There has been lots of talk about MacGruber being the best SNL movie since Wayne’s World, I must respectfully disagree. While MacGruber is a good SNL movie, worthy of laughs and probably a cult following, it will never reach the status of Wayne’s World.
From what I have seen, MacGruber has very little to do with the SNL shorts of the same name, mainly because in the SNL episodes each two minute, McGuyver-esque skit ends with MacGruber failing to save the day and being blown to smithereens. For a film, you can’t have the title character blow up every time he comes into a challenge – that would kind of ruin the running time of the film very quickly. However, here MacGruber is exactly what it should be – a homage to the action films of the 80’s and 90’s where Michael Bay, Mel Gibson and muscled, long haired villains reigned supreme.
I have said it once, and I will say it again, Kristen Wiig might be one of the biggest female actresses ever to come out of SNL. Next to Tina Fey, she is one of the funniest women to have ever been on the show and MacGruber included she proves over and over again that her humor and appeal extends to film. I can’t wait to see what this funny lady does when like Fey, she leaves SNL behind her.
Val Kilmer plays the villain in MacGruber and I for one loved it. Kilmer may have the reputation of being a handful on set, but when used properly, he is more than a superb addition to any cast. Dieter Von Cunth may not be as great as Gay Perry, but Kilmer does what he does best and makes the character maniacal, humerous and fun to watch.
MacGruber is not a film for everyone, and it very much deserves it’s R rating. However, if you find yourself a fan of SNL or the skit you will get something worth watching out of MacGruber. With a few more well placed homages this could have turned into a parody the likes of Hot Shots…but it’s still no Wayne’s World.
Director: Jorma Taccone
Writers: Will Forte, John Solomon & Jorma Taccone
MacGruber: Will Forte
Vicki St. Elmo: Kristen Wiig
Lt. Dixon Piper: Ryan Phillippe
Dieter Von Cunth: Val Kilmer
Col. Faith: Powers Boothe
Casey: Maya Rudolph
Showing posts with label kristen wiig. Show all posts
Showing posts with label kristen wiig. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
How to Train Your Dragon
Hiccup’s small village has a unique set of pests – dragons. While all of his fellow Vikings train to kill the dragons and stop the ménage Hiccup is sidelined because he is viewed as incapable. After one attack Hiccup finds a young dragon stranded in the woods unable to fly away; slowly Hiccup trains the dragon and learns that everything his fellow Vikings know about dragons is wrong, but he is unsure how to show them without endangering his dragon and disappointing the entire village.
How to Train Your Dragon is what a good family film should be. It is a well written, directed and crafted film that aims not just to please the children in the audience but the entire family and delivers a positive message. Hiccup is a very identifiable character for a person of any age; he is a teenager who wants to be recognized for who he is but as he is different from those around him he is instead shunned and made fun of. Through the film Hiccup has to learn to become comfortable with himself and take ownership of who he is – a great message for teens and children.
Above and beyond the fantastic message How to Train Your Dragon holds, the film is simply a joy to watch. I could care less about 3D (though I did see it in 3D), this film is simply an adventure movie from start to finish and doesn’t sacrifice story to do this.
What did shock me a bit about How to Train Your Dragon was the end of the film. I’m not going to give anything away, and I would be interested in knowing if the book ended the same way, but some things happen that I don’t think would normally happen in a children’s film – but these events are also woven in through the bulk of the film. The adolescent characters are Vikings and they are thrown into dangerous and deadly situations for the length of the entire film & characters do get hurt.
The animation and 3D in How to train Your Dragon are stunning. I don’t agree with the ad campaign that boasts the “3D makes even AVATAR jealous”, but seeing this film on the big screen – in any format – would be an experience that cannot be replicated at home no matter how good your television is.
Directors: Dean DeBlois & Chris Sanders
Writer: Dean DeBlois
Hiccup: Jay Baruchel
Stoick: Gerard Butler
Gobber: Craig Ferguson
Astrid: America Ferrera
Snotlout: Jonah Hill
Ruffnut: Kristen Wiig
Tuffnut: TJ Miller
How to Train Your Dragon is what a good family film should be. It is a well written, directed and crafted film that aims not just to please the children in the audience but the entire family and delivers a positive message. Hiccup is a very identifiable character for a person of any age; he is a teenager who wants to be recognized for who he is but as he is different from those around him he is instead shunned and made fun of. Through the film Hiccup has to learn to become comfortable with himself and take ownership of who he is – a great message for teens and children.
Above and beyond the fantastic message How to Train Your Dragon holds, the film is simply a joy to watch. I could care less about 3D (though I did see it in 3D), this film is simply an adventure movie from start to finish and doesn’t sacrifice story to do this.
What did shock me a bit about How to Train Your Dragon was the end of the film. I’m not going to give anything away, and I would be interested in knowing if the book ended the same way, but some things happen that I don’t think would normally happen in a children’s film – but these events are also woven in through the bulk of the film. The adolescent characters are Vikings and they are thrown into dangerous and deadly situations for the length of the entire film & characters do get hurt.
The animation and 3D in How to train Your Dragon are stunning. I don’t agree with the ad campaign that boasts the “3D makes even AVATAR jealous”, but seeing this film on the big screen – in any format – would be an experience that cannot be replicated at home no matter how good your television is.
Directors: Dean DeBlois & Chris Sanders
Writer: Dean DeBlois
Hiccup: Jay Baruchel
Stoick: Gerard Butler
Gobber: Craig Ferguson
Astrid: America Ferrera
Snotlout: Jonah Hill
Ruffnut: Kristen Wiig
Tuffnut: TJ Miller
Monday, October 19, 2009
Whip It
Bliss Cavender is living in her mother’s shadow; a senior in high school and clearly not the beauty pageant type she obediently shuffles from pageant to pageant because her mother insists she can learn from it. However, on a trip to Austin Bliss discovers the world of roller derby and decides to try out; before she knows it Bliss is a Hurl Scout and has to lie to her team about her age and telling her parents she is spending her extra time at a SAT class. On the track Bliss and the Hurl Scouts are finally making a name for themselves and getting closer to taking down the Holy Rollers.
I can’t quite tell you how much I loved this movie, the best way I can sum it up is that when the credits rolled I was utterly proud to be a girl. From Bliss to Maggie Mayhem every type of modern woman is represented in Whip It and I think the reason this story is told so well is because it is made by a woman.
Drew Barrymore makes her directorial debut with Whip It and I hope she gets a chance for an encore. While Whip It has some flaws in the editing of the action sequences (which are hard even in a seasoned director’s hands), Barrymore proves she truly is the Hollywood sponge that you would think she is. This is a woman whose heritage is movies, from her family to her earliest jobs she had the masters of cinema surrounding her and she paid attention. What is so incredible about Whip It is that the performances are perfectly executed and captured; this is not an Oscar-bait kind of movie but from Daniel Stern to Alia Shawkat, every performance in the film is spot-on and delivered by actors that trusted their director and a director that knew how to get them to the core of their character.
Perhaps I have a soft spot for Barrymore but my single favorite character was Smashley Simpson. It is hard for a long time actor to take the reins as a director and act in their own movie; some overextend themselves and give themselves to big a part. I am glad to say Barrymore didn’t do this. She gave herself a supporting role with Smashley Simpson, the tempestuous team captain of the Hurl Scouts. Smashley is the most memorable character in Whip It, she has the best lines, the most memorable moments and might be my favorite Barrymore character.
Whip It is a movie that won’t have a lot of longevity in terms of box office, but it will grow a following quite steadily, especially on DVD. This is a film with heart, wit, and whimsy. The film is a cult film in the making and makes me want to try my own had at the world of roller derby.
Director: Drew Barrymore
Writer: Shauna Cross
Bliss Cavender: Ellen Page
Pash: Alia Shawkat
Brooke Cavender: Marcia Gay Harden
Shania Cavender: Eulala Scheel
Earl Cavender: Daniel Stern
Johnny Rocket: Jimmy Fallon
Maggie Mayhem: Kristen Wiig
Bloody Holly: Zoe Bell
Smashley Simpson: Drew Barrymore
Razor: Andrew Wilson
Iron Maven: Juliette Lewis
Razor: Yeah, let's celebrate mediocrity! That's fantastic.
I can’t quite tell you how much I loved this movie, the best way I can sum it up is that when the credits rolled I was utterly proud to be a girl. From Bliss to Maggie Mayhem every type of modern woman is represented in Whip It and I think the reason this story is told so well is because it is made by a woman.
Drew Barrymore makes her directorial debut with Whip It and I hope she gets a chance for an encore. While Whip It has some flaws in the editing of the action sequences (which are hard even in a seasoned director’s hands), Barrymore proves she truly is the Hollywood sponge that you would think she is. This is a woman whose heritage is movies, from her family to her earliest jobs she had the masters of cinema surrounding her and she paid attention. What is so incredible about Whip It is that the performances are perfectly executed and captured; this is not an Oscar-bait kind of movie but from Daniel Stern to Alia Shawkat, every performance in the film is spot-on and delivered by actors that trusted their director and a director that knew how to get them to the core of their character.
Perhaps I have a soft spot for Barrymore but my single favorite character was Smashley Simpson. It is hard for a long time actor to take the reins as a director and act in their own movie; some overextend themselves and give themselves to big a part. I am glad to say Barrymore didn’t do this. She gave herself a supporting role with Smashley Simpson, the tempestuous team captain of the Hurl Scouts. Smashley is the most memorable character in Whip It, she has the best lines, the most memorable moments and might be my favorite Barrymore character.
Whip It is a movie that won’t have a lot of longevity in terms of box office, but it will grow a following quite steadily, especially on DVD. This is a film with heart, wit, and whimsy. The film is a cult film in the making and makes me want to try my own had at the world of roller derby.
Director: Drew Barrymore
Writer: Shauna Cross
Bliss Cavender: Ellen Page
Pash: Alia Shawkat
Brooke Cavender: Marcia Gay Harden
Shania Cavender: Eulala Scheel
Earl Cavender: Daniel Stern
Johnny Rocket: Jimmy Fallon
Maggie Mayhem: Kristen Wiig
Bloody Holly: Zoe Bell
Smashley Simpson: Drew Barrymore
Razor: Andrew Wilson
Iron Maven: Juliette Lewis
Razor: Yeah, let's celebrate mediocrity! That's fantastic.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Extract
Joel owns his own company making extract and is bored with life; he and his wife have lost the flame of their relationship, he’s tired of owning his business, and he hates his neighbors. All of this changes when there is an accident on the factory floor and the factor gets a new temp, Cindy who is looking for a way to cash in on the award the accident victim will be getting. Joel and all of his male employees and friends are soon obsessed with Cindy and Joel is even convinced by his best friend Dean to pay someone to have an affair with his wife so that he can have a guilt-free affair with Cindy. As in any Mike Judge comedy, nothing goes as planned.
I have to admit that I am one of the many people that went out and saw Extract because I adore Office Space. I did enjoy Extract but not nearly as much as I enjoyed Office Space; what I am trying to figure out now is if I adore Office Space so much because of how many times I’ve seen it or because it’s a better movie. It is quite possible that with more viewings all the nuances of Extract will be just as funny to me as all the quirks of Office Space are.
Perhaps it’s my stage of life, but while I enjoyed all the characters in Extract, I just couldn’t relate to any one of them. Their lives are nothing like mine yet, and though this normally wouldn’t keep me out of enjoying a movie, Judge makes the kind of comedy that tries to be an exaggerated slice of life and this was in no way my life. I’m not married, a stoner, a scam artist or a business owner. I however am single, an office employee and a former member of the retail world so I totally understand Office Space.
What I did adore about Office Space was Ben Affleck. Yes, heckle me all you wish but I am a fan of Affleck – I think he’s highly underrated and needs to be used more, especially in comedy. Affleck plays Dean, a bartender, minor drug dealer, and wannabe pimp. He was one of the funniest things about Extract and I would have loved to see him on screen more.
I also have to give props to Jason Bateman. Bateman is the current king of subtle comedic acting and he excels at deadpan humor and “mundane” characters. I want to see Bateman do more as every role I see him in is memorable and entertaining, right down to his character in State of Play.
While I was not immediately desiring to add Extract to my DVD collection, it is a fine film that will undoubtedly become a favorite with Judge fans and the audience that will slowly discover it more and more when it comes to DVD.
Director & Writer: Mike Judge
Joel: Jason Bateman
Cindy: Mila Kunis
Suzie: Kristen Wiig
Dean: Ben Affleck
Brian: JK Simmons
I have to admit that I am one of the many people that went out and saw Extract because I adore Office Space. I did enjoy Extract but not nearly as much as I enjoyed Office Space; what I am trying to figure out now is if I adore Office Space so much because of how many times I’ve seen it or because it’s a better movie. It is quite possible that with more viewings all the nuances of Extract will be just as funny to me as all the quirks of Office Space are.
Perhaps it’s my stage of life, but while I enjoyed all the characters in Extract, I just couldn’t relate to any one of them. Their lives are nothing like mine yet, and though this normally wouldn’t keep me out of enjoying a movie, Judge makes the kind of comedy that tries to be an exaggerated slice of life and this was in no way my life. I’m not married, a stoner, a scam artist or a business owner. I however am single, an office employee and a former member of the retail world so I totally understand Office Space.
What I did adore about Office Space was Ben Affleck. Yes, heckle me all you wish but I am a fan of Affleck – I think he’s highly underrated and needs to be used more, especially in comedy. Affleck plays Dean, a bartender, minor drug dealer, and wannabe pimp. He was one of the funniest things about Extract and I would have loved to see him on screen more.
I also have to give props to Jason Bateman. Bateman is the current king of subtle comedic acting and he excels at deadpan humor and “mundane” characters. I want to see Bateman do more as every role I see him in is memorable and entertaining, right down to his character in State of Play.
While I was not immediately desiring to add Extract to my DVD collection, it is a fine film that will undoubtedly become a favorite with Judge fans and the audience that will slowly discover it more and more when it comes to DVD.
Director & Writer: Mike Judge
Joel: Jason Bateman
Cindy: Mila Kunis
Suzie: Kristen Wiig
Dean: Ben Affleck
Brian: JK Simmons
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