The Hangover: Part II

The Hangover: Part II - Dir. Todd Phillips (2011)

Sequels can go two ways. The creators can take the story in a completely different direction than the original film and risk alienating audiences, who might complain they lost sight of what made the first installment so successful. The sequel could also stick closely to the plot structure of its predecessor and risk fans complaining that the filmmakers are simply recycling ideas. The Hangover Part II is guilty of the latter, a sequel that rigidly follows the same formula of its 2009 forerunner.

The Wolfpack is back for another round of drunken revelry. Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, and Zach Galifianakis return as the three best friends anyone could have. In his own words, Stu (Helms), the straight-laced dentist is still trying to put the fragile pieces of his psyche back together following the strange events in Las Vegas. He's not taking any chances now that it's his turn to get married. Unfortunately, it is not to the stripper from the first film. Part II earns its first strike with the exclusion of Heather Graham's sweet-natured Jade. There are only passing references to their relationship as Stu is getting hitched to a pretty young Asian named Lauren (Jamie Chung). We learn absolutely nothing about their romance because it only exists as a flimsy excuse to take the protagonists to Thailand.

Stu is reluctantly convinced to have a round of beers on the beach with his pals and future brother-in-law, Teddy (Mason Lee, son of director Ang Lee), a pre-med student and child prodigy. Faster than you can say, "Here we go again," Stu, Phil (Cooper), and Alan (Galifianakis) wake up the following morning in a sweltering Bangkok hotel room with no recollection of how they got there. Alan's head is shaved bald, Stu has a tribal tattoo plastered on his face, and there's a Capuchin monkey wearing a denim jacket. Even worse, there's no sign of Teddy save for his finger and Stanford class ring. Once more, the gang must follow a trail of breadcrumbs that takes them through seedy back alleys, dens of iniquity, and a Buddhist monastery.

Sound familiar? It should since director Todd Phillips and company have essentially remade the same exact picture. The sequel begins in a similar fashion to the first picture. Phil makes a defeated phone call to Doug's wife, Tracy (Sasha Barrese), followed by an opening credits sequence set to Danzig and a frantic search through the city for their missing friend. The end credits are a near carbon copy of the earlier Hangover with a series of photos of their wild night as Flo Rida rings through the theater. Even Mike Tyson returns for a cameo though he sings a different 80's hit tune (Murray Head's "One Night in Bangkok," natch). Ken Jeong also returns as the effeminate gangster, Mr. Leslie Chow. This time, he's a member of the wedding party, invited as Alan's plus one. A little Ken Jeong goes a long way. He can be funny in small doses, such as his recurring role on NBC's Community. Unfortunately, Phillips didn't get the memo and Jeong's routine is too forced and grating to be amusing.

Without Chow as an antagonist, the Wolfpack run into another mobster played by Paul Giamatti as well as a pair of Russian drug dealers. Giamatti isn't known for giving a bad performance and he's great for the brief time he has in the movie. Actor/director Nick Cassavetes also makes a quick appearance as a tattoo artist, a role that generated a lot of press before the movie's release. Mel Gibson was originally set for the character before negative reaction from members of the cast and crew put the kibosh on it. Gibson was replaced by Liam Neeson, who was unable to reprise the role when Phillips needed to reshoot the scene. Considering the revolving door of actors, you'd think the character would be noteworthy. Instead, he's there simply to divulge vital exposition to get the boys to their next destination.

Because the screenplay by Craig Mazin and Scot Armstrong is so concerned with adhering to the plot structure of its predecessor, it forgets that the budding friendship of the leads was the backbone of The Hangover. Not that the protagonists have grown much. Bradley Cooper is the same as the group's overgrown frat boy. Zach Galifianakis has some of the movie's funniest lines, but his Alan has lost some of the eccentric charm since last we saw him. He's more annoying than child-like and just a bit disturbing. Of the main trio, Ed Helms probably fares the worst. Helms has some good scenes in the first half of the film, but eventually regresses to screaming and flailing his limbs about. The jokes also regress to a series of tasteless and uninventive gags that exist purely for shock value. I'm sure the Thailand Board of Tourism will be excited to see their country depicted as a haven for violent drug dealers, underage prostitution, and she-male strippers.

I may lose my cinephile credentials when I saw I enjoyed it. The Hangover may have been a vulgar farce appealing to the lowest common denominator, but I was thoroughly entertained. The same can't be said for The Hangover Part II. Despite a few chuckles, the sequel is a witless rehash full of lazy, gross-out humor.

Rating: * ½ (*****)

Win Win

Win Win - Dir. Thomas McCarthy (2011)

Thomas McCarthy doesn't have one of the most recognizable names or faces. As a character actor, he's had supporting roles in films like Meet the Parents and 2012. However, he has won more critical acclaim as the writer/director of The Station Agent and The Visitor. McCarthy has specialized in telling stories about depressed outsiders forming an unconventional surrogate family. For his latest picture, Win Win, McCarthy sticks to his bread and butter, presenting his best movie yet.

Paul Giamatti is perfectly cast as Mike Flaherty, a New Jersey lawyer who practices in the matters of elderly care. He also doubles as the coach of a pathetic high school wrestling team with his partner Stephen (Jeffrey Tambor). Mike isn't pulling in enough money to support his wife, Jackie (Amy Ryan), and their two daughters. He finds what he believes to be an easy source of money in Leo Poplar (Burt Young), who is suffering from the onset of dementia. Unable to contact his family, Mike appoints himself as Leo's guardian in order to collect the $1500 a month from Leo's estate, then checks him into a nursing home so he doesn't actually have to care for Leo.

Mike's scheme seemingly goes off without a hitch until Leo's grandson, Kyle (Alex Shaffer), arrives on Leo's doorstep. Mike and Jackie take the boy in until they can contact Kyle's mother, Cindy (Melanie Lynskey), who is attending rehab and is estranged from her father. When Kyle shows off exceptional wrestling skill, Mike sees it as a karmic reward. He enrolls Kyle at the school for the chance to finally win a championship. Kyle's winning ways manage to inspire the adults around him as well as his lackadaisical teammates. Everything feels like it's coming around for Mike until Cindy shows up looking to collect her son and her father's money.

McCarthy's screenplay has a tendency to veer towards sitcom territory. It's formulaic and the complications are all wrapped up a little too conveniently. Yet, there's such a sweet-natured approach to the material that it's easy to go with the flow. Unlike other indie dramedies which are quirky for quirky's sake, the characters of Win Win feel genuine and likeable. The comedy ranges from over-the-top to low-key and each gag is never forced, coming naturally from the situations everyone finds themselves.

The cast also helps to elevate the film. Giamatti is the master of playing these sad sack roles, able to maintain an air of sympathy despite sometimes acting like a jerk (see American Splendor). Amy Ryan is excellent as the tough Jersey wife while Jeffrey Tambor plays the exact type of role you expect from Jeffrey Tambor. Rocky fans will be ecstatic to see Paulie himself appear in a small, but vital part. The real gem of Win Win is newcomer Alex Shaffer, who really is a champion wrestler in the Garden State. Shaffer manages to make so much more of a role that calls for the typical sullen and taciturn teenager.

McCarthy scores a definitive notch in the win column with Win Win. It's a funny and engaging film that stands as one of the best pictures released during the first half of 2011.

Rating: ***½ (*****)

Paul

Paul - Dir. Greg Mottola (2011)

Along with director Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost came to prominence in geek culture with their Channel 4 sitcom, Spaced. Their leap to feature films with Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz was wildly successful. Having tackled zombies and cops, Pegg and Frost finally get around to tackling sci-fi with Paul, based on a script they wrote with Greg Mottola (Adventureland Superbad) behind the camera.

Paul makes it known right away who its target demographic with an opening sequence set at Comic-Con. Pegg and Frost are Graeme Willy and Clive Gollings, a graphic artist and science fiction writer, respectively. The best friends traveled to the United States to attend the Mecca of nerd-dom. They ogle the Slave Leias and get starstruck at meeting the robot from Buck Rogers ("…bidi, bidi, bidi."). Afterwards, Graeme and Clive embark on a bromantic road trip in a rented RV to visit famous UFO sites such as Area 51 and Roswell. Coming across a car accident, they are shocked to discover, Paul (Seth Rogen), an alien who has been locked away in a government facility since his spaceship crashed in the 1940's. Graeme and Clive agree to help Paul get to his mothership. Along the way, they also pick up Ruth Buggs (Kristen Wiig), a Christian fundamentalist whose faith is shaken by the appearance of a creature from outer space.

The supporting cast is a tremendous ensemble of players that include Jason Bateman as a no-nonsense man in black on the hunt for Paul with a pair of bumbling FBI agents played by Bill Hader and Joe Lo Truglio. They take their orders from Sigourney Weaver, who appears for most of the picture as a hidden voice sort of like Dr. Klaw from Inspector Gadget. We also have Jeffrey Tambor as sci-fi author Adam Shadowchild and Jane Lynch in a tiny role (a little Jane Lynch goes a long way) as a diner owner. Everyone is good, but none more so than Wiig as both a comic foil to Paul and love interest to Graeme. Wiig takes a rather one-dimensional character in Ruth and makes her extremely likable. She also possesses tremendous comic timing shown off when Ruth awkwardly tries cursing for the first time and launches into a series of nonsensical profanities ("Well, ain't that a bag of tits.").

Seth Rogen may be suffering from overexposure as of late. While you certainly cannot fault the man for venturing out of his comfort zone, the results have been mixed at best (i.e. Observe and Report, The Green Hornet). Here, Rogen goes back to basics providing only motion capture work and his distinctive voice. His Paul pulls a 180 on the prototypical alien by turning him into a rude and gross little guy with a cigarette constantly in his hand. He's E.T. if he were a potty-mouthed, bulb-headed stoner from a galaxy far, far away.

Paul definitely has its weaknesses. As foreigners, Pegg and Frost go the easy route by portraying most of the Americans they come across as bible-thumping zealots or gun-toting rednecks. David Koechner and Friday Night Lights' Jesse Plemons a bit wasted as the latter. Some of the subplots don't pay off, especially the one involving Ruth's domineering father (John Carroll Lynch), which could have easily been cut from the film to tighten the plot. In the end, Paul will live and die by its geek chic sense of humor.

While Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz poked fun at genre conventions, Paul is more concerned with making specific references, many of which will go most everyone's heads. There are tons of requisite Star Wars gags with entire lines of dialogue quoted by various characters. One of the best features a country western band playing their version of the Mos Eisley Cantina song. Other iconic sci-fi flicks like Back to the Future and obscure ones like Mac and Me are referenced as are numerous Spielberg movies to the point where the director himself makes a voice cameo receiving story advice from Paul.

Make no mistake about it, Paul is a movie for geeks and by geeks. As someone who is steeped in the culture (I'm a Comic-Con veteran for nearly two decades), it's hard for me to say how mainstream audiences might take the film. Hopefully, they'll find Paul as hilarious and surprisingly poignant as I have.

Rating: *** (*****)

Tangled

Tangled - Dirs. Nathan Greno & Byron Howard (2010)

Disney hits the big five oh with Tangled, their 50th feature length animated film released in theaters. They've released dozens of classics and some that should be forgotten (Treasure Planet, Chicken Little). Tangled may not rank among Disney's greatest efforts, but it's a fun film for the young and old.

Tangled is Disney's version of the famous fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm. You might be wondering why the House of Mouse didn't simply call it the more recognizable Rapunzel. Chalk that up to the ad wizards. Disney felt their previous picture, The Princess and the Frog, underperformed at the box office because boys didn't want to see a movie about princesses. Considering the studio reportedly spent a whopping $260 million on the picture, they definitely want to get their money's worth. So the marketing division put the focus on the dashing male lead and emphasized the film as an adventure story. However, make no mistake about it, Tangled still follows the classic Disney formula that has worked since Uncle Walt had the crazy idea to do Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. We've got our plucky princess heroine, a handsome love interest, an evil stepmother figure, wacky animal sidekicks, and plenty of musical numbers.

Tangled opens with a prologue involving a magical flower with the ability to rejuvenate. An old woman named Mother Gothel (Donna Murphy) finds the flower and uses it to make herself young again. When the King discovers the flower's existence, he sends his men to find it in order to save his wife when she grows weak during childbirth. The Queen is saved and the flower imbues the hair of their daughter, Rapunzel (Mandy Moore), with the same healing properties. Mother Gothel kidnaps Rapunzel and never cuts her hair lest it lose its wondrous power.

Years pass and it is now Rapunzel's eighteenth birthday. She has spent her entire life inside a tower and never allowed to leave. Mother Gothel has spun wild tales of the dangers lurking in the outside world in order to keep her "daughter" in line. However, Rapunzel's curiosity keeps her dreaming of what lies beyond her tower. Meanwhile, the notorious thief, Flynn Rider (Chuck's Zachary Levi), is being chased through the woods by the royal guard after robbing the castle. He takes refuge in the tower where he's knocked out by Rapunzel and her trusty frying pan. She eventually convinces the reluctant Rider to escort her to the royal kingdom.

As you'd expect from a Disney feature, the animation is absolutely gorgeous. Inspired by old oil paintings, the animators created a picture perfect storybook kingdom with a luscious forest. Ironically, a lot of work went into making the CGI resemble the hand drawn animation found in the classic Disney films of yesteryear. The facial expressions of the characters are incredibly detailed. Rapunzel, in particular, has a wide eyed sense of wonder and the animation for her hair is well done. It's a shame that the filmmakers didn't make better use of Rapunzel's long locks as the film progressed. They also don't do much to distinguish the lead characters beyond just perky princess and swashbuckling rogue. The antagonist, Mother Gothel, has to be one of the least memorable Disney villains in a long time. It's a disappointment from the same studio that created great baddies like Cruella De Vil and Gaston.

Equally forgettable are the tunes from long-time Disney composer Alan Menken and lyricist Glenn Slater (Home on the Range). Most of the songs seem to burst out as a requisite to the Disney formula rather than a natural extension of the story. The only number with any real energy is "I've Got a Dream," a hilarious musical sequence set in a seedy tavern for medieval thugs, some of whom are voiced by Jeffrey Tambor, Brad Garrett, and Jaws himself, Richard Kiel.

The show is actually stolen by the animal sidekicks, who aren't voiced by A-list celebrities this time around. There's Rapunzel's one and only friend, a feisty little chameleon named Pascal. There's also Maximus, a horse for the royal guard who pretty much steals the entire movie. Maximus is more police dog than handsome steed. He growls and snorts as he sniffs out the trail of Flynn Rider. He even punches him and draws a sword in a ludicrous duel.

Despite some stereotypical characters and a bland soundtrack, Tangled is a fun adventure that is beautifully animated. It's not an all-time classic, but a great effort from Disney.

Rating: *** (*****)

The Hangover

The Hangover - Dir. Todd Phillips (2009)

The Hangover is crude, low-brow and profane. It’s a film that signifies the continuing collapse of decency in society. And I loved nearly every minute of it. Todd Phillips, the director of Old School, returns to the theme of the man-child giving in to his rampaging id with hilarious results.

Doug (Justin Bartha) is about to get married and heads off to Vegas with his buddies for a one last night of debauchery. Doug’s pals include: Phil (Bradley Cooper), a married man and prep school teacher who obviously longs for his frat boy days; Stu (Ed Helms), a nerdy dentist trapped in an unhealthy a harpy named Melissa (played by Helms’ fellow Daily Show alumnus Rachael Harris); and Alan (Zach Galifianakis), his future brother-in-law. Alan is socially awkward and looking for acceptance within Doug’s circle of close friends. He’s practically a big baby which is never more evident than a scene where Galifianakis stands there in his tightie whities.

The quartet checks into a luxurious suite at Caesar’s Palace (at the cost of an obscene $4200 per night) before having a toast on the hotel’s roof. They wake up the next morning and have no memory of what’s happened since then. Their suite is trashed, Stu is missing a tooth, Doug is gone, and there’s a baby and a tiger. Oh, and they’ve been driving around in a stolen police car. What follows is a bumbling amateur detective story as the protagonists attempt to piece together their missing memories. Some of the highlights include Stu marrying a stripper played by Heather Graham (who never looked more gorgeous) and a memorable run-in with Mike Tyson. If you’ve seen the trailer then you know what I’m talking about.

The trailer got an uproarious reaction from audiences and no doubt spread word like wildfire. The Hangover did nearly $45 million on opening weekend and thus far has made over $200 million worldwide. The trailer was so good, you worry that it gave away all the best parts of the film. Galifianakis takes a taser to the face while Tyson sings along to “In the Air Tonight.” While memorable scenes, The Hangover still brings plenty of funny with outrageous situations. Galifianakis provides some of the film’s best one-liners due to his character’s child-like naiveté. Cooper is perfect in the role of the cocky pretty boy and Helms is excellent as the straight man, playing off wonderfully with his cast mates. Bartha is something of a non-entity since he disappears for much of the film, but it’s no big loss.

The first two-thirds of the film are great along with the photo montage during the end credits. Really, the film only sputters during the final act after most of the events of the last night have been revealed. Another misstep is Ken Jeong in a small role as a mobster who is both stereotypically Asian and stereotypically gay.

It’s hard to believe such an amusing film was written by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore, the team who also wrote the unfunny turds, Four Christmases and The Ghosts of Girlfriends Past. The Hangover won’t be to everyone’s taste, but I’ll rank it as one of the funniest movies of the year so far. There’s not much coming in the second half of 2009 that look like it’ll give Hangover a run for its money.

P.S. – If I pay eight bucks for a film, I demand to see both of Heather Graham’s boobs. Not just one.

Rating: *** 1/2

Monsters vs. Aliens

Monsters vs. Aliens - Dir. Rob Letterman & Conrad Vernon (2009)


Imagine if the title characters from Attack of the 50ft. Woman, The Blob, The Creature from the Black Lagoon, The Fly, and Mothra all teamed up to fight invaders from space. Dreamworks unleashed yet another CG animated project to the multiplexes which seems to be a seasonal thing. Monsters vs. Aliens seems to have sprung from the minds of fanboys who cherish their bootleg copies of black & white B-movies and back-issues of MAD Magazine. It’s light on plot, but the kind of fun film that kinds will definitely enjoy and it won’t bore or annoy the adults.

Susan Murphy (Reese Witherspoon) is about to get married to Derek (Paul Rudd), a self-absorbed weatherman who is about to go to the big show in Fresno. Suddenly, a meteor from outer space conks Susan on the head and mutates her to just one inch shy of 50 feet. She’s captured by the military and shipped off to Area 51 which is under the command of Gen. W.R. Monger (Kiefer Sutherland). For decades, Gen. Monger has been collecting monsters including fish-man the Missing Link (Will Arnett), the gelatinous B.O.B. (Seth Rogen), mad scientist Dr. Cockroach (Hugh Laurie), and an enormous bug known only as Insectasaurus. Together, they are man’s only hope against the evil alien warlord Galaxhar (Rainn Wilson).

Monsters vs. Aliens has all the trappings of the typical modern animated film with its all-star cast and numerous pop culture references. Aside from the original Shrek, Dreamworks hasn’t been able to match the heartfelt substance that their rivals at Pixar have repeatedly instilled in their films. The closest they’ve come was through their brief partnership with Aardman Studios which produced the charming Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit and the underrated Flushed Away. No, most have been the same cookie-cutter talking animal pictures. Monsters vs. Aliens does stand out with its high-concept story though it takes a simplistic popcorn film approach to telling it. It touches on themes of friendship, alienation, and female empowerment yet is unable to fully explore them. The animation is, of course, exceptional. I’m afraid to admit I didn’t get the chance to view it in 3D. In one scene, the filmmakers are wryly self-reflexive to the process when they show a technician playing paddle ball.

The voice-over cast is good and none of the players feel like they were stunt cast. From Dr. House to Dr. Cockroach, Hugh Laurie seems like he’s having the most fun while Will Arnett channels his Gob Bluth character for the Missing Link. Seth Rogen, who is apparently contractually obligated to be in every movie made now, gets off some of the best one-liners and non-sequitors as the dim-witted B.O.B.

Rating: **1/2