Get Him to the Greek
It seemed a bit strange that Forgetting Sarah Marshall should be sequelised via the supporting character of Aldous Snow (Russell Brand), especially when Get Him to the Greek recasts Jonah Hill as a completely new character (he had previously played a resort waiter in the previous film). However, when you're as hot and topical as Russell Brand I guess any vehicle will do to capitalise on it... and we should be thankful that this should be the film to do it as it happens to be really quite good. Get Him to the Greek is very firmly in the Judd Apatow 'bromance' mode, but the bad-boy rock n roll theatrics of Aldous Snow gives the subgenre some fresh new material to mine. It helps that the film doesn't fall into the trap of making Snow too alienating, and Jonah Hill is suprisingly likeable in his first comedic film lead. Highlights include P. Diddy as a wiley record executive, Aldous Snow's songs, and a furry wall. The film also wins points for it's sense of heart.
DIRECTOR: Nicholas Stoller
WRITER/SOURCE: Written by Nicholas Stoller, based on a character created by Jason Segal for Forgetting Sarah Marshall.
KEY ACTORS: Russell Brand, Jonah Hill, Rose Byrne, Colm Meaney, Sean 'P. Diddy' Combs, Aziz Ansari, Carla Gallo, Elisabeth Moss
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Baby Mama
Tiny Fey has been riding high ever since she created hit comedy series 30 Rock, so it was only a matter of time before she was given a chance to star in her own film and make an even bigger splash. Baby Mama isn't that film... it's an entertaining enough odd-couple comedy but it's also very unambitious and underachieving. Also, relegating Fey into the straightwoman role opposite professional nutcase Amy Poehler doesn't do the film any favours. Despite it's whackier notions, it sometimes veers too much into romantic comedy territory (the schmaltzy soundtrack is the biggest offender here) and both leads just come across as annoying. Steve Martin has the 'showy' supporting role as a hip, new-age businessman but it isn't particularly funny - much like this harmless, inoffensive film.
DIRECTOR: Michael McCullers
WRITER/SOURCE: Michael McCullers
KEY ACTORS: Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Greg Kinnear, Dax Shepherd, Steve Martin, Romany Malco, Sigourney Weaver, Maura Tierney
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Run Fatboy Run
If I was cynical (and I am) I would boil down this film as thus: American actor turned first-time film director tries to sneak into the market by doing a 'feel good' British underdog comedy. David Schwimmer may not be as hopeless as his character on the TV sitcom Friends, but there's something about him crossing the Atlantic to make his first film that feels a bit like cheating to me - so I'm counting this as an American comedy. Run Fatboy Run wasn't all that well-received upon release but I actually liked it despite its faults. Simon Pegg plays the titular fatboy, a self-absorbed manchild who is yet to properly face up to his responsibilities as a father, and despite his character's more selfish qualities Pegg earns our sympathy as the film progresses. He has a big mistake behind him and he has to fight the odds to prove (both to us and his former fiance) that he can change. It's a fairly by-the-numbers and cliched plot, but it's fun and it has heart. The characters are realistic rather than over-the-top... for instance, Hank Azaria plays the film's 'bad guy', an arrogant and mean-spirited character that doesn't come across as cartoonish and actually exhibits some remorse when he screws up. As likeable as the film is, I will warn you - be prepared for an unusually high amount of jokes built around men having no pants on.
DIRECTOR: David Schwimmer
WRITER/SOURCE: Written by Michael Ian Black and Simon Pegg.
KEY ACTORS: Simon Pegg, Thandie Newton, Hank Azaria, Dylan Moran, Harish Patel, Steven Merchant, David Walliams
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Cop Out
Not just a clever name, this film actually is a cop out. Teaming up Bruce Willis and SNL/30 Rock star Tracy Morgan as a pair of cops in what is supposed to be a reflexive comedy that pays homage to the buddy cop films of the 1980s, Cop Out fails to raise anything approaching actual laughter. The script relies too heavily on people thinking that endless swearing is funny, Bruce Willis gives the kind of bored and boring performance that should be well below his sense of professionalism, and the storyline and action are so flat and unenthusiastic that it might as well be a straight-to-video Steven Seagal movie. Tracy Morgan tries hard to bring some laughs but a lot of his performance relies on a genuine rapport between himself and Willis, and there isn't one. The film's only saving grace (and I'm a little shocked to say this) is Seann William Scott as the amusing Joe Pesci/Lethal Weapon-homage character. Kevin Smith gets points for coaxing musician Harold Faltermeyer out of retirement to compose a very authentic-sounding 80s action film soundtrack, but beyond that the film is a waste of space.
DIRECTOR: Kevin Smith
WRITER/SOURCE: Written by Robb Cullen and Mark Cullen
KEY ACTORS: Bruce Willis, Tracy Morgan, Seann William Scott, Kevin Pollak, Adam Brody, Michelle Tractenberg, Rashida Jones, Jason Lee, Guillermo Diaz
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Hot Tub Time Machine
A lot of critics and fans saw this as the next Hangover (in regards to the characters, unpredictable plot and the no-holds-barred approach to comedy) and whilst I can see how the comparison fits, I think it's a disservice to both films as they're both independently entertaining and very funny on their own terms. The title of Hot Tub Time Machine alone was enough to make me laugh, but the fact that it revisits the 1980s with John Cusack and Crispin Glover in tow makes it an innate winner. A lot of people singled out Rob Corddry as the standout actor but I think his character was a bit too self-consciously crafted as the 'funny' one... for my money it's Craig Robinson who steals the show (even if he is doing the same character he did in Zack and Miri Make a Porno). This is the sort of film that's best understood just by experiencing it and letting the laughter flow.
DIRECTOR: Steve Pink
WRITER/SOURCE: Josh Heald, Sean Anders and John Morris.
KEY ACTORS: John Cusack, Rob Corddry, Craig Robinson, Clark Dukes, Crispin Glover, Chevy Chase, Lizzy Caplan, Lyndsy Fonseca
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Date Night
I mentioned earlier that Baby Mama wasn't the film to make Tina Fey a successful film lead... well, this team up of Fey and Steve Carrell is that film. Going against convention by making it's two lead characters a married couple, Date Night is more plot than character-drama - combining a one-night action thriller plot with two very unsuitable characters. Date Night goes beyond the 'everything-goes-wrong' comedy cliche to throw these middle-aged muddlers smack bang into a police-corruption conspiracy. And as funny as the film and it's supporting cast might be, it never forgets to keep the stakes serious enough to drive the film to it's marvellous conclusion. A great film (and, poetically, a perfect date night movie - one that combines action with romance and comedy). Also watch out for a fun cameo from James Franco.
DIRECTOR: Shawn Levy
WRITER/SOURCE: Josh Klausner
KEY ACTORS: Steve Carrell, Tina Fey, Mark Wahlberg, Taraji P. Henson, Jimmi Simpson, Common, William Fichtner, Mark Ruffalo, Mila Kunis, James Franco, Kristen Wiig, Ray Liotta
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Couples Retreat
This is basically a film about fat, middle-aged douchebags with improbably hot wives. Vince Vaughn just isn't funny or likeable, and Jon Favreau's part is downright repulsive and tasteless. This might've been a better film if they'd just focused on one or two couples rather than four... the result is a meandering comedy of set pieces that doesn't really go anywhere. The film's script is also completely without focus... who is driving the plot here? Where is the humour coming from? Are we laughing at the couples or at the resort? What is the selling point of this film other than the half-bankable actors and actresses they've overpaid to be in it? The film should've been more about the resort when you consider that the film is named after it... instead it's just a bunch of smug actors mistakenly thinking they're making a comedy with a point.
DIRECTORS: Peter Billingsley
WRITER/SOURCE: Jon Favreau, Vince Vaughn and Dana Cox.
KEY ACTORS: Vince Vaughn, Kristen Stewart, Jon Favreau, Malin Akerman, Kristen Davis, Jason Bateman, Jean Reno, Temeura Morrison, Faizon Love
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The Other Guys
This is probably the sort of film that Cop Out should've been. The Other Guys wins points for actively targetting a single trope of the buddy-cop action subgene - the other detectives who feature in the background while the heroes do amazingly heroic things. Here the heroes are played by Samuel L. Jackson and Dwayne Johnson, with Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell waiting on the sidelines for their moment in the sun. Ferrell breaks away from his dumb-guy schtick to play the cliched and uptight by-the-book detective, whilst Mark Wahlberg is perfectly cast as the incredibly angry cop who can't help but throw furniture around when things don't go right. Both have a lot of fun with their roles, and the film around them actually subverts the genre by focusing on financial fraud as the source of drama. Director Adam McKay (Step Brothers, Anchorman) also pulls out all the stops to employ some flashy techniques for the action sequences - obviously enjoying the chance to stretch his talents beyond the realm of comedy. I really enjoyed this film, and it successfully pays hilarious homage to the buddy-cop genre without revisiting the things that often gave those 1980s flicks such a short shelf-life.
DIRECTOR: Adam McKay
WRITER/SOURCE: Adam McKay and Chris Henchy
KEY ACTORS: Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Samuel L. Jackson, Dwayn 'The Rock' Johnson, Eva Mendes, Damon Wayons Jr., Michael Keaton, Steve Coogan
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Grown Ups
Possibly the worst film that Adam Sandler has ever made, Grown Ups is the self-indulgent all-star Happy Madison equivalent of Sinatra's Ocean's 11. Chock full of half-developed character arcs and with no real plot to speak of, this film features Sandler heading up a cast of all his mates as they roll out the same tired jokes over and over again. David Spade is superfluous to the film, Chris Rock's talents are completely wasted (though he does get to deliver the film's one good joke; "These are my white people"), and Rob Schneider continues to shamelessly prove that no film or character is below him. Extremely unfunny and not worth your time.
DIRECTOR: Dennis Dugan
WRITER/SOURCE: Adam Sandler and Fred Wolf
KEY ACTORS: Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Salma Hayek, Chris Rock, David Spade, Rob Schneider, Maria Bello, Maya Rudolph, Steve Buscemi, Tim Meadows
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Hamlet 2
Steve Coogan remains a cult figure who is yet to properly capitalise on the promise of his television work in I'm Alan Partridge. The concept of Hamlet 2 - gormless drama teacher re-envisions Hamlet as a time-travelling Jesus-musical in redneck Arizona - should be enough to sell this film as a winner. Strangely, it fails miserably despite the appealingly ridiculous premise and the presence of Coogan in a lead role. At first it looks like the film is setting out to parody teacher-student films and all their cliches, but it's just that little bit too self-aware and self-conscious. Coogan does a decent enough job as the failed-actor and all-round embarrasing teacher, but it really should've been a lot better. The jokes themselves aren't unfunny (indeed, it's worth watching if only for the song Rock Me Sexy Jesus) it's more that the comic timing feels completely off and that the film is evidently poorly directed. Parts of it are bit too random and unexplained - why exactly is Elisabeth Shue playing herself in this film? Also, why do these kids even want to be in the teacher's play? The motivations aren't really made clear, and the film falls flat in a very big way.
DIRECTOR: Andrew Fleming
WRITER/SOURCE: Andrew Fleming and Pam Brady
KEY ACTORS: Steve Coogan, Catherine Keener, David Arquette, Elisabeth Shue, Amy Poehler
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