Review: "THE ADDAMS FAMILY 2" is a Truly Disappointing Sequel

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 9 of 2022 (No. 1821) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Addams Family 2 (2021)
Running time:  93 minutes (1 hour, 33 minutes)
MPAA – PG for macabre and rude humor, violence and language
DIRECTORS:  Greg Tiernan and Conrad Vernon
WRITERS:  Dan Hernandez, Benji Samit, Ben Queen, and Susanna Fogel; from a story by Dan Hernandez and Benji Samit (based on the characters created by Charles Addams)
PRODUCERS:  Gail Berman, Alison O'Brien, Danielle Sterling, and Conrad Vernon
EDITOR:  Ryan Folsey
COMPOSERS: Jeff Danna and Mychael Danna

ANIMATION/FANTASY/COMEDY/FAMILY

Starring:  (voices) Oscar Isaac, Charlize Theron, Chloe Grace Moretz, Javon “Wanna” Walton, Nick Kroll, Snoop Dogg, Bette Midler, Conrad Vernon, Bill Hader, Wallace Shawn, Brian Sommer, Cherami Leigh, and Ted Evans

The Addams Family 2 is a 2021 computer-animated supernatural comedy from directors Conrad Vernon and Greg Tiernan.  The film is a sequel to the 2019 animated film, The Addams Family.  Both films are based on the characters created by The New Yorker cartoonist, the late Charles Addams (1912-1988).  The Addams Family 2 focuses on the Addams Family as take a road trip, during which a scientist pursues Wednesday.

The Addams Family 2 opens at a school science fair.  There, Wednesday Addams (Chloe Grace Moretz) presents her experiment, in which she uses DNA from her pet squid, Socrates, on her Uncle Fester (Nick Kroll) to show how humans can be improved.  Wednesday is somewhat put off that her family:  father, Gomez Addams (Oscar Isaac); mother, Morticia (Charlize Theron); and her brother, Pugsley (Javon “Wanna” Walton) have decided to attend the science fair, which is sponsored by the Cyrus Strange Foundation.  Cyrus Strange (Bill Hader) himself appears at the fair as a 3D hologram, and he is instantly drawn to Wednesday experiment and hopes to recruit her to work for him.

Back at home, Gomez Addams worries that the children are drifting apart from him and Morticia.  He decides that a family vacation is just what is needed to keep the family together, so he declares that they are going on a road trip across the United States.  Uncle Fester, Thing (the sentient hand), and Lurch (the butler) join them on the vacation, with everyone packing into an huge, odd-looking camper.  Gomez even takes the family to Miami where he hopes Cousin Itt (Snoop Dogg) can help with the family dilemma.

There is a complication in these vacation plans, however.  Cyrus Strange is determined to have Wednesday, and sends a shady lawyer, Mr. Mustela (Wallace Shawn), and a brutish henchman, Pongo (Ted Evans) to trick Gomez and Morticia into believing that Wednesday might be Cyrus' child.  Wednesday is already having doubts about her connections to the Addams Family, so which family will she decide to choose, the Addams or Cyrus Strange?

Charles Addams' macabre cartoon characters first became “The Addams Family” in the former ABC television series, “The Addams Family” (1964-66).  I have been a fan of that series since I was a child.  As a child, I was also a fan of NBC's former Saturday morning cartoon series, “The Addams Family” (Hanna-Barbera, 1973).  That series depicts the Addams Family on a cross-country road trip, exploring the United States in their “Creepy Camper” that resembles their Victorian-style mansion home.  The Addams Family 2 is not a remake of that old cartoon series, but it does borrow a few elements from it.

The Addams Family 2019 was enough of a hit that producing a sequel probably seemed obvious to MGM, which holds the rights to produce Addams Family film and television series.  The end result is something that looks and feels like a sequel that was rushed into production.  The idea of Wednesday not being an Addams is a ridiculous plot.  I can certainly accept the notion of a precocious child wondering about her parentage and lineage.  However, if she is different from the rest of her family, it is because each member of the Addams Family is different from all others.  That is the point this film makes at end of the story, but we didn't need an entire mediocre movie to tell us that.  Raising questions about Wednesday's family is just a lame plot line.

So, it goes without saying that I did not like this film.  The Addams Family 2 ends up being the latest in a long line of pitiful Hollywood road trip movies.  I will say that the last 17 minutes of the film – before the end credits – are actually good.  It is the only time that the film has any real conflict, melodrama, or action, and what happens in these seventeen minutes is actually consequential to the both the Addams Family and a few other supporting characters.

The Addams Family 2019 is my favorite media adaptation of “The Addams Family” characters outside of the 1960s and 1970s.  It manages to be sweet, charming, heartwarming, and, of course, macabre – the way it should be.  I gave it a B+, but The Addams Family 2 bored the hell outta me until the last seventeen minutes.  I'm being generous giving it a C.

4 of 10
C

Wednesday, February 23, 2022


The text is copyright © 2022 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved.  Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Review: "The Addams Family" Gives the Middle Finger to Assimilation

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 1 of 2021 (No. 1739) by Leroy Douresseaux

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

The Addams Family (2019)

Running time:  86 minutes (1 hour, 26 minutes)

MPAA – PG for macabre and suggestive humor, and some action.

DIRECTORS:  Greg Tiernan and Conrad Vernon

WRITERS:  Matt Lieberman; from a story by Matt Lieberman, Erica Rivinoja, and Conrad Vernon (based on the characters created by Charles Addams)

PRODUCERS:  Gail Berman, Alison O'Brien, Alex Schwartz, and Conrad Vernon

EDITORS:  Kevin Pavlovic and David Ian Salter

COMPOSERS: Jeff Danna and Mychael Danna

ANIMATION/FANTASY/COMEDY/FAMILY

Starring:  (voices) Oscar Isaac, Charlize Theron, Chloe Grace Moretz, Finn Wolfhard, Nick Kroll, Snoop Dogg, Bette Midler, Allison Janney, Martin Short, Catherine O'Hara, Tituss Burgess, Jenifer Lewis, Elsie Fisher, Conrad Vernon, and Pom Klementieff

The Addams Family is a 2019 computer-animated comedy from directors Conrad Vernon and Greg Tiernan.  The film is based on the characters created by The New Yorker cartoonist, the late Charles Addams (1912-1988).  The Addams Family the movie focuses on an eccentrically macabre family and their interactions with the denizens of a colorful, but bland suburb.

The Addams Family opens as Gomez (Oscar Isaac) and Morticia (Charlize Theron) prepare to marry in front of their eccentric, odd, and weird family members.  However, the people of the local town despise the macabre nature of the happy couple and their family, and chase them away.  Luckily, the newlywed Morticia and Gomez and their companion, Thing (sentient hand), escape to New Jersey.  There, the trio finds two things.  The first is a home in an abandoned and decaying manor-style building that was once an asylum, and the second is a butler in the hulking Lurch (Conrad Vernon).

Thirteen years later, Morticia and Gomez have two children – a precocious and mordacious, Wednesday (Chloe Grace Moretz); and an explosives-loving son, Pugsley (Finn Wolfhard).  The family is in kind of a state of crisis.  Gomez struggles as he prepares Pugsley for his upcoming “Sabre Mazurka,” a rite of passage that every male Addams family member must pass.  Morticia struggles to keep Wednesday from wanting to experience the world outside the mansion, which includes the girl's desire to go to school.

Elsewhere, reality TV host, Margaux Needler (Allison Janney), is in the middle of building a perfect planned community that she is calling, “Assimilation.”  This is supposed to be the highlight of her television series' season finale.  However, when she discovers that the Addams' dilapidated home overlooks Assimilation, Margaux is determined to give their home an extreme makeover, whether they like it or not.  Meanwhile, many members of the Addams clan are gradually arriving in order to celebrate Pulley's big day.

I have been a fan of ABC's 1960s television series, “The Addams Family” (1964-66), since I was a child.  As a child, I was also a fan of NBC's Saturday morning cartoon series, “The Addams Family” (1973).  I have mixed feelings about Orion Pictures' two 1990s live-action films, The Addams Family (1991) and Addams Family Values (1993).  As an adult, I became a huge fan of the work of Charles Addams, especially of his delightfully macabre cartoons that featured the characters that would become known as “The Addams Family.”

The latest media iteration of these characters, the computer-animated The Addams Family, borrows elements from the Addams Family media that has come before it.  Here, the illustrative and graphic design of the characters and their world recall both Addams cartoons and the 1973 TV series, although I find the way this film's Morticia and Gomez look to be a little off-putting.  Overall, however, I find the look of this film visually appealing, and I think the Addams family's relatives are an interesting lot of inventively designed characters.

One thing that I think The Addams Family 2019 has over The Addams Family 1990s film franchise is that this animated film gets it right in the way it contrasts the Addams family against the outside world.  Charles Addams' best cartoons juxtaposed his creepy characters and their playfully insidious actions with the normal human world.  Much about the 1990s films was insular and did not send the family out into the normal world.  The second film did, at least, send Wednesday and Pugsley to summer camp, which is why I think the second film is much better than the first.

By sending the Addams down the mountain to meet their neighbors in this film, the filmmakers get to play with themes and ideas of individuality, conformity, acceptance, change, and family, which makes this movie more than just another cartoon romp featuring a bunch of strange characters.  Ultimately, The Addams Family 2019 emphasizes that a family can be made up of both different people and of people who live and act differently from the rest of the family.

This film's standout voice actor/character pairs are Chloe Grace Moretz as Wednesday and Allison Janney as Margaux Needler.  Nick Kroll delivers a killer turn as Uncle Fester, and Bette Midler takes what is a small role in Grandmama Addams and makes it feel like a major part.  Jenifer Lewis, with her commanding voice and delivery, turns Great Auntie Loom into a character that steals scenes.

The Addams Family 2019 is my favorite media adaptation of “The Addams Family” characters outside of the 1960s and 1970s.  I highly recommend this film to fans of the characters.  It does take a while for the film to get going – about 20 minutes into the story, but it manages to be sweet, charming, heartwarming, and, of course, macabre – the way it should be.

7 of 10
B+

Sunday, November 8, 2020


The text is copyright © 2020 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved.  Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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"The Addams Family" Soundtrack to Feature New Music from Top Recording Artists

MGM’S ANIMATED COMEDY ‘THE ADDAMS FAMILY’ WILL FEATURE ORIGINAL MUSIC FROM CHRISTINA AGUILERA, MIGOS, KAROL G, ROCK MAFIA & SNOOP DOGG

The Addams Family Will Be Released in Theaters on October 11, 2019

LOS ANGELES – Metro Goldwyn Mayer (MGM) announced its upcoming animated comedy, The Addams Family, will feature original songs from global music superstars Christina Aguilera, Migos, Karol G, Rock Mafia and Snoop Dogg, among others. Based on the famous New Yorker creations of Charles Addams, the kookiest family on the block is back on the big screen with an all-star voice cast led by Oscar Isaac, Charlize Theron, Chloë Grace Moretz, Finn Wolfhard, Nick Kroll, Bette Midler, Allison Janney, Elsie Fisher and Snoop Dogg playing IT. Directed by Conrad Vernon (Shrek 2, Monsters vs. Aliens) and Greg Tiernan (Thomas & Friends, Day of the Diesels), The Addams Family will be released in theaters on October 11, 2019.

“Christina Aguilera, Migos, Karol G, Rock Mafia and Snoop Dogg are all powerhouse talents. We could not have asked for a better lineup of global superstars to help audiences embrace the weird and celebrate the absurd with two brand-new songs that perfectly compliment this fresh fun take on MGM’s beloved franchise, just in time for Halloween,” said MGM’s Motion Picture Group President, Jonathan Glickman.

The first Addams Family track to be released "My Family," is performed by Migos, Karol G, Rock Mafia and Snoop Dogg and will drop this Friday, September 13,2019. The song was written by Antonina Armato, Quavious Keyate Marshall, Carolina Giraldo, Danny Parra, Tim James, Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. and Vic Mizzy and was produced by Rock Mafia. The track is being released by MGM Records and distributed by 12 Tone Music. "Haunted Heart," performed by Christina Aguilera, was written by Antonina Armato, Aguilera and Tim James and was also produced by Rock Mafia. “Haunted Heart” will be released later this month by RCA Records ahead of the film’s debut. Both songs will be available for streaming and \or download at all major music retail digital platforms.


About Metro Goldwyn Mayer
Metro Goldwyn Mayer (MGM) is a leading entertainment company focused on the production and global distribution of film and television content across all platforms. The company owns one of the world’s deepest libraries of premium film and television content as well as the premium pay television network EPIX, which is available throughout the U.S. via cable, satellite, telco and digital distributors.  In addition, MGM has investments in numerous other television channels, digital platforms and interactive ventures and is producing premium short-form content for distribution. For more information, visit www.mgm.com.

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from June 16th to 22nd, 2019 - Update #22

Support Leroy on Patreon:

MOVIES - From YahooEW:  Some believe that the movie poster for the 1992 Kevin Costner-Whitney Houston film, "The Bodyguard," is an iconic image.  But Costner says the woman he is holding in the image is not Whitney Houston, but is her body double.

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TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Tyler Perry's first TV series for BET (part of his multi-year content deal with Viacom) is a White House drama called "The Oval."

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COMICS-FILM - From Deadline:  "Transparent" creator, Jill Soloway, will write and direct Millennium Films' "Red Sonja" film, based on the comic book character inspired by a Robert E. Howard (Conan the Barbarian) character.  Soloway is replacing the disgraced Bryan Singer.

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BUSINESS - From Bloomberg:  The toy store chain, Toys "R" Us, is looking to make a come book in the United States for Christmas 2019, by opening six new stores.

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SCANDAL - From YahooNews:  There is a new twist in Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey's sexual assault case - text messages from the alleged victim.

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MOVIES - From YahooEntertainment:  There has reportedly been a stabbing on the Warner Bros. Studios U.K. set of "The Witches."  The film is remake of the previous film version of Roald Dahl's book of the same title.  News is describing the films as "a new Anne Hathaway movie."

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Screen Gems is eyeing a spinoff of its 210 hit film, "Easy A."  They hired Bert Royal, who wrote the first film, to write and direct the new one.

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MOVIES - From TheRinger:  "The Problem With IMDb’s Rating System" by Alyssa Bereznak

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Jermaine Fowler is set to be one of Eddie Murphy's co-stars in the "Coming to America" sequel, "Coming 2 America," which is set to be directed by Craig Brewer ("Hustle & Flow").

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SCANDAL - From TheDailyBeast:  Eight women have come forward to accuse Hollywood screenwriter, Max Landis ("Chronicle," "Bright") of various forms of abuse.

From IndieWire:  An analysis: "Max Landis should have been thrown out of Hollywood years ago."

From IndieWire:  Apparently, director Josh Trank banned Max Landis from the set of "Chronicle," a film Landis wrote and created with Trank.

From IndieWire:  Chloe Grace Moretz says her World War II horror film, "Shadow in the Cloud," has distanced itself from writer Max Landis and has been rewritten without him.

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AWARDS - From Deadline:  If you care, here are the "MTV Movie and TV Awards" winners.  "Avengers: Endgame" named "Best Movie" and "Game of Thrones" named "Best Show."

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MOVIES-TV - From Deadline:  WarnerMedia is reportedly closing in on a "megadeal," worth as much as $500 million, with J.J. Abrams to produce content for them.

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MOVIES - From Deadline:  "Hunger Games" author, Suzanne Collins, is working on a "Hunger Games" prequel novel and Lionsgate is in talks to develop it into a film.

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 6/14 to 6/16/2019 weekend box office is "Men in Black: International" with an estimated take of 28.5 million dollars.

From Patreon:  Leroy Douresseaux's review of "Men in Black: International."

From Deadline:  "The Dead Don't Die" and "The Last Black Man in San Francisco" lead specialty box office.

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MOVIES - From THR:  Former child actor, Danny Lloyd ("The Shining"), now a college professor, reacta to the trailer for "Doctor Sleep," the sequel to "The Shining."  The trailer includes footage of Lloyd as child playing Danny Torrance in "The Shining," which was directed by the late Stanley Kubrick.

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ANIMATION - From Variety:  This is a piece on Warner Bros.' "Scoob," the upcoming reboot film of the "Scooby-Doo" movie series.  A "work-in-progress" version of the film was shown at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival in France.

OBITS:

From Variety:  Model and socialite, Gloria Vanderbilt, has died at the age of 95, Monday, June 17, 2019.  Vanderbilt may be best known for three things.  First, she was the subject of a high-profile custody case when she was a minor.  Secondly, as a fashion designer, she introduced a line of popular designer jeans.  Thirdly, she was the mother of CNN television anchor, Anderson Cooper.

From THR:  Legendary Italian filmmaker and director, Franco Zeffirelli, has died at the age of 96, Saturday, June 15, 2019.  Zeffirelli was best known for his lavish film adaptations of the works of William Shakespeare.  The most famous of those was his 1968 film, Romeo and Juliet, which received 4 Oscar nominations (including one for Zeffirelli as best director) and won two.

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from October 1st to 8th, 2016 - Update #28

Support Leroy on Patreon.

NEW YORK COMIC CON 2016:

From Newsarama:  Creator Robert Kirkman at "The Walking Dead" NYCC panel.

From BleedingCool:  Kate Beckinsale says that Marvel is doing something with "Blade."

From BleedingCool:  More from DC Comics' "Rebirth" NYCC panel.

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MOVIES - From Variety:  The Tom Hanks, Emma Watson, John Boyega thriller, "The Circle," has a release date, April 28, 2017.

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JAMES BOND - From Vulture:  Maybe Daniel Craig isn't ready to stop being Bond.

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CELEBRITY - From Guardian:  In a video, Robert DeNiro says that he'd like to punch Donald Trump in the face.

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BOX OFFICE - From Variety:  "The Girl on the Train" will likely be the winner of this weekend's box office.

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COMICS-FILMS - From Variety:  Forest Whitaker joins Marvel's "Black Panther."

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MOVIES - From IndieWire:  How Mel Gibson helped Nate Parker on "Birth of a Nation."

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MOVIES - From ThePlaylist:  Amy Adams returning for "Disenchanted," the sequel to "Enchanted."

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MOVIES - From Variety:  "Blade Runner 2049" is the name of the "Blade Runner" sequel.

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POLITICS - From TheDailyBeast: Oscar-winning director Oliver Stone says that the administration of President Obama is the worst for whistleblowers.

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MUSIC - RollingStone:  Bruce Springsteen talks about a number of subjects in this interview, including Black Lives Matter.

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MOVIES:  From WarofthePlanet:  The website for next year's "War for the Planet of the Apes."

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COMICS-FILM - From YahooSports:  Some people are complain the Marvel-Netflix's "Luke Cage" is too Black...

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COMICS-FILM - From YahooMovies:  The DVD release of "Suicide Squad" to contain a cut of the film with 13 extra minutes.

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MUSIC - From RollingStone:  The songwriter, Rod Temperton, died last week in London at the age of 66.  He may be most famous for his collaborations with Michael Jackson including naming Michael's record-setting LP, "Thriller" as well as penning the title track and two more songs for the album.

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MOVIES - From TheWrap:  Disney has set a release date for its live-action 3D remake of "Mulan," November 2, 2018.

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MOVIES - From SlashFilm:  The Oscar-winning film-scoring team of Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross will score Peter Berg's film, "Patriots Day."

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Chloe Moretz will join Dakota Johnson and Tilda Swinton in a remake of Italian horror master, Dario Argento's "Suspiria."

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TELEVISION - From SlashFilm:  A teaser has been released for the upcoming "Twin Peaks" revival on Showtime next year.

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MOVIES - From YahooNews:  Finally, Nate Parker, director of the buzzy "Birth of a Nation," is saying what he should have said a long time ago about the "rape charges" he once faced.

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 9/30 to 10/2/2016 weekend box office is "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" with an estimated take of $28.5 million.

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CELEBRITY - From TheWrap:  Kirk Douglas celebrates his 100th birthday early Saturday, October 1, 2016 at the 95th anniversary of the Motion Picture Television Fund.  Douglas' actually birthday is December 19th.  I have a feeling that he will live past 100.

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ECO - From TheGuardian:  Leonardo DiCaprio takes his new documentary film, "Before the Flood," to the White House to screen for President Barack Obama.

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CRIME - From YahooNews:  The 6-year-old boy who was shot at Townville Elementary in South Carolina on Wednesday, September 28, 2016 has died of his injuries.

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MOVIES - From YahooNews:  New image of Emma Watson and Dan Stevens from Disney's live-action "Beauty and the Beast."

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Lee Daniels, the Oscar-nominated director of "Precious," is making a movie musical about his life.

TEASER:

From YahooMovies:  First trailer for "Jackie" with Natalie Portman.

From Deadline:  First teaser for "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales" which lands in 2017.

Review: Denzel Does Good Guy/Dark Side in "The Equalizer"

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 27 (of 2015) by Leroy Douresseaux - Support Leroy on Patreon.

The Equalizer (2014)
Running time:  132 minutes (2 hours, 12 minutes)
MPAA – R for strong bloody violence and language throughout, including some sexual references
DIRECTOR:  Antoine Fuqua
WRITER:  Richard Wenk; (based on the television series created by Michael Sloan and Richard Lindheim)
PRODUCERS:  Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal, Tony Eldridge, Mace Neufeld, Alex Siskin, Michael Sloan, Steve Tisch, Denzel Washington, and Richard Wenk
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Mauro Fiore (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: John Refoua
COMPOSER:  Harry Gregson-Williams

ACTION/CRIME/THRILLER

Starring:  Denzel Washington, Martin Csokas, Chloë Grace Moretz, David Masters, Johnny Skourtis, David Meunier, Bill Pullman, Melissa Leo, Alex Veadov, Haley Bennett, James Wilcox, Mike O'Dea, E. Roger Mitchell, and Vladimir Kulich

The Equalizer is a 2014 action movie and crime thriller from director Antoine Fuqua and starring Denzel Washington.  The film is based on the television series, “The Equalizer,” which was created by  Michael Sloan and Richard Lindheim and was originally broadcast on CBS from 1985 to 1989.  The Equalizer the movie focuses on a man with a mysterious past who helps a young female prostitute, which brings him into conflict with her owners, ultra-violent Russian gangsters.

The Equalizer introduces Robert “Bob” McCall (Denzel Washington), a man who lives quietly in Boston, Massachusetts, where he works at a “Home Mart” hardware store.  McCall spends his nights at the Bridge Diner where he has befriended Teri (Chloë Grace Moretz), a young call girl who also wants to be a pop singer.  She is pimped out by local Russian gangsters that are led by a man named Slavi (David Meunier).

After Slavi beats Teri into a coma, McCall attempts to rescue her from Slavi.  The aftermath of that meeting brings Teddy Rensen (Martin Csokas) to Boston.  Rensen is the enforcer/fixer for Russian mafia leader, Vladimir Pushkin (Vladimir Kulich), but McCall decides to do some fixing of his own.

The Equalizer is a thoroughly satisfying movie... at least to me.  I guess that I should qualify this review by admitting that I am a huge fan of Denzel Washington, whom I consider to be one of the world's best actors of the last three decades.

Since his Oscar-winning turn in 2001's Training Day, Washington has proven to be a capable bad guy.  With 2010's Book of Eli, Washington showed that he could be a bad-ass, kick-ass, action hero with fancy martial arts-styled moves.  Ostensibly the hero in The Equalizer, Washington mixes bad guy with bad-ass in Robert McCall.

The screenplay by Richard Wenk has McCall constantly in peril or makes it seem as if he were in danger even when he is not.  Director Antoine Fuqua plays that for everything he can get out of it.  He makes a crime film that moves like an action movie, and Fuqua makes everything so tense that he fashions a thriller that strengthens the crime and action movie elements.

And Denzel glides through it all with lethal inevitability and assurance, so much so that I have to give special credit to actor Martin Csokas.  He delivers the kind of performance that makes Teddy Rensen an adversary who is a believable threat to Robert McCall.

The Equalizer is a game of death that is hard to stop watching, even if it is light on story and character development (which would have made this movie a classic).  I was a big fan of the original television series, which I have not seen in years, and therefore, remember little of it.  I do remember that the series did delve into character.  Well, the recent announcement of a sequel to this film means that there could be improvement on the character front.  In the meantime, take time to enjoy a slick and stylishly violent movie, The Equalizer.

7 of 10
B+

Tuesday, May 12, 2015


The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.

Chiwetel Ejiofor, Eddie Murphy Among Presents at 87th Oscars

Chiwetel Ejiofor, Chris Evans, Dakota Johnson, Jennifer Lopez, Chloë Grace Moretz, Eddie Murphy and Margot Robbie to Present At 87th Oscars®

Chiwetel Ejiofor, Chris Evans, Dakota Johnson, Jennifer Lopez, Chloë Grace Moretz, Eddie Murphy and Margot Robbie will be presenters at this year’s Oscars, show producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron announced today. The Oscars, hosted by Neil Patrick Harris, will air on Sunday, February 22, 2015 live on ABC.

Ejiofor received his first Oscar® nomination last year for his lead performance in “12 Years a Slave.” He previously appeared in such features as “Salt” (2010), “American Gangster” (2007), “Children of Men” (2006) and “Dirty Pretty Things” (2003). His upcoming films include “Z for Zachariah” and “Triple Nine.”

Evans made his directorial debut in Toronto this year with “Before We Go.”  He starred in 2014’s “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” reprising the role of the patriotic superhero he played in “Captain America: The First Avenger” (2011) and “Marvel’s The Avengers” (2012). His other film credits include “Snowpiercer” (2014), “Puncture” (2011), “Sunshine” (2007) and “Fantastic Four” (2005). He will appear next in “Avengers: Age of Ultron.”

Johnson will star in “Fifty Shades of Grey,” which opens this month. She’s appeared in such hits as “The Five-Year Engagement,” “21 Jump Street” and “The Social Network.” Johnson will next be seen in the upcoming films “A Bigger Splash” and “Black Mass.”

Lopez can currently be seen in the thriller “The Boy Next Door.” Her other feature credits include “An Unfinished Life” (2005), “Monster in Law” (2005), “The Wedding Planner” (2001) and “Out of Sight” (1998). She stars opposite Viola Davis in “Lila & Eve,” which premiered last month at the Sundance Film Festival and she will voice ‘Lucy’ in the upcoming animated film “Home.”

Moretz most recently starred in “Dark Shadows” (2012), “The Equalizer” (2014) and “If I Stay” (2014). She previously appeared in such features as “Carrie” (2013), “Hugo” (2011), “Kick-Ass” (2010) and “Let Me In” (2010).   She will next appear in “The Fifth Wave.”

Murphy received an Oscar nomination for his supporting role in the 2006 film “Dreamgirls.” He has starred in such features as “Bowfinger” (1999), “The Nutty Professor” (1996), “Coming to America” (1988), “Beverly Hills Cop” (1984) and “48 Hrs.” (1982), and has lent his voice talents to all four of the “Shrek” animated features to date. He will next be seen in the independent drama “Cook.”

Robbie is best known for her breakout role in “The Wolf of Wall Street” (2013) and can next be seen starring in Warner Bros' “Focus.” She is currently in production on Paramount's “Untitled Tina Fey Project." Her upcoming films include “Z for Zachariah,” “Tarzan" and “Suicide Squad."

The 87th Oscars will be held on Sunday, February 22, 2015, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live on the ABC Television Network at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. The Oscars, produced by Zadan and Meron, also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.

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Columbia Pictures Begins Production on Film Adaptation of "The 5th Wave"

PRODUCTION BEGINS ON "THE 5TH WAVE"

First Novel in Franchise Series by Rick Yancey Stars Chloë Grace Moretz For Director J Blakeson
Moviegoers Follow the Action on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @5thWaveMovie

Principal photography has commenced on the highly anticipated motion picture The 5th Wave, Columbia Pictures’ adaptation of the bestselling young adult novel. The action-adventure film is directed by J Blakeson, with a screenplay by Susannah Grant, based on the book by Rick Yancey. The producers are Tobey Maguire, Graham King, Lynn Harris, and Matthew Plouffe. Denis O’Sullivan and Richard Middleton are the executive producers.

Slated for domestic release on January 29, 2016, The 5th Wave stars Chloë Grace Moretz as Cassie, Nick Robinson as Ben Parish aka "Zombie," Ron Livingston as Dad/Oliver, Maggie Siff as Mom/Lisa, Alex Roe as Evan Walker, Maika Monroe as Ringer, Zackary Arthur as Sam, and Liev Schreiber as Vosch.

In The 5th Wave, set in the present day, four waves of increasingly deadly attacks have left most of Earth decimated. Against a backdrop of fear and distrust, 16-year-old Cassie is on the run, desperately trying to save her younger brother. As she prepares for the inevitable and lethal 5th wave, Cassie meets a young man who may become her final hope.

Throughout photography, fans will have unrivaled access to the production, including a wealth of behind-the-scenes photos, interaction with cast and crew, and on-set updates via social media. "One of the ways Rick Yancey made The 5th Wave so special is that it feels like it’s happening right now – and the characters react as teenagers today would react,”"said Dwight Caines, president, Theatrical Marketing for Sony Pictures. "To stay faithful to that, we are making sure fans are on the inside from Day One."

Moviegoers can stay up-to-date on all things 5th Wave by following the movie and interacting on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram @5thWaveMovie.

Blakeson’s production team includes Enrique Chediak as the Director of Photography, Jon Billington as the Production Designer, Paul Rubell as the Editor, and Sharen Davis as the Costume Designer.

The 5th Wave is a phenomenon in young adult literature, with 21 weeks on The New York Times Best Sellers list, nearly 300,000 hardcover units sold, and 80,000 e-books sold. The novel, which has also had tremendous crossover appeal with adults, was honored with the 2014 Red House Children’s Book Award in the UK. The second book in Yancey’s planned trilogy, The Infinite Sea, was published last month.

Hannah Minghella and Andrea Giannetti will oversee the project for the studio.


About Sony Pictures Entertainment
Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Sony Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE's global operations encompass motion picture production, acquisition and distribution; television production, acquisition and distribution; television networks; digital content creation and distribution; operation of studio facilities; and development of new entertainment products, services and technologies. For additional information, go to http://www.sonypictures.com.

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Eminem Track, "Guts Over Fear," Featured in "The Equalizer"

"GUTS OVER FEAR," THE NEW SINGLE FROM EMINEM FEAT. SIA TO BE THE END TITLE SONG IN "THE EQUALIZER" STARRING DENZEL WASHINGTON

"Guts Over Fear," the new single from Eminem featuring Sia, has just launched to great success as a digital download, with near universal acclaim and over 247,000 downloads worldwide. Moviegoers will hear the song in the upcoming film The Equalizer, starring Denzel Washington, in theaters September 26.

"By the end of The Equalizer, Denzel’s character of Robert McCall will have to embrace who he really is, but also transform himself into a man on a tireless and continuing pursuit of justice. Like the title of Eminem’s song, that’s ultimately a story of guts over fear – for this character, the driving force of his life becomes using his skills to help the truly powerless," says Antoine Fuqua, director of The Equalizer. "It’s the perfect song to end the film. It’s powerful, a great song, but more importantly, it captures the themes of the movie and the choices that Robert McCall has made, and it leaves the audience feeling elated."

The song is also the first release from the upcoming ShadyXV, a two-CD compilation marking the 15th anniversary of Eminem’s Shady Records imprint. The collection is comprised of an album of the label’s greatest hits -- including classics such as 50 Cent’s "In Da Club" and Eminem’s "Lose Yourself" – plus an album of new material from Eminem, Slaughterhouse, Bad Meets Evil, D-12 and Yelawolf as well as special guest-artist collaborations. ShadyXV (Shady Records/Interscope Records) is set for release November 24, 2014.

In The Equalizer, Denzel Washington plays McCall, a man who believes he has put his mysterious past behind him and dedicated himself to beginning a new, quiet life. But when McCall meets Teri (Chloë Grace Moretz), a young girl under the control of ultra-violent Russian gangsters, he can’t stand idly by – he has to help her. Armed with hidden skills that allow him to serve vengeance against anyone who would brutalize the helpless, McCall comes out of his self-imposed retirement and finds his desire for justice reawakened. If someone has a problem, if the odds are stacked against them, if they have nowhere else to turn, McCall will help. He is The Equalizer. Directed by Antoine Fuqua. Written by Richard Wenk. Based on the Television Series Created by Michael Sloan and Richard Lindheim. Produced by Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal, Denzel Washington, Alex Siskin, Steve Tisch, Mace Neufeld, Tony Eldridge, and Michael Sloan. Executive producers are Ezra Swerdlow, David Bloomfield, and Ben Waisbren. The film is a Columbia Pictures presentation in association with LStar Capital and Village Roadshow Pictures.

About Sony Pictures Entertainment
Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Sony Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE's global operations encompass motion picture production, acquisition and distribution; television production, acquisition and distribution; television networks; digital content creation and distribution; operation of studio facilities; and development of new entertainment products, services and technologies. For additional information, go to http://www.sonypictures.com.

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"If I Say" Inspired Song and YouTube Sensation Now on iTunes

WaterTower Music Announces Release of “If I Stay – Song Inspired by The Book” by Fan Abigail Wate, Discovered on YouTube

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--WaterTower Music today announced the release of the digital single “If I Stay – Song Inspired by The Book” by Abigail Wate.

If I Stay author Gayle Forman, who served as an executive producer on New Line Cinema’s and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures’ film of the same name, found a video of Abigail singing the song on YouTube and immediately shared it by social media. WaterTower Music, who released the soundtrack for “If I Stay,” also embraced the song and has released it digitally on iTunes.

Miss Wate, an aspiring musician living in Nashville, Tennessee, stated, “Reading has been the inspiration for my songwriting for years. I read If I Stay for the first time when I was thirteen and the story was so captivating and moved me so much that I had to write a song just to get out ‘all the feels.’ While I was composing the song “If I Stay” my mind was still caught up in all the emotion of Mia and Adam’s world. It goes beyond anything I could have imagined for my first single to be a part of this amazing project.”

Released on August 29, the single for “If I Stay – Song Inspired by The Book” is now available at iTunes.

The soundtrack for the film is also now available at iTunes and Amazon.

About WaterTower Music
WaterTower Music, the in house music label for Warner Bros., has been releasing recorded music since 2001. Distributed through InGrooves Fontana, WTM has released over 150 titles, including the film soundtracks to “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” “Gravity,” “Man of Steel,” “The Dark Knight Rises,” “Game of Thrones,” “The Lego Movie,” and “If I Stay” among others.

About “If I Stay”
Gayle Forman’s best-selling novel comes to the big screen in New Line Cinema’s and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures’ drama “If I Stay,” starring Chloë Grace Moretz (“Carrie,” the “Kick-Ass” films), Mireille Enos (TV’s “The Killing,” “World War Z”); Joshua Leonard (“Higher Ground”); Jamie Blackley (“Snow White and the Huntsman”); and Stacy Keach (“Nebraska”).

Mia Hall (Moretz) thought the hardest decision she would ever face would be whether to pursue her musical dreams at Juilliard or follow a different path to be with the love of her life, Adam (Blackley). But what should have been a carefree family drive changes everything in an instant, and now her own life hangs in the balance. Caught between life and death for one revealing day, Mia has only one decision left, which will not only decide her future but her ultimate fate.

Also starring are Mireille Enos and Joshua Leonard as Mia’s parents, Kat and Denny, and Stacy Keach as Gramps. Rounding out the main cast are Jakob Davies as Mia’s little brother, Liana Liberato as her best friend, Gabrielle Rose as Gran, and Aisha Hinds as Nurse Ramirez.

R.J. Cutler (“The September Issue,” TV’s “Nashville”) directed the film from a screenplay by Shauna Cross (“Whip It”) based on Forman’s novel. “If I Stay” was produced by Alison Greenspan (“The Lucky One”), with Denise Di Novi, Forman and Brad Van Arragon serving as executive producers.

Cutler’s behind-the-scenes team included cinematographer John de Borman (“An Education”), production designer Brent Thomas (“The Big Year”), editor Keith Henderson (TV’s “Justified”), costume designer Monique Prudhomme (TV’s “Bates Motel,” “Juno”) and composer Heitor Pereira (the “Despicable Me” films).

New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures present a Di Novi Pictures Production, “If I Stay.” Rated PG-13 for thematic elements and some sexual material, the film is being distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment company, and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures. ifistaymovie.com

"If I Stay" Soundtrack Arrives August 19th, 2014

If I Stay: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Due August 19th from WaterTower Music

Standard and Deluxe Albums Feature Songs as Performed in the Film

Includes Music by Beck, Ben Howard, Tom Odell, Sonic Youth, Willamette Stone, and More

Fan-Voted ‘Heart Like Yours’ Available with Album Preorder

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--WaterTower Music today announced the August 19, 2014 release of the soundtrack to New Line Cinema’s and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures’ drama “If I Stay,” based on Gayle Forman’s New York Times best-selling novel. The film will be released three days later on August 22.

    “One of the best things about the movie is getting to hear all the great music you don’t get to hear when you read the book. The way they brought the music to life gives the story a whole new dimension.”

Music is an integral part of the If I Stay storyline, be it Mia’s (Chloë Grace Moretz) practicing cello to get into the prestigious Juilliard music school, her father’s (Joshua Leonard) punk rock past, or Adam (Jamie Blackley) performing as singer/ guitarist of buzz band Willamette Stone. The film’s director, R.J. Cutler, stated, “It was immediately clear to me that If I Stay needed to feature a soundtrack assembled from a wide variety of styles and genres and would meld together to form an emotional, symphonic whole. The songs would reflect Adam’s roots in punk music and his contemporary sensibility, as well as the classical canon that Mia would master to apply to Juilliard. As I would often tell the cast and crew, in the world of If I Stay, music is the air that people breathe.”

After viewing the film, author Gayle Forman, who also served as an executive producer, commented, “One of the best things about the movie is getting to hear all the great music you don’t get to hear when you read the book. The way they brought the music to life gives the story a whole new dimension.”

Through social media outreach, If I Stay fans were given the opportunity to vote on the Willamette Stone song they most wanted to see released early, and they chose “Heart Like Yours.” The track is now available at iTunes, and will be delivered immediately to fans that pre-order the soundtrack.

WaterTower Music will be releasing two versions of the soundtrack: a fourteen song CD and digital release, as well as a digital deluxe configuration that contains eighteen tracks. Both albums feature multiple songs as performed in the film by Willamette Stone, while the digital deluxe version features an additional Willamette Stone track, along with several solo cello pieces performed in the film by Mia.

Due out August 19, the soundtrack for If I Stay is now available for pre-order at iTunes and Amazon.

1. "Who Needs You" – The Orwells
2. "Until We Get There" – Lucius
3. "I Want What You Have" – Willamette Stone
4. "All of Me" – Tanlines
5. "Promise" – Ben Howard
6. "Never Coming Down" – Willamette Stone
7. "Halo" – Ane Brun & Linnéa Olsson
8. "I Will Be There" – Odessa
9. "Mind" – Willamette Stone
10. “Morning” - Beck
11. “I Never Wanted To Go” (Bonus Track) – Willamette Stone **
12. “Karen Revisited” – Sonic Youth
13. "Today" – Willamette Stone
14. "Heart Like Yours" – Willamette Stone
15. "Heal (If I Stay Version)" – Tom Odell
16. ““Suite No. 1 in G Major for Solo Cello, BWV 1007: Prelude” (Bonus Track) – If I Stay
17. “Cello Concerto in A Minor, Op. 33” (Bonus Track) – If I Stay **
18. “Sonata in B Minor for Solo Cello, Op. 8” (Bonus Track) – Alisa Weilerstein **

** Available on the digital deluxe album

About “If I Stay”
Gayle Forman’s best-selling novel comes to the screen in New Line Cinema’s and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures’ drama “If I Stay,” starring Chloë Grace Moretz (“Carrie,” the “Kick-Ass” films), Mireille Enos (TV’s “The Killing,” “World War Z”); Joshua Leonard (“Higher Ground”); Jamie Blackley (“Snow White and the Huntsmen”); and Stacy Keach (“Nebraska”).

Mia Hall (Moretz) thought the hardest decision she would ever face would be whether to pursue her musical dreams at Juilliard or follow a different path to be with the love of her life, Adam (Blackley). But what should have been a carefree family drive changes everything in an instant, and now her own life hangs in the balance. Caught between life and death for one revealing day, Mia has only one decision left, which will not only decide her future but her ultimate fate. Also starring are Mireille Enos and Joshua Leonard as Mia’s parents, Kat and Denny, and Stacy Keach as Gramps. Rounding out the main cast are Jakob Davies as Mia’s little brother, Liana Liberato as her best friend, Gabrielle Rose as Grandma, and Aisha Hinds as Nurse Ramirez.

R.J. Cutler directed the film from a screenplay by Shauna Cross based on Forman’s novel. “If I Stay” was produced by Alison Greenspan, with Denise Di Novi, Forman and Brad Van Arragon serving as executive producers. Cutler’s behind-the-scenes team included cinematographer John de Borman, production designer Brent Thomas, editor Keith Henderson, costume designer Monique Prudhomme and composer Heitor Pereira.

New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures present a Denise Di Novi production, “If I Stay.” Opening August 22, 2014, the film has been rated PG-13 for thematic elements and some sexual material and will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment company, and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures. ifistaymovie.com

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Review: "Kick-Ass 2" Kicks Better Ass

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 7 (of 2014) by Leroy Douresseaux

Kick-Ass 2 (2013)
Running time:  103 minutes (1 hour, 43 minutes)
MPAA – R for strong violence, pervasive language, crude and sexual content, and brief nudity
DIRECTOR:  Jeff Wadlow
WRITER:  Jeff Wadlow (based upon the comic books by Mark Millar and John Romita Jr.)
PRODUCERS:  Adam Bohling, Tarquin Pack, Brad Pitt, David Reid, and Matthew Vaughn
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Tim Maurice Jones (D.o.P.)
EDITOR:  Eddie Hamilton
COMPOSERS:  Henry Jackman and Matthew Margeson

SUPERHERO/FANTASY/CRIME/COMEDY

Starring:  Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Chloë Grace Moretz, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Morris Chestnut, Clark Duke, Augustus Prew, Donald Fiason, Garret M. Brown, Steve Mackintosh, Monica Dolan, Robert Emms, Lindy Booth, Daniel Kaluuya, Olga Kurkulina, Tom Wu, Yancy Butler, and Jim Carrey

Kick-Ass 2 is a 2013 British-American superhero film and crime comedy from writer-director, Jeff Wadlow.  It is based upon two comic books, Kick-Ass 2 and Hit Girl, from writer Mark Millar (the creator of Wanted) and John Romita, Jr.  Kick-Ass 2 is also a sequel to the 2010 film, Kick Ass, which was also based on a Millar-Romita, Jr. comic book of the same name.  In Kick-Ass 2 the movie, high-school superhero Kick-Ass joins a group of costumed crime-fighters who were inspired by him, while an old enemy plots revenge against him.

After the events of the first film, high school student Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson) retired from fighting crime as the costumed vigilante/superhero, “Kick-Ass.”  But now, he is bored, and begins training with Mindy Macready a/k/a Hit Girl (Chloë Grace Moretz), who is now 15-years-old.  However, Mindy’s guardian is her late father’s friend, Detective Marcus Williams (Morris Chestnut), and he demands that Mindy give up being Hit Girl and become a proper high school student.

With Hit Girl taken out of action, Dave looks for a new partner and finds a group of normal citizens who were inspired by Kick-Ass to fight crime in costume.  Led by Colonel Stars and Stripes (Jim Carrey), Kick-Ass and a small band of wannabe superheroes fight crime and do charity work.

Meanwhile, Chris D’Amico (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), whose crime boss father was killed by Kick-Ass, is frustrated that his mother forced him to stop being the costumed Red Mist.  After he takes control of his family’s wealthy, Chris becomes what he calls the world’s first supervillain, The Motherfucker, and swears vengeance against Kick-Ass.

I thought that the first Kick Ass movie wasn’t as deranged as it thought it was, nor was it as entertaining as its source material.  Kick-Ass 2 is as deranged as it thinks it is – perhaps even more so.  Sometimes, it is too deranged – with violence that is off-putting.  It is not that the violence is over-the-top, so much that it seems like the filmmakers almost seemed obsessed with spiting the critics, prudes, and people who cannot accept that this is make-believe and has nothing to do with real-world violence (like Newtown).

I think I find Kick-Ass 2 more entertaining than the first movie because the new film has one main plot.  The first movie was kind of all over the place, which is understandable as it was introducing a new kind of superhero concept.  Kick-Ass 2 is about revenge.  Yes, the story has subplots about teen angst and self-doubt, parental-child conflict, and peer acceptance, but this is a movie about payback and the mindset one has to have in order to engage in revenge.

I thought Hit Girl dominated the first movie, thankfully.  This time, Dave Lizewski and Chris D’Amico are just as fun to watch as Mindy Macready, although I honestly wish that Kick-Ass 2 has a few more hits of Hit Girl.  Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Chloë Grace Moretz, and Christopher Mintz-Plasse deliver excellent performances that make their characters’ respective conflicts, obstacles, and goals seem quite genuine.

I can’t say exactly what, but Kick-Ass 2 seems to be missing something.  I like the movie and had a blast watching some of it, but there were moments that I found only mildly amusing and entertaining.  I guess that should be enough.  I can say that Kick-Ass 2 has the wanton violence, foul language, and sexual content of the first film, but done a little more thoughtfully.  Plus, Jim Carrey’s turn in a small role is an amazing little thing that has to be seen.

6 of 10
B

Friday, February 14, 2014


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Review: Johnny Depp Shines in Dim "Dark Shadows"

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 35 (of 2012) by Leroy Douresseaux


Dark Shadows (2012)
Running time: 113 minutes (1 hour, 53 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for comic horror violence, sexual content, some drug use, language and smoking
DIRECTOR: Tim Burton
WRITERS: Seth Grahame-Smith; story by John August and Seth Grahame-Smith (based on the television series, Dark Shadows, created by Dan Curtis)
PRODUCERS: Christi Dembrowski, Johnny Depp, David Kennedy, Graham King, and Richard D. Zanuck
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Bruno Delbonnel
EDITOR: Chris Lebenzon
COMPOSER: Danny Elfman

FANTASY/COMEDY/HORROR

Starring: Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Helena Bonham Carter, Eva Green, Jackie Earle Haley, Jonny Lee Miller, Bella Heathcote, Chloë Grace Moretz, Gulliver McGrath, Ray Shirley, and Christopher Lee

Dark Shadows is a 2012 gothic horror and comedy fantasy film from director Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp. The film is based upon Dark Shadows, a gothic horror soap opera that was created by Dan Curtis and was originally broadcast from 1966 to 1971 on ABC. Dark Shadows the film follows a vampire who returns to his ancestral home, after two centuries of imprisonment, and finds his dysfunctional descendants in need of help.

Dark Shadows begins in the mid-1700s where we meet Joshua and Naomi Collins and their young son, Barnabas, as they sail from Liverpool, England to start a new life in America. Joshua builds a fishing empire in Maine at a town he names Collinsport. Barnabas Collins (Johnny Depp) grows into a wealthy playboy, who loves and leaves numerous women. His biggest mistake is to spurn the love of Angelique Bouchard (Eva Green), because she is a witch. Angelique puts a curse on Barnabus, turning him into a vampire, and then, has him buried alive.

Nearly 200 years later, Barnabas is inadvertently freed from his tomb into the very changed world of 1972. Returning to his family’s estate, Collinwood Manor, Barnabas finds that his relatives are now dysfunctional and not as well off financially. Family matriarch, Elizabeth Collins Stoddard (Michelle Pfeiffer), rules over a small group that includes her rebellious daughter, Carolyn Stoddard (Chloë Grace Moretz), and troubled, precocious nephew, David Collins (Gulliver McGrath). They need Barnabas’ help, and so he begins to revive the family fortune and the family home, but an old enemy is determined to destroy them all.

Dark Shadows is a Johnny Depp movie, as directed by Tim Burton, and Depp is brilliant as always. I couldn’t get enough of his Barnabas Collins, and neither could the screenplay. This movie is so much about Barnabas that the other characters are left in Depp/Barnabas’s considerable wake. First of all, some of the supporting characters are extraneous, like young Miss Grace’s Carolyn Stoddard and Helena Bonham Carter’s Dr. Julia Hoffman; the good doctor provides some nice comic relief, which is good, because the character is otherwise useless. Some like, Pfeiffer’s Elizabeth and young Mr. McGrath’s David, are under-utilized. Everything about the witch Angelique Bouchard is forced, and so is much of Eva Green’s performance as her.

Still, this is Depp’s show, and he creates a Barnabas that is so cool, you’ll want to be his friend (in spite of the inherent danger of being pals with a vampire). In a career full of idiosyncratic characters, Barnabas is Depp’s most endearing oddball.

Back in the late 1980s and early 1990s, I often came across articles about Depp or director Tim Burton that described either man as quirky. Dark Shadows is quirky and also campy. It spoofs the melodrama of soap operas, and Depp’s droll, tongue-firmly-in-cheek comedy gives this sometimes awkward film a lot of humor and laughs, which it needs. Like all of Burton’s films, Dark Shadows has excellent production values, especially the costumes and set and art decoration. However, Dark Shadows is not only quirky, but also odd in its quality. It is partially a good Burton-Depp movie, but the rest of it is a misfire because of the poor screenwriting. The acting and directing cannot, try as they might, change that.

5 of 10
B-

Saturday, May 12, 2012

Tim Burton's "Dark Shadows" Gets Soundtrack Release on May 8th

Danny Elfman’s Dark Shadows Original Score to Be Released May 8

Film Marks 14th Collaboration Between Composer Danny Elfman And Director Tim Burton

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--WaterTower Music will release Dark Shadows – Original Score digitally and in stores on May 8, 2012. The album features original music by Grammy Award-winning and four-time Oscar®-nominated composer Danny Elfman, which is featured in director Tim Burton’s new gothic comedy Dark Shadows.

For more than 25 years, Burton and Elfman have collaborated on some of the cinema’s most beloved and recognizable films and soundtracks, including Big Fish, for which Elfman received an Oscar® nomination; Beetlejuice; Batman; Edward Scissorhands; Sleepy Hollow; Corpse Bride; and, more recently, Alice in Wonderland.

“Tim had some specific ideas about the music on Dark Shadows,” says Elfman. “I knew that the bigger dramatic scenes would be played in a rather grand theatrical manner, but the real treat was tapping into the retro pallet Tim had imagined. He wanted something that payed homage to both the original TV series and other '70s horror genres as well. For that we kept it minimal, eerie, and atmospheric with only electronics and a few solo instruments carrying the melodies.”

Elfman has also received Oscar® nominations for his scores for Barry Sonnenfeld’s Men in Black, and Gus Van Sant’s Good Will Hunting and Milk. Movie audiences worldwide have also heard Danny Elfman’s unique sound and style in some 80 film scores, including Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man; Brian De Palma’s Mission: Impossible; Martin Brest’s Midnight Run; Jon Amiel’s Sommersby; the Hughes Brothers’ Dead Presidents; Rob Marshall’s Academy® Award-winning Chicago; and Shawn Levy’s Real Steel.

In the year 1750, Joshua and Naomi Collins, with young son Barnabas, set sail from Liverpool, England to start a new life in America. Two decades pass and Barnabas (Johnny Depp) has the world at his feet—or at least the town of Collinsport, Maine. The master of Collinwood Manor, Barnabas is rich, powerful and an inveterate playboy…until he makes the grave mistake of breaking the heart of Angelique Bouchard (Eva Green). A witch, in every sense of the word, Angelique dooms him to a fate worse than death: turning him into a vampire, and then burying him alive. Two centuries later, Barnabas is inadvertently freed from his tomb and emerges into the very changed world of 1972. He returns to Collinwood Manor to find that his once-grand estate has fallen into ruin and the dysfunctional remnants of the Collins family have fared little better, each harboring their own dark secrets.

Warner Bros. Pictures, in association with Village Roadshow Pictures, presents an Infinitum Nihil/GK Films/Zanuck Company production, a Tim Burton Film Dark Shadows in theaters and IMAX on May 11, 2012. “Dark Shadows” stars Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Helena Bonham Carter, Eva Green, Jackie Earle Haley, Jonny Lee Miller, Chloë Grace Moretz, Bella Heathcote and Gully McGrath.

The Dark Shadows -- Original Score on WaterTower Music will be available digitally and in stores on May 8, 2012; and on the same date, WaterTower Music will also be releasing the Dark Shadows –Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, containing eleven songs from the film.

http://www.darkshadowsmovie.com/

Review: "Hugo" Captures the Magic of Movies

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 23 (of 2012) by Leroy Douresseaux

Hugo (2011)
Running time: 126 minutes (2 hours, 6 minutes)
MPAA – PG for mild thematic material, some action/peril and smoking
DIRECTOR: Martin Scorsese
WRITER: John Logan (based on Brian Selznick’s book, The Invention of Hugo Cabret)
PRODUCERS: Johnny Depp, Tim Headington, Graham King, and Martin Scorsese
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Robert Richardson
EDITOR: Thelma Schoonmaker
COMPOSER: Howard Shore
Academy Award winner

HISTORICAL/DRAMA/FAMILY with elements of fantasy

Starring: Asa Butterfield, Ben Kingsley, Sacha Baron Cohen, Chloë Grace Moretz, Ray Winstone, Emily Mortimer, Christopher Lee, Helen McCrory, Michael Stuhlbarg, Frances de la Tour, Richard Griffiths, and Jude Law

Hugo is a 2011 Oscar-winning historical drama and 3D adventure film directed by Martin Scorsese. The film is based upon The Invention of Hugo Cabret, a 2007 historical fiction novel by Brian Selznick. The film is about a boy who lives in the walls of a Paris train station and how he meets Georges Méliès, the real-life French film pioneer.

It is 1931, and 12-year-old Hugo Cabret (Asa Butterfield) takes care of the clocks at the Gare Montparnasse railway station in Paris. He lives in the walls of the station with his uncle, Claude Cabret (Ray Winstone), an alcoholic watchmaker who is responsible for maintaining the clocks at the station and who teaches the craft to Hugo. After his uncle disappears, Hugo fends for himself, stealing food and maintaining the clocks. Hugo has also taken on a project of his late father (Jude Law), repairing a broken automaton, a mechanical man that is supposed to write after he is wound.

To repair the automaton, Hugo steals mechanical parts from an elderly toy store owner. One day, the owner, Georges Méliès (Ben Kingsley), catches Hugo and takes the boy’s notebook, which has notes and drawings for fixing the automaton. To get his notebook back, Hugo begins working for Méliès and also befriends the old man’s goddaughter, Isabelle (Chloë Grace Moretz). The children’s friendship and curiosity lead to a shocking revelation that might restore the spirit of a forgotten artist.

I guess that I should not be surprised that Martin Scorsese could pull off a film like Hugo – what is basically a family movie. I know that not all Scorsese’s films involve mobsters and violence, for instance, The Last Temptation of Christ and The Aviator, but his films are generally edgy adult dramas. With Hugo, however, Scorsese drives this film not only with a child’s sense of wonder and curiosity, but also with a child’s grit and determination to do what they believe is the right thing.

Scorsese’s films are successful because he gets great performances from his actors, and these performances are sometimes what make his films special (Robert De Niro in Raging Bull), or memorable (Joe Pesci in Goodfellas), or legendary (De Niro in Taxi Driver). In Hugo, the actors are so upfront emotionally that their intentions are clear to the audience. This makes the characters honest and vulnerable, in a childlike way that makes them endearing. That is why Chloë Grace Moretz’s Isabelle comes across as refreshing and intriguing rather than just being the girl character intruding in a boy’s tale.

While Ben Kingsley’s name is listed first in the credits, Asa Butterfield is the film’s star and Hugo Cabret is the lead character. Unlike some child actors who pretend more than they act, Butterfield plays Hugo with a veteran movie actor’s chops. He makes Hugo whole and believable, so much so that I lied to myself that Hugo was real boy.

Speaking of Ben Kingsley: after decades of great performances, I should not be surprised at how good he is as Georges Méliès, but I am. Kingsley is shockingly intense, even in the scenes that are relatively quiet and low key. In the scene in which Méliès tells the story of his past, Kingsley’s voice takes on a life of its own and magically transports us to Georges Méliès’ golden age.

And Hugo is magical. It is a trip into our dreams, in which the past comes to life. Most of all, Hugo reminds us of why movies are so special.

9 of 10
A+

NOTES:
2012 Academy Awards: 5 wins: “Best Achievement in Art Direction” (Francesca Lo Schiavo-set decorator and Dante Ferretti-production designer), “Best Achievement in Cinematography” (Robert Richardson), “Best Achievement in Sound Editing” (Philip Stockton and Eugene Gearty), “Best Achievement in Sound Mixing” (Tom Fleischman and John Midgley), and “Best Achievement in Visual Effects” (Robert Legato, Joss Williams, Ben Grossmann, Alex Henning); 6 nominations: “Best Achievement in Costume Design” (Sandy Powell), “Best Achievement in Directing” (Martin Scorsese), “Best Achievement in Film Editing” (Thelma Schoonmaker), “Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score” (Howard Shore), “Best Motion Picture of the Year” (Graham King and Martin Scorsese), “Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay” (John Logan)

2012 BAFTA Awards: 2 wins: “Best Production Design” (Dante Ferretti and Francesca Lo Schiavo) and “Best Sound” (Tom Fleischman, Philip Stockton, John Midgley, and Eugene Gearty); 7 nominations: “Best Cinematography” (Robert Richardson), “Best Costume Design” (Sandy Powell), “Best Director” (Martin Scorsese), “Best Editing” (Thelma Schoonmaker), “Best Make Up & Hair” (Morag Ross and Jan Archibald), “Best Original Music” (Howard Shore), “Best Special Visual Effects” (Alex Henning, Robert Legato, Ben Grossmann, and Joss Williams)

2012 Golden Globes: 1 win: “Best Director - Motion Picture” (Martin Scorsese); 2 nominations: “Best Motion Picture – Drama” and “Best Original Score - Motion Picture” (Howard Shore)

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

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Twilight Eclipses 2011 MTV Movie Awards

The MTV Movie Awards began in 1992.  Hosted by Jason Sudeikis, the 20th annual MTV Movie Awards aired live on Sunday, June 5, at 9 p.m. ET, from the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, California.

Twilight Saga: Eclipse, the third film in the Twilight movie franchise, dominated the ceremony by winning 5 of the 13 categories.  Rising star Chloë Grace Moretz won two categories.

20th Annual MTV Movie Award WINNERS:

Best Movie Winner
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
Directed by David Slade

Best Female Performance Winner
Kristen Stewart
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
Directed by David Slade

Best Male Performance Winner
Robert Pattinson
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
Directed by David Slade

Best Comedic Performance Winner
Emma Stone
Easy A
Directed by Will Gluck

Best Scared-As-S**t Performance Winner
Ellen Page
Inception
Directed by Christopher Nolan

Best Line From A Movie Winner
"I want to get chocolate wasted!"
Alexys Nycole Sanchez
Grown Ups
Directed by Dennis Dugan

MTV Generation Award Winner
Reese Witherspoon

Best Kiss Winner
Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
Directed by David Slade

Best Fight Winner
Robert Pattinson vs. Bryce Dallas Howard and Xavier Samuel
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
Directed by David Slade

Best Breakout Star Winner
Chloë Grace Moretz
Kick-Ass
Directed by Matthew Vaughn

Biggest Badass Star Winner
Chloë Grace Moretz

Best Jaw Dropping Moment Winner
Justin Bieber
Justin Bieber: Never Say Never
Directed by Jon M. Chu

Best Villain Winner
Tom Felton
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
Directed by David Yates

Tim Burton Begins Filming "Dark Shadows" with Johnny Depp

Filming Begins on Tim Burton’s “Dark Shadows”

Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer and Helena Bonham Carter head an all-star cast.

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Filming begins this week on Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Village Roadshow Pictures’ “Dark Shadows,” which brings the cult classic television series to the big screen under the direction of Tim Burton. The film’s all-star ensemble cast includes Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Helena Bonham Carter, Eva Green, Jackie Earle Haley, Jonny Lee Miller, Bella Heathcote, Chloe Moretz, and newcomer Gulliver McGrath.

In the year 1752, Joshua and Naomi Collins, with young son Barnabas, set sail from Liverpool, England to start a new life in America. But even an ocean was not enough to escape the mysterious curse that has plagued their family. Two decades pass and Barnabas (Johnny Depp) has the world at his feet—or at least the town of Collinsport, Maine. The master of Collinwood Manor, Barnabas is rich, powerful and an inveterate playboy…until he makes the grave mistake of breaking the heart of Angelique Brouchard (Eva Green). A witch, in every sense of the word, Angelique dooms him to a fate worse than death: turning him into a vampire, and then burying him alive.

Two centuries later, Barnabas is inadvertently freed from his tomb and emerges into the very changed world of 1972. He returns to Collinwood Manor to find that his once-grand estate has fallen into ruin. The dysfunctional remnants of the Collins family have fared little better, each harboring their own dark secrets. Matriarch Elizabeth Collins Stoddard (Michelle Pfeiffer) has called upon live-in psychiatrist, Dr. Julia Hoffman (Helena Bonham Carter), to help with her family troubles.

Also residing in the manor is Elizabeth’s ne’er-do-well brother, Roger Collins (Jonny Lee Miller); her rebellious teenage daughter Carolyn Stoddard (Chloe Moretz); and Roger’s precocious 10-year-old son, David Collins (Gulliver McGrath). The mystery extends beyond the family, to caretaker Willie Loomis, played by Jackie Earle Haley, and David’s new nanny, Victoria Winters, played by Bella Heathcote.

Burton is directing and producing “Dark Shadows” from a screenplay by Seth Grahame-Smith, story by John August and Grahame-Smith, based on the television series created by Dan Curtis. Also producing are Oscar® winner Richard D. Zanuck (“Alice in Wonderland,” “Driving Miss Daisy”), continuing his long association with Burton; Oscar® winner Graham King (“Rango,” “The Departed”), continuing his collaboration with Depp; Johnny Depp, Christi Dembrowski, and David Kennedy. The executive producers are Chris Lebenzon, Nigel Gostelow, Tim Headington, and Bruce Berman.

The behind-the-scenes creative team includes cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel, Oscar®-winning production designer Rick Heinrichs (“Sleepy Hollow”), Oscar®-winning costume designer Colleen Atwood (“Alice in Wonderland”) and editor Chris Lebenzon (“Alice in Wonderland”). The score will be composed by Danny Elfman.

“Dark Shadows” is being filmed entirely in England, both at Pinewood Studios and on location.

“Dark Shadows” will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, and in select territories by Village Roadshow Pictures.

"Big Momma's House 2" a Plain House

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 125 (of 2006) by Leroy Douresseaux

Big Momma’s House 2 (2006)
Running time: 99 minutes (1 hour, 39 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for some sexual humor and a humorous drug reference
DIRECTOR: John Whitesell
WRITER: Don Rhymer (based upon the characters created by Darryl Quarles)
PRODUCERS: David T. Friendly and Michael Green
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Mark Irwin
EDITOR: Priscilla Nedd-Friendly
Razzie Award nominee

COMEDY/FAMILY

Starring: Martin Lawrence, Nia Long, Emily Procter, Zachary Levi, Mark Moses, Kat Dennings, Chloe Grace Moretz, Marisol Nichols, Jascha Washington, Josh Flitter, and Preston Shores and Trevor Shores

Eddie Murphy began his career as a standup comic and shot to fame as a cast member of NBC’s venerable sketch comedy variety series, “Saturday Night Live,” in the early 1980’s. By 1982, he had a hit movie, and by the late 1984 release of the film, Beverly Hills Cop, he was a certified movie star. Although he hit a dry patch at the turn of the decade in 1990, he redefined himself by appearing in family friendly live action films like The Nutty Professor and Dr. Doolittle franchises (both remakes of older films) and doing voiceover work in hit animated films such as Walt Disney’s Mulan and DreamWorks Animation’s Shrek franchise.

Martin Lawrence also began his career as an edgy “urban contemporary” or black comedian. The late 1980’s and early 1990’s found him in supporting roles and ensemble parts in several films. He had a hit show on the FOX Network, “Martin,” beginning in 1992. At the turn of the century, he had two big hit movies, one of them, 2000’s Big Momma’s House, was a surprise blockbuster hit. Then, the walls came tumbling down with a series of stumbles that began in 2001 with What’s the Worst That Could Happen? and Black Knight and continued with 2003’s National Security, before Bad Boys II righted Lawrence’s ship later that same year.

Martin has also recently remade himself from a formerly edgy comedian to one who now makes family friendly films. The first one, Rebound in 2005, was a misfire, but earlier this year, Martin once again donned the drag getup of an obese black matron in the (relatively speaking) surprise box office hit, Big Momma’s House 2. We find our intrepid hero, Malcolm Turner (Lawrence), married to Sherri (Nia Long), the target of his undercover investigation in the first film. Not only is he a stepfather to Sherri’s son, Trent (Jascha Washington), but he and Nia are expecting a baby in just a few weeks.

Wanting to spend more time with his family and stay out of danger for them, Malcolm took a desk job that sometimes finds him doing PR for the FBI (like dressing in a giant chicken costume and teaching children safety). However, an FBI agent and friend is murdered while investigating Tom Fuller (Mark Moses), a computer programmer who is creating a “worm,” that will allow foreign agents and outside enemies computer access into the most sensitive areas of government security information. Malcolm wants in on the investigation, but his superiors hold him to his request for desk duty.

But the story can’t stop there, especially when opportunity gives Malcolm a way back onto the job. The Fullers need a nanny, and Malcolm retrieves his fat suit, prosthetic face, and granny dresses from the closet. Before long, Hattie Mae Pierce aka “Big Momma” is back on the job and has wiled her way into Tom’s wife, Leah’s (Emily Procter), heart and becomes the Fuller’s nanny. Big Momma immediately starts searching the house for information on Tom’s activities, but before long Big Momma finds herself attached to the three Fuller children: teen goth girl with an attitude, Molly (Kat Dennings); unconfident cheerleader, Carrie (Chloe Grace Moretz), and three-year old Andrew (played by twins Preston and Trevor Shores), who hasn’t yet spoken a word, jumps from heights, and eats Brillo® pads and sand. Now, Malcolm as Big Momma is determined to help the Fuller kids through their difficulties and make their career-oriented parents spend more time with them. But will that comprise Malcolm’ mission and keep him from discovering the whereabouts of the worm Tom is creating and discovering the identity of the enemy agents trying to buy it?

I neither liked nor hated Big Momma’s House 2. It’s occasionally, mildly funny, although the last 20 minutes are actually the first time the film comes out of its stupor for something resembling a rousing ending. The first film really showcased Martin Lawrence’s talent for getting in costumes to create a variety of eccentric and wildly comic characters (of which we saw a lot in his series “Martin”). The sequel comes across as a cheap copy that mostly spins its and Martin’s wheels. The Big Momma act seems tired and desperate, even more so under the weight of the dull comedy written by Don Rhymer, the co-writer of the first film. There are times when Martin actually seems emotionally drained by returning to this role. It’s a look in his eyes.

Big Momma’s House 2 is a domestic comedy set in the home of an upper middle class family. The FBI half of the pic, which stretches the limits of suspension of disbelief and is full of holes, is just filler material for the family-based comedy and for Martin Lawrence’s new act – that of a family friendly black comedian. Big Momma is the beloved black matron teaching the nice white family how to come together and just love one another. Big Momma’s philosophy of “jus’ put it in the Lawd’s hand”-southern black Christianity and homespun wisdom are the essence of the quintessential black matron or mammy – a Hollywood and, let’s face it, American social fantasy.

That said, Lawrence gives Big Momma’s relations with the child characters more traction than this lame film deserves. There are times when she’s helping the family or rescuing one of the members when it looks like at least an ember of the old Big Momma fire is still there. Big Momma’s House 2 is a family flick, in spite of the sexual innuendo and assorted crudeness. So don’t see it expecting the madcap romp we got the first time. See it for what it is – a kids' movie with loads of potty humor.

4 of 10
C

Tuesday, June 6, 2006

NOTES:
2007 Razzie Awards: 1 nomination: “Worst Prequel or Sequel”

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