Showing posts with label Jonah Hill. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jonah Hill. Show all posts
Mega Fun? Or Just Kinda Fun?
Good versus Evil. It’s the constant battle that is fought day in and day out. So is the case in Megamind. Megamind was sent to earth as a young boy, ejected into space as his planet was facing destruction. At the same time, Metro Man was also on his way to Earth under the same scenario. One landed in a nice house, and one in prison. Their fates had been selected.
As they grow, the rivalry intensifies. And it reaches a heated climax when Metro Man is trapped and his defenses are weakened, but will this final battle be the end for our hero? Or will Megamind need to find his nemesis to be complete?
Megamind is not your father’s animated film. In fact the humor here is not your son or daughter’s either. It is a funny film for boys and maybe even teens/adults but I wouldn’t look to young girls for a group that will enjoy this film. I had fun at some of the jokes that cross the heads of the youngest viewers, but there were more of those than jokes that make the youngsters laugh.
The voice work is top-notch and they do their best, but this film fizzles a bit when it comes to structure and overall pacing. It would have been nice to keep the fun going, but because of the story structure, it just can’t proceed.
Megamind could have been mega fun, but instead it was just kinda fun.
B-
Megamind
Dreamworks Pictures
Director: Tom McGrath
Cast: Will Ferrell, Brad Pitt, Tina Fey, Jonah Hill, David Cross
Rating: PG for action and some language.
Runtime: 96 minutes.
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Good versus Evil. It’s the constant battle that is fought day in and day out. So is the case in Megamind. Megamind was sent to earth as a young boy, ejected into space as his planet was facing destruction. At the same time, Metro Man was also on his way to Earth under the same scenario. One landed in a nice house, and one in prison. Their fates had been selected.
As they grow, the rivalry intensifies. And it reaches a heated climax when Metro Man is trapped and his defenses are weakened, but will this final battle be the end for our hero? Or will Megamind need to find his nemesis to be complete?
Megamind is not your father’s animated film. In fact the humor here is not your son or daughter’s either. It is a funny film for boys and maybe even teens/adults but I wouldn’t look to young girls for a group that will enjoy this film. I had fun at some of the jokes that cross the heads of the youngest viewers, but there were more of those than jokes that make the youngsters laugh.
The voice work is top-notch and they do their best, but this film fizzles a bit when it comes to structure and overall pacing. It would have been nice to keep the fun going, but because of the story structure, it just can’t proceed.
Megamind could have been mega fun, but instead it was just kinda fun.
B-
Megamind
Dreamworks Pictures
Director: Tom McGrath
Cast: Will Ferrell, Brad Pitt, Tina Fey, Jonah Hill, David Cross
Rating: PG for action and some language.
Runtime: 96 minutes.
A Home Run!
Baseball fans know Billy Beane (Brad Pitt). They know about his impact on the game of baseball and how he changed the game. Now the rest of the world gets to know Billy Beane. Here’s hoping they will enjoy him as much as baseball fans.
Beane had a promising pro baseball career. In fact scouts were beating down his door telling him how good he was and the player he could become. But the former first round draft pick could never quite live up to the expectations that were placed on him on the field. But he loved the game.
Fast forward to the next stage in his life as the General Manager of the Oakland A’s. The A’s had a knack for developing talent, but as a small market that talent was gobbled up by the franchises with deep pockets when the players were ready for free agency. Faced with rebuilding after losing some of the top young talent in baseball, Beane tries a different approach when he runs into Peter Brand (Jonah Hill) on a trip to Cleveland. Peter impresses Billy, and a friendship is formed. Together, they are about to change talent evaluations forever.
Pitt is wonderful in his role as the junk food eating devilishly clever general manager. Much like Beane in real life, he was an image when he was drafted. Pitt brings that image coupled with a unique passion to the forefront in his portrayal of this great character.
Although Jonah Hill’s character was fictional, it did have a basis in some of the great aspects of the brains behind the sea change that took place. Hill takes his comedy marks from Pitt and is able to play straight man when needed.
And then there were all the baseball aspects of the game. It takes all the “real” comedy of movies like Major League and Bull Durham and combines it with the dramatic flair from films like Field of Dreams and The Rookie. The mix works, and you not only get elated on the ride, but also are brought back to earth by the realism.
With the post season in baseball right around the corner, Moneyball reminds us of all the beauty that exists in the game of baseball. There is no question Moneyball is a Home Run for baseball fans and movie fans alike.
A-
Sony Pictures
Director: Bennett Miller
Cast: Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Robin Wright
Rating: PG-13 for some strong language.
Runtime: 2 hour 13 minutes
Back to Jump Street…College Edition!
Ahhh, Jump Street – you know the home of the office that housed the incredible crime fighters that are youthful and can infiltrate high school. You know the home inside a church that housed not only
22 Jump Street is right across the street from the old building and the film is much like it’s predecessor. Back are the talents of Schmidt (Hill) and Jenko (Tatum)along with their boss Captain Dickson (Ice Cube). But this time they are going to college, and have a bigger budget, but they are going to college (that’s more important). They are searching for the dealers, to find the suppliers. Wait…haven’t we seen this plot before?
Ah, so we have….that was the story about high school that resided in the first film. But this is the second film and we have a bigger budget to do things AND we’re in college now…so those scenes in the credits…well they can happen in the movie now.
Sure the running gag is the increased budget and the fact that they are doing the same thing throughout the film, but the funny thing is, instead of feeling tired and worn out, it works. The laughs are there including one sequence that I laughed at harder than in recent memory (it’s in the chief’s office about half way through the film, that’s all I’ll say!).
The chemistry that Tatum and Hill have finds a way to permeate every scene in the film. And Ice Cube truly shines here as the Captain (in fact I can see him being the centerpiece of any sequel beyond this).
There’s a fun montage within the end credits of possible sequel ideas AND a brief 10-15 second scene after the credits with some characters you’ll remember from the first film.
Despite a couple slow spots, this is a raunchy good time at the movies and uses its R rating to the fullest. Now on to the condos at 23 Jump Street...
B+
Columbia Pictures
Director: Phil Lord, Christopher Miller
Cast: Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Ice Cube
Rating: R for language throughout, sexual content, drug material, brief nudity and some violence.
Runtime: 1 hour 52 minutes
You CAN Go Back To School
In the late 80’s, 21 Jump Street became a staple on the fledgling FOX Network. It appealed to a youthful audience with its cast that included Johnny Depp, Peter Deluise, Richard Grieco, Dustin Nguyen and the then Holly Robinson among others. It dealt with serious issues that confronted our teens in serious ways. A task force of youthful faces became high school students to deal with all the problems the that police could. Now fast forward and we are doing it again – this time the “fresh, young” faces are Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum. And this time – it’s a serious topic…dealt with in humorous tones.
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| In Theaters 3/16/12 |
Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko(Channing Tatum) have know each other since high school. At that time, Jenko was the hip and cool jock while Schmidt just went through the days trying not to get a swirly. They never would have hung together in high school, but in the police academy they realize that as a team they have all that is needed to become a cop.
When their first assignment blows up in their face, they are sent to a program that is being dusted off to get to the bottom of the crime in their schools. They are sent to Jump Street.
Captain Dickson (Ice Cube) gets at the crew right away, letting them now who is in charge and who they’ll be taking orders from all while delivering the message in a, louder than normal tone. It’s back to Sagan High for the two new friends.
Back at school, Jenko realizes the new code around the place makes Schmidt cool and he’s on the outside. It’s a new role that will add to the fun. Their mission – find the suppliers of a new synthetic drug that is taking the school by storm. Can they do it? Will they fit in? Just how will these “new” students fit back in to high school?
I admit, I was skeptical going into this film. I was at that perfect age when the tv show graced the air waves and fondly look back at the show. After seeing the film, I think they did a wonderful job of saving the heart of the show all while making me laugh out loud.
Tatum and Hill prove to be perfectly matched in this story and know how to elicit laughs a plenty from the crowd. High school proves to be fertile ground for irreverence on every topic from teen dating, to the “new” high school student, to the traditional old standbys. And they are careful to indicate some real important lines that can’t be crossed.
Ice Cube shines as the Captain in a role that has him yelling and boiling things down as simple as he can make it for the youthful squad.
Where this film goes right is when they make it an R rated film. There is no scaling back on the adult humor here that usually is prevelant in this type of youth focused movie. It harkens back to a day when we made the movie, without worrying about what it was rated and let the chips fall where they may.
I loved my journey back to high school. I loved Tatum and Hill. I love to laugh. And I loved 21 Jump Street.
PS – At least 3 of the former Jump Street cast show up in the film.
PPS – Did I tell you I laughed, out loud?
PPPS – Can’t wait until the extended scenes that show on BluRay – I know they must be there.
PPPPS – Did you know when I was in school – we always used a lot of PS’s because we could never finish our notes?
B+
Columbia Pictures - MGM
Director: Phil Lord, Chris Miller
Cast: Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Brie Larson, Dave Franco, Rob Riggle, Ice Cube
Rating: R for crude and sexual content, pervasive language, drug material, teen drinking and some violence.
Runtime: 1 hour 49 minutes