Film Review: 22 Jump Street

School in the summer has never been so awesome.

Too cool for school.
Too cool for school.

The unlikely success of 2012’s 21 Jump Street prompted the production and release of the sequel, 22 Jump Street, which ends up being funnier, more ridiculous, and more exciting than it’s predecessor.  Phil Lord and Christopher Miller must be on cloud nine right now since the writing/directing duo has experienced unbelievable success with 21 and 22 Jump Street, the Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs series (they wrote and directed the first and produced the sequel), and one of the top rated and grossing movies of the year, The Lego Movie.  Lord and Miller find creative ways to inject a constant stream of humor into their films.  In the case of 22 Jump Street, they once again exploit the infectious chemistry between Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum and deliver a script that has no shortage of joke types — including slapstick, sight gags, witty banter, and an abundance of self-referential and meta humor.  With such a clever script and the chance for us to revisit the budding bromance at its core, 22 Jump Street is comedic gold and perfect summer fun.

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Film Review: Edge of Tomorrow

More like… ‘Edge of your seat’.

Saving Private Ryan meets Aliens
Groundhog D-Day

With films like The Bourne Identity and Mr. and Mrs. Smith under his belt (as well as Swingers and Go), director Doug Liman is no stranger to directing top notch action sequences that simultaneously contribute to clever storytelling.  Edge of Tomorrow has some of the most gripping battle scenes in quite some time, but also clever humor, solid action, and a surprisingly engaging yet quasi-familiar plot.  All the pieces work together.  Tom Cruise, one of the last remaining movie stars (in the traditional sense of the term), is terrific as usual, but he doesn’t carry the film.  Neither does a strong co-lead in Emily Blunt. Nor do the insanely gripping action sequences and phenomenal effects.  No, Edge of Tomorrow is carried proudly on the shoulders of everyone involved.  It’s a fast-paced A-grade blockbuster through and through, one that provides the intense action, clever plot twists, and smart sense of fun that most blockbusters fail to deliver.

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Film Review: X-Men: Days of Future Past

Back to the future past!

So. Damn. Magnetizing.
He’s just so…magnetizing.

The only actors seemingly capable of producing the same intense chemistry with onscreen conversations as Patrick Stewart and Sir Ian McKellan do…are Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy.  Put them all in a movie together and it’s practically a how-to on acting.  Throw in Hugh Jackman and Jennifer Lawrence and you now have one of the most talented ensembles ever.  Oh, wait, Tyrion Lannister, err… Peter Dinklage, too?!  With this billed cast, it could’ve been a biopic about the GEICO gecko and I’d get in line.  Luckily for everyone, it’s actually X-Men: Days of Future Past, one of the best entries in the X-Men series (including all spinoffs, etc.) and an insanely fun film.

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Film Review: Godzilla

Roaring (and lumbering) back into action!

Godzilla's so vain, he probably thinks this movie's about him.
Godzilla’s so vain, he probably thinks this movie’s about him.

In comparison to 1998’s embarrassing excuse for a blockbuster, Godzilla (directed by Roland Emmerich), most popcorn flicks look Oscar worthy.  What’s refreshing about 2014’s Godzilla, directed by Gareth Edwards (Monsters), is that it shows off some remarkably cool modern sequences while embracing the traditional look and feel of the classic Godzilla films and the summer movies of the late 70’s that established the blockbuster sub-genre.  After the overload of monsters and CG destruction we see in movies these days, it’s a relief to know that there’s still room for a film to embrace the origins of both and still surprise us.  Welcome back, Godzilla.

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SFIFF Spotlights #8: The One I Love/Coast of Death/Night Moves

Spinning Platters brings you even more spotlights from the 57th San Francisco International Film Festival (SFIFF), which ends today, May 8th. Program notes and tickets available here.  There are only a few screenings left, so hurry to catch the last showings, and you can also see many of the films as they open widely throughout the year.

The One I Love
(USA, 2014, 91 min)

Elisabeth Moss and Mark Duplass stand agape in THE ONE I LOVE
Elisabeth Moss and Mark Duplass stand agape in THE ONE I LOVE

Romantic comedy meets The Twilight Zone, Charlie McDowell’s obscure relationship dramedy is a wonderful piece of bizarre metaphorical fiction.  The story focuses on an unhappy married couple, Elisabeth Moss and Mark Duplass, who go to a beautifully secluded rural home to rekindle their love. Immediately, anomalies involving the adjacent guest house occur, and the film starts toying with our minds, offering continuous scenarios that beg the question, ‘how would I handle this?’  A quirky tone keeps the film upbeat, but the twists lead the characters down varied emotional routes, resulting in a whole new meaning to “couples therapy.”

The One I Love SFIFF Page: http://www.sffs.org/festival-home/attend/film-guide/the-one-i-love

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Film Review: Brick Mansions

Neither Walker’s smile nor Belle’s crazy stunts can save ‘Brick Mansions’ from collapsing in on itself.

Paul Walker (RIP) is a bright spot in his disappointing second-to-last outing.
Paul Walker (RIP) is a bright spot in his disappointing second-to-last outing.

We should get this out of the way: Brick Mansions is not Paul Walker’s final film.  The charismatic 40 year old actor, who died in a car crash on November 30th, 2013, completed a portion of the filming of Fast & Furious 7.  The seventh installment of the lucrative franchise will serve as a much better sendoff than Brick Mansions.  Brick Mansions has its moments, and Paul Walker supplies his trademark icy blue eyes and sly humor, but the film suffers from a shallow plot, laughable dialogue, and dizzying quick cuts that spoil some marvelous stunt work.

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Film Review: Alan Partridge

A witty, efficient, and quirky little tale of an oddball in an odd situation.

Steve Coogan as the odd radio DJ, Alan Partridge
Steve Coogan as the odd radio DJ, Alan Partridge

Alan Partridge is a new film centered around a beloved fictional radio host/DJ character created by Steve Coogan and friends for the BBC series, On The Hour.  An unknown to most American audiences, Partridge is precisely the type of neurotic, awkward, and narcissistic underdog that we love to watch and cheer for (like Ron Burgandy).  The film is a bizarre tale involving an absurd but charming chain of events.  There are moments when the story comes very close to crossing into unfunny territory, but instead it rides the line without sacrificing its tempo.  There’s something quite wonderful about a comedy that knows how to get in and get out whilst fulfilling all the requirements of the genre, and Steve Coogan seems to be the mastermind behind it all.

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Film Review: Draft Day

Warning: This film may offend filmmakers, women, and football fans.

Kevin Costner contemplates his previous decision to be in this film.
Kevin Costner mulls over his decision to be in this film.

What’s wrong with the above image?  That’s correct, those black and white photos on the wall behind Kevin Costner are photographs of football, not baseball.  Kevin Costner has starred in some of the greatest baseball movies of all time.  He’s well known for his love of our national pastime. So why take a crack at a football movie?  It’s hard to blame the filmmakers for attempting to bring some entertainment value to the behind-the-scenes world of football, specifically the strategizing and efforts put into the bizarre tradition that is the NFL draft day.  Such a behind-the-scenes attempt worked for Moneyball (2011).  But Draft Day falls flat because the storyline is carried on the shoulders of contrived characters, a pathetic depiction of a female executive in the sports world, and very poor editing choices.

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Film Review: Sabotage

Expectations sabotaged by a lack of fun.

A moment of fun amidst a whole lot of not.
A moment of fun amidst a whole lot of not.

Don’t let the above image fool you.  This is not a fun, explosive, Arnold film.  When a movie trailer brags that it features the director of End of Watch and the writer of Training Day, ears perk up!  So why doesn’t this film even come close to capturing the cinematic value of these two prior films?…It’s because Sabotage, the new film directed by David Ayer (Street Kings) and starring the former Governator (Collateral Damage), is a load of gruesome violence packaged into a cop drama wannabe that lacks purpose and explanation…as well as non-expletive dialogue.

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Film Review: Muppets Most Wanted

For better or worse, it’s very Muppet-y.

The Muppets make a deal.
The Muppets make a deal with the Badguy, Dominic Badguy.

In 2011, when The Muppets resurrected the colorful bunch back into the mainstream (much thanks to Disney), it did so through a heartwarming tale that focused on the forgotten bond between humans and muppets that had been so strong for decades.  The human element was a crucially strong point of emphasis.  With that movie now in the rearview mirror, Muppets Most Wanted, despite the disappointing title, marks a return to the traditional form that the muppets are known for — slapstick gags, self-referential humor, and a stampede of celebrity cameos.  The result is a fun explosion of muppet goofiness with catchy musical numbers, with the human characters reserved for moving the plot along, but nothing more.

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