Review - The Smurfs 2

Smurf Happens


The Smurfs 2 is the sequel to 2011's over $500 million worldwide box office winner, The Smurfs.

We get Neil Patrick Harris, Jayma Mays and Hank Azaria back in their live action roles along with the new addition of Brendan Gleeson as Harris' father. But even though these actors are all amazingly talented, this is all about the little blue guys. And we've got new, "non-Blue" Smurfs...that Gargamel (Azaria) wants to make blue. All of this leads to more singing, more tapping, more fun.

Smurfette (voiced by Katy Perry) is feeling blue. (wait, I didn't intend for that pun, but oh well...what's done is done). It's her birthday, and it seems all of smurf village has forgotten. She's always felt like she doesn't belong, but Papa Smurf (Jonathan Winters) can usually bring her back. But while she is off contemplating the situation, Gargamel has sent his new non-blue smurf Vexy (Christina Ricci) to bring Smurfette home and take her essence.

When Vexy succeeds, the Smurfs set off to Paris and enlist the help of their old friends Patrick (Neil Patrick Harris) and Grace (Jayma Mays) to find Gargamel and bring back Smurfette. But will they be able to save all of Smurf Village?

It's hard, real hard to criticize the Smurf. I mean they are the SMURFS! They are the happiest group that exists, right?

Unfortunately, the magic of The Smurfs was missing. Sure there was some fun here. Some of the gags are cute and made me laugh both in the beginning and end of this one. BUT, and there was bound to be a but, I found the film to be slow and dull in the meaty mid-section.

I think there are parts of this film that will remain memorable for viewers after the film concludes, but the number of those moments are very low. Instead it just slugs along through some extremely slow and uninteresting moments to a mildly interesting climax.

If I had to say anything about The Smurfs 2 it would be that this will find a better home on DVD than paying 12 bucks to see it in theaters. Because I just cant criticize a Smurf...I mean come on, they are some of the happiest folks around. But as it says with their website address. smurfhappens.com - Smurf DOES happen...but didn't, or did...depending on your definition of "smurf".

C

The Smurfs 2

Director: Raja Gosnell
Cast: Neil Patrick Harris, Hank Azaria, Jayma Mays, Brendan Gleeson, (voices of Katy Perry, Christina Ricci, JB Smoove, Jonathan Winters and so many more)

Rated: PG  for some rude humor and action.
Runtime: 1 hour 45 minutes

Win a copy of The Host

Here's your chance...

Win a copy of The Host on Blu/DVD combo pack.

Head over to the Facebook page to enter...

Common Guy's Film Reviews on Facebook

OR

Simply leave a comment on this thread that you want to win!

Winner will be chosen tonight. (7/19)

One entry per person please!

Good luck!

Brasslands - Music Connects Worldwide

If you are in NYC tonight, 7/13/13 -- check out the very special event featuring this film. Details here.

Living in America, we don’t always see what music exists around the world. The popularity of bands from One Direction to The Rolling Stones are evident every day. But most musicians toil away in relative anonymity, working from gig to gig as they navigate the landscape that is life outside of a stadium show. There are people around the world that play for the love music and to support their families.  Whether a crowd of 10 or 100, a wedding or a local party, these musicians do what they love.

In America if we don’t hear it on a radio station we don’t think of the power and magic that simple music can convey.

Half a world away from us in a tiny Serbian village there is a festival that makes concert images in you head look tiny. Guca is a small Serbian village that time stands still in. The festival draws hundreds of thousands of revelers to this tiny village to experience the best trumpeters in the land. And the new film Brasslands we get to see the best American group making a trip to the international competition at this legendary festival alongside of some of the best Serbia has to offer.

What makes this film special is the ability it has to showcase a part of the world ravaged by America, coming together to support ALL musicians no matter where they came to Guca from are like family to the residents of this small town.

In Guca musicians that are legendary to those in the area walk down the street next to locals who do manual labor. The “rock stars” of the trumpet world will work for their dinner alongside anyone who wants to come forward.  What a refreshing change from those that couldn't care about anything other than their next seven figure record deal.

To be able to do what you love AND make a little money while you are doing it is amazing. And the stage that people get a chance to perform on after strolling the streets is bigger than most musicians that toil away in a garage. The funny thing is it is performing a musical style that most Americans would discount.

Culturally Brasslands explores people that are normal, common folks like myself. And that is why I connected with this film that is normally not my cup of tea.

Sure, I like documentaries, I always have. But music like that performed in this film never moved me, until I saw how it moved those that played it. Despite living in an area where an 11 day music festival just ended, I can’t even imagine what it would have been like to be in the sea of revelry that takes over Guca. We all need time to stand still once in awhile. And to have time stand still while you are doing what you love. Well that is a special song all itself.

Brasslands is a beautiful tribute to beautiful people, beautiful music, and beautiful sounds from a world away.

Sometimes despite our differences we can be reunited by something so simple. Music has that ability, whether it is rock, pop, jazz, or the sweet trumpet sounds of the Balkans. That feeling is universal and Brasslands exudes that feeling.

A-

Brasslands

Review - Grown Ups 2

I Don't Want To Grow Up, Not Quite Yet..

The Grown Ups are back. Wait…there’s a problem with that title for this movie as Lenny (Adam Sandler), Eric (Kevin James), Kurt (Chris Rock) and Marcus (David Spade) are anything but grown up for the bulk of this sequel. But that’s no surprise here.

In this second story Lenny has moved back to his home town to be with his friends. As school is about to end for all the kids, the friends find that the local college kids are trying to squeeze them out of the town they love.

That isn’t going to cut it, for these guys. Taylor Lautner leads the college students to show them who is in charge of their swimming hole and their town.

Writing the summary here shows one of many problems, even for a fan of Sandler. I generally have been very forgiving of Sandler in the last few films he’s made. (Well with the obvious exception of Jack and Jill). In the first film, these characters were fun to sit around and listen to a discussion about almost anything.  Instead Sandler and company find themselves working extremely hard to make people laugh. And they are working in the wrong area as the jokes tend to miss more marks than they hit.

Sure I laughed at some sequences. I found the addition of Shaquille O’Neal to work. He was funny and solid throughout. I also tended to like Dan Patrick’scameo sequences. But the rest of the characters left images within me that were less than friendly. I found cringing to be more likely than laughing at some of the humor. And I was in a state of wanting to have some juvenile humor for the night.

I don’t want to grow up, but if this is what I've got in store for me…I might just stay a kid forever. Grown Ups 2 makes growing up something to avoid. I don’t want to grow up, at least not quite yet.

C-

Grown Ups 2

Director: Dennis Dugan

Cast: Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, Salma Hayek, David Spade, Maya Rudolph, Maria Bello

Rating: PG-13 for crude and suggestive content, language and some male rear nudity.

Runtime: 1 hour 41 minutes

Review - Pacific Rim

Not a Slam Dunk, Pacific Rim...Rims Out

Monsters, robots, destruction, violence, it all seems too good to be true that all of these great action movie elements are in one movie. But they are in Pacific Rim.

 

Here’s the basic plot of this summer monster spectacular.

We’ve been looking to the wrong place to see these invaders. Instead of looking to the sky they are coming from within the sea. And they are destroying the Pacific Rim at a rapid pace.

From Seattle and San Francisco to the other Hong Kong and Toyko these monsters or Kaiju as they are called are wreaking havoc with our world. It is only when the human race figures out the way to combat these beasts that things calm at all. To combat them they must find a way to have two individual become one to pilot the Jaegers (robots).

Just when the world thought they had stifled the Kaiju (by building a giant wall on the coastlines) the stark reality comes home. The Kaiju are getting through the walls and have created a need to have someone stop them.

The last remaining Jaeger pilots will have to be the ones to save us from disaster.

But can they? Or is it too late?

This is a monster movie. The stars here are the monsters, but I was challenged by that fact. Despite wanting to enjoy the monsters and their robot foes, much of the film was dizzying and shot in darkness that you never really were able to enjoy the classic creatures. This is a film that I wanted to admire the creations.

My other concern here had to do with the roles they give to folks. There was never a compelling feeling to care about what happened to the characters in this film. While I generally like most of the folks that had roles here, I just don’t feel the characters were written with the depth that would allow them to create that feeling within the viewer.

But criticism aside, this is a monster movie – and it deserves to be seen on a big screen with a crowd and a giant bucket of popcorn. I just wanted more.

Instead of slamming it home, Pacific Rim just rimmed out with me.

B-

Pacific Rim

Director: Guillermo del Toro

Cast: Charlie Hunnam, Idris Elba, Rinko Kikuchi, Charlie Day

Rating: PG-13 for sequences of intense sci-fi action and violence throughout, and brief language.

Runtime: 2 hours 12 minutes

Home Screening Room - Admission for The Host and some Spring Breakers

Home Screening Room – Admission for The Host and some Spring Breakers

Big Releases from Theaters

Admission – Rated PG-13 (Tina Fey, Paul Rudd)

Dead Man Down  – Rated R (Colin Farrell, Noomi Rapace)

The Gatekeepers – Rated PG-13

The Host – Rated PG-13 (Saoirse Ronan, Jake Abel)

Spring Breakers – Rated R (Selena Gomez, Vanessa Hudgens, James Franco)

Tyler Perry’s Temptation – Rated PG-13 (Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Lance Gross)

An interesting group of titles this week, after a slow release week for the 4^th of July. Admission will take you through the college admission process with two people we like to see onscreen (Tina Fey and Paul Rudd). The Host is something I missed but it’s based on a Stephanie Meyer novel…which means big business. And Spring Breakers has Selena Gomez and Vanessa Hudgens growing up before our very eyes. Plus, documentary fans…don’t miss The Gatekeepers. Oh and by the way…the Tyler Perry film is produced by (among others) Paul Hall…no relation…but I do think that I need to interview Paul Hall some day….i mean come on…Paul Hall interviewing Paul Hall??? Right????

Also New This Week

Finding Bigfoot: Season Two

Quincy; M.E.: Season Six

Unforgettable: Season One

Warehouse 13: Season Four

Would You Rather? – Rated R (Brittany Snow)

I am REALLY intrigued to see Would You Rather? (The trailer kind was a bit creepy. I’ll embed it below, but watch at your own risk! And yes – I watched Quincygrowing up with my parents (can’t believe it was on that long…and I do want to find Bigfoot (I remember reading Bigfoot & Bermuda Triangle books in grade school…yes I said it!).

And Finally

Trek Nation – Not Rated

Trek Nation follows Gene Rodenberry Jr. around as he tries to piece together what made his dad such an icon to so many individuals. From conventions, to the stars that brought Star Trek to the screen, Rodenberry Jr. not only finds out what his dad meant to others, but he also starts to realize what he meant to him. (And I love the aspect that he gets to talk to George Lucas about Lucas’ affection for Rodenberry. Check it out over

at Amazon.

Final Score

So much to see here…so little time. Fans may want to add Trek Nation to the collection, but I’m hot on the heels of finally getting a chance to see Spring Breakers. (then again, Trek Nation is already here… )

Pop Popcorn, Do the DietDew, and Bust out the Blu and remember to Save Me A Seat!

Review - Despicable Me 2

Daaa Oooooooo Aaaaaahhhhhhh!!!!

The Minions are back and the whole family will be impressed with this return to the familiar. Gru has given up the spy game and decided to become CEO of his Jams and Jellies company. That is until he

is swept away and asked to become a spy to help determine which evil mastermind is residing in the local mall. Now Gru has a life of good and he must work with a new partner to find the evil that is trying to take over. Can he do it on time? And who is this new partner? Is there more there than meets the eye.

I was skeptical...I loved the first film. I love the minions. But could they really make a sequel enjoyable?

The answer is YES THEY CAN! And DID!

Look, this isn't a rocket science film, but this IS a flat out enjoyable experience at the movies.

I actually enjoyed every aspect of this film. The jokes were spot on, the interaction between the characters was funny, witty and always snappy. 

The minions are spot on hilarious. Their language you comprehend even if you can't understand it. I actually found myself swaying to the music at the end of the film looking for a cell phone to hold high in the air. It was that type of film. 

There are plenty of jokes that go over the heads of the little ones while knocking it out of the park with the adults and older kids. You will laugh at the much deeper joke while your kids are laughing at the superficial sight gags.

I could spend all day with Gru and the minions...but alas it did have to end.

In minion speak.... daaa oooooooo aaaaaahhhhhhh (aka I loved it).

B+

Despicable Me 2
Rated PG for rude humor and mild action

Directed by: Pierre Coffin, Chris Renaud
Featuring the voices of Steve Carrell, Kristen Wiig,  Benjamin Bratt, Miranda Cosgrove, Russell Brand, Ken Jeong, Steve Coogan

Review - The Lone Ranger

Pirates of the West!

Hi Oh Silver...AWAY!

I grew up with the Ranger, The Lone Ranger that is. Sunday mornings before going off to church I would sit and watch with my dad, the adventures of this masked crusader for good. They are good memories that I wasn't sure I wanted to appear in a new form, but I was game for anything.

This is a Lone Ranger origin story as we go back to see what made him start fighting for the common man on the frontier of the old west. It shares with us a possible way that Tonto came into his life AND how the classic horse Silver started with the masked man and his trusty companion.

The Ranger didn't always wear a mask, but at Tonto's insistence he would don the iconic symbol.

Now as things blow up, bad guys are chased, and good guys try to get out of some great situations. The Lone Ranger comes to life.

You can't take away the action from The Lone Ranger. Director Gore Verbinski gives life to the screen for 2 hours plus but I still felt something missing here.

Gone were the warm fuzzies for the character that I loved. The action, although rated PG-13 sometimes felt fairly harsh. There were gun battles that resulted in some point blank old west justice that may give folks fits if they try to sleep at night.

Johnny Depp as Tonto comes across as a lead (well he is the biggest star) but that's not want Tonto should be. Armie Hammer seems a little rough around the edges as the ranger, but that might clear itself up if we have future films to enjoy.

Overall, my time with the ranger was ok...it could have been trimmed up a bit (the run time takes it nearly 2 hours and 20 minutes) and it could have done some things differently. It's not awful, but I wonder aloud who the market for the final product is? Is it the fans of the Pirates movies? Then you are missing Johnny Depp in the right type of look to make that crowd swoon. Is it fans of the serial? I think this ultra shootout type of movie misses the simplicity for that crowd.

I think it will struggle....but you could do worse than spending 2 hours with this one...I know...a ringing endorsement right. Unfortunately, only a mild...if you can call it that, endorsement.

Hi Ho Silver....Away (to the next movie).

B-/C+

The Lone Ranger
Rated PG-13 for sequences of intense action and violence, and some suggestive material

Directed by Gore Verbinski
Starring Johnny Depp, Armie Hammer, William Fichtner, Tom Wilkinson, Ruth Wilson