Tag Archives: Zac Efron

Action, Comedy, Crime, No Spoiler Reviews

BAYWATCH (2017): The Things I Liked…

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Baywatch (2017), Zac Efron, Dwayne Johnson
Baywatch (2017), Zac Efron, Dwayne Johnson

Random great one liners here and there are really the main highlight in the 2017 version of Baywatch.

Directed by Seth Gordon and starring Dwayne Johnson, Zac Efron, Priyanka Chopra and Alexandra Daddario, this is a film that made me laugh, mostly when I watched the trailer. It’s also really unfortunate that Gordon’s movie happens to contain some seriously cringeworthy moments and dialogue. If by some chance you’re a fan of cringe, then you’re definitely in luck!

I remember people complaining about Ed Sheeran’s cameo on Game of Thrones, but I’d like to add that David Hasselhoff’s appearance in Baywatch is probably far more awkward. In fact, I’m at the point of thinking that the original Baywatch television series about a group of California lifeguards may have had a little more substance than this re-imagining.

The first thing about Gordon’s movie that disappointed me is the lack of sufficient character backstory. How else was I going to connect with them and become invested when I hardly know a thing about most of the key players? 

The way the story was written had me thinking about how dissatisfied the Baywatch characters must have been with their own jobs. Especially since, in Seth Gordon’s movie, they appear to be so unhappy that they assume the roles of police officers. I mean, isn’t that illegal? Did the TV series also take things this far, and I just didn’t notice?

I know that this is a movie, and things often have to be ‘bigger and better’ in movie versions and sequels. However, for me, it was definitely bigger, but instead of better, it’s beyond ridiculous.

If I had to pick a favourite moment, in this film, I choose the beautiful fireworks display towards the end. That’s really it because the trailer proved better than the finished product. A far too common trend with comedies, it seems.

Of course, watch it only if you absolutely must.

Happy Film Loving,

G

Comedy, Drama, History

THE DISASTER ARTIST (2017): New Trailer From James Franco, Seth Rogen, Dave Franco, Alison Brie, Zac Efron…

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The Disaster Artis (2017), James Franco
The Disaster Artis (2017), James Franco

Starring James Franco, Seth Rogen, Dave Franco, Alison Brie and Zac Efron, to name just a few, The Disaster Artist is a drama/comedy that tells the real-life story of writer/director Tommy Wiseau.

Wiseau is the man behind what is often referred to as ‘The Citizen Kane of Bad Movies,’ The Room (2003).

Directed by James Franco, The Disaster Artist chronicles the troubled development and eventual cult success of  Wiseau’s film.

I’m hoping this will be great, considering how odd and entertaining this trailer is. I’ll tune in also because the James Franco/Seth Rogen partnership has never, ever let me down.

All I need to decide now is whether it’s worth trying to watch The Room before seeing this movie, or not.

The Disaster Artist Release Dates: December 8th, 2017 (US); 2017 (UK)…

Happy Film Loving,

G

Biography, Drama, Musical

THE GREATEST SHOWMAN (2017): New Trailer From Zac Efron, Hugh Jackman, Rebecca Ferguson, Zendeya, Michelle Williams…

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The Greatest Showman (2017), Zac Efron, High Jackman
The Greatest Showman (2017), Zac Efron, High Jackman

Read my spoiler-free movie review of The Greatest Showman (2017)

The Greatest Showman tells the story of P.T. Barnum, a visionary who rose from nothing to create the mesmerising spectacle known as the circus.

Directed by Michael Gracey; Zac Efron, Hugh Jackman, Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya and Michelle Williams are among the key cast.

I’m not the biggest fan of musicals but I like the cast too much to ignore this. There’s also the romance of it all, of course.

Paul Sparks, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Natasha Liu Bordizzo and Diahann Carroll also star.

The Greatest Showman Release Dates: December 25th, 2017 (US); January 1st, 2018 (UK)…

Happy Film Loving,

G

Comedy, No Spoiler Reviews, Romance

MIKE & DAVE NEED WEDDING DATES (2016): The Things I Liked…

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Mike & Dave Need Wedding Dates (2016), Zac Efron, Adam DeVine
Mike & Dave Need Wedding Dates (2016), Zac Efron, Adam DeVine

During Mike & Dave Need Wedding Dates, it didn’t take long before I found myself thinking ‘Oh great, this is one of those types of comedies.’

This above unfortunate thought entered my mind within the first ten minutes during the intervention scene. A scene where the immature, co-dependent brothers played by Zac Efron and Adam DeVine respond to their family’s accusation that they ‘rile each other up’. The joke here contained gratuitous use of expletives and was unfortunately over-stretched to the point where I wanted to shout ‘CUT!

I promise that I generally do enjoy the effective and creative use of colourful language – just not when it’s over-used to the point where it removes rather than adds to the desired effect, comic or otherwise. There were additional disappointing moments where I thought, ‘Really? That’s how that would happen?’ But I persevered nonetheless.

In terms of the good things about director Jake Szymanski’s movie, one of the funniest and most refreshing moments is the dialogue between DeVine and Aubrey Plaza in the scene where they whisper to each other outside their Hawaii hotel rooms. There’s also the rather well-executed massage sequence, thanks to an impressive performance by Sugar Lyn Beard and Kumail Nanjiani.

Mike & Dave Need Wedding Dates (2016), Anna Kendrick, Aubrey Plaza
Mike & Dave Need Wedding Dates (2016), Anna Kendrick, Aubrey Plaza

Overall, instead of Mike & Dave Need Wedding Dates being the ‘comedy of the summer’ it could have been, what we seem to have is a series of comedy sketches in what ought to have been an improvisation class setting because a lot the jokes/story needed sharpening and editing down.

Last words from me: Seek out the great scenes highlighted above. Otherwise just do whatever makes you happy. For me, Mike & Dave Need Wedding Dates is one more reminder that a truly good comedy is so very hard to make. Why not try Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008) instead or again. It’s very special indeed.

Happy Film Loving,

G

Comedy, No Spoiler Reviews

NEIGHBORS 2 – SORORITY RISING: The Thing I Liked…

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Neighbors 2 - Sorority Rising (2016), Seth Rogen, Rose Byrne
Neighbors 2 – Sorority Rising (2016), Seth Rogen, Rose Byrne

I remember watching Neighbors (2014) and not liking it enough to write anything worthwhile. I wasn’t in love with the Neighbors 2 – Sorority Rising trailer either, at first, but it grew on me after a week.

Fast forward to now having seen the sequel, the film suffers from the dreaded sequel disease of repetition. Though certainly not to the levels that My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 did this year, ‘suffer’ it certainly does.

As per the original movie, this one too is directed by Nicholas Stoller. A second bit of good news is that none of the performances by the stars including Seth Rogen, Rose Byrne, Zac Efron, Dave Franco, or Chloë Grace Moretz were bad. I just wasn’t much amused. In fact, I’m certain that most of my laughing happened during the Neighbors 2 trailer.

Neighbors 2 - Sorority Rising (2016), Chloë Grace Moretz
Neighbors 2 – Sorority Rising (2016), Chloë Grace Moretz

Try as I must, I managed to find something I enjoyed about the movie and that is the message(s) at the end – however forced they may have felt.

From here on, the Neighbors 2 experience is going to be placed firmly behind me. Especially, as I get busy re-watching my favourite of Rogen’s work;  Pineapple Express (2008), This Is The End (2013) and The Interview (2014). There’s also the wonderfully inappropriate Sausage Party (2016) to get excited and hopeful about.

I’m starting to wonder why it is that I seem to find myself enjoying Rogen’s Newer work less and less. I wasn’t even able to make it through the first third of The Night Before (2015) before needing to bail because I didn’t buy into any of the character’s actions. Am I simply getting too old and therefore no longer the target market? Have I watched so many of his movies, or, movies in general that very little is new to me anymore? Has my taste altered that much?

All I know at this point is that whatever the answer, thank goodness for the early work.

Happy Film Loving,

G