Critical Capsule: Game Night

This movie was a complete surprise. Don’t get me wrong, I am not calling great or anything, but it is genuinely funny, involving, and actually kept me guessing throughout. Game Night is a legitimately fun movie that just when you think you see where it is going, it swerves and changes everything. I liked the cast, Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams are a good lead pair. I also liked that the makers tried to do stuff with the style to further the concept of games, most notably using tilt shift to make the town look like a game board and the cars as game pieces. This is he sort of surprise I like to have, when hoping to be entertained, and walk away genuinely liking it.

Movie Review: The Gift (2015)

The Gift is a mediocre summer thriller that feels like what it must be like to read an airport drugstore thriller. It has all the elements needed to tell the story and on the surface is compelling enough, but it fails to really do anything other than go through the motions. It is a movie that involves the audience, but while it gives the semblance of depth, it seems more content to just sit on the surface and let the audience bring their own ideas to it, like a “Choose Your Own Adventure” book, only it gives the plot and you have to give it character.

Movie Review: This is Where I Leave You

There are many who would question my decision to go and see This is Where I Leave You. By and large they would be right to raise the question. While at times I do a pretty good job of avoiding certain movies, other times I am sitting through it before I even realize what is happening. I am pretty sure that is what happened here, or I was blinded by a cast that includes Tina Fey and Jason Bateman. You have to admit, that would seem to be a great pairing, plus, add in a supporting cast that has Rose Byrne, Timothy Olyphant, Adam Driver, and Kathryn Hahn, and you are looking pretty good. Just set aside whatever your feelings are for Jane Fonda.

Movie Review: Bad Words

A comedy about competitive spelling sounds like a good idea, on paper anyway. Sounds like a biting satire waiting to happen and in the hands of a more skilled creative team, that may be what we would get. However, what we have is a pairing of first time writer and first time director, both of whom seem to play it safe, leaving us with a tepid film with few genuine laughs. It seems like material better suited for the likes of Christopher Guest. The film, cleverly titled Bad Words, appears to use Bad Santa as its template with a foul mouthed adult striking up a friendship with an outsider youngster.

Movie Trailer: Bad Words - Red Band

Well, doesn't this look like a slice of inappropriate fun? Jason Bateman takes to the director's chair and directs himself in this comedy about a grown man in kids spelling bees and a new friend that he makes. I'd be lying if the trailer didn't make me laugh. This red-band trailer for Bad Words is NSFW: