Bridesmaids (2011)

by Steve Kochems

In the last decade or so we’ve seen a plethora of films on male bonding, the best of which have come from the Judd Apatow camp. Groups of men going through the changes in life together has appealed to a wider demographic than ever before and created the sub-genre of the “Bromance.” Yet, the other side of that coin had seemed to be untapped.

That is what makes Bridesmaid’s such a refreshing film. It’s a great comedy with lots of laughs and lots of heart to go with it, a formula that made 40 Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up stand out in years crowded with comedies. Only this is done from the female perspective. This shouldn’t come as much of a surprise as it’s under the direction of Freaks and Geeks alum Paul Feig who’s also directed episodes of The Office, 30 Rock, and Arrested Development, and is produced by Apatow. But truly at its helm is star and co-screenwriter Kristen Wiig. She leads the relatively unknown, but well chosen, cast of women who will have even the manliest of men laughing.

We follow Annie (Wiig), a lovelorn baker drifting through life until her best friend Lillian (Maya Rudolph) gets engaged. As the maid of honor, she tries to hold her disheveled life together while planning the festivities with the other bridesmaids: the overcompensating rich wife Helen (Rose Byrne), the newly-wed Becca (Ellie Kemper) and her opposite, the begrudgingly old wife Rita (Wendi McLendon-Covey) and the brutish Megan (Melissa McCarthy).

Throughout this journey, she struggles on the side to go from tossed aside sex buddy to forming a legitimate relationship with a quirky police officer (Chris O'Dowd), who brings as many smiles as any of the bridesmaids in half as much time (also the only notable male in the film who isn’t a total dick).

Much of the struggle for Annie comes against Helen as she tries to shoehorn herself into Lillian’s life. The rich and elegant clashes with commonality, which results in some of the funnier scenes as well as more touching ones. Atop that Melissa McCarthy as Megan, who plays the Chris Farely role here, as one of the shining gems here. Her rugged personality keeps you laughing even past the credits.

It’s worth mentioning that Bridesmaids may be a classic in the making. At the very least, I believe it has a classic comedy scene in the making, one that could stand next to the Baby Ruth in the pool or rat poison on a burger. I won’t spoil the details for those of you who haven’t heard, but when you see it you’ll know it. Trust me.

But for all the good I can say about Bridesmaids, it doesn’t come without its problems. The third act happens to run particularly long. A driving montage gag feels out of place for its length and the emotional bookends it’s placed between. And while many of them are funny, some of the earlier gags could’ve used trimming as well, particularly a toasting duel and a party trashing scene. Also, Becca and Rita feel left behind at the midpoint of the movie, though this proves to be less noticeable as Wiig takes the comedy and emotion on her back and carries this film.

And ultimately that’s what defines Bridesmaids. It’s a movie about change and Annie certainly exemplifies that. Laughs and gags can come with any decent comedy but the ones that have heart to go along are the ones we remember and are the ones we care about.

So for what is shaping up as a summer full of blockbusters, Bridesmaids stands as a hidden gem, a low-budget, well-written comedy that may get lost in the mix this summer but certainly won’t be forgotten. It’s the kind of movie that will come to cult status, like Mean Girls or The Big Lebowski before it. A classic in the making.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

X-Men: First Class

by Steve Kochems

Since the post-credits surprise of Iron Man, Marvel Entertainment has pushed their focus toward the upcoming Avengers film in every other stand-alone superhero movie within their universe. With the lone exception being the blue-balling Wolverine, all things Marvel seemed ready to live and die on the success of the Avengers… until now.

X-Men: First Class is proof that Marvel Entertainment always has and will probably always have the most depth and universal success in mainstream cinema. Christopher Nolan’s Batman film’s aside, Marvel has been a slam-dunk over DC. Even if he (Nolan) were to spearhead a Justice League film, First Class does such a great job of setting the stage for more early X-Men films to come that they could strike back, should the Avenger happen to fail. The two most important characters to that universe are so fresh and well-cast; I expect a sequel to be green-lit almost immediately.

With that being said, I come to one of the few problems I have with First Class. Fox didn’t seem sure about this film, or at least they wanted a bonafied winner before they put any more money in the franchise that had clearly worn down. After the credits rolled I could only wonder how much better the movie could’ve been if it had been given the go ahead for three films rather than one. It forced director Matthew Vaughn (Kick-Ass) to skim over a few characters that desperately needed more screen time than what they were given here.

However, I can say for sure that Vaughn was smart enough to keep a film so rich with Marvel characters grounded on the two essential ones here. James McAvoy as Charles Xavier and Michael Fassenbender as Erik Lensher are outstanding choices and are the reason First Class soars above all three other X-Men films. Fassenbender’s vengeance is perfectly counterbalanced by McAvoy’s blind optimism, and all the while we get to sit watching the friendship form and eventually fall apart.

This isn’t to say that the film leaves it’s predecessors behind. The opening scene is so close to how Bryan Singer’s X-Men opens, I thought it may have been lifted straight from that film (which wouldn’t be such a surprise as Singer was a producer on First Class). There are also a few nuggets toward the possible future for die-hard fans, such as mention of William Stryker and a few nice cameos that try to keep the original X-Men films tied in (like a mutant you may see again in the very near future).

All in all, I think First Class may yet be the best film I’ve seen this year. Granted, I’m a big fan of the comic book genre and how it has evolved since the first X-Men, but any lover of good stories and character can enjoy what this film brings to the screen. I can’t help but compare it to J.J. Abrams' recent Star Trek reboot, as both franchises were in a decaying state and fresh young directors took the iconic characters, recast them into their younger forms, and brought new excitement to them that reaches beyond die-hard fans of the comics or series. It’s simply good story-telling and crisp pacing that does this and helps it appeal to the masses.

As a fan of the superhero genre and good narratives in general, my only complaint still remains that Marvel (and Fox) didn’t believe enough in the film to let it expand as they did for the eventual Avengers. Hollywood seems starved right now for a classic trilogy that doesn’t flame out in it's finale. And while The Dark Knight Rises is likely to do this, it surprises me that Marvel chose not to try and rival it right away after its two previous disappointing attempts at it (especially now that Jon Favreau will not be directing Iron Man 3).

I’m straying a bit from the film itself on this review, I know, but I just have had trouble getting over the missed opportunity here. As a kid, I truly loved spending a rainy Saturday watching all three Back to the Futures, or Indiana Jones', or Star Wars films… Hell, this past weekend I even endured all three Lord of the Rings (extended editions!). Maybe it’s just me that’s starving here, but I hope not. I hope that the next film (assuming there is one) can be as fresh and exciting as this. Then I’ll have nothing to complain about.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Pirates of the Caribbean 4: On Stranger Tides

by Steve Kochems

Pirates of the Caribbean 4: On Stranger Tides embodies so much of what is wrong with Hollywood in the last 15 years. I know, bold statement for a movie I can’t entirely trash because it’s ending begs for the audience to just accept this as a rough transition into a new set of films- but seriously, mermaids that look like vampires? C’mon Bruckheimer, you're killing me!

See, once upon a time Disney released a film about a young blacksmith who set off on a magical journey with a swarthy pirate in hopes of winning the hand of a governor’s daughter (i.e. a princess) by defeating a band of invincible and menacing pirates. It was a classic tale, not unlike The Princess Bride or the Star Wars saga before it.

However, like so many iconic characters to emerge from simplistic stories like those just mentioned, people aren’t satisfied with the taste they have been given, even if the story completes the character to a degree. I’m not judging anyone because I often feel the same way, however it can often completely ruin a character with a poorly written story or completely erode what lasting effect they previously had by over exposing us to them. The shark in Jaws is more terrifying before you see the shark- mysterious and the unknown are things we naturally fear.

With this, I get to Pirates 4, a new beginning to the series that is falling faster than Jon Edwards political career. Okay, maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but the series continues its steady slide here. Johnny Depp returns as Captain Jack Sparrow, a character he seems to have brought to every role he’s played in the last decade, and his search for the Fountain of Youth. However, Jack seems less concerned with this quest and more with who seems to be impersonating him in London for a third of the film.

Also returning to the film is Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush), who is now employed by his majesty’s royal navy to seek out the Fountain before the Spanish, and Jack’s right-hand man Mr. Gibbs, who seems dragged along more so this time than in previous adventures. Two new additions are Penelope Cruz’s Angelica, the female version of Jack, and Ian MacShane’s Black Beard, a malicious pirate who’s reputation precedes him.

Unfortunately, that reputation is supposed to carry our fear of Black Beard throughout the film. Granted, his daughter often intervenes in her pursuit to save his soul and we do see the extent of his power when he is first revealed, but he never is as cunning as Barbossa was in Curse of the Black Pearl, nor as ruthless as Davey Jones in the second or third film. Bad guys don’t back down because their daughter says so, not the ones we fear at least (Note by Mike: Steve has obviously never heard of Willow Smith...).

As for Angelica, the tone seems to want to live and die with her. When she’s happy, we should be happy. When she’s angry, we should be angry, or sad, etc. But we never get there fully because her character is so similar to Jack. When Jack is marooned in the first film, we feel his sorrow and abandonment because until that point he had been always two steps ahead of everyone. It’s also in that moment we find out his miracle escape was a fraud. He begins to question himself and we, in turn, feel that with him. Angelica is never as likable because her true intentions are kept secret and the audience is already accustom to following one character who walks the moral line. Trying to add a second doesn’t always work.

But for all my complaints, I will say that the film does try to plead itself to the viewer at the end. After the credits rolled, my first thought was that Disney shoehorned in another arc in for Jack just to move on with the series. And while it had initially angered me, I considered that maybe they knew On Stranger Tides was going to have a rough transition regardless. Dead Man’s Chest and At World’s End seemed to tire the audience out and any fresh start was still going to have to escape that shadow first.

So with that, I believe the already green-lit Pirates 5 has a lot to be optimistic about, even though On Stranger Tides is a much less than solid film.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

The Green Zone

by Steve Kochems

Most of my favorite war films are from the World War II era because it is seems to be the most justified war in modern times. It’s clear-cut who is good, who is bad, and why we care about the cause because of its time period. Even Enemy at the Gates, which has us rooting for a Soviet sniper, follows this basic format. However when we start to delve into other eras (Vietnam, Desert Storm, etc.), things begin to get a little hazier. Now, any personal opinions aside, this is strictly because these conflicts have had more grey area to deal with. In fact, it is the personal opinions (and media spins) that make them so difficult to separate who is good and bad, often resulting in conspiracy theories and wild plot twists.

With that, we get to the Matt Damon led Green Zone, a film that follows the story of Chief Roy Miller and his 85th squad of WMD searchers in Iraq. A film that’s as heavy on story and seeking the truth as an early episode of the X-Files, which comes at the cost of things that go boom. Miller (Damon) questions the authenticity of high level sources on the local of WMD’s in Iraq. This leads him on a search through the war-torn Iraq for the truth about the Intel, WMD’s, and what was used to draw the American citizens into supporting the War in Iraq.

Among the War in Iraq movies made since the war began in 2003, Green Zone does in fact stand out as one of the better done films, though not to the level of the Oscar-Winning Hurt Locker. Damon plays an excellent everyman soldier who carries the weight of this film that’s heavy in emotional proximity to its audience.

Unfortunately, Green Zone takes a solid stance on one side of the argument. And while it is widely agreed that there never were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, it is still too close in our history for me to ever want to jump on board with them. Many people today have friends or family who fought and died in a war whose justification is still up in the air, and debating it only rubs salt in those still fresh wounds.

To be frank, I think Green Zone is a well done movie through and through but its final act shoves the initial post-war reaction into our faces when many of us might not be ready for it yet. No matter what the government or media did right or wrong, the results have already happened. Soldiers who may never walk again due to shrapnel or can’t maintain normal lives because of post-traumatic stress won’t have their lives back to normal because we know the truth. For me, this film just comes too soon and might do well to sit aside for some time.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Click (2006)

by Steve Kochems

Summer is here and all the big blockbusters are around the corner. We've already seen the God of Thunder crash into theaters and Johnny Depp returned as Captain Jack Sparrow earlier this week at Cannes. But since I've been banned from international travel as a result of an empty bank account, I had to settle for Adam Sandler's comedy Click.

Now, from my point of view I think Sandler's filmography has been much like an avalanche. Billy Madison aside (though I do think it's funny), they start out with a little pebble of heart, just enough to keep you warm between the comedic gags. But as the years passed, Sandler has continued to try and shove any thematic moral he can pull out of a plot while trying to maintain its completely absurd premise. With that, we have our low point and the obliteration of Sandler's credibility for choosing good films.


But in the middle of this slow moving disaster, we have Click. A film about a workaholic (Sandler) who acquires a remote from a mysterious figure (Christopher Walken) and now has the ability to fast forward and rewind parts of his life which leads him on a journey about what should really matter in our lives. Anyone who hasn't seen the movie can still probably guess the ending.

I am curious as to how writers Steve Koren and Mark O'Keefe had originally ended the film. It seemed aching for a cold twist, not a sappy Disney ending, about the reality of how precious each minute in our lives can be. But since it's a Sandler film we know it's going to go that route no matter how big of a prick our main character can be. There were countless moments I was actually glad that this selfish jerk had terrible things happen to him and I wished the film would end there, but no, it had to keep going...

My major problem with Click is Sandler, and not just because of what attaching him to the project meant for the story but also because he is the one tasked with carrying the emotional weight of the film, i.e. why we give a crap. A good example of a film who carries a similar thematic thread but does it with much more class is Jim Carrey's Bruce Almighty. I can't help but compare the two films because they have supernatural elements given to a man in a struggling career who's trying to balance his family life with work. For that matter, you could even throw Liar, Liar into this category. The big difference here is that for some reason Sandler forgot how to carry the emotional weight of the film. Carrey has proven to be an over the top comedic actor who can still anchor a theme (even while wrestling women), but Sandler simply doesn't have it in Click.

I'd like to give him some slack though, as the supporting cast only reassure the idea that this script could have been something funny with real consequence, but whether by the studio or Sandler's attachment it reverted into a childish version of A Christmas Carol. Kate Beckinsale does a nice job as a hot actress who would like to play a loving mother/wife, but I think they were hoping that she would actually come off as a loving mother/wife.

And as much as I love Christopher Walken, I can't help but think he, like Beckinsale, is only shoehorned into this movie because of his name rather than being good for the role of Morty. Not once do we ever get the angry, sharp tone of Walken that we've all come to know, but instead he's sympathetic to the plight of humanity and comes off as stale and boring.

I might be expecting too much out of Click, true, but I don't think I should have to dumb down my hope and optimism for incredibly drawn out fart jokes that I stopped finding funny years ago, you know, like when I grew up. I do think it's got an incredibly deep premise, full of possibility but squanders all of them in exchange for childish thoughts of farts, boobs, and, well, Adam Sandler. If that's your sort of thing, then maybe you'll love Click, and bless you for doing so. I myself simply wanted to fast-forward through it.

Rating: 2 out of 5