VIDEO: MOVIES: REVIEW: Neighbors aka Bad Neighbors (2014)

VIDEO: MOVIES: REVIEW: Neighbors aka Bad Neighbors (2014)

Clint: 4/5 stars, 8/10.
Carolyn: 4/5 stars, 8/10.
Native ratings: 3.7/5 stars Netflix, 6.9/10 IMDB.

From the director of Get Him To The Greek and Forgetting Sarah Marshall, we expected that this movie would be highly entertaining, and it was.  While not quite being 5-star material, it was still chock full of laugh-out-loud jokes and situations.

It had potential to be a great party movie, but it was a little weird, becase Seth and his wife are trying to “grow up” because they have a baby now. So us “Apatow generation” comedy viewers are once again being forced to face the fact that we ourselves are aging.  Seems that the marketing machine targetted at our demographic is growing with us, in order to ensure that we remain a captive audience. And we do, because this shit is funny.  But still…part of the “message” is lost on Carolyn & I, since we don’t want children — or even comprehend the idea of why anyone would.

Definitely a good drinking movie — whether you’re in your early 20s, or late 30s. And a great cast. Talented people all around. Not necessarliy the most memorable or unique movie, but it’s a formula that works, and it’s nice to go into a movie knowing what to expect and have it actually be accurate for once. Good times.

Hannibal from The Eric Andrew Show was great as a police officer. I didn’t even notice Natasha Leggero (Callie from Ugly Americans, Ethel from Brickleberry) as a prostitute.
Directed by Nicholas Stoller (Get Him To The Greek, Forgetting Sarah Marshall).
Written by Andrew J. Cohen & Brendan O’Brien.

Starring Seth Rogen (Kung Fu Panda, The Green Hornet, Funny People, Observe And Report, Fanboys, Zack And Miri Make A Porno, Pineapple Express, Step Brothers, Knocked Up, The 40 Year Old Virgin, This Is The End, Anchorman, Young George Bluth in Arrested Development, 17 eps of Undeclared) as Mac Radner.
Rose Byrne (Moira MacTaggert in X-Men: First Class, Get Him To The Greek, 28 Weeks Later, I Give It A Year, The Internship, Star Wars: Episode II, 1 ep of Portlandia) as Kelly Radner.
Brian Huskey (Someone Marry Barry, Chet in Childrens Hospital, This Is The End, The Onion News Network, Step Brothers, Superbad, Fright Night, 5 eps of Bob’s Burgers) as Bill Wazowkowski.
Ike Barinholtz (Disaster Movie, MADtv, The Mindy Project, 6 eps of Eastbound & Down, 1 ep of NTSF:SD:SUV::, 1 ep of Childrens Hospital, 1 ep of Weeds, 1 ep of High School USA, 1 ep of Drunk History) as Jimmy, the divorced friend.
Carla Gallo (Undeclared, Get Him To The Greek, Funny People, I Love You Man, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, The 40 Year Old Virgin, Superbad, Carnivale) as Paula, the friend’s divorced wife.
Zac Efron (Anakin Skywalker in Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode III, That Awkward Moment, 17 Again, The Lorax, High School Musical, 1 ep of Firefly) as Teddy Sanders, the douchy frat president.
Dave Franco (Fright Night, The Lego Movie, Warm Bodies, 21 Jump Street, Superbad, 2 eps of Young Justice) as Pete, the brainy frat dude.
Lisa Kudrow (Phoebe in Friends, Mad About You, Analyze This movies, Dr. Dolittle 2, Clockwatchers, Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion, Web Therapy, 1 ep of American Dad, 1 ep of Father Of The Pride) as Dean Carol Gladstone.
Hannibal Buress (The Eric Andre Show, 8 eps of China IL, 2 eps of Lucas Bros. Moving Company, 1 ep of Delocated, 1 ep of Bob’s Burgers) as Officer Watkins.
Christopher Mintz-Plasse (McLovin from Superbad, How To Train Your Dragon, The To-Do List, This Is the End, Kick-Ass movies, Movie 43, Fright Night, Year One) as Scoonie.

LINK URL: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2004420/combined

 

VIDEO: MOVIES: REVIEW: Fun With Dick And Jane (2005)

VIDEO: MOVIES: REVIEW: Fun With Dick And Jane (2005)

Claire: 4.7/5 stars, 8.8/10.
Carolyn: 5/5 stars, 9.4/10.
Native ratings: 3.3/5 stars Netflix, 6.1/10 IMDB.

Judd Apatow wrote this remake of the 1977 movie based on a book by Gerald Gaiser.

Carolyn’s thoughts: This was hilarious.  This didn’t disappoint.  It was funny all the way through, and it had a good political message.

Claire’s thoughts: I didn’t realize the political message was so pointed as it was until they named a bunch of CEOs at the beginning of the film’s closing credits. Named them for screwing people over. So this movie has a whole political message about the way the 1%er CEOs will fuck over the lives of thousands of people just to have more money on their Scrooge McDuck-esque pile of gold.

So it would have had political value even without being a comedy! But in fact, the comedy is the main point to this movie, not the politics. And it’s pretty funny. I didn’t quite get as much out of it as Carolyn did, however. I knew that since this was billed as “Comedy-Crime”, that there would be some intrigue that would take up space otherwise used for laughs. But there were still lots of laughs. This turned out better than I expected.

ONE MORE THING: http://icantcalmdown.ytmnd.com

Directed by Dean Parisot (Red 2, Galaxy Quest, 1 ep of Curb Your Enthusiasm, 1 ep of The Tick live action series).
Written by Judd Apatow (This Is 40, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, Undeclared, Funny People, Pineapple Express, You Don’t Mess With The Zohan), and Nicholas Stoller (Get Him To The Greek, 3 eps of Undeclared).

Jim Carrey as Dick Harper.
Téa Leoni (The Naked Truth, A League Of Their Own, Deep Impact) as Jane Harper.
Alec Baldwin as Jack McCallister.
Richard Jenkins (the dead dad from Six Feet Under, The Cabin In The Woods, Let Me In, The Broken, How I Got Into College, Wolf, Me,Myself & Irene, Step Brothers, Turbo, A.C.O.D., Stealing Home) as Frank Bascombe.
Angie Harmon (Barbara Gordon in Batman Beyond) as Veronica Cleeman.
John Michael Higgins (The Legend Of Korra, Mentok The Mindtaker in Harvey Birdman, Rapture-Palooza, Evan Almighty, 5 eps of Arrested Development, 2 eps of Batman: The Brave And The Bold) as Garth.
Richard Burgi (Hostel 2, Starship Troopers 2, 11 eps of 24, 1 ep of Firefly, 1 ep of Nip/Tuck) as Joe Cleeman.
Gloria Garayua (2 eps of Weeds, 1 ep of Six Feet Under) as Blanca.
Dempsey Pappion (The Lorax, 6 eps of Undressed) as Production Assistant.
Gavin Grazer (Slipstream, How The Grinch Stole Christmas, Wayne’s World 2) as KostMart Job Applicant.
Garrett M. Brown (Kick-Ass movies, Uncle Buck) as Ameribanx Bank Manager.
Jeff Garlin (Curb Your Enthusiasm, Arrested Development, In A World, Safety Not Guaranteed, Toy Story Movies, Wall-E, Run Ronnie Run, MADtv) as interviewer.
Laurie Metcalf (Jackie in Roseanne, God The Devil And Bob, Andy’s mom in the Toy Story movies, Uncle Buck, 3 eps of 3rd Rock From The Sun, 2 eps of Duckman, 1 ep of Malcolm In The Middle) as Jane’s Boss Phyllis (uncredited).

LINK URL: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0369441/combined