Ghostbusters isn't as good or bad as you thought it would be

Movie Title:        Ghostbusters

  

Grade:  B

Rating:  PG-13, 105 minutes

In a Nutshell:  Some of the funny women of Saturday Night Live, including 4 time guest host of SNL Melissa McCarthy, star in this reboot of the 1984 smash hit.  

The beloved original (which I loved) is hard to beat, but this version gives it a respectable shot.

Written and directed by Paul Feig, this movie isn’t as good as you want, but also not as bad as you thought it would be. 

Uplifting theme: 

• “No woman should walk around unarmed.” – Jillian
• “The purpose of life is to love.” – Jillian
• Female empowerment.

Things I liked:

• Cameos and references from the fantastic cast of the original movie.
• Terrific cast includes Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones, Chris Hemsworth, and Cecily Strong.
• Keep watching during the final credits for a peek at the sequel…
• At the end of the movie, it says “For Harold Ramis.”  A lot of people don’t realize that he died in 2014.
• Chris Hemsworth.
• You’ll laugh out loud at least a couple of times.
• The action sequences are better than the original, thanks to new movie technology.
• I thought Zach Woods’ comments as the tour guide at the very beginning of the movie were really funny.

Things I didn’t like:

• It doesn’t have quite the charm as the original.
• Does this reboot add anything new to the original?  No, not really.  Oh yeah, Chris Hemsworth.
• The script didn’t allow these comediennes to really knock our socks off.  The material just isn’t as good as they are.
• Every male character in this movie is either an idiot or a jerk.
• Although this film isn’t the greatest ever made, it certainly doesn’t deserve all the hate that has been spewing over it online.
• The villain isn’t anything special or memorable.
• Needs better pacing.

Funny lines:

•  “Something big is gonna happen!” - Erin

“The word we’re looking for is Apocalypse!” – Jillian

• “That is a deadly high five.” -  Abby
• So, I don’t know if it’s a race thing or a lady thing, but I’m mad as hell.” – Patty
• “How can you be eating right now?” – Erin Gilbert

“Try saying no to these salty parabolas.” – Jillian Holtzmann

• “Am I on crack or is this a good logo?” – Jillian
• “That’s where I saw that weird sparking thing.” – Patty Tolan

“What was it?” – Erin

“If I knew what it was, I wouldn’t say ‘weird sparking thing.’” – Patty

• “Why am I using the untested nuclear thing?” – Erin

“You have the longest arms.” – Jillian

• “Ah, it’s always the sad, pale ones.” – Jillian
• “You hate to see the smart ones go bad.” – Jillian
• “You guys, this is exactly how I pictured my death.” – Jillian
• “Who’s the flying beefcake?” – Rourke
• “What year is it?” – Abby

“It’s 2040.  Our president is a plant.” – Jillian

• “I’m just looking for a reasonable ratio between wontons and broth.  This is absolute madness.” – Abby
• “It transports ghosts and I don’t know where, but I think it’s Michigan.” –
• “Safety lights are for dudes.” – Jillian

Tips for parents: 

• A lot of crude jokes.
• Some of the ghosts could be frightening for small children.
• Some profanity.
• Lots of slime, which your kids will love.

Hotel Transylvania 2 preaches tolerance

Movie:   Hotel Transylvania 2

Rating:  PG, 1 hour 29 minutes

Grade:  B

In a Nutshell:   Colorful and silly, this family animation written by Adam Sandler takes a social stand on mixed marriages and tolerance.  Voice talents include a star-studded cast:  Adam Sandler, Mel Brooks, Steve Buscemi, Selena Gomez, Kevin James, David Spade, Megan Mullally, Keegan Michael Key, Fran Drescher, Molly Shannon, Chris Kattan, Dana Carvey, Rob Riggle, Nick Offerman, Jon Lovitz, and Andy Samberg.

Uplifting Theme:

·         Be yourself.  Let others be themselves too.

·         Mavis, the vampire who married a human, is on a mission for tolerance.  She says to her dad, Dracula, “Maybe you’ve let humans into your hotel, Dad, but you haven’t let them into your heart.”

Things I liked:

·         Considering it’s an Adam Sandler film, there is a surprisingly low number of body function jokes.

·         You’ll get it, even if you didn’t see the first one.

·         Dennis, the little boy, has the most adorable curly, red hair.   It served as a great gag throughout the movie as well.

·         The animation is clear, sharp, colorful and creative.
-     I admire how Adam Sandler keeps all of his old Saturday Night Live friends in work.
-     The movie reveals that Jonathan is from Santa Cruz, California, which  is the beach town near where I grew up.  Woo, beach boardwalk!

Things I didn’t like:

·         I only chuckled a few times.  Most of the laughs in the movie come from reactions to gags, pranks, and physical comedy.  The writing isn't that clever.

·         It ends with a clichéd dance party….not that it’s bad...it’s just predictable.

·         Mavis whines “Can we stop using the word ‘normal’?”  Apparently, we now live in a world where “normal” is bad and everything else is considered good.   

·         It demonstrates pretty well the entitled , younger generation that demands tolerance from everyone, yet doesn’t offer it very easily to others.

Funny lines:  

·         “From Prince of Darkness to King of Room Service…” – Vlad Dracula

·         “None of the parents better review this on Yelp.” – party performer

·         The young campers sing “Vampires will be friends forever…literally.”

·         “Michael, row your corpse ashore.” – Dracula

·         “I’m not a hippie; I’m a slacker.” – Jonathan

Things to look for:

·         Did you notice that all of the women in the movie have big hips and thighs?

·         Check out all of the things inside Blobbie in each scene he is in.

Tips for Parents:

·         Some of the monsters might be too scary for really young children.

·         Some fight scenes.

·         Some talk about “boobies”.

Missed the first one?  Check it out here:

Grown Ups 2 is a waste of your money and time

Well, I hate to disappoint you, but Grown Ups 2 isn’t going to win any Oscar’s.  Big surprise, right?  While the first installment of Adam Sandler and his buddies pretending to be responsible parents was a fun, goofy flick, this return will bore and disgust you.  The script appears to have been written on a cocktail napkin while Sandler and his actor pals were all drunk out of their minds.

The all-star comedy cast shows that Saturday Night Live bonds last for many years.  I’m glad they’re all having fun and making millions together, but their humor really should be a little bit more grown up by now, don’t you think?  The film is full of crude jokes about barfs, farts, and every body part imaginable.  Fake boobs and coarse, exaggerated antics fill the screen, along with inane dialogue and gags that dwell too long.

Adam Sandler’s character, Lenny Feder, moves back to where he grew up with all of his buddies played by Chris Rock, Kevin James, and David Spade.  Other favorites in the cast include Salma Hayek Pinault, Maya Rudolph, Steve Buscemi, Colin Quinn, Jon Lovitz, Shaquille O’Neal and, of course, Rob Schneider.  Twilight lovers will cringe when they see Taylor Lautner playing a dumb, mean frat boy with lines that include such gems as “farthead.”

 

Adam Sandler attempts to recapture his youth by spewing out the most juvenile plot while insulting his audience.  It’s vulgar and definitely NOT funny.  Are all of the stars in the movie afraid to tell Sandler how bad this movie really is or do they simply not care?

PG-13 for being stupid and offensive, in addition to all of the other reasons.

Grade = F