Film Review: “Sonic the Hedgehog 2”

The colorful SEGA spiny mammals are back and fully charged!

If there’s one thing the live-action Sonic the Hedgehog films have shown, it’s that Jim Carrey is sorely missed as a regular on-screen presence. His performance in 2020’s Sonic the Hedgehog was, not so arguably, the best part of the film and without it the film would’ve been easily dismissed. The sequel, coming out only two years after the first, is a rare instance of more-is-better working for a franchise. Carrey remains the main draw, and he once again delivers the manic goods. Two new colorful iconic characters from the SEGA game’s universe, Tails and Knuckles, are fun additions. Unsurprisingly, the addition of extended plotlines surrounding minor side characters isn’t as fun. Like a broken record, I’ll once again say that movies are too long these days. Sonic 2 is twenty minutes too long (23 minutes longer than the first movie). Despite some extraneous tangents, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 doubles down on the jokes, the action, and the energy.

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Eternally Grateful for Eternal Sunshine

Why Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is one of my favorite films (of all time) and should be one of yours, too!

eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-mind
Jim and Kate lay beside each other in “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”

Eleven years ago today (March 19, 2004), Michel Gondry’s award winning sci-fi romantic dramedy, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, starring Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet, was released – and how to categorize such a multifaceted film gem? At the time, it played strong in somewhat limited release, earning $34 million in the domestic box office while garnering very positive critical reviews and mass audience approval. More than a decade later, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is a widely respected title, but it often goes unrecognized for its lasting power and timelessness. It has so much going for it, even eleven years later, that one must wonder why it doesn’t frequent more award ceremony montages, more best film lists, and more casual conversations between friends about their favorite films of all time. The A.V. Club got it right, claiming Eternal Sunshine to be the best film of the 2000s. You may be thinking, ‘I liked the movie, but it’s not one of my all time favorites’.  Well, I implore you to reconsider, and here’s why:

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Film Review: Dumb and Dumber To

Better late than never?  Maybe not this time.

Harry and Lloyd ride again!
Harry and Lloyd ride again!

Why is Dumb and Dumber To disappointing?… Is it because the new movie has six writers instead of three like the original?  Is it because the 90’s style of humor just isn’t funny anymore?  Or is it that Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels just don’t carry the same onscreen charm they did twenty years ago?  None of the above (well, maybe the first one).  The best aspect of Dumb and Dumber To, the highly anticipated (and worry-inducing) sequel to the Farrelly brothers’ classic side-splitting 1994 comedy, is seeing the Carrey-Daniels duo back on screen together.  The worst aspect is that Peter and Bob Farrelly lost sight of their own character creations, making them more mean-spirited now rather than the lovable dimwits they were before.  Dumb and Dumber To isn’t without its funny moments, and there are a few nuggets, but twenty years should have yielded a more loyal and clever return to the world of Harry and Lloyd.

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Film Review: Kick-Ass 2

Kick-Ass is back, and this time he’s (too) serious.

Kick-Ass and Hit Girl take a moment.
Kick-Ass and Hit Girl take a moment.

2010’s Kick-Ass had a refreshingly original tone — including a hard-on for depicting severe violent repercussions within a completely unrealistic comic-born plot.  The film solidified Chloë Grace Moretz as a rising star…and a genuine bad-ass.  Fans hoped to eventually see more of Hit Girl and more of this type of violent mayhem that was (crucially) grounded in a sense of fun and, dare I say, purpose.  Now comes Kick-Ass 2, a mostly straightforward revenge tale that features more graphic violence than the original, but much less fun and with less purpose.

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Film Review: The Incredible Burt Wonderstone

Steve Carell and Steve Buscemi in The Incredible Burt Wonderstone
Steve Carell and Steve Buscemi in The Incredible Burt Wonderstone

starring: Steve Carell, Steve Buscemi, Jim Carrey, Olivia Wilde, Alan Arkin

screenplay:  John Francis Daley & Jonathan M. Goldstein

director:  Don Scardino

MPAA:  Rated PG-13 for sexual content, dangerous stunts, a drug related incident and language. Continue reading “Film Review: The Incredible Burt Wonderstone”