Rough Night (2017)

Combining a 10-year reunion with a hen do (bachelorette party, for American readers), a group of best friends from university find their night going from bad to worse. Accidentally killing the stripper is only the beginning, compounded by the craziest, worst choices imaginable. Meanwhile, the groom-to-be gets his wires crossed, and is on a mission of his own to win back the bride. She’s a little too preoccupied with trying to dump another man – or, his body, at least!

It’s really really easy to knock Rough Night. It is very far from brilliant, nor is it as funny as it thinks it is. It is, however, very daft and a bit of light-hearted fun, which was exactly what I needed when I when to see this.

In its favour, at least for me, was a lot less ‘gross-out’ in the comedy than, say, Bridesmaids or similar movies, despite the large amounts of swearing and sexual overtones. I hated Bridesmaids, btw, finding the bitch fake friends outdoing each other cringeworthy. There is an element of that at the start of this – very, very similar, in fact – but it’s just not taken to the same dire level. This, however, is probably part of some people’s complaints about it not being really that funny – it doesn’t keep pushing to find the point where you laugh or want to – well, maybe ‘cry’ isn’t the right word. Anyway, I was glad that the movie let me be amused rather than feeling it HAD to make me hysterical.

The cast is a bit so-so. Scarlett Johansson doesn’t strike me as cut out for comedy, but playing the straight woman gives her an out. Kate McKinnon was my new hero after Ghostbusters, but while she is amusing here there is something distracting about the accent forming the larger part of the performance. Zoe Kravitz and Ilana Glazer add a mid-layer with the added twist of being a former couple (which works well). However, Jillian Bell’s character is seriously annoying, for many of the same reasons I hated Bridesmaids.

From the trailers I was expecting a twist on Weekend at Bernies, but was well off the mark. There is a point where I couldn’t see where else the movie was going to go, before it chucks in a couple of outlandish elements – again, just staying on the right side of too over the top, unlike, say the absolutely dire Snatched.

Overall, I can’t really recommend this but it’s not actually as awful as many reviews make it out to be. If you want something that straddles a line between those gross-out comedies I hate and something almost a bit sweet by the end, then a pizza and a glass of wine on the sofa would just about make this watchable of a quiet evening.

Released: 25th August 2017
Viewed: 27th August 2017
Running time: 101 minutes
Rated: 15

My rating: 5/10

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American Made (2017)

In the late 1970s, pilot Barry Seal (Tom Cruise) is approached by the CIA to take aerial reconnaissance photos over South American’s less-than-stable regimes. Picked up by a drug cartel after stopping to refuel, Barry might be forgiven for thinking he’s in hot water – but instead, the cartel offers him a ton of cash to use his CIA status to help smuggle their drugs back into the USA.

Playing both sides keeps Barry a wealthy man, and indeed, the most fun moments come as the character struggles to find places to stash his cash. However, while his life is on the up, you can’t help but know there’s likely to be a cliff-drop at some point – and possibly no plane to keep Barry aloft.

This is a fun movie, no doubt, but I have to admit to being a little bored during the opening half hour or so. I can only suggest that perhaps the film makers left in a few too many of the “based on a true story” details at the expense of pace. Still, things do get more exciting as the film progresses, although there was just a sense of predictability for me.

It’s an odd time for cinema, methinks: I seem to spend my time rating movies as slightly-better-than-average, but either talking up ones that have been otherwise slated (Dark Tower, Valerian, Hitman’s Bodyguard) or finding myself disappointed with things that sounded like they were doing better (Atomic Blonde). This, sadly, falls into the latter category: high hopes of fun, turned out just a little ‘meh’.

That said, it is very well made, and the actors all seem to be having fun. There are a few stylistic additions, from the 70s-esque opening credits to a few fun maps animations, which I thought added something positive in small doses. Oh, and try to count future presidents 😉

Overall, a decent enough, fun flick, but I personally thought it took a while to get the wing flaps up and get going.

Released: 25th August 2017
Viewed: 26th August 2017
Running time: 115 minutes
Rated: 15

My rating: 7/10

Despicable Me 3 (2017)

Gru (Steve Carell) might have sorted out his family life over the previous two installments, with Lucy (Kristen Wiig) now step-mom to the ‘gurrrrls’ (girls, Margo, Edith, and Agnes), but work isn’t going so well – the pair have just been fired from the Anti Villain League for failing to capture 80s child TV star turned baddy, Balthazar Bratt (Trey Parker).

Gru then discovers he has a long-lost twin brother, Dru. Dru is desperate for his sibling to show him the dark side of villainy – something Gru has, of course, put behind him (much to the displeasure of the Minions, who walk out in disgust). However, what better opportunity to steal back the diamond Bratt has already stolen – and use it to get his job back.

I do love the Minions movies. This one has been getting mixed feedback, but I liked it better than the middle installment if not quite so much as the original. I think what worked well for me was all the 1980s references from the Bratt character, still stuck in the era of his glory days. I was just in the right mood for a Michael Jackson-themed ‘dance fight’, and all the cheesy hits of the day.

And, of course, the Minions! Their subplot had me in stitches, again with a bit of a dance theme at one point – but I will say no more 😉 The other subplot, with Lucy learning how to be a mom, is a lot weaker, but I did think added a little warmth to the movie.

Overall: lots of daft fun, and I’d happily watch it again – my measure for animated movies. Banana! 🙂

Released: 30th June 2017
Viewed: 10th July 2017
Running time: 90 minutes
Rated: U

My rating: 7.5/10

Baywatch (2017)

Head lifeguard, Mitch Buchanan (Dwayne Johnson), takes an instant dislike to cocky newcomer, Matt Brody (Zac Efron), a disgraced former Olympic champion who thinks his gold medals will let him walk onto the lifeguard team. The two continue to butt heads in rather a fun way as the team starts to investigate a series of possibly drug-related deaths in the bay.

There’s not a great deal to say about this movie, to be honest, other than it’s very very daft and – if you’re in the right frame of mind – quite a lot of fun. Gross out, beyond silly, micky-taking fun.

The highlights for me were the confrontations between the two leads. Mitch never refers to Matt by name, going through a series of appropriately daft and demeaning nicknames, from ‘Bieber’ to ‘High School Musical’ (which, of course, Zac Efron starred in). If that sounds like a slight thing to be the highlight you’re absolutely spot on!

The plot and even more so the subplots (loser recruit getting a chance to show having a heart in the right place is more important than, y’know, actually being able to do your job or anything; corrupt government officials; unlikely and/or predictable hook ups) are well-worn and clearly not the point. The characters are… not exactly well-rounded? But on the other hand, the nods towards the original series are vaguely fun, taking the mickey but not descending into out-and-out spoof.

Still, with just a little more care, this could have been a lot more fun than just dick jokes. I was in the mood for daft, and since I get into these things for ‘free’ (all-you-can-watch cinema pass) I rather enjoyed. But on your own head be it if you pay the going cinema rates for this bit of butt-fluff, tbh! 😉

Released: 29th May 2017
Viewed: 7th June 2017
Running time: 116 minutes
Rated: 15

My rating: 5/10 – it’s not a good movie, but it was fun

Snatched (2017)

Absolute no-hoper Emily (Amy Schumer) is dumped by her boyfriend before their trip to Ecuador. When none of her friends are willing to go with her, a moment of madness sees her invite her mother, Linda (Goldie Hawn), with the intention of making her rediscover her fun side. However, Emily’s naive chasing of a good time soon leads to the pair’s kidnapping, closely followed by a less-than-smooth escape attempt.

I went into this hoping for some daft laughs, but while there were a (very) few moments in this that genuinely made me chuckle, overall I found it largely cringe-worthy. Emily is annoyingly pathetic, with no job or prospects or common sense. The only thing worse is her stay-at-home brother, whose feeble shouts at/for “Mamma!” were like nails down a chalkboard to me. Even Goldie Hawn, who I generally think is great, is given a rather tragic character for the first half of the movie, before finally being more ‘Goldie’.

The story could have had potential, but instead I felt it was a set of rather random and weird things thrown together supposedly to be funny. The ex-Spec Ops who cut out her own tongue? The adventurous rescuer who is clearly in some soap opera spoof? Ooh, or the whole, very icky, tapeworm scene – wtf? There was zero point to most of it, except padding out the story. And if the moral is meant to be about mothers and daughters bonding in extreme circumstances, I think it would be more appropriately: moms, b*tch-slap some sense into your idiotic adult offspring.

Short version: utterly not to my tastes or sense of humour. Avoid.

Released: 19th May 2017
Viewed: 26th May 2017
Running time: 90 minutes
Rated: 15

My rating: 3/10

The Boss Baby (2017)

When Tim’s new baby brother arrives by the less than usual method of taxi, dressed in a business suit and carrying a briefcase, he knows that something’s not quite normal. Despite an immediate feud kicking off, he eventually agrees to help Boss Baby fight the nefarious schemes of Puppy Co – who are taking love away from babies in favour of dogs (of which I wholly approve 😉 ) – in the hope of seeing his tiny rival depart, leaving Tim once again sole beneficiary of his parents’ affection.

While watchable enough, Boss Baby is a pretty run of the mill animated offering, skewing a little too on the junior side for me (although I confess my inner child laughed rather too much at the early dummy-heading-for-wrong-end scene).

There are perhaps two saving graces: firstly, Alec Baldwin voicing the titular character without whom I doubt this movie would have worked at all. Certainly the line “Cookies are for closers!” makes no sense unless coming from Mr Baldwin, but will still only be amusing to about half the adult audience, I reckon.

Secondly, the epilogue scene at the end gives a nice and slightly surprising sense of deeper meaning. Instead of ‘just’ an animated romp, you realise there have been messages about childhood imagination and sibling relationships. That closing scene deserves a cookie, and brings my rating up a little.

Released: 1st April 2017
Viewed: 21st April 2017
Running time: 97 minutes
Rated: U

My rating: 6/10

The Lego Batman Movie (2017)

Batman might be a dab hand at rounding up the bad guys, but he’s still battling that crippling loneliness. It doesn’t help that he’s too afraid of (more) loss to let anyone close – or, quite frankly, that he’s a mega-arrogant douche 😉 Thankfully, the Lego Movie series is here to help us poke fun at a rich, weird loner who likes to dress in black, and a whole pile of superhero memes along the way.

Plot-wise, the Joker is upset when Batman refuses to acknowledge him as his ‘main adversary’ (“I like to fight around”), and sets out to be, urm, more appreciated. This might involve a group of cross-movie super villains being rather superbly spoofed, but I’m not giving anything away 😉 Meanwhile, the unfortunately named orphan Dick Grayson is out to get himself adopted, while Bruce Wayne is a little distracted by the new police commissioner…

There’s not a great deal of substance to this movie, really, but it serves to be ridiculous and does so pretty well. The bulk of the humour actually comes from a host of rather throw-away moments and lines, such as referring to Daleks as “British robots – ask your nerd friends”, or the characters all saying “Pew! Pew!” as they fire their guns (that slayed me. Don’t ask!). There’s also some great lampooning of Batman’s history-on-screen, as well as the character in general.

If there’s a weakness, it’s the ‘real’ meaning of the movie, which is all about family and working with others and *yawn*. Not awful, but y’know – pew! pew!! 😉

Released: 10th February 2017
Viewed: 8th March 2017
Running time: 104 minutes
Rated: U (UK)

My rating: 6/10