he is older than his classmates.  Schmidt is overly needy and clingy where Jenko is concerned, but he is still somehow able to hook up with Maya, a girl well out of his league.  Jonah Hill didn’t annoy me as much as he has in other movies, but he still isn’t funny.  Channing Tatum really isn’t funny either. 

Maya is just a pretty art student who has a family member that could add complications.  Mercedes is a waste most of the time.  She and Schmidt get into a fight at one point that is just ridiculous.  Captain Dickson is only around in a few scenes.  He mostly is yelling about something.  The Ghost is a drug dealer the guys are after at the beginning who may or may not turn up again later.  Rooster and Zook are the football playing frat brothers.  Neither of them seem that bright either.  Zook is around a little more since he becomes more of a friend to Jenko.  I didn’t realize that Wyatt Russell was playing Zook when watching the movie.  Different students are around briefly without them adding anything to the movie.

22 Jump Street has a few moments here and there that work or that are funny, but overall, it just isn’t funny.  I know the movie has gotten a lot of good reviews, but I don’t understand that.  I don’t get what is so good or entertaining about it.  This is definitely not a movie for everyone.

This review is part of elvisdo’s 7th Annual Funny Pages Write off because of the references to Batman, Robin, and Spider-man.   

Tammy

3 out of 5 Stars

Melissa McCarthy has become very popular in the last few years.  I think she is very funny and have enjoyed movies she was in, so I have wanted to see Tammy, her new movie.

The day is already going bad - car issues and being fired - when Tammy arrives home and discovers that her husband is romancing another woman.  Tammy packs up a few things and heads two houses down to her parents’ home.  When her mom won’t turn over a car, Tammy decides she can take her grandmother’s car.  Pearl is willing, but only if she goes with Tammy.  The two head off on what ends up being a wild road trip, complete with drinking and a robbery.

A few short things are shown during the first few minutes of the credits, including one blooper.  There are no additional scenes at the end of the credits.  There isn’t a 3D option for this one.

Things start happening within the first few minutes of Tammy, setting up that this is just the most recent bad day that Tammy has had.  It quickly becomes clear that her life isn’t the greatest.  Some of that is her own fault and other things aren’t.  There are times when I felt really bad for her.  Pearl has her own issues that come to light during the trip.  That does sort of add a few complications to what is going on, but the plot is fairly straightforward, though it isn’t completely predictable since there are a few small surprises here and there.  Some people could be disappointed by the fairly simple plot. 

Not everyone is going to like or appreciate the humor in Tammy.  Some of it is rather crude or rude, involving obscene gestures or language.  The word that rhymes with luck, along with some variations are used repeatedly throughout the movie by just about every character.  All the foul language may offend some people.  I don’t mind if that sort of thing is done a few times, but it does get old after a certain point.  Bad language by itself isn’t funny.  I do think that Tammy is funny overall, though it could have been funnier.  There are funny things that weren’t in the trailers, but there is also something that has been in trailers that wasn’t in the movie for some reason.  A few references are used at times as well, mostly to things that a younger person will not get.  The only one I can remember now is when Tammy mentions the old tv show Falcon Crest. 

Tammy is not a family friendly movie, though when I saw it, someone decided to bring a herd of children, who ended up sitting just one seat away from me.  The movie is rated R for a reason, and young children really should not be seeing it.  The movie is probably all right for teenagers.  Parents should check the movie out first.  In addition to all the swearing, there are some sexual remarks and a few borderline sexual situations as well.  At one point, Pearl is picked up by Earl while Tammy and Earl’s son Bobby watch.  Pearl and Earle end up in the backseat of the car before locking Tammy out of the hotel room.  Pearl demonstrates more bad behavior by offering Tammy beer when Tammy is driving and spending a lot time drunk.  The two women share a few things, some of which are a bit disturbing. 

Pearl and Tammy serve as the main characters and each of them have some issues.  Pearl spends a lot of time drunk, and at least once, she is shown starting to drink really early in the day.  Pearl is a bit wild at times, especially where Earl is concerned.  Susan Sarandon is all right in the part, though she doesn’t seem old enough to have a granddaughter Tammy’s age - or daughter the age of Deb for that matter.  It is a little odd to see Sarandon in this type of part, but I think she handles the comedy well.  I do think she was funnier in the few episodes of Mike & Molly she was in last year.  Deb and Don are Tammy’s parents.  Deb is not happy about the road trip at all and she doesn’t come across as that supportive at times.  Alison Janney is fine in the part even though she isn’t old enough to have a daughter the age of McCarthy.  Don only shows up very briefly late in the movie, so Dan Aykroyd don’t get much to do.

Lenore is Pearl’s cousin who ends up helping Pearl and Tammy at one point.  Kathy Bates is fine in the part even though she doesn’t have much to do.  Sandra Oh has even less to do as Susanne, Lenore’s partner.  Earl is a drunken mess and a mostly flat character.  Gary Cole really just has to stumble around and make out with Sarandon.  Bobby is Earl’s sort of responsible son - Bobby did take Earl out drinking after all.  Bobby doesn’t get much attention either, but he seems nice enough.  Missi is the woman that Tammy’s husband Greg is seeing.  They are only in a few short scenes, so Toni Collette is wasted in the part.  Ben Falcone is good as Keith, Tammy’s jerk boss. 
Tammy, as the main character that the movie is named after, ends up with the most to do.  She has a fairly crappy life.  She tends to complain about things without doing much to try to change things.  She isn’t the brightest crayon in the box and she clearly has issues.  She usually makes bad decisions, though at one point, she does that with good intentions.  She still manages to be mostly likable even though she has some moments when it is difficult to like her.  Melissa McCarthy is fine in the part.  She, along with her husband Ben Falcone, wrote the movie and he directed it.  I do think it could have been better.  Tammy really isn’t that different from the parts she has played in Identity Thief and The Heat, so I can see why some people say they are getting tired of her doing the same thing over and over. 

Tammy has problems and could have been a lot better, but it isn't as bad as some have said.  It does manage to be funny and entertaining, but it isn’t as good as The Heat.  Fans of McCarthy will probably want to check out of the movie.

The Simpsons Movie - Homer Hits the Big Screen

5 out of 5 Stars

The animated television series The Simpsons is the longest running television show.  It became very popular from the time it began to air in 1989 on FOX.  The characters appeared on all kinds of merchandise, games, and comic books.  It was years later before I started to watch the show because I didn’t have FOX in 1989.  I quickly got hooked on the show and have been watching it ever since.  I have all the DVD sets that have been released and I went to see The Simpsons Movie on opening day in 2007.  I just watched the movie again. 

Springfield is facing a dangerous situation.  Lisa convinces everyone to do something to fix the situation.  Things start to get better until the day that Homer gets distracted by free donuts and does something that dooms the town.  He then has to try to find a way to redeem himself and possibly save the town. 

The Simpsons Movie begins showing many of the characters in a movie theater watching an Itchy & Scratchy movie.  During the credits, there are a few little bits of animation, including Maggie’s first word, but there really aren’t any actual extra scenes during or after the credits.  There wasn’t an animated short before the movie, unless you count the few minutes of Itchy & Scratchy. 

While the plot for the movie does build on things from the series, it is self contained.  There really haven’t been any continuing storylines in the series, so there wasn’t anything like that to carry into the movie.  Everything is resolved by the end of the movie.  Some things that happened in the movie have been referenced in the series since then once or twice.  When the new season started in the fall of 2007, something is shown that connects to the ending of the movie.  People who haven’t seen the series could enjoy the movie though they probably won’t know all the characters or get why certain things happen.  The movie is really aimed at fans of the show.  

Subplots turn up in many episodes of the series, some of which end up not being connected to the main plot of the episode in any way.  The Simpsons Movie has a few subplots that do end up tying back into the main plot.  For a few of the subplots, it only becomes clear late in the movie how they connect to the main plot.  Things remain true to the series and what has been established in it and no one acts out of character.  The things that happen are believable for the world of the series.     

The movie uses the same type of humor that the series uses and I think the movie is funny.  That does mean that some jokes are silly and there is some gross humor as well.  This type of humor doesn’t appeal to everyone, but I think it works for the movie just like it works for the series.  Anyone that has had a problem with the humor in the show will probably have a problem with it in the movie too.  Some of the humor relies on things that Homer says or does, again like the show.  It just wouldn’t seem right to me if Homer didn’t bumble into something and cause some sort of problem.  It would have been weird if the movie changed the humor too much from what is used in the series.   From what I remember, the trailers and previews didn’t show the funniest moments.  There are a few pop culture references without the movie being loaded down with too many of them like has happened with other movies.  Homer gets a pig at one point that he calls Spider Pig and later calls Harry Plopper, in what seem to be references to Spider-Man and Harry Potter.  Homer even makes up a Spider Pig song.

The Simpsons Movie is rated PG-13, so it is able to get away with a little more than an episode of the series is.  At one point, Homer makes an obscene gesture with each hand and there is a little bit of swearing.  The word that rhymes with luck isn’t used.  There is some animated nudity at one point that did shock me when I first saw the movie.  I hadn’t expected it to go as far as it did.  Parents should definitely check out the movie before letting their kids see it, even if their kids regularly watch the series.  Things are a little more suggestive in a few other scenes.  The movie isn’t good for all children just because it is animated. 

The animation for the movie has the same basic look as the series.  All the characters and locations look the same, though it is slightly different from how the series looked up to the point of the movie being released.  The series is now in high definition, something that started with season twenty in 2009.  The animation for the movie is done very well though it isn’t on the same level as what Pixar does. 

By the time this movie came out, the series had aired for eighteen years.   That gave it the time to have richly developed main characters and a large, fairly strong cast of supporting characters.  There isn’t much in the way of character development in the movie, but that didn’t bother me since I was already familiar with the characters.  Anyone who hasn’t watched the show may feel differently.  The movie, like the series, is mainly focused on the five members of the Simpsons family, so they end up with the most to do.   

While several supporting characters are around, none of them do as much which is a little disappointing even though it is understandable.  There are a few scenes that include large crowds, which is the only time some of the various characters are actually seen.  Some of the characters only get a line or two while others don’t have any.   Several locations, like the church, Krusty Burger, and the comic book store, turn up as well.  Comic Book Guy shows up in a few scenes and is actually attempting to help Marge figure something out at one point.  Apu, Moe, Millhouse, Chief Wiggum, and Mr. Burns briefly stand out in short scenes.  There are a few new characters, with Russ Cargill having the most to do since he is involved in the main plot.  The voices of the characters are all done by the voice actors who have done them for the series for years.  It would have just been strange if the voices had been different.  Albert Brooks, credited as A. Brooks, does a good job with the voice of Russ.  One very famous actor basically does a cameo as himself at one point. 

DVD INFORMATION

The Simpsons Movie is available on DVD and Blu-ray.  I have the DVD.  The picture quality looks beautiful on my HDTV.  There are a few commentaries that I haven’t taken the time to listen to yet.  There are five or six short deleted scenes, including a slightly alternate ending, that really don’t add much, though they would have given a few other characters some screen time.  The different trailers are included as well.  Special stuff includes little extra bits, like Homer introducing American Idol and Homer, Marge, and Lisa acting as the American Idol judges while Simon Cowell auditions.  None of them are very long, though they are cute.  Since I don’t have the Blu-ray, I don’t know what sort of extras are included with that version.

The Simpsons Movie is a very fun, entertaining movie.  I really enjoyed it and think it is true to the series.  It is definitely worth checking out for fans of the series.  People who don’t like the series should probably just skip this movie.

This review is part of Elvisdo’s 7th Annual Funny Pages Write Off because of Comic Book Guy, the reference to Spider-Man, and the fact that there are Simpsons comic books.

I posted a review of this movie on Epinions on July 27, 2007 - after seeing the movie in the theater - as dragonfire88.  When I watched the movie again recently, I decided to write a new review.

Independence Day - Will Smith Battles Aliens

4 out of 5 Stars

Eighteen years ago in 1996, Independence Day was the big blockbuster of the summer.  I did see the movie two or three times in the theater and I got the movie on VHS before eventually picking up the DVD.  I have no idea how many times I’ve seen this movie.  I ended up leaving the movie on when I found it on one of the Encore channels on the 4th of July. 

On July 2, satellites start having issues and a huge space ship is discovered orbiting Earth.  Smaller ships break off the big ship and move above major cities all around the world.  A few groups of people around the country, including the President and his wife, are shown dealing with the initial situation and then the aftermath of horrible attacks on the various major cities.  Not everyone that is introduced survives.  Eventually the different groups of people end up at Area 51.  David, who works for a cable company, plays a big part in developing a plan of attack that is launched on July 4th.   

At first, it might seem like Independence Day is a complicated movie.  A lot is going on, but it is all tied to the spaceships and the attempts to deal with that.  The plot ends up being rather simple and predictable, but it does work overall as an entertaining movie.  Things start off a little slower as all the various characters are introduced.  The movie jumps around among all the characters throughout the movie, showing little bits of what is going on with them before jumping to the next group of characters.  All the jumping around does get a little old and things don’t flow as well as they probably could.  The story itself of aliens showing up has a lot of potential.  It just isn’t as developed as it could have been.

There is a lot of action throughout Independence Day in the form of various fights and some explosions.  All the characters are in danger at some point, some more than once.  Air Force One barely takes off ahead of a massive fireball from the attack.  Another character, Jasmine, somehow finds the one spot that will withstand a similar fireball in Los Angeles with seconds to spare.  There are a few air fights with smaller attack type ships that deploy from the larger ships hovering over the cities.  The action is a bit over the top at times, but those scenes are entertaining.  The aliens are seen and look suitably creepy.  One or two scenes featuring an alien is a bit gross.  Some scenes have a bit of violence, but there really isn’t that much violence overall considering how much action there is.  The movie is rated PG-13, so parents should probably check the movie out before letting children see it.  There is an attempt to add humor to what is going on, usually through what some characters say.  That happens even during action scenes at times which can mess with the flow of the scene.  Some of the lines are more cheesy and some of the other dialogue that isn’t trying to be funny isn’t that great.

I’m sure that a lot of things were created with special effects throughout the movie.  The effects are done well and have held up well for the most part without looking really dated.  When I watched again this time I did notice a few things with the effects that I didn’t before.  It was mainly that the edges around people or objects - like when the fireballs were approaching -  looked a little off in scenes that must have used green screen.  I may have noticed this time because I was watching on an HDTV.  I think the last time I watched a few years ago was on an older tv.  The Encore channel was HD as well.  I have no idea if Encore was using a high definition copy of the movie or not though.  The overall picture quality was good and it didn’t look like grainy or anything like that.    

Since making Independence Day, director Roland Emmerich has made two more disaster movies, 2012 and The Day After Tomorrow.  He also made the 1998 Godzilla, which is kind of a combination of monster and disaster movie.  Those movies have followed the same basic formula, with different disasters for the characters to face.  There is even a plane taking off barely ahead of a fireball in 2012 along with a limo that somehow manages to outrun fire, explosions, and massive falling debris.  I think there was more than one escape just barely ahead of a fireball in that movie, but I don’t remember for sure.  I think I have blocked a lot of that out.  I’ve seen all four of these movies and I notice a lot of similarities in them.  It really seems like Emmerich has used this movie as a template for others because the structure of the other three movies is so similar.  There are groups of characters that the movies jump between, showing how they all are dealing with the disaster.  None of the characters are that developed and they mostly just fill a certain type of role.  There is one scientist type character who figures out what is going on that no one will listen to until it is too late.  Someone will give a rousing speech just when things seem to be the worst that inspires everyone.  There tend to be one couple that is estranged for some reason who realize they still love each other by the end.  Most of these movies have also had another couple who start out happy, somehow survive everything, and end up eve closer.  The story and the set up of everything works all right for this movie, but it would be nice if he would try more originality.  He has done other things that were very different, but he seems to keep returning to this formula time after time.

I didn’t notice it when I first saw the movie, but the alien ships look a lot like the ships from V, a television mini series about aliens that come to Earth that aired in the 80s.  There was a new version of the series on a few years ago that I also watched.  When the new series started to air, there was some criticism that the show was just copying things from Independence Day.  Evidently the people that claimed that never saw or knew about the original V, which came out well before this movie.  It was around that time that I realized how much the ships look like the ones from V.  I watched V when it originally aired, but enough time had passed before this movie came out that I didn’t pick up on the similar look. 

There is such a large group of characters in Independence Day that really none of them are that developed.  They just sort of fill certain characteristics without any depth being added to them.  Several of the characters are nice enough, but they are very flat.  David works for a cable company is very intelligent.  He discovers something early on tied to the aliens, but of course, no one will listen to him at that point.  He is still in love in with ex-wife and still wears his wedding ring.  Jeff Goldblum does fine with the part.  Julius is David’s father who ends up going along.  Judd Hirsch is wonderful in the role and has some of the best lines even though he doesn’t get much to do overall.

Constance is David’s ex-wife who works for the president.  She doesn’t listen at first, but she starts acting differently and seems to still love David.  From what was said in a few scenes, it seemed like she had put her job first.  It also didn’t help that David had some trust issues and even punched Thomas at some point.  Margaret Colin is fine in the part.  Thomas Whitmore is the president.  He fought in the Gulf War which seems to have been a big reason why people elected him.  When things begin, people aren’t happy with how he has been doing his job.  David and Thomas still have issues.  Bull Pullman is fine in the part.  Marilyn is Thomas’s wife.  She is in Los Angeles when the attack happens.  Mary McDonnell does well with what she has to work with.  Albert Nimzicki works with the president and has his own ideas about how to deal with the situation.  He is a former CIA agent who may know than he admits at first.  James Rebhorn does fine with the part.

Steve is somewhat cocky, but he is a talented pilot.  He wants to be an astronaut, but he keeps getting turning down.  Will Smith does well with the part.  Jasmine is Steve’s girlfriend.  She is an exotic dancer.  At one point she mentions doing it because she makes good money and her son is worth it.  Jasmine is nice enough.  Vivica A. Fox is fine in the part, though nothing special.  Harry Connick Jr. is in a few scenes as Jimmy Wilder, a pilot and friend of Steve’s. 

Russell is a crop duster who tends to be drunk most of the time.  He is sort of considered a local crackpot because of how he acts and the fact that he talks about being abducted by aliens just about every chance he gets.  Randy Quaid is a bit over the top with his performance, though that does sort of fit the character.  Miguel, Alicia, and Troy are Russell’s children.  Miguel is really fed up with Russell.  Robert Loggia is in several scenes as William Grey, a general who is involved in the situation.  Adam Baldwin has a small part as Major Mitchell, someone stationed at Area 51.  Harvey Fierstein and Brent Spinner also have small parts and only turn up in a few scenes.

DVD Information

I have seen a few different DVD versions of Independence Day.  I have a two disc version that has several extras tied to the making of the movie on the second disc.  I’m not sure what sort of extras are on the other DVD versions.  The movie is available on Blu-ray, though since I don’t have that version, I don’t know what sort of extras it has.  The movie does air on various cable channels at times, especially near or on the fourth of July.  Depending on which channel it is on, it could be edited.  When commercial breaks are added on some channels, it makes the movie almost unbearably long, especially with how often the commercials are.  It is better to watch it from the DVD, Blu-ray, or a channel that doesn’t have commercials.  The movie is long enough by itself.  One of the Encore movie channels aired the movie all day on the 4th of July this year (2014).  I don’t know exactly what time the marathon started, but I’m guessing that it lasted twenty four hours.

Independence Day has some flaws, but it is an entertaining movie overall that has held up fairly well and is still worth watching.  Fans of the cast or people who like disaster movies will probably find something to like about the movie.  Anyone who doesn’t care for disaster movies or mindless action movies will want to skip this one.  It is one of the few movies I own or have seen that is set around the fourth of July.

I originally posted this review on Epinions on July 4, 2010 as dragonfire88.  I made changes to the review before posting it here.

Plans for This Blog

I have decided that I am going to start posting some of the reviews that I originally posted on Epinions here.  I think that most of the time when I do that, I’ll probably make at least a few changes.  When I do repost one of those reviews, I will mention that it was originally posted on Epinions.  If I have recently rewatched the movie, then I might just do a whole new review.  I think I will still mention that I had previously posted a review of the book at Epinions in that case as well. 

I have managed to watch more movies recently and I hope to get some reviews posted soon.  I have mostly kept up with posting about the movies I have seen in the theater in the last few months, so that is something.  At times, I think I will make shorter posts about what I have watched recently.  If I have already done a longer review on that movie, then I will link back to it.  I may also do posts at times about what movies will be coming out soon and which ones I want to try to see.

I want to set up a page, or maybe it will just be a few posts, that list the books I have reviewed along with links to the reviews.  I had something like set up for my reviews at Epinions as well.  I will be doing that for each of my blogs.  I know I don’t have many posts on any of them right now, but I figure that this is a good time to get started on that.

Transformers: Age of Extinction - Another Michael Bay Action Extravaganza

3 out of 5 Stars

Michael Bay is known for directing action packed movies that focus on action and CGI to the detriment of the plot.  Despite that, I have managed to enjoy his movies over the years.  They can be entertaining mindless action movies.  I have seen the first three Transformers movies and enjoyed them to varying degrees even while finding various flaws.  I honestly wasn’t sure I wanted to see the fourth movie, Transformers: Age of Extinction.  I ultimately decided to go see the movie and I got more of the same - a mindless action movie that is mostly entertaining.

Five years after the battle between the Autobots and Decepticons in Chicago, the US army is no longer working with the Autobots.  Harold Attinger is in charge of a top secret CIA black op that involves tracking down the remaining Decepticons.  Unknown to just about everyone, Autobots are also being hunted as part of the op.  Attinger sees all Transformers as a threat that he intends to eliminate to protect the country. 

Cade Yeager is a struggling inventor who salvages stuff in an attempt to make a living.  His daughter Tessa is furious when he comes home with a battered semi that he hopes to sell for parts.  It turns out the truck is Optimus Prime.  Cade decides to try to fix him, but soon mysterious agents are swarming his farm.  He and Tessa end up on the run with Shane, Tessa’s secret boyfriend rally car driver, and the few remaining Autobots.

There are no extra scenes during or after the credits.  I saw the normal version of the movie.  It is also showing in 3D - including IMAX 3D - in some theaters.  Depending on how the 3D was done, there are some scenes and images that have the potential to look cool in 3D.  I did notice 3D conversion listed in the credits, so I think it was shot normally and then converted to 3D.  

 I was first introduced to the Transformers through the cartoon that aired in the 80s.  I knew there were toys, but I never had any of them.  Over the years, there has been an animated movie connected to that cartoon series, other cartoons, and comic books.  I don’t think the story from this movie has been used in any of the comics or cartoons.

Transformers: Age of Extinction is the longest of the Transformers movies at almost three hours long.  I don’t mind longer movies if there is enough going on to support the longer run time.  That isn’t the case with this movie, just like it wasn’t with the first three.  The movie is mostly a series of jerky action scenes, loosely connected by a thin plot.  I wasn’t expecting the plot to be stronger or make me think.  The fact that the movie is so long makes the plot weakness a bigger problem because there just isn’t enough to the plot to justify a movie this long.  Yes some of the action scenes were cool - like when Optimus Prime rides another Transformer that is a fire breathing dinosaur - but there is such a thing as too much action.  After a certain point, it all blends together and the audience is left watching as one giant robot beats the crap out of another giant robot while destroying a city.   The movie would have been more entertaining if it weren’t so bloated with action scenes. 

The pacing is a bit uneven, dragging in some places, and moving lightening quick in others.  Bay uses slow motion in the middle of many action scenes.  It is overused in this movie and for the most part, I find the change to slow motion like that a bit jarring.  There are even a few sequences that seem to be pulled from the first movies - like people flying through the air because Bumblebee just has to transform out of his car form.  There is violence in several scenes, though it is mostly robots being hurt.  Younger children may not have the attention span to watch a movie this long, something that parents should consider.  The movie is rated PG-13 because of the action scenes and violence.  One character does use the word that rhymes with luck once in a somewhat funny way.  A few characters make suggestive remarks every so often that are more stupid than anything.  Those references would probably pass unnoticed by children.

There are attempts to add a bit of humor here and there to what is going on in Transformers: Age of Extinction through things that different characters say.  Some of them are mildly, and I do mean mildly, funny.  More often than not, the quips fall flat or are just stupid.  I noticed several product placements, some of which seem out of place.  At one point, a male scientist is holding a version of Rainbow Dash, one of the My Little Ponies.  At another point, things practically come to a stand still for Cade to spout something stupid and drink a Bud Light that just happens to be conveniently there.  Several of the action scenes are fine and I don’t mind the CGI for the most part.  There are entirely too many quick cuts during them though, something that Bay has in pretty much every movie he’s directed.  The point of view jumps around so much at times, it is impossible to keep track of where certain characters are, or even which one is which when it comes to the robots.  I hate when that happens and find it highly aggravating.  There is jerky camera work at times too, though it isn’t as bad as it has been in some movies.  In scenes when the Transformers, mostly the Autobots, are shown driving in vehicle form, there are all these sweeping shots that sort of zoom around, barely showing the vehicles.  That is a huge waste given what types of cars some of them transform into.

There are new Transformers in this movie, and some of them turn into some pretty awesome cars if you can manage to spot them.  One of them, Drift, turns into a Bugatti Veyron, one of the fastest cars in the world, that is extremely expensive and very cool.  Too bad Drift is barely in the form of the Veyron.  I actually had to look it up to find out that Crosshairs turns into a Corvette Stingray.  He wasn’t in that form long enough for me to recognize what type of sports car he was.  Stinger, another new character, is a Pagani Huayra, another very expensive and very fast car from Italy.  The Pagani is seen a little more, but mostly in scenes when it is sitting still.  I recognized the Veyron and Pagani from seeing them on Top Gear, a British show about cars.  Lockdown turns into a Lamborghini Aventador.  It almost seems like Bay or the screenwriter - or both - has seen Top Gear and decided that they just had to use some of the fastest cars featured on the show, never mind that they cost millions of dollars and that the cars themselves would end up having less than five minutes of screen time.  

It is said fairly early in the movie that things are happening five years after the battle in Chicago.  That battle, and the destruction, changed how some people viewed the Transformers, including the Autobots.  Some people still saw the Autobots as allies because of what they have done to help humans previously, but others, like Attinger, see things differently.  There are signs near where Cade and his daughter live in Texas about reporting alien activity.  When Chicago is seen again - and some important scenes take place there - it doesn’t look like there is any lingering damage from the battle, despite what the story tired to establish.  It just seems like the idea of backlash over what happened in Chicago is just used as an excuse for Attinger to be running his top secret op before being forgotten.  It is just another bit of story sacrificed at the altar of action and CGI.  Even with the barely there plot, the movie somehow manages to leave a few things unanswered in what is an obvious set up for yet another movie.

Things connected with Cade, Tessa, and Shane attempt to add other complications to Transformers: Age of Extinction.  Cade is trying his best to provide for his daughter, while she comes off as unappreciative and judgmental.  She thinks nothing of telling her father off for something, putting him down, and ignoring him.  She has been involved with Shane in some way for years, yet Cade only meets him when they are in the middle of running for their lives.  Cade is justifiably upset, especially when finding out that Shane is twenty - Tessa is only seventeen.  Shane pulls out a laminated copy of the Romeo & Juliet law in Texas that says if they the couple were together when they were both underage, then there is nothing illegal about the relationship.  That is a bit ridiculous, especially with how much Tessa seems to like the idea of her and Shane being Romeo and Juliet.  She seems to have forgotten that those two end up dead.  There really isn’t too much to the relationship between Shane and Tessa.  It mostly just serves as a reason for Tessa to clash with her dad and for Shane to make some cracks as well.

None of the characters have much in the way of development, something else that I figured would happen.  Cade is nice enough and it is clear that he loves his daughter more than anything.  Mark Wahlberg is fine in the part.  He seems to be doing the best he can with the material.  He is also much better than Shia LaBeouf.  Tessa comes across as a bratty teenager who has no respect for her father.  She is constantly putting down his efforts to make money and she questions his judgment.  She has kept a boyfriend from her father for years.  While Cade is a bit overprotective that still doesn’t justify her actions.  I don’t like her at all.  She wears super short cut off shorts that I think may even be shorter than ones Megan Fox wore in the first movie, something I didn’t think was possible before.  At least there were no shots lingering on her backside while she bent over or shot angled up, making it seem like some sort of personal medical exam was going on like was done in the previous movies.  While I am no fan of Fox, her character was more likable and memorable.  Nicola Peltz is nothing special in the part.  

Shane is a rally car driver originally from Ireland.  It isn’t said how long he has been in Texas, but it must have been at least three years for him and Tessa to be able to claim that the Romeo & Juliet law applies to them.  Shane is a bit mouthy at times and a very good driver.  Jack Reynor is fine in the part.  Stanley Tucci is pretty good as Joshua Joyce, a rather arrogant business owner who is mixed up in what is going on.  Attinger is a CIA agent who is in charge of the secret op to track down Transformers.  He doesn’t see a difference between Autobots and Decepticons.  He is willing to do whatever is necessary to achieve his goal.  Kelsey Grammar does well with the part and makes a good villain. 

Optimus Prime is back and still leading the Autobots, or at least who is left of them.  His faith in humans has been strained, though Cade’s actions help to fix that.  Peter Cullen returns to provide the voice of Optimus Prime.  Cullen originated the voice of Optimus Prime in the 1980's cartoon.  He has done other voice work over the years and has done the voice of Optimus again since the release of the first Transformers movie in 2007.  Optimus changes into a semi truck.  When he is first seen in this movie, he looks like a much older cab that is very damaged.  It isn’t long before he upgrades to a newer model semi.  Bumblebee is back too, first as an older Camero before also upgrading to a newer model.  He continues to be a bit sensitive about his appearance at times and he is unable to talk.  He uses sound clips to communicate.

Hound is somewhat large and transforms into some sort of military vehicle.  He does crack a lot of jokes, most of which really aren’t that funny.  John Goodman provides his voice.  He wasn’t in any of the previous movies.  Drift looks like a Samurai in robot form.  He can also change into a helicopter in addition to the Veyron.  Ken Watanabe’s voice works for the character.  Crosshairs is pessimistic about most things, including the other Autobots.  John DiMaggio provides his voice.  I don’t think Hound, Drift, or Crosshairs has been in any of the previous movies. 

Galvatron is a new robot who may have a connection with Megatron.  Frank Welker does his voice.  Stinger, as well as other robots who seem to be new Decepticons, don’t talk.  Stinger is the only one I remember.  Lockdown is neither Autobot or Decepticon.  He is basically a bounty hunter on a job.  Mary Ryan does his voice.   Later in the movie, ancient Transformers are found who turn into robotic dinosaurs instead of cars.  Optimus rides one of them, a tyrannosaurus rex that breaths fire, into battle.  The others also take part in the battle.  They aren’t identified by name, though I thought I heard Crosshairs call one of them Spike at one point. 

Transformers: Age of Extinction has issues with plot and acting, much like the first three movies.  It is also entirely too long.  Despite those things I did enjoy the movie overall.  For a mindless action movie, it is ok.  This is not a movie that everyone will like.  People who liked the first movies may also like this one.  People who didn’t like them should probably skip this one.  I didn’t love or hate this movie.  It isn’t great, but it isn’t awful either - I have seen much worse. 

This review is part of Elvisdo’s 7th Annual Funny Pages Write Off.  Elvisdo is another former Epinions member, and he hosted this write off there for six years.  It was something that several members - myself included - looked forward to each year.  I am very happy that he has decided to do it again.

Maleficent - Angelina Jolie is Magnificent (Spoiler Free)

Disney has created many wonderful animated movie, fully of memorable characters, some good some evil.  One of the most memorable characters from a Disney movie - Sleeping Beauty - is Maleficent, the villain of that story.  On May 30, 2014, the live action movie Maleficent was released.

I am only going to briefly discuss the plot of Maleficent.  I will probably mention some things that could be spoilers for people who haven’t seen Sleeping Beauty or who don’t know the story. 

** Minor Plot Discussion **
A young and powerful fairy, Maleficent, lives in the magical land of The Moors which is next to a human kingdom.  The two lands do not get along and the people of each have no contact with each other.  One day Maleficent meets a boy, Stefan and they develop a friendship that lasts for years.  Stefan eventually betrays her in order to be named the next king.  Maleficent turns darker which causes changes to The Moors.  When she learns that Stefan, now the king, has a daughter, Maleficent shows up uninvited and curses Aurora.  Maleficent and Stefan spend the next sixteen years dealing with the consequences of the curse.
** End of Minor Plot Discussion **

Maleficent is being shown in 3D and 2D.  I ended up seeing the movie in 3D because of when the show times were.  The 3D is more subtle, which could disappoint some viewers.  It mainly adds depth to the various scenes, especially the ones set outside.  There really aren’t any images coming out of the screen, something else that could be disappointing to some people.  Personally, I like when that is done in 3D and think it looks cool.  There are definitely points in the movie when that could have been done.

This movie is based on Disney’s animated Sleeping Beauty as well as a few fairytale versions of the story.  I have seen the animated movie several times - it is actually one of my favorites - but I have never read any of the fairytales.  The movie is definitely connected to the animated movie, telling the same main story focused on Maleficent instead of Aurora, but there are differences as well.  Some people may not like the differences or that certain things have been changed.  I really enjoyed the movie and like the different take on the character.  I guess I am able to look at this as a different version of the story, so I am able to appreciate the changes the story take.  Other people may not be able to do that.  I have had issues with that sort of thing in other movies, but I think it works well this time.

The movie starts by showing Maleficent as a child before showing the betrayal that ultimately causes her to curse Aurora.  I have always thought that Maleficent was intriguing, so I have been interested in seeing this movie since I first heard about it.  A few younger versions of her are briefly shown early in the movie.  She is an adult for the majority of the movie.  I had thought that her horns were just part of a headdress when watching the animated movie.  This movie shows that the horns are part of her.  Younger versions of Aurora are in a few scenes, with the older version seen the most for her too.  Slightly different versions of other characters from Sleeping Beauty turn up as well, including King Stefan, who is shown at different ages.  Versions of Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather appear as well, though they have different names - Knotgrass, Thistletwit, and  Flittle - and they are pixies.  I remember them being called fairies in the animated movie.  I think the story is straightforward and makes sense, though others may not agree.  It is interesting and entertaining.  The story is somewhat dark, so parents should keep that in mind when making a choice for this movie.  It is possible that some people won’t think that the movie is dark enough.

Special effects are used throughout Maleficent to show magic different characters use as well as to show fairies, pixies, and other magical creatures of The Moors flying.  Certain parts of the movie wouldn’t have worked without the special effects.  They were done well overall, though one thing seemed a little off or odd.  The pixies start off small and then later in the movie they make themselves human size to blend in.  When they are small, something with their heads look a little off.  Action turns up in some scenes as well without making the movie action packed. 

The characters are interesting overall, though some of them, like the Queen, are barely shown and have no development.  The pixies seem to mean well, but they are far from the best caretakers for a child.  Stefan seems to be nice at first, but his ambition takes over, twisting him into someone different.  Aurora is shown to be sweet, loving, curious, kind, and gentle even though she doesn’t receive as much development.  In this version of the story, she is more of a supporting character.  Elle Fanning is good in the part.  Diaval is a crow who becomes Maleficent’s servant when she saves him.  She uses magic to transform him into a man or any other creature that would be helpful in a situation.

This version of Maleficent is much more complex than the version from the animated movie.  While that version is one of the great Disney villains, she really is kind of flat.  That is not the case here.  She starts off kind and trusting before she is betrayed.  She is justifiably angry while also showing a softer side every so often.  Angelina Jolie is absolutely stunning and magnificent as Maleficent.  She is perfect in the part and makes the movie.  I honestly don’t think anyone else could have portrayed this character.  I know that some people don’t care for Jolie, so those people may want to avoid this movie.

Maleficent is a very entertaining movie that gives a different take on a classic Disney movie.  Some may not like that difference, but I think it is well worth checking out.  Angelina Jolie is absolutely magnificent as Maleficent.