Now Playing
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‘Magic Mike’s Last Dance’ a misstep
One could argue that we are currently living through a golden age of unnecessary sequels. It seems that there’s a constant effort to revive and reinvigorate IP of varying degrees of dustiness; why make something new if you can make something familiar that people have already told you that they like?
Of course, that leaves us in a world where we’re surrounded by not just the ongoing blockbuster franchises that are the box office’s foundation, but also movies that continue stories that audiences believed had reached their conclusion (note: for the most part, audiences were fine with that).
And so we get something like “Magic Mike’s Last Dance,” the third installment in the adventures of Channing Tatum’s charming and unlucky male stripper. Did we need another “Magic Mike”? Almost certainly not – especially nearly a decade after 2015’s better-than-it-needed-to-be sequel “Magic Mike XXL.” But hey – Steven Soderbergh came back (he directed the first film) and he’s always had a sort of quasi-muse thing happening with Tatum. Maybe it’d work?
Reader, it did not.
Look, the choreography is great – it’s always great in these movies – but that isn’t enough to carry the day. Particularly when you’re dealing with a confusing and occasionally bordering on nonsensical narrative. Soderbergh knows how to make this stuff look good – and there are stretches when this movie looks phenomenal – but when the story unravels upon even a cursory examination, it isn’t enough, despite the efforts of the director and his stars.
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‘Your Place or Mine’ a rom-com rehash
For folks like me – dyed-in-the-wool romantic comedy fans – the resurgence of the rom-com has been welcome. After a fallow period where the genre seemed to be settling into a permanent downturn, recent years have seen a significant uptick, thanks largely to the efforts of numerous streaming services that there’s an audience there. It’s been great.
Well … mostly great.
While seeing more rom-coms is generally a good thing, we also have to take into account the fact that quantity does not in fact equal quality. Sure, we’ve gotten some solid entries along the way, but we’ve also gotten plenty that have been not so great, movies that feel like an algorithm doing a paint-by-numbers.
Alas, “Your Place or Mine,” the new offering from Netflix, is more of the latter.
It’s kind of surprising, actually. The pieces seemed to be there – you’ve got a dynamite rom-com central pairing in Reese Witherspoon and Ashton Kutcher, for one. And sure, the director is making her debut, but Aline Brosh McKenna is a rom-com vet, having penned a number of successful screenplays within the genre. You’d think this would be an easy win.
Instead, we get a film that can’t get out of the way of its own formula, so bound by the beats and tropes that one can’t help but find oneself three or four steps ahead of the protagonists at all times. There is never any doubt, so what stakes there are feel forced and disingenuous. Predictability alone isn’t a dealbreaker, but without top-tier execution, it isn’t going to work. Unfortunately, everything else – while perfectly cromulent – simply doesn’t rise to the level necessary to push this movie out of its chosen rut.
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‘Shotgun Wedding’ a familiar but fun rom-com experience
It sure does feel like the romantic comedy is back.
For a stretch, it seemed as though the rom-com was fading away. However, recent years have shown an upswing in these sorts of films, powered largely by the relentless content churn of Netflix. And in Hollywood, success begets success (or at least imitations of success). So we get more.
(Please note: this is NOT a complaint. I love romantic comedies and am thrilled that they seem to be bouncing back to an extent, though I highly doubt we’ll ever see a return to the glory days. Still, I’ll take what I can get, even if what I get isn’t always particularly original or exciting or … good.)
Next up in the parade of fun, forgettable, semi-disposable rom-coms is “Shotgun Wedding,” coming to us courtesy of Amazon Studios. The film – currently streaming on Amazon Prime – stars Jennifer Lopez and Josh Duhamel and is directed by Jason Moore. It’s a throwback of sorts, a goofy action-packed romp that makes a lot of noise even though the ultimate outcome is never in doubt. You’ve seen this movie before, to be sure, but that doesn’t mean you won’t have a nice enough time seeing it again.
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Tonally confused ‘You People’ never finds its lane
A good comedy will make you laugh. A GREAT comedy will make you laugh and think. Unfortunately, too often, when a film aspires to the latter, they wind up not just failing in that regard, but whiffing on the former as well. Laughs have a tendency to evaporate when people try too hard.
And let me tell you – “You People” tries WAY too hard.
On paper, this Netflix movie should have been a slam dunk. The people involved have legitimate comedic bona fides, with Kenya Barris behind the camera directing from a script he co-wrote with Jonah Hill. Hill also stars, alongside some pretty heavy hitters – Julia Louis-Dreyfus, David Duchovny, Nia Long and Eddie F---ing Murphy, among others. Plus, you’re looking at a film intended to mine humor from the culture clashes and social dynamics of the current day. All in all, looking pretty good.
Right up until you, y’know, watch the thing.
“You People” is one of those movies that can’t get out of its own way, trying to be all things to all audiences and instead failing to please anyone. There are some cringe-y comic moments and some feints at social awareness, but the film never manages to find anything resembling balance. The wild variances in tone make it difficult to settle in and wind up undermining whatever moments of humor might be found. It seems like a good faith effort, but one sorely wanting in terms of execution.
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James Cameron makes a splash with long-awaited ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’
It used to be that if a film was going to get a sequel, that sequel would happen soon after the original. No matter how successful the movie, if a follow-up hadn’t at least gone into production within a couple of years, it probably wasn’t going to happen.
Obviously, that is no longer the case. We’re seeing more and more of these legacy-quels, sequels landing a decade or more after the original. As the mainstream movie landscape shifted, the value of IP increased dramatically.
All that said, it’s tough to know exactly how to categorize “Avatar: The Way of Water,” the new film from director James Cameron. This new film comes out some 13 years after its predecessor (a film that, in case you’ve forgotten, remains the highest-grossing film of all time), but Cameron was TALKING about the sequel(s) even before the first film made well over $2 billion worldwide.
Still, “Avatar” was kind of old news, a movie that never really made a lasting pop cultural impact despite its massive commercial success, so it feels a little weird that we’re getting a sequel now, so long after the fact. Of course, this is James Cameron we’re talking about, who has demonstrated not just a mastery of blockbuster filmmaking, but of blockbuster sequel filmmaking – this is the dude who made “Aliens” and “Terminator 2,” after all. Bet against him at your peril.
And all things considered? “Avatar: The Way of Water” has the makings of yet another winning bet.
Most Recent
-
‘Magic Mike’s Last Dance’ a misstep
Read more...
One could argue that we are currently living through a golden age of unnecessary sequels. It seems that there’s a constant effort to revive and reinvigorate IP of varying degrees of dustiness; why make something new if you can make something familiar that people have already told you that they like?
Of course, that leaves us in a world where we’re surrounded by not just the ongoing blockbuster franchises that are the box office’s foundation, but also movies that continue stories that audiences believed had reached their conclusion (note: for the most part, audiences were fine with that).
And so we get something like “Magic Mike’s Last Dance,” the third installment in the adventures of Channing Tatum’s charming and unlucky male stripper. Did we need another “Magic Mike”? Almost certainly not – especially nearly a decade after 2015’s better-than-it-needed-to-be sequel “Magic Mike XXL.” But hey – Steven Soderbergh came back (he directed the first film) and he’s always had a sort of quasi-muse thing happening with Tatum. Maybe it’d work?
Reader, it did not.
Look, the choreography is great – it’s always great in these movies – but that isn’t enough to carry the day. Particularly when you’re dealing with a confusing and occasionally bordering on nonsensical narrative. Soderbergh knows how to make this stuff look good – and there are stretches when this movie looks phenomenal – but when the story unravels upon even a cursory examination, it isn’t enough, despite the efforts of the director and his stars.
-
‘Your Place or Mine’ a rom-com rehash
Read more...
For folks like me – dyed-in-the-wool romantic comedy fans – the resurgence of the rom-com has been welcome. After a fallow period where the genre seemed to be settling into a permanent downturn, recent years have seen a significant uptick, thanks largely to the efforts of numerous streaming services that there’s an audience there. It’s been great.
Well … mostly great.
While seeing more rom-coms is generally a good thing, we also have to take into account the fact that quantity does not in fact equal quality. Sure, we’ve gotten some solid entries along the way, but we’ve also gotten plenty that have been not so great, movies that feel like an algorithm doing a paint-by-numbers.
Alas, “Your Place or Mine,” the new offering from Netflix, is more of the latter.
It’s kind of surprising, actually. The pieces seemed to be there – you’ve got a dynamite rom-com central pairing in Reese Witherspoon and Ashton Kutcher, for one. And sure, the director is making her debut, but Aline Brosh McKenna is a rom-com vet, having penned a number of successful screenplays within the genre. You’d think this would be an easy win.
Instead, we get a film that can’t get out of the way of its own formula, so bound by the beats and tropes that one can’t help but find oneself three or four steps ahead of the protagonists at all times. There is never any doubt, so what stakes there are feel forced and disingenuous. Predictability alone isn’t a dealbreaker, but without top-tier execution, it isn’t going to work. Unfortunately, everything else – while perfectly cromulent – simply doesn’t rise to the level necessary to push this movie out of its chosen rut.
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World premiere musical ‘Trapped’ worth catching at PTC
Read more...
BANGOR – One of Maine’s most vital industries is getting the musical treatment via a world premiere production at Penobscot Theatre Company.
“Trapped! The Musical” – subtitled “A Lobster Tale” – is the brainchild of Larrance Fingerhut (music) and Andy Eninger (book & lyrics), building on a story conceived by both. Directed by Anneliese Toft with musical direction by Fingerhut, the show is receiving its first-ever production on the Bangor Opera House Stage, where it is set to run through March 5.
“Trapped!” is the story of a small island town in Maine, a place where lobster is king and not much ever really changes. But when the forces of the outside world start to infringe on this bucolic place, the locals are torn. Should they stay in the past? Or should they embrace the future? And does it have to be one or the other?
In many ways, the show is a love letter, exploring the joys and woes that come with small-town life. That affection is clear and abiding, permeating the entire production. With toe-tapping songs, high-energy choreography, loads of jokes and some outstanding production values – not to mention a dynamite ensemble cast – this show will have you yearning for the salty spray and honest ache of a day spent hauling traps out on the water.
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‘Shotgun Wedding’ a familiar but fun rom-com experience
Read more...
It sure does feel like the romantic comedy is back.
For a stretch, it seemed as though the rom-com was fading away. However, recent years have shown an upswing in these sorts of films, powered largely by the relentless content churn of Netflix. And in Hollywood, success begets success (or at least imitations of success). So we get more.
(Please note: this is NOT a complaint. I love romantic comedies and am thrilled that they seem to be bouncing back to an extent, though I highly doubt we’ll ever see a return to the glory days. Still, I’ll take what I can get, even if what I get isn’t always particularly original or exciting or … good.)
Next up in the parade of fun, forgettable, semi-disposable rom-coms is “Shotgun Wedding,” coming to us courtesy of Amazon Studios. The film – currently streaming on Amazon Prime – stars Jennifer Lopez and Josh Duhamel and is directed by Jason Moore. It’s a throwback of sorts, a goofy action-packed romp that makes a lot of noise even though the ultimate outcome is never in doubt. You’ve seen this movie before, to be sure, but that doesn’t mean you won’t have a nice enough time seeing it again.
-
Tonally confused ‘You People’ never finds its lane
Read more...
A good comedy will make you laugh. A GREAT comedy will make you laugh and think. Unfortunately, too often, when a film aspires to the latter, they wind up not just failing in that regard, but whiffing on the former as well. Laughs have a tendency to evaporate when people try too hard.
And let me tell you – “You People” tries WAY too hard.
On paper, this Netflix movie should have been a slam dunk. The people involved have legitimate comedic bona fides, with Kenya Barris behind the camera directing from a script he co-wrote with Jonah Hill. Hill also stars, alongside some pretty heavy hitters – Julia Louis-Dreyfus, David Duchovny, Nia Long and Eddie F---ing Murphy, among others. Plus, you’re looking at a film intended to mine humor from the culture clashes and social dynamics of the current day. All in all, looking pretty good.
Right up until you, y’know, watch the thing.
“You People” is one of those movies that can’t get out of its own way, trying to be all things to all audiences and instead failing to please anyone. There are some cringe-y comic moments and some feints at social awareness, but the film never manages to find anything resembling balance. The wild variances in tone make it difficult to settle in and wind up undermining whatever moments of humor might be found. It seems like a good faith effort, but one sorely wanting in terms of execution.
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