Requested Review #4: St. Vincent (2014)

                                                     

               
                      'St. Vincent': A Heavenly Comedy Of Slightly Devilish Proportions

Hello, Bloggers, welcome to another Requested Review, which is the first one in quite a while. Thanks to my buddy Chris, I was able to catch the uniquely heartwarming dramedy known as St. Vincent. 
              Story:
              St. Vincent follows the story of a misanthropic drunken war vet named Vincent (Bill Murray) who finds his life changed once he meets his new neighbor, a divorced mother named Maggie (Melissa McCarthy) and forms a bond with her son Oliver (Jaeden Lieberher).

              Ups:
            First off, I'll discuss the performances. Bill Murray delivers a career-high performance that in my opinion surpasses his award-winning work in Lost In Translation. Much like is work in Translation, his performance is a blend of both comedy and pathos, but his dramatic chops are really put into high gear in this as he portrays a man who appears hard-nosed yet has wonderful intentions. But when something serious happens towards the end, it feels is if his character goes through a physical and mental deterioration. Melissa McCarthy also switches gears as she impressively shows her dramatic range as Maggie and tugged at my heartstrings with her rather unaffected and quiet desperation. But one actress I'd love to acknowledge is Naomi Watts who plays Daka, a pregnant Russian stripper that serves as Vincent's muse. Watts' character could've easily geared towards the line of caricature, but Watts infuses the character with such comedic charm and layers as well since there are some moments where we see her showcase deceitfulness, sexuality, and warmth. For his first feature film, Jaeden Lieberher is fantastic as Oliver and gives a very authentic performance in my opinion as he showcases his character's insecurities and maturity the way most kids his age would. I thought some of the best scenes were the ones where Murray and Lieberher are together and start to form a bond, creating hilarity and heart despite becoming a pair of troublemakers. Hopefully, Lieberher continue to thrive in the industry.

           Next, I'll get into the story and the ending. The ending I'm obviously not going to give away. But I'll say that by the end, while it may get sentimental, here that actually works. Also, while the film is a drama with plenty of comedic elements pushing it forward, it touches on quite a bit of themes. One of them is the struggles of divorce as Oliver struggles to find a father figure since his father is mostly absent and Maggie struggles to make ends meet. Another is the idea of religion since Oliver goes to a Catholic school and his class is given an assignment to think of someone who has saint-like qualities and because of this, Oliver is able to see past Vincent's tough exterior and see him as a saint, hence the film's title.

          Downs:
          NIL.

          Consensus:
         Overall, St. Vincent is a dramedy that is heartwarming in the more unexpected places. The performances the cast are terrific, the storyline is unique and even though we have seen the whole "old grouch comes out of his shell" premise before, writer/director Theodore Melfi does it in his own special way and I look forward to more from this fresh talent.

Grade: A

Requested Review #4: Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002)

                                              A 'Golden' Film That I Treasure

                     I just got a request from my mother to review a film that we both have always loved and quoted, and that film is the sequel Austin Powers in Goldmember. Honestly, I have only seen bits and pieces of the first two, but who knows if they top this.

                     Story:
                    Austin Powers in Goldmember follows the title character (Mike Myers) who is forced to go back in time in the 1970's to save his father (Michael Caine) and stop his nemesis Dr. Evil (Mike Myers) and his new partner known as Goldmember (Mike Myers). Along the way, he partners with a beautiful undercover agent named Foxxy Cleopatra (Beyoncé Knowles).

                    What I Liked About It:
                   One thing that I really enjoyed Mike Myers and the multiple performances he gave as Austin Powers, Dr. Evil, Goldmember, and as his old nemesis Fat Bastard, whom he stumbles across in the middle of the film. Just like with how Eddie Murphy really blends into his multiple characters, Mike Myers does the same thing as when he plays more than one character, it's amazing to believe he is playing all those characters. Beyoncé Knowles also does a pretty good job as Foxxy Cleopatra, a woman who is sassy and fierce yet compassionate. There are even some good cameos from stars like Tom Cruise, Gwyneth Paltrow, and even Steven Spielberg and Britney Spears.

                   There's not a whole lot for me to add, so I'll just say that I liked how the film knew what it was and what its intentions were. Its humor is pretty raunchy and over-the-top but the film isn't meant to be taken seriously or intended to have subtle, sarcastic humor or anything like that, so I'm glad the film was aware that it was just a fun, raunchy comedy where you can just turn your brain off.

                    What I Didn't Like About It:
                   Nothing.

                    Consensus:
                   Overall, Austin Powers In Goldmember is a sequel that is both hilarious and fun. It may not have been meant to make anybody's Oscar lists, but it was never meant to. It is just a comedy where you don't have to analyze the themes or find any deep meaning. Just simply laugh and enjoy.

Rating: 3.5/5

Requested Review #3: Wreck-It Ralph

                                          For Me, 'Ralph' Is Surprisingly Enjoyable

                       Normally, I like to watch and review movies of PG-13 or R-rated caliber and that are much more mature, but Wreck-It Ralph is a rare exception as I got a request from my good friend Chris to review this and it was a real treat to watch.

                        Story:
                       Wreck-It Ralph is about a video game villain named Wreck-It Ralph (John C. Reilly) who is tried of always being defeated and looks to become a hero by receiving a gold medal, so he ends up going to a different game, then ends up in another called Sugar Rush, where he meets a glitchy character named Vanellope (Sarah Silverman) who is an aspiring racer. While he is trapped in Sugar Rush, he creates havoc for the arcade all the games are in.

                        What I Liked About It:
                       First off, I liked how the film is an original story, and because it's a Disney movie, it's not another fairy tale adaptation or a twist on a classic fairy tale. Plus, I think it is interesting that it is a movie about video games that is better than 90% of the movies that are based off of video games like Bloodrayne, Alone in the Dark, House of the Dead, and Resident Evil: Afterlife. To me, that really says something. I also liked the voice performance from the cast. John C. Reilly does a solid job as the title character, and in my opinion, one of the high points of the film is the delightful chemistry between him and Silverman. Jane Lynch chews the scenery as Sergeant Calhoun, a character programmed with the saddest backstory ever from the game Hero's Duty, where Ralph finds his gold medal before being transported to Sugar Rush. Jack McBrayer, who plays Fix-It Felix, the hero from Ralph's game, is also very good and he and Lynch are hilarious when they are together on screen.

                        What I Didn't Like About It:
                       Nothing.

                       Consensus:
                      Overall, Wreck-It Ralph is a delightful and original treat for the whole family. Even if you're not a fan of video games, then you will still love this movie and this is one I highly recommend.

Rating: 4.5/5

Requested Review #2: South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut (1999)

                                      
                                    'South Park': Bigger, Longer, and Hilarious

Hello, Bloggers, here is another requested review and another from my buddy Chris. This one is a mix of both a Requested Review and a Retro Review, and that is for South Park: Bigger, Longer, & Uncut.

           Now, South Park is one of favorite shows on television, and while I was a fan of the show before I saw South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut, after I saw South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut, my interest in South Park really started to increase and I still watch it to this day.

            Story:
         South Park: Bigger, Longer, & Uncut is about the show's four main characters: Stan, Kyle, Cartman, and Kenny, and how they deal with the town's parents and the United States raging war against Canada after the four of them have been exposed to an R-rated movie.

            What I Liked About It:
       First off, because I am a huge South Park fan, I love how this movie gives the fans of the show what they would expect, which includes offbeat and often grossout humor and plenty of cussing. It even throws in several musical numbers that'll even get laughs out of people that don't like musicals. Plus, like all the episodes the of the TV show, the film's plot is satirical, except the plot for this movie deals with children being exposed to vulgarity in R-rated films. It's movies like this that really help me understand the sarcastic nature of satire.


            What I Didn't Like About It:
         Nothing.

            Consensus:
         Overall, South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut is a hilarious film adaptation of one of my favorite shows and delivers everything that South Park fans would expect and it may even entertain people that haven't even watched the show, but love the special brand of humor that the show has.

Rating: 4/5


    

Requested Review #1: World War Z

                              
                               Proof That We Still Live In A 'World' Of Good Movies

Hello Bloggers, I have just came up with a new segment of reviews known as Requested Reviews, which are of course reviews of films that whatever people request me to review, so if any of you have any requests, I am willing to take them. So, for my first Requested Review, I will do a film that my buddy Chris asked me to see, and that is World War Z starring Brad Pitt.

                   Story:
             World War Z is about a man named Gerry Lane (Pitt) who formerly worked for the U.N. and is called back to work for them when Earth is hit with a zombie apocalypse. In order for his family to stay in a U.S. Navy vessel for shelter, Gerry must go around the world to try and find a vaccine for the zombie virus.

                  What I Liked About It:
             One thing that I absolutely loved about the film was how it was a nice blend of both action and horror. The action scenes in this film are absolutely thrilling and the scary scenes are actually very scary. To me, the scariest scene was when Gerry is in Jerusalem and a lot of the people that are singing and clapping attract the zombies that start climbing on the wall that separates the city from the outside world. Plus, the fact that the zombies were fast adds to the scare factor, and even though the movie is PG-13 and it's rare when we see a serious zombie film that is PG-13 nowadays because their is usually scenes of bloody carnage and graphic violence, the rating of this film definitely doesn't take away anything from the film.

            I thought Brad Pitt was really good as always, and quite honestly, I'm glad that he did a movie like this because many stars as big as he is usually don't enter this type of film territory, so I'm glad he decided to do this. But one actress that I'd like to talk about is Daniella Kertesz, who plays Segen, an Israeli military soldier that Gerry meets in Jerusalem. Even though she had a small supporting role, hardly had any dialogue, and (SPOILER ALERT) her character's arm gets cut off, she still acts badass and leaves a big impression. Additionally, I liked the opening theme song by the band Muse. That was pretty neat.

                What I Didn't Liked About It:
            While I did enjoy the film as a whole, the story is a little formulaic and the ending was inventive yet somewhat predictable,  but I can easily get past that as the film is made for pure entertainment and is not a movie where you really have to analyze the story's meanings or anything like that.

               Consensus:            
           World War Z is an action-packed, yet intensely scary film that will leave you on the edge of your seat. It may be something we've seen before, but it shouldn't turn you away from seeing it as it's serves its purpose of being a fun summer ride.

Rating: 4.5/5