It would be easy to write off Edge of Tomorrow as just another sci-fi action flick from the couch-hopping Scientologist that the tabloids love to hate. After all, Tom Cruise last starred in the similarly post-apocalyptic Oblivion, and if there’s one thing audiences love more than a crowdpleaser, it’s talking crap about celebrities. However, moviegoers who let themselves get caught up in those trivial concerns are truly doing themselves a disservice, as Edge of Tomorrow defies expectations to become the latest in a long string of solid adventure films led by Cruise. Continue reading Review: ‘Edge of Tomorrow’
Monthly Archives: June 2014
Review: ‘Neighbors’
Comedic actors have long been criticized for milking their signature shtick for all it’s worth. How many times, for instance, can Adam Sandler play variations on the man-child persona he popularized way back in 1995 comedy Billy Madison (if the grosses for Blended are any indication, we may yet find out – but that’s another article entirely)? In the case of Seth Rogen, the funnyman has largely found his niche as the loveable stoner with a heart of gold. From Knocked Up to Pineapple Express, Rogen has established himself as a bonafide comedic brand, a branch that has fallen off the Judd Apatow tree.
In Neighbors, Rogen does indeed hew fairly close to the type of character he’s best known for, but rather than holding the film back, his wry chuckle and panicky, frenetic energy are employed for good, not evil. In fact, Neighbors probably works largely because of the way Rogen is able to play off of his co-stars and the over-the-top situation they’re all placed in. Continue reading Review: ‘Neighbors’
Review: ‘A Million Ways to Die in the West’
The fact that Family Guy creator Seth Macfarlane is co-writer, director and star of A Million Ways to Die in the West should serve as a flashing warning sign that moviegoers who find his crass, in-your-face style of comedy more off-putting than knee-slappingly hilarious are better off looking elsewhere for their night’s entertainment. Continue reading Review: ‘A Million Ways to Die in the West’