Beast Mode: Activated! "Rapture Palooza"

Rapture Palooza (2013)  

Rated R

Starring Craig Robinson, Anna Kendrick, John Francis Daley, Rob Corddry, Ana Gasteyer, John Michael Higgins, Ken Jeong,

Directed by Paul Middleditch

The Story:

The Rapture has happened and the souls that were left behind now have to deal with living on Earth under the Beast (Robinson). However, when he sets his sights on Lindsey (Kendrick) to be his bride, she and her boyfriend (Daley) have to formulate a plan to stop the Anti-Christ once and for all.

So how do you make a comedy about the Rapture?

Because, seriously, this one didn't quite hit the mark.

: )

It's a great cast full of some amazing comedic actors, but ultimately many of them are left floundering in their roles with little to do, or nothing of great consequence.

There is the occasional laugh, but overall, it's a big pass.

Not a complete failure of a movie, just a failure to capitalize on everything that was right in front of them, but they failed to utilize properly.

I mean when you have God (Jeong) vs. the Beast battling for world supremacy in a hot tub for the fate of the world, you just sort of expect and hope for a little more that what you ultimately get.


Final Grade: C-

This Isn't Your Father's "Vacation"

Vacation (2015)

Rated R

Starring Ed Helms, Christina Applegate, Skyler Gisondo, Steele Stebbins

Written and Directed by John Francis Daley, Johnathan M. Goldstein

The Story:

Rusty Griswold (Helms) decides to take the wife (Applegate) and kids (Gisondo & Stebbins) on a road trip instead of their usual family vacation. And if you're a Griswold and need a vacation, where do you go?

Walley World.

What could possibly go wrong?

While the world awaited with breathless anticipation for the latest installment of the Star Wars saga, I'm not sure too many people were clamoring to see what happened next with the Griswold family.

Thankfully, they decided to continue, and not reboot, the adventures of the world's most inept travelers by passing the mantle to Rusty.

Funny idea, halfway through the movie, they should have changed out actors to play Rusty and not have the family miss a beat at all.

:)

As I mentioned in the title, this isn't your father's vacation. It's not yours, either.

Most of us grew up on the original and Christmas Vacation, and those two are beloved classics.  That the original Vacation is saddle with an R rating is pretty much overlooked, because it is so tame compared to what would receive an R rating in ensuing years.

And in 2015, that R rating is going to be a machine gun of language from start to finish, from every character under the sun, especially the youngest son.

So no, it's doubtful this will ever become a classic addition to the franchise because there are doubtful few families who would watch this together and find it funny.

That said, many of the gags are funny.

However, many are not.

It's an uneven Vacation at best, but their heart was in the right place and you have to give the entire cast an A for effort.

Which ends up on the bell curve of movies:

Final Grade: C