Grown Ups 2 - Review

Grown Ups 2
(2013 - July 11)
Comedy
1 hr. 41 min.

Rated: PG-13  Crude, sophomoric sequel, strong language, lewd and suggestive content including rude and sexist bathroom humor and some male rear nudity Read more
Grade: D+

Director: Dennis Dugan
Writers: Fred Wolf, Adam Sandler, Tim Herlihy
Stars: Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock | See full cast and crew

The all-star comedy cast from "Grown Ups" returns (with some exciting new additions) for more summertime laughs. Lenny (Adam Sandler) after moving his family back home to the small town where he and his friends grew up, Lenny finds out that between old bullies, new bullies, schizo bus drivers, drunk cops on skis, and 400 costumed party crashers that sometimes crazy follows you.



I had serious reservations about this film before heading to the theater, in fact how bad is this going to be...my expectations were realized if not surpassed.

This movies predecessor Grown Ups was described by critics as a lazy, lowbrow effort from a talented group of people who should have known better. Now we have the sequel, Grown Ups 2, and the critics are being even less flattering, this followup is called a mean-spirited, scatological, phoned-in bore, and I have little reason to disagree with the general consensus.

It's the last day of school in the small New England town where Lenny (Adam Sandler) and his buddies (Kevin James, Chris Rock, and David Spade) grew up and have now returned to as (so they say) adults, family men. They reminisce about the glory days of their youth, get into trouble with a group of frat boys led by Andy (Taylor Lautner), and throw a raging 1980s-themed kegger.

Grown Ups 2 is a lazy and lame attempt to create a franchise, it is a stunningly inept, indifferently-crafted film relying on broad, tired, tossed-off gags from and enormously talented cast that barely manages to evoke a chuckle.

Expect more of the same gags and jokes that were old and unfunny when in Grown Ups, there is nothing new here. In its hour and forty-one minuet running time I did manage a few smiles and one maybe to chuckles. It's third-grade humor may appeal to kids and the mush filled skulls of college freshmen, or perhaps those that find Will Farrell movies wildly funny. It isn't good news for an Adam Sandler comedy when Taylor Lautner is one of the best things you have going for you.

Grown Ups 2 again boasts a very talented cast, not only the headliner stars but an impressive assortment of supporting players and cameo performances. A bit of cast trivia: Maya Rudolph, Deanna McKinzie, is the daughter of the late singer Minnie Ripperton; Oliver Hudson, Kyle the aerobics instructor is the son of Goldie Hawn; Patrick Schwarzenegger, Frat Boy Cooper, is the son of Maria Schriver and Arnold Schwarzenegger; Adam Sandler's wife and daughters, Jackie, Sadie and Sunny Sandler, play Principal Tardio's wife and children; Shaquille O'Neal, Officer Fluzoo, is a former NBA World Champion; Chris Rock, Kurt McKenzie, was raised in the New York ghetto neighborhood of Bedford-Stuyvesant; Steve Austin, Tommy Cavanaugh, is a former WWF, and WWE Champion known as 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin; and more than a dozen of the cast of Grown Ups 2 are current or former Saturday Night Live cast members.

Looking for positives, at least they avoided the repetitive use of the 'F' bomb so prevalent in this particular genre of film, kudos for that. The film will for anyone who lived through the 80s dredge up a lot of nostalgic memories during the 80s themed costume party. Costumer, Ellen Lutter, has done an incredible job resurrecting scores of actors, singers and celebrities you will recognize from that unique and distinctive decade. The 80s party scene offered a tad of redemption for the wasted 101 minuets that Adam Sandler and friends stole from my life.  

Shaq and Alexander Ludwig on the set.

Cast

   Adam Sandler           Chris Rock     

   Lenny Feder                  Kurt McKenzie

    Kevin James            David Spade  

     Eric Lamonsoff                 Marcus Higgins   

    Salma Hayek            Maya Rudolph             Maria Bello      

    Roxanne Chase-Feder         Deanne McKenzie              Sally Lamonsoff       

      Taylor Lautner       Alexander Ludwig  

    Frat Boy Andy                         Braden        

Here Comes The Boom - Review

Here Comes The Boom
(2012)
Action | Comedy
105 min.

Rated: PG
Grade: B-

Director: Frank Coraci
Writers: Kevin James, Allan Loeb, Rock Reuben
Stars: Kevin James, Salma Hayek and Henry Winkler | See full cast and crew

In the comedy Here Comes the Boom, former collegiate wrestler Scott Voss (Kevin James) is a 42-year-old apathetic biology teacher in a failing high school. When cutbacks threaten to cancel the music program and lay off its teacher (Henry Winkler,) Scott begins to raise money by moonlighting as a mixed martial arts fighter. Everyone thinks Scott is crazy - most of all the school nurse, Bella (Salma Hayek) - but in his quest, Scott gains something he never expected as he becomes a sensation that rallies the entire school. -- (C) Official Site

Is this a great film? No, but it is a good and enjoyable 'feel good' film. For me it was a more uplifting film than 'Don't Back Down' which should have been an uplifting film but fell flat in my opinion. What are the odds that Kevin James would could hold his own in a Mixed Martial Arts bout, or that he could attract the affections of a woman like Salma Hayek? (BTW-What a change from her role in Oliver Stone stinker Savages) I wouldn't suggest taking those odds to Las Vegas, but Kevin James creates a likeable guy letting us share in his heartwarming fantasy.

Former collegiate wrestler Scott Voss (Kevin James) is a 42-year-old bored biology teacher at the failing Wilkinson High School. Budget cutbacks at the school jeopardize the continuation of its music program, which would result in its teacher, Marty (Henry Winkler), being laid off. Concerned for both his colleague and his students, Voss attempts to raise the $48,000 necessary to keep the music program alive. At first, he works as a night instructor for a citizenship class. One of his students, Niko (Bas Rutten), approaches him to get some outside tutoring and Voss reluctantly agrees. When he arrives at Niko's apartment, he realizes that Niko was a former mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter. While watching UFC at Niko's apartment, Voss learns that the loser of the fight receives $10,000, which gives him the idea of raising the money by fighting in MMA himself. After what he hopes will be a few fights the school will have the money to keep the extra curricular programs going. He soon finds that it will take a lot longer and a lot more fights to accomplish his goal. 

As he begins to see light at the end of the tunnel he also finds in himself a revived spirit, a rebirth of his desire to be a good an inspiring teacher. When a fighter in the UFC is unable to fight and a spot opens up on the ticket and Scott gets an invitation to make his debut in a UFC bout in Las Vegas where he'll earn $10,000, as expected, when he looses the fight. Just before the fight is about to start, Bella calls Scott to inform him the one of the school officials has embezzled all the money he had earned and donated to the school thus far. Now they will never be able to make the deadline for saving the school's programs, even with the $10,000 purse.

Scott has been pummeled severely for the first two rounds and isn't sure he can survive one more round but when he hears that if he wins he will earn $50,000 he says, Let's win this!

Cast

Kevin James             Salma Hayek

Scott Voss                        Bella Flores

 Henry Winkler             Charice                   Bas Rutten

Marty Streb                        Malia                              Niko    

Savages - Review (updated)

Savages

(2012)

Crime / Drama / Thriller

130 min. 

Rated: R  Pernicious Profanity, graphic sex, extreme and graphic torture and sadistic violence

Rating: D

Director: Oliver Stone

Writers: Shane Salerno (screenplay), Don Winslow (screenplay and novel), Oliver Stone (screenplay)

Stars: Aaron Johnson, Taylor Kitsch and Blake Lively, John Travolta, Benicio Del Toro , Salma Hayek

Super entrepreneur pot growers, Ben and Chon, face off against a Mexican drug cartel who has kidnapped their shared girlfriend as leverage to force the duo into joining the cartel.

This film should have been rated NC-17. The profanity is pernicious and constant, the sex scenes are graphic and in poor taste, the scenes of torture and gratuitous violence is raw, graphic and will be offensive to most viewers. This unnecessary over the top warped viewpoint of society, that everyone in government, the military, police enforcement and business is corrupt has been the hallmark of Oliver Stone's directorial career. 

I left the theater wanting the two hours and ten minuets of my life back. There isn't a single redeeming quality in any of the characters in this film. There is nothing sympathetic, nothing to like about any of them. They are, to the very last one, amoral, self centered, egotistic, greedy, vile individuals with no concern of how their actions might affect anyone outside of their myopic and depraved circle of friends.

Ben and Chon

The only reason this film escapes an 'F' rating from me is that some of the acting (with one glaring exception of Blake Lively) and the technical and production values of the film are up to standard.

Chon (Taylor Kitsch) and Ben (Aaron Johnson)

It starts out with O (Blake Lively) narrating, 'Just 'cause I'm telling this story  doesn't mean I'm alive at the end of it. It's that kind of a story where things just got so out of control'. I should have fled the theater right after that stupid set up line for a supposedly clever surprise ending. This is a truly tedious 'thriller'...typical Oliver Stone work.

Elena

Ben, Denis and Chon

Ben, Denis and Chon

Mr. Stone's way is to soil the reputation of every institution and individual portrayed in his films, we have Chon (Taylor Kitsch) is a dishonorable Navy Seal drug cultivator and distributor who employes his willing Seal buddies to help him bomb and kill his oponents; Ben (Aaron Johnson), his friend and partner is a 'brilliant botanist' marijuana cultivator/entrepreneur/distributor the two are supposed to be the 'oh so cool' Bill Gates and Steve Jobs of primo-cannabis dude; O (Blake Lively) is the jaded 'spoiled rich kid' shared whore of the two friends and business partners (sorry, that's supposed to be the girlfriend in an open, sensitive, non-judgmental, optimal, ideal adult relationship of fornicators), together this trio is supposed to be representative of the norm in an American society which Mr. Stone loves to portray in decline; Dennis (John Travolta) is the obligatory corrupt, 'on the take' DEA agent; Elena (Salma Hayek) is the beautiful, sophisticated, ruthless, blood thirsty, vengeful and sadistic King Pin of a Mexican drug cartel, but let us not forget she is also a concerned, loving  and sensitive mother and widow (I didn't believe for a moment that she would be capable of keeping her sadistic henchmen under her control).

Chon (Taylor Kitsch)

Elena (Salma Hayek)

Any respect for the mostly talented actors signed on to this project has been tarnished. Blake Lively is simply awful, there is nothing about her portrayal of O that would justify the undying loyalty of Chon and Ben (Think of Kristen Stewart as Bella Swan in the Twilight series, what did Edward (Robert Pattinson) or Jacob (Taylor Lautner) see in her?). Selma Hayek is beautiful and some reviewers are saying that she will surely be nominated for an Oscar for this performance...Really, are you serious? Her Elena is a caricature of the evil villain, think Mike Myers in Austin Powers, I kept waiting for her to put her little pinky finger to the corner of her 

Lado (Benicio Del Toro)

mouth and demand a ransom of 'one million dollars', and then we have Lado (Benicio Del Toro) the double crossing villain with loyalty to no one but himself, who frequently twists his mustache like Dudley Do-Right's nemesis, Snidely Whiplash from The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show or some heartless landlord in a community theater melodrama.

O and Chon

Frankly, I don't consider this depraved and despicable movie worth the wasting of any more time writing about it. I have generally, as of late, avoided Oliver Stone films due to the pervasive anti-American, amoral, didactic preachiness that permeates the majority of his films. Oliver Stone moves up a notch on my personal 'Don't Go' list'.

Cast:

Taylor Kitsch        Aaron Johnson     Blake Lively
 Chon                               Ben                                    O

      Benicio del      ToroSalma Hayek
Elena                           Lado