Need For Speed

Need For Speed - Dir. Scott Waugh (2014)

The Need For Speed series is one of Electronic Arts' longest running franchises and the most successful racing games in the video game industry. For the most part, the games have no narrative structure so the idea of using them as the basis for a film is akin to producing Madden Football: The Movie. On the other hand, it's a shrewd marketing ploy by Dreamworks, who are clearly angling to cash in on the wildly lucrative Fast and Furious franchise. Now they have brand recognition. The video games are incidental as they might as well have called it Hot Wheels or Tonka Trucks, both of which are actually in development.

Aaron Paul of Breaking Bad fame stars as Tobey Marshall, an amateur street racer living in Mount Kisco, New York. He has inherited his father's auto shop after old man's death, but the place is on its last legs. That's when Dino Brewster (Dominic Cooper) swoops back into town. The wealthy hometown boy has gone on to the professional leagues, runs a big-time dealership, and even stole Tobey's former flame, Anita (Dakota Johnson). Dino offers Tobey the chance to restore a one-of-a-kind Ford Mustang that belonged to the famed Carroll Shelby. They'll flip it for millions of dollars and a cut of which will save the Marshall family's shop. However, their rivalry boils over and the two challenge each other to a winner takes all race with Anita's younger brother, Pete (Harrison Gilbertson), caught in the middle. Dino causes a fiery wreck when he rams Pete's car from behind, then flees the scene and leaves Tobey to take the fall.

After a two-year stint in prison, Tobey vows revenge by defeating Dino in the De Leon, a clandestine street race put on by the eccentric and mysterious Monarch (Michael Keaton). In order to do so, Tobey borrows the Mustang from its new owner who sends his assistant Julia (Imogen Poots) to tag along as his minder. Tobey and Julia must travel coast to coast within 45 hours in order to join the race. At their side are Tobey's mechanics Joe (Ramon Rodriguez) and Finn (Rami Malek) as well as eyes in the sky Maverick (Scott Mescudi), against them are hordes of police officers and opportunists looking to collect a bounty issued by Dino.

Need For Speed attempts to hearken back to the classic car movies of Hollywood's past. All the cool kids in Mt. Kisco watch Bullitt at a neon-lit drive-in theater ala American Graffiti. Tobey's cross-country sojourn and Michael Keaton's omnipresent commentator are reminiscent of Vanishing Point while Tobey and Julia's flirtatious relationship was clearly inspired by Burt Reynolds and Sally Field in Smokey and the Bandit. Not surprising that Need's director Scott Waugh began his career as a stuntman much like Smokey director Hal Needham and H.B. Halicki, who starred, produced, and directed the original Gone in 60 Seconds. Unfortunately, Need For Speed is a poor substitute.

For his part, Waugh is a stylish director and the film's engines fire on all cylinders when it focuses on vehicular mayhem. We watch Tobey run amok in the streets of Detroit with dozens of cop cars on his tail and kicking up dust in the Utah desert, the latter of which is beautifully photographed by cinematographer Shane Hurlbut. Waugh proudly touts that he relied heavily on practical effects rather than CGI. This will surely please gearheads as they get to see American muscle like the Gran Torino and Camaro along with sleek European models such as the Lamborghini and Koenigsegg.

The movie quickly loses momentum once it moves away from the car chases and you realize how thin the characters are and how inane the dialogue is. Screenwriters George & John Gatins are unable to muster an ounce of wit for what passes as snappy banter between our protagonists. The plot is riddled with holes large enough to…well…drive a car straight through them. The winner of the De Leon gets all the other competing cars, but what's the point when those vehicles are either totaled or impounded by the police? Monarch provides play-by-play of the race for his internet broadcast, yet how does he see what's happening when there are no cameras present? There's some queasy morality to the picture as the protagonists callously race through crowded streets and laugh at nearly killing a homeless man. Tobey also doesn't seem to mind that he's caused numerous traffic accidents and grievous injuries to the police officers pursuing him. Some viewers might be sensitive to images of crashed cars bursting into flames following the tragic death of Paul Walker.

At two hours and ten minutes, Need is way too long and laborious to be a mindless quickie. Skip it unless you have a passion for cars and a high tolerance for cringe-worthy dialogue.

Rating: * ½ (*****)

The Five-Year Engagement

The Five-Year Engagement - Dir. Nicholas Stoller (2012)

Director Nicholas Stoller and Jason Segel first worked together on the short-lived television series Undeclared, which was produced by Judd Apatow. They firmly established themselves in feature film with their smash-hit comedy Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Though Stoller worked with Segel again on "The Muppets," he was only a writer and executive producer with James Bobin of Flight of the Conchords fame directing. The Five-Year Engagement is their first official follow-up to Sarah Marshall as they once again explore the volatile minefield that is the adult relationship.

Five-Year Engagement begins where most romantic comedies end with the proposal. Tom Solomon (Segel) is a successful sous chef making a name for himself in the trendy restaurant scene of San Francisco. He's been dating psychology student Violet Barnes (Emily Blunt) for a year and pops the question during a romantic rooftop dinner with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background. A wedding date is set and invitations are sent out, but things hit a snag when Violet gets accepted into the post-doctorate program at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. They decide to move to the Wolverine State and postpone the nuptials until she receives her degree in two years.

Violet rises through the ranks of grad students after proposing an experiment to study self-control issues with stale donuts (an offshoot of the Stanford marshmallow experiment) that serves as an obvious metaphor. On the flip side, Tom has a miserable time dealing with the cold weather and lack of job prospects. He's stuck making sandwiches at a deli. The couple drifts further and further apart as the audience wonders whether or not these wacky kids will eventually tie the knot.

Of course, they do, which shouldn't come as a shock unless you've never seen a movie before. While the parts have been rearranged, the underlying spine of the film remains true to formula. As stated in the title, we know it will take Tom and Violet five years before they can enjoy wedded bliss. However, sometimes it's the journey that counts and not so much the destination. The Five-Year Engagement takes a meandering route towards the conclusion and falls into the trap of many Apatow productions by just being too long. The movie runs over two hours all while the story is crying out for a peppier pace.

Segel and Blunt have previously played romantic interests in the embarrassingly bad Jack Black vehicle, Gulliver's Travels. Luckily, they get better material here and display an easy chemistry with each other. The script is even keeled and doesn't paint either one of them as the villain in the relationship. However, they are written rather blandly until the comedy is ratcheted up into slapstick realm. At one point, Tom descends into a self-pitying spiral to the point he's grown muttonchops and shuffles around in a bunny suit.

Engagement scores major points thanks to a supporting cast flush with talented performers. First and foremost are Chris Pratt as Tom's best friend, Alex, and Alison Brie as Violet's younger sister, Suzie. Their impulsive affair acts as a counterpoint to the cautious relationship of the protagonists. Pratt is the overgrown man-child that is the classic Apatow archetype, but he's a nice guy deep down and not nearly as dim as the character he plays on Parks and Recreation. Though it's disconcerting to hear Brie speak with a British accent, she displays the same comedic gifts that have made her a hit on Community. Pratt and Brie also have great chemistry together and it almost makes you wish the movie had been about them instead. Brie and Blunt participate in the picture's most inspired gag in which they argue in the voices of Elmo and Cookie Monster. Second place goes to a running joke where the passage of time is marked by the death of one of Violet's grandparents.

Another NBC alumnus Mindy Kaling shines as one of Violet's fellow grad students along with Kevin Hart, Randall Park, and Rhys Ifans as their professor. Some of the funniest lines come from Tom's new Michigan friends, Brian Posehn as a geeky co-worker with an encyclopedic knowledge of pickles and Chris Parnell as a domesticated husband teaches Tom the delights of deer hunting and knitting. Rounding out the ensemble are Academy Award nominee Jacki Weaver as Violet's mom, David Paymer & Mimi Kennedy as Tom's parents, and Dakota Johnson as a young and sexy party girl. Plus, watch out for cameos by Kumail Nanjiani, Molly Shannon, and Tim Heidecker from Tim & Eric's Awesome Show.

The Five-Year Engagement could have benefited from some judicious editing and a quicker pace. Also, anyone thinking this will be as rambunctious as Bridesmaids may be in for a disappointment. Still, the winning cast and some humorous moments sprinkled throughout make it a notch above the standard rom-coms.

Rating: ** (*****)

21 Jump Street

21 Jump Street - Dirs. Phil Lord & Chris Miller (2012)

21 Jump Street is an early contender for surprise hit of the year. Movies based on old television shows haven't had a winning percentage and 21 Jump Street had the potential to be another Starsky & Hutch or, worse yet, Car 54, Where Are You? Instead, it's a clever and uproarious spoof of action films and high school comedies.

Jonah Hill steps up from his usual role of comic relief sidekick to act as lead, producer, and co-writer with Michael Bacall, who penned Scott Pilgrim vs. The World with Edgar Wright and Joe Cornish. Hill plays Morton Schmidt, an awkward teen with braces, who could never get the girl in high school. He was also constantly bullied by Greg Jenko (Channing Tatum), the star football player, who was unable to attend prom because of his poor grades. They eventually reunite at the police academy where Schmidt's brains and Jenko's brawn make them a formidable combination.

Their dreams of being badass cops are quickly dashed when they are assigned to bike duty at the local park. An arrest of some seedy bikers turns into an embarrassment when Jenko fails to read the perp his Miranda rights. As punishment, they are transferred to 21 Jump Street where they are to go undercover at the high school as brothers to ferret out the supplier of a new drug known as H.F.S. (Holy Fucking Shit). Schmidt's smart and sensitive ways gets him into the cool crowd, who turn out to be the dealers, while Jenko's meathead manners get him stuck with the science geeks. Their mission is put in jeopardy as Schmidt becomes preoccupied with living the glory days he never had as a teenager.

Hill intended 21 Jump Street to be Bad Boys crossed with John Hughes and he succeeds on both accounts. The screenplay skewers the conventions of both genres. During a car chase, Schmidt and Jenko are repeatedly shocked that numerous objects they shoot at haven't exploded. They easily identify various high school cliques such as the nerds, the jocks, and the Goths, but others (hipsters, anime fans) completely puzzle them. The food chain of the 80's is turned upside-down as geeks have since inherited the Earth. The environmentally friendly, socially conscious kids are cool while the brutish alpha male jock is passé. The film is also rife with witty metatextual humor, such as one character remarking that the Jump Street program was brought back due to a lack of original ideas. A drama teacher (played by the very funny Chris Parnell) notes the school play has reached the end of the second act just as the movie itself as reached the end of the second act. Even the generic name of the setting, Metro City, leads into other background jokes, like a billboard simply saying, "Billboard."

The comedy is accentuated by co-directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller, who previously helmed Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and created the MTV series, Clone High with Bill Lawrence (Scrubs). Much like Pixar's Brad Bird did on Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, Lord and Miller have made a strong live-action debut. Due to their animation roots, they are able to inject 21 Jump Street with a vibrant energy and loony sight gags, evidenced by the hallucinations Schmidt and Jenko experience while tripping out on H.F.S.

While the film has plenty profanity and gross-out situations, it actually has heart thanks to the growing friendship between Schmidt and Jenko. Hill and Tatum have excellent chemistry together, making their characters both entertaining and sympathetic. Tatum may not have strong dramatic skills, but he has a wealth of comedic talent. He manages to steal the funny away from Hill and gets some of the movie's best lines ("Fuck you, science.") There's also a sweet romance between Hill and Brie Larson, although, any potential statutory charges are never brought up. It is mentioned that Hill and Tatum look too old to be attending high school, but so do most of the other actors.

Speaking of which, the supporting performances are fantastic across the board. Dave Franco (James's younger brother) is appropriately douchey as the leader of the cool clique as is Rob Riggle as the track coach. Ellie Kemper gets some funny scenes as a teacher trying hard to hide her attraction to Jenko. Nick Offerman essentially reprises his role of Ron Swanson from Parks & Recreation as a police captain. His dry line readings contrast from the boisterous performance of Ice Cube as Jump Street's stereotypically angry captain ("Sometimes I get angry…so suck a dick.") Rye Rye and Dakota Johnson (daughter of Don Johnson & Melanie Griffith) appear as a rival undercover squad getting far better results. And, yes, there are cameos from original cast members like Holly Robinson Peete and Johnny Depp, but, sadly, not Richard Grieco. I won't spoil Depp's return as Tom Hanson, but it is easily the film's highlight.

21 Jump Street is a smartly written blend of lowbrow comedy and action with wry commentary on the hierarchies of modern high school.

Rating: *** ½ (*****)

The Social Network

The Social Network - Dir. David Fincher (2010)

"You'd better lawyer up 'cause I'm coming back for everything."

The creation of Facebook doesn't sound like an enthralling premise for a movie. It doesn't seem like the type of subject matter that would attract David Fincher, the director of Seven, Fight Club and Zodiac. However, it would be criminal to dismiss The Social Network as simply the Facebook movie. Just as John Hughes captured the voice of teenage angst in the 80's, Fincher has captured the voice of the dot-com generation, a youth movement weaned on wi-fi, Blackberries, and YouTube. The film tracks Mark Zuckerberg's meteoric rise from Harvard sophomore to becoming the world's youngest billionaire.

The Social Network opens at a bar in Cambridge, Massachusetts as Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) sits down for a rapid-fire exchange with his girlfriend, Erica (Rooney Mara). Zuckerberg's mind is like a web browser with multiple windows open. He's engaging in multiple levels of conversation with Erica falling behind. Zuckerberg expresses his desire to get into one of Harvard's ultra-exclusive "final clubs" because they lead to a "better life." Throughout the discussion, he drops condescending remarks about Erica's inferior intelligence (inferior to his, at least). He snidely remarks she doesn't need to study because she goes to Boston University. Erica breaks up with him on the spot and fires back that Zuckerberg's failures with women will not be due to being a geek, but being an asshole.

Stunned, Zuckerberg returns to his dorm room to get drunk and blog about what a bitch his ex is. As a form of revenge against all women, he hacks into the domains of other dormitories in order to collect pictures of female students. He posts them online as a "Hot or Not Hot" website (Facemash) which becomes an instant sensation. It crashes the Harvard servers that very night at 4AM.

Zuckerberg receives a slap on the wrist from the university and draws the attention of twin brothers Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss (Armie Hammer with Josh Spence as body double) and their business partner Divya Narenda (Max Minghella). The Winklevoss twins are the antithesis of Zuckerberg. Where he is short and gawky, they are tall and tanned Adonises, poster boys for Aryan perfection. They approach Zuckerberg with the idea of creating a social networking site that would be exclusively for Harvard students. Though he agrees, Zuckerberg strings them along while creating his own website initially called, TheFacebook, using seed money from his best friend Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield). Facebook becomes a massive success and Zuckerberg begins spreading the website to other campuses.

Enter Sean Parker (Justin Timberlake), the brash co-founder of Napster and Plaxo. Parker acts as the proverbial devil on the shoulder telling Zuckerberg everything he wants to hear. Zuckerberg drops out of Harvard and moves the operation to Palo Alto near Silicon Valley. As Facebook nears its millionth user, Saverin finds himself edged out by Parker and files suit against his former friend. Fincher tells the film through numerous flashbacks as the story is revealed during two separate legal depositions. Zuckerberg is being sued by both Saverin and the Winklevoss contingent.

The Social Network is a largely fictionalized account of the events it depicts. While the movie is based on Ben Mezrich's book, The Accidental Billionaires (with Saverin as consultant), screenwriter Aaron Sorkin did much of his own research. Sorkin's knack for scintillating dialogue is firmly on display here along with a wry sense of humor. Not a single line of dialogue is wasted as every word means something. It's a testament to the talents of the director and the writer that one of the film's best sequences features characters sitting around a computer and typing Matrix-like code. Zuckerberg's creation of Facemash is seen through a montage set to a pulse-pounding score by Trent Reznor. Shots of geeks glued to a flat-screen monitor are juxtaposed with the hedonistic parties thrown by the elusive final clubs that Zuckerberg aspires to belong.

Jesse Eisenberg has played plenty of likeable nerds in films like Roger Dodger, The Squid and the Whale, and Zombieland. Here, he gets to make a few subtle changes to his on-screen persona to play a rather odious human being. Whenever Zuckerberg talks, he speaks in short clips as if he treats real-life conversations as status updates to his profile page. He's an utterly insecure person who latches onto every tiny infraction as the fuel for his passive aggressive patronization. He's smarter than everybody else and isn't afraid to let them know it. At the same time, there's a sympathetic layer when you look a little closer. Sometimes he says hurtful things and doesn't realize it. Zuckerberg simply does not grasp basic human interaction. It shouldn't be a surprise that he would attempt to distill the complexities of human beings into a unified database of trivial facts. Zuckerberg is also a Jewish kid from Long Island who will never be accepted into the rarified WASPy circles of the Ivy League elite. He's a change in the established order where tailor-made power suits are replaced by hoodies and flip flops. Is it any wonder that he latches onto the slick hucksterism of Sean Parker?

Like Zuckerberg, Parker probably received his fair share of wedges and swirlies in junior high. Now, he moves in a world of cocaine and champagne. He gets the VIP treatment at trendy nightclubs as shapely waitresses cater to his every whim and call him, "Mr. Parker." Timberlake is excellent in his role conveying an irascible smarminess as well as a sad coke-fueled paranoia. Let's not forget Andrew Garfield as Parker's foil and the object of Zuckerberg's betrayal. Garfield is on the fast track to becoming the next big thing and you can already tell the kind of performance he'll be bringing to the Sony's upcoming Spider-Man reboot. Armie Hammer is also owed a few notices. Thanks to some technical wizardry by Fincher, Hammer pulls double duty as the Winklevoss Twins and gives both a unique personality.

The Social Network is so much more than just the Facebook movie. As the title suggests, the film is not just about the internet's impact on society, but about society itself and the social morays that have been imposed on it. It's all about the sting of exclusion and the need for inclusion. It's all about measuring one's worth by who they know and what groups they belong to. Facebook didn't change the way we live our lives, it just made it easier for us to do what we've been doing for a long, long time.

The Social Network is already being considered the Citizen Kane of our times. While I don't buy into the hyperbole, there are plenty of similarities between the film's Mark Zuckerberg and Orson Welles' Charles Foster Kane. Both utilized the dominant form of media as their weapon of choice. Both had the world in the palm of their hands and alienated everyone that cared about them. Just like Kane found himself alone in the opulence of Xanadu, Zuckerberg finds himself alone in a sterile boardroom futilely refreshing the profile page of his ex-girlfriend.

Rating: ****