Penguins of Madagascar review

PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR:

APPEALING ANIMATION, FUNNY VOICES, AND FILLED WITH GAGS AND VISUAL HUMOR!

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** out of 4

20TH CENTURY FOX AND DREAMWORKS ANIMATION

(From left to right) Private, Kowalski, Skipper, and Rico AKA the Penguins of Madagascar

            Everyone’s favorite penguins from the hit DreamWorks Animation franchise, Madagascar are back, and this time it’s their very own movie. However this isn’t their first spin-off project, there was also an animated TV series on Nickelodeon, The Penguins of Madagascar, which was created by Mark McCorkle and Bob Schooley, who also created Disney’s Kim Possible.

            And now DreamWorks Animation brings us their first full-length animated feature to focus entirely on them, instead of the main protagonists from the previous Madagascar movies. Penguins of Madagascar, which could have been a complete dud for DreamWorks Animation, much like Shrek 3-4, Shark Tale, and Over the Hedge, but to my surprise, it was a decent family comedy that had lots of great jokes and visual gags.

            And no, it’s not one of those cinematic greats from DreamWorks like Shrek 2, How to Train Your Dragon, or Kung Fu Panda, none of the Madagascar movies are DreamWorks masterpieces, but none of them are “DreamWorks Nightmares, © Moviewatchin’ Psychopath, 2014!” either. All the Madagascar movies have colorful animation, goofy voices, and constant jokes; it would be nearly impossible for a young child to not enjoy these movies.

            The same can be said for Penguins of Madagascar, if you have a small child, there’s a very strong chance he/she will love it, but don’t worry there’s plenty of things to keep the parents entertained as well.

            The film follows four penguins that have been pals ever since childhood, leader, Skipper (voiced by animator, Tom McGrath-Shrek the Third, Megamind, Mr. Peabody & Sherman), brains, Kowalski (voiced by animator Chris Miller-Cloudy with a chance of Meatballs, The Lego Movie), loose cannon, Rico (voiced by Conrad Vernon-Shrek franchise, Kung Fu Panda 2), and lovable, Private (voiced by Christopher Knights-Shrek franchise, Flushed Away) in a prologue beginning act that resembles the 2007 animated feature, Surf’s Up. Ever since Skipper, Kowalski, and Rico first met Private shortly after being hatched, they decide to become secret agents and sneak into any high security area and take anything they desire.

            Literally right after the events of Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted, the Penguins are visited by an old foe, an evil octopus doctor (Insert Spider-Man Joke Here!) known as Dr. Octavius Brine (voiced by John Malkovich-Burn After Reading, RED, Transformers: Dark of the Moon) who plans to capture all the penguins from the city zoos he’s been kicked out of in the past, and blast them with a laser that can transform them into hideous monsters.

            They are soon recruited by an organization known as The North Wind, led by the hunky and husky Agent Classified (voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch-Star Trek Into Darkness, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug) to stop the mad octopus before all the cute and cuddly penguins in the world become…not so cute and cuddly.

            Overall, Penguins of Madagascar will certainly entertain the kids and their parents too. The animation is colorful, the humor is very funny, the visual gags are absolutely hysterical, and the film as a whole has a good heart and a lesson about family.

            The villain, much like Frances McDormand’s Captain Chantel DuBois from Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted, is absolutely hilarious, the movement, the voice, the dialogue, if you don’t laugh at him throughout the entire movie then you clearly don’t have a sense of humor and you should just go watch Interstellar or The Hunger Games: Mockingjay: Part 1 over the holiday season.

            But if you’re a fan of the Madagascar movies and desire a fun family movie to take the kids to, this one is a fine choice; unless Big Hero 6 is playing close by, just don’t expect it to be like Shrek 2, How to Train Your Dragon, or Kung Fu Panda.

Horrible Bosses 2 review

HORRIBLE BOSSES 2:

HORRIBLE BOSSES, PASSABLE SEQUEL, FUNNY MOMENTS, BUT NOT AS ORIGINAL OR WITTY AS ITS PREDECESSOR!

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: ** 1/2 out of 4

WARNER BROS. PICTURES AND NEW LINE CINEMA

(From left to right) Jamie Foxx, Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, Jennifer Aniston, Christoph Waltz, Jason Sudeikis, and Chris Pine in more comedic situations in Horrible Bosses 2

            Everyone’s favorite goofy criminal trio, Jason Bateman (Arrested Development, Juno, This is Where I Leave You), Charlie Day (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Pacific Rim, Monsters University), and Jason Sudeikis (Drinking Buddies, Epic, We’re the Millers) from the 2011 comedy hit, Horrible Bosses return as Nick Hendricks, Dale Arbus, and Kurt Buckman in the sequel, Horrible Bosses 2. Now, I can admit, I love the first Horrible Bosses movie, sure it’s goofy and has a few problems, but for the most part I was laughing HARD, the plot was ingeniously silly, the humor, while dumb made me laugh, and Bateman, Day, and Sudeikis were a very odd trio that led to a lot of comedic moments, plus I have to give credit to Kevin Spacey, Jennifer Aniston, and Colin Farrell’s performances as the “Horrible Bosses” themselves.

            However when I first heard they were going to make a sequel to this movie, I had very low expectations and it certainly didn’t help that director, Sean Anders was sitting in the director’s chair after directing one of the most hated Adam Sandler movie of the past few years and no, it’s probably not the one you’re thinking of.

            My expectations were mainly low because of the past comedy sequels like The Hangover II and III, Grown Ups 2, and most recently Dumb and Dumber To. But we had a few decent comedy sequels before like 22 Jump Street, Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues, and A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas, however most of the time comedy sequels are rarely good.

            And to my surprise, my low expectations grew…a little, Horrible Bosses 2 thankfully had moments that made me laugh hysterically and the chemistry between the trio is still very humorous, but there’s no comparison, the first film is the golden comedy, but this sequel certainly isn’t the worst comedy sequel out there, believe me I’ve seen much worse.

            After the events of Horrible Bosses, we find straight man, Nick Hendricks (Jason Bateman), boy toy, Dale Arbus, and sex lover, Kurt Buckman deciding to launch their own business so they would never have to “Take Sh*t” from anyone ever again with their new invention, the Shower Buddy. A businessman named Burt Hanson (Christoph Waltz-Inglourious Basterds, Django Unchained) comes in and agrees to buy the product and give them a ton of money for the idea.

            Unfortunately things suddenly go very sour when he decides to cancel the deal he made with Nick, Dale, and Kurt and thus leading them in yet another scenario very similar to their boss killing heist a few years ago. In comes their murder consultant, Motherfucker Jones (Jamie Foxx-Django Unchained, White House Down, The Amazing Spider-Man 2) and Nick’s old boss, now in prison, David Harken (Kevin Spacey-The Usual Suspects, Superman Returns, American Beauty) agreeing to help them execute a plan to kidnap Hanson’s son, Rex Hanson (Chris Pine-Star Trek, Rise of the Guardians, Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit) and hold him for ransom.

            Pretty much, the film is exactly what you’d expect, if you’ve seen the first movie, car chases, idiotic plans, oh yeah, and Jennifer Aniston (Bruce Almighty, Just Go With It, We’re the Millers) is back as Dr. Julia Harris and is part of a Sex Addiction therapy group, that’s funnier seen than heard.

            Overall, Horrible Bosses 2 is simply an okay comedy sequel, it has some funny moments to laugh at, the humor certainly feels less awkward than other comedy sequels that just rehash the same jokes from the predecessor, and the performances are likeably goofy. But I would still say the first Horrible Bosses is the better option, the humor is more original, the premise is stupid but manages to be clever and witty at the same time, and it’s a film anyone with a stressful job and aggressive bosses can relate to.

            I’m certain, there are people who will really enjoy this sequel, sure not every joke works, but there should be something in there to get a laugh out of you, especially if your boss gives himself a promotion instead of you, sexually harasses you, or is very offensive to overweight and handicapped people. So if you enjoyed the first movie, you’ll probably enjoy parts of the sequel, but if you want something that’s sure to have you laughing until you’re breathless, I’d say wait until Christmas Day when The Interview comes out.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay: Part 1 review

THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY: PART 1:

THE GIRL ON FIRE HEATS EVERYTHING UP IN THIS CHILLING AND EXCITING THIRD INSTALLMENT!

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** 1/2 out of 4

LIONSGATE

Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay: Part 1

            Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook, American Hustle) returns as the Girl on Fire, Katniss Everdeen in the third installment of the successful Hunger Games film franchise, based on the trilogy of books by Suzanne Collins. Much like the finales to other popular teen fantasies like Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, the third book in the Hunger Games trilogy, Mockingjay has been split into two parts.

            The Hunger Games: Mockingjay: Part 1 is a thoroughly suspenseful and gripping start to the finale of the franchise, the film is loaded with action, drama, and heart, pretty much everything that made the first two Hunger Games movies so enjoyable. Although this movie feels like it takes more risks than its predecessors, there are a lot of gruesome and tragic moments throughout the film, but our protagonists make it through the tragedies that occur in their battle against the Capitol of Panem.

            Shortly after the events of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, we find Katniss Everdeen on a carrier with the survivors of the 12 Districts of Panem, including her mother and younger sister, Prim (Reprised by Willow Shields) and her best friend from District 12, Gale (Liam Hemsworth-The Last Song, The Expendables 2). After being introduced to President Alma Coin of District 13 (Julianne Moore-The Forgotten, Crazy Stupid Love, Carrie) and Plutarch Heavensbee (The late Phillip Seymour Hoffman-Moneyball, The Ides of March, The Master), Katniss agrees to lead a rebellion of all the Districts to battle the Capitol and the scheming President Snow (Donald Sutherland-Citizen X, The Italian Job, Horrible Bosses).

            Unfortunately things go from bad to worse, when the Capitol starts bombing the remaining Districts and Katniss’ partner in The Hunger Games, Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson-Zathura, Epic) is being held hostage at President Snow’s office and threatens to kill Peeta if Katniss doesn’t stand down. So with the support of President Coin and her friends, Effie (Elizabeth Banks-Spider-Man trilogy, The Lego Movie), Haymitch (Woody Harrelson-Zombieland), her new friends she made during the 75^th Annual Hunger Games, and all the survivors of the 13 Districts, Katniss will spread her Mockingjay wings once again to bring the Capitol down for good, stop President Snow, and save Peeta before it’s too late.

            Overall, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay: Part 1 is a very solid third installment in the franchise, though it’s probably not the best in the series, I personally enjoyed it the most. It had everything I was looking for, thrilling action scenes, strong character development, emotional drama, a very well put together story, and even some humor is thrown in there.

            However what really surprised me was that the character development and drama was executed just as well as the action. Katniss Everdeen is probably one of the best protagonist characters in pop culture and everyone can identify with her, she’s strong but she’s terrified at the same time and when something bad happens to her or the people around her, you really feel the pain she’s going through and you keep rooting for her until the end credits start rolling.

            Also, this is probably just me, but there is a certain scene in the film where the soldiers of the 13 Districts were sneaking into the Capitol and honestly when I was watching it, I thought for sure they were going to rip off the ending of The Cabin in the Woods, since the Capitol has all those creatures and monsters that they can place anywhere they want, that would have been a great twist, but whatever we got one more movie to go.

            The movie definitely got me hyped for the final movie, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay: Part 2, next year I get to see all the events of the previous Hunger Games movies come together and resolve everything. I haven’t read the Mockingjay book this time, so everything was a big surprise for me and sadly I can’t compare the movie to the book this time.

            If you’re a fan of the Hunger Games books and movies, chances are you’re going to really enjoy Mockingjay: Part 1, it’s a gritty and entertaining start to the grand finale of the worldwide phenomenon, The Hunger Games and hopefully Part 2 will end everything on a strong note, so the Mockingjay can spread its wings at last.  

           

Dumb and Dumber To review

DUMB AND DUMBER TO:

BEEN THERE, “DUMB” THAT!

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: ** out of 4

UNIVERSAL PICTURES

Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels return as best friends with half a brain, Harry and Lloyd in Dumb and Dumber To

            Wanna hear the third most annoying sound in the world? When a hilarious Jim Carrey comedy gets a sequel with only half the talent and wit from its predecessor put into it. Jim Carrey (Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, The Mask, Bruce Almighty) and Jeff Daniels (Speed, Fly Away Home, 101 Dalmatians) return as the idiotic duo, Harry and Lloyd in the sequel to the hit 1994 comedy, Dumb and Dumber and…no there’s no “and” after that.

            The first movie, while stupid and occasionally annoying, it had a strange charm to it and plenty of moments to make even a fan of more witty comedies crack a smile or two, or just laugh along with the rest of us. Also Carrey and Daniels’ characters were extremely likable, despite not being very bright and even though they were awkward and made the wrong decisions often, they were very happy together and it’s actually a little touching at times.

            And of course, like some of Jim Carrey’s other iconic comedies like Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, The Mask, and Bruce Almighty, Dumb and Dumber was a huge hit and it gained a cartoon series, a prequel, and now this movie. I’ve never seen the cartoon but the prequel, Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd was unanimously panned by both critics and audiences, was a box office failure, and not to mention it lacked everything that made the first film so enjoyable, the humor, the charm, and not to mention Carrey and Daniels, just like a couple other sequels to Jim Carrey movies like Son of the Mask and Evan Almighty.

            Reportedly after his experiences while he was making Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls, Jim Carrey decided he didn’t want to make sequels to his movies because they wouldn’t challenge him as an actor, which explains why we got stuck with those bungholes from Dumb and Dumberer and that schmuck from Son of the Mask, even after he was offered $10 million to star in The Mask II, he turned it down.

            I don’t know what caused Jim Carrey to change his mind with this sequel, but it’s great to see Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels together again in Dumb and Dumber To, and it does have some funny moments and Carrey’s energetic acting is always welcome with me, but unfortunately this sequel lacks the charm and goofy wit of its predecessor, ultimately resulting in yet another unnecessary Hollywood sequel.

            So what’s the story? I think you might be able to figure this out on your own, even without me explaining it, but I’ll do it anyway.

            Over a decade since Harry and Lloyd’s road trip to Aspen, we find Lloyd (Jim Carrey) in a hospital, trying to get over his once true love, Mary Samsonite, when his long time best friend, Harry (Jeff Daniels) comes in to aide him during a speechless coma. But after that plot point, they learn about some shocking news that Harry may have had a daughter named Penny (Rachel Melvin-Days of Our Lives) and after seeing a picture Lloyd falls for her, in a very similar way he fell for Mary.

            So the Two Stooges embark on another road trip to find Harry’s daughter, unfortunately they’re being hunted down by a villainous trio, Adele Pitchlow (Lauren Holden-Fantastic 4, The Mist), the scheming wife of Penny’s adoptive father and two rough brothers, Travis and Captain Lippencott (Both portrayed by Rob Riggle-Jump Street franchise, Let’s Be Cops) who are planning to kill Penny and her husband and steal a very important package from Penny that could save humanity.

            And of course, throw in a lot of crude fart jokes, ridiculous and dangerous stunts and pranks, some jokes we’ve seen before from the first movie, and dialogue that would come from a mentally challenged person and you pretty much have the entire story of Dumb and Dumber To.

            Overall, Dumb and Dumber To is just too dumb and annoying to be considered a good movie, now I’m not calling it terrible but compared to the original and what Jim Carrey’s done in the past, it ranks low. I would have loved more cleverly dumb humor that’s both creative and comedic, not to mention the kind that we haven’t seen before.

            However there are some funny moments like when Lloyd is fantasizing about being with Penny can be very humorous, some of the pranks Harry and Lloyd pull in the movie, when they’re not too idiotic, and this really hysterical scene when Harry is posing as a science professor at a big science convention. But as is, this is one of Carrey’s weaker films, don’t get me wrong he’s a very talented and funny man and I adore him, but I guess every comedic great has at least one bad comedy and sadly this is Jim’s.

            But thankfully it “slightly” makes up for Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd because it actually did have a few laughs in there AND it has the undefeated and unintelligent Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels. Now if only Jim Carrey can star in a NEW Mask sequel, one that has no connections to Son of the Mask and pretends it never existed, even if it’s like Dumb and Dumber To, I would be able to respect it more.