THE LEGO MOVIE 2: THE SECOND PART Review

It was a given The LEGO Movie would eventually get a sequel, but it's kind of crazy it took five years for that sequel to actually happen. That said, Warner Bros. has certainly expanded the LEGO brand by giving LEGO Batman his own feature as well as delivering their only misstep thus far, The LEGO Ninjago Movie. And while there was some trepidation going into this delayed, but inevitable sequel given original directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller were no longer at the helm there was some hope given it was still their minds that conjured up the screenplay. Thankfully, Trolls director Mike Mitchell was brought on board and has successfully converted Lord and Miller's screenplay into a sequel that keeps things in step with if not necessarily surpassing the original. Of course, given the precedent set for the original and what it turned out to be versus the raised bar for the sequel and what it has turned out to be-that's a solid accomplishment and a resounding endorsement. That is to say, upon initially hearing there was going to be a movie based solely around the LEGO brand and the toys and properties they owned it seemed obvious the eventual movie would turn out to be little more than a cash grab; nothing more than one big commercial, if you will. To expect this was ultimately foolish given the creative team behind it as Lord and Miller delivered a witty, colorful, and (per usual) meta piece of cinema that took some unexpected themes and conveyed them in a manner that allowed the children to enjoy the toys coming to life while the adults latched onto those ever fleeting moments of innocence that come with raising children and attaching certain memories to their playthings. The LEGO Movie intentionally evaded everything audiences expected it to be, disrupting the status quo and turning heads, but how was something so inventive and appropriately rowdy supposed to then follow itself up with something as conventional as a sequel? Especially given the abstract qualities of the first and having to continue the same narrative while holding tight to the themes the first film so perfectly encapsulated? It turns out, the trick is to lean into such things even further; deliver the same goods in a different package and through different techniques. And though The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part might feel redundant in certain ideas, the ideas it's pedaling never don't need to be heard...especially when they're this creatively catchy.    

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 THE LEGO MOVIE 2: THE SECOND PART

It was a given that The LEGO Movie would eventually get a sequel, but it's kind of crazy it will have been five years since the first film came out by the time the second movie arrives early in 2019. It seems much of this has to do with the behind the scenes issue of the revolving people in the director's chair as The LEGO Movie co-director Chris McKay was originally set to direct, but departed when Warner Bros. opted to make The LEGO Batman Movie first which he went on to direct and made a seriously great follow-up to the original out of. Community alum Rob Schrab next signed on to take the reins, but left the project after a year of "creative differences", at which point Trolls director Mike Mitchell was brought on board and was joined thereafter by original The LEGO Movie directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller after they dropped out of the Solo: A Star Wars Story project and signed up to fill more than their producer roles as they then helped craft the screenplay. Speaking of the screenplay, this first teaser seems to indicate that things have only gotten worse after the events of the first film with Chris Pratt's Emmett is in denial about the ramifications of everything that has recently occurred. Prompting new conflict though, is not the return of President Business, but the arrival of LEGO DUPLO® invaders from outer space, wrecking everything faster than they can rebuild. This is a pretty great idea in terms of how to continue to expand this universe while using the stable of toys they have to work with to their greatest advantage. The trailer features some pretty solid gags, an on point utilization of a Beastie Boys track, and-naturally, some commentary on the capability of Elizabeth Banks' Wyldstyle in contrast to the inability of Emmett who was still deemed the "special" and "hero" of the first film. I mean, I get it and am all for championing the strength and independence of women, but do we have to constantly put down men-even the dumb if not well-intentioned ones-every time? This probably wouldn't feel as glaring did it not follow a similar jab in that Wreck-It Ralph trailer yesterday, but alas-the times they are a changin' and that's fine, it's for the better, but let's find some new ways to convey what is meant to be empowering without constantly demeaning. The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part also features the voice talents of Channing Tatum, Will Arnett, Jonah Hill, Tiffany Haddish, Stephanie Beatriz, Arturo Castro, and opens on February 8th, 2019.

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.

KEANU Review

When Jordan Peele and Keegan-Michael Key began their sketch comedy series in 2012 I wasn't aware of either comic in any large capacity save for a few supporting roles in random comedies. While I never jumped on the bandwagon that was the huge following their Comedy Central show soon amassed I saw enough clips on YouTube to know these guys were smart, insightful comedians who enjoyed commenting on social expectations by upending them in inventive ways. Most of these having to do with race or gender stereotypes, but nevertheless they were smart enough about their approach that many of their sketches quickly became cultural reference points in the same way Chappelle's show had a decade earlier. When Key and Peele's show ended in the fall of last year it was somewhat surprising given their three year run had yielded them great success, numerous opportunities, and it more or less seemed as if the duo were just beginning to really heat up. Talk about going out on top. It seems that with all the free time ending their show opened up for them the comedic duo decided it was time to take their act to the big screen. With the danger of wearing out their welcome by translating what worked for them in a five minute sketch to feature length as well as taking into account the low success rate of sketches turned into feature films the odds were never in their favor, but alas Key and Peele have made their formula work for them more than it doesn't. Again, coming from a position of having seen only a handful of sketches from what I'm sure is a much larger, more illustrious library than I can even imagine I wasn't exactly sure what to expect from Keanu, but due to the fact I largely enjoy broad comedies with outlandish premises that expose those premises for all they're worth Keanu largely succeeds in the goals it sets for itself. Of course, given I'd seen only what is likely the highest highlights from their show I was hoping for more consistent laughter, but there are enough big laughs here to tide one over when the movie intermittently forgets what it's supposed to be in exchange for the authenticity of what it is supposedly lampooning.

First Red-Band Trailer for Key & Peele's KEANU

The most I've seen of Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele's Comedy Central show that has now come to an end were the clips that gained momentum on YouTube. I always found the clips entertaining and naturally pretty funny and Key has been especially prolific in smaller roles recently where he's stolen the the scenes in which he was included (Horrible Bosses 2, Pitch Perfect 2, Vacation-all golden). All of that said, this trailer for their first feature film (written by Peele and Alex Rubens) had me rolling as it quickly becomes apparent how ridiculous the duo is dedicated to being. Directed by Peter Atencio (who directed every episode of Key and Peele) the film revolves around two very suburban fellas, one of which finds solace in a cute kitten after his girlfriend breaks up with him, who get into a gang war when said kitten is stolen. While clearly a riff on 2014's Keanu Reeves movie, John Wick, this seems to be much more than simply a parody of that particular film, but the action genre as a whole and the always funny circumstances of placing two characters outside of their comfort zone. Kicking this promotional campaign off with a red band trailer isn't a bad idea either as it allows for some strong jokes with sensitive material to come through and set the tone for just what Key and Peele are attempting to capture which, to the comfort of their fans I'm sure, seems to be perfectly aligned with the comedy of their sketch show, but on a much bigger platform. Keanu also stars Tiffany Haddish, Method Man, Jason Mitchell, Luis Guzman, Nia Long, Will Forte and opens on April 29th, 2016.