OUR FRIEND Review

I'd like to start with Jason Segel. I've always felt a unique affinity for his persona. This is a guy who has been oddly engaging yet completely endearing and - most importantly - both effortlessly funny and likable since his cameo as a high-school stoner who couldn't help Jennifer Love-Hewitt find Ethan Embry in Can't Hardly Wait. In many ways Segel is an unlikely movie star whether it be his awkward charisma, his laid back persona as opposed to the traditionally handsome and self-serious stars who are typically granted the more dramatic leading roles, but while "movie star" may be a stretch for anyone these days Segel has carved out a particular spot for himself among the recognizable faces on posters to which we now attribute the word "star". As one of the many funny guys doing as they please in Hollywood after originally making their bones in Apatow projects, Segel has had an interesting journey. He never had the headlining Apatow treatment necessarily but served enough time in supporting parts to garner an Apatow-production via a script that was obviously very personal to him. It was with Forgetting Sarah Marshall (some thirteen years ago now) that Segel finally came into his own with what fully displayed his personal brand of comedy and it killed. Absolutely destroyed, one might say. Sarah Marshall is one of the best comedies of the last twenty years and much of that has to do not just with Segel's willingness to be vulnerable which felt a lot more fresh and a lot more bold in 2008, but largely it deals in that extreme sense of sincerity the guy generates. One can't help but think Segel is probably a little strange, but that he also has this cool streak that makes you want to hang out with him. He's not an immediately striking presence, but the more you unravel his philosophy the more you want to hug him. The one-two punch of Sarah Marshall and I Love You, Man seemed to set Segel's career trajectory in stone, but after a good mix of ill-performing studio productions (Gulliver's Travels, Bad Teacher) and better, more personal milestones (The Muppets, The Five-Year Engagement) Segel's ride seemed to culminate only some six years after it began with the bomb of a summer comedy that was Sex Drive and the fact his long-running hit sitcom, How I Met Your Mother, ended its run that same year. In 2015, Segel portrayed David Foster Wallace opposite Jesse Eisenberg in The End of the Tour, but while this served as a potential hint as to where the actor would take his career next he has since largely been absent from the public eye (only appearing in two Netflix films in 2017 and 2018). I say all of this to say that as Segel returns in a more substantial role both in film as well as in the public consciousness that it finally seems the space he now occupies personally has synced with the space he occupies onscreen. It's possible there isn't a more perfect part for Segel than that of Dane Faucheux as it utilizes his vulnerabilities, his comedic sense, and his genuine spirit to convey the wholly compassionate titular friend of Gabriela Cowperthwaite's Our Friend ; a man who visits his friends over Thanksgiving break and ends up staying with them for over two years in order to help care for the couple and their two young daughters as they deal with a terminal cancer diagnosis.   

First Trailer for THE DISCOVERY Starring Jason Segel

With the Sundance Film Festival kicking off tomorrow Netflix has debuted the first trailer for Director/co-writer Charlie McDowell follow-up to his 2014 critical hit, The One I Love. The film will have its world premiere at the festival held annually in Park City, Utah and I'm rather anxious to see the reaction this one gets. The One I Love was a fascinating little film with a neat premise about a troubled couple and the implications of societal structures that can drive some of us batty. As a feature debut McDowell's visual style and tone really complimented the story and in re-teaming with screenwriter Justin Lader it seems the two have found something equally as fascinating to explore here. In short, The Discovery is another love story set one year after the existence of the afterlife is scientifically verified. To go a little deeper is to understand that due to this discovery the suicide rate has skyrocketed in hopes of getting to whatever this afterlife is all the quicker. It will be interesting to see how McDowell and Lader set up the rules of this universe, if religion plays any sort of role, or if there is a moral code at all that is required to reach this scientifically proven after life, but the absence of any indication as to where the script might lean on such topics is what makes this trailer all the more absorbing. And simply out of personal taste, I love that this movie stars Jason Segel and Robert Redford. They seem like two individuals on a similar wavelength and I can see the father/son dynamic they have been enlisted to play here coming off well if not completely natural. Rooney Mara is also a major part of the cast as Segel's character meets her upon returning to his hometown and the two of them somewhat inevitably fall for one another while each dealing with tragic pasts. The Discovery also stars Riley Keough, Jesse Plemons, and will be available to stream on Netflix March 31, 2017.

TOP 10 OF 2015

For the second year in a row I've found it simpler to craft a top ten list than I have since starting this site. In the beginning I felt the pressure to somewhat succumb to the decision to compile my favorite films of the year from those that the majority of critics were choosing-I was making a consensus list if nothing else, but over the last few years the ability to feel confident in my own choices has only grown and thus made making my yearly top tens a much simpler task. There are always a lot of good films throughout the year and many more that I'd still like to see that came to us this year (Sleeping with Other People, Diary of a Teenage Girl, Chi-Raq, and Goodnight Mommy to name a few). I'm also keen to see as many of the foreign language contenders as I can before the Academy Awards in February as I have Son of Saul on deck and will likely have watched both it and Phoenix (now streaming on Netflix) before this article is posted. Still, I feel good about my choices this year and find it to be a solid list of ten films (plus five honorable mentions) that I would never mind going back to watch again and again (a major factor in my decision). While the re-watchability factor counts for a lot I certainly put a fair amount of weight into my initial reaction as well as I go back and look through the barrage of films I've seen and reviewed this year.

THE END OF THE TOUR Review

In the first frame of The End of the Tour, the new film from director James Ponsoldt (The Spectacular Now), we glimpse Jesse Eisenberg's David Lipsky sitting on a couch with his laptop and his dog. It is a simple setting, one we don't think much of upon initially seeing. In fact, if you know anything about the film prior to seeing it you know Eisenberg's character is a writer and therefore this setting is somewhat expected. As we better acquaint ourselves with David Lipsky over the next hour and forty-five minutes though, we learn more about him, about his time with author David Foster Wallace (played here by Jason Segel) and that first frame becomes all the more telling. The End of the Tour is, on the surface, a road movie about one writer doing a profile on another writer, but more than that it is a film of conversation and constant introspection. It's almost exhausting to constantly think in the way our two main characters presented here do, throwing out ideas and immediately reassessing those ideas or deep-diving further to find the root of where such ideas come from. The talking. It can be a bit much, it can feel overbearing even, but it ultimately captures so much of the soul that it can't help but feel soothing at the same time. It's strange, to be sure, but it makes perfect sense, especially when it's so elegantly and perfectly phrased in Wallace speak. Wallace speaks a lot in this film iteration of Lipsky's book, Although of Course You End Up Becoming Yourself, that was published two years after Wallace committed suicide. While much of the dialogue feels like a culmination of Wallace's philosophy or his verbal dissertation on the complex and mundane aspects of life and how they're one in the same it somehow manages to also be a genuine portrait of a conflicted mind. It should be noted up front that Wallace's trust has come out against Tour outright, but regardless of what is accurate and what is not (this is a movie, after all) The End of the Tour is still an insightful portrait not only of the male mind, but of the messiness of life and all the bullshit one has to sift through in order to even catch a glimpse of something real.

SEX TAPE Review

Once again we have reached a point in the summer movie season where we not only get what we expect this time of year, but where those expectations seem to be filled out of some sense of obligation rather than an organic idea. If you have been reading this site for any period of time you know I tend to be kind to comedies as I seem to have a soft spot for them and their actors; a wishful kinship if you will. That this kind of relationship exists makes it difficult when I know a movie isn't great (or even very good) but the fact I still found moments to laugh at forces me to want to give it more credit than it's due. Expectations likely play a role in this slight bit of sympathy for Sex Tape as anyone might tell you not much of them existed for this film. I always secretly hope that these raunchy, ridiculous comedies will be better than audiences and critics expect and will do their best to prove them wrong, especially those including anyone from the long lost its steam Frat Pack or Judd Apatow's gang of misfits. This latest collaboration with director Jake Kasdan (Orange County, Walk Hard) though has Jason Segel seeming more on auto-pilot than ever. Segel is a naturally funny guy and a better writer than he gets credit for as he is able to tap into those "that's so true" moments with such ease, but he is doing nothing more than his typical shtick here. The last time Kasdan and Segel met-up was the not-so-much better Bad Teacher, but Segel was used to such minimal effect there it felt like a bit of an inside joke that he could show up, do his thing and retreat into the background. Kasdan was having fun with the heightened reality of the premise and Cameron Diaz owned the titular role to the point it drew crowds given the comparison it was basically Bad Santa with a sexed-up Diaz. In Sex Tape, the trio attempt to deliver that same kind of raunch with a broad and outlandish premise, but the well runs dry about halfway through because it never takes off in the way it should or even could have.

First Red-Band Trailer for SEX TAPE

I was more of a fan of Bad Teacher than anyone around me and so I was anxious to at least see what the new film from director Jake Kasdan that also happened to feature Jason Segel and Cameron Diaz again was all about. Titled Sex Tape it was clear this was going to be a very raunchy sex comedy and if you're going to make a sex comedy at least swing for the fences, but if anything seems clear from the first trailer that dropped yesterday (not coincidentally on the night of the How I Met Your Mother series finale) it is that this all seems to be way too familiar and safe, which might not be cause for too much alarm if it was essentially an extended version of a commercial they premiered, but no, they went the route of the red-band and it still seems like there is much to be desired here. The good news here is that Diaz and Segel have some seemingly great chemistry and could life the one-note plot from the doldrums of comedy failures that seem to be implied by the convoluted reasoning behind all of their friends getting a peak at their sex life. I'm all for ridiculous premises and in a world where everyone shares everything and technology has surpassed us to the point a good many of us don't even realize what we're doing when using some of the gadgets and social media platforms, but the fact the most convincing thing they could come up with entailed giving away iPads as gifts comes off as just, well, outlandish. Making fun of the all mysterious cloud is a nice enough joke as that seems the global consesnsus, but I really hope this turns out to be better than its looking; Still, I love Orange County and Walk Hard grows on me more every time I watch it, so there is indeed hope here. Sex Tape also stars Rob Corddry, Ellie Kemper, Rob Lowe and opens on July 25th.

THIS IS THE END Review

This is the End feels like the epitome of something I've been waiting a long time for. In reality it is slightly odd to think that this kind of product would ever be made and sold to general audiences, but luckily it seems the one almost guaranteed way for these actors who have now become staples of the American comedy scene to regain their place among the Hollywood elite and re-establish themselves as the kings of the comedy genre is to make fun of themselves and they do that to hilarious results here. Anyone who has ever been really into movies and has ever loved a certain comedic actor or group of actors knows what it's like to want to hang out with those kinds of guys and girls because you too feel like they would love to be your friend if not for anything else but because you share that same sense of humor they've branded. As creepy as that may come off or as much as they probably wouldn't care to be your friend at all we come to feel we know the actors in our comedies better than anyone else in the movies because they always relate closest to the kind of people around us, if not always intentionally. That may come off as slightly delusional to some, but to those who watch a good amount of movies, especially comedies, and to those that surround themselves with people that they find to be genuinely funny than I imagine it is as true for them as it is for me. All of that is to say that my anticipation and expectations for This is the End were pretty high. As one of the many apocalyptic comedies coming out this year I was also worried the film may not get the recognition I hoped it would so likely deserve, but first time directors Seth Rogen and his long time collaborator Evan Goldberg strike just the right chord between horror and comedy and lay claim to the fact they've had this in the works longer than anyone else. Thankfully, This is the End gives this brand of goofy subversive humor new life in the form of a sharp satire that invites us to experience the end of the world with who our minds have come to place as some of the most ridiculously funny people working today.

THIS IS 40 Review

Maybe it's because I too have a relationship with Lost, that I still hold onto my love for The Office or that I also enjoy the music of Hairspray that allowed me to appreciate This Is 40 all the more, but either way I look at it I can't shake the overall impact the film left me with. It is easy to complain about Judd Apatow movies; whether it be that they are too long, that they try to do too much or are unable to balance themselves between the drama and the comedy. For me, these complaints are not necessarily invalid but they do prove to be somewhat easy to make. They do not take into consideration the skill at hand, the ability with which Apatow more as a writer than a director has likely so painfully made it feel so effortless to capture the real essence of life, the standard complications, the humor in everything. The genuine humor, not the forced false broad jokes that can so easily be relayed in awkward home movies, but the honest and often hilarious conversations we have everyday with one another that are so easily forgotten but just as easily recognizable when someone such as Apatow is able to tap into the truthfulness of life and bring it to a mass audience. I still like The 40 Year Old Virgin more than Knocked Up, but with his last two efforts the writer/director has certainly become more introverted, attempting something few comedians have the balls to do once they find real success. Those two early works afforded him the opportunity to do such a thing and he is not missing his chance. Like Funny People, This Is 40 touches on the bigger questions of what we decide to do in this life and why it matters and why it might not. Unlike that more serious film though Apatow lets his characters create their own story and resolve their own issues without forcing a narrative, a task upon them. A daring move, but one that pays off for the most part.

THE FIVE-YEAR ENGAGEMENT Review

"The Five-Year Engagement" has a lot going for it, but doesn't seem to care too much for pacing or trimming around the edges. It is a good film no doubt, a very funny one that had a few of the most genuine laugh out loud  moments I've experienced in a long time. It has a stellar cast and a director/writer team in Jason Segel and Nicholas Stoller (Forgetting Sarah Marshall) that know how and when to bring the funny, the subtle, and the touching. Segel has become comfortable as the reliable slob of a charming guy. If his onscreen persona is anything like that of his real life, he has to be one of the nicest guys ever. I consider "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" to be one of the more recent comedy classics so to say I was looking forward to this would be a bit of an understatement. The only problem I had with the film was figuring out the gist of the title itself. It seemed a problem that was at first unnecessary and could be worked around in a much easier manner than the script seemed to have played it. Now, obviously this is a movie and I realize things happen in movies that in a sense "make them movies" while the conflict here would likely never take this route in the real world. In the end it comes down to the fact that the movie isn't really about the pro-longed engagement at all but is simply an easy way of putting that it examines the current generations need to postpone everything until it is perfect while wasting one's life away in the process of figuring it all about. It turns into people in their mid-20's who feel a little behind, but still on the right track who grow into their 30's and realize they've wasted enough time to put them even further behind.

Suzie (Alison Brie) won't give Alex (Chris Pratt)
the time of day when they first meet.

One thing I will say about "The Five-Year Engagement" that I really enjoyed is the steps it took to go beyond a standard romantic comedy. It created a fleshed out and realistic world filled with diverse and entertaining people. Whether we were in the couple's hometown of San Francisco or the cold days in Michigan our main characters are always surrounded by people who become a part of their lives as anyone naturally would when they relocate. For the first half an hour or so the film rolls along at a brilliant pace with joke after joke landing, even if some scenes feel unnecessary it isn't a bother yet. Tom (Segel) and Violet (the wonderful Emily Blunt) have been dating for a year and it is obvious to everyone including him how lucky and how in love with Violet he is. He proposes, she says yes and everything is going hunky-dory until Violet gets a position at Michigan University rather then the preferred Berkeley. Tom is an up and coming chef that was likely to be promoted to running his own restaurant soon but knows this is Violet's life long dream and is not going to allow himself to hold her back. he can cook elsewhere. Such is his thought and the rest of the audiences. Meanwhile, on the other side of things Violet's sister Suzie (Community's Alison Brie) and Tom's best friend Alex (Parks and Recreation's Chris Pratt) have a one night stand that results in unplanned bliss. The theme of the film being you can't always plan your life to work out how you want it, but instead you sometimes just have to let it happen.

From Left: Vaneetha (Mindy Kailing) Ming (Randall Park),
Doug (kevin Hart) Violet (Emily Blunt) and Winton
(Rhys Ifans) study their psychology subjects.

While the story made me worry prior to the film it was actually the one thing that impressed me more than anything about the film. What detracts from this realistic premise though is that Segel and Stoller are unable to sacrifice a joke for the sake of pacing. The result is that this throws off the tone of the film that instead sometimes feels like an extended unrated cut rather than the well-oiled machine of a movie the studio would release on average theater-goers. There is a weird part in the second act of the film where Tom and Violet end up resenting one another. While we could have seen this coming as Violet, from the beginning, seemed to fancy her Psychology professor (a great Rhys Ifans) a little too much, it goes to such lengths that the audience is almost convinced these two not being together might not be a bad idea. The only thing that saves the movie from sacrificing itself is the fact that Segel and Blunt as actors could probably create chemistry with a cucumber and when put together,  the chemistry is inevitable. They are both equally charming and appealing. They are the cool, but care free human beings every person of their generation aspires to be. The glue of their chemistry is what makes it worth sticking around till the end for. If it weren't for Blunt's way of making everything seem so reasonable and Segel's persona of the love-torn good guy the movie would have become too distracted by it's own universe to even allow these guys to re-connect. This is a movie though and the resolution that will "make it a movie" does happen. So, while the studio might have let them get away with throwing extra gags in the mix for an average Apatowian runtime, it would never allow them to release a tragedy rather than a happy rom-com.

Tom (Jason Segel) and Tarquin (Brian Posehn) become
fast friends in The Five-Year Engagement.

While there are clearly several issues I could take with "The Five-Year Engagement" there is also alot to love and no matter how random it became or how overly long it seemed to last, I wasn't ever mad or irritated by the fact it wasn't over yet. Again, it comes down to the people. Director Stoller not only hit a home run with the pairing of Brie and Pratt who nearly steal the show, but also in populating the couple's Michigan settlement with entertaining folks. Mindy Kailing (The Office) and Kevin Hart (Think Like A Man) show up as fellow grad students at Michigan University and Segel's Tom befriends his alcoholic boss played to perfection by comedian Brian Posehn. Then there is the hilarious Chris Parnell. Parnell was never one of my favorite Saturday Night Live cast members and his movie roles have always been more of sparse cameos than anything else, but here he is the relentless stay at home dad that takes up knitting because he gets so bored watching his kids nap. He is present to serve as the embodiment of what Tom doesn't want to become. he has let all of his aspirations go by the wayside in order for his wife to accomplish her career goals. Parnell balances his ridiculous dialogue with the tragic undertones they imply quite nicely and nearly steals every scene he is in. It is this kind of random humor and consistent hilarity that make these raunchy but sweet comedies work. "The Five-Year Engagement" is certainly not the best of the bunch, but it isn't like you're walking into a Kate Hudson comedy either. I expected slightly more from Segel and Stoller, but there flair for touching on real emotion while exploiting the funny of everyday life is still present here. I can't be mad, but I hope their next outing is a step forward rather then one in the same direction.

THE FIVE-YEAR ENGAGEMENT Review

"The Five-Year Engagement" has a lot going for it, but doesn't seem to care too much for pacing or trimming around the edges. It is a good film no doubt, a very funny one that had a few of the most genuine laugh out loud  moments I've experienced in a long time. It has a stellar cast and a director/writer team in Jason Segel and Nicholas Stoller (Forgetting Sarah Marshall) that know how and when to bring the funny, the subtle, and the touching. Segel has become comfortable as the reliable slob of a charming guy. If his onscreen persona is anything like that of his real life, he has to be one of the nicest guys ever. I consider "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" to be one of the more recent comedy classics so to say I was looking forward to this would be a bit of an understatement. The only problem I had with the film was figuring out the gist of the title itself. It seemed a problem that was at first unnecessary and could be worked around in a much easier manner than the script seemed to have played it. Now, obviously this is a movie and I realize things happen in movies that in a sense "make them movies" while the conflict here would likely never take this route in the real world. In the end it comes down to the fact that the movie isn't really about the pro-longed engagement at all but is simply an easy way of putting that it examines the current generations need to postpone everything until it is perfect while wasting one's life away in the process of figuring it all about. It turns into people in their mid-20's who feel a little behind, but still on the right track who grow into their 30's and realize they've wasted enough time to put them even further behind.

JEFF WHO LIVES AT HOME Review

The directing team of the Duplass brothers produced a rather interesting comedy a few years ago in "Cyrus" when pairing a perfectly cast Jonah Hill opposite a wildly hilarious and self-conscious John C. Reilly. What spoke to me most about the project though, was not that it cast these two major comic actors in a more intimate light, but instead that it had them playing these characters who weren't just your average funny guy. They were in a real, completely possible situation that life presented and to see these guys that play it up with such farcical tones most of the time in a situation that made them stop and realize and then laugh made it a real treat (though Reilly is known for his serious/indie side as well). The same can be said about their followup "Jeff, Who Lives at Home" which again stars two major comic actors in roles that aren't smaller in the context of the film, but simply smaller in terms of life. Our title character Jeff is played by the always lovable and effortlessly funny Jason Segel. As an actor, Segel has perfected the art of playing a slob with musings that he'd like to compare to Ghandi. As Jeff, Segel is a perfect blend of innocence mixed with wit and charisma that spews into every look he gives his brother Pat. Ed Helms plays the up-front jerk of a guy that is Pat and is given a chance to be someone other than the goober-loser shtick that has infused pretty much every character he has ever played. Like the story it's telling, "Jeff, Who Lives at Home" isn't a big movie, but it has a sweet heart and no matter how repulsive the characters might act, they win you over in the end.

Jeff and Pat's mom (Susan Sarandon) finds herself in a
perplexing situation.

Jeff is a guy who thinks everything happens for a reason, literally, every single thing. He is 30 and still has no idea as to what he wants to do with his life and seems to have no real aspirations in trying to find it either. He is simply going to let the universe guide him. It sounds very romantic and all, but the reality is that Jeff wears the same hoodie every day, hasn't had a girlfriend since high school and lives alone in his mom's basement where he seems to do nothing but watch the movie "Signs" over and over again. He is a kind of lost soul that is a slacker at heart. He aspires to much more, but the truth is that if he really had to do anything consistently it would just bum him out more. As Pat, Helms is a class-A douche bag that has chosen to go behind his wife's back and spend their savings on a Porsche rather than investing in a house. Their relationship has been deteriorating for a while now, and its clear that Pat's attitude toward pretty much everything is what is causing this. Then there's their poor mother played by Susan Sarandon who has been drifting through life since the death of her husband at a cubicle job that offers no real adventure in life. She's stuck with Jeff at home and Pat who pays her no regard or respect. We follow these three characters on a certain day that promises new beginnings for each of them, but more importantly the Duplass brothers have made it more about the meaning of those beginnings.

Jeff (Jason Segel) and Pat (Ed Helms) embark on an
unexpected adventure.

We know from the opening shot what the tone of the film will be and it continues with the musical score and the very personal way in which the movie has been shot. We don't get any particularly cinematic shots yet instead become accustomed to an increased amount of zooms and documentary-like style moving of the camera. Nevertheless, it works in building this relationship with the heart of the film, who is of course Jeff. We are drawn into his world just as his brother is when they somehow wind up on a journey together to uncover whether Pat's wife (Judy Greer) is having an affair or not. Don't let that line fool you though, that isn't what the movie is about. It can hardly be summed up in a typical fashion where the actions of these characters determine the plot line. The reason being the actions of these characters are abnormally random and while the whole point of the film is to give such everyday folks a far fetched experience the film is so expertly crafted that none of this feels all too "out there". In fact, when Jeff hops on the back of a truck because it is adorned with the name "Kevin" we completely accept it because we are thinking in "Jeff terms". It is a lovely way to shape the audiences point of view and the Duplass brothers accomplish it wonderfully here by telling a story that introduces some of the weirdest details throughout while bringing it all together in perfect sync for that one moment of clarity.

Pat's wife Linda (Judy Greer) contemplates the love for
her husband after a difficult argument. 

While it may be difficult to understand the charms of this movie at first with its patience-testing pace, by the end of it you will surely be smiling. It is hard to decipher exactly why such stories that can seemingly do nothing to offer escapism appeal to an audience, but there are moods that we all have that simply long for the company of those we can relate to. That seems to be the quest of the Duplass directing team as what they have done here is to show the what-ifs of a dreamer coming true; that vindication of knowing that what Jeff has believed his entire life finally has some credibility to it and that others, and not just anyone, but his family has caught a glimpse of it and understands where he is coming from. Why he operates the way he does. It is a sweet, charming film that offers as many laughs as it does emotional moments. The directors are just lucky enough to have such skilled actors who can truly convey the points of their writing to an audience without the meaning becoming misinterpreted. Each of these actors has done that here, whether is be Segel lending his slight smile to a moment of clarity, Helms perfectly hitting the inflection of his dialogue or Sarandon conveying her desperate need to feel more in life. It is in a way comforting and affirming that there might be someone out there that was inspired to write something like this because they have felt the exact same ways you have before, but more importantly that there is always the chance of a light at the end of the tunnel.

JEFF WHO LIVES AT HOME Review

The directing team of the Duplass brothers produced a rather interesting comedy a few years ago in "Cyrus" when pairing a perfectly cast Jonah Hill opposite a wildly hilarious and self-conscious John C. Reilly. What spoke to me most about the project though, was not that it cast these two major comic actors in a more intimate light, but instead that it had them playing these characters who weren't just your average funny guy. They were in a real, completely possible situation that life presented and to see these guys that play it up with such farcical tones most of the time in a situation that made them stop and realize and then laugh made it a real treat (though Reilly is known for his serious/indie side as well). The same can be said about their followup "Jeff, Who Lives at Home" which again stars two major comic actors in roles that aren't smaller in the context of the film, but simply smaller in terms of life. Our title character Jeff is played by the always lovable and effortlessly funny Jason Segel. As an actor, Segel has perfected the art of playing a slob with musings that he'd like to compare to Ghandi. As Jeff, Segel is a perfect blend of innocence mixed with wit and charisma that spews into every look he gives his brother Pat. Ed Helms plays the up-front jerk of a guy that is Pat and is given a chance to be someone other than the goober-loser shtick that has infused pretty much every character he has ever played. Like the story it's telling, "Jeff, Who Lives at Home" isn't a big movie, but it has a sweet heart and no matter how repulsive the characters might act, they win you over in the end.

THE MUPPETS Review

I am a child born of the late 80's and raised in the 90's. A time when if you didn't have any older siblings (like myself) to reference what was cool in that day then you were lost in the shuffle of Alf, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and eventually Power Rangers. All of which I enjoyed very much and despite coming to realize and understand who the Muppet's were, they and their show were not ingrained into my childhood mythology. I never even saw the last big screen outing "Muppet's in Space" that had every right to introduce me to these characters, but alas it wasn't meant to be and I am kind of glad I had to wait until now to be personally introduced to Kermit and the gang. Before, they were relative celebrities I only heard stories of; now, I feel a part of the Muppet community. As should everyone who goes out and sees (regardless of who is in the directors chair) Jason Segel's masterfully done re-introduction to these clearly beloved characters. I may not have the credentials from my childhood to warrant major love and investment in this film but it certainly is an immensely enjoyable film that will please old and new fans alike. It is a fun, corny romp with some catchy tunes and a nice supporting cast that features plenty of celebrity cameos to keep the Muppet faithful satisfied.

Mary (Amy Adams), Gary (Jason Segel), Walter (voice of
Peter Linz) and Kermit round up the old gang.

I enjoyed how Segel and co-writer Nicholas Stoller were smart enough to make the movie one with a light enough plot for the younger audience members to follow while keeping in plenty of jokes to fly right over their heads. This combined with their wink and nod satire to musicals of ole and movies in general when characters will ask for montages or "travel by map" gives the film a perfect kind of tone that while almost poking fun at itself also allows for us to relish in the simplicity of it all. The film is also clever for acknowledging the real life lack of Muppet influence on current pop culture. It makes it clear the Muppet's themselves are unsure in this day and age of 3D and computer animated cartoons, that their brand of fuzzy animals singing old songs is no longer desired. This allows the set up for Segel, playing the sweet and lovable Gary who has a Muppet brother named Walter as they travel to Los Angeles with Gary's long time girlfriend Mary (Amy Adams doing her Enchanted thing) to visit the Muppet studios.

Tex Richman (Chris Cooper) plots how he is going to
destroy the old Muppet theater.

Walter doesn't even seem to realize he was a Muppet until seeing them on TV and upon arriving at their old stomping grounds he is shocked to see the place in disarray. He becomes even more disturbed when overhearing Chris Cooper as evil oil baron Tex Richman (maniacal laugh) plot to destroy the studio and salvage the oil underneath. Thus leading he, Gary, and Mary to track down Kermit (he'll know what to do) and inevitably get the whole gang back together for one last show to raise the money to save their home. I was simply happy to see that such a sincere fan as Segel was given this opportunity and in the end able to pull off a faithful homage to his favorite childhood show while introducing them successfully to a new generation. Segel also employs his songwriting abilities here with catchy, but almost more importantly, funny songs such as the opening and finale number, "Life's A Happy Song" as well as Mr. Cooper rapping that while funny, made me slightly embarrassed for the guy. The standout is clearly "Man Or Muppet" though, which you should go listen to here. Right now.

Kermit and Miss. Piggy reunite after some serious effort
on the frog's part.

I don't think I've come out of another film this year with as big a smile on my face and just an all around good feeling as I did when exiting "The Muppet's". It is honestly a triumph of all things innocent and simple. It shows with unabashed heart that all we really need is silliness and self aware musical numbers to which we feel all goofy and warm inside. And while I enjoyed the movie with not a care in the world, at the end I probably didn't love it as much as those who returned for a nostalgia trip or a young child discovering the power of felt for the first time. I liked it, and I liked it a lot, but love isn't the word for it. It is touching at times and it certainly made me a fan of the troupe, but I guess what I am really trying to say is that I hope Segel gets to bring his brand of Muppet movie out for another round because as much as I enjoyed this first film, I would love to see more. "The Muppets" feels like a fresh start for something new, something great that Segel can not only use to expand his celebrity with but to live out a passion for songwriting and puppetry. It seems he would no doubt jump at the chance to do so and if he does, I'm sure I'll fall even harder the next time the Muppet's hit theaters.

THE MUPPETS Review

I am a child born of the late 80's and raised in the 90's. A time when if you didn't have any older siblings (like myself) to reference what was cool in that day then you were lost in the shuffle of Alf, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and eventually Power Rangers. All of which I enjoyed very much and despite coming to realize and understand who the Muppet's were, they and their show were not ingrained into my childhood mythology. I never even saw the last big screen outing "Muppet's in Space" that had every right to introduce me to these characters, but alas it wasn't meant to be and I am kind of glad I had to wait until now to be personally introduced to Kermit and the gang. Before, they were relative celebrities I only heard stories of; now, I feel a part of the Muppet community. As should everyone who goes out and sees (regardless of who is in the directors chair) Jason Segel's masterfully done re-introduction to these clearly beloved characters. I may not have the credentials from my childhood to warrant major love and investment in this film but it certainly is an immensely enjoyable film that will please old and new fans alike. It is a fun, corny romp with some catchy tunes and a nice supporting cast that features plenty of celebrity cameos to keep the Muppet faithful satisfied.