In new drama/comedy Elsewhere, Bruno (Ray Abruzzo) is hopelessly attached to the seaside cottage he and his late wife built together. After his in-laws evict him, Bruno vows to get it back at any price.
Written/directed by Hernan Jimenez; additional key cast features Ken Jeong, Marc Bendavid, Parker Posey and Beau Bridges.
This seems like a good ‘new beginnings’ type of film. I’m looking forward to seeing Jeong in a seemingly non-comedy role.
I’m likely over-thinking it, but what if his in-laws allowed the new tenant to move in, while knowing full well that their former son-in-law would very likely fall in love with her?
Candus Churchill, C. Ernst Harth, Susan Hogan, Scott Hylands, Holly James, Kathleen Munroe, Kathleen Munroe, Parker Posey, Paula Shaw, Andy Thompson, Jackie Tohn and Mel Tuck also star.
My Spy (2019), Chloe Coleman, Dave Bautista, STX Entertainment
In Peter Segal-directed family movie My Spy, Dave Bautista is JJ, a hardened CIA operative sent to surveil the family of a precocious 9-year-old named Sophie. In no time at all, JJ finds himself at the mercy of Sophie’s disarming charm and wit.
Other key cast members include Chloe Colman, Ken Jeong and Kristen Schaal.
I’m quite sure that My Spy will be the first movie I see with Bautista as the lead. It’s a little bit the story, but really, it’s mostly the onscreen chemistry between Bautista and young Coleman that has me most curious.
On a side note, Dwayne Johnson did cross my mind as this trailer played, and I’m sure you know why; wink, wink.
Michelle McLeod, Parisa Fitz-Henley, Nicola Correia-Damude, Laura Cilevitz, Sima Fisher, Ali Hassan and Marcus Cornwall also star.
Wonder Park, the new animation/adventure/comedy about a girl, some animals, and a magic amusement park, has a new trailer.
Mila Kunis, Brianna Denski, Jennifer Garner, John Oliver, Ken Jeong and Matthew Broderick star, while Dylan Brown directs.
I couldn’t help thinking about Disney World and Hollywood’s Universal Studios the whole time this trailer played. I’m most intrigued about the ‘magic’ in ‘magic amusement park.’
I never, ever thought I’d say this, but it’s official: the minion magic no longer works on me. The minions are not even in Despicable Me 3 that much, but long gone is the version of myself that would literally squeal with delight at the mere sight of them. Now they’re more like a favourite song played over and over again that I can kind of no longer stand.
I actually found myself adequately bored in parts as I watched Despicable Me 3. The main reason being, my favourite moments in the movie were the ones I already saw in the teaser trailer with the Michael Jackson loving super villain, months earlier. One of the newest things in this instalment, namely the introduction of one of Gru’s relatives unfortunately felt a little too much like a desperate attempt to find any reason, any reason at all to keep the franchise going.
Just to be clear, I’m definitely not saying that Despicable Me 3 is terrible, generally speaking. I’m saying that I didn’t love it because it felt tired and I’m over all the characters; most surprisingly to myself, I’m tired of the minions.
Immediately below are just some of the thoughts that went through my mind as the credits rolled. In some ways, I really should have known.
‘What was I thinking?’
‘Why was I looking forward to this when I knew that I never really enjoyed the first two Despicable Me movies anyway?’
‘I simply must have forgotten that the minions were the ones I really loved (back then) – not super villain Gru and his children.’
If you’re super intrigued, watch it and see how you like Despicable Me 3. You may have a better time than I did.
The Hangover (2009), Zach Gaifianakis, Ed Helms, Justin Bartha, Bradley Cooper
Starring Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis and Justin Bartha, there’s plenty to love about the The Hangover. In fact, the Todd Phillips-directed comedy is one of those movies that left me with nothing bad to say.
Just to be clear though, the above statement is reserved only for this 2009 movie and not the two embarrassing ‘get as much money out of this as possible whilst we still can’ sequels that shamelessly followed. Moving on…
The reasons I love the hangover are obvious. The story is great, I saw exactly none of the surprising twists and turns coming, the casting is excellent, as is the writing and soundtrack. There’s also the great chemistry between the four main characters, resulting in a depiction of a truly believable bromance that serves the story perfectly.
Everything that happened in The Hangover felt so real to me. So much so that the brilliant Inbetweeners (2008-2010) comedy series (the UK original version) came to mind, because, it too has that combination of the believable male friendship dynamic and comedy.
There are too many great moments in The Hangover for me to pick just one. However, who, after seeing this movie has been able to say the word ‘retard’ in just one way?
I haven’t watched all the movies of this sub-genre, however, I’m committing to calling The Hangover one of, if not the most epic ‘bachelor party shenanigans’ movie ever made. The Hangover also helped wake me up to the charms of Bradley Cooper. By ‘charms’ I mean his acting talents. And yes, that suit in the hotel room scene when he and Justin Bartha’s character walk into Stu’s room definitely contributed to my charmed state. Looking that good combined with such evident swagger seldom goes unnoticed. You see, the typos on my blog aside, attention to detail has never been my problem.
Watch The Hangover again and again for an entertaining ride from beginning to glorious end.
The Movie My Life 