Well That Was Awkward..."All Nighter"

All Nighter (2017)

Rated R

Starring Emile Hirsch, J.K. Simmons, Analeigh Tipton, Taran Killam, Kristen Schaal, Shannon Woodward

Directed by Gavin Wiesen

The Story:

When Ginnie (Tipton) introduces her boyfriend Martin (Hirsch) to her father, Mr. Gallo (Simmons), it's basically the worst first impression you could possibly hope for. Fast forward 6 months, and Mr. Gallo is knocking on Martin's door looking for Ginnie. The only problem... Ginnie and Martin aren't together anymore. Mr. Gallo doesn't mind, Martin needs to get up, get dressed, and come help him find his daughter.

What follows next is a buddy comedy of epic proportions!

Okay, maybe not epic, but there is some smiles and laughs to be had with Hirsch and Simmons running around L.A. looking for his daughter.

As they run into one friend after another, nobody can quite put their finger on where they last saw Ginnie, and the night becomes a blur or crazy characters and situations as the two have to get past their mutual annoyance of one another and work for the bigger picture - where is Ginnie?

Simmons is as great a comic actor as he is a dramatic one. He makes any picture better just by being in it, and Hirsch provides able support as the beleaguered ex who still hasn't gotten over his old flame, but just might before the night is over.

You won't be doubled over in laughter, but you likely won't regret taking the time to spend watching this one.

Final Grade: C+

Boston Strong... "Patriots Day"

Patriots Day (2016)

Rated R

Starring Mark Wahlberg, John Goodman, Alex Wolff, Themo Melikidze, J.K. Simmons, Kevin Bacon,

Directed by Peter Berg

The Story:

A beautiful morning for the Boston Marathon in 2013 gives way to chaos as the Tsaranaev brothers (Wolff & Melikidze) detonate bombs near the finish line. Sgt. Tommy Saunders (Wahlberg) is pulling security and is near ground zero when the bombs explode. He helps lead the Boston Police Department and the F.B.I. manhunt to capture the suspects before they can strike again, or leave the city to strike elsewhere.

Naturally, this is based on a true story.

The 2nd true story for Mark Wahlberg to save the day is better than Deepwater Horizon.

As I mentioned in that film review, it's hard to accurately gauge the entertainment value on a movie where lives were lost and every day people step up and do heroic things.

The main argument that Patriots Day seemingly endured was the every man police sergeant who was in the right place at the right time at every step of the investigation.

Well, it's called a narrative device people. :)

It allows the story to flow a little better instead of jumping around from points A-F and introducing new characters along the way.

It's not a documentary.

It is engrossing and engaging.

It's also uplifting and poignant.

The drama of the police hunt, the emotional barrage of the victims of the bombing.

Keep a tissue handy, you might need it.

Very well done, but I've also come to expect that from Peter Berg who continues to craft very well made movies throughout his career.

While I rarely go back and watch movies like this again, I could see this as being an exception to that rule.

Final Grade:  B+

Don't Mess With "The Accountant"

The Accountant (2016)

Rated R

Starring Ben Affleck, Anna Kendrick, J.K. Simmons, Jon Bernthal, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, John Lithgow,

Directed by Gavin O'Connor

The Story:

Christian Wolff (Affleck) is a savant with an amazing knack for numbers. His services are so well regarded, many illicit organizations have used him to fix their books, so to speak. However, with the criminal task force closing in, he accepts a more legitimate client to lay low for awhile, yet it may be his most duplicitous account yet.

And did I fail to mention that Wolff is also like a deadly assassin as well?

And there you have a premise to a movie that might sound silly on paper, but plays out really well on screen.

Surrounded by a great supporting cast, including Simmons as the lead agent on the task force who is one step away from retirement, and hoping he can catch Wolff, or at least train his replacement before it's too late.

Other than that, I'm not going to give anything else away at the risk of taking any twists and turns away from this action thriller.

Great cast. Interesting premise. Well done by all involved.

Final Grade:  B  / B+ range

Took Me Long Enough... "Kung Fu Panda 3"

Kung Fu Panda 3 (2016)

Rated PG

Starring Jack Black, Bryan Cranston, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Seth Rogen, Jackie Chan, Lucy Liu, Kate Hudson, J.K. Simmons, David Cross, James Hong

Directed by Alessandro Carloni, Jennifer Yuh

The Story:

Po (Black) reunites with his long lost father (Cranston), much to the chagrin of his current father (Hong) and they journey to the hidden Panda village so that Po can master his chi. Kai (Simmons) has been defeating the masters both in the spirit world and is now back in our world, more powerful than ever. Po must teach the new pandas how to do the Fu in order to save his friends, and the world!

So you might remember earlier this year when the kids went to the movies and saw this one:

"There was a very good plot. A great balance between the action and the humor.  It didn't let me down with the franchise and go out on a low note.  I'd give it an A!"

"Amazing.  I give it an A!"

"I think it was very funny, not too serious and not all action. I really liked what the movie did with both of Po's dads. I give it an A!"

"So far the best film I've seen all year. It didn't exceed the the greatness of Part 2, but it may very well have equaled it. Definitely an A."

"It was great. There were two sad parts that made me cry sad tears. I was glad I got to see it."

" It was phenomenal. By far the prettiest of all three movies and the animation was just spectacular. Not quite as good as Part 2, but really, really, really good nonetheless."



How am I supposed to compete with those kinds of reviews?

:)

So the movie has been in our house since the release, and I managed to walk in at the part where Po begins training the panda village.

I didn't really want to review half a movie, so I figured I'd probably catch the beginning sooner or later.

That said, what I had seen was the usual awesome work from Dreamworks, and a lot of fun from the cast.

Especially inspired work from a villainous J.K. Simmons who seems to be having a blast as the baddest bad guy that nobody has ever heard of.

Then the movie came to Netflix streaming, and it's played a few times since then, and I seemingly always arrive when it's time for Po to start training the village.

So I finally grabbed the remote and started it from scratch.

I wasn't disappointed.

Again, Cranston's hot streak of great movies chugs along, and it's a nice conclusion to the Kung Fu Panda trilogy.

Whether they continue, or not, it's been a great series of films, and Dreamworks should be very proud of what they've accomplished.

Can't argue with the kids on this one.

It's really good, and possibly just a bit less awesome than Part 2.

But what a great trilogy they've entertained us with!

Final Grade: A

It's A Jungle Out There..."Zootopia"

Zootopia (2016)

Rated PG

Starring Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Idris Elba, Jenny Slate, Bonnie Hunt, Don Lake, J.K. Simmons, Shakira,

Written and Directed by Byron Howard, Rich Moore, Jared Bush

The Story:

Judy Hopps (Goodwin) is determined to be the first bunny rabbit to ever join the police force. It's never been done before, and society at large says it shouldn't be allowed, but she manages to join the force in time to land the biggest missing animal case the city has ever seen. To save her job, she joins forces with Nick (Bateman),  a streetwise fox to try and unravel the whereabouts of the citizenry of Zootopia.

Leave it to Disney to strike a chord with the masses with a kind-hearted message movie about racial and/or gender equality that is appealing to the masses.

In this case, you've got the predators and the prey living side by side, but with some nefarious plotting afoot, how long will the fragile peace in the land last?

Then by switching the focus from Nick to Judy, you've also added the layer that girls can do anything boys can do, if that is what they want to do.

So yes, heavy social topics, but not delivered with a heavy hand to take away the enjoyment of the movie.

As usual with Disney, they've combined wonderful character designs with a stellar voice cast to create a beautiful movie.

I'm doubtful it needs one, but since it's Disney, I'm sure we  haven't seen the last of these characters. Let's hope the inevitable sequel has a story worthy of the original.

For those that have missed it in theaters or on DVD, starting tomorrow, you should be able to begin streaming it on Netflix as one of the first movies to arrive as part of the exclusive Disney/Netflix deal.

Don't worry, those of you without kids, you can watch it too.

: )

Final Grade:  A-

Special Guest Reviews: "Kung Fu Panda 3 "

Kung Fu Panda 3 (2016)

Rated PG

Starring Jack Black, Bryan Cranston, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Seth Rogen, Jackie Chan, Lucy Liu, Kate Hudson, J.K. Simmons, David Cross, James Hong

Directed by Alessandro Carloni, Jennifer Yuh

The Story:

Po (Black) reunites with his long lost father (Cranston) and they journey to where the rest of the Pandas are located.  However, while he is away, a new villain, Kai (Simmons) begins defeating the Kung Fu masters. Po must teach the new pandas how to do the Fu in order to save his friends, and the world!

Kung Fu Panda was released in 2008 to much commercial and critical success.

In 2011, Kung Fu Panda 2 came out and did the unusual and unthinkable: it was the sequel that was better than the original.  It matched the humor of the original, but this time it brought some emotional heart to the festivities.

I never bothered with either for years, until I finally watched both last year. Hmmm. I guess I should've thrown some reviews on the site! ;)

So with the release of Part 3, I sent the experts on all thing Panda into the theater to do my dirty work for me.

Here then are some of their thoughts on the movie:

First we'll start with the biggest fan of  Kung Fu Panda in the house -

There was a very good plot. A great balance between the action and the humor.  It didn't let me down with the franchise and go out on a low note.  I'd give it an A!

Next kid:

Amazing.  I give it an A!

How about # 3?

I think it was very funny, not too serious and not all action. I really liked what the movie did with both of Po's dads. I give it an A!

As for the oldest that saw the movie on Friday:

 So far the best film I've seen all year. It didn't exceed the the greatness of Part 2, but it may very well have equaled it. Definitely an A.

And the opinion of the youngest:

It was great. There were two sad parts that made me cry sad tears. I was glad I got to see it.

Apparently it was so good, the oldest had to go see it on Sunday to see if it was indeed truly as good as everyone said.

Her text: It was phenomenal. She elaborated later that it was by far the prettiest of all three movies and the animation was just spectacular. Then her comments seemed to echo just about everyone else, not quite as good as Part 2, but really, really, really good nonetheless.

Overall final grade (for now):  Looks like the A's have it. Sounds like a contender for Best of the Year if I know what's good for me.

The real grade will be revealed when it comes out on Netflix or for sale later this year.

;)

He Always Said He'd Be Back..."Terminator: Genisys"

Terminator: Genisys (2015)

Rated PG-13

Starring Emilia Clarke, Jai Courtney, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jason Clarke, J.K. Simmons,

Directed by Alan Taylor

The Story:

John Connor (Clarke) sends Kyle Reese (Courtney) back to 1984 to protect Sarah Connor (Clarke) from the Terminators. However, when Reese arrives, this 1984 is unlike anything he was prepared for. It appears that there have been a few more time travel uses that we weren't aware of, and now the past has changed and that creates the potential for failure in the future and complete domination by the machines. Thankfully, there is a Guardian (Schwarzenegger) on their side to help even things up.

There sure was a lot of hate and anger directed at the latest installment of the franchise.

I don't buy it. No, it's not the original, nor is it T2.

But it's the best sequel they've had since then.

Sure it's a reboot, reimaging, but that's what happens when everyone in the cast has aged.

Except Ah-nuhld. We've all accepted by now that he likely is a robot and won't age.

I can also live with that.

I didn't find Clarke to be "horribly miscast" as Sarah Connor. I thought she held her own just fine. I think this was my first exposure to her work as I don't watch Game of Thrones, and nothing else on her filmography rang a bell.

If there is any real weakness in the film it is Jai Courtney.  There's something about Courtney and I haven't put my finger on it yet, but he comes across as bland and rather boring in these films.

And he should be poised as the next big action star.

He's like Jeremy Renner-lite, all of the qualities, none of the charisma.

He bogged down A Good Day To Die Hard and was rather bland in the Divergent series as well.

The film might get a little greedy with the time travel aspects this go round, but I'm okay with that.

The film never managed to lose my interest, and they kept just enough twists and turns coming to make the ride a fun one.

Hey, after all is said and done, it was an entertaining film and I'll remember it much more than Terminator: Salvation

Final Grade: B-

A Little Quirky...A Little Cool... "Murder Of A Cat"

Murder of a Cat (2014)

Unrated

Starring Fran Kranz, Nikki Reed, J.K. Simmons, Blythe Danner, Greg Kinnear,

Directed by Gillian Greene

The Story:

Clinton (Kranz) investigates the murder of his beloved cat. This leads him to suspect Greta (Reed) and bring in the Sheriff (Simmons) to arrest her. However, it turns out the cat led a double life and hung out with both of them when he would wander from home to home. But someone murdered the poor feline, and these two want revenge! However, the death could be a cover-up for something even more sinister!

To be fair, this one started off a little slow, and a lot of odd.

Clinton is a kid in an adult body, so I don't know if they were trying to tackle a special needs case, or just that of a slacker.

:)

But I sat back and gave this one the full 20 minutes, and then I continued to stick around until the end.

They actually start the movie at the end of the movie, and then backtrack.

For a crime/suspense/comedy, they should have used a different camera angle and not revealed much of the suspense at first, but what can you do?

Just saw that it is streaming for Amazon Prime members as well.

Final Grade: B- / C+ range

Hugh Grant Is In Fine Form Once Again... "The Rewrite"

The Rewrite (2014)

Not Rated (PG-13)

Starring Hugh Grant, Marisa Tomei, J.K. Simmons, Allison Janney,

Written and Directed by Marc Lawrence

The Story:

Keith Michaels (Grant) is a former Oscar winning writer who has had a few bombs since then, and now cannot find work. His agent gets him a gig teaching a screenwriting course back east. So he swallows his pride, heads back east and grudgingly begins his next career as a teacher.

Marc Lawrence and Hugh Grant have been great as a team since they teamed together in 2002 with Two Weeks Notice. Lightning struck again 5 years later when they worked on Music and Lyrics together and created another great romantic comedy.

Then the inevitable happened, the third time was not the charm, and Did You Hear About The Morgans tanked. I've seen that one, and it wasn't that bad.

Now, it wasn't nearly as good as the other two movies, but there were some witty moments in there, mostly on the charm and wit of Hugh Grant.

So, after nearly 6 years away from the big screen, the two re-team and tell a bit of a biographical tale that closely follows the lead of Music and Lyrics.

A formerly successful writer finds love when and where he least expects it.

This romantic comedy takes the slow build, but you know it's coming, and it's actually a refreshing and fun change of pace.

Hugh Grant returns in fine form, and he hasn't missed a beat over the decades and has grown perfectly into the role of the disenfranchised middle aged romantic lead.

It was also nice to see Tomei back in a comedic role for what seems like the first time in a long time.

Plus there is a nice comedic turn by Simmons that's pretty fun to watch.

Welcome back Marc Lawrence, and looking forward to the next project with Grant!

Final Grade: B

J.K. Simmons Will Give You "Whiplash"

Whiplash (2014)

Rated R

Starring Miles Teller, J.K Simmons

Written and Directed by Damien Chazelle

The Story:

Andrew (Teller) wants to be a great drummer, the next Charlie Parker. At the prestigious music academy he attends, there is one teacher there, Fletcher (Simmons) who can help him realize that potential.

Be careful what you wish for.

It's everything and nothing that you've seen before.

A mentor takes a student under this wing and makes life for student miserable.

But in the end, the student excels and proves that they had the gift all along, and just needed the right push.

Enter Teller as the happy go lucky Andrew who gets into the band, and is immediately assaulted, verbally and physically by Simmons.

And the for the record, tell me Simmons spouting similar lines in a Spider-Man movie isn't something that would fit the character of J. Jonah Jameson to a t!

: )

Simmons can act, everyone knows that, and he deserves the award he won for the character. You know he's pushing the limits of what he can do to make his student better, but you're uncomfortable enough to wonder if you should root for him to continue his ways or to let go.

By the finale, the relationship between these two is going to take their weirdest, yet most satisfying turn yet.

Great movie, that I'm dinging for the subplot with the girl, and the unbelievable car crash/concert scene.

I get why both were included, but the credibility (or care-ability) of the story suffered accordingly.  When it's about the music, then the movie sings.

Especially when Simmons is involved.

Final Grade: B