Ted 2

Directed by : Seth MacFarlane  
Written by : Seth MacFarlane, Alec Sulkin, Wellesley Wild  
Starring : Seth MacFarlane, Mark Wahlberg, Amanda Seyfried, Jessica Barth, Giovanni Ribisi  
Release Date : June 25, 2015  

I think I need to come out and just say that this is not a "good film" in the traditional sense. This is for all intent and purpose a complete farce that will only cater to a particular type of audience that like their comedy absurd, slapstick, crude, offensive, with non-sequiters, inside jokes, running gags, and tons of pop culture references. Basically, if the first "Ted" movie didn't win you over, this one probably won't either. 

This is Seth MacFarlane absolutely indulging himself. His sense of humor is all over the place, and not everybody will get his jokes. Considering that this movie has so many jokes in it as it is, they will either be hits or misses. It was more hits than misses for me, but results may vary from person to person. The movie also plays out like a series of comedic skits all stitched together, which can make the pacing feel very uneven. Not to mention the civil rights politics plot thread might turn some people off. 

Just like the previous installment, this movie has a great cast. MacFarlane, Wahlberg, and Seyfried are awesome in this, and all the added cameos by various stars were also very welcome; like Patrick Warburton and Michael Dorn. The relationship between Ted and John continues to be a fun thing to watch, and some of the best jokes are from those two together. Although I would say that the best joke that had the best laugh from me involves the Samantha character.  

There's definitely a familiarity to the plot progression of "Ted 2" which some people might be tired of, and at one point the movie even self-references that fact. It is comforting seeing these characters on screen again, but the appeal of seeing them for the first time is not present at all, and makes the movie seem like it's just going through the motions. Even so, I did find it highly enjoyable and funny, and that's the only thing that should matter to me. 

lovedit  ENJOYED IT  itsokayitsmehitsterrible

Me And Earl And The Dying Girl

Directed by : Alfonso Gomez-Rejon  
Written by : Jesse Andrews  
Starring : Thomas Mann, Olivia Cooke, RJ Cyler,  
Release Date : June 12, 2015  

So here's another coming-of-age story, about high school slice of life, that's told in a clever and subversive way. It may appear to be too quirky, too precious, too self-aware, and too sentimental, to be taken seriously. However, how can this not be taken seriously when one of the main characters is a dying girl? There is a lot to like about this movie, but it's definitely not without it's flaws. It makes a point to avoid doing clichés; which is appreciated, but the story still contains some clichés anyway. 

The main characters are at least really good. Thomas Mann as the self deprecating but charming Greg is fun to follow. Olivia Cooke is incredible as Rachel; the dying girl, who is just all sorts of awesome as a character. The friendship and conversations that Greg and Rachel have is the primary draw to watching this movie. As for RJ Cyler as Earl, he essentially plays the straight man that tells things as it is, and helps keep the balance between Greg and Rachel. 

Visually, this movie is fantastic to watch. There's an energetic and creative style to this, that it practically dares you not to look at each framed shot. The screenplay has some great and smart writing here, but it doesn't always maintain that high level of cleverness that it's clearly aiming for. There's also some tonal changes in the plot that I wished could have been handled better. 

Although I don't think "Me and Earl and the Dying Girl" was a complete slam dunk of a movie, there really was a lot about this story that I loved. Besides the entertaining characters and tons of fun moments, it has a thematic message that I could absolutely get behind with. I felt satisfied and maybe even inspired by the end of this film as well. If anything else, you'll really enjoy seeing those home movies that Greg and Earl came up with. 

lovedit  ENJOYED IT  itsokayitsmehitsterrible

Inside Out

Directed and Written by : Pete Docter, Ronaldo Del Carmen 
Starring : Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith, Lewis Black, Bill Hader, Mindy Kaling, Kaitlyn Dias 
Release Date : June 17, 2015 

This movie has a very clever idea for a story concept that imagines a person's emotions as individual personalities; not unlike the TV show "Herman's Head." They do a fantastic job with the way they visually and metaphorically depict the emotions of Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Disgust, as well as personalities, memories, dreams, and imagination. It's all just adorably charming, equally fascinating, and amazing to look at. 

Of course there's quite a bit of suspension of disbelief imagining that emotions have their own personalities, but that's neither here nor there. Everyday can be a constant struggle to juggle our emotions, and this story is just a visual representation of that. Thankfully it's a story that has a lot of fun with the concept, and a lot of heart. We equally get to feel invested with the human character Riley, and each of the characters that represent her emotions. 

Considering the story's subject matter, this movie has plot points that should generate particular emotions from it's audience. Depending on your own personal life experiences, some of those scenes might play with your emotions a lot more than others. There are situations that happen here that children wouldn't understand, but adults would. Some introspective themes definitely happen, and only makes the film better. 

There's a lot that I loved about "Inside Out," and it is arguably an instant favorite of mine in the impressive catalog of Pixar films. It really plays well to my nostalgic and melancholic personality, as well as to my creative and emotional side. Oh, "the feels." 

LOVED IT  enjoyedititsokayitsmehitsterrible

P.S. "Lava," the Pixar short that opened for this movie is also fantastic!

Dope

Directed and Written by : Rick Famuyiwa  
Starring : Shameik Moore, Kiersey Clemons, Tony Revolori, Zoë Kravitz, 
Release Date : June 19, 2015  

There's a lot of coming of age stories involving a kid that lives in a bad neighborhood, that has to rise to the occasion to be a good person surrounded by bad people. In the case of this movie, the "hood" here is the city of Inglewood (up to no good) California, but the main character is already a good person, who is put in a position where he'll need to do some bad things. 

This is a fun movie, with some creative dialogue, fantastic soundtrack, and energetic visual storytelling that mixes in many modern stylings and pop culture. The fact that there are plot points that involves the "find my iPhone" functionality, memes, and bitcoins, may eventually date this film. However, the protagonists are outcast geeky kids who love '90s hip hop and are in a punk band, so this movie dating itself is just part of the enjoyment. 

The whole cast here are great, but the main characters here are especially people to definitely root for. We find our loveable misfit group; Malcolm, Diggy, and Jib, encounter some outrageous situations, and colorful characters. It's entertaining to see how their young innocence mixed in with their cleverness, can cope with all the crazy stuff they get into in this movie. 

While there's some cool inventiveness to how Director / Writer Famuyiwa did this movie, he isn't above using some cliche plot points, some self-awareness, and even some obviously preachy scenes. However, I found that the many things to like about "Dope" are numerous enough, that I can easily overlook the flaws that it does have. I liked this movie a lot. 

lovedit  ENJOYED IT  itsokayitsmehitsterrible

Love & Mercy

Directed by : Bill Pohlad 
Written by : Oren Moverman, Michael A. Lerner 
Starring : Paul Dano, John Cusack, Elizabeth Banks, Paul Giamatti, 
Release Date : June 4, 2015 

Based on the real life story of Brian Wilson, circa 1960s and the 1980s, this movie could easily have been a straightforward musical biopic. Thankfully it's not. It made a creative decision of telling the story by jumping back and forth between the younger Brian Wilson; played by Paul Dano, and the older Brian Wilson; as played by John Cusack. This style of story telling doesn't spoon feed it's audience into what they are suppose to think of his life, and it might actually be a little too unapproachable to some. 

Paul Dano is an actor who wears his expressions on his face very heavily, which makes him the perfect person to play the younger version. This was a time period where Brian Wilson was starting to experience his mental issues, and Dano successfully shows those emotions of how scary it was for him to try and balance a normal yet creative life, even though he might be on the brink of having a mental breakdown. 

John Cusack is fantastic as a more subdued and withdrawn older Brian Wilson. This is someone who have practically reverted back to having an almost child like personality, because of his fear of going crazy, and because of all the heavy medication that he is under. Elizabeth Banks is great as Melinda, the one person whom Brian finds comfort in being around. Paul Giamatti is also great as Eugene Landy, the man who kept Brian under his thumb. 

This is a movie about the struggles of trying to be true to yourself, especially when faced with oppressive authority figures. There's definitely a heavy melancholic tone throughout this movie, in contrast to the uplifting music of The Beach Boys. If you didn't know much about Brian Wilson, then this story will really help you understand who he is. "Love & Mercy" is a very enlightening and inspiring movie that made me just want to reach out and give Brian Wilson a hug. 

lovedit  ENJOYED IT  itsokayitsmehitsterrible

Jurassic World

Directed by : Colin Trevorrow 
Written by : Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver 
Starring : Bryce Dallas Howard, Chris Pratt, 
Release Date : June 10, 2015 

"Jurassic Park" was released in 1993. Since then, and after many CGI creatures have graced the movie screens, it's easy to feel unexcited by computer generated dinosaurs. So it became the task of "Jurassic World" to once again make us care about seeing these extinct creatures. I have to admit, they succeeded. This movie brought dinosaurs to life... again, and we're all the better for it. 

As an adventure-thriller, this is a fun movie through and through. It's got the chases, the near death situations, and many scenes of unsuccessful escapes. It's got a good sense of humor with some witty dialog amid all the tense situations. It's got a good cast, led by Bryce Dallas Howard and Chris Pratt. It has many crowd pleasing moments that were very enjoyable to see play out; especially during the last act. The nods to the first movie were also very welcome to see. 

Now despite the entertainment value of this movie, it does have it's fair share of lazy story telling. It undeniably retreads many familiar themes, plot points, and character motivations, from the previous films. The cliches, the illogical plot situations, and convenient coincidences, can get eye rolling worthy enough that it might take people out of the movie. Thankfully the Indominus Rex, the Velociraptors, and all the other dinosaurs, are there to distract you from those issues. 

"Jurassic World" may not have completely recaptured the initial magic of the first installment, but it at least was able to show us once again that spark of imagination of believing that dinosaurs can be real today. 

lovedit  ENJOYED IT  itsokayitsmehitsterrible

Entourage

Directed and Written by : Doug Ellin 
Starring : Jeremy Piven, Adrian Grenier, Kevin Dillon, Kevin Connolly, Jerry Ferrara, 
Release Date : June 3, 2015 

It's important that I start off by saying that I never saw the HBO TV show "Entourage." I went into this movie with the mindset on whether it can work on it's own without having knowledge of who these characters are. I can safely say that it can work on it's own without seeing the TV show, as the exposition montage intro does a good enough job to catch people up on the important stuff. However, I think the primary target audience for this film are still the established fans. 

While the story makes some effort to get the audience to care for these characters, it didn't really work for me. I probably liked the Ari Gold character the most; as played by Jeremy Piven, because I actually felt a little invested in his story arc. The other characters had plot moments that I liked, but I didn't care that much for them as I probably should have. The Ronda Rousey bit was entertaining though. I at least did appreciate the camaraderie that the characters have with each other. 

What was arguably the most interesting aspect about this movie is how it portrayed it's characters' lifestyle and it's representation of Los Angeles. Apparently in Los Angeles, you meet celebrities everywhere you go, there are many bikini-clad or naked women everywhere, there are so many people living an opulent life, and you drive around a lot. Well, it's got the driving around a lot part correctly. 

Yes, I get that the excessively well off lifestyle, the celebrity cameos, and the male fantasy imagery, are what makes Entourage "Entourage," but I just couldn't get into it. I was hoping to be entertained, and "Entourage" the movie did not do that for me. Fans of the TV show can enjoy this, but it just wasn't for me. 

loveditenjoyedititsokay  IT'S MEH  itsterrible

Spy

Directed and Written by : Paul Feig 
Starring : Melissa McCarthy, Jason Statham, Rose Byrne, Miranda Hart, Allison Janney, Jude Law, 
Release Date : May 20, 2015 

What happens when you combine a spy action thriller, a comedic farce, and a self-deprecating lead actress? You get the generically titled movie "Spy." At first glance, it's easy to criticize this for being a broad comedy without much to offer, but then the great cast and the overall fun of the movie might just encourage a less-critical point of view. It succeeds in the kind of entertainment that it wants to be. 

There are some dialogue and witty banter here that I particularly found hilarious, and it's mostly involving Melissa McCarthy. However, actors such as Jason Statham and Allison Janey, really stole the scenes they were in. It's much too fun hearing Statham's stories about what a hardcore badass spy he is, and it's great how those tales escalate into absolute impossibilities. Janey as the straight faced CIA boss absolutely wins in her deliveries, and it's that deadpan humor that balances out the slapstick comedy in the film.  

This is one of those cases where some sharp writing and directing by Paul Feig, and the comedic talents of the cast, really makes what should be a terrible movie into one that's enjoyable to watch. From the recurring inside jokes to the pure parody of action movie tropes, this movie actually has a lot to offer as an action comedy. Sure the plot can be ridiculous and the last act of the movie kinda just falls apart, but it's a fun ride through and through. 

It's easy to dismiss "Spy" just based on watching the trailer or for any bias against Melissa McCarthy, but I'm glad I gave it a chance. It was just a fun time at the movies. I actually wouldn't mind seeing a sequel. 

lovedit  ENJOYED IT  itsokayitsmehitsterrible

Insidious: Chapter 3

Directed and Written by : Leigh Whannell 
Starring : Stefanie Scott, Lin Shaye, Dermot Mulroney, 
Release Date : May 28, 2015 

When it comes to scary movies, it's important for them to give a sense of hopelessness and dread to whatever situation the characters are in. Thankfully this movie does a good job of creating that tension. There are many scenes here that pretty much makes you want to close your eyes from not wanting to see what it is that's coming to get you. 

While there are some scenes with great terrifying build ups, there is still an over reliance to jump scares. They can feel like cheap scares, but I suppose they do work well here. On the flipside, the creepiest scenes that I found in this movie hardly relied on those jump scares. One such scene is of a certain character crawling down a hallway that is just such a nightmarish visual that I won't be forgetting soon. 

The primary characters were great in this movie, and I was most definitely invested in how they fared. Stefanie Scott as Quinn Brenner, is perfect as the helpless victim that the evil being is terrorizing, and wow does she get put through the ringer here. Lin Shaye is fantastic reprising her role as psychic Elise Rainier, and she gets to have several hero moments that were just such crowd pleasers. 

As far as me comparing "Insidious: Chapter 3" to the other two installments, this one is arguably my favorite one of them all so far. It has a great balance of minimalist but effective story telling and had several frightful scenes that were well executed. I just wished it eased up those jump scares though. 

lovedit  ENJOYED IT  itsokayitsmehitsterrible

Aloha

Directed and Written by : Cameron Crowe 
Starring : Bradley Cooper, Emma Stone, Rachel McAdams, John Krasinski, 
Release Date : May 28, 2015 

To say this movie is all over the place is putting it mildly. This is one of those cases where it's trying to do too much, that the end results feel like a mish mash, stream of consciousness, off the cuff production. It has a very ambitious thematic story, a whole lot of plot going on, and a huge cast of characters, that this 1 hour and 45 mins film, feels like a condensed version of a 13 episodes TV series. 

The primary thing keeping this movie together is the whole cast. It doesn't help that a lot of the written dialogue feels unnatural, but this all star cast made the best of it as they could. Bradley Cooper is a good actor and Emma Stone is a good actress as well. Unfortunately they were given two unbelievable characters to play, that is put in a ridiculous relationship. 

Hawaii and it's native people; at least the ones they did actually show, are like a character in itself. However, I couldn't help but feel quite a bit of embarrassing patronizing on the movie's part on Hawaiian culture and it's people. It did bring up interesting social political aspects, but that plot line wasn't this movie's priority. 

"Aloha" is definitely Cameron Crowe at his weakest, and is not a movie I would wholeheartedly recommend. Which is too bad, because there were some few genuinely great scenes that I actually did love, but it would have been preferable to see those used in a better movie. 

loveditenjoyedititsokay  IT'S MEH  itsterrible