M:I - 5 Ruled, Trainwreck Surprised, Vacation Fell Flat
Your mission should you choose to accept it, which you so totally should, is to get out to the cinema this weekend and see Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation. The fifth installment in the awesome action franchise, Rogue Nation does what I didn’t think it could, but the rest of the world wanted. It topped its predecessor Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol. I know, right? Crazy, but it did. It’s an action-packed thrill ride that is equal parts intelligent and entertaining.
Taking place about a year after the events of Ghost
Protocol, Ethan Hunt and his team take on their most impossible mission yet,
tracking down and dismantling the Syndicate – an international rogue
organization that happens to be as highly skilled as they are, committed to
destroying the IMF. An “Anti-IMF”, as so perfectly stated in the film, the
Syndicate is not to be messed with, and leave it to Ethan Hunt to take them on.
What I love most about the Mission: Impossible franchise is
that each film has their own feel and style that sets them apart from one
another. Each film has a different director and each director is able to bring in their own flavor while still connecting them all together in one cohesive franchise. At
the center of that cohesiveness is the unmatchable Tom "Beast Mode" Cruise. Say what you
will about the guy, he is a bonafide movie star. He can act, he can lead an ensemble
of highly skilled actors, but more importantly, he does all of his own stunts!
The man is insane! Some of the best action sequences are teased in the movie’s
trailer so by talking briefly about them won't be venture into spoiler territory. The
hanging-from-the-side-of-a-plane scene is thrilling and visually awesome. There’s
a particular motorcycle chase scene that is unnerving and intense, making the
puny motorcycle scenes in John Woo’s Mission: Impossible 2 look like
kindergartners playing will hot wheels. Its moments like those where
Cruise shines because he’s the one on the side of the plane and on the
motorcycle. He cares about giving the audience a great ride; putting the audience first when it comes to performing the stunts.
The Syndicate is a force to be reckoned with and it’s
thrilling to see how the IMF team deals with them. There’s more of an espionage-type
feel to this one than there was in Ghost Protocol. It reminded me a lot of the first
film. The twists and turns are fun, smart, and never unnecessary. This is the
first Mission: Impossible movie where the IMF team is comprised of members from
previous films. Ethan Hunt typically has a new crew each time, with the
occasional Ving Rhames popping in and out. That aspect was fantastic because
each member had their moments to shine. The addition of Alec Baldwin as the
head of the CIA was a nice touch as well. Though, the one dark spot on the
greatness of the movie was the under-utilizing of Jeremy Renner. He had more
cool moments in Ghost Protocol, but that’s okay. The movie still rocks
regardless.
Each movie seems to get better and better. I thought Brad Bird hit it out of the park with Ghost Protocol, but Tom Cruise and director Christopher McQuarrie have given us a fantastic film that does indeed top the last one. It’s
a freakin’ blast.
Some directors require a certain acquired taste when it comes to viewing their films. Judd Apatow for me has championed the crude comedy more so than anyone else, and weirdly enough it’s because the guy can slip in a really heart-warming story in between the crass and profane moments. Trainwreck surprised me, in a good way. The emotional arc of the story was really quite moving, oddly enough most of the credit doesn’t go to Apatow. Amy Schumer, the writer and lead in the film, is brilliant in this movie, and is the sole reason why anyone should see it.
Having thought that monogamy was never possible, Amy – a commitment-phobic
career woman, may have to face her fears when she is forced to interview a
sports doctor (Bill Hader), who happens to be a really good guy. It’s
hilarious, heart-warming, clever, and charming.
Schumer does a fantastic job portraying the troubled career
woman who faces drunken one-night stands on a consistent basis. She was able to
not only craft such a smart and witty story, but has the acting chops to back
them up. Bill Hader is also super funny, though I’ll be honest, he’s a
goofy-looking dude. It was tough to see him as a love interest for the
attractive Schumer, but as the story plays out you actually get used to it. The
unexpected comedic gem however, (being from the Bay Area I’m sure this won’t go
over well with Warriors fans), was LeBron James. He plays a heightened version
of himself, and though his part is limited, everything he does is pretty
stinkin’ funny.
The movie was quite enjoyable. Apatow usually directs his
own work so it was nice to see him take on something not his own. Amy Schumer
is legit. I highly doubt Trainwreck will be a one-trick pony in her career. It’ll
be fun to see what comes next.
I had low expectations that Vacation would be not only a worthy sequel to a classic franchise, but a funny movie all around. The cast was promising, as was the premise. But, it wasn’t as great as it could have been, so I'll just keep this short.
Ed Helms takes on the role of Rusty Griswold - the son of
Chevy Chase's Clark Griswold from the original Vacation films, as he takes his own family on a
road trip to “Walley World” in order to spice things up with his wife and
reconnect with his sons. It had some laughs, but most of the jokes fell flat. As I mentioned before, the cast in and of itself was
promising. Ed Helms from the Hangover trilogy and TV’s The Office is a huge
comedian. I’ve loved everything he’s done, even the forgettable Cedar Rapids
(haven’t heard of it? That’s okay, most people haven’t). Christina Applegate
from Anchorman fame seemed like she was phoning it in a bit. A surprising note
though, one of the funniest moments of the film is when the Griswolds visit
Rusty’s sister and her husband played by Chris Hemsworth. Sooooo funny! It was
refreshing to see Thor in a comedic role.
Though this movie has its fair share of flaws, it does have
a great message about spending time with your family and the importance of
making those memories. By their journey’s end, you really feel for the
Griswolds, and the emotional message is delivered really well. That, in my book,
is enough to redeem some of the flatness that came before it.
[images via
]
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