The Internship (2013)

3/5

The Internship is a fairly predictable buddy comedy that I've come to expect from the likes of Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn. The movie focuses on two middle-aged salesmen who lose their job and apply for an internship at Google in the hopes of rebooting their career. As you might expect, they have no technical background but a wealth of people skills and they eventually triumph in the face of much smarter but less experienced college-age kids. The movie has its fair share of laughs, romance, and feel-good moments. There's honestly nothing surprising at all about this movie. It's a light piece of fluff that will brighten your day if you have it on in the background while doing some actual work.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2234155/

The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997)

4/5

I have trouble reviewing movies I grew up watching, especially ones that have the cachet of Spielberg and the nostalgia of youth behind it. The Lost World is one such example. It is a remarkable but imperfect piece of filmmaking, yet all its flaws are ignored when remembering it 15 years later. Not quite the breathtaking, innovative escapism that Jurassic Park was, this sequel somehow manages to be both more mundane and more extravagant. Industrial Light & Magic's CGI here is astounding, even by today's standards. But all the special effects are front and center, with a spotlight shining down, instead of simply existing as a tool in the storyteller's arsenal. Though the plotting is as richly intricate and textured as the first one was, it puts too much emphasis on the spectacle of the dinosaurs. It makes the Tyrannosaurus Rex the protagonist, without humanizing it enough to make it feel like King Kong for a new generation. Like the 2005 King Kong remake, it centers on special effects instead of story, action instead of characters, and that is where it misses out on its full potential. The Lost World loses the awe that Jurassic Park had. The thrills excite, the jokes lighten the mood, and the movie reaches its inevitably satisfying conclusion, but not nearly as well as the first one did.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119567/

Mr. And Mrs. Smith (2005)

3/5

Mr. And Mrs. Smith is an entertaining action flick that began the Hollywood couple known as Brangelina. Looking over the IMDb trivia, it seems as if five or six different actresses were considered before Jolie; it's hard to imagine our celebrity world if they had never met. But enough asides, it's time to discuss the movie. The plot follows married couple John (Pitt) and Jane (Jolie) Smith. They seem like a normal suburban couple with dysfunctional problems after the initial lust has faded. Except they're also assassins, and their alternate lifestyles may be adding undue strain on their marriage by constantly keeping secrets from each other. On their latest job, they are both tasked to kill the other; can they follow through or is their love stronger than that? The answer may surprise you (but probably won't, because the movie is very predictable).

The plot in this movie is barebones. When it does attempt to explain itself, it fails pretty spectacularly. To put it simply, no part of this movie makes any sense whatsoever. The dialogue is amazing though. It is sharp, quick, and efficient. It says so much with so few words. It relies on the actors' chemistry and body language to tell their history and their behavior. The directing allows the actors space to act without forcing rapid-fire dialog or editing. And it's funny. As an action movie, Mr. And Mrs. Smith is somewhat middle of the line. I didn't find it particularly compelling, or particularly nauseating, so that's a good sign. All in all, it's a fairly average action flick that has some strong elements along with some weak elements. If the trailers looked interesting to you, I'm sure you'll enjoy checking it out.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0356910/

Wedding Crashers (2005)

4/5

The Wedding Crashers is a hilarious, vulgar, tender romantic comedy. With so many disparate moods, it's a miracle it feels so fluid and put together. The story follows two best buds (Wilson and Vaughn) who crash weddings together; that is, they go to weddings and prey on horny singles seeking true love. It sounds a lot creepier typed out than it plays on the screen. They've been doing it for 12 years and Wilson wants to get out, but he falls in love on his last big crash. And oh no! She's getting married to a creep who sucks! Who could have predicted that? Anyway, it all ends happily ever after as expected, and it's a joy ride along the way.

There are some problems. To start with, there are way too many random and unnecessary moments, scenes, jokes, etc. There is a lot of gratuitous nudity and crude sexual humor. It's certainly more of a guy movie than a girl movie because of it. And it used more wipes than Star Wars combined with Pan's Labyrinth. The ending was a bit drawn out, and they kept adding more and more side characters as the movie went on. Most of the time, all this crap was added in for the jokes, but after a while it just got kind of repetitive. Regardless, it's a thoroughly enjoyable movie and a fun break from the real world.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0396269/

The Break-Up (2006)

3/5

The Break-Up follows the humorous end of Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston's relationship. One good thing I can say about the movie is that I really had no idea how it was gonna end; it could have gone either way. That's a really rare trait in a romantic comedy these days. (And the wonderfully bittersweet end far exceeded my expectations.) Some of the antics felt really gimmicky. While they were advertised the most, the dialogue was really the focus. My two favorite parts were the arguments and the side characters (Justin Long as an exuberantly gay receptionist, Jon Favreau as Vaughn's friend, and Jason Bateman as their realtor). Oh, I also love movies set in Chicago now.

The acting actually impressed me, although it obviously wasn't Oscar-worthy. The editing was a bit experimental, especially for a studio film, and it didn't always work. The cinematography was pretty mediocre most of the time, although there was a surprisingly slick shot with Vince Vaughn's gawking face blocking Jennifer Aniston's naked body. The music fit, although it wasn't particularly noteworthy. All in all, a decent romantic comedy with some cheesy moments, but a story with heart. If you like romantic comedies, check this one out. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0452594/

Into the Wild (2007)

3/5

Sean Penn's Into the Wild is a touching story poorly told. Penn recounts, with a reckless abandonment of cinematic intelligence, young Chris McCandless's own reckless attempt to abandon society and live on his wits in the wild. The emotions he feels, the adventures he experiences, the people he encounters--all are striking and make this film as moving as it is. The rest is overlong dreck. The whole thing feels like one long montage, with little backbone to ground and support the story. While the cinematography was breathtaking, the editing was so rapid and hectic that it was hard to fully comprehend what was going on. Scenes extend for far too long or have no point. The music, excellent in its own right, often ruins the mood by coming in and out at times it shouldn't have. It always, and I mean always, seems out of place. Oh, and the acting was really good for the most part.

There is an extraordinary amount of inane voice-over narration that tries to make some sense out of the mess that is this movie, but it fails at that and simply pains the ears. Penn clearly does not know how to adapt, because its literary roots show in the frequent uncinematic moments that might work in a book but clearly fail in this movie. Still, it was enjoyable every now and again, and had the potential to really move an involved viewer, but it should have been 90 minutes instead of 150 and written (and directed) by someone who knows how to. Watch it if you're already interested, but I wouldn't go out of my way to recommend it to someone.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0758758/

Swingers (1996)

4/5

Swingers is the epitome of the guy equivalent to a chick flick, and it is hilarious. Like Pulp Fiction, it thrives on pop culture references. It captures both a generation and a perspective flawlessly. There are some extremely effective scenes (when Mike decides to call Niki, the awkwardness was palpable--I literally squirmed in my seat). Unlike most comedies, this movie actually has a solid foundation, plot-wise and message-wise. And it succeeds: it's funny.

Some scenes go on for too long or don't really have much of a point (for example, the swing dancing). Also, the movie doesn't age well; it digs itself deep in 90's culture and gets stuck there, in terms of language, clothing, and references. The filmmaking becomes a little self-indulgent sometimes. Overall, a very effective, character-driven comedy that very accurately looks at the dating world through guys' eyes.

IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0117802/