Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Luke Bracey and Bill Smitrovich
Directed by: Roger Donaldson
Rated: PG 13
Running time: 1 hour 48 mins
Relativity Media

Our Score: 3 out of 5 stars

It’s 2008 and CIA operative Peter Devereaux (Brosnan) and his young trainee, Danny Mason, (Bracey) are working to prevent the assassination of an American politician overseas. Things go wrong when, against Devereaux’s orders, Mason fires a protective shot and strikes and kills a young boy. When the mission is over, Devereaux turns in his papers. In current day Belgrade we learn through high ranking CIA official John Haney (Smitrovich) that an operative has been exposed and Devereaux is the only person that can be trusted to save them. What happens next, in the blink of an eye, may change the world political scene for decades to come.

A standard by-the-numbers spy thriller, “The November Man” rides squarely on the broad shoulders of Pierce Brosnan. More than a decade removed from his last outing as James Bond, Brosnan still has the talent and skill necessary to portray a man who must rely on his wits (and his ability to use a gun) to survive every day. As his former partner and now adversary, Bracey is equally matched to Brosnan’s talents. When Devereaux must team up with a young woman (Olga Kurylenko), whose identity could alter post- Cold War politics, it is Brosnan’s coolness under pressure that keeps the film from being one giant shoot-em’ up. Besides this performance, the film is basic car chases and gun fights in exotic places, the kind where people chasing each other with silenced hand guns must be an ordinary and everyday occurrence, as no one seems to blink as they happen. Rounding out the cast is Smitrovich, whose performance is solid, and Will Patton, apparently still playing the character he played opposite Kevin Costner in “No Way Out” almost a quarter century ago.

The direction by screen veteran Donaldson is strong but, like the plot, very formulaic: gun fight, car chase, take a break and repeat. Only towards the end, when past roles are revealed, does the film pick up energy. By then the film is on auto-pilot and on its way to a pre-determined finale.

Starring: Susan Sarandon, Ellen Burstyn and Gil Bellows
Directed by: Jason Stone
Rated: PG 13
Running time: 1 hour 48 mins
Sony Pictures

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

Every morning, Chief Inspector Hazel Micallef rises from the floor (her preferred place to sleep), takes a pain pill and a shot and heads to work, only stopping on the way at the local diner, where the owner waits for her with a cup of coffee and a bacon sandwich. Things are pretty slow in Fort Dundas, a city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Though not officially the top cop, her seniority makes her the one giving orders to her fellow detective, Ray Green (Bellows) and they local cops. On one of the typically slow days that seem to run back to back to back in town, the station gets a phone call from one of the townspeople, currently out of town, who has had trouble reaching his mother on the phone. Can someone please stop by and look in on her? Hazel takes it up herself to run the errand. When she knocks and gets no answer she walks in. And what she finds will ensure that the slow days at the Fort Dundas police department are coming to an end.

A well-paced thriller that will have you guessing until the end, “The Calling” comes to us courtesy of first time feature director Jason Stone. With a few short films under his belt, Stone has managed to attract a cast featuring two previous Oscar winners as well as such well-known talent like Topher Grace, Gil Bellows and Donald Sutherland. Stone, whose short film “Jay and Seth Versus the Apocalypse” was the basis for last year’s all-star comedy, “This Is the End,” shows a veteran’s touch in handling his actors. He allows them some room to explore their scenes but still keeps them tight. As the film progresses, there really isn’t a false step in the pacing. I’m looking forward to his sophomore feature.

Sarandon, still not looking anywhere near her 68 years, gives a nuanced performance, never giving anything away. As the film progresses we learn why Hazel isn’t officially the boss as well as why her superiors are slow to put any faith in her claim that a serial killer may now be operating in the Great White North. Supporting work by Bellows (who you may recognize as Tommy, the young boy who Andy befriends in “The Shawshank Redemption”), Sutherland and Burstyn, as a former judge and Hazel’s mother is outstanding. Burstyn is only 14 years older than Sarandon and she, too, still maintains the beauty that first burst upon Hollywood in the 1970s. And special recognition to Grace, who plays a cop recently transferred to Fort Dundas from Toronto. Why? You’ll have to watch the film to find out.

“The Calling” is currently available on Video on Demand and opens in theatres on Friday, August 29th.

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Starring: Chloe Grace Moretz and Jamie Blackley
Directed by: R.J. Cutler
Rated: PG 13
Running time: 1 hour 46 mins
Warner Brothers

Our Score: 1 out of 5 stars

Before you begin to think of me as an unfeeling dolt, let me say in my defense that I love a good romantic drama. I’ve been known to bawl my eyes out during certain films, among them “Ghost,” “Forrest Gump” and “Sophie’s Choice.” The only way “If I Stay” could make me cry would be if I had to watch it again.

Mia (Moretz), her little brother and their parents have decided to go for a drive. It’s a snow day…no school and what better than to bundle the family up in the car and head down the highway. Sadly, this is not a wise idea. A horrible accident ensues. Mia finds herself walking the halls of the local hospital, soon realizing that she is having an out of body experience. She watches as her friends and family deal with the horrible news and as a team of doctors operate on her. During the operation one of the nurses leans over and whispers to Mia that it will be up to her. Her will is what will determine if she lives or dies. And, I would hope, the quality of the medical attention she is receiving.
A film that probably read better as a book, “If I Stay” attempts to stuff too many events into a short time period. The story is told via flashbacks, so we get glimpses into Mia’s life interspliced with shots of her and her family in the hospital. We get to witness her meeting hot schoolmate Adam (Blackley), a musician whose anger at the way life has treated him is channeled through his music. Mia also loves music. Classical music. She can sit down and knock out a tune on a cello like no one you’ve ever heard before. The two begin dating, using music as a common ground to build a relationship on. Mia’s dad had been part of a punk rock band called Nasty Bruises, so he readily approves of Adam. Of course, when not discussing music the two lovebirds quibble with each other. But then they make up. Then they quibble. Again, they make up. Do you see a pattern here?

What kills this film is the script. First off, the dialogue is horrible (a pregnant women, spying a container of Chinese food, quips “I’m having dim sum for a twosome!” Ha ha! There is even a snippet of dialogue which could have been taken, almost verbatim, from the film “Carrie.” We later learn that Mia has an audition in San Francisco (the film is based in Portland, Oregon) and is driven down by her grandfather (Stacey Keach). Apparently he drives her home also, which means he must have had a spaceship since it’s an almost eleven hour drive between the two cities. Realism goes out the door when Mia is shown studying and listening to classical music through headphones. Later she takes them off and in a few minutes she is removing the album she was listening to from a 1970s style turntable. But what really angered me about this film was a scene when Adam is stopped by the nurses from visiting Mia in the Intensive Care Unit, being told it’s only for immediate family members. He is so persistent in his attempts that eventually he is led away by three security guards. However, 20 mins later half of the cast, including people we haven’t even been introduced to yet (remember…flashbacks) start filing into Mia’s room. Did the ICU Nazi go home?

The cast does its best with what it has to work with. Adam and the band begin to gain momentum, even though, in the four different concert shots, they apparently only know one song. But hey, that’s show-biz. I’d like to tell you how the film ends, but I won’t for two reasons:

1. 1. It wouldn’t be right for me to ruin the ending.
2. If you still want to see this film after you’ve read this, then you might as well see the whole thing. If “I” had to “STAY” until the end then so do you.

Starring: Earl Lynn Nelson and Paul Eenhoorn
Directed by: Aaron Katz and Martha Stephens
Rated: R
Running time: 1 hour 35 mins
Sony Pictures Classics

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

Even with Iceland as the setting for this story, the new film “Land Ho!” is full of warmth. I really, really liked this movie. It harbors the true spirit of independent filmmaking, looking as if the directors just grabbed a camera, a sound person, flew to Iceland and had two extremely sweet and personable guys interact with each other. The actors and the landscape do all the work here, because when you examine the film you’ll find that there is almost no story whatsoever. And I was okay with that.

Colin (Eenhoorn) and Mitch (Nelson) are two former brothers-in-law, having once been married to a couple of sisters. Colin is an Australian while Mitch is an American hailing from Louisiana. Both are recently retired, and Colin is again recently divorced. On a whim, and as an escape for Colin, Mitch books them tickets to go to Iceland and travel around. And that’s all there is to it.

Mitch, a garrulous and big bear-of-a-man, was once a physician. The more reserved and shy Colin had, in another life, been a talented French horn player turned bank branch manager. Although their backstories have definitely molded them into the men they are today, their history doesn’t play too much into their present. The film is really a road movie at heart. We watch as Mitch and Colin travel to various tourist spots in Iceland and interact with other travelers, natives and, most importantly, each other. The two men seem to enjoy one another’s company, yet come across as complete opposites. It’s almost an Icelandic version of Neil Simon’s “Odd Couple,” though here both men are well-dressed and clean. It’s just Mitch’s vernacular that tends to be a bit dirty.

There are hints of the old versus the new in this story; but that theme doesn’t seem to be of too much importance. Mitch and Colin are of a different generation, but they discuss Facebook and aren’t neophytes when it comes to technology and change. “Land Ho!” is nothing more than a series of scenes or vignettes. There is no overall story. It’s just two men sharing an adventure together, letting loose and feeling free for what could possibly be the first time in a while.

Having never seen either of the two main actors in anything before I can’t tell you how their performances were in comparison to anything else. But I can tell you that they are very naturalistic. Very rarely did anything either one of them say come off as scripted or pre-planned. It all seemed spontaneous and real. Earl Lynn Nelson is likeable from the start. He knows who he is, and he owns any room he walks into; but not in a self-important way. Eenhoorn is a bit more relaxed and laidback, but still a tad shy. You don’t warm to him as fast as you do to Mitch, but within fifteen minutes you love both of these men and enjoy watching them wander around.

The Icelandic scenery is splendid to watch. If you filmed this movie in any other place, I honestly feel it would have lost its appeal. If this story was about two men driving around America and stopping off at the Grand Canyon, I don’t think I’d write such a glowing review. I just love the look of Iceland. The directing is minimal, and I mean that in a good way. The directors new that the landscapes of Iceland and the warmth of the characters would carry the story to where it needed to go. For what I presume was a relatively low-budget production I think it was beautifully shot; although there are a few shots that were straight out of film school and they come across as almost too artsy for this film.

Starring: Brendan Gleeson and Chris O’Dowd
Directed by: John Michael McDonagh
Rated: R
Running time: 1 hour 40 mins
Fox Searchlight

Our Score: 2 out of 5 stars

On a Sunday morning, while hearing confession, Father James (Brendan Gleeson) is told by the confessor that he plans to kill him in exactly one week. This is how our story begins. And it is all downhill from there.

If it were not for the support of Gleeson this film would collapse on itself from the weight of its pretension and cheesy performances. Gleeson carries this film entirely, but even his likability (as a person and as the character) is not enough to save this film from falling flat. Being that it was financed by the Irish Film Board is surprising considering the film paints all of the inhabitants that we meet in this small Irish town as disgusting, depraved, and horrible human beings. Save, of course, for Father James.

The biggest hindrance here, in my opinion, is the writing. It seems too self-aware and tries to be clever while, at the same time, calling attention to its supposed wit. Each character speaks too well to be believable. There are a myriad of literary references thrown about and each one is picked up almost immediately by another character without hesitation. I am all for being literate and learned, but this was too scripted.

Gleeson’s performance is the only believable one, and even he didn’t seem to be bringing his A-game. That being said, what he is putting out is far beyond that of the rest of the cast. Gleeson’s performance, and the amazing scenery of the coastal Irish town in which the film takes place, are what kept me watching the film, though I also must admit to watching the clock on my cellphone to see how much I had left to sit through. This film is full of quirky, dark characters, but none of them are funny or amusing enough for it to be comical. While at the same time I didn’t care enough about the characters to view this film as the drama it is intended to be. It’s as if the filmmakers wanted the film to be a Best Picture contender, but one with the low-brow humor of an Apatow comedy. Unfortunately it is far from either.

If the audience pays attention to voices, it is easy to know to whom the threatening voice belongs. And it’s no surprise when we reach the climactic final scene and that person is revealed. Of course, I don’t think it was intended to be much of a mystery. I knew nothing about this film when walking into it, but felt positive based on Brendan Gleeson’s track record. Sadly, while HE doesn’t disappoint just about every other facet of this film does.

Starring: Michael Fassbender, Domhnall Gleeson, Maggie Gyllenhaal
Directed By: Lenny Abrahamson
Running Time: 95 minutes
Magnolia Pictures

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

Frank stars Domhnall (that’s pronounced “Doe-nuhl,” everyone) Gleeson as Jon, a struggling songwriter and keyboard player who chances upon a gig with quirky band, The Soronprfbs (don’t ask me to pronounce that one), when their keyboardist goes off the deep end. That is, he tries to drown himself. When Jon’s asked to join the band by its frontman, he’s undeterred by both that suicide attempt and said frontman, Frank (Michael Fassbender), having a large papier-mâché cartoon head on at all times.

Jon leaves his boring office job when the band drives far out into the Irish countryside in order to record their next album. A process that involves making their own custom instruments as well as the occasional bout physical violence. Meanwhile, Jon catalogues their musical development across his various social media platforms so that even in seclusion, The Soronprfbs have a growing audience.

That this audience is unbeknownst to rest of the band is at the heart of the problem between outsider Jon and the rest of the band. Frank’s passion for being creative while sheltering himself from the outside world both geographically and within the head is supported by his band mates who are resentful of Jon, hilariously so in the case Maggie Gyllenhaal’s Clara the hostile theremin player, and ambivalent about completing their album in any sort of timely fashion. Jon pushing them to perform for the web saavy crowd at Texas’s South by Southwest festival is what ultimately brings their problems to a head.

Having Jon as the focal point for the film is a clever move as he, like us, gradually learns Frank’s head is not merely a quirky affection of an eccentric artist but a real crutch for a man with serious issues. Gyllenhaal’s Clara too gains more dimension as someone who may really just be trying to protect Frank from himself after all. Meanwhile Fassbender’s one of those actors who I could watch read a telephone book to be honest, and having a huge expressionless mask over his head for 98% of the running time is about as impeditive as that setup however he works all his remaining faculties to the advantage. From Frank’s curiously dorky wardrobe to Fassbender’s distinctly odd muffled voice–we’re told he’s from Kansas–Frank’s a fascinating character. The fleeting moments without the mask are truly compelling and Fassbender maximizes this screentime with a strangely damaged song performance.

None of the above not to say the film isn’t hilarious as advertised, which especially during their countryside training, it is. Rather that it treats its characters as real humans rather than caricatures. It’s a bizarre gem of a film that’s worth seeking out.

Frank opened today in New York and Canada with additional screening locations to be added in the coming weeks.

Starring: Brenton Thwaites, Jeff Bridges and Meryl Streep
Directed By: Phillip Noyce
Rated: PG-13
Running Time: 94 minutes
The Weinstein Company

Our Score: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Before the screening of “The Giver”, people had the opportunity to watch the live Fathom event, the airing of the red carpet premiere of “The Giver”. While this may seem like a nonpoint in the critique of a film, it brought up a fact that I did not know and appeared to be a running motif throughout the live premiere. This is a film that has been through its own development hell. Jeff Bridges has spent 18 years trying to push this movie into production. While it may finally feel like a dream come true, I feel like nearly two decades of constant struggle should have been a sign that some things are better left unadapted.

Like most American high school students (or middle school students), I had a yearly curriculum consisting of classic literature and the occasional challenged book. I read “Of Mice and Men”, “The Scarlet Letter”, “Animal Farm” and “The Giver”. Teens still read thought provoking books right? “The Giver” is a unique amongst those books because it’s one of the few that has created its own dystopian society instead of simply mirroring the flaws in our own.

Just like the book, the movie portrays a society with no privacy, structured assigned jobs, and a community where every individual acts in a mechanical fashion and view feelings as irrational. Jonas, who’s supposed to be 11, but is instead played by the 25-year-old Thwaites, is the outlier in society. He sometimes has nagging questions and possesses an indescribable set of emotions that he’s unsure how to handle. While other kids go off to become future gears of civilization, Jonas finds himself as the perfect candidate to be the next receiver of memory and is taken in under the Giver’s (Bridges) wing.

The Giver’s job is to pass along all the memories of life, society, war, love and everything else in between. This set’s up the movie’s overall theme of love and loss, and why memories and feelings go hand-in-hand. With so many more themes in the book, it feels like they took the easy way out and went for the easiest one, but fumbled the pitch. Instead of a hidden message, the subject is railroaded and despite Bridges best acting efforts, it comes across as a bit tacky.

What makes “The Giver” a literary necessity in schools is the argument for individualism. Sure we all have memories and emotions, but it’s how each person interprets existence. The movie makes it feel more like a police state is constricting our human emotions more than the book’s notion that as we grow, we have to understand that others around us have different attitudes to this big world. We must not impose what life is and accept that reality is different for everyone. The movie fails by putting forth the notion that our main character is simply trying to share love with a few select people around him instead of sharing the experience of life as a community.

I’m not sure why the theatrical adaption lost that key element. Everything else it combined was fantastic. Bridges and Meryl Streep were spotless, the sharing of memory sequences were handled well, and the visual transition from a world of black and white to one filled with vibrant colors was very subtle and smooth. From a technical viewpoint this is a good movie and that might be why I can’t fully come out and loathe something so visually gorgeous yet so textually frustrating.

I know for some of you this is “the book fan” complaining about the movie with a predetermined viewpoint of distrust towards the adaptation, but there’s been plenty of movies based on books that know how to capture the magic and essence of the literature they’re adapting. This felt like a manipulated dream. If you’re looking for a young adult movie filled with young love and unnecessary action sequences wobbling towards the finish line, this is for you. Otherwise, unwind tonight and read the book.ividualism. Sure we all have memories and emotions, but it’s how each person interprets existence. The movie makes it feel more like a police state is constricting our human emotions more than the book’s notion that as we grow, we have to understand that others around us have different attitudes to this big world. We must not impose what life is and accept that reality is different for everyone. The movie fails by putting forth the notion that our main character is simply trying to share love with a few select people around him instead of sharing the experience of life as a community.

I’m not sure why the theatrical adaption lost that key element. Everything else it combined was fantastic. Bridges and Meryl Streep were spotless, the sharing of memory sequences were handled well, and the visual transition from a world of black and white to one filled with vibrant colors was very subtle and smooth. From a technical viewpoint this is a good movie and that might be why I can’t fully come out and loathe something so visually gorgeous yet so textually frustrating.

I know for some of you this is “the book fan” complaining about the movie with a predetermined viewpoint of distrust towards the adaptation, but there’s been plenty of movies based on books that know how to capture the magic and essence of the literature they’re adapting. This felt like a manipulated dream. If you’re looking for a young adult movie filled with young love and unnecessary action sequences wobbling towards the finish line, this is for you. Otherwise, unwind tonight and read the book.

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Directed by: Patrick Hughes
Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Antonio Banderas, Jet Li, Wesley Snipes, Dolph Lundgren, Kelsey Grammer, Randy Couture, Terry Crews, Kellan Lutz, Ronda Rousey, Glen Powell, Victor Ortiz, Robert Davi, Mel Gibson, Harrison Ford, Arnold Schwarzenegger
Distributed by: Lionsgate
Running time: 126 minutes

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

Let me warn you before you read this that I am not your typical crticial. When it comes to action movies, I practically don’t give a shit about plots and character development. I got in waiting to see if they blow shit up that shouldn’t blow up and if so I dig it. That being said “The Expendables 3” was freaking fantastic! I was really hoping that I was going to like it but I ended up liking it more than I even though. When you approach a film like this, which is a second sequel you have to be cautious but this series has yet to let down yet. In fact, I feel that the first film is actually the weakest of the three films. The second film capitalized on the cheesiness of the idea of “The Expendables 3” and just had fun. “The Expendables 3” is a nice balance of the previous two films and nails every scene. There is no slow down or bullshit. It is just non-stop action and funny ass one-lines!! As the summer goes away and we enter the season of “award films”, this is a great last “woo hah” to sum up the summer season.

Let me just take a minute and list the entire line up for the film this time around. We have Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Antonio Banderas, Jet Li, Wesley Snipes, Dolph Lundgren, Kelsey Grammer, Randy Couture, Terry Crews, Kellan Lutz, Ronda Rousey, Glen Powell, Victor Ortiz, Robert Davi, Mel Gibson, Harrison Ford and Arnold Schwarzenegger. I wasn’t sure what to expect with the younger cast coming in but they really worked so well with the “old-timers”. Ronda Rousey is especially bad-ass…why isn’t she playing the role of Wonder Woman!! Stallone is actually at his best in this film and as he nears 70, he has never been more bad-ass. We haven’t seen much of Antonio Banderas recently and I realized how awesome he is, especially in this as he steals the show and is absolutely hysterical. Same goes for Wesley Snipes, who recently just got out of jail but really rocks in this film! Please make “Blade 4” BTW Wesley! Harrison Ford does what he does best…plays a great grouchy guy. Lastly, Mel Gibson is back baby! This guy plays a fantastic baddie! Loved every scene he was in. I didn’t think they would be able to top the cast of the second but the certainly did.

Like I said about the plot to me it really takes a back seat when you have about 20 superstars sharing the big-screen and stealing every scene. We start off with the team on a new mission to rescue a former Expendable (Snipes) from a moving train. After picking him up, they head off to complete a seamingly simple job but they end up crossing paths with Conrad Stonebanks (Gibson), who Barney Ross (Stallone) believed to have killed years ago. Stonebanks also happens to be one of the team’s co-founders. That is pretty much the important stuff that you need to know here. Ross makes it his mission take down Stonebanks and visa versa. Shit blows up and everyone has a blast doing it. The action is A-class in this sequel. When I first saw that this was going to be PG-13, I was really bummed but they really did it up right. It was violent as hell and action-packed. Parents be warned this is a very hard PG-13, let me repeat there is A LOT of violence. Of course though if you are coming to see “The Expendables”, you would expect that despite it’s rating. This is a great example of how an action film should be…action packed from opening credits to finale.

When I saw the first “The Expendables”, I had no idea that this would be a franchise. I was skeptical for the sequel but it paid off very well. For the third film, I was the same way, I haven’t seen much hype surrounding it but it was easily the best in the franchise. There is no plans for the Expendable-train to slow down either since producer Ari Lerner has already confirmed plans for “The Expendables 4” and “The Expendables 5” are in the works as well as the spinoff “The ExpendaBelles”. There has even been confirmation already that former James Bond, Pierce Brosnan will star in a future The Expendables sequel and also Hulk Hogan wrote on twitter that he will be in the fourth film as well. So there is plenty more to come from this franchise and I feel like it is just heating up. As long as guys like Stallone can still kick some ass, I am sure that they are going to keep making these…and that is quite awesome in my books.

Starring: Jake Johnson, Damon Wayans Jr. and Rob Riggle
Directed By: Luke Greenfield
Rated: R
Running Time: 104 minutes
20th Century Fox

Our Score: 1.5 out of 5 stars

What should have been the dumbest plot of the summer actually manages to be not as bad as some of you probably would have thought. I’m talking of course about “Let’s Be Cops” premise that’s based solely on two guys who impersonate police officers and seemingly get away with it. While it’s far from being recommended or up to par with “22 Jump Street”, “Let’s Be Cops” proves that there’s some future potential for the two leads despite the coarse humor they had to deliver.

Ryan (Johnson) is pretty much a bum living in the past. He constantly thinks about the “What ifs” of a football career that ended due to an injury and lives off the $100,000 he got paid for a herpes commercial (By the way, if that’s the price to say I have herpes on a commercial, sign me up). His roommate, Justin (Wayans), is a little better off as a video game developer although he’s anxious about confronting his arrogant boss or standing tall and proud behind his ideas. Ironically, but not really, his video game idea is where gamers can play a cop.

Since he bought real police gear for his failed video game sales pitch, he might as well put it to good. The duo have a college alumni party to go to so they strap on the uniforms and head to the miserable reminder they’re in their 30’s and haven’t accomplished anything. It’s after the party, when they’re in the general public, that they quickly find out that they now commandeer a level of respect they’ve never felt before since bystanders now believe their actual cops. Good thing this is L.A. and not suburban St. Louis. Of course they will have their own trouble once they flaunt their false authority to some mobsters.

Luke Greenfield and Nicholas Thomas have paired up before on some forgettable comedies that temporarily provide a decent chuckle, but overall fail to materialize memorable characters or stable humor. There’s definitely a lot of jokes that can be plucked from such a fruitful concept about two friends pretending to be the boys in blue, but it actually feels like they ran out of ideas after page one and then had to resort to a couple of contemporary comedy tropes like responding to perfectly normal questions with swear words or how smoking pot is just…funny…I guess.

Wayans and Johnson definitely have some chemistry and some of the more funny moments feel like genuine improv on the cast’s part, but a lot more scripted scenes feel contrived. And since this movie clocks in at over 100 minutes, those long pauses of poor comedy and tone changes push the movie past its breaking point. Another saving grace from the abyss is Rob Riggle as the legitimate cop, Segars. I say saving grace because you dream and hope that one day someone as talented and charmed as him will get his own action-comedy.

“Let’s Be Cops” feels like a concept born from people who grew up on “Lethal Weapon” and “Bad Boys”, but didn’t quite understand why those movies were good. Or perhaps the male driven buddy cop comedy movie has run its course and the only thing left to do now is to subvert the formula until audiences are ready to watch two guys with holstered weapons act like a bunch of middle school boys who smirk and laugh at swear words and genitals again.

Starring: Manish Dayal, Helen Mirren, Om Puri and Charlotte Le Bon
Directed By: Lasse Hallstrom
Rated: PG
Running Time: 122 minutes
Walt Disney Studios

Our Score: 3 out of 5 stars

In a summer that’s already been delighted by Jon Favreau’s “Chef”, it’s hard to be charmed once again by the same feel good concept featuring an abundance of food porn imagery. “Hundred-Foot Journey” is definitely treading in paths already traveled, but as we begin to exhaust what’s left of new summer movies, it’s hard to dislike something that tries to be so uplifting.

While the advertising for this movie has gladly slapped Helen Mirren’s face on every single promotional inch of poster, the real main dish to this movie is Manish Dayal. He plays the shy, yet astute Hassan who seems to have a natural curiosity for food from a very young age. He learns quickly from his mother that food is more art than science, although much later in the movie he’s somewhat forced to believe the opposite. Her spiritual connection to food is some of the best writing in the film, but sadly it’s short lived. An unexplained, violent revolution leads to the death of his mother. Escaping what I can only assume is persecution or certain death, he and his family trek towards colder and more northwestern territories.

Britain’s a bit too cold for their liking so they quickly relocate to one the lushest parts of France. They must have found the one town in France where residents aren’t buried into their smartphone screens since everyone chats over tea and coffee and take in Mother Nature’s surroundings. I legitimately had no idea what time period it was until someone pulled out a cell phone. While in town, his father (Puri), through some odd non-visible premonition, decides that their family will open a restaurant across the street (100 feet) from a much celebrated French restaurant. Something about that dust covered building enchants him, much to the dismay of the French restaurants proprietor, Madame Mallory (Mirren). So begins a choppy and misguided rest of the movie that never replicates the exquisite flare that we see in different spicy dishes throughout the film.

The main problem with “The Hundred-Foot Journey” is it’s glaring predictability that knows how to throw out a hook, but forgets to attach any bait. A simple mislead here or there would have added a level of uncertainty to everything that transpires. Even once we meet Marguerite (Le Bon), one of the lovely young cooks in Mallory’s restaurant, we know she’s the obligatory love interest. After two hours, this movie outstays its welcome like an uninvited dinner guest.

Obvious dramedy clichés aside, it’s still very heartfelt with its material and I have to admire a passionate group of actors and actresses who are willing to add a little zest to a dry story. While I wasn’t quite wooed by some of its more comedic moments, I did enjoy some of the cultural clashes, no matter how false they were. Despite my negatives I have to reassure myself that not everything has to break new ground and it’s always beneficial to have some optimistic escapism in your life.

While I may not have the acquired taste to sit in an air conditioned theater and enjoy this movie to its fullest, I can see why others would need this much needed break. If you’re tired of superheroes, raunchy comedies and looking for a peaceful way to wind down in front a movie screen, “The Hundred-Foot Journey” is your best bet…unless “Chef” is still playing near you.

Starring: Richard Armitage and Matt Walsh
Directed by: Steven Quale
Rated: PG 13
Running time: 1 hour 29 mins
Warner Brothers

Our Score: 2 out of 5 stars

It was a little over three years ago (May 21, 2011) when a Category EF5 tornado hit the town of Joplin, Missouri, which is less than a two hour ride from my house. I remember being stunned by the devastation that had occurred so close to home. That event is mentioned (and I actually caught myself thinking about it several times) in the new effects filled film, “Into the Storm.”

In the little town of Silverton the school year is about to end. One of the final assignments for the students was to film a video time capsule, expressing where they think they will be 25 years from now. We meet Donnie Morris (Matt Deacon). Donnie is 16…no wait, he’s 17…it depends on if you ask him or his dad…but I digress, the kid looks like he’s 23. Anyway, his dad (Armitage) is the school’s Vice Principal, which doesn’t do him any favors with friends or the chicks. His younger brother, Trey (Nathan Kress, who actually IS 23) and he live with their widowed pop, their mother having been killed in a car accident. Due to the school project both Donnie and Trey manage to capture their pop in a bad mood as they head off to school. 200 miles away, a storm-chasing group, led by the cocky Pete (Walsh) are lamenting their lack of action so far in the season. Realizing he will soon lose his funding Pete yells to the heavens, “We NEED a Tornado!” Surprise!

Chock full of special effects but sadly bereft of originality, “Into the Storm” is 1996’s “Twister,” complete with flying cow. Here Walsh is channeling Cary Elwes’ Jonah…he does what he does for the money now, not like when he was younger and would visit the local parks where sometimes nature would take its course. The film is really a film about people filming each other and their struggle to do so on an extremely windy day!

Lacking zero plot development, other than “here comes the next storm,” “Into the Storm’s” only saving point are the visual effects, rendered in all of their Dolby glory. But even those are taken to the ridiculous level as we learn that Silverton, a town with 60 kids in its graduating class, has it’s own International Airport, complete with a half dozen 747s just standing by. To me this was yet another example of the producers believing that “more is more” and straining all credibility in the process. This is a movie that really blows….a lot longer than needed.

Starring: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel
Directed By: James Gunn
Rated: PG-13
Running Time: 121 minutes
Walt Disney Studios

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

Did one of the directors for “Movie 43” and writer for both live-action “Scooby Doo” movies just create the best Marvel movie? Yes. Yes he did. “Guardians of the Galaxy” is a consistently fun and entertaining addition to the Marvel canon with enough emotional resonance to exceed beyond your stereotypical summer blockbuster. In a Marvel movie universe populated with an eccentric, metal covered billionaire, a golden haired demi-God and an experimental super soldier, the down on their luck, rag-tag bunch in “Guardians of the Galaxy” is a much needed addition.

While “The Avengers” is a cinematic juggernaut in superhero movies, “Guardians of the Galaxy” features a cast of relatable people and creatures that are far from being “super”. There’s Star-Lord/Peter Quills (Pratt), a human space outlaw who carries around an aged Walkman in the sci-fi landscape because it’s one of the few mementos he has to remember Earth before he was abducted by interstellar bandits. Pratt packed on some serious muscle for the role to give Star-Lord a tough exterior, but Pratt’s natural ability to be a spontaneous goof gives the movie a lovable charming lead.

Counterbalancing Star-Lord is Gamora (Saldana), a personal assassin to Thanos that is ready to redeem her previous misdeeds with steely gazes and swift, punishing punches and kicks. Saldana portrays one of the best superhero heroines in recent memory, providing a necessary ingredient to the group instead of being typecast as the damsel in distress. Its good Gamora can handle Star-Lord’s sarcasm and humor because also compensating for the smug Terran hero is Drax (Bautista). He’s a lumbering muscle with arms as big as my head and he’s intent on seeking vengeance for the murder of his family. It doesn’t help he can’t take a joke or grasp the concept of metaphors.

The two make-up and prosthetic covered heroes are offset by our two CGI heroes, a rambunctious space raccoon by the name of Rocket (Cooper) and a humanoid/tree called Groot (Diesel). These four help maintain an equilibrium between computer animated grandeur and hand crafted elegance. Cooper gives Rocket an arrogant East Coast gangster tone and steals a couple of scenes with his bitter quips. Meanwhile, Diesel had the arduous task of creating a vast depth to Groot since Groot’s only spoken words are “I am Groot”. Despite this hindrance, there are a lot of surprising vocal inflections in the deep rumble of Groot’s voice. He also appears to be the most heartfelt. At one point the group worries about street children pickpocketing them while Groot simply grows a flower out of his hand to offer to a dirt covered girl.

If you think I’ve been focusing on our quintet more than the plot, that’s because they are what makes this movie work. The story is a simple introduction paired with the undeveloped bad guy and explosive third act, but without these actors, their portrayals, and James Gunn’s sharp dialogue, this wouldn’t have excitedly leapt off the script pages. The obvious thing to compliment with a movie like this is the vibrant settings, majestic set-ups and awe-inspiring action, but what really left me satisfied was the foul-mouthed, crotch adjusting, band of misfits that find companionship and discover that drive to do good by the end of the movie. Although they’re still a foul-mouthed, crotch adjusting, band of misfits as the credits roll.

While I listed off a few of James Gunn’s embarrassing credits to begin this review, I’d like to point out that Gunn’s weakest efforts are still pieces that highlight Gunn’s youthful joy for nostalgia and fun with tasteless humor. Without his obscure and essential input, “Guardians of the Galaxy” would have not trekked into more peculiar territories, like Star-Lord’s mixtape that doubles as 70’s and 80’s pop-culture citations, the playful smile from Groot after he probably murder dozens of baddies, and a cameo by Lloyd Kaufman. Christopher Nolan and Marvel have been the “How-To” when it comes to making superhero movies, but they might want to learn a thing or two from Gunn since “Guardians of the Galaxy” is the best movie of the summer.

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Starring: Anna Kendrick, Melanie Lynskey, Joe Swanberg, Mark Webber and Lena Dunham
Directed By: Joe Swanberg
Running Time: 88 minutes
Magnolia Pictures

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

Generally speaking, I’m not too fond of ‘Christmas in July!’ but thankfully Happy Christmas is far from A Holiday Film. Joe Swanberg’s light slice of life comedy starring Anna Kendrick and Melanie Lynskey is currently available on VOD and opened theatrically today.

Kendrick plays Jenny, the sister of Jeff (director Swanberg), she’s just had a bad breakup and is bunking in Jeff’s basement ostensibly there as an in-house babysitter for his two year old son while piecing her life back together. Jenny makes a terrible first impression with Jeff’s wife Kelly (Lynskey) by getting blackout drunk on her first night in town. At first viewing I was concerned that this would become a clichéd feud between the housewife and the messy sister-in-law, but refreshingly, Swanberg doesn’t go there. The result is a couple of thoroughly authentic female characters at very different points in their lives. While Kelly is at first wary of finding Jenny once again drinking with friend Carson (Lena Dunham) in their basement, the two convince her to share a beer with them and begin one of many of the film’s brilliantly natural conversations.

Not much older than Jenny, Kelly seems to everyone to be an actual grown up but Kelly is revealed to be reluctant about taking on the role of the stay-at-home mom. Her position has in many ways prevented her from pursuing her novelist career and she finds the younger women to be an outlet to which she can finally voice her concerns. For their part, Jenny and Carson see their presence as the opportunity Kelly needs to share some of her responsibilities and finally pursue her own goals. Despite some naivete about being a working writer, Jenny actually does reignite some inspiration that Kelly needed.

Swanberg is also charming as Jeff, whose laid back demeanor is finally stretched to its limits by his younger sister but the film truly belongs to its leading ladies. Your enjoyment of Kendrick’s performance may vary by your tolerance for the over usage of the word “like” in sentences, as for me, Jenny feels completely authentic to like, many people I know. Lynskey too is impressive for the vulnerability she brings to Kelly when she may have been a stick-in-the-mud. All of the cast are additionally helped out by Swanberg’s two year old Jude, who wholly steals the screen from his adult co-stars just by being an unscripted little kid.

None of the characters’ difficulties are ever completely fixed per se by the film’s conclusion, but there’s a genuine sense of warmth within this family unit not often felt in actual holiday films.

Starring: Chadwick Boseman, Dan Aykroyd and Viola Davis
Directed by: Tate Taylor
Rated: PG 13
Running time: 2 hrs 18 mins
Universal

Our Score: 4.5 out of 5 stars

The saying about time flying is very true. As I waited for the film “Get on Up” to start I thought back to July 4, 1987. That afternoon I was on assignment to cover a Vietnam Veteran Benefit Concert. As I waited backstage, hoping to sneak my mother back so she could meet Neil Diamond (don’t ask) I ended up in a small room. In the room with me were none-other than the hardest working man in show business and his current wife, Adrienne. I took a couple of pictures (with their permission) and made some small talk (one thing that stood out to me was when Brown noted that, unlike him, most of the acts appearing on the bill had NEVER visited the troops in Vietnam) and 27 years later I still kick myself for not asking for an autograph. Though this event is not covered, James Brown’s USO tours to Vietnam are, and they make up an important part of a legendary life chronicled in the new film “Get on Up.”

We first meet James Brown (an amazing Boseman) in 1988. A visit to one of his businesses sets off a chain of events that lead to an arrest by local authorities. As the film progresses, we are transported to many of the important events in Brown’s legendary career. His troubled childhood, early problems with the law and the brashness with which he promoted his talents are all highlighted. In a time when a black man was often mistreated, the one thing James Brown wanted was respect. He expected to be addressed as “Mr. Brown,” be it by a member of his band or the head of a record company. When told that he would NOT be the closing performance of a television broadcast he smiles slightly and then brings down the house. As the chosen closers, making their first appearance in the states, take the stage all Brown can say to them is “Welcome to America.” What he’s really saying is “top THAT!” That the group in question happens to be the Rolling Stones only makes his challenge better.

Boseman, who was so good last year as Jackie Robinson in the film “42” is a revelation here. So good is he at capturing and displaying the trademark moves and speech of James Brown that it’s almost scary. This is not an impression. This IS James Brown. Boseman is surrounded by a top notch group of Oscar-nominated performers, including Viola Davis, Dan Aykroyd and Academy Award winner Octavia Spencer. Aykroyd, who appeared on screen with Brown in “The Blues Brothers” over three decades ago, continues to do solid supporting work. Sharp-eyed fans can even catch Mick Jagger in a quick cameo. Jagger served as a producer on the film and also oversaw the film’s music. He has served up some of Brown’s best songs and deserves some credit for what I hope is a successful box office showing.

If I have one complaint it’s that the film runs a little long. Obviously it’s hard to squeeze seven decades of life into two hours but there were a couple scenes I felt could have been omitted without hurting the film. Just a thought!

Directed by: James Gunn
Starring: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Lee Pace, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan
Distributed by: Walt Disney Studios
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Running time: 122 minutes

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

You know when you walk out of film and can honestly saw it was absolutely perfect, well that is definitely the case with “Guardians of the Galaxy”. Immediately after watching it, my wife and I said that we could have easily sat down again for a second viewing immediately. Marvel Studios has really got something special going on here with their Cinematic Universe for these superheroes. Everyone knows Iron Man or Spider-Man but not everyone knows Guardians of the Galaxy, even Stan Lee was taken on record that he wasn’t sure who all of them were since he didn’t create them (he does have a cameo BTW). So this film was a risky move for them but it really paid off. It was funny, action packed, sharp and just really fun. I couldn’t help sitting in the theater and thinking that this is what “Star Wars” would have been like if it was made today. So who knows maybe in 25 years, this film will have that type of cult status, I certainly think it is capable.

Let’s talk about this ensemble cast, this film has one hell of a amazing cast. Chris Pratt, who plays Peter Quill/Star Lord, is know best from “Parks and Recreation” is blowing up and after this he is starring in “Jurassic World”. This guy really rocks in this film. He is charismatic, funny and just could help it but remind me of a modern Han Solo. Zoe Saldana, who plays Gamora, was amazing all in blue in “Avatar” and she is still kick-ass in all green for this film. Dave Bautista, who plays Drax in the film is absolutely amazing and he is known best for his WWE wrestling career. No idea how this guy said some of his lines without laughing. Vin Diesel and Bradley Cooper lend their voices to Groot and Rocket Raccoon, respectively. They both easily steal the show, no question. Yes, that’s right a talking tree and a raccoon. Top of this amazing cast with Lee Pace, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Djimon Hounsou, John C. Reilly, Glenn Close, and Benicio del Toro. Makes up a hell of a dream cast.

The film starts off with us taking a trip to 1988, where we meet a young Peter Quill at his mother’s death bed. After her passing, he runs out of the hospital and ends up getting abducted by a spaceship. Flash forward 26 years later on a distant abandoned planet we meet again Peter Quill all grown up and seeking out an orb, in order to get a pay day. He finds that this orb is much more valuable then he originally thought and has many people trying to get it for themselves leading him to meeting Gamora, Rocket and Groot. The three of them end up in a high security jail after a fight for the orb. Joining up with a inmate named Drax in the jail, the group breaks out of prison to return the orb to safety after they find out what it is capable and who is really after it. Ensue hilarity and epic space battles. Did I mention that Thanos also pops in for a few…

The film looks just really amazing. I loved the use of practical effects mixed in with CGI. Director James Gunn is known for that and if you need an example check his past film “Slither”, which is tremendously underrated. The visual effects are also top notch for Marvel. The space fights are absolutely epic and really action packed. The 3D effects are also woven in very well, so they feel very organic and really draw you into film. And of course, the music…oh the music! I haven’t stopped listening to the soundtrack for this film, which is very 70/80’s inspired with tracks like “Hooked on a Feeling” by Blue Swede, “Fooled Around and Fell in Love” by Elvin Bishop and the scene stealing “O-o-h Child” by Five Stairsteps. Music is very important to me in a film and tied in with Tyler Bates amazing score, this film’s music is literally a character itself.

Looking back on the summer so far, I think about films like “The Amazing Spider-Man 2”, “Transformers: Age of Extinction” and “X-Men: Days of Future Past” and I enjoyed all of them but when you put them next to a film like this it honestly puts them to shame. I liked those but they were all flawed, I can say that this film is perfect. No question, Marvel’s best film to date and easily my favorite film of the summer. Can’t wait for the sequel, which is already scheduled to be released on July 28, 2017. Be sure to also stay at the end of the credits for a really cool post credits scene. It may not be incredibly important to the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe but still very cool. Now if you excuse me…ooga-chaka, ooga-chaka!