First Trailer for THE RIDICULOUS 6 Starring Adam Sandler

After the success of Beasts of No Nation (it's been watched more than 3 million times in it's first ten days of release says Netflix) and on the same day that Pixels arrives on Blu-Ray and DVD the streaming service is ready to move on to it's next original film. The trailer for the first of four Adam Sandler films being made for Netflix, The Ridiculous 6, has debuted and couldn't be further from the tone of what Netflix's first original film offered. While Beasts was an intense thriller about child soldiers in Africa, this new Sandler comedy mainly concerns itself with spoofing The Magnificent Seven by featuring Sandler as Tommy “White Knife” Stockburn as a man who goes on an adventure-filled journey across the Old West with his five brothers when their long-lost outlaw father returns. Directed by Frank Coraci (Click, Here Comes the Boom) I have a bit more faith in the film because of his involvement rather than this simply being another Sandler collaboration with Dennis Dugan who tends to give Sandler his laziest results. The film generally looks like a big-budget summer Sandler flick which is exciting and the cast is beyond ridiculous. While we'll have to wait and see if the quality of the film is better than what the comedian has offered as of late on the big screen, this was without a doubt the smartest move Sandler could have made given his dwindling box office returns and that his films are largely comfort food anyway. The Ridiculous 6 also stars Terry Crews, Jorge Garcia, Taylor Lautner, Rob Schneider, Luke Wilson, Harvey Keitel and will be available to stream on Netflix starting December 11th beating the 70mm release of Quentin Tarantino's The Hateful Eight by two of weeks.

New Trailer for THE EXPENDABLES 3

The Expendables films have not necessarily been good ones, but they have at least been good fun. I enjoyed the first one well enough to go see the second and the second one is so outrageous it almost bursts through its ceiling, but does well enough to maintain what this franchise set its sights on from the get-go. These aren't movies looking for high praise or top-caliber acting chops, but instead they are a mash-up of nostalgia and primitive movie-making that become as much an experiment as an experience. An experiment because they have, to this point, avoided computerized weaponry and other high-tech gadgets for pure, meat-headed bliss and an experience of nostalgia because it is what we expect from the mind of Sylvester Stallone. With the script penned by two others besides Stallone and the director chair taken by newcomer to the series Patrick Hughes I can only hope the series isn't getting away from what made the original so appealing in its premise and execution. These films are supposed to transcend current Hollywood trends and be nothing more than pure 80's pulp, but in what has become an ever changing roster of aging and up and coming action stars the films have been more about the expanding universe than the central conceit. Director of part two Simon West knew his way around an old-school action movie, but the text alone in this new trailer along with the sleek sky-diving shots against blue-lit buildings suggests something much more modern in the Expendables future. I can only hope Stallone reminded Hughes of this series' roots and that they keep this frame of mind intact as it would be a shame to waste the additions of Harrison Ford and Mel Gibson on a lousy third (and possibly final) act. The Expendables 3 also stars Wesley Snipes, Antonio Banderas, Kelsey Grammer, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Randy Couture, Terry Crews, Kellan Lutz, Ronda Rousey, Victor Ortiz, Glen Powell and opens August 15.

DRAFT DAY Review

Since first catching a glimpse of the trailers for Draft Day a few months back I pretty much dismissed it as the least in a line of attempts by Kevin Costner this year to prove he still had the ability to anchor a film. While he's made a notable contribution in what many would agree were the best moments in last summers Man of Steel he has since not been able to really anchor a box office success where he was closer to the forefront of the action and the marketing. It is unlikely we will see another incarnation of Chris Pine's Jack Ryan where Costner served as a strong crutch and Three Days to Kill was more or less Costner trying to prove he could be Liam Neeson if people wanted him to be and while that flick likely turned a better profit than it will ever receive credit for (and has still yet to open overseas) audiences still seemed to be on shaky ground as to whether Costner is still that "face on the poster" kind of star that could usher a film into general audience favor and while the outcome of Draft Day's box office run will likely be mediocore at best it is at least reassuring to know that this is the better of Costner's two leading roles this year and that there is some real investment here not only because it serves to function as one big commercial for the NFL but because there is genuine drama to be had in the dynamics of a teams general manager and every other point of contact that is to be made throughout the course of what is no doubt the busiest day of these guys year. As its title would suggest, Draft Day takes place over the course of twenty-four hours and in that seemingly short time span writers Rajiv Joseph (a short list of TV credits) and Scott Rothman (no previous writing credits at all) are able to evoke a multitude of storylines and layers within those stories to give us a game of politics with a backdrop most of the movie-going public is at least vaguely familiar with. It mostly goes without saying I didn't expect much from Draft Day, but as the film nicely paces itself and builds up to its final scene I became increasingly intrigued in the outcome of these characters lives and couldn't help but to wonder how Costner's Sonny Weaver Jr. might find a way to please everyone and despite the fact the bow is tied a little too neatly in the end I would be lying if I said Sonny and his movie didn't satisfy me and instead actually exceeded any expectations I might have held for it.

CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS 2 Review

Back in 2009 I walked, unsuspecting, into an IMAX theater on a rainy, early morning looking to fill my day with nothing but pure escapism and hopefully a little fun. It was a weekday and no one else was in the theater and so I sat in what I could most accurately pinpoint as the center of this massive room and kicked back in front of the largest screen my state has to offer to watch an animated film. I had no expectations, but I was beginning to attempt to see as many films as possible so I could write about them regularly and though I hadn't heard much about this smaller, but impressively cast flick I was excited because the great Bill Hader was getting a leading role and I'd heard good things about the source material it came from. Needless to say, I came out of Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs having done nothing short of escaping the dreary day outside and getting wrapped up in the story of Flint Lockwood and Swallow Falls. Not only had the film provided gorgeous animation to drench the world and its creations in, but it was relentlessly funny. I laughed from beginning to end. Directors Chris Miller and Phil Lord (21 Jump Street) had given the film a quirky sense of humor and a pacing that never allowed the audience to get hung up on anything they didn't want them too, keeping the focus on Flint and his invention while littering this world with interesting and funny supporting characters that added layers and layers of, well, character. Once again, needless to say, I was slightly worried when they announced a sequel, but not because I wasn't interested in the further adventures of Flint and his gang, but because Miller and Lord wouldn't be returning to the directors chairs and what set the film apart from the rest of the pack was its off-brand of humor and break-neck pacing that matched its protagonists energy. Cody Cameron and Kris Pearn do well to take notes from their predecessors though as they allow Cloudy 2 to pick up the comedic end of the stick and run with it while delivering all the food puns you could ever hope to enjoy. In a year filled with sub-par animated features, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2 stands to be the funniest and most enjoyable trip of the year.

First Trailer for CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS 2

Back in 2009 I was pleasantly surprised by a little animated film called Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. I went in not expecting much above the average, but liking the voice cast well enough to check it out on my own. I came out of that screening a huge fan of the film and continuously smiling throughout the rest of the day thinking of the jokes and left of center humor the feature carried. I was more than pleased to hear there would be a sequel for the film and today we have the first trailer for Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2. The story picks up as our heroes Flint Lockwood (Bill Hader) and Sam Sparks (Anna Faris) return to Swallow Falls to clean up the mess left behind from the first film. Upon arriving they find Flint's machine has created a world where the food is beginning to evolve and take on the form of animals and weird creatures. The animation looks fantastic here and some of the favorite characters from the original are returning as well. The makers also look to have succeeded in keeping the humor intact for this sequel. I laughed several times throughout the trailer and really appreciate the creativity put into the new inhabitants of Swallow Falls. That is what should drive every animated film, and like the original this looks like it is going to be a ton of fun with plenty of color and character for the young ones to enjoy while plenty of subdued humor to keep the adults chuckling and awake. Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2 also features the voices of Andy Samberg, Benjamin Bratt, Terry Crews, and Neil Patrick Harris and opens in 3D on September 27th. Hit the jump to check out the first trailer.

THE EXPENDABLES 2 Review

In my review of the first Expendables film I ended it by saying that the film was nothing more than a good time and I imagine that is all Sylvester Stallone really desired for his audience to have. That he did a fine job at achieving that goal and that I couldn't wait for the sequel, quipping that maybe Jean-Claude Van Damme would show up next time. One can imagine my excitement when it was actually announced that the Muscles from Brussels would not only be showing up in The Expendables 2, but would be playing the bad guy. Perfect! It is easy to criticize these films for their lack of any kind of ambition outside of the bad 80's action flicks they intend to pay homage to, but that is their purpose and if you go in wanting or expecting anything more than that you will be sorely disappointed. If you know what to expect at all though I can't see how one could not thoroughly enjoy themselves as this sequel is everything the sequels of that action hey day aspired to be. Bigger, louder, and packed with even more action heroes with more bullets to hand out than you could ever imagine. While I looked forward to the first film for the reasons of seeing Stallone's old school style and ideals mix with someone leading the new school such as Jason Statham that excitement has passed and so to find something to actually look forward to and invest in with the sequel we find it to be the fact that there is an even bigger palette of action stars than the first one offered. We look to see the minor cameo roles of Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger expand to where these three titans of the genre stand together on the front lines. The last twenty minutes is worth the price of admission alone and to boot, this is so ridiculously entertaining you'll find your self surprised at how much you can't wait to see The Expendables 3.

From left: Maggie (Yu Nan), Caesar (Terry Crews), Barney
(Sylvester Stallone), Road (Randy Couture) and Gunner
(Dolph Lundgren) are the Expendables.

While story only matters so much in a movie like this, there is a surprising amount of attention paid to the details here. We open this time with a major action set piece, something I wanted from the first film that felt a little underwhelming. Barney Ross (Stallone) and his crew that includes Lee Christmas (Statham), Yin Yang (Jet Li), Gunnar Jensen (Dolph Lundgren), Hale Caesar (Terry Crews), Toll Road (Randy Couture) and newcomer Billy the Kid (Liam Hemsworth) bust through some poor little Nepal town where the old school mercenaries blow holes in everyone who gets in their way, busting down structures with their parade of tanks all in order to rescue a Chinese businessman for God knows what reasons. It is purely the set up to re-introduce us to the wide cast of characters while putting on display exactly how outlandish and graphic the violence of the film is going to be. Li's character is dismissed early as he escorts the businessman back to their hometown so we are treated to some nice bonding moments and a hint at a storyline that is never further explored that has Barney disliking Christmas's plans to move forward in his relationship after the cheating episode of part one. This is minor to the introduction of little Hemsworth though who is an expert sniper and slowly taking that place of Barney's right hand man from Christmas. That is, until Billy admits the life isn't for him. The thick of the plot begins when Willis's Church comes a callin' for the payback Barney and his boys owe him. Church sends them on a seemingly simple mission that asks them to take along female tech genius Maggie (Yu Nan) and retrieve an item from a safe on an airplane that crashed in Albania. The mission is completed quickly, but the victory is short lived as Jean Vilain (Van Damme) and yes, that's seriously his characters name, kidnaps one of the Expendables and demands the item from the plane. Barney is hesitant, but gives in while Vilain takes the life of his captive anyway. It is now personal, and you know they're going to make sure they get revenge.

Trench (Arnold Schwarzenegger), Barney, and Church
(Bruce Willis) let loose on their enemies.

As far as summer blockbusters go, it will be hard to beat this one in terms of pure enjoyment. There is a sense of carelessness, of fun that goes along with the ride the film takes you on while still containing some nice attempts at genuine emotional moments as well as several hilarious bits, some of which are even intentional. In this aspect I think I may have laughed at The Expendables 2 more than any other comedy that came out in the past three or four months. There is a point in the film where the team is trapped, surrounded by members of Van Damme's gang known as the Sangs. Naturally, there is no way all of these guys can bite the bullet and so who else is there to come to the rescue but Chuck Norris? Literally every time Norris appears on screen as the lone wolf Booker I was smiling. It completely epitomizes the cheesiness of the series yet perfectly captures the tone that Stallone established in the first one and director Simon West carries over so well in this one. West is no stranger to big, giant action films as he's made a few successful ones of his own including Con Air, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, as well as working previously with Statham on The Mechanic. The director not only improves on the way in which they convey the intentional, almost satiric tone of the films but he also stages the action pieces with a more brutal force. Whereas under Stallone's direction there were clearly a few messy edits and sloppy action sequences built on great ideas that didn't transition as well to the screen as I would have hoped, they seem all the better choreographed here while still allowing each character a moment to shine. There is no shortage of action here though, and the whole thing is completely relentless in its goal to create an all-out, over the top action movie they just don't make anymore. If they were made more often The Expendable  films likely wouldn't have as much charm as they do, so the film ultimately benefits from being one of a kind in this day and age.

Bad guy Vilain (Jean-Claude Van Damme) faces off against
Barney in the finale.

In my initial reaction to the first film I was so in love with the idea of the film and was satisfied enough with the final product that I gave it a rating of three and a half stars. That was my initial gut in what I would rate this film as well. Looking back I would probably take away the half star or maybe even a whole from the original. That speaks bad for the first film, but it means well for this second entry in the series as it shows the potential for what that first movie should have reached. Does it mean there isn't room for the third one to grow and be even better? Of course not, with this series there will seemingly always be room for improvement and they are far from perfect, but they serve their purpose as well as any Oscar bait drama. There is plenty of bad acting and horrible dialogue here, but Hemsworth lends the movie a bit of credibility while Van Damme is living it up, making what could have been a stale role this juicy experiment as this ridiculous villain who plays up every cliche of a foreign bad guy you could imagine. The final showdown between Van Damme and Stallone will elicit several cheers while the corny dialogue exchanges between Willis and Schwarzenegger in the heat of battle will have you rolling in the aisles. I can only imagine Stallone intended to have another successful franchise on his resume when he began to shape this idea of an orgy of action heroes rolled into one film together into an actual reality and he has delivered what he promised, only improving on the formula this time around. I really am excited about part three coming down the tube. I hear Eastwood may show up next time or we may even get a trip inside the Cage on top of what will no doubt already be the most bombastic chapter yet.

THE EXPENDABLES 2 Review

In my review of the first Expendables film I ended it by saying that the film was nothing more than a good time and I imagine that is all Sylvester Stallone really desired for his audience to have. That he did a fine job at achieving that goal and that I couldn't wait for the sequel, quipping that maybe Jean-Claude Van Damme would show up next time. One can imagine my excitement when it was actually announced that the Muscles from Brussels would not only be showing up in The Expendables 2, but would be playing the bad guy. Perfect! It is easy to criticize these films for their lack of any kind of ambition outside of the bad 80's action flicks they intend to pay homage to, but that is their purpose and if you go in wanting or expecting anything more than that you will be sorely disappointed. If you know what to expect at all though I can't see how one could not thoroughly enjoy themselves as this sequel is everything the sequels of that action hey day aspired to be. Bigger, louder, and packed with even more action heroes with more bullets to hand out than you could ever imagine. While I looked forward to the first film for the reasons of seeing Stallone's old school style and ideals mix with someone leading the new school such as Jason Statham that excitement has passed and so to find something to actually look forward to and invest in with the sequel we find it to be the fact that there is an even bigger palette of action stars than the first one offered. We look to see the minor cameo roles of Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger expand to where these three titans of the genre stand together on the front lines. The last twenty minutes is worth the price of admission alone and to boot, this is so ridiculously entertaining you'll find your self surprised at how much you can't wait to see The Expendables 3.