Trainwreck

         If you like Amy Schumer, then you are going to like ‘Trainwreck’.  If you love Amy Schumer, then you are going to love ‘Trainwreck’.  This is a film by comedy guru Judd Apatow that is a showcase for Amy Schumer’s brand of comedy.  She came onto the comedy stand up scene a few years ago and made a name for herself with her uniquely Amy brand of humor.  Always brash, usually vulgar, sometimes over the top, but always with a hint of honesty and heart that people can relate to. Come to think of it, that is the profile of many Judd Apatow films, so I don’t know why it took so long for these two to get together.

As far back as she can remember, Amy learned that monogamy is not a practical lifestyle.  This was reinforced by her father (Collin Quinn doing a great Collin Quinn impression) who hammered this into her had after his divorce.  As Amy grew to adulthood, her relationships consisted mainly of one night stands and absolutely no second dates or sleep overs.  She landed a job as a writer at a men’s magazine and everything appeared to be going her way.  That is until one day, when she is assigned to write a story on Aaron Collins (the always delightful Bill Hader), a sports medicine doctor who also happens to be best friends with LeBron James.  I usually detest sports figures who try their hands at acting, especially when they play themselves.  This is an exception, as LeBron showed that he has some pretty impressive comic timing for a sports star.  He had some of the funniest lines and scenes in the movie and he was more than just a novelty appearance.  

Like most Rom Coms, ‘Trainwreck’ follows the usual formula of the montage of quirky fun-around-town activities that cause the heroine to fall for the man despite her resistance.  There is even the quirky best friend (SNLs Vanessa Bayer) to tell her how wacky she is.  All of that is formula (which I hate), but Judd Apatow and Amy Schumer are able to break the mold with the over the top Amy style crudeness and cynicism of her comedy.  Much like ‘Bridesmaids’ did years ago, Amy shows that women aren’t one dimensional when it comes to comedy and they can get shock laughs just as good (and often better) than their male counterparts.  I will claim as much guilt as the next guy as to rather getting a root canal than sitting through a romantic comedy, but Aptaow is able to bring enough edge to appeal to anyone looking for an R-rated comedy

Amy struggles to reconcile falling for the perfect guy with her belief that she will screw up any relationship she is in.  Her sister’s idyllic married life draws both admiration and revulsion from her.  She has fallen for her new boyfriend Aaron, but doesn’t see how it will work.  Aaron, for his part, loves Amy for all her quirks (although he does have an amusingly hard time coming to grips with how many men she has slept with).  If I have one criticism of the film is that it is a little long and the sudden sad turn during the third act stretches past the point of effectiveness. Apt is too experienced of a director to have let it plod along as long as it did.  Despite that criticism, it didn’t take away from the overall enjoyment of this showcase for Amy Schumer.

If she isn’t a household name by now, this film will be the start of a long and industrious career for Amy Schumer.  She will add her name to the ranks of comedians who have made the jump from stand-up to the Big Screen (with a small stop on television).  I loved the inclusion of all the bit parts with everyone from Jon Cena playing Amy’s sexually confused booty call, to Dave Atell as her street person/confident.  I highly recommend this film as I do all Judd Apatow films (Well, most of them) and encourage anyone thinking this is just a normal romantic comedy to take a chance and be prepared to laugh.

I give this film ** 1/2 stars

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3152624/?ref_=nv_sr_1

Ant-Man

       Say what you want about Marvel, but they know how to make a fun movie.  There are a lot of critics who love to blast Marvel as a blockbuster making machine that produces nothing but high budget, super hero schlock and from their perspective, they are correct.  However; one thing you can’t say about Marvel is that they are afraid to take risks.  The multi-movie story franchise was a Marvel innovation from the very beginning.  While most studios would have been content to crank out the exact same formula until the well runs dry, Marvel takes chances and, for some reason, the naysayers are salivating for Marvel to fail.  It hasn’t happened yet.  Critics predicted (hoped) that last year’s Guardians of the Galaxy, about an unknown ragtag group of aliens that the mainstream knew nothing about, would mark the end of the Marvel machine, but it turned out to be the highest grossing film of the year.  Likewise now, a film about a tertiary Marvel hero with ridiculous powers, shrinking, has bloggers searching for the chink in the Marvel armor.  After Friday’s box office results and a projected $80 million opening weekend, the headlines read “Ant-Man has second lowest opening weekend for Marvel”.  Really? In what other universe does an $80 million opening weekend constitute a failure?.  

‘Ant-Man’ is a much smaller (pun intended) movie than its’ blockbuster brethren and not a typical superhero movie.  I applaud Marvel for giving us something different, yet still weaving it seamlessly into the broader Marvel universe.  This is a much lighter and fun movie that goes for a younger demographic, but is still fun for all ages. Instead of a super-hero, we have a reformed cat burglar who is in no way looking to be a hero. His goal is not to save the world rather find a way to be with his daughter.  The movie had a feeling of a cross between ‘Honey, I Shrunk the Kids’ and ‘Iron Man’.  The difference is that special effects have exponentially improved since 1994 and some of the effects of the world from a miniature perspective are truly awe inspiring.  

Marvel has never been afraid to mess with the comics storyline orthodoxy.  Currently, even in the comics, the company is changing the story line of characters that have been around for over 50 years.  It has to be changed and rebooted to remain relevant.  I’m a purist as much as the next comic geek, but there comes a time when characters and stories need to be brought up to the current time.  In this case, the story centers on Scott Lang (Paul Rudd), a down-on-his-luck father, just out of prison and looking for a way to earn enough money to be able to see his daughter again and be a part of her life. During a bungled burglary attempt, he inadvertently steals a mysterious suit belonging to the reclusive inventor, Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglass, still showing that he can do an action film).  Hank was already in turmoil as his protege, Darren Cross (Corey Stoll) has cracked the secret to his shrinking technology and is seeking to weaponize it to make his fortune.  Desperate to stop this, Hank recognizes the burglary talents of Scott and recruits him to break into Cross’s labs and steal his prototype suit and destroy all the research located there.  

At its’ core, this is an exciting heist movie with a super hero twist, but it also has the heart of a family movie as well.  Hank Pym’s estranged daughter, Hope (Evangeline Lily) is now CEO of Cross industries and Hank’s attempts at reconciliation with her are some of the most touching moments in the movie.  Likewise, Scott’s desperation and the lengths he will go to be a part of his daughter’s life are equally touching and provides the driving force for the movie.  Despite all this, it is a fun and funny movie with Paul Rudd being an inspired choice for someone who brings both comedy and action to the role.  The special effects are truly awe inspiring and the pseudo-science involving controlling ants is fun if not a strain on credulity.

Despite the different tone, this is a Marvel movie and part of the greater Marvel universe, so many cameos and Easter eggs are scattered throughout.  One of the best fight scenes in the movie involves Ant-man breaking into the Avenger’s headquarters and fighting the Avenger he finds there.  Frequent Avenger references and two great post credit scenes assure us that Ant-man will be an integral part of the Marvel universe in the future.  As always, keep your eyes open for a cameo by the 92 year old Marvel comics founder, Stan Lee.

Of all the Marvel films, I feel this is the most kid friendly, but don’t think this doesn’t have something for everyone.  This will not be a record breaking blockbuster, but it will do well and be another building block in the Marvel universe.  This is a perfect Saturday morning matinee to bring the kids and enjoy it thoroughly yourself.

I give this film *** stars

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3829444633?ref_=ttvi_vi_imdb_1

Terminator: Genysis

         So, ‘Terminator: Genysis' has been getting a lot of bad press.  I think critics are tired of the reboots and recycled ideas that Hollywood has been putting out.  While I don’t entirely disagree, I will say there is an enjoyment at seeing a fresh take on an old classic. ‘Terminator: Genysis’ attempts to update and modernize the ‘Terminator’ franchise and I have to confess, as a time-twisting, mind-bending piece of science fiction, it wasn’t half bad.  I can see why the critics thought it was over blown and over confusing, but for those who enjoy trying to follow and unravel the paradoxes of time travel and alternate time lines, this was an entertaining ride.

The story of Skynet sending back a Terminator to 1984 to prevent the birth of John Conner, the savior of mankind over the machines is well known for anyone who follows the franchise.  John Conner (Jason Clarke) sends back his trusted soldier, Kyle Reese (Jai Courtney) to foil the Terminator’s mission and save his mother Sara Conner (played respectably by ‘Game of Thrones actress, Emilia Clarke).  In a paradox of time, the soldier that is sent back becomes John Conner’s father.  This time, something different happens and when Kyle Reese arrives in 1984, he does not find a helpless Sara Conner, rather a hardened fighter who has been protected and trained by a Terminator her whole life.  Arnold’s obvious age difference is explained as the human tissue of the Terminator ages just like a human’s.  I will say I was quite impressed at the use of old (actually young) Arnold footage from the original movie that is superimposed in the current one.  The illusion of young Arnold fighting current Arnold was seamless.

SInce the timeline has been altered, the reboot has open license to take the story wherever they want. The action was fast and furious, but an engaging, albeit confusing, time twisting tale was woven in.  This was not just some poorly written action flick rather a well thought out revamp that hopes to continue and expand the franchise.  I thought the film was at its’ weakest when it tried to inject humor into the mix.  It seemed out of place, and candidly, just not funny as events spiraled out of control in the dark and dystopian world they were trying to create.  As I stated earlier, the special effects were stunning and the roller coaster ride was worthy of a Saturday matinee popcorn movie.

The insight as to the creation of Skynet was well done and modernized to reflect the fears arising from today’s dependency on technology.  Whether we realize or not, we are addicted to digital technology and the film lays out how that will be our downfall when the machines finally gain self awareness.  This was an artfully crafted story that taps into the fears of our current dependencies and extrapolates where it will take us.  A parable for the modern age which is the basis of all good science fiction.

When the original ‘Terminator’ came out, it was a low budget, almost campy, B-movie that somehow rose above its’ genre.  The special effects were nothing special, even by 1984 standards, but through a terrifying story at the dawning of the computer age that was just beginning to touch our collective consciousness and from the sheer star power of the future Govenator, Arnold Schwartzenegger, ‘The Terminator’ became more than a cult classic, it became a cultural phenomenon.  Terminator 2 captured the magic and went big budget, but it has not been able to repeat that X-factor that makes a movie stand the test of time.  I understand why studios try to reintroduce and reboot these classics, because they have a built in audience base from nostalgia alone.  I will say that was a respectable and enjoyable attempt.  No hard feelings here, but I doubt it will start the mega-franchise the studios were hoping for.

I give this film ** 1/2 stars

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2621615897?ref_=ttvi_vi_imdb_7