NIGHT SCHOOL Review

At this point I question if there’s even a point to me sitting down and taking time out of my day to write a review of a new Kevin Hart movie. I mean, unless Hart decides to work outside his comfort zone with a director that might challenge him or unless he’s part of an ensemble cast one pretty much knows what they’re getting from a Kevin Hart comedy, right? Given Night School is the first production to be released under Hart’s own production company though one can safely assume that if this is successful-which all signs point to why wouldn’t it be?-that the general viewing public can expect more of this same, middle-of-the-road comedy with recycled premises and recycled jokes that hold Hart at the center as a character who must overcome something in order to realize something about himself...while being made fun of for being short, of course. That said, I appreciate and kind of admire Hart for always willing to be the brunt of the joke and despite Night School being a rather large missed opportunity given it pairs the immensely charming and infinitely likable Hart with Girls Trip breakout Tiffany Haddish and her director on that film, Malcolm D. Lee (who’s also made The Best Man films and the most recent Barbershop picture), there is still enough here for it to qualify as an entertaining enough time at the movies. No, that’s not necessarily a ringing endorsement, but it does mean this doesn’t feel wholly like a cheap, quickly manufactured product with little effort put in and therefore little expectations held for it. In fact, it’s actually the opposite in that it’s not hard to see Hart, his co-stars, and his company are genuinely trying to make something with, well...heart. Does this mean it actually holds some weight? Not really and it isn’t as consistently funny enough given the stars of the film, but this is a rare comedy that doesn’t have an ugly side to it. It’s an optimistic comedy, if you will, whereas the majority of big studio comedies tend to be both cynical and egotistical Night School sets itself apart from the pack if not for being the funniest of the year, but for holding out the most hope in humanity and seeing the good in the resilience of the human spirit. Not exactly an easy thing to do these days.

First Trailer for NIGHT SCHOOL Starring Kevin Hart & Tiffany Haddish

It comes as no surprise that just over a year after Tiffany Haddish was welcomed into Hollywood with more enthusiasm than anyone since J-Law six years ago that she would be headlining a comedy with Kevin Hart set to premiere in the typically dry time between the summer movie season and awards season where it will undoubtedly make all the money. Night School, an out and out comedy about a group of troublemakers, including Hart's character, who are forced to attend night school in hopes of obtaining their GEDs, pits Hart as a successful business owner who has nowhere to turn after he loses said business in an accidental fire against Haddish. This will seemingly build a love/hate relationship with Hart's student as he was hoping to skate by in acquiring the few credits he was missing for his GED while Haddish's character, well, it's kind of unclear where she falls at the moment as she is initially indifferent towards the night school gig, but as a full-time teacher seems to have a fun rapport with everyone else at the school including Taran Killam's principal who defaults to using "black voice" when in the company of Hart and Haddish. It's a funny running gag in the trailer and I'm curious as to whether this will come out as PG-13 or R as I would have assumed it to be the latter, but this first look gives the impression Universal might prefer to play it safe and capitalize off the pairing of its two stars with as wide an audience as possible. Girls Trip director Malcolm D. Lee (who also made both Best Man films) is at the helm here as well and while his full filmography would suggest a spotty track record his most recent works including Best Man Holiday, the third Barbershop film, and last summer's massive aforementioned comedy that made Haddish a household name have leaned toward the better end of the spectrum than the other. While Lee's latest certainly doesn't look like anything that will break the mold it definitely has the components and credentials to make me excited at the prospect of it. Night School also stars Ben Schwartz, Rob Riggle, Keith David, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Anne Winters, Jacob Batalon, Mason Guccione and Romany Malco and opens in theaters on September 28th.

MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING 2 Review

It has been fourteen years since My Big Fat Greek Wedding took America by storm and grossed $241 million domestic on a $5 million budget. It's a wonder that this isn't the third or fourth sequel to the film especially given writer and star Nia Vardalos has found little success outside of her Greek origins. Vardalos has written three features in between her Wedding features, none of which reached the commercial success of her breakout and thus the reason we're likely back here. If you enjoyed getting to know the Portokalos clan then you will no doubt enjoy their company this time around as well. Not much has changed beyond some of the dynamics shifting given the inescapable fact time does go on, but this seems to be the major point of issue for Vardalos when crafting the script: how might one develop characters who are so stuck in their ways? To answer this question and provide some deeper insight into who these people are (or more accurately who they once were and how they've become the characters we see today) Vardalos undoes the basis of the entire family: she discredits her mother and father's marriage by revealing it was never properly acknowledged by the church. For Gus (Michael Constantine) and Maria (Lainie Kazan) this more or less makes the lives they've been living for the past fifty years something of a sin and a sham. Of course, Gus wants to correct things as quick as possible and have his marriage acknowledged by the church, but with this new found information Maria is eager to soak up her new found freedom and make her "husband" earn her love for him, elaborate proposal and all. Couple this with Toula (Vardalos) and Ian (John Corbett) dealing with the impending high school graduation of their only daughter, Paris (Elena Kampouris), and there's more than enough material for Vardalos to mine obvious comedy out of without actually mining the characters for any real insight or genuine arc.

DUMB AND DUMBER TO Review

I was seven years-old the year the original Dumb and Dumber came out and as the oldest child was never privily to anything an older sibling might expose me too. That said, I never became attached to the original in a fashion that would conjure up nostalgic memories when catching it on cable or even when seeing the trailers earlier this summer for the long-delayed sequel. On the other hand, my wife who was six years-old when the original came out with a sixteen year-old brother and fourteen year-old sister looks at the first film as a comedy classic, as one that defines her adolescent years and one she can quote from back to front. That said as well, she wasn't very much looking forward to the unnecessary sequel as the original was probably a film best left alone. In the end, as someone who had no real emotional attachment to these characters I pretty much had the same reaction as the wife; it was a comedy, it was fine enough though nothing resembling great and it's unlikely it will deliver as much joy on repeat viewings (if it even gets that chance) as the original. Had the film been made closer to the original it might have worked, Jim Carrey might have delivered a duo of films on par with his Ace Ventura adventures, but at this point the attempt to capitalize on his past hits just feels desperate. This, on top of the fact of how old these guys look in their get-ups is just depressing. As much as people think critics (and I hesitate to call myself that as I'm simply an online movie blogger) love to rag on comedies I have said countless times on this site how much I love the subjective nature and the talented people it takes to bring these types of movies to life especially when they are able to leave a lasting impression. Even though I have nothing to do with the creative process or production, when I initially like a comedy that generally received bad reviews and eventually becomes something of a favorite to audiences I pride myself on that and feel a part of a bigger community, a community with a shared sense of humor. Unfortunately, a feeling of such insight didn't come to mind when watching Dumb and Dumber To, but rather the thought of how cruel time can be and how punishing the industry can be, especially on a funny man looking for a laugh.

LET'S BE COPS Review

Movies such as Let's Be Cops live or die by the chemistry of the two leading actors and there is no debate that Jake Johnson and Damon Wayans Jr. like being around one another. Throughout the entirety of this feature they look like they had some serious fun making this movie together, but only so much of that comes through in the final product. As the saying goes: if the film were half as fun to watch as they seemed to have making it we might have been in for something that rivaled the recent success of the Jump Street series, but it doesn't. What this actually feels like while watching it is just a large amount of incompetence. It has a lazily constructed plot centered around an incohesive way of telling its story with even lazier comedy that comes purely from the improvisations and tones in which Johnson and Wayans deliver their dialogue and gyrate their bodies. If we really want to break it down though, Let's Be Cops is about as sub-par in the buddy cop genre as one can get. With both of the Jump Street movies there is the hook of the boys going undercover at high school and college which is always interesting (they try to do that here with the gimmick of not actually being cops, but again, it just seems more idiotic than funny), in Bad Boys there is a real sense of responsibility and peril to go along with the palpable chemistry (not to mention the pure R-rated Bayhem of the second one) and the same could be said for any of the Lethal Weapons. The pairing of personas such as Mel Gibson and Danny Glover was a hook in itself, but putting them in a legit action movie with character at the forefront only meant better results than expected. Let's Be Cops is a comedy though and one that wants to play on the archetypes of the aforementioned films while riding the coat tails of the Jump Street movies in hopes they too take off. Why they couldn't have found a different premise to execute the chumminess of Johnson and Wayans over, I don't know, but as it is I can only hope we don't get any sequels to this steaming mess of a movie.

First Trailer for DUMB AND DUMBER TO

The Farrelly Brothers ran out of steam a long time ago commercially, but to be honest I've rather enjoyed their output as of late. The Heartbreak Kid and Hall Pass (not great by any means, but serviceable R-rated comedies that play up their premises) as well as The Three Stooges which feels like a movie everyone secretly liked, but no one wants to admit to were all fine if not cultural mainstays. In the wake of these consistent box office disappointments the brothers have retreated to their original feature smash and have crafted a twenty year-later sequel that looks to be as dumb and ridiculous as the original. Honestly, there was little hope that this being any good especially given the unreal expectations that time and nostalgia have built up. Jeff Daniels has since become a much serious actor while Jim Carrey hasn't had a genuine hit since Bruce Almighty over ten years ago (Yes Man more than returned on its budget, but it wasn't the Carrey resurgence most expected). The initial reaction to this first trailer though is surprisingly positive in that the two leads seem to be having a ton of fun with the opportunity to portray these two iconic characters again and are all in for whatever the Farrelly's asked of them. There are plenty of laughs throughout the trailer and I especially enjoyed how they basically say nothing has happened in the twenty years since the original besides Lloyd playing an elaborate prank on Harry. It strikes the perfect kind of balance that says we know where we're at in this point of the actors lives (both who are now in their 50's) and that this is going to be just as absurd as we would hope for. Dumb and Dumber To also stars Laurie Holden, Rob Riggle, Kathleen Turner, Rachel Melvin, Cam Neely, Brady Bluhm and opens November 14.

First Red-Band Trailer for 22 JUMP STREET

With the original making my top 10 of 2012 list and this sequel easily making my most anticipated for 2014 it is with great joy that we get our first glimpse at directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller's follow-up to 21 Jump Street which has been appropriately titled 22 Jump Street with ridiculously meta reasoning and all. If you loved the first film you may as well go ahead and sign yourself up for this one because it looks to be more of the same, but instead of latching onto the ever-evolving culture of high school our protagonists Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) have entered the world of college and it seems they each get more on track with the social status and dynamic they actually lived through in high school. The plot seems to consist of many of the same ups and downs as the first (they come together to have their friendship challenged only to re-kindle it and overcome the opponent), but the jokes seemed to be on point and the mocking of the college culture paired with the ever funny satire of the action, buddy cop films are no doubt in full effect. It is nice to see Ice cube returning as Captain Dickson as he was one of the shining contributions of the first film while the trailer also gives away what seem to be cameo appearances from Rob Riggle and Dave Franco. We can only hope that they have kept a large portion of the surprises and laughs under wrap though and haven't given their best bits away here. If this were under the care of anyone other than Lord and Miller I might be worried, but that they were able to defy all expectations with the first film and decided to come back to this over what I assume were plenty of other offers, I trust that they had good reason and we will see that on full display when 22 Jump Street hits theaters on June 13, 2014.

21 JUMP STREET Review

The first film of the year that I was genuinely excited to see, "21 Jump Street" delivers on every level that I expected it to and in most ways even more so. I am too young to really know anything of the original series except for the fact it starred a pre-superstar Johnny Depp. I had no idea of the tone of the series and didn't really care to investigate if I'm being honest. By the time the first trailer appeared online I was already so excited to see the film I forgot that it was another movie based on an old TV show that the studios were re-hashing to make money off familiar titles. Now, I generally don't have a problem with this as I rather enjoyed the "Charlie's Angels" movies and Michael Mann refashioned "Miami Vice" into a darker, grittier film than anything the TV show ever hinted at. Despite not being overly familiar with the original shows these films were based on I went into them with a positive outlook and was greatly rewarded for the most part. The same can be said with "21 Jump Street". Not only does it feature a skinny Jonah Hill who consistently kills every scene he's in but it also features a breakout role for Channing Tatum. In my eyes Tatum has always been the guy the girls love and the guys can't stand because he has no shame in making chick flicks, but this will turn his career around and make him the marquee star we always knew he'd be. That being said, this is not only a great and hilarious comedy but it features the best odd couple in comedy we've seen in a good while.

Captain Dickson (Ice Cube) is always yelling at his
immature officers.

The premise is so fun from the beginning we buy into the ridiculousness of it and are willing to come along for the ride because of the mismatched duo that is Tatum and Hill who turn out to be the best part of the film. The first fifteen minutes or so play like an extended trailer. Cutting swiftly from joke to joke that sets up our heroes as the high schoolers they were and the stereotypes they so comfortably fit into. While Tatum is the typical dumb jock and Hill the self conscious, smart guy the film uses these strengths and weaknesses to draw the two closer together when they show up seven years after graduation to become police officers. In the aftermath of their park duty bust the boys fail to read the culprit their miranda rights and are therefore are sentenced to a program down on 21 jump street that requires their youthful immaturity. Cast as the perfectly stereotyped angry black captain Ice Cube steals every scene he graces with his dirty mouth and quick wit. The plot is simple in that Schmidt (Hill) and Jenko (Tatum) are assigned to a local high school that seems to be the source of a new drug. They have to infiltrate the dealers and locate the supplier. Of course, nothing could be so easy, but the pure outlandish quality of the plot is what allows "Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs" directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller to incorporate their visually inspired jokes that allow the pace of the film to move swiftly along, never stopping long enough for us to catch our breath between laughs.

Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) are
proud to officially be on the force.

What is great about the film besides the flawless rapport between Tatum and Hill is the way in which the script handles the self-awareness factor. "21 Jump Street" clearly knows what it is and has no qualms with making that known. When the script takes that classic popular prototype and flips it on its head by instituting Jenko in a world where the cool kids no longer are the ones that play organized sports or try to look as if they don't care but instead are the liberal tree-huggers who in all actuality make their biggest contribution to society by recycling he becomes confused. Tatum plays the idiotic Jenko with such earnest emotion though that we feel we have to act in his defense when Schmidt begins to get in too deep because he was born ten years too late. He fits in perfectly in this world where a few years earlier he was the butt of everyone's joke. This kind of commentary on the quirky, less classic high school culture makes Jenko and Schmidt feel a little more 1995 rather than 2005 at times, the point is made and despite the pay off for some of these jokes that we can see coming from a mile away doesn't even hurt because they work and that pay off is so good we forgive the standard way the story plays out because of the jokes the cast have built around it.

Jenko and Schmidt meet Eric (Dave Franco) for the first time
to purchase some of the suspected drugs.

"21 Jump Street" is an outlandish and highly entertaining comedy that really wasn't being asked for or demanded in any way. Those that were fans of the show will probably not look kindly upon the change in tone and the vulgar turns this has so easily seemed to take from its source material, but like I said, is there an ardent fan base out there somewhere that was begging for a movie adaptation of their favorite show? Probably not, but the movie we have been given because of that has turned out to be what certainly sets a high bar for R-rated comedies in 2012. Helping greatly is the fantastic supporting cast that besides the aforementioned Ice Cube also features the likes of James Franco's younger brother Dave who perfectly personifies the cool swag of the social media generation. Rob Riggle turns in another great supporting role that lends his comic timing to the more exaggerated humor that the directors lean toward. It doesn't hurt that the likes of Ellie Kemper, Chris Parnell, and Nick Offerman show up in what are essentially cameos either to drop their sense of humor into the mix. Their is also one particular cameo that should let any audience member,  no matter their past association with the show or lack thereof, that this shouldn't be taken too seriously but instead should simply be enjoyed for the consistent laughs and great time it provides at the movies.

21 JUMP STREET Review

The first film of the year that I was genuinely excited to see, "21 Jump Street" delivers on every level that I expected it to and in most ways even more so. I am too young to really know anything of the original series except for the fact it starred a pre-superstar Johnny Depp. I had no idea of the tone of the series and didn't really care to investigate if I'm being honest. By the time the first trailer appeared online I was already so excited to see the film I forgot that it was another movie based on an old TV show that the studios were re-hashing to make money off familiar titles. Now, I generally don't have a problem with this as I rather enjoyed the "Charlie's Angels" movies and Michael Mann refashioned "Miami Vice" into a darker, grittier film than anything the TV show ever hinted at. Despite not being overly familiar with the original shows these films were based on I went into them with a positive outlook and was greatly rewarded for the most part. The same can be said with "21 Jump Street". Not only does it feature a skinny Jonah Hill who consistently kills every scene he's in but it also features a breakout role for Channing Tatum. In my eyes Tatum has always been the guy the girls love and the guys can't stand because he has no shame in making chick flicks, but this will turn his career around and make him the marquee star we always knew he'd be. That being said, this is not only a great and hilarious comedy but it features the best odd couple in comedy we've seen in a good while.