Sequel Double Feature - 22 JUMP STREET and HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2

I would like to take a moment to apologize. I have been lazy. I started both of these movies a couple weeks back after I first saw them. To admit I have been busy is somewhat of a lie. I have been busy, but I have also had time to write these two reviews for movies I have looked forward too. I eventually decided to sit down and bang them out.

What I truly apologize for is the quality of the writing itself. I am very critical of my own work, and I feel as though perhaps I have royally screwed the pooch with this double feature. I just needed to get this stuff off my to-do list. Hell, the first paragraph of each review is identical -- then again, it fits with both, I suppose.

So, without further ado, please enjoy a couple of late reviews that are somewhat sloppily written. I'll do better next time -- I swear it.

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22 Jump Street


Action/Comedy - 2014
1 hour, 52 minutes
Written by Michael Bacall, Oren Uziel, and Rodney Rothman
Directed by Phil Lord & Christopher Miller
Rated R for "language throughout, sexual content, drug material, brief nudity and some violence"

Starring
Jonah Hill
Channing Tatum
Ice Cube
Amber Stevens
Jillian Bell
Peter Stormare
Wyatt Russell

"It's Vietnamese Jesus now, you racist motherfucker."

Movie sequels are a dime-a-dozen in today's Hollywood market. If a movie does remotely well, studio executives will find a way to turn it into a franchise. Although many sequels can make it rain at the box office, the actual quality of the film may vary (I'm looking at you, Hangover sequels). Yet it is movies like The Hangover series or Transformers that give sequels a bad name. Just remember that sequels gave us The Dark Knight, The Empire Strikes Back, and more recently, The Raid 2 (which is currently #1 on my movies of 2014 list).

Thankfully, 22 Jump Street mostly lives up to the hype. The original 21 Jump Street, which is based off the hit 80s TV show starring a young Johnny Depp, was a surprise critical and financial success. It just makes sense for a sequel, right?

Usually I take a whole paragraph to give plot background, but in this case I only need a couple of sentences. Schmidt and Jenko (Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum, respectively) go back undercover to find drugs at a college instead of a high school and shenanigans ensue.

That's basically the long and short of it. Other than a few solid twists, the story is exactly what one should expect from watching the trailer. However, the story itself isn't all that compelling. If anything, the side-plots are more interesting than the main plot, which starts to drag in the second half. The movie does make fun of itself for being a sequel. Hell, you can even see a bunch of that material in the trailer. Although the humor pokes fun at typical sequel tropes that one would expect from the film, that doesn't necessarily mean that it's acceptable to actually do it in their own film. The results are a mixed bag because it does effect the story.

But what the movie does excel at is humor. And it's really, REALLY funny. It might be funnier than the first. I don't want to ruin any of the jokes, but just trust me when it say that the film's strongest asset is its humor. Good sign for a comedy.

22 Jump Street isn't quite as good as the first film, mostly due to the lack of a strong story and some repeat gags. However, the humor does shatter almost every expectation set by the first film.

7.8/10


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How to Train Your Dragon 2

Animated Action/Fantasy - 2014
1 hour, 42 minutes
Written and Directed by Dean DeBlois
Rated PG for "adventure action and some mild rude humor"

Starring
Jay Baruchel
Cate Blanchett
Gerard Butler
Craig Ferguson
Kit Harrington
Djimon Hounsou
America Ferrara

"A man who kills without reason cannot be reasoned with."

Movie sequels are a dime-a-dozen in today's Hollywood market. If a movie does remotely well, studio executives will find a way to turn it into a franchise. Although many sequels can make it rain at the box office, the actual quality of the film may vary (I'm looking at you, Hangover sequels). Yet it is movies like The Hangover series or Transformers that give sequels a bad name. Just remember that sequels gave us The Dark Knight, The Empire Strikes Back, and more recently, The Raid 2 (which is currently #1 on my movies of 2014 list).

I was shocked at how much I enjoyed How to Train Your Dragon, considering that I'm not a huge fan of Dreamworks animated films. The first film was as imaginative as any film developed by Pixar. And it would have won an Oscar if not for Toy Story 3 being released that same year.

The long awaited (and someone unexpected) sequel, How to Train Your Dragon 2, picks up five years after the events of the first film. Vikings and dragons live together in blissful harmony. Hiccup (voiced by Jay Baruchel) and Toothless, his dragon, are still best friends. One day, Hiccup and Toothless meet a dangerous dragon trapper named Eret (voiced by Game of Thrones' Kit Harrington aka Jon Snow (who knows nothing)) who reveals that a dangerous man named Drago Bludvist (Djimon Hounsou) is building a vast and powerful dragon army. Hiccup, Toothless and their friends set out to defeat the dangerous dragon hunter before their village is burned to the ground.

It's difficult to go into what is wrong with the movie simply because its strengths grossly outweigh the issues. The only glaring problem, to me, anyway, is that the villain's motive is just not as strong as it could have been. It's a little typical for this kind of movie. Oh, and the relationship between Hiccup and his girlfriend Astrid (voiced by America Ferrara) sometimes feels a little unnatural at times. They are apart for a majority of the film, but when they are together, it just doesn't feel quite right. Yes, they are both strong characters in their own right and they make sense as a couple, but it could be that they just don't have enough screen time together to make the relationship stronger.

Now with that out of the way, let's get to the good stuff. Which is basically everything else. The voice work is exceptional. THE Roger Deakins, one of the greatest cinematographers of all time, worked on the project as a visual consultant, and it shows. The cinematography is absolutely fucking GORGEOUS. The animation itself is staggering in its meticulous detail. The story, despite my lackluster explanation above, is really impressive for an animated film. There are tons of awesome twists and turns. Hiccup's character development is far deeper and more impressive than that of the first film -- which was pretty significant, I might add.

And I can't forget about Toothless. Remember how adorable and badass he was in the first film? Yeah. He's still cool. He's like half puppy, half dragon. And he might just surprise you in this new film...

Go see this movie. Go watch the first one then see this one. They are both exceptional pieces of animation and deserve to be seen.

9.7

NEIGHBORS and X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST - Double Feature Review

Neighbors

Comedy, 2014
1 hour, 36 minutes
Written by Andrew J. Cohen and Brendan O'Brien
Directed by Nicholas Stoller
Rated R for "pervasive language, strong crude and sexual content, graphic nudity, and drug use throughout"

Starring
Seth Rogen
Rose Byrne
Zac Efron
Dave Franco
Ike Barinholtz
Carla Gallo
Hannibal Buress
Lisa Kudrow
Craig Roberts

"Do NOT call your mother! Jesus! You Jews and your fucking mothers!"

Finding a good studio comedy seems to be a challenge nowadays. I'm not talking about anything produced by Adam Sandler, but comedies with relatively big names that look funny bust on impact. Neighbors could easily have been one of these films, but thankfully is saved by an excellent premise and cast.

Neighbors centers around first-time parents Mac (Seth Rogen) and Kelly (Rose Byrne). They live in a lovely suburban neighborhood when a fraternity moves into the house next door. Led by Teddy (Zac Efron), the frat is just as rowdy and obnoxious as any movie fraternity might be. Mac and Kelly are first accepted by the frat, but peacetime quickly turns into wartime once the frat gets just a little too loud. Mac and Kelly conspire together to bring the fraternity to its knees so that they can peacefully raise their child.

I'm just gonna say this outright: Rose Byrne is the hero in this movie. While many raunchy adult comedies revolve around adult men acting like immature five-year olds, Byrne's character Kelly is just as bad, if not worse, than her husband. She has no problem doing insane shit to take down the fraternity, from making out with another woman to blasting fireworks onto a crowded street. Kelly and Mac make a surprisingly convincing couple, seeing as they are more alike each other than we're used to seeing in movies.

There are a few jokes that don't quite hold up and some of the plot is a little predictable, but Neighbors is nonetheless hilarious. Definitely a must-see for those who participate in Greek life.

9/10

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X-Men: Days of Future Past

Comic Book/Action Adventure, 2014
2 hours, 21 minutes
Written by Simon Kinberg
Directed by Bryan Singer
Rated PG-13 for "sequences of intense sci-fi violence and action, some suggestive material, nudity, and language"

Starring
Hugh Jackman
James McAvoy
Michael Fassbender
Patrick Stewart
Ian McKellen
Jennifer Lawrence
Nicholas Hoult
Peter Dinklage
Ellen Page
Evan Peters

"I didn't kill the President."

I've never really understood the X-Men franchise. I don't love or hate the movies -- I just don't really give a shit. The only one I really like is First Class. I have nothing but neutral feelings about the original trilogy and I can't say much about the standalone Wolverine movies. Unlike most movies I see, I went into Days of Future Past with neutral expectations. I was hoping to enjoy it, but wouldn't be upset if I hated it. Turns out, my thoughts on the movie are neutral as well.

The film starts in a bleak future. Robotic beasts called Sentinels roam the desolate landscapes, hunting down any mutants they can find. Among these remaining mutants is the one that can walk through walls (Ellen Page). Apparently she can send people back in time. She sends Wolverine back to the 70s to stop Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence) from killing Bolivar Trask aka Tyrion Lannnister in disguise (Peter Dinklage), the scientist who created the Sentinels. Wolverine joins forces with a young Professor X (James McAvoy) and a young Magneto (Michael Fassbender) to track down and stop Mystique.

While I wasn't super crazy about the movie, I must admit that it is very well constructed. The time travel mechanic works pretty well and the visual effects are just as good as one would expect. What is most interesting is how Days of Future Past seamlessly connects First Class and the original X-Men trilogy in such an original way.

However, my biggest complaint is that it's just not that entertaining. A bunch of shit happens at the very tail-end that doesn't make a lot of sense to those not versed in X-Men lore. I just didn't care. Hell, I stopped caring once Quicksilver disappeared. Quicksilver was badass! Easily stole the entire show, but he's only there for 10 minutes tops.

I think my thoughts on Days of Future Past are so neutral that it's kind of difficult to write about. I firmly believe the most important element of a film is that it is entertaining -- especially a summer superhero blockbuster. But I was not entertained as much as I hoped I would be. I had no expectations for this movie to live up to, and that minimal expectation was not exceeded. I suppose that on the surface, Days of Future Past is actually pretty solid. The movie didn't majorly fuck up like some of the past movies apparently did, so I guess it has that going for it... I just don't care enough about the movie or the franchise to really get into the thick of it.

7/10