This Is a (Quickie) Movie Review: The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2

December 21, 2015

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Mockingjay2

The final installment of The Hunger Games is a collection of several great scenes and production details, but the overall product is not commensurately impressive. I bemoaned the announcement that the final book would be split into two movies, and the end result did not disabuse me of this notion. As the rebel fighters make their way to the Capitol, they are bombarded by a succession of ingeniously fiendish mutants and booby traps; they are the dangers of the hunger games themselves unleashed. The rebels are more impressed than intimidated, noting that the gamemakers have not stopped doing their jobs, even though the official games are no more. It is like a large-scale, lethally high-stakes Home Alone. There is plenty of room to draw out thematic points on this canvas, but the approach Part 2 (and Part 1) takes is not ideal for underscoring them. More close-ups of Jennifer Lawrence’s preternaturally expressive face might have helped.

This Is a (Quickie) Movie Review: The Peanuts Movie

December 21, 2015

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Peanuts

How old are Charlie Brown and the rest of the Peanuts gang? Their constant concern about interpersonal relationship dynamics in their latest cinematic iteration would suggest that they are at least preteens, but part of the conceit of Charles Schulz’s creations is how wise (and neurotic, introspective, fastidious, etc.) beyond their years they are. The Peanuts Movie makes it clear that Sally is in kindergarten, and we know her big brother is only a couple of years older. Thus, it is so endearingly hilarious that Charlie frets over the possibility of going into escrow upon being paired up with the Little Red-Haired Girl on a book report assignment. The emotions these kids wear may be many sizes too big, but the values they display – loyalty, respect, individualism, joie de vivre – are timelessly adult.

SNL Recap December 19, 2015: Tina Fey and Amy Poehler/Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band

December 20, 2015

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SNL: Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band (CREDIT: YouTube Screenshot)

This review was originally posted on Starpulse in December 2015.

“SNL’s” Christmas episodes often have a homecoming feel, insofar as good vibes are easier to come by than usual, and visits from old friends are part of the deal. Usually sports teams designate a winnable game as homecoming, because nobody wants to lose homecoming. So it only makes sense when the “SNL” Christmas lineup features as co-hosts two of the show’s most famous alums who have developed quite the comedic partnership, and as musical guest one of the most iconic rock stars of all time who has a beloved Christmas song in his arsenal. It would take a lot of effort to screw this one up.

Republican Presidential Debate – The GOP primary circus is a bit of a boon but also a formidable challenge for “SNL’s” political machine. The endless supply of candidates ensures plenty of buffoonery but makes for material that is by definition unfocused. Sketches that cruise through a menagerie of characters are reliable for a few laughs, but they are rarely classics. The best political moments have one or two star impressions. Who is the star of this sketch? Is it Darrell Hammond dropping in for his iconic Trump, Beck Bennett as a wimpy Jeb Bush, or is the star the lack of a true star? The best impression is probably Jay Pharoah’s Ben Carson, but he does not have the screen time to show for it. This is all to say, there is plenty of quality here, but it’s all just crowding each other out. B-

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What Won TV? – December 13-December 19, 2015

December 20, 2015

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In this feature, I look back at each day of the past week and determine what shows “won TV” for the night. That is, I consider every episode of television I watched that aired on a particular day and declare which was the best.

amy-tina-bruce

Sunday – The Last Man on Earth
Monday – Fargo ended Season 2 on its own terms.
Tuesday – Jeopardy!
Wednesday – Jeopardy!
Thursday – Billy on the Street (but Honorable Mention to The Big Bang Theory for its most tender episode ever)
Friday – Jeopardy!
Saturday – Lola Fabray performing “12 Days of Christmas” after putting 12 shots of rum in her eggnog on SNL

East West Bowl 3: Pro Edition Lineups

December 18, 2015

jmunney Key & Peele, Sports, Television , , Leave a comment

This one is sure to be the most extravagant.

EAST
Creme De La Creme, Vanderbilt University
Cosgrove Shumway, Clemson
Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, University of Alabama
Doink Ahanahue, Marshall
Legume Duprix, West Virginia University
Leger Douzable, University of Central Florida
Quisperny G’Dunzoid Sr., Central Connecticut State University
Grunky Peep, Georgia Southern University
D’Brickashaw Ferguson, University of Virginia
Strunk Flugget, University of South Carolina
Stumptavian Roboclick, Grambling State
Cornelius ‘Tank’ Carradine, Florida State University
Vagonius Thicket-Suede, Duke
Marmadune Shazbot, Tulane University
Swordless Mimetown, Jacksonville State University

WEST
Prince Amukamara, University of Nebraska
J.R. Junior Juniors Jr., Texas Christian University
Faux Doadles, University of Oregon
Fozzy Whittaker, The University of Texas
Myriad Profiteroles, Utah
Busters Brownce, Illinois State
Turdine Cupcake, Yuniaty (?)
Rerutweeds Myth, University of Washington (“Washingtwon”)
Ishmaa’ily Kitchen, Kent State University
Takittothu’ Limit, College of the Canyons
Snarf Mintz-Plasse, East Los Angeles College
Frostee Rucker, University of Southern California
Splendiferous Finch, Northwestern University
Triple Parakeet-Shoes, Ball State
Logjammer D’Baggagecling, North Texas University
A.A. Ron Rodgers, Cal

This Is a Movie Review: Spectre

December 18, 2015

jmunney Cinema, Movie Reviews 2 Comments

Spectre

The truth about Franz Oberhauser (Christoph Waltz), the all-reaching villain of Spectre, is the truth about EVERYTHING in the Daniel Craig Bond-era. This is incalculably dumb. And yet somehow I love it. That is to say, I love it because of how dumb it is. It plays not too differently from the reveal in Austin Powers in Goldmember, which makes sense considering that this entry is the first that really allows Craig to be the wisecracking Bond of old. On a serious note, Spectre’s reflexivity does do a fine job of acknowledging how legitimately devastated Bond has been by the losses of Eva Green’s Vesper Lynd and Judi Dench’s M.

As Dr. Madeleine Swann, Léa Seydoux is engineered to be the (too-)perfect Bond girl. She simultaneously indulges in and responds to the worst excesses of James’ ladies. Seydoux may be 17 years younger than Daniel Craig, but Bond also hooks up with the more age-adjacent Monica Bellucci. She calls him out for being too aggressive, but then she decides that they in fact make an ideal match (and then she goes ahead and proves it).

Spectre tries to be everything for every Bond fan, which is incredibly foolish and prevents it from being a top-tier addition. But it makes for some dopey fun alongside the reliably well-staged action.

This Is a Movie Review: Creed

December 17, 2015

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CREED

“Rocky, Apollo Creed’s son looks at you and says, ‘family.’ What does that mean to you?” “It means I’m a lucky guy, what can I say.”

Creed is a rather formulaic movie, that formula being “Rocky movie.” To be clear, “Rocky movie” is a genre unto itself. It is a dialect within the language of underdog movies within the family of languages of sports movies. This latest entry fulfills the promise of that dialect.

Following in the footsteps of the recent Fast and Furious sequels, Creed incorporates all of the most ridiculous elements of the previous sequels in the series and turns them into something beautiful. But whereas those car movies have become increasingly over-the-top, this latest boxing tale scales back to the intimate size of the original. It is essentially the same story as Rocky, but Creed utilizes this framework to key into the heritage and possible futures of its main characters. Adonis Creed’s biggest accomplishment is not going the distance but instead, living up to his personal identity while nourishing his place in his family (birth, makeshift, or otherwise).

This Is a (Quickie) Movie Review: Krampus

December 17, 2015

jmunney Cinema, Movie Reviews 1 Comment

Krampus

Krampus has a weird tonal mix, which could be a criticism, but in this case, it means that it is a lot of fun. Really, it is the only approach that makes sense. How else is it supposed to feel when a giant goat creature and his freaky minions are terrorizing you? The narrative swings include going back and forth between family members being awful and lovable, between the characters standing a chance against Krampus and having no chance at all, between an insulting ending and a perfectly ambiguous one, generally managing just the right balance through it all.

This Is a Movie Review: Spotlight

December 17, 2015

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SpotlightNewsroom

There is an inherent drama and urgency in the Catholic Church priest abuse scandal that a film about it does not need to do any work to tease out. But just perfunctorily putting the Boston Globe’s investigation of this story does not automatically make for a great movie. Luckily, director Tom McCarthy and his co-screenwriter Josh Singer make plenty of astute filmmaking decisions alongside their similarly tuned-in cast and crew.

Recognizing that the story itself is plenty powerful (the epilogue text detailing the extent of the abuse is perhaps the most overwhelming moment in any movie this year), the actors on the Spotlight team (Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo, Rachel McAdams, Brian d’Arcy James) keep it understated. As victims’ lawyer Mitch Garabedian, Stanley Tucci is labeled eccentric, but he is actually also low-key. The production design, cinematography, and costumes are all also appropriately drab.

The plot manages to legitimately earn the descriptor “action,” with the editing favoring cross-cutting between various story threads. This plays out as such: Mike Rezendes (Ruffalo) tracks down evidence at the courthouse, and before we find out if he uncovers the right puzzle piece, we check in on Sacha Pfeiffer (McAdams) interviewing a victim, but before she gets out all her questions, it cuts back to Mike, and then it cuts around to the rest of the team. This is just Filmmaking 101, creating tension and establishing engagement. Spotlight makes a difference, and it is thrilling.

SNL Recap December 12, 2015: Chris Hemsworth/Chance the Rapper

December 13, 2015

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SNL: Chance the Rapper, Chris Hemsworth, Bobby Moynihan

This review was originally posted on Starpulse in December 2015.

When Chris Hemsworth first hosted “SNL,” almost every sketch featured the theme “Let’s Ogle Chris Hemsworth’s Body.” Perhaps because of that prurience, the show could not wait even a year to have him back, and his physique is once again a major part of the material. He does not even bother to plug his current movie, except to obliquely reference it in a way that underscores how huge he looks even when having lost weight for a role. Elsewhere, this episode finds plenty of room to address Donald Trump’s call to ban all Muslims, driving the political material to tip-top shape.

Announcement from George W. Bush – Some time last decade, there was a Doonesbury cartoon recounting how terrible the George H.W. Bush presidency seemed at the time, but now, compared to his son, he looked prudent and reasonable. Somehow, everyone in the current Republican field is either ridiculous or feckless enough to grant W. a similarly favorable reevaluation. Will Ferrell is welcomed back with cheers partly because it is one of the best impressions in “SNL” history, but also because the guy he is playing really would be preferable to this notorious lineup. He certainly provides some perspective. As fodder for comedy, the 2016 candidates may be buffoons, but they are also depressing. None of them are so playfully silly that they could conceivably wonder what happened to all the leprechauns. B+

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