The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (2013) Film Review

Burt Wonderstone (Steve Carell) and Anton Marvelton (Steve Buscemi) have a steady gig in Vegas, playing the same show they’ve done a thousand times, and crowds are dwindling. Their boss, Doug Munny (James Gandolfini) is urging them to get interesting, like new face on the scene, Steve Gray (Jim Carrey). Gray doesn’t wear a flashy costume, and his tricks are more like endurance events, and tend to be way gross. After a failed attempt to compete, Anton walks away leaving Burt to reassess. And even though his new stage girl, Jane (Olivia Wilde) shows all faith in him, and wants to help him, it takes old-timer Rance Holloway (Alan Arkin) to bring his love of magic back.

Yawn. You know, I love Steve Carell and Jim Carrey, and I love that they get to play ridiculous characters every so often. But it is boring. Expert in something who is at the top of his field gets shafted in some way and falls to pieces, but with the help of a beautiful woman who has absolutely no reason to fall for such a misogynistic ass and a bit of willpower, he claws his way back to the top. It’s the same story as Anchorman, and Blades of Glory, and Zoolander and and and…. Boring. It was a nice touch having Steve Buscemi in it, but you can’t polish a turd. Not even Steve Buscemi can fix this.

Kick-Ass 2 (2013) Film Review

It is some time after the first Kick-Ass. Dave (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) has given up his Kick-Ass activities for his girlfriend, but they break up fairly quickly. Mindy (Chloe Grace Moretz) is living with her dad, Detective Marcus Williams (Morris Chestnut) and, after being sprung training with Dave, vows to give up the superhero life. Then a bunch of popular kids shame her and she vows vengeance. Meanwhile, Dave has hooked up with a group of other folks playing at superhero, and Chris D’Amico (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) after accidentally killing his mother in a most magnificent manner, decides that he wants to be the most evil supervillain.

It’s as violent, gory, gross and magnificent, still funny, not quite the charm of the first film, but still worth a look.

I Love You Phillip Morris (2009) Film Review

What happens when you get Jim Carrey to play a super gay character? You get a terrible film. Not even Ewan McGregor could fix it. (Side note: I think Jim Carrey can do a lot better than this in dramatic roles. I think it is more that the film went for a crazy comedy vibe that didn’t work at all).

Essentially, it is a film telling the true story of a Steven Jay Russell (Jim Carrey) who was a policeman, a husband and a father who has a car accident and realises that he is gay, so he becomes super, super gay. Totally massive and bordering on offensive stereotyping. He does a whole heap of embezzling and ends up in jail where he meets Phillip Morris (Ewan McGregor) and falls in love.

It was just tedious and unbelievable and felt as though it missed all of the drama in pursuing crazy laughs. I wonder if the story itself will ever be retold, but as a dark comedy rather than a piece of slapstick ridiculousness.

Liar Liar (1997) Film Review

Fletcher Reede(Jim Carrey) is a lawyer who is constantly lying and letting down his son, Max (Justin Cooper). It’s driving his ex-wife Audrey (Maura Tierney) crazy, and sending her into the arms of her new but somewhat boring new boyfriend, Jerry (Cary Elwes). After his father misses his birthday, Max wishes that for just a day, his father couldn’t lie. And it comes true.

I really like the premise, but felt that it was ruined by over-Carrey-ing. I’m a big fan of Jim Carrey, however I am finding that I really cannot be bothered with the real over-the-top stuff. Had the film pulled back a bit, it is entirely possibly it wouldn’t have had the box office success, but I may have enjoyed it more.

Earth Girls Are Easy (1988) Film Review

Valerie(Geena Davis) is having problems with her cheating fiancé, Ted (Charles Rocket). After kicking him out, a spaceship lands in her pool and out come three hairy aliens; Mac (Jeff Goldblum), Wiploc (Jim Carrey) and Zeebo (Damon Wayans). With the help of her friend Candy (Julie Brown), they scrub up to be pretty handsome, and all kinds of crazy things occur. Especially when Wiploc and Zeebo are taken to the beach by stoner pool-cleaner Woody (Michael McKean).

This is one of the silliest films ever made, and I totally love it. It’s totally cheesy, including the songs (oh, yes. It’s a musical) but what I really love is seeing these actors jut playing fun times.

 

 

Horton Hears a Who! (2008) Film Review

 

Horton (Jim Carrey) is an elephant who discovers a microscopic community, lead by the Mayor (Steve Carrell) living on a speck of dust. He becomes their protector, trying to save them against the evil Kangaroo (Carol Burnett) who wants to destroy them, to stop the creatures in this world believing in things they can’t see.

 

I’m not sure how close this is to the original book; if there really is the angst between the Mayor and his emo teenage son or what. Whatever, though. This is what it is; a pretty decent kids film. The animation is beautiful, there is a bit of humour, and the ‘message’ is not bad:  “A person’s a person no matter how small”

 

 

Dumb and Dumber (1994) Film Review

I’ve been looking over the films I’ve reviewed and wondering what my opinions say about me. There are so many films that seem to be artistically acclaimed, telling deep and meaningful stories and bringing a lot to the world, yet I find them boring or a waste of time. And then something like this; a very stupid, low-brow, slapstick comedy with plenty of poo and fart jokes, and I love it. Whatever it says about me; I don’t care.

Harry (Jeff Daniels) and Lloyd (Jim Carrey) are two men with extremely low intellects who keep each other entertained and somehow make their way through life. They find a briefcase that they need to return to Mary (Lauren Holly) and so take a road trip across the country.

I love it. It’s stupid and ridiculous and I just totally love it. Though I’ve never attempted the prequel, Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry met Lloyd (not by the same directors, writers or with the same actors) and I am vaguely dreading the sequel Dumb and Dumber To  -due in our cinemas 2014.

 

Fun With Dick and Jane (2005) Film Review

Lately, for no known reason, I have been re-watching films which I didn’t much like the first time. Seems ridiculous, I know. Having spent an hour and a half of my life watching something crap, why repeat it? Yet, several of these films that I didn’t like first time, I’ve really enjoyed second time around. Like this film.

The story goes that Dick (Jim Carey) and Jane (Tea Leoni) are a wealthy couple with a small child in a suburb where everything is about keeping up with the neighbours. Then, Dick is put into a position of being the face of a company that suddenly crashes due to nefarious dealings by the company head, Jack McCallister (Alec Baldwin) and their lives unravel.

It is much more cleverly written than I recall. I think that it could have been a far better film with the same premise had it been a lot less over-the-top, however perhaps losing the physical comedy and ridiculousness would destroy any way of making the film work. I do like Jim Carey, although this is far from his best role. I doubt I’ll ever watch it again, but if it comes on telly and there’s nothing else on, I’ll probably have a chuckle or two.

The Truman Show (1998) Film Review

Truman Burbank is born into a perfect town – he has people who care for him and everything seems to go his way. There’s a reason for this – he is the star of the longest-running reality television show. The world has followed his life from his birth through his childhood, teenage years and marriage, but he is beginning to realise that things are not as they seem.

It’s been a long time since I’ve seen this, so I was pretty happy to have it turn up on television. It is an excellently structured film, extremely well written and directed, and the acting is marvellous. I really appreciated just how quickly the premise of the film was set up, showing Truman in his daily life, yet very quickly showing his questioning of his life when a light falls from the sky into the street near him. So concise and perfect.

It’s funny and emotional without being overly cheesy. For me, any film that I’ve seen several times that can still make me cry is a top flick.

The Truman Show was nominated for Oscars for Best Supporting Actor (Ed Harris), Best Director (Peter Weir) and Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen.