Muppets Most Wanted: Movie Review

Muppets Most Wanted: Movie Review

Cast: The Muppets, Ricky Gervais, Tina Fey, Jemaine Clement, Ty Burrell
Director: James Bobin

Following the success of The Muppets movie in 2011, it was no surprise to see they'd return, having been a massive worldwide box office smash.

This time, it's back to the Muppets formula and a caper rather than a nostalgia-twinged piece, which hit all the right notes - and the heart and fondness for these childhood puppet faves from yesterday.

In the latest, The Muppets are embarking on a grand world tour, having been taken on by their new manager Dominic Badguy (Gervais) - however, they're soon embroiled in a stolen jewel caper, spearheaded by a Kermit the Frog look-a-like Constantine (Kermit with a Russian accent and mole).

And things get worse when the real Kermit is imprisoned in a Russian Gulag, in a case of mistaken identity....

Muppets Most Wanted suffers in in comparison to and being released after The Muppets Movie from 2011, a film that managed to encapsulate a clever mix of self-awareness, parody, all wrapped up in a fuzzy felted glow of nostalgia and charm.

This latest starts with a brilliantly infectious and toe-tapping song which mocks the conventions of the sequel (telling line - "Everyone knows the sequel is never quite as good" and "all we need is a half-decent plot") before throwing away all of that cleverness and lapsing into a somewhat traditional Muppet movie with a half baked plot that's out more for one liners than ongoing depth.

It's not that there's anything wrong with that - it's a perfect kids movie, but for adults, this Muppet movie is a film that is more smoke and mirrors, stuffed to the gills initially with songs and more celebrity cameos than you've ever seen (seriously, I lost count at the number of people walking on for one line and disappearing) as opposed to a strong plot, blessed with the heart and warmth of its predecessor.

That said, in among the pleasantly amusing but totally predictable movie, the music (done once by Bret McKenzie) is a great eclectic mix of roof-raising numbers, reminiscent of and mixing in many styles from the 80s and old school music-hall films; there's certainly no denying once the band strikes up, you can't help but get carried along by the gusto and clever word-play.

Of the live cast, Gervais shows a flair for song and dance and it's clear he's having fun with the fuzzy felt brigade; Ty Burrell (aka Phil Dunphy from Modern Family) mocks the French and Europeans as an Inspector Clouseau-style sleuth, paired up with Sam the American Eagle to investigate the robberies; and Tina Fey dons a dodgy Russian accent to head up the Gulag where Kermit / Constantine is imprisoned (though, to be fair, more credit needs to go to Jemaine Clement, Ray Liotta and Danny Trejo as the heads of the prisoners in the Gulag). And Celine Dion gains much credibility for sending herself up in one of the most surprising cameos.

Kids will enjoy this film, a silly mix of one liners (watch Christoph Waltz do the, erm, waltz) and the general paciness and gags of the old school variety family film. But the cynical adults, who were so touched with nostalgic affection during the last film, may find themselves ruing the lack of depth in this one, laughing at the gags, but find that keeping count of the celebrity cameos is cold comfort as the story, such as it is, goes on to an end.

(It's also worth getting to Muppets Most Wanted early for the short Monsters University film which puts Mike and Sully in the position of creating the greatest frat party ever - and packs more fun and creativity in than the actual film Monsters University managed to...)

Rating:

Comedy Fest Q&A - Jamie Bowen

Comedy Fest Q&A - Jamie Bowen

Comedy Fest Q&A
JAMIE BOWEN

1)Tell us the name of your show
Heart Goes Boom

2)Which came first – the show name or the show content?
Well, my heart went boom, which helped me to think of jokes, which in turn lead me back to being aware that my heart was going boom. So who begat whom?

3)C’mon, be honest….
I experimented in high-school but I never inhaled. Nowadays I inhale. Waste not want not.

4)Any other working titles for the show?
Jamie Bowen’s Guide to Life; or, How Not To Do It.

5)How long – honestly- have you been working on this?
32 years.

6)What’s been the biggest challenge of pulling this show together?
I haven’t written any of this show down. It’s all been developed by trying it out on stage, recording it and then tweaking stuff in my head. So the hard part is remembering all the changes I make but it keeps me on point and on edge – the perfect place to exist as a comic.

7)Who’s your biggest comedy rival – and why?
Every other bald, middle-class, white, heteroflexible male comedian. We are a dime a dozen (except for the heteroflexible part) and it’s hard to make sure you’re sticking out from the pack. Hence the beard et al. Well, that, and laziness.

8)Who’s your biggest comedy friend – and why?
Every person I’ve got on with during the course of 15 years of doing comedy. What a trip and what an incredible bunch of humans.

9)Which show is your must see? Why?
Come to Late Laughs. Those things are always chaos and I’m I get to helm the good ship chaos  for a few nights so I’m looking forward to it.

10)Give us your definition of a great night out during the festival
Laughing until it hurts with people you love and complete strangers. It gives me hope in ‘us’ and hope is important.

11)What goes through your mind, the minute before curtain goes up?
I really hope I don’t set these people on fire through some kind of freak accident and I need to call my Mother more.

12)What about when you’re on stage?
Couldn’t tell you. Depends what’s happening on the night but in all honesty, most of the time it’s a blur. Not through any form of intoxicant, just because I’m in another zone…

13)How easily distracted are you?
This interview has taken me 3 days to complete.

14)Give us your dream comedy line up
Peter Sellers hosts Rowan Atkinson, Eddie Izzard, Monty Python, Bill Bailey, Victor Borge and some open-mic comic who nobody has ever heard and has only gigged twice. Always good to have a handgrenade in there.

15)Just finally, where will you be in 5 years’ time
On stage somewhere in the world, having a laugh. Or dead.  Hopefully the former.

Jamie Bowen performs his show HEART GOES BOOM (AKL 6-10 May & WLG 13 – 17 May) while hosting Wellington’s STAND UP FOR KIDS (WLG 17 May) and LATE LAUGHS all as part of the 2014 NZ International Comedy Festival in cahoots with Old Mout Cider this 24 April – 18 May. For more info visit www.comedyfestival.co.nz  

Comedy Fest Q&A - Jamaine Ross

Comedy Fest Q&A - Jamaine Ross

***Billy T nominee***

Tell us the name of your show
Jamaine Says Funny Things

Which came first – the show name or the show content?
Some show content, then the show name, then some more show content. I still don’t have enough show content though so it’s possible there’ll be a bit in there where I just read out my best tweets and Facebook status updates for ten minutes.

C’mon, be honest….
OK, twenty minutes.

Any other working titles for the show?
It was ‘Transformers & Shit’, then it was ‘Growing Up & Shit’. But I was worried that people wouldn’t understand my colloquial vernacular of saying ‘& Shit’ at the end of things and confuse it with literally being about shit.

How long – honestly- have you been working on this?
Honestly, ever since I started doing stand-up 4 years ago, I’ve been thinking about what my first hour long solo show would be like.
Metaphorically, since the dawn of time.

What’s been the biggest challenge of pulling this show together?
Deciding what to use as my entrance music. ‘Testify’ by Rage Against The Machine, or ‘Freaks and Geeks’ by Childish Gambino, or ‘Profile’ by Usual Suspects, or ‘22’ by Taylor Swift… again.

Who’s your biggest comedy rival – and why?
Any other comedian with a beard. I don’t want any of those chumps taking my coveted ‘Best Facial Hair Award’ that I won at last year’s Comedy Festival.

And the other Billy T Award nominees. One of which also has a beard. I’ve got my eye on you Brendon Green.

Who’s your biggest comedy friend – and why?
My homies James Roque and Pax Assadi. Whenever we hang out together we make each other laugh. So we started recording a podcast together (www.theissuespodcast.com) so that we have something to plug when we’re answering Q&A’s.

Which show is your must see? Why?
Local: James Roque - ‘Roque to Self’. He’s so genuine and funny on stage that you can’t help but enjoy yourself. Plus he’s my favourite New Zealand-Filipino comedian named James Roque.
International: Stuart Goldsmith - ‘He-Wolf’. He’s hilarious and will having you eating out of the palm of his hand, with the way he doesn’t use clichés to describe how good other comedians are.

Give us your definition of a great night out during the festival.
Any night that starts with a show, and ends up at Denny’s at 2 in the morning.

What goes through your mind, the minute before curtain goes up?
“Don’t worry. Once you’re on stage, you won’t even feel nervous anymore.”

What about when you’re on stage?
“I THOUGHT YOU SAID I WOULDN’T FEEL NERVOUS ANYMORE!”

How easily distracted are you?
Not very easily at all. While I was answering this Q&A, I had porn running in a Chrome incognito window and didn’t ‘alt+tab’ to that shit once.

Give us your dream comedy line up
Dave Chappelle, Tig Notaro, Louis CK, Hannibal Buress, and the chick who does the voice of Dory in Finding Nemo. I forget what her name is. Helen or something.

Just finally, where will you be in 5 years’ time
Still in New Zealand, still doing stand-up, still ordering a Millennium Burger, curly fries and a glass of apple juice at Denny’s at 2 in the morning.

Jamaine Ross is a 2014 Billy T nominee who performs his show JAMAINE SAYS FUNNY THINGS in Wellington (Tue 6 - 10 May) and Auckland (12 – 17 May) as part of the 2014 NZ International Comedy Festival in cahoots with Old Mout Cider 24 April – 18 May. For more info visit www.comedyfestival.co.nz

Thanks For Sharing: DVD Review

Thanks For Sharing: DVD Review

In this comedy drama, three friends negotiate their way through the realities and temptations of being a sex addict; there's Ruffalo's Adam, who's five years sober, Gad's ER doctor who's attending meetings due to a court order and there's aphorism spouting Mike (Tim Robbins) who's been in rehab for a while and is a sponsee to Adam.

When Mike urges Adam to get back out there and start meeting people, he comes across Gwyneth Paltrow's perky but damaged Phoebe, who's had breast cancer and been in a relationship with an addict. Cautiously, the pair grow closer, acting on their initial attraction. But for Adam, the reality of his condition starts to intrude on his relationship.

Likewise, the arrival of Mike's addicted son causes friction between himself and his wife (Joely Richardson); and when Gad loses his job for inappropriate behaviour, he soon finds himself facing a harsh truth and needing the help of Alecia Moore AKA Pink's Dede, a fellow member of the group...

Thanks For Sharing is a rich piece, riddled with humour (mainly at Jonah Hill-esque Josh Gad) and fuelled by a powerful performance of addiction, which is grounded in reality by Ruffalo.

When he confesses to Phoebe, his thoughts are that "Cancer gets you sympathy, this gets you judgement" and it's probably the harsh reality of an addiction that's been thought of as simply a cover up for men cheating on their wives. But it's Ruffalo's honesty and earnesty as an actor while he's on this journey and its lucid insights which just manage to keep this on the right side of drama; while the comedy's amusing in places, it comes dangerously close to trivialising the addictions they face. Ruffalo excellently conveys the sympathy needed to root for this central character and his relationship with Phoebe as he battles with the addictions he's had. In fact, one scene where Paltrow delivers him a strip-tease is more completely inappropriate than tantalising given how it comes shortly after he confesses his condition. But that scene alone is symptomatic of a few of the problems of Thanks for Sharing - some of the narrative feels rushed and dare I say it, predictable; Paltrow's act would have had more resonance had it happened later on in the film. Likewise, Mike's journey from sanctimonious bon motif spouting holier than thou to inevitably wrong father is one that can be seen coming from a mile off. He's a guy who's wrecked his family and would rather be there for others than for those around him and his lesson learning is entirely unsurprising.

It's perhaps Josh Gad and Alecia Moore (in her first role) who really rise from this film; Moore's tearful confession in her first scene at the addiction class is wonderfully moving and heartfelt - it shows she is an actor on the rise; and Gad, while endowing his out of control ER doc with some humour, rises to the occasion as well.

But a terribly Hollywood, neat resolution ending almost leaves the audience feeling cheated as it powers towards a sunnier day where all our protagonists are in a good place. It's a crass ending to a film that's worked so hard to show that sometimes being out of control isn't very easy to control.

All in all, Thanks for Sharing has moments of inevitability but due to the character work done - especially by a wonderful Ruffalo - while exploring this maligned of addictions, it does just about what it sets out to do.

Rating:

Lucy trailer is launched

Lucy trailer is launched

From La Femme Nikita and The Professional to The Fifth Element, writer/director Luc Besson has created some of the toughest, most memorable female action heroes in cinematic history.  

Now, Besson directs Scarlett Johansson in Lucy, an action-thriller that tracks a woman accidentally caught in a dark deal who turns the tables on her captors and transforms into a merciless warrior evolved beyond human logic.  

Lucy also stars Academy Award^® winner Morgan Freeman and is produced by Virginie Besson-Silla for EuropaCorp.

Lucy hits cinemas August 21st

LuftRausers: PS3 Review

LuftRausers: PS3 Review

Released on PS3

Raus, raus - the shoot'em'up returns.

In monochrome fashion and without any real bells and whistles. But, by goodness, it's as awesome fun as 1942 was in the old arcade gaming days.

From the studio Vlambeer, all you have to do is a pilot a plane in a 2D environment and shoot down other planes heading your way and take out the boats which are helping launch them. Sounds simple, right? And it kind of is - but it's frustratingly addictive as you take to the skies.

Controls are easy - you push up to launch your plane, keep using up to ensure your plane doesn't begin to stall and press X to keep firing. You'll take damage (trust me, it's inevitable) and as your plane begins to combust around you, the only way to stop yourself exploding is to let go of the fire button and gradually you'll heal. The problem with that, is that once you do, you begin to be surrounded by other planes.

And herein lies the compelling nature of LuftRausers - you've gotta get them all....

Graphically, it's simple stuff, reminiscent of the old Asteroids sims in many ways with its browns and chromes helping giving it a feel of something a bit different. IT takes a little while to get used to the techniques of the craft and mastering flying, swooping and shooting, but once you do, it's rewarding to say the least.

As your skill levels improve, so does the game in some ways - customisation opens up, colour palettes change - it's all wonderfully well put together for a simple PSN game.

All in all, Luftrausers is a fun experience, one which won't last too long if you don't improve your skills, but certainly one which will have you coming back for more the moment the Game Over sign comes up.

Rating:

Godzilla: Preview

Godzilla: Preview

It's fair to say this is big.

Monstrously big even.

Due out in May, Godzilla's got a whole heap of expectation on its broad reptilian, slightly nasty shoulders - and based on the 11 minutes of footage that was shown, I think it's more than likely to deliver on the destructive and personal level.

It's a tough one for Godzilla director Gareth Edwards; with creature features and CGI potentially inducing a sigh of indifference from audiences, there's really a whole heap of expectation that this blockbuster has to do the job.

The footage (which is snippets from the film, rather than a sequential piece) initially centred around Bryan Cranston's Joe Brody, who works at a nuclear plant (location not fully obvious just yet) and who's been troubled by a series of tremors that have rocked the region. With a kid in the background as he's on the phone, it's clear Brody's a family man - and the bond he has with his wife (played by Juliette Binoche) is clearly at the fore-front of the story. Joking that he doesn't want to appear to be "an American ranting maniac", Brody's warnings seem to veer into that territory before something unspeakable appears to happen at the nuclear reactor and he's forced to witness a decision play out that has consequences for both him and his family...To say more, would be to spoil it in some ways, but let's just say it doesn't end well, and gives some insight into Brody's cracked looking psyche and outlook on life 15 years on. Cranston's powerfully watchable in these brief moments - the initial meltdown at the plant is out of true Godzilla lore but the creature doesn't appear in these early sequences; merely hints of it.

It's 15 years later that the story begins to take shape, with Brody heading back to his family home which was cordoned off (presumably during some kind of meltdown / explosion) and feeling that a conspiracy has been underway; and also something is awakening.

The action then switches to what we've seen of the soldiers being called in to deal with some form of destruction and the chaos starts to appear to unravel. It's here that you get a sense of the scope of Edwards' ambition; hints of the creature, a powerful mist that appears to emanate out and incapacitate areas seems to be odd as the action starts to really kick in. Those shots you've already seen in the trailers of planes being tossed casually out of the sky and soldiers dropping in are only really the start of it - and Edwards seems to show remarkable restraint, suggesting that Godzilla will be more than just a movie where everything's tossed over the screen and destruction happens simply for the sake of it.

As a tsunami hits one area (possibly Hawaii, given the palm trees), there's the shot of a dog trying to outrun the wall of water as it heads his way - and then a swathe of destruction covers the screen. It's clear that there's to be carnage when Godzilla attacks, but what I appreciated in this footage is just how calm it is (if that makes sense) - sure, there's a lot to take in on the screen, but it's never overwhelming and you're always craning for a full shot of the Godzilla beast, indicating that Edwards is taking time to let the story breathe.

Shots of the Statue of Liberty being slightly destroyed are mixed in with the footage of the paratroopers dropping into the zone and firing flares to reveal the scale of Godzilla; and there's also a brief glimpse of Elizabeth Olsen (and cute kid) being told on a phone by Aaron Taylor-Johnson that he needs to tell her that he loves her...

Perhaps the coolest shot of the footage is the flash of lightning that reveals the Godzilla creature's outline - it's an awesome moment that really provides a level of excitement for the film's release on May 15th.

Early indications that this will be a monster at the box office, but not just the smash and grab destruction of the usual kinds of films - while Godzilla is always about the monster and the inhumanity, it's clear that Edwards is inserting a lot of the human element in with Cranston and Olsen's characters - how it all plays out will be thrilling to see.

Watch the brand new Godzilla International trailer here...