Here Kitty Kitty..."Keanu"

Keanu (2016)

Rated R

Starring Jordan Peele, Keegan-Michael Key, Tiffany Haddish, Method Man, Darrell Britt-Gibson, Jason Mitchell, Jamar Malachi Neighbors, Luis Guzman, Will Forte, Nia Long,

Directed by Peter Atencio

The Story:

Rell (Peele) is having a rough time when a wonderful kitten that he names Keanu winds up on his doorstep. Rell is smitten, and begins enjoying life again. However, when he comes back home with his cousin Clarence (Key), someone has broken into the house and kidnapped Keanu. The duo pretend to be a pair of notorious drug dealing hitmen in order to infiltrate a local gang and free Keanu!

Yep, that's it.

It's a tale of two guy pretending to be two guys they aren't, all to rescue a cute little kitten.

It shouldn't work as a feature length movie, yet it does.

The main reason, of course, is the comedy duo of Key & Peele.

Full disclosure, I've never seen their show, so I've got nothing with which to compare their comedic antics.

I'll assume their show was this much fun, which means I'll probably be watching it down the road.

But their chemistry is one of a well-honed comedy duo and their antics serve both short-term laughs and long-term comedy payoffs.

Plus, they recognize the musical genius of George Michael, and that's always a plus!
:)

Final Grade: B+

"Cop Car" Is A Dull Ride

Cop Car (2015)

Rated R

Starring Kevin Bacon, James Freedson-Jackson, Hays Wellford, Camryn Manheim,

Directed by Jon Watts

The Story:

A pair of ten year old boys (Freedson-Jackson & Wellford) are running away from home. Then the find a police car with the keys in it, so they decide, why run when you can drive?

However, when the sheriff (Bacon) realizes he's been carjacked, he's going to go to any means necessary to get his car back, because, well, he's not exactly the nicest cop on the planet...

Cue ominous music!

I can't think of one thing that I enjoyed about this movie.

I'm actually surprised that I watched the whole thing and just didn't give up after 20 minutes.

Like I said, even Kevin Bacon couldn't save this Coming of Age/Dirty Cop hybrid thriller that was long on boredom, short on thrills.

If your goal is to watch every film Kevin Bacon has ever been in, then by all means, you must see this one.

The guy can play a dirty cop without blinking an eye.

Everyone else?

I'd fight the urge, and go watch just about any other film, with or without Bacon, instead.

Mmm...

Bacon.

Final Grade: D

Seize The Day..."Hello, My Name Is Doris"

Hello, My Name Is Doris (2015)

Rated R

Starring Sally Field, Max Greenfield, Tyne Daly, Stephen Root, Peter Gallagher,

Directed by Michael Showalter

The Story:

Doris (Field) attends a self-help seminar where Willy Williams (Gallagher) instills in her a confidence that she's never had before. Doris begins to make some changes in her life, all in an effort to possibly woo a new co-worker (Greenfield)  who is half..maybe...her age.

So far, it seems to be quirky romance week here at Review Central.

Following up on yesterday's Mr. Right, comes a triumphant tour de force for Sally Field as Doris, the best role she's had in ages.

It's funny, sad, heartwarming and heartbreaking, but it's never dull.

These are characters that may very well exist in the real world, yet have been given a tweak here and there to up their quirkiness.

Believable, but never overblown, Doris will suck you up right into her world, and you'll find yourself excited for her one moment, and cringing with (or for) her the next.

Never once do you expect the relationship to work, yet deep down, you're totally pulling for her to make it work.

It's a terrific cast and a genuinely heartfelt dramedy.

Final Grade: Solid B

"Mr. Right", Or At Least Close Enough

Mr. Right (2015)

Rated R

Starring Sam Rockwell, Anna Kendrick, Tim Roth,

Directed by Paco Cabezas

The Story:

Martha (Kendrick) is unlucky in love, then quite by accident, she bumps into a man (Rockwell) who just may be...Mr. Right. She is smitten, and he seems to genuinely care for her as well. Hopefully the fact that he's an assassin won't damper things between the couple.

File this one under quirky, but utterly charming, thanks mostly to Rockwell and Kendrick who rarely disappoint and their chemistry helps make this one well worth a viewing.

A few minor changes here and there to the storyline, and I would have graded it higher and let it be a contender for best of the year.

But it's got a few issues.

Those issues aren't deal-breakers for me though.

It's a scoop of vanilla ice cream that needed a topping or two to put it over the top.

But still, it's quite the charmer.

There is of course, the reasoning behind what Rockwell does for a living. Yes, he's the living paradox of a killer with a conscience, and to say more would spoil some of the fun.

So go in with no expectations other than to see a movie with Rockwell and Kendrick, and you'll come out of the viewing with a smile on your face.

Mostly guaranteed.

:)

Final Grade: B-

Worth A Shot..."Jean Claude Van Johnson"

Jean Claude Van Johnson (2016)

Not Rated

Starring Jean Claude Van Damme, Phylicia Rashad, Kat Foster,

Directed by Peter Atencio

The Story:

Sure, you know Jean Claude Van Damme (Van Damme) the actor. But Jean Claude has a secret, and after trying retirement, he checks in with his manager (Rashad) to get back to his "other job": covert assassin! That's right, in between filming his smash hits, Jean Claude has kept the world safe by offing bad guys in real life. However, he may have been out of the game too long to win back his ex-love (Foster) and stay alive!

Ha!

What a fun premise this one turned out to be.

Van Damme is not afraid to poke fun at himself and the movies he's starred in over the years.

He's always seemed to be a likable guy, and this seems to put icing on the cake that Van Damme is the man!

It's a fun, breezy 30 minute adventure that sets up the pilot for what could be an Amazon original series.

But only if you watch.

I'm in, and hopefully we can find out what happens next, and if Van Damme and his girlfriend will finally be reunited, or if their love is doomed, and what cheesy flick he has to star in to pull off his assignments.

:)

Currently streaming on Amazon Prime for viewing.

Final Grade:  Solid B 

Undercover Brothers..."Ride Along 2"

Ride Along 2 (2016)

Rated PG-13

Starring Ice Cube, Kevin Hart, Tika Sumpter, Benjamin Bratt, Olivia Munn, Ken Jeong,

Directed by Tim Story

The Story:

Ben (Hart) is getting married to Angela (Sumpter) soon, but before the wedding, he has to head to Florida with James (Cube) on assignment. There they begin to unravel a plot thanks to AJ (Jeong) that implicates a very wealthy businessman (Bratt) who the local police (Munn) refuse to believe could possibly be dirty.

In other words, if you enjoyed the first Ride Along, you should have just as good of a time, or better, on their latest trip.

I've enjoyed both films. They were good, but I'd like to see better by the time the 3rd one rolls around.

Ice Cube is great, as usual, and works really well with Kevin Hart.

Hart is an actor that has grown on me over the years, and I've enjoyed his performances more and more as I've watched him.

He's like a short Chris Tucker.

:)

Now put those two together in a movie, and let's see what happens.

Anyway, the movie is fun, the cast seems to have some genuine chemistry among them, and I'd happily return for the next ride if they're willing to make it.

That, or have these guys crossover with Will Smith and Martin Lawrence in Bad Boys: The Ride Along and I'll be there opening night!

Final Grade: B-

Justice Is Served..."Stir Crazy"

Stir Crazy (1980)

Rated R

Starring Gene Wilder, Richard Pryor, JoBeth Williams, Craig T. Nelson, Barry Corbin, Georg Stanford Brown,

Directed by Sidney Poitier

The Story:

Skip (Wilder) and Harry (Pryor) leave New York and head west to start over. When the duo are accused of robbing a bank, they are tried and convicted most expeditiously to begin serving their time in jail. When Skip shows a propensity to be able to ride a mechanical bull, the warden (Corbin) sees dollar signs in the annual upcoming rodeo contest, and Skip and Harry see a way out of their predicament.

The second of four comedies between Wilder and Pryor, I had decided to rent this one again since I hadn't seen it since probably 1980/81 and remembered very little about it.

Aside from the "that's right, we bad" scene and the dancing birds costumes, that was probably the sum total of my memory.

I watched this a few weeks back, and added the movie to my "To Be Reviewed" pile, probably as a #ThrowbackThursday review.

Then Gene Wilder passed away, and I debated, do I do a R.I.P. Gene tribute piece or not?

To be fair, I enjoyed Wilder's performances in just about anything I saw from him, but sadly, Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, Silver Streak, and See No Evil, Hear No Evil were pretty much my entire catalog of Wilder's works.

But look at that list again.

That's a pretty impressive list of comedies all on their own merits.

Wilder actually steals most of the scenes he is in, even though it's a lock that Pryor's character is normally the crazier, funnier one in their duos.

Wilder brings an everyman approach to the role. His characters seem honest, unassuming and likable.

So when he rides the mechanical bull like it's nothing, you have no doubt in your mind that he's as happy on that bull as we are to be watching him.

So we've lost another Hollywood great, but he's left behind a pretty good legacy on film.

Even Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, though that movie is just too creepy to really be enjoyable.

:)

So if you're up for a laugh, you'll be hard-pressed to not find one under the Wilder/Pryor catalog.

Though I still have one more that I've never seen.

Hmmm....

Final Grade: Solid B