Category: Comedy
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ted has the stroke of genius for those not immersed in Family Guy
ted – 2012 Directed by Seth MacFarlane Starring Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis, MacFarlane (voice), Giovanni Ribisi, Joel McHale, Patrick Warburton, Matt Walsh Screenplay MacFarlane, Alec Sulkin, Wellsley Wild I have seen, perhaps, 2 episodes of The Family Guy. When it came out, I was caught up in The Simpsons and the humor seemed derivative. Then I got married,…
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Wanderlust is just a typical commune movie
Wanderlust – 2012 Director David Wain Starring Paul Rudd, Jennifer Aniston, Justin Theroux, Alan Alda, Malin Åkerman, Ray Liotta, Lauren Ambrose, Kathryn Hahn, Ken Marino, Michaela Watkins, Joe Lo Truglio Screeenplay by Wain and Marino It’s awkward in its attempt at random. It’s occasionally funny, even more occasionally intentionally funny.The payoffs are labored. Ideas are not original, unless you take into account the…
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21 Jump Street takes a different, better turn
21 Jump Street – 2012 Directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller Starring Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Brie Larson, Ellie Kemper, Dave Franco, Rob Riggle, Ice Cube Screenplay Michael Bacall It’s not that I did not ever watch the original television show, I just didn’t ever make it a point to watch 21 Jump Street. All of the hullabaloo…
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One for the Money is worth more than it got
One For The Money – 2011 Directed by Julie Anne Robinson Starring Katheryn Heigl, Jason O’ Mara, Daniel Sunjata, Debbie Reynolds, John Leguizamo, Sherri Shepherd, Annie Parisse Screenplay by Liz Brixius, Stacy Sherman and Karen Ray, based on the novel by Janet Evanovich Despite my best intentions, I do enjoy Katheryn Heigl. Never liked her in Grey’s Anatomy, not…
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The Sitter has too many issues to get real laughs
The Sitter – 2011 Directed by David Gordon Green Starring Jonah Hill, Ari Graynor, Max Records, Sam Rockwell, J.B. Smoove, Method Man, Erin Daniels, D.W. Moffett, Landry Bender, Kevin Hernandez, Kylie Bunbury, Jessica Hecht Screenplay by Brian Gatewood, Alessandro Tanaka The question that occurs to me, while watching The Sitter, is the following: what in the hell…
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We Got A Zoo: A Family Classic that avoids being preachy
We Bought A Zoo – 2011 Directed by Cameron Crowe Starring Matt Damon, Scarlett Johansson, J.B. Smoove, Thomas Haden Church, Elle Fanning, Patrick Fugit, Colin Ford, Angus Macfadyen, Maggie Elisabeth Jones Screenplay by Aline Brosh McKenna and Crowe My wife hates movies with animals. She is not partial to sad sack films that hang broken hearts out on…
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CPE and Em (and El): Hop is for those who prefer the visual equivalent of corn syrup
Hop – 2011 Directed by Tim Hill Starring James Mardsen, Kaley Couoco, Gary Cole, Elizabeth Perkins, Russell Brand (voice/cameo), Chelsea Handler, David Hasselhoff, Voices Hugh Laurie, Hank Azaria Screenplay by Ken Daurio, Brian Lynch, Cinco Paul I am getting pretty tired of Russell Brand. It probably happened for me about the same time it did with Katy…
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Tower Heist is Eddie Murphy closer his best days, but not much else
Tower Heist – 2011 Directed by Brett Ratner Starring Ben Stiller, Eddie Murphy, Alan Alda, Téa Leoni, Casey Affleck, Judd Hirsch, Matthew Broderick, Michael Peña, Gabourey Sidibe Screenplay by Ted Griffin, Jeff Nathanson There is something sharp and very clean about a Brett Ratner film. There never seems to be any sort of litter, refuse or debris anywhere on the…
Ebert Did It Better: Gasbag Reviews 