Ted: A Major Contender for the Year's Best Comedy

As a passionate hater of all things Family Guy, Ted sounded like a horrible idea, even with the impressive cast it Seth MacFarlane assembled. The idea of a animated teddy bear cursing, doing drugs, and having sex with trashy girls didn't sound appealing at all. It just sounded annoying. I was wrong. Ted is a wonderful comedy, one that manages to keep you laughing the whole way through and manages to have some genuine heart shine through as well.

Ask anyone, it takes a lot for me to get passionate about a comedy. Maybe I'm just hard to please, but films like The Hangover or virtually anything starring Adam Sandler rank among some of the worst movies I've seen. Ted is a welcome exception to that tradition, thanks, in part, to MacFarlane's wonderful script. Ted never takes its ridiculous premise too seriously, but develops it well enough to make it more interesting than you'd expect. And, while the film certainly wears it's R rating on it's sleeve, the tone is surprisingly sweet, almost like a grown up version of the Tom Hank's classic Big. Along with all the pot smoking and sex jokes, audiences see a surprisingly tender romance, just the right amount of quirk, dark humor, self awareness and, most importantly, a completely realistic and compelling relationship between Ted and John.

That takes me to the acting in the film, which is uniformly solid. Mark Wahlberg is a decidedly hit or miss actor. He either turns in a wonderful performance (The Departed), is a great film's weakest link (Boogie Nights) or just all sorts of terrible (Fear, Planet of the Apes, Rock Star). His performance in Ted turns out to be one of his best. The entire film relies on his relationship with Ted, requiring Wahlberg to convincingly share the scene with a computer generated teddy bear. That's something very few actors can pull off, but Wahlberg does the job nicely, toning down his movie star nature to play a relatable man-child the audience can root for, even when he's doing wrong. That being said, it's MacFarlane who steals the show. It may only be his voice in the film, but that's not to say that he isn't the best thing about the film. His characterization of Ted is so well thought out, entirely convincing and, most importantly, hilarious. As for the supporting cast, virtually everybody does a good job, even if important characters like Mila Kunis don't have too much to do.

Ted, a film I couldn't care less about prior to seeing it, has become one of my favorite films of the year and one of the few films I'd pay to see in theaters for a second time. It's wonderful entertainment, well made, and truly hilarious. If you don't mind some very crude humor, give it a try, you won't be sorry.

OVERALL GRADE A-

The Amazing Spider-Man: Not Amazing, But Certainly Not Terrible

Let's just get this straight, I don't hate remakes. I don't even hate the idea of remakes. Sure, certain movies should never, ever, ever be remade by anyone. But, at the same time, certain films both good or bad, could be very interesting or, dare I say, done better by another artist's interpretation. So, no, I don't hate remakes. Not one bit. 


That being said, while I was never against a re-make of Sam Raimi's Spider-Man, I wasn't exactly begging for one either. Don't get me wrong, I hated Spider-Man 3 with every fiber of my being, but did I really need to see my favorite web crawler swinging through the streets of Manhattan yet again? No. And I really wasn't interested in seeing his origin again, even with a new cast and more modern special effects. But, The Amazing Spider-Man had the talent necessary to convince me that maybe, just maybe, a remake (I'm sorry, 're-imaginig') of Spider-Man could be better than the original. A talented director, two of the best rising stars in Hollywood, state of the art 3-D effects, and a few great trailers. I was pumped. But, while The Amazing Spider-Man wasn't a bad film by any means, it was definitely hindered by some major flaws and doesn't even hold a candle to the first two Raimi films. 


The best thing about The Amazing Spider-Man was actually the worst thing about the Spider-Man trilogy, and that's the casting. Each actor is perfectly cast in TASM. Andrew Garfiled is wonderful, constantly charismatic, tough when he needs to be, and utterly convincing in the role. I'm a straight man, completely confident with my sexuality but, hell, Garfield was so damn lovable that I almost fell for him too. Almost. Emma Stone also turned in a strong performance, even if she's not as memorable as she was in her other films. Thanks in part to the writing, Stone makes Gwen Stacy more than just the girl-next-door archetype we've come to expect from the series, and much more than a damsel in distress. But, stealing the show is Dennis Leary as Captain Stacy. Leary was wonderful, turning in one of the best performances of the year. His performance was so compelling I'd pay another $14.50 to watch a spin-off entirely about his character.

The action, while not entirely memorable, is also well staged an exciting. Thanks to some truly wonderful special effects and great use of 3D (I'm not a huge supporter of the medium, but I recommend paying the extra bucks to see this film in it) the action is exciting and a lot of fun to watch. The original Spider-Man was one of my very first favorite films, and watching the action scenes from it makes me feel like an 8 year old again. While those scenes in TASM weren't that good, those action scenes certainly made me feel young(er) again.

But, then, there's the problems. The big problems. The main one being the film's villain. Honestly, was including the Lizard an afterthought for the writers? He's one of the absolute worst villains I've ever seen in a comic book movie! He is, essentially, thrown into the film after it's already half over, and his motive and 'evil plan' feels only half thought. Not to mention that he's not exactly that threatening and whoever had the idea to have the Lizard talk in a completely unaffected British accent deserves to be fired.

Also annoying is the fact that, even with some additional twists and a little mystery thrown in to keep us on our toes, the overall origin of Spidey is essentially the same and, even with better actors, it feels like we're watching the same movie over again. I tried hard to care about Uncle Ben and that fateful spider-bite again, but I simply couldn't.

The Amazing Spider-Man is a good movie, and one of the better summer blockbusters of the year. That being said, if you're expecting to be swept away by the film and already plan to pre-order your tickets for the sequel (which is already scheduled for May 2014, by the way) then you might be disappointed. As for me, I liked this film, but when I'm itching for a Spider-Man fix, I'll return to the Raimi version.

OVERALL GRADE: B-

What I Loved (And Didn't Love At All) About The Dark Knight Rises...

I've literally started writing a review for The Dark Knight Rises four times but I feel like it's almost impossible to do so. The most amazing thing about this film is that I both completely love and utterly loathe certain aspects of this film. That being said, I feel like it'd be better for me to review the film in list form. So, as I'm going to be spoiling the film in my list, let me just say this for those that have not seen the film: as a whole, I really liked the film. For all it's flaws, I think it's a good movie and, out of the five films in contention for a spot on my Top 10 of the year, it's number 3. It has a good chance at being one of my very favorite films of the year. I don't think it revolutionized the comic book genre or that it's one of the best films I've ever seen, but that's ok. It's a good movie and if you see it, I feel confident in saying that you'll get your money's worth in entertainment. That being said, major spoilers follow:

Rock of Ages: Movie Review

In a weird way, Rock of Ages isn't all that different from the 80s rock songs it showcases. With very few exceptions, a majority of 80s rock is cheesy, over the top, and is enjoyed ironically by modern listeners. Rock of Ages isn't all that different. While it's (fairly) enjoyable, it is most certainly not a 'good' movie/

Opening with one of the cheesiest movie-musical moments this side of High School Musical, the oh-so conveniently named Sherrie Christian arrives in Hollywood with a suitcase full of records and very little cash (because, if you are a talented singer and truly love rock music, there is no problem with that plan). She quickly finds herself working in The Bourbon Room, a sleazy bar well known for being the starting place for many of rock's greatest legends, including Stacee Jax. Jax is a sexist, alcoholic, and washed up rock legend who will be returning to the Bourbon Room for a farewell concert which will, hopefully, save the bar from closing down. A bunch of other stuff goes on too: Sherrie falls in love with an aspiring rock star and, naturally, complications ensue. Catherine Zeta Jones shows up every once in a while to talk about shutting down the Bourbon Room. Mary J. Blige owns a strip club and sings a lot. Characters become so upset with their relationship drama that they become strippers and/or boy band members. A monkey wears a dictator outfit and throws stuff around rooms. And, of course, everybody breaks out into song and the purity of rock music is celebrated (even though, let's face it, the fact that all these songs are appearing in a musical shows that the music industry is fueled by business, not passion.)

This may sound like a negative review but, in fact, I did enjoy some of what  Rock of Ages had to offer and certainly don't regret spending $10 on it.  The movie is fast paced, the dance numbers are well choreographed, and the music is, well, about as enjoyable as most 80s rock, with the added benefit of seeing A-list stars belting the tunes. Some songs work better than others, sure. The highlight of the film is (easily) the strip-club set rendition of "Any Way You Want It", while other songs (like the completely unnecessary "I Can't Fight This Feeling" or an uncomfortably long version of "I Want to Know What Love Is") fall flat. But, the film manages to be enjoyable throughout and throws so much at you that it's hard to ever get bored.

Also adding to the film's entertainment factor is Tom Cruise. Whatever the media may paint Cruise to be, there is no denying that he's a talented actor who will give 100% to a role, no matter what is asked of him. Playing shock rocker Stacee Jax may not be his most challenging role, or even his best, but he is definitely the number one reason to check out the film. As for the rest of the cast, the film does a poor job of giving everybody enough time to shine, regardless of how talented they may be. Leads Jullianne Hough and Diego Boneta are good enough to carry the film, but don't expect either of them to win an Oscar any time soon. Alec Baldwin and Catharine Zeta Jones are clearly having a great time singing and dancing and are a lot of fun to watch, but they both don't have anywhere near enough screen time to make their characters worth remembering. Malin Akerman is given a completely unnesescary role that requires her to strip down to her bra and panties and mimic sex positions with Cruise. Russell Brand will either annoy you or entertain you, depending on whether or not you appreciate his comedic stylings. And Mary J. Blige, quite simply, seems completely miscast. Honestly, Rock of Ages is the sort of film that won't leave you feeling guilty for watching, but won't exactly fall in love with either. There is just as many problems as there are positive attributes in this film, and the joys of 80s rock can only take you so far.

The idea of 'purity in music' may be a bit cheesy and even questionable, but we've seen such an idea seem completely legitimate in classics such as Almost Famous, cult films like Empire Records or even pretty forgettable ones, like Reality Bites. Yet, Rock of Ages seems almost completely commercial and superficial so, as the credits prepare to role and Diego Boneta celebrates the fact that rock will never die, it comes off as cheesy and obnoxious. There's nothing wrong with the fact that the film incorporates previously recorded hits but, to dress itself up as some sort of portrait of the greatness of rock 'n roll is self righteous. I won't deny it, I actually enjoyed watching this film and loved Tom Cruise's performance. But, with a messy script, hit-or-miss casting, and more cheesiness than the director intended to incorporate, the film is far from a great one. Yes, Diego Boneta, rock 'n roll may never die. But by the end of the year, I'm fairly certain this film will be all but forgotten.

OVERALL GRADE: C+