Horrible Bosses 2 (2014) Film Review

After their adventures in the previous instalment, Dale (Charlie Day), Kurt (Jason Sudeikis) and Nick (Jason Bateman) decide to go into business for themselves with the Shower Buddy a kind of car wash for your shower. When Bert Hanson (Christoph Waltz) and his son Rex (Chris Pine) cause them to become hugely in debt, they devise a ridiculous kidnapping and extortion plan which they attempt, but give up when things don’t go to plan. Unfortunately for them, Rex has decided that it is a far better plan and blackmails them into going through with it – with him as a partner. And it gets ridiculous.

I just had a look at what I thought about he first film – I felt that it wasn’t enough story for a full film, but it was ok. Perhaps that is why I liked this one more – perhaps it had more plot, or something. At any rate, I did quite enjoy this one, with all of it’s filthy humour, and it was good to get a few callback characters like Dean ‘MF’ Jones (Jamie Foxx), Dave Harken (Kevin Spacey) and Dr Julia Harris, D.D.S. (Jennifer Aniston).

Sleeping with Other People (2015) MIFF Film Review

Lainey (Alison Brie) and Jake (Jason Sudeikis) meet at college and lose their virginity to each other, then don’t see each other for about twenty years. In this time, Jake has been wildly womanising, and Lainey has been having an on-again-off-again affair with the man she has been in love with since college, a gynecologist played by Adam Scott. Oddly, I just went searching for his character’s name, which is used a lot in the film, but seems to be missing everywhere online. Odd. Anyhow, they become mates, trying to help each other get to a healthy relationship.

I don’t think it is a brilliant film. It is certainly an interesting one as far as romantic comedies go – it doesn’t follow your standard storyline. But I loved it, and it is definitely worth watching in a cinema full of people wanting to laugh. Unless you are the woman sitting next to me who was grumpy throughout.

We’re the Millers (2013) Film Review

A small-time drug dealer, David (Jason Sudeikis) is robbed and owes his supplier a lot of money. His supplier, Brad (Ed Helms) makes him go to Mexico to pick up a ‘smidge’ of dope and bring it back, a real suicide mission. But David has the idea of travelling in a mega-caravan-truck-thing posing as a wholesome family. The problem is he is a single man. Wait! All he needs to do is get the stripper from next door (Jennifer Aniston), the weird kid downstairs who is always being abandoned by his family (Will Poulter) and a homeless chick (Emma Roberts) and he’s got a family!

I totally expected to hate this film. The premise seemed weak and I figured it would just be an awful film that I would cringe through and then slam. But it’s alright. In fact, it’s pretty good. The characters are unlikable enough, and when it turns sweet and sickly, it’s just the right balance of sweet and sickly to work really well. Plus Nick Offerman and Kathryn Hahn turn up in it, and that can never be a bad thing.

The Campaign (2012) Film Review

 

Cam Brady (Will Ferrell) has held a position as congressman in North Carolina for years, and is again running unopposed. But he continues to make major political gaffes, and uses spin to get around it. The Motch brothers (John Lithgow and Dan Akroyd), who are the faceless men behind politics, need to get someone more respectable in office to ensure their illegal Chinese labor plans get through congress. They find the most unlikely candidate, Marty Huggins (Zach Galifianakis), an eccentric director of a small town tourist centre.

There’s a lot to love in this film. Seeing Will Ferrell punch a baby was definitely a highlight – horrifically detailed slow-motion CGI that is oh-so-wrong, but just worked. Plus, whilst Galifianakis plays an eccentric, the portrayal doesn’t seem to have that cruel edge that a lot of comedy has had over the last few years.

Whilst I enjoyed the film, I felt it didn’t stay strong for the full 85 minutes. The story just seemed to drop off by the end. Good for a laugh, sure, and a lot funnier than I had expected, but not totally grouse.