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This Is The End: Would Work Much Better as an SNL Stint

Posted on December 13, 2013 Written by ripitup

This Is The End cast — This Is The End survivors. Image via ign.com.

I wasn’t sure about This Is The End. I wanted to see it, because the idea is really cool, and some of my favorite humor has been about celebrities making fun of themselves in TV shows or on live stints. For instance:

Gerard Butler and Saturday Night Live

Writing Humor That Cracks You Up 1: Poking Fun at Oneself Unashamedly (includes Kevin Bacon, Dermot Mulroney and more.)

I didn’t want to see This Is The End because I wasn’t sure I’d be laughing that much at Seth Rogen. I have nothing against the guy, but I’ve liked him a lot more in drama. Same goes for Jonah Hill. Or if he’s doing comedy, I want Channing Tatum and a Johnny Depp cameo, aka 21 Jump Street.

And apparently, I like Jay Baruchel a lot more when he comes with Nicolas Cage, Alfred Molina and Teresa Palmer, aka The Sorcerer’s Apprentice. It might be mindless entertainment, but it is very entertaining, and sometimes that’s enough.

Now, I have a soft spot for James Franco because of Freaks and Geeks, as well as Tristan & Isolde. But his character wasn’t any more entertaining than Rogen’s. And maybe a little less annoying than Hill’s.

Also, there’s the chance the humor could/would overuse jokes about weed, guys being around other guys and then sum. Too bad I was more right about my reservations than my enthusiasm.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying I hated the movie. I just hated some parts of it (especially if it included Michael Cera. How was that supposed to be funny other than his death scene? That was enjoyable.)

I laughed a bit, but I was more disappointed. I had to fast-forward quite a bit.

On the plus side, writing a review is easy because I don’t have to remember character names. Everyone plays themselves.

Let’s go over the good and the bad.

The Good (Also The Funny & Fun):

– Two guys (Rogen and Baruchel) having weedy bromance moments and the background music is Backstreet Boys. That’s hilariously weird. And 90s.

– Seth Rogen being greeted by reporters at the airport and is told he always plays himself.

– Seth being on a cleanse which includes smoking, weed and hamburgers.

– Also him thinking gluten is the mother of evil, and not knowing what it actually is.

– Seth Rogen and Jay Baruchel finding themselves in the middle of Armageddon, and screaming like crazy, trying to survive until they head back to Franco’s.

– James Franco and party folk not having a clue the word outside is falling apart and not believing Baruchel, and Rogen selling out Baruchel to maintain believability.

– Emma Watson surviving and thinking they are in a zombie apocalypse.

– Remaining guys shooting a sequel to the Pineapple Express at home and watching it for fun.

– The ending with the Backstreet Boys cameo. Considering where and when Baruchel makes a wish, it’s too ridiculous not to be hilarious.

The Bad:

– Danny McBride: his fictional Danny takes obnoxious to a new level, and I think a character wouldn’t be that obnoxious/selfish/stupid in real world. Or people would have killed him. Seriously.

– The repetitive, unfunny jokes.

-Getting high in the middle of world ending. Yeah, sure, do that. Get extra hungry and thirsty and risk sickness. That’s cool.

– The dialogue in general.

-The Channing Tatum cameo. You want to use Tatum for comedy? Great. Have him scream his head off in a shrill voice when he is faced with real danger. Don’t make him McBride’s bitch. Literally.

I have nothing against well-done, R-rated comedies. And I don’t mind political incorrectness. Or actors playing similar characters, if those characters are likeable and plots of the movies vary enough. Some of my favorite comedies of all time are Old School, Wedding Crashers and The Hangover (the first one). But not all absurd comedies click with you (like The Hangover sequel).

I think the movie would have worked a lot better if it ran for 5-10 minutes instead of 107 minutes.

Hey, all reviews and criticisms are obviously objective. However sometimes the “average” views and ratings baffle you. Like when this gets a 7.0 on IMDB. I’d have been OK with a 4 or 5. If I had seen it at the theater though, I’d have rated much lower (than 5).

So have you seen it? What did you think?

Magic Mike starring Channing Tatum, Alex Pettyfer, Matthew McConaughey & Cody Horn

Posted on November 4, 2012 Written by ripitup

Magic-Mike-Movie-Poster — Image via seat42f.com.

Loosely based on Channing Tatum’s year as a stripper, Magic Mike tells the story of a star stripper (Channing Tatum), trying to build a different future for himself while not being quite able to stay away from the fun his profession comes with: lots of cash, easy pretty women and great parties. But he doesn’t question his choices more than he has to until he meets Brooke (Cody Horn), the older sister of Adam (Alex Pettyfer), their newest stripper. She isn’t happy with her carefree brother’s job, but he seems to be having a blast, and Mike promises to take care of him.

Of course in between trying to teach Adam the ropes, dealing with his own life crisis, keeping his promise to Brooke and his attraction towards her…he just might be in over his head.

Magic Mike is a Steven Soderbergh movie. And even though it might not seem so from the subject matter or the trailer, it is typically him-from the camera angles to the pace, from the characters that start to grow on you to the scenes you find yourself laughing along with, despite yourself.

Granted, it is lighter than Erin Brockovich or Sex, Lies and Videotape- but to me, it carries more substance than the Ocean’s series. For some reason, despite the allure of the cast, and having been somewhat entertained, I was just not that into them. And while Magic Mike has way too many stripping scenes, it comes with the territory-and it is efficiently used for laughs.

I have to confess that I’m a straight girl who finds Channing Tatum really attractive, and looking at Matt Bomer or Matthew McConaughey didn’t hurt. But pushing dollars into men’s g-strings while they give you lap dances or fake-hump you… It’s not my scene, and I’d rather women went into clubs and hook up with strangers rather than watching strippers and sleeping with them later. Yep, I am not a fan of men going to strip clubs either.

Though I have to say, Magic Mike’s stripping scenes carry theatrics, decoration and a good set of laughs-so I have a feeling straight men with open minds will have a better time with watching them than women would have watching movies’ women stripping scenes where it is just about….getting naked.

But it is definitely easy to relate to Brooke’s attitude towards Mike- her not flirting with him or not being ready to offer more than a cautious friendship. As charming and likeable he is, his profession? Not a turn on. Not for your normal girl that preferred her boyfriend got naked just for her, that is.

All in all, Magic Mike is a fun dramedy, and if anything, you should be impressed by this Soderbergh effort shot with 7 million dollars and made about $100 million more than that. You might complain that there is too much stripping, or there are scenes that contrast the happy-go-lucky/the ultimate male fantasy nature (women/cash/parties-all the time), but that is exactly the point.

And hey, McConaughey couldn’t have been further away from his romantic comedy roles, and Tatum is endearingly natural. Pettyfer proves that he really can act. Matt Bomer? Sorry, but he just serves as a pretty ornament. But he couldn’t have been bored shooting this movie…

Other Channing Tatum Movies

The Vow starring Channing Tatum, Rachel McAdams and Jessica Lange

21 Jump Street starring Channing Tatum & Jonah Hill: A Silly Yet Funny Ride

Also on Matthew McConaughey

The Lincoln Lawyer starring Matthew McConaughey, Marisa Tomei & Ryan Phillippe

Matthew McConaughey : Wanna see him act? I have the movie for you…

Sex and The City TV Series – guest appearances feat. Matthew McConaughey

21 Jump Street starring Channing Tatum & Jonah Hill: A Silly Yet Funny Ride

Posted on October 26, 2012 Written by ripitup

21 Jump Street starring Channing Tatum & Jonah Hill : A Silly Yet Funny Ride

21 Jump Street movie — 21 Jump Street starring Channing Tatum & Jonah Hill. Image via hollywoodreporter.com.

Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) are on the opposite sides of the popularity chart in high school. Schmidt is successful at classes and a failure when it comes to girls. Jenko, on the other hand, is the prom king but the teachers’ nightmare. They have nothing in common.

Fast-forward 7 years. Both of these young men have chosen to be cops. As expected, Schmidt rocks at tests and sucks at the physical training, and vice versa for Jenko. They decide to be friends and join strengths. And it works- they both graduate the academy, and have formed a strong friendship.

But when they fail spectacularly in the beginning, and they are begrudgingly assigned as undercover cops to pose as high school students, because they look young.

This is when the comedy truly starts as Jenko realizes the rules of popularity have changed, as well as how fellow students are grouped. It also blows up in their faces when their identities get mixed and Schmidt has to pose as the athlete and Jenko as the nerd.

With their angry captain breathing down their neck and expecting results and with them realizing that they are starting to like their new roles, both their friendship and skills as cops will be tested.

Can they pull off the mission-without getting killed and ruining the friendship in the process?

Funny & Entertaining: But Could Have Been Hilarious

One problem with PG-13 and R-rated comedies in common is that they rarely push the boundaries in between, meaning PG-13 comedies almost strive to stay too clean, and R-rated ones go out of their way to be vulgar.

Some PG-13 romcoms have succeeded in finding a decent balance- such as Someone Like You and This Means War. From character interactions to language, from storylines to certain scenes, they feel a lot more natural than their other fellow PG-13 (romantic) comedies (Also these two have quite a high level of comedic scenes and theories, hence my reason to reference them. 🙂

Now, the problem with 21 Jump Street that they give the feeling that no one really talks like that, or acts like that. And they make a habit of keeping a lot of the characters’ jokes/reactions/language below the belt- to the point of looking ridiculous. If the movie pulls it off (The Hangover), it is hilarious. If it fails, it is annoying (The Hangover 2.)

Thankfully 21 Jump Street has some decent physical comedy and other funny situations to back up the vulgarity for vulgarity’s sake language, and it does make you laugh. A lot. Sometimes you laugh despite yourself.

But frankly, I was expecting to be a lot more hilarious after watching the trailer.

But the movie is fun, and there will also be a sequel. I can’t wait to see that one, though I suspect they will further abuse their freedom with the R rating since our boys will be “grown up.”

Should you see it?

If you don’t mind a lot of vulgarity, yes- definitely. Isn’t going to make it to one of the funniest films ever list, but this silly/incapable and highly emotional duo will entertain. Oh, not to mention- Johnny Depp, the original star of the 21 Jump Street series (although the series wasn’t a comedy), reassuming his role as Tom Hanson, makes a cameo- and makes us laugh our butts off in his short screen time. And man, that man doesn’t get old!

7.3 on IMDB. 6 from me- though with a less forced language, I’d have easily given it a 7.

The Vow starring Channing Tatum, Rachel McAdams and Jessica Lange

Posted on July 11, 2012 Written by ripitup

The-Vow-Movie-Poster with Channing Tatum and Rachel McAdams. Image via disneydreaming.

The Vow is Worth Seeing: Feat. Channing Tatum, Rachel McAdams, Scott Speedman & Jessica Lange

The Premise

Sculptor Paige (Rachel McAdams) and record studio owner Leo (Channing Tatum) are happily married and deeply in love – until they have a car accident that gives Paige selective amnesia- the last 5 years of her life are completely gone, all of 5 years in which she met and has been with Leo. Leo does his best to help, but things get complicated when Paige’s parents (Sam Neill and Jessica Lange), who she hasn’t spoken to in 5 years, show up and want to make a fresh start by taking advantage of her lost memories (and anger towards them.) Leo somewhat manages to persuade Paige to come back with him, but whatever he does seem to either upset or annoy Paige so she decides to stay with her parents for a while.

And not only she doesn’t remember Leo at all, the last thing she remembers is being in love with her ex-fiancé, Jeremy (Scott Speedman)- who is more than willing to take her back as he was never really over her in the first place.

We are given lovely flashbacks to how their relationship has been like, making us root for her and Leo- with or without her regaining her memory.

Can Leo make her fall in love with her again? Can he really handle that his wife only seems to be developing a crush towards him when he is madly in love with her? Will Paige’s memory ever come back, and how long can Leo hang on before having to let go?

I Loved It, but I’d Planned on Hating It.

I was so ready to find The Vow mediocre, yet I loved it. OK, for me to find it bad would have been strange – given that I love Rachel McAdams and can’t resist a good-looking lead, in this case Channing Tatum, who plays a very romantic character.

But come on. Amnesia and the question whether true love could conquer that? It sounded like a Nicholas Sparks novel. But then again, had he written it, either Rachel’s or Channing’s character would probably end up dead. They don’t die, so consider this one a very positive and needed “spoiler.”

But The Vow, especially for the diehard romantics, is touching and heartwarming. While it has more clichés than we can count, it makes them work and at the end of the day, it is all that matters.

The Clichés: Good and Bad

-Two beautiful people deeply in love. Oh, and not an ounce of fat or flaw on either of them.

– A great cast (Jessica Lange, Sam Neill as parents. And I like McAdams too), with many pretty actors: Channing Tatum, Rachel McAdams, Scott Speedman (Underworld, Underworld Evolution, 24th Day), Dillon Casey (Nikita), Lucas Bryant (Haven).

-Amnesia.

-The compromising mother who just accepts everything because……Nah. See the movie. But if I had a dime every time the married got away with what he did….

The Vow: The Perks

– Good soundtrack

– Great emotional/entertaining moments.

– A happy ending that is quite realistic that is based on a true story.

– The ex wasn’t a cheater and/or a jackass.

Why It Can Win You Over – despite the clichés

The Vow won me over. Because as typical as the storyline was, it was still hard not to feel empathy for all the characters (apart from maybe Jessica Lange and Sam Neill’s-at least until towards the end.)

I loved the little details such as how Leo won his sister-in-love over with the made-up Thom Yorke (front man of Radiohead) story, and how the story pretty much ended on a better note for everyone (except for one- you can guess who.)

And in the end, it is the right amount of cheesy yet heartfelt romance. What if it is a chick flick? It is a darn good one. If you want to cut down romance and see a different kind of film from McAdams, watch The Lucky Ones or Red Eye. If you want the romance to be a background device and comedy in the center, watch Morning Glory.

Hell, if you want Scott Speedman winning the girl’s heart, watch Underworld Evolution. It’s filled with vampires and werewolves and Speedman plays a hybrid. And I do prefer him with long hair anyway.

But as far as romantic escapism goes, it is a pretty good one.

The Criticisms

Audiences love oversimplifying things. Some people are calling Paige a bitch, whereas some find Leo a stupid, insensitive jerk. Guess what? They are all right. And all wrong. Because they both needed help, and they just needed to empathize a bit more. And where was the therapy?

Leo and Paige needed therapy, you just can’t deal with something on your own – especially when no one involved can be impartial. Yeah- and a separate therapy session for her family please.

But people make mistakes, hurt each other and if there is a way to come back from it, they do. Whether the relationship is worth it makes all the difference. Theirs was.

Recommended for:

All fans of the cast. Although if you are watching solely for Sam Neill you are better off watching Alcatraz as he is the main character, who incidentally has a long-lost love who is/was in a coma. For Dillon Casey, who plays the sister’s fiancé, you can always tune in to Nikita’s second season.

Chick flick fans. And I am a romantic chick, so I am not using the term condescendingly.

Those who think Nicholas Sparks could write some happy endings.

For those who compare it to The Notebook (also starring Rachel McAdams), I will write a compare/contrast post just like I did for Keith and A Walk to Remember.

Rated 6.6 on IMDB, a 7 from me. My love rate? 8/10. Enjoy!