8 of 10 stars, +1 for Rosario
Friday was an exceptionally awesome day. I got to skip work and go see Talladega Nights with my co-workers, on the clock and free of charge. Then, after a few hours of lazing about and writing the easiest review ever (for a film that was so awesome that there was little to critique), I found myself back at the box office for another film… Kevin Smith’s Clerks II.
characters & development
Most of Smith’s films are character driven. His best films usually have a limited number of locations, as simple, yet well defined plot and a strong focus on conversations between interesting characters and witty banter. The original Clerks was the epitome of this style. Clerks II is no exception.
Randal and Dante are back to fill their roles as loveable losers. After the Mini Mart burns down, Dante and Randal find themselves working at Mooby’s, a Jersey burger joint. We join the clerks on Dante’s last day, as he’s engaged and about to move to Florida with his new fiance. The film follows the events of that day.
Our heroes are as funny as ever. but 10 years have passed since the last film and the clerks have aged and they now must deal with what to do with their lives now that they’re 30-somethings. Hilarity ensues. Fans of the original indie hit will not be disappointed by this sequel.
Continue reading ‘Clerks II (spoiler free)’
10 of 10 stars
Today at work, Mark (the boss), shut down the office for a few hours to take the staff to go see a movie. How awesome is my job? More awesome than yours I bet.
When I watched the trailers for Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, I didn’t really see anything particularly funny. I was beginning to think that Will Ferrell had perhaps fallen out of his groove. My inner cynic told me that it was impossible for Ferrell to be funny in EVERY MOVIE. I mean the man’s a comic genius, but come on. Everyone bombs sometime right?
Wrong. I was proven wrong by this one. This is quite possibly the funniest movie of this year. It’s the funniest movie I’ve seen since Anchorman. Don’t judge this movie by the trailers, because this is one of the few films that left the funniest parts out of the promotional materials. What you see in the previews (the cougar, the fire gag, etc.) are actually the least funny parts of this film! How crazy is that? The rest of the movie is 10x funnier than I expected it to be.
I was laughing hard from the beginning of the film until well after the credits started rolling. Every scene is funny, every joke gets a laugh. Don’t just take my word for it… check this movie out.
Bonus: Get there early for the Stranger Than Fiction trailer. More hilarity from Ferrell.
6 of 10 stars
I saw Miami Vice on Saturday night, and I’m just now getting around to reviewing it. Two conclusions can be drawn:
1. That I am lazy and didn’t feel like doing it.
2. The movie was pretty “blah” and didn’t move me to enough to care.
Those of you who are paying attention will notice that in spite of the fact that I just said this movie was “blah”, I gave it 8 stars on my quick reviews at the bottom of this blog. Give me a moment to justify my actions.
plot and characters
Prospective viewers of this film looking for an enthralling plot with deeply developed characters and interesting dialogue will be sorely disappointed. This is a film about fluff without the substance. Basically, the plot is your generic undercover drug thriller. Things blow up, guns get fired, cars go fast and people have sex. Lots and lots of sex. Nothing unpredictable happens in this film. The double crosses happen where you expect them to, the characters say what you expect them to say.
Continue reading ‘Miami Vice (spoiler-free)’
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