Movie Review Monday: Zootopia

Welcome to another edition of Movie Review Monday!

This week's film is the 2016 animated movie, Zootopia, featuring a stellar voice cast including Jason Bateman, Ginnifer Goodwin, Idris Elba, and Jenny Slate.

I really enjoyed this movie and was glad I was able to catch it on Netflix recently. It follows a bunny, Judy (Goodwin) who becomes a cop and must work with a deceptive fox, Nick (Bateman) to solve a mysterious case in the city of Zootopia.

The plot is basically a classic buddy cop movie with animals, but the topics they get into about prejudice, stereotypes, and bias is powerful and cunning since it is under the guise of cute animated animals. It is movies like this and Big Hero Six for example that I would want to show my future children since they're fun but have a positive message. It's better than simple princess tales, which is the typical Disney fare. I appreciate Disney going for something like this, especially in addition to their current slate of Marvel movies and shows that also are fun, and explore different topics like PTSD (Jessica Jones) or life on the streets of Harlem (Luke Cage).

Zootopia isn't a perfect movie for me by any means. Some of the jokes fall flat and it felt like it ran a little long, but I highly recommend it as something that reminds us movies can be both fun and have an important, positive message.

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Movie Review Monday: Popstar

Welcome to another edition of Movie Review Monday!

This week's film is the 2016 comedy Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping, starring the The Lonely Island crew headlined by Andy Samberg.

This movie did not receive the attention it deserved. I think it may have been a little too clever for its own good, since the comedy satire poked fun in a very subtle, smart way at our present selves. The current music event movie formula (and modern pop music in general) is ripe for mocking, and this movie does very well at that. It is sort of Spinal Tap for today's climate (I don't know if it will be a classic like Spinal Tap, but the movies are similar in format at the least).

The mockumentary follows Conner4Real (Samberg) who is a sort of amalgamation of pop icons (Justin Bieber mostly). Conner used to be a part of a boy band, The Style Boyz (played by his fellow Lonely Island members), but went solo and became a worldwide phenomenon. We witness the release of his latest album, and the unexpected reaction.

The music is one of the big standouts of this movie. If you know Lonely Island, they are masters of musical comedy. They come up with a bunch of great original songs for the film, and I found myself listening to them again afterwards and appreciating them even more. This whole premise is a perfect platform for Lonely Island, and I'm glad they got to make this movie. I've been enjoying their stuff for a while now and it is great to see this awesome creative effort from them.

This movie flew under the radar earlier this year, but it is worth your time to check it out. It is available to rent and buy now in whatever way you like. Treat yourself to a fun time!

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Movie Review Monday: St. Vincent

Welcome to another edition of Movie Review Monday!

This week's film is the 2014 dramatic comedy, St. Vincent, starring Bill Murray, Melissa McCarthy, and Naomi Watts.

I stumbled across this movie the other day on Netflix, and it was a decent viewing experience that went in some unexpected directions; some good, some bad. Overall, it is a unique film that is cute and has a lot of heart.

Bill Murray stars as Vincent, who begins to warm up to his new neighbor's child, Oliver, after he starts to babysit for him after school. They get up to some wild adventures, and Vincent helps Oliver feel more at home as his parents are going through a messy divorce. His mom (McCarthy) feels like a very realistic, down to Earth representation of a single working mom. Murray does pretty well in his role too, as does the actor playing Oliver. Watts plays a prostitute and stripper with a heart of gold that Vincent frequents.

There are some twists that I won't spoil here, and those are what worked and didn't work for me at the same time. The movie goes down weird, dark turns but still maintains a positive course towards an ending I think works mostly well. It can't figure out a consistent tone or message, but the climax is definitely satisfying. It is a solidly average movie for me overall.

You can check out St. Vincent for yourself streaming right now on Netflix.

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Movie Review Monday: Man Up

Welcome to another edition of Movie Review Monday!

This week's film is the 2015 romantic comedy, Man Up, starring Simon Pegg and Lake Bell.

The misleading title aside, I liked this movie. It had some odd elements (which I'll get to in a bit) but overall it felt like a very genuine, silly, and heartfelt story.

The premise follows single 30-something Nancy (Bell) as she stumbles into and lies her way through a blind date that wasn't meant for her with Jack (Pegg). The hilarity obviously ensues but they also hit it off. We're left to wonder if they can really work out if they aren't being completely honest with each other.

I feel like I've been watching a fair amount of romantic comedies lately. They're hard to pull off without being hokey or melodramatic. Keeping them grounded can end up being depressing and/or boring, but the good ones can pull it off beautifully. While this isn't the best out there, it does the genre better than most. I enjoy both of these actors, which helps. Bell does a convincing British accent throughout (why they didn't get an English actor, I don't know) and Pegg is his usual fun, charming self. The supporting cast isn't given much to do. They almost detract from the movie. One character, Sean, seems to be from a completely different movie, and really took me out of the more heartfelt, genuine fun moments between Nancy and Jack.

I'd recommend this movie as a sort of "finding love in unexpected places" type romantic comedy. We could also use some of that advice as we look for a relationship. Opening ourselves up and putting ourselves out there can help us connect when we least expect it.

Check out Man Up streaming right now on Netflix.

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Movie Review Monday: Save the Date

Welcome to another edition of Movie Review Monday!

This week's film is the 2012 romantic dramedy Save the Date, starring Lizzy Caplan, Alison Brie, Martin Starr, and Mark Webber.

The film follows sisters Sarah (Caplan) and Beth (Brie) as they both go on different paths in their love lives. Sarah is trying to figure out what she wants while she begins to get serious with a long time boyfriend, and Beth is planning her wedding, committed to her partner for the long haul.

I labelled this movie as a romantic dramedy (drama + comedy) because it isn't laugh out loud funny but it does have some funny moments. It deals with something many people struggle with as they grow up; figuring out who you want to be with for the rest of your life. A tried and true premise for a film, this movie brings a modern veneer to it but not much else. It is sort of a timeless story that plays off the journey of Sarah mostly in a very subtle way. She's a frustrating character but one that I think people can empathize with either from their own lives or people they know.

I enjoyed this movie enough. It was pretty average and I didn't like the ending that much. It wasn't enough of anything to really engage me (much like my last review for American Ultra). Save the Date was a little better than that film, but it still wasn't great. It didn't resonate with me and I won't really think much about it now afterwards. I liked all the actors in it though and they did a fine job with what they were given.

You can catch Save the Date streaming right now on Netflix.

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Movie Review Monday: American Ultra

Welcome to another edition of Movie Review Monday!

This week's film is the 2015 action movie, American Ultra, starring Jesse Eisenburg and Kristen Stewart.

I'm going to put this out there at the outset here, I was very misled as to what this movie was going to be. I thought it was a spoof of Bourne Identity based on the trailers that came out, but it was not anywhere close to that. While it had some funny moments, it was more straightforward than I was hoping for. It wasn't a bad movie overall, I just felt like it is something different that the studio didn't really know what to do with or how to best market it.

The premise is that a stoner, Mike (Eisenburg), finds out his is a actually a secret agent after the government comes to kill him and his training is activated. His girlfriend, Phoebe (Stewart) works to help him figure everything out and fight back.

The action is pretty good in this movie, and it has some funny beats like I said. The whole package is entertaining enough but it feels like a sort of half baked (pun intended) idea. It isn't enough of a comedy or enough of a spy movie or enough of an action movie to satisfy any of those cravings. In the end, it's a sort of average, forgettable movie that while it didn't feel like an entire waste of time, I wouldn't have been upset if I missed it in hindsight.

I caught American Ultra streaming on Hulu, and you can check it out there too if you so choose, but it isn't all that I hoped it would be.

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Movie Review Monday: Spy

Welcome to another edition of Movie Review Monday!

This week's film is the 2015 action comedy, Spy, starring Melissa McCarthy, Jude Law, Rose Byrne, and Jason Statham.

I rented this the other day to watch with my partner rather than going out to see a movie and we were very pleased. The powerhouse team of Paul Feig and McCarthy create comedy gold again with Spy. It's a silly, fun action comedy spoofing the antics of spies, which certainly isn't totally original territory, but they still make it feel fresh with their unique charm. In light of enjoying the recent Ghostbusters film in theaters, this movie proves why they were on such a roll going into that movie.

We follow McCarthy's character, Susan Cooper, who goes from lowly desk worker in the CIA, to full fledged spy and we see all the antics in between. Cooper's goofy aliases and silly spy gadgets were my favorite parts. The ensemble is great in the movie too. Everyone plays their parts well, especially Statham and Law as very distinct agents. Statham being the sort of meathead, do whatever it takes action hero type he is known for, while Law is the classic Bond-esque agent.

Spy is definitely worth a rental. I don't know if I would have loved it if I paid full price at the theater, but it was a fun romp for a lazy night.

You can find Spy at Redbox or any of your favorite VOD providers.

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Movie Review Monday: Night Owls

Welcome to another edition of Movie Review Monday!

This week's film is the 2015 dark comedy, Night Owls.

l stumbled upon this movie on Netflix recently, and for whatever reason, I've had a penchant for watching dark comedies and other movies involving suicide and the end of the world. What I think makes this a solid premise for a story is that it forces characters to confront their issues with themselves and each other. I must say though, it can get kind of depressing.

The premise of this film is that a young man, Kevin (Adam Pally) and woman, Madeline (Rosa Salazar) have a one night stand but soon, Kevin realizes that something else entirely is going on when Kevin stumbles upon Madeline trying to kill herself. What follows is a long night of Kevin and Madeline struggling to come to terms with each of their own lives.

I enjoyed this movie. It's the sort of small, contained, personal story that is hard to find nowadays. All it entails is two characters in a house talking. What it accomplishes though is impressive. It's not a perfect movie, but it is entertaining enough as it explores the effect of committing too much of our happiness to other people. We are all flawed, and we need to create happiness for ourselves.

I don't want to spoil any more of the movie. As always, half the fun is the revelations that happen over the course of the plot.

You can stream Night Owls right now on Netflix.

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Movie Review Monday: 10 Cloverfield Lane

Welcome to another edition of Movie Review Monday!

This week's film is the 2016 thriller, 10 Cloverfield Lane, starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead and John Goodman.

I had been curious about this film after hearing some good buzz about it earlier this year. It is something unique, engaging, and fresh that presents a bold new front for franchise film-making.

We meet Michelle (Winstead) at the beginning of the movie, who gets in a car accident and is "rescued" by Howard (Goodman) and is being held in an underground bunker. Howard tells Michelle that the world outside is unsafe and he did her a favor by getting her down into the safety of the bunker. Michelle is suspicious and schemes to find a way out into a possibly unsafe world outside.

The movie is claustrophobic, intimate, and intense. Goodman delivers a great performance as a quiet, powerful, and quirky character. The thrills land each and every time, and there is this sneaking question in the back of your head the whole time of Howard's true intentions and if the world outside truly is unsafe (no spoilers!). The movie reminded me a lot of the recent movie, Room, which shared the sense of tight, up close anxiety (You can stream Room right now on Amazon Prime).

You really shouldn't go into this movie knowing too much. The reveals are half the fun but even without them, the acting and intensity of the movie are worth it. I knew that the movie exists in the same universe as it's spiritual predecessor Cloverfield (2008). Other than that, I didn't know anything about this movie. That connection can get the gears moving for you, but I honestly only knew the premise of the prior film, but now after seeing (and enjoying) 10 Cloverfield Lane, I'm going to seek out the original to get more background.

You can rent 10 Cloverfield Lane now from your favorite On Demand service or from Redbox.

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Movie Review Monday: Serendipity

Welcome to another edition of Movie Review Monday!

This week's film is the 2001 romantic comedy, Serendipity, starring John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale.

I always knew about this movie and just randomly decided to watch it recently. It does feel a bit dated in some ways having come out 15 years ago, but the story is pretty evergreen. It follows John (Cusack) and Sara (Beckinsale) as they try to figure out what to make of a chance encounter that leaves them both reeling. They have an undeniable chemistry but are both with other people. They figure if fate steers them back to each other, then they'll give it a try. What follows is a fun ride figuring out if life is sending you signs or not.

I feel like we can all relate to this movie. We all have those "ones that got away" that we wish we could reconnect with or look for fate sending us signals in our lives. Sometimes it can be silly but it is a nice sentiment to see the universe as a slightly more magical place, with soulmates, destiny, and signals coming from the universe.

There are some great supporting performances in this movie from Jeremy Piven, Molly Shannon, and Eugene Levy. Where the film suffers for its sort of (for lack of a better word) serendipitous plot movements at times, it makes up for it with its message and implications. My partner and I enjoyed the movie enough and it has a good pace and doesn't go too long either. I'd definitely recommend it for anyone looking for a light rom-com to pass the time.

You can catch Serendipity streaming right now on Netflix and Amazon Prime Instant Video.

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