"Bad Words" Review

As Jason Bateman’s directorial debut, Bad Words tells the story of Guy Trilby, a 40-something who finds a loophole to compete in the national spelling bee, annoying kids and parents alike. Bateman stars, for once not playing the straight man. 10-year-old Rohan Chand takes this role, as the young Indian-American competitor Trilby reluctantly befriends. Despite their age differences, they have an incredibly amount of charisma together, and Chand’s complete innocence makes Bateman’s continuous verbal abuse all-the-funnier.

The question you are given throughout the film is, “Why is he doing this?” Kathryn Hahn plays a reporter, helping him in attempt to get a story, and she serves as the guide for many of these questions. While the result we get in the end isn’t 100% fulfilling, it’s enough to justify the film’s existence, and doesn’t disappoint too much.

Bad Words is an independent film, and this works to its advantage. With a lack of studio involvement, the script takes a lot more risks with its humor. The majority of the movie relies upon the shock value of Bateman trash-talking middle school students, and the independent feel helps the jokes land well. Not all of the jokes work, but a surprising amount hit their mark. That said, if shock humor 
isn’t for you, then you should definitely pass on this film.

The soundtrack is another element of the film that really helps it work. It ranges from Beethoven to Beastie Boys, and it suits the tone perfectly.

In the end, there’s nothing too complex about this film, but it’s very entertaining. Jason Bateman shows a high level of confidence for his first time in the director’s chair, and I’m anxious to see what else comes from him. I doubt that this will become a classic comedy, or even one that you need to see more than once, but it’s enjoyable from start to finish, and one of the better films to come out thus far in the year. 7/10.

"Noah" Review

Noah is director Darren Aronofsky’s first film in four years, and his first big-budget studio production. Aronofsky helped start the low-budget indie movement with Pi (1998), and then created indie hits like Requiem for a Dream (2000), The Wrestler (2008), and Black Swan (2010), so a $125 million sci-fi biblical action film seemed out of the ordinary for him - especially because he is a noted atheist. Nonetheless, I was excited about this movie, despite the seemingly constant dispute with studios over who gets the final cut (Aronofsky did, thankfully).

With Noah, the question begs: who is this movie for? Given the inclusion of Watchers (rock monsters/angels) and continual biblical inaccuracies, it’s not for the religious crowd. It’s not for Aronofsky fans either though. Any attempt for a character study is cut down by the need for action. This film is apparently for the crowd who wants to see the story of Noah’s ark manipulated into a sci-fi blockbuster, which I can’t imagine is a large group of people.

The biggest issue with the film are the pacing problems. The climactic battle scene occurs about halfway through, and then there’s an entire extra act where the people are on the ark. The movie is trying to make things exciting, but the pace slows down for the finale and makes you wish that the film was just over already. Noah also doesn’t deal with the issue of time all that well. Eight years pass as they make the ark, but although the actors are older, the transition seems forced. Similarly, nine months pass while on the ark, but it seems like only a few weeks.

The performances are good, at least. Although the character isn’t written all that well, Russell Crowe handles the title role without much difficulty. Anthony Hopkins is solid in his small role, albeit it’s a bit silly. Emma Watson, Logan Lerman, and Douglas Booth are all decent, even if you can’t see past them as the actors. Ray Winstone is incredibly intimidating as the main antagonist though, really stealing the show. Jennifer Connelly unfortunately just isn’t given a lot to do. 

The special effects in the movie are magnificent. If for nothing else, you can sit back and enjoy the visual aesthetics of the film. Noah also does some really interesting things with sound editing, creating an immersive environment. Unfortunately, the script is ridden with plot-holes, and it takes itself far too seriously. While it’s an entertaining enough experience, I’m hoping that Aronofsky will stick with independent films in the future. 6/10.

"Muppets: Most Wanted" Review

Following up Jason Segel’s resurrection of The Muppets, Muppets: Most Wanted picks up literally right where the prequel ended. The muppets, persuaded by Dominic Badguy (pronounced Badgé, and portrayed by Ricky Gervais), decide to go on a European world tour. While in Europe, Kermit is kidnapped and replaced by Constantine, the world’s most dangerous criminal - a Kermit the Frog look-a-like. Tina Fey joins the cast as a Siberian prison guard, and Ty Burrell plays a comically stereotypical European detective.

You know how The Muppets (2011) spent an entire movie developing Walter as a new muppet? Well all of that effort goes to waste as Walter is barely used in this film. This isn’t necessarily bad though, as it gives other Muppets a chance to shine. However, replacing Walter is Constantine as the main antagonist. Unfortunately, despite a nice song and some humorous one-liners, Constantine is pretty uncharismatic, and rather than coming across as a devious supervillain, he just seemed annoying.

The soundtrack was primarily written by Flight of the Conchords’ Bret McKenzie, who wrote the songs for the previous film as well. However, the songs are all just okayish. They all seemed to be in the vein of Flight of the Conchords, but while this worked in the first film, the songs just seemed rather plain in Muppets: Most Wanted.

Some of the cameos in the film worked, some didn’t. In the prison scenes, the trio of Danny Trejo, Ray Liotta, and Jemaine Clement provided some of the biggest laughs of the film (I didn’t realize how much I wanted to see Ray Liotta do musical theatre). However, there are times where the cameos just seem obnoxious. This is typically when they have an actor play a walk-on that has nothing to do with their stage persona. Why is Cholë Grace Moretz playing a newspaper girl? Why is James McAvoy playing a UPS guy? 

Muppets: Most Wanted has a lot of great jokes. It also has a lot of forced humor. There’s some self-awareness in it’s writing, but the self-awareness isn’t enough to make up for a lack of effort. Occasionally it’s a joy to watch, and occasionally it’s a chore to get through. 5/10.

"Divergent" Review

Based off of the popular young adult series, Divergent takes place in a dystopian future where the world is divided into factions based off of virtues: Dauntless (bravery), Candor (honesty), Amite (peacefulness), Erudite (intelligence), and Abnegation (selflessness). In this society, teenagers take a test to see which faction they would best fit in - but then are still given the opportunity to choose, through a cultish ceremony that involves hundreds of kids drawing blood from the same blade. Tris Prior (Shailene Woodley) is divergent, which means she would fit into more than one of these factions. This is evidently pretty rare, which seems ridiculous but allows you to easily identify with the protagonist as she’s the only one with any real dimension. The government, in a power struggle between Abnegation and Erudite, wants to kill the divergents because they can’t be controlled. The whole thing is pretty stupid, and I think the source material is to blame.

The movie itself isn’t too grating. It’s a pretty by-the-numbers adaptation. There are some pacing issues, mostly because the film appears to opt for chronicling the plot points laid out in the novel, rather than attempting to make the story it’s own. Despite some minor technical errors, it’s a competently put together film. The cinematography is beautiful (when not layered with CGI), and the score fits in well. However, it just feels like it’s a tie-in to some larger spectacle, rather than its own separate entity.

Shailene Woodley is one of my favorite female actresses, giving stellar performances in both The Descendants (2011) and The Spectacular Now (2013). She does a fine job here, and holds the movie together, but I feel as though she was miscast for the role. Woodley is a wonderful actress, but I don’t see her as the action star the film is trying to make her out to be. There was a lot of weird casting in this film in general. Miles Teller, who plays Woodley’s romantic opposite in The Spectacular Now, has a minor role as the token jerk who relentlessly attacks Tris throughout the film. Ray Stevenson has a cameo for some reason. And Kate Winslet is remarkably forgettable as the film’s overarching antagonist.

There’s a million and a half canned metaphors about individualism jam-packed into every scene, and the film desperately wants you to recognize that. The moral couldn’t be more shoved into your face if they tried. Subtlety is not this movie’s forte.

The biggest problem with the film is that it’s just kinda stupid; there are countless logistical inconsistencies and idiotic moments. Divergent isn’t self-aware though, so any humor at the absurdity of the situations is unintentional. It’s obvious that some real effort was put into the movie though, and that’s admirable. 5/10.

"Mr. Peabody and Sherman" Review

Based off of the The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show segments, Mr. Peabody and Sherman is an animated film about a hyper-intelligent dog who decides to adopt a boy. Using a time machine he calls the “WABAC”, Mr. Peabody (Ty Burrell) takes Sherman (Max Charles) back in time so he can experience history first hand (something I wish I could do as I study for my APUSH final). However, on the first day of school, Sherman is ridiculed by his classmate, Penny (Ariel Winter), prompting Sherman to bite her. This leads to an annoyingly obvious civil rights metaphor as a bigoted Ms. Grunion (Allison Janney) tries to take Sherman away from Mr. Peabody, claiming a dog can’t take care of a child.

There are a lot of history jokes in this movie. A lot of puns as well. While there’s generally nothing worth more than a chuckle, it’s a refreshing change of pace from the lazy brand of humor you see in the majority of kids films. Most of the movie’s gags wear out their welcome fairly quickly, but the fast pace of the film prevents that from being too much of a problem. Similar to many other movies with time travel as a crucial plot element, things don’t make a lot of sense. This is especially troublesome for Mr. Peabody and Sherman, but if you don’t think about it too much, the story becomes mildly entertaining. The movie certainly isn’t going for a plot that makes too much sense.

Ty Burrell is charming as the talking dog, but the real star of the show is 10-year-old Max Charles. Generally, a performance by a child actor is a painful experience, but Charles’s performance as Sherman was so effortless I thought they might have gotten an adult to voice the child. The film doesn’t waste it’s historical figures either. Patrick Warburton and Stanley Tucci both have delightful supporting roles as Agamemnon and Leonardo Da Vinci, respectively. Stephen Colbert, Leslie Mann, and Mel Brooks also make brief appearances.

The animation is reminiscent of other Dreamworks movies, such as How to Train Your Dragon (2010), Megamind (2010), and The Croods (2013), and it’s on par with what we’ve come to expect from the studio. The movie as a whole is enjoyable, albeit forgettable. Many of the gags quickly get old, the themes are thrust in your face, and the pacing is uneven, but nonetheless, Mr. Peabody and Sherman is still a relatively good time. 6/10.

"The Grand Budapest Hotel" Review

Wes Anderson is one of my favorite directors working today. With sleeper hits such as Rushmore (1998), The Royal Tenenbaums (2001), and Moonrise Kingdom (2012), he’s become one of the few truly commercial independent directors. His films have launched the careers of Luke Wilson, Owen Wilson, and Jason Schwartzman. With beautiful cinematography and clever screenplays, he’s able to lure high-profile actors to play bit roles. The Grand Budapest Hotel is no exception. In fact, it’s likely his most ambitious film to date. Jumping through three time periods, the film’s ensemble cast includes: Ralph Fiennes, Tony Revolori, F. Murray Abraham, Mathieu Amalric, Adrien Brody, Willem Dafoe, Jeff Goldblum, Harvey Keitel, Jude Law, Bill Murray, Edward Norton, Saoirse Ronan, Jason Schwartzman, Léa Seydoux, Tilda Swinton, Tom Wilkinson, Owen Wilson, and Bob Balaban.

The story revolves around legendary concierge Gustave H (Fiennes), and his lobby boy, Zero (Revolori). After Gustave’s lover Madame D (Swinton) dies, he is bequeathed with a priceless Renaissance painting, “Boy With Apple”. However, Madame D’s son, Dmitri (Brody), doesn’t want Gustave to receive anything from his late mother, so Gustave and Zero steal the painting.

Like all other Wes Anderson films, the cinematography is absolutely gorgeous. Nearly any frame from the film could be spliced and created into a painting. A vast majority of the film is shot with a wide-angle lense, allowing for everything to be in focus at the same time. Switching through three different time periods, the brilliant choice is made to change the aspect ratio, which may seem like a subtle detail, but it makes a world of difference. 

However, what makes the film really work is the juxtaposition between its classy style and it’s sophomoric sense of humor. The combination of the two can only be described as “quirky”. The Grand Budapest Hotel is a screwball comedy at heart, and it’s one of Anderson’s finest, with instantly quotable dialogue and wonderful gags.

The cast of the film help take it to the next level. Ralph Fiennes gives an iconic performance, one of the best in his career. As far as child actors go, Tony Revolori is fantastic. He holds his own, which is quite an accomplishment given his co-stars. Adrien Brody, Willem Dafoe, and Jeff Goldblum are the highlights from the ensemble, masterfully portraying their intentionally one-dimensional characters, and stealing every scene they’re in.

The Grand Budapest Hotel isn’t asking to be taken seriously. The plot is so absurd that it’s making fun of itself. It’s the classiest campy film you’ll ever see though. I think it’s my favorite of Wes Anderson’s catalogue, and I anticipate seeing it many times in the future. 10/10.