A Fairly Dynamic Duo... "Daddy's Home"

Daddy's Home (2015)

Rated PG-13

Starring Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Linda Cardellini, Thomas Haden Church,

Directed by Sean Anders

The Story:

Brad (Ferrell) really loves his wife (Cardellini) and her kids. He's trying to be the best step-dad in the world to them, and as time has passed, their intense burning hatred of him is slowly becoming casual indifference. Then Dusty (Wahlberg) breezes back into town, and Brad quickly falls from grace and slowly loses his mind as he attempts to win back the family that he's always wanted.

Much like the last time these two teamed up (The Other Guys) there are laughs to be had, but overall, it was just an okay movie.

Naturally everything goes wrong for Brad, and while comical at first, it just keeps compounding and you're like, "okay, I get it".

Not everything in life, or movies, needs to be turned up to 11.

Eventually the tables will turn and the charmed life that Dusty is enjoying will fail, but it takes quite a bit for him to realize that there is more to being a dad than just "being cool".

The energy and interplay between the two is there, and I hope that should they decide to buddy up again, they will finally get that script that puts it over the top as a truly enjoyable film that lives up to the high expectations the audience has going into the film.
 
The best bits usually involve Thomas Haden Church. That guy kills i as Brad's boss. :)

So yes, there are some laughs, but for me, not everything clicked perfectly this go round.

And really, when the kids are the ones using the most profanity in the film, it's time to get another opinion on the script.

I've seen kids that don't care for an authority figure (see Uncle Buck) and they don't need to swear up a storm to get the point across.

Final Grade: C+

Who's A Good Dog? "Max"

Max (2015)

Rated PG

Starring Josh Wiggins, Thomas Haden Church, Lauren Graham, Mia Xitlali, Luke Kleintank, Dejon LaQuake, Robbie Amell,

Written and Directed by Boaz Yakin

The Story:

When Marine Dog Handler Kyle Wincott (Amell) is killed in action, his dog Max comes to the funeral. Max is very loyal and misses Kyle, so much so that the Marines really can't use him anymore. Somehow, Max bonds with Kyle's brother, Justin (Wiggins). Justin doesn't care for the dog, but as time passes, the two begin to bond. However, when one of Kyle's friends (Kleintank) comes back to town, Max begins to act strange, and Justin begins to learn things that put his life in danger.

Based on a true story needs to be said upfront, though I'm sure it's more the dog at the funeral than the conspiracy over how the Marine was killed.

Boaz Yakin crafts another fine tale as both writer and director, but he's been doing that for some time now.

The movie balances fairly nicely between a coming of age / boy and his dog / murder mystery subplots that get equal time without really shortchanging or sabotaging anything.

It's possible that the murder mystery could have easily been dropped and the movie would still have been enjoyable, but it's a nice treat that what is essentially a family movie can also delve into some darker areas.

A great cast, but it's easy to see how this was overlooked in theaters and dismissed as a Made for TV movie.

That's a shame because it is indeed worth a look.

Final Grade: B-

Something Many Already Believe..."Heaven Is For Real"

Heaven Is For Real (2014)

Rated PG

Starring Greg Kinnear,  Kelly Reilly, Thomas Haden Church, Connor Corum, Lane Styles, Margo Martindale

Written and Directed by Randall Wallace

The Story:

Todd Burpo (Kinnear) is a pastor whose local church is growing and loving his lessons.  Life of course is strange, and one day his son Colton (Corum) falls ill and has to be rushed to the hospital.  It turns out his appendix has burst and he is probably going to die.  The community prays for little Colton, and miraculously, he survives.  When he gets home though, he begins to share with his family exactly what he saw and did while he was under the knife, and these revelations shake the foundations of everything his family and the local congregation believes.

This is indeed based on a true story, with the book going into far more detail than they can do in a 90 minute movie, so naturally some things are going to be condensed.

I anticipate this movie will naturally divide audiences.

Those that believe will likely quite enjoy it.  Those who do not, will not.

But putting aside religious or philosophical differences, know that there are 3 fundamentally cool things that happen to little Colton in this movie that should not be discounted from his trip to Heaven:

1) He hugs his big sister.

No, not Cassie (Styles).  Instead, Colton meets a little girl who looks similar to Cassie but has no name.  We, and Colton, learn that Todd and Sonja (Reilly) had a miscarriage after they had Cassie and before Colton came along.  They never told anyone, and as they never knew what the baby was going to be, they never named her. 

Bring a tissue.

2) He meets his grandpa.

When he tells his dad about his meeting with Pop, Todd shows him a picture of his dad.  Colton says no, that's not him.  Todd then unearths a long-buried picture from a trunk of his dad as a young man and shows hit to Colton.  That's him.

Cool.

3) When shown pictures of Jesus from the Bible, Colton says no, that's not what he looks like.  Time passes and it is forgotten.

Then, while watching a news program highlighting a little girl from Lithuania who has been painting pictures of her visit to Heaven...

Colton walks by, looks and his mouth drops.  "That's him".

Nice!

Cue the goosebumps and tears of joy.

There's more than just that, but hopefully that makes you interested in seeing the film.

I think you'll be glad you did.

Final Grade: B

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I could watch it again in a few years. :)

You Don't Want to Get on the Bad Side of "Killer Joe"

I sure hope this wasn't based on a true story...

The Story:

Chris (Emile Hirsch) is in debt.  He hears about a contract killer named Joe (Matthew McConaughey) who will perform the service for a fee.  The plan is to kill Chris' mom, and the $50,000 insurance policy will go to his sister, Dottie (Juno Temple).  He gets his dad's (Thomas Haden Church) approval, and with his stepmom (Gina Gershon) in on it, it's a family affair.  The only problem, Joe wants the money up front: No money, no service.  Desperate, they give Joe a retainer:  Dottie.

Oh my.

This film is a train-wreck of epic proportions.  It is simultaneously disturbing, funny, scary, mesmerizing and insane... all at the same time.

Yet you cannot turn away.

McConaughey is a commanding presence, his laid back surfer attitude buried under a machine of man who is all business, all the time.

To talk more about the plot would ruin any of the twists and turns that the film takes to get to the finale, which is a very ambiguous finale by the way.

It's a dark film... I'll say that much about it.

Kinda creepy too.

You'll want to shower after you watch it...

: /

Final Grade: C
Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: No, I now have to try and erase the memories of this movie from my mind.  : )