Sept 24: Mansome

"A documentary that explores the question: In the age of manscaping, metrosexuals, and grooming products galore - what does it mean to be a man?"

Directed by: Morgan Spurlock, Rated: PG-13, 82 minutes

I've always been a fan of Morgan Spurlock. Ever since his breakout documentary, Super Size Me, I've followed the guy and all of his work. From his TV show, 30 Days, to even his lesser known (and liked) docs, Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden? and The Greatest Movie Ever Sold, I've liked his work. His newest film, Mansome is far from his best, but still is very entertaining as a whole. While it is an incredibly short, flawed, and confused little documentary, there are still a handful of laughs and much to discuss. 

You can't say Mansome without the Old Spice guy. 

The documentary discusses what it means to be a man. Breaking the doc into segments like "Mustaches" and "Beards", each bit discusses a particular manly feature and its significance in the world, what's okay and what's not cool, and wonders how much time and effort should be put into each. The film follows a couple of rather eccentric men, from a competitive "beardsman" (who's absolutely crazy and full of himself), to men who try way, way too hard to look good and end up looking like vain fools obsessed with every little detail.  Between each segment, we see Jason Bateman and Will Arnett (who co-produced the film) having their own pamper time at a spa, discussing what it means to be a man and continually trying to out-man the other guy. Along with these two stars, Spurlock also interviews other comedians, like Judd Apatow, Paul Rudd, Zach Galifianakis, and Adam Carolla. 

This guy is one of the most arrogant douche bags I've seen, and Spurlock rewards him with 15 minutes of screen time. 

The problem with the film is that it never knows where to go. The film's segments make sense at first, but then as you realize the whole premise behind the title goes out the window. Going in, I was expecting the movie to discuss the entire "metrosexual" phenomena that has plagued mankind in the past decade or so, talking about hair products and going to the spa more so then beards and facial hair. Without this focus, Mansome just jumps around all over the place and turns into a rather forced, sometimes funny documentary. The subjects Spurlock decided to focus on are at times, the most annoying self-involved people I've ever seen and instead of almost poking fun at them in a spoof-haha kind of way, he lets them be on screen doing whatever they want for way too long. Bateman and Arnett's presence also is very out of place. Sure, they're funny and I could watch them talk to each other for ages, but for the most time it feels forced and even more so out of place. As their bits could have been used as a quasi-narration, they turn into almost scripted pieces that don't fit in with the rest of the doc at all. One thing I did really enjoy, however, are the small interviews Spurlock does with random people, standing in front of a simple white screen, talking about facial hair, waxing, and what it takes to be a real man. These moments are very enjoyable and feel the least bit scripted, as opposed to large portions of the rest of the film. 

Arrested Development needs to come back... NOW

Even with it's flaws, the film is worth checking out. If you can get past the fact it's all just jumbled together in a very short run-time, and just watch it for a couple of laughs, you'll have a great time. If, however, you go into Mansome thinking that it's going to be some message ridden doc, full of mind-blowing facts or looks into the world of being a man, you'll be highly mistaken. Most of the movie feels like short stand-up bits strung together with seasoned comedians thrown in to spice things up a bit. While the insight of some of our favorite funny guys would seem to be more than something we'd welcome, it takes a lot away from the film. Mansome has a great idea behind it, but it's execution is just too choppy and messy to really enjoy. 

The Good:

moments of brilliance that are not only laugh-out-loud funny, but make you wonder about your own 'grooming' habits

The Bad:

those same moments almost immediately washed away by stories no one cares about and the realization Spurlock is giving screen time to people far deserving of it

The Ugly:

knowing that a great premise like this could have produced a much better documentary, had there been a stronger focus and better narrative

Overall: 6.3/10

June 5: Paul

"Two British comic-book geeks traveling across the U.S. encounter an alien outside Area 51."

Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are amazing together and every "outing" they share is certainly a watch. Paul is no exception and while it may not be as hilarious as the duo's other films (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz) it does have its own little charm. It is a raunchy, sci-fi comedy with a great cast filled with plenty of cameos and a ton of movie references. It is its own sci-fi film but pays plenty of homage to plenty of other films in the genre which deepen the experience. That is, if you actually can understand the slight nods to past flicks. If you don't, then you're pretty much left in the dark to a lot of the jokes.

Keep in mind that the film is based loosely on the life of politician, and Gandalf look-alike, Ron Paul. 

Paul tells the story of two British nerds, Graeme (Pegg) and Clive (Frost) who are on holiday in America, with plans to take a road-trip through all of the alien hot spot tourist locations of the South West. While they are on the road, making their way to Area 51, they meet Paul (voiced by Seth Rogen), an alien who has escaped a government facility. The nerds are huge fans of everything sci-fi and find their new friend to be mindblowingly cool. The three of them bond as they evade government agent Zoil (Jason Bateman), who is after the pot-smoking, bird-eating extra terrestrial and will do whatever it takes to recapture him. Paul refuses to be captured again, as he simply just wants to go home.

Familiar story, no glowing finger. Oh, and very, very, R-Rated. 

Paul is great. It's fun, it's funny, and it shows two actors having a blast working together in a genre they love. While the film never reaches epic heights and may be a little too raunchy for its own good, it is still very enjoyable. Sci-fi films, in general, do not come around too frequently, let alone a sci-fi comedy, so anytime one of them is even just okay, it's worth a watch. 

The Good:

Simon Pegg and Nick Frost having fun... and we get to watch

The Bad:

some overused and unfunny jokes that seem like they forced themselves into the script

The Ugly:

realizing that a film in the hands of this duo could have been much better... where's Edgar Wright when you need him?

Overall: 7.3/10

Trailer:

April 15: Horrible Bosses

"Three friends conspire to murder their awful bosses when they realize they are standing in the way of their happiness."

   There is a large lack of good R-rated comedies these days. Most of the time, they're tailored to be PG-13 to make more money. Yes, Hollywood is greedy enough to deny us a laugh but that's really no surprise. Luckily, about once a year, we are given the gift of the not so teenage, raunchy, and over-the-top comedy. Most of the time they're excellent (Superbad, Knocked Up, Wedding Crashers, American Pie) but sometimes they miss the mark completely (The Hangover Part II, The Sitter, Bad Teacher). I'm glad to say that Horrible Bosses can be added to the excellent list. Starring Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis, and Charlie Day, the film tells the story of the trio's attempt to murder each other's bosses. It's a very simple premise that plays out hilariously on the screen, almost like a vulgar Three Stooges where, instead of poking each others eyes, they are battling a whore, a prick, and a complete d-bag. 

And a slutty reminder as to how hot Jennifer Aniston still is. 

   Speaking of Aniston, she plays Dale's (Day) boss who, instead of crossing the line, rapes it and plays with it like a little toy. She continually sexually harasses him and threatens to blackmail him if he doesn't bang the crap out of her. He's engaged, committed and in love, so any thoughts of doing the dirty with Rachel Green are far from what he wants. Colin Farell plays Kurt's boss (Sudiekis), who gives a rat's ass about the company he works at and snorts more coke than what's at a Whitney Houston and Amy Winehouse party. Kevin Spacey plays Nick's (Bateman) boss, and he's one of the biggest dicks to grace the silver screen. He's a piece of work and you can't help but share in the rage Nick must be feeling. Arguably, besides Aniston's character, you can understand why each boss "deserves" to die. 

Throw in Jamie Foxx and you got one hell of a cast. 

  Horrible Bosses is a very predictable movie. However, even if you know how it's going to play out, the ride getting there is entertaining as hell. The three leads have terrific chemistry and work off each other gloriously. The dialogue is quick and smart. And, once the story gets going, the laughs don't stop. The cast shines and whoever put all of these people together was a genius. Charlie Day deserves the most recognition and I hope to see him in more now that It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia has finally found a larger audience. Now, the film definitely has a hard R-rating and may offend some. But who the f**k cares when you've got three idiots trying to murder three horrible people. The premise alone deserves the rating. Throw in violence, crazy language, and plenty of sexual references and you've got yourself an adult kind of comedy.

Not for kids (and certainly not for ginger kids)

   Overall, I would highly recommend Horrible Bosses. The cast is terrific and so is the dialogue. The premise is original and, although it's not the most unexpected ride, it has plenty of laughs. I'd recommend watching it just to see how well Bateman, Sudeikis, and Day play off of each other. It's so fun to watch, you can't help but hope they work together again. The film is also a nice little outlet for those of us who go to work every day only to be "supervised" by a complete asshole that you can't help but ache to punch so hard in the face. 

The Good:

the three leads and the chemistry they share and their amazing supporting cast

The Bad:

seeing the entire story play out well before it actually does

The Ugly:

realizing there are probably a lot of bosses similar (somewhat) to those in the film and that people have to put up with them every day

Overall: 7.8/10

Trailer:

Jan 18: The Change-Up

"Dave is a married man with two kids and a loving wife , and Mitch is a single man who is at the prime of his sexual life. One fateful night while Mitch and Dave are peeing in a fountain when lightning strikes and they switch bodies."

   The Change-Up is a movie that does not quite know what to do with itself. In the beginning it's raunchy and even disgusting but, towards the end, it finds a heart and almost turns into some generic romantic comedy. The movie is advertised as "over-the-top" and that it crosses the line over and over, but it seems like the entire trailer was composed of scenes from the first thirty minutes. It's almost as though the writers got in trouble or something a third of the way through the film, and their punishment was to turn The Change-Up into a PG-13 schmooze fest. 

"But I don't wanna make a chick flick..."

     The film does have a few moments worth a chuckle, but nothing memorable. Ryan Reynolds plays a character similar to those he had before he was famous and "respectable" (see, Van Wilder). Jason Bateman also plays the same kind of character he's used to- the up tight, nervous man constantly on the move. Because of that, it all just seems too forced. Sure, the gimmick is that they switch bodies and play the opposite of what we're used to seeing, but the two have now done such a wider range of work that this film isn't as good as it could have been five years ago. Imagine if Lindsay Lohan made a film where she was not only good looking again, but relevant... yeah, it would never work.

This Herbie is fully loaded... with cocaine and regret. 

   The Change-Up is a movie with poor pacing and writing. I really can't decide what kind of film it wants to be. It's not, by all means, a terrible movie, but a confused one. In that confusion, it really loses what it was supposed to be- a raunchy adult comedy that not only crosses the line, but pisses on it like a drunken fool. The acting is one of the only positive things about the film, and even then, it's dated. Certainly there are worse things to watch than The Change-Up, but even then I can only recommend it if you really have nothing else to watch and are desperate for a laugh. Keep in mind that there are twin babies in this film that not only poop, self-mutilate, and cry, but also throw knives and lick outlets. This is all done with the glory of CGI that's as bad as the shit in Adam Sandler movies.

Sight: Horrible knife throwing computer babies and a way too pregnant naked body included, The Change-Up has absolutely nothing special going for it in the sight department. It does have Olivia Wilde in the cast, but yet again, her forehead is distracting. 

Sound: A hard R-comedy turned rom-com, one can only imagine the sappy soundtrack of this film. 

Skill: The movie has fitting and slightly humorous performances by the two leads, who are just a little too old for their roles. 

Script: The Change-Up is seemingly two films in one, and because of that, the script is an absolute mess and never comes together like it should have. 

Overall: 4.8/10

Best Quote: 

Mitch: "Growing up we both had dreams. Dave wanted to be an astronaut, I wanted to sell dolphins on the black market. But found that's hard to do. We live in Atlanta... dolphins are hard to find... "