Proof That "The House" Doesn't Always Win

The House (2017)

Rated R

Starring Will Ferrell, Amy Poehler, Jason Mantzoukas, Ryan Simpkins, Nick Kroll,

Directed by Andrew Jay Cohen

The Story:

Scott (Ferrell) and Kate (Poehler) are excited that their daughter Alex (Simpkins) will be winning their annual community scholarship program. However when budget shortfalls kill the scholarship, they panic and turn to Frank (Mantzoukas) who suggests they earn the money by turning their house into a casino.

Game on.

This had to be a can't miss on paper.

Ferrell and Poehler.

Two Saturday Night Live legends starring together in an R-Rated comedy.

However, whatever paper it was written on, was not the paper that ended up getting filmed.

That said, there are some tremendously funny spots in the movie, some great cameos, and Mantzoukas doing what he does best, and that's making every movie he's in better than it should be.

Unfortunately it's not enough to save the film.

It's watchable, but sadly, it's forgettable.

Too many missed opportunities like this in the movies lately, especially for both leads.

Maybe next time?

Final Grade:  C

With Friends Like These..."Search Party"

Search Party (2014)

Rated R

Starring Adam Pally, T.J. Miller, Thomas Middleditch, Shannon Woodward, Alison Brie, J.B. Smoove, Krysten Ritter, Jason Mantzoukas,

Directed by Scot Armstrong

The Story:

Nardo (Middleditch) is set to marry Tracy (Woodward) but his best friends Evan and Jason (Pally & Miller) try to talk him out of it at the bachelor party. When the ceremony begins, Jason puts his foot down, and Tracy leaves to Mexico to enjoy the honeymoon without him. Distraught, Nardo pursues her, and winds up spending much of the rest of the film naked and covered in cocaine as his friends attempt to rescue him before Berk (Smoove) can catch him and kill him.

Yep, it's one of those movies.

Old School. Road Trip. The Hangover. 

So you know the type, and you know if you'll enjoy this one or not, already.

Much like this variety of movie, they throw nearly every joke at the wall and see what sticks.

Some do, some don't.

What helps these films is the actors that are asked to do the crazy things or say the wacky dialogue.

This movie is elevated on the performances of Miller, who can do the wacky best friend possibly better than anyone in film right now, and Middleditch.

His earnestness and sincerity shine through all the situations he's placed in.

Like spending the majority of the film naked and smothered in cocaine.

Okay, clearly (hopefully) it wasn't actually cocaine, but dipped in a powder of some sort, he's still giving a bravado performance.

Plus, they keep running into various wackos (Ryter, Mantzoukas (!!!) and Smoove) who make the most of their character and keep the laughs coming.

It's not a film for everyone, but there's enough there to make it worthwhile for those that choose to go on this journey!

:)

Final Grade: C+

These Ladies Like To Party..."How To Be Single"

How To Be Single (2016)

Rated R

Starring Dakota Johnson, Rebel Wilson, Leslie Mann, Alison Brie, Anders Holm, Damon Wayans Jr., Nicholas Braun, Jake Lacy, Jason Mantzoukas,

Directed by Christian Ditter

The Story:

Alice (Johnson) has been dumped by her boyfriend (Braun), so she sets out to get over him with a new job, new friends, and a new attitude in New York City! Her circle of friends include Robin (Wilson), Meg (Mann), and Lucy (Brie) each with their own foibles and crises. Of course, in a town full of eligible bachelors, they ladies run into some interesting characters as well (Holm, Wayans Jr., Lacy, Mantzoukas). But, just when you think you know how these relationships are going to end, stick around, because you might be pleasantly surprised...or disappointed!

It's a tough line to balance an R rated comedy that wants to have both raunch and heart, and this film is no different.

Thankfully, it's a fantastic cast, so it's easy to laugh with, and at, their predicaments.

I won't spoil which couples work and which ones don't, because that's half the fun of the film is watching these characters learn to realize what is most important to them, and who do they want to spend their time with.

Another nice touch, as the film is focused on the ladies as the stars, the guys come off rather well, upending some cliches that often are standard with romantic comedy fare.

As usual, Jason Mantzoukas kills it in every scene he's in. I'm not sure if he'll ever be the lead in a comedy, but as long as they keep casting him as a supporting player, I'll always give that movie a chance!

It's a little long for a comedy, but not unbearably so. There's a bit of wandering in the narrative as well, which seems like a 2 birds with one stone killing could have made a few of the issues go away.


Final Grade: C+

The Odd Couple... "Dirty Grandpa"

Dirty Grandpa (2016)

Rated R

Starring Zac Efron, Robert DeNiro, Zoey Deutch, Aubrey Plaza, Jason Mantzoukas, Julianne Hough,

Directed by Dan Mazer

The Story:

Dick (DeNiro) is in mourning after his wife has passed. He guilts his favorite grandson, Jason (Efron) into taking him on a road trip to Florida to spread the ashes. Ah, but what Jason will soon come to realize, is that Grandpa is itching to use his newfound freedom to get busy with the ladies in Florida. Lenore (Plaza) is willing, and her best friend Shadia (Deutch) just happens to be an ex-classmate of Jason's. The biggest problem, Jason has life-plans that don't include helping his grandpa get laid.

So, going with that explanation and the title of the film, you know what to expect going into this one.

If you dare to enter!

What you'll find is people moaning and lamenting the decline of DeNiro as a serious actor.

Bah.

What you'll find is DeNiro doing his job as an actor in a part that was probably made for him. The man has got to work, and unless they're lining up GoodFellas, Raging Bulls or the like demanding that DeNiro be in their films, well, sorry, clearly he enjoys working and his legacy on film is secure enough that he can pretty much do whatever he wants to do at this point in his career.

Sure, we can always hope the film will be worthy of more artistic merit, but don't begrudge DeNiro a living.

Whatever work he does now, whether in comedies or direct to DVD fare, doesn't diminish what he's done before.

So too with Efron, as he continues to stay as far away from his Disney Channel roots as possible. As the uptight grandson, he doesn't get to be the party-boy like his character in Neighbors, but like DeNiro, he's willing to put his all into the project, even if it means being the butt of most of the jokes.

That said, as the title implies it's filthy, with language and situations flying a mile a minute for the "shock and awe" factor but there's enough actual comedy to make this one worth a viewing.

If for no other reason than Jason Mantzoukas who is quickly becoming one of my favorite supporting actors. Whenever he shows up in a film, the scenes he appears in are of such manic energy, they begin to support the entire film and make everything just a little bit better.

If you're going to go for raunchy humor, while you can do better, you can almost definitely do a lot worse than this one.

Final Grade: C+