War Is Hell... "Hacksaw Ridge"

Hacksaw Ridge (2016)

Rated R

Starring Andrew Garfield, Hugo Weaving, Rachel Griffiths, Teresa Palmer, Vince Vaughn, Sam Worthington,

Directed by Mel Gibson

The Story:

Desmond Doss (Garfield) is a conscientious objector who still feels the need to serve his country during World War II. He enlists but refuses to carry a weapon. He simply wants to be a medic and do his part by saving people.

This is his true story.

The actions and decisions by Doss at an early age shape his beliefs as he grows older. He makes a fateful mistake one day that has nearly tragic consequences.

His parents (Weaving and Griffiths) are of course a huge influence on the man he would become. His father served in The Great War, and Desmond watches as everyone around him grows up and goes off to war.

He feels the need to make the sacrifice as well, even if it means losing the love of his life (Palmer) while in combat.

Of course the second half of the movie details Doss' training and the fact that the Army really didn't care to have someone unwilling to pick up a rifle take up their time and energy during basic training.

The movie establishes the rest of the characters at this point that will be a part of Doss' life until the fateful day on Hacksaw Ridge.

The horrors of war that Gibson portrays on film are just as effective as Spielberg's D-Day Invasion for Saving Private Ryan.

What Doss does once he gets to the top of Hacksaw Ridge is nothing short of miraculous.

It's an inspirational story, more than worth your time.

Final Grade: A-

Inside Is A Good Movie Just Trying To Get Out..."Term Life"

Term Life (2016)

Rated R

Starring Vince Vaughn, Hailee Steinfeld, Bill Paxton, Jonathan Banks, Jordi Molla, Terrence Howard, Jon Favreau, Mike Epps,

Directed by Peter Billingsley

The Story:

Nick (Vaughn) is a planner. He does the research on how to pull off the perfect crime, then sells that information for a price, and everybody wins. Except this time, when the people that bought the plan are murdered, Nick finds himself on the run from the police and the mob.  And the worst part, they're coming after Nick's daughter (Steinfeld) so he has to try and protect her and stay one step ahead of everyone else at the same time.

On paper, this probably looked and sounded amazing.

Well, I suppose it really did, as apparently it started off as a graphic novel before it was adapted into a movie.

:)

But something is fundamentally amiss in the film, and it's hard to know exactly what's not clicking.

It seems to center mostly on the story itself, or at least the actions of the characters as the story unfolds.

There should be tension and energy that just doesn't come through on the screen, but on occasion, you get a glimmer of the thriller/heist this film wanted to be.

Good, not great.

That seems to sum up a lot of movies lately.

It's an amazing cast, many of whom are onscreen for but a moment, their talents kind of wasting away in the roles they were given.

And the less we say about Vince Vaughn's hair in this film, the better.

:)

Final Grade:  C

"Unfinished Business" Is An 'Uneven Movie'

Unfinished Business (2015)

Rated R

Starring Vince Vaughn, Tom Wilkinson, Dave Franco, Sienna Miller, Nick Frost, James Marsden

Directed by Ken Scott

The Story:

Dan (Vaughn) has had it with his current company. He quits and tries a Jerry Maguire speech to bring his co-workers with him. Tim (Wilkinson) and Mike (Franco) are the only two that jump in with him. Time passes, and they have one final "Hail Mary" to save their business from going under, but involves a business trip to Europe to land a deal with Mr. Spinch (Marsden). They assume it's a lock, until they realize their old employer is there to close the same deal.

Tucked in this movie was a good story with some funny characters.

They emerge every so often as the film moves along.

They also get buried in a lot of "throw it at the wall and see if it sticks" moments that really do nothing except padding the runtime of the film.

It loses focus often for the sake of the gag, and the gags rarely help the overall momentum of the film. Instead it seems like a lot of pieces that are cobbled together to frame a story from beginning to end, but it's a bumpy, jarring ride to get there.

Are there funny moments? Absolutely, but they often are isolated and alone and rarely strung together.

Vaughn's attempt to help his daughter's homework project seems like a weird narrative device to shoehorn his home life into the work story.

That said, the final product that she turns in is very heartwarming and something most dads should relate to.

It's got some genuine amusement, and a fantastic cast, but just too scattershot to be worth ever revisiting.

Final Grade: C

And You Thought I Had A Lot Of Kids... "Delivery Man"

Delivery Man (2013)

Rated PG-13 for language

Starring Vince Vaughn, Chris Pratt, Cobie Smulders,

Written and Directed by Ken Scott

The Story:

David (Vaughn) is the classic underachiever.  He means well, but everything seems to go wrong for him.  His girlfriend (Smulders) is pregnant, but she doesn't think he's ready to be a father, or a husband.  However, when David finds out that his donations at a sperm clinic were used...excessively... from nearly 20 years earlier... and now he's the proud papa of 533 offspring.  142 of them are suing to learn who their father, codenamed "Starbuck" really is.  Much to his best friend's (Pratt) protestations, David opens the envelope and begins visiting his children clandestinely, to see if he can help them in some small way.  If not as a dad, perhaps as a guardian angel?

I quite liked this movie.

Perhaps it's because I'm sentimental, or a dad , or a sentimental dad, but this is a great film about how the heart of a man can change when he decides he really wants to be a good dad.

And maybe that's the heart of this film:

The difference between being a Dad, and being a Father.

When David begins the journey, he finds out he's going to be, and already is, a Father.  That's biological and cannot be changed.

However, it's the steps he takes to learn about each of his kids, and their needs and how he can help, if it's needed, that change his heart into that of being a Dad.

By the end of the film, the court will decide if Starbuck has to be revealed to his children by force...

Or by choice.

It's a wonderful ending to a pretty underrated film.

Vince Vaughn does his usual solid job of being Vince Vaughn better than anyone else could be.  He gets a best friend in Pratt who is able to hold his own with Vaugn when they are onscreen together. 

Yeah, looking forward to his turn in Guardians of the Galaxy.

Final Grade: Solid B

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I would happily purchase this one for the library and watch it again.

Be Yourself...Or At Least Someone Else..."A Case of You"

A Case of You (2013)
Rated R for language

Starring Justin Long, Evan Rachel Wood

Directed by Kat Coiro

The Story:

Sam (Long) is a writer who is looking for his muse to break out from the hack jobs he's been hired to write.  He meets Birdie (Wood) and is totally smitten.  Of course, she is fired from her job, and Sam takes to finding her by stalking her Facebook page.  Using her page to try and impress her, the two begin dating.  But the more in love he falls with her, the less of Sam is really being offered.  Will he continue to lie to impress the girl of his dreams, or come clean and risk losing her?

This is another one of those films that I wanted to like more than I did.

Nothing inherently wrong with it, and it passes 90 minutes fairly well.

However, when you're a romantic comedy, you have two very important hurdles to clear.

Be Funny.
Be Romantic.

How did this one fair?

It should have been funnier.

It should have been more romantic.

Again, one I'll chalk up to missed opportunities.

A great list of cameos that popped in to small, pivotal-ish roles to help the narrative along.

Vince Vaughn, Sam Rockwell and Brendan Fraser to name but a few.

Not terrible, not wonderful.

Give it a whirl if you're so inclined.

Final Grade: C

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: Nah, I'm good, thanks.

The Twelve Reviews of Christmas...Day Eight: "Fred Claus"

 It's called Rubberneckin' baby....

The Story:

This is the story of Santa's (Paul Giamatti) older brother, Fred Claus (Vince Vaughn).  Needless to say, Fred isn't exactly enamored by Christmas anymore, and he's drifted apart from his little brother over the years, thanks also in some part to the parenting skills, espeically of their mom (Kathy Bates).  Fred is in love with a girl (Rachel Weisz) but is afraid to commit.  When a misunderstanding lands Fred in jail, there's only one person left to turn to.  However, the bailout comes with a condition: Fred's got to come North to work it off during the Holiday Season.  Naturally, Fred doesn't exactly fit in at the North Pole, but when an efficiency expert (Kevin Spacey) arrives, ready to shut the North Pole down, Fred may end up costing the entire world Christmas.

Will Fred work to end Christmas forever, or does he have it in him to help save the holiday?

I don't understand the hatred for this film, I think it's actually pretty fun(ny).

We've discussed Vince Vaughn already.  There's probably no better on-screen con-man/huckster on film these days than him, and Fred is no different.

He's the quick-witted, fast talking Santa's big brother who hates the holiday.

In fact, the reasons behind Fred's dislike both of his brother and Christmas are quite sad, and not entirely Fred's fault.

Sibling rivalry is a given in just about any family, but when your little brother is always gushed over by the parents.  Every time you do something neat, your little brother comes along and does something cooler...

And then he grows up to be Santa and adored by millions?

Yep, that's got to be tough to swallow.

Which turns Fred into the cynical con artist that we meet in this movie.

Amusingly, there is a Sibling Support Group scene that underscores Fred's (and other famous...mostly...brothers) gripes with his brother's success and his considerable lack thereof.

You'll also have a rousing Elvis singalong in the middle of the movie that livens things up and shows that the North Pole could use a little bit of Fred, and Fred certainly could use a little bit of North Pole.

Overall, it's a sweet movie that captures the magic of Christmas, and more importantly, the love and magic of family.

I'm a fan, and look forward to this one each year.

Final Grade: B+

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I liked it, I bought it.  It gets 1-2 spins each holiday season!

Tomorrow... it's the Final Four Christmas movies of 2013!!!  Time is flying!!

Looking For A New Job? Sign Up For "The Internship"

Not sure what the film is about?

Google it!

The Story:

Billy (Vince Vaughn) and Nick (Owen Wilson) are two salesmen whose company has folded.  Not sure what to do with their next step in life, Billy gets an idea to try for an internship at Google.  If selected, they will receive full-time jobs when it's all over.  The only problem, these guys are old, slow and not tech-savvy.  However, they could be just the outside-of-the-box thinkers that Google is looking for.

There are some movies you just dread going into.  There's no way it's going to be any good/funny.

This was that movie for me.

Reteaming with Owen Wilson for the first time since Wedding Crashers in 2005, I've got to admit, the two make a great team.

Vince Vaughn plays...well, himself.

And considering he also wrote the story, well, who knows how to write Vince Vaughn dialogue better than Vince Vaughn?

Nobody!

He's got the slick salesman routine down to a science.

Which means, this is going to be much like every other Vince Vaughn performance: you'll either love it, or hate it.

Me?

I love the guy.

He's a hustler, with a heart.

Wilson gets the romantic lead portion of the story, so it's kind of nice that they were able to pull off the fish out of water and a romance, but it all wasn't centered on one character.

By allowing the two storylines to work side by side, nothing feels as forced as comedies or romantic comedies often do.

I mean, to have a guy fighting to land a job and a girl all at the same time, the imagination gets stretched a bit thin on that plot.

But by dividing and conquering the plot, it works, and works really well.

Naturally, the guys have a lot to learn, but they've also got a bit to offer the younger kids that they are teamed with as well.

The movie is both rated and unrated.  I watched the rated version, and I don't think the storyline would be served any better by adding gratuitous nudity to the mix.

At the end of the day, it turned out to be a pretty good movie.

And a great commercial to make you want to work for Google!

Final Grade: B-

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor:  I could watch it again, but not in any hurry to own it.

"Lay the Favorite" in the Do Not Watch Pile

It sounded good on paper...

The Story:

Beth (Rebecca Hall) comes to Vegas to work as a cocktail waitress.  She instead gets hired by Dink (Bruce Willis) to help him with his gambling business.  This doesn't sit well with Dink's wife (Catherine Zeta-Jones) who wants the girl out of their lives.  Yet she seems to be helping Dink make some serious cash, so Dink is torn...  and the movie keeps going...

I don't know what to say about this one.

So yesterday, Bruce Willis is barely in a direct to DVD outing that is actually pretty good.
Today, he's in a direct to DVD movie that is a rambling mess.

Not funny enough to be a comedy.
Not dramatic enough to be a drama.

Not anything really.  I wouldn't even call it a dramedy. 

The acting chops of Willis, Zeta-Jones and Vince Vaughn are all for naught in this film.

I ended up watching this at 1.5x, and it still took forever to finish.

Save your time, save your queue rotation... skip this one.

Final Grade: D+

Would I Own It: I wouldn't bet on it.  You see what I did there?  That's funnier than any joke in this movie.  True story!

When #$@# Hits the Fan... Call "The Watch"

Here's an odd one... did it fail because it delivered something other than promised?

Or because it was a giant Costco commercial?


The Story:

When a night watchman at the local Costco is skinned alive, Evan (Ben Stiller) organizes a neighborhood watch to catch the killer since the police don't seem overly concerned with solving the crime, although they happen to think that maybe Evan did it.  So with the recruitment of 3 other, his neighborhood watch goes out to find the bad guy, only to uncover something even more sinister and shocking!



So really, where did this movie come off the rails?




My guess is the "out of this world" storyline that takes over the murder mystery. 


Honestly, I don't know.  On paper, the story has potential.  In execution...

It's not bad.  It's not great, either.

This is another one, hey, if you've got 90 minutes to spare, sure, give it a spin.  You might not hate it. ;)


The pros:  You've got Vince Vaughn and Jonah Hill playing Vince Vaughn and Jonah Hill.  If you like they way they act and spit out their dialogue, you are going to love them in this one, because hey, if you're going for a Vince Vaughn and Jonah Hill character, you might as well hire the real deal.

The writing and dialogue is at times hilarious, stupid, hilariously stupid, or some combination.

As usual, this is an "R Rated Comedy" where they go for the profanity or bodily fluid humor... the shock and awe of comedy.  Instead of being smart with the script (there actually is a nifty story in here) they throw R rated humor at every situation to force humor where it could simply be found naturally.


My opinion, they could have cut back the raunch, gone PG-13, tightened up the script and sucked in the family market with the story.  Oh well, what's done is done.

Final Grade: C+
Would I add it to my collection: Nope.