Kong: Skull Island

Director: Jordan Vogt-Roberts
Starring: Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, John Goodman, Brie Larson, Jing Tian, Toby Kebbell, John Ortiz, Corey Hawkins, Jason Mitchell, Shea Whigham, Thomas Mann, Terry Notary, John C. Reilly
Running Time: 118 min.
Rating: PG-13

★★★ (out of ★★★★)

A few important attributes set Kong: Skull Island apart from your typical spring blockbuster, while still entirely managing to entertain and enthrall as if it is one. For starters, it's a period piece, which is completely unfamiliar territory for an action franchise. It's not everyday critics and audiences would describe a Kong movie by referencing Vietnam or discussing a compilation of rock's greatest hits from the era on the soundtrack. That's not to say all of this works, or is even that groundbreaking, but it serves as icing on the cake, enhancing what's already a surprisingly well crafted production that feels less like a desperate cash grab than any other recent action vehicle or franchise reboot of the past few years. You may as well call it Apocalypse Kong, in not only its obvious allusions to that war classic, but the fact that there's some artistic value on display here that earns some of those comparisons. It's actually well directed, branded with a visual stamp that isn't easily forgettable, bringing to life a screenplay that gets the job done in successfully reintroducing an iconic character with a mixed on screen track record.

It's almost become a running joke how studios have been cherry-picking little known, critically acclaimed young, indie directors to helm these gigantic tentpole franchises. Why? They're relatively cheap, grateful for the opportunity to make the kind of awe-inspiring spectacle they grew up watching, and are more often than not willing to be pushed around a little (sometimes a lot) by the studio. Of course, using these filmmakers as a vessel to cram their vision down unsuspecting audiences throats doesn't come without risks since some directors will inevitably acclimate better than others. But for every Fantastic Four horror story, there's a Jurassic World or Godzilla, which is more than enough for them to justify continuing the approach. And as cynical as that all seems, sometimes a happy balance comes out of this that manages to satisfy both commercial and creative concerns.

In 2013, Jordan Vogt-Roberts wrote and directed a little movie called The Kings of Summer, and you can somehow tell the same person made this, despite it being over ten times the budget and scope. His vision successfully seeps through, proving he's one of the few indie filmmakers capable of mastering this sort of thing. We can't call him a sell-out, or at least if he is, does a good enough job hiding it, carefully threading that needle between mainstream acceptance and critical respect so many of his peers can't. And he does it in under two hours, thumbing his nose at the constant barrage of pointlessly overlong two and a half action spectacles we endure each year. Of course, we still get one of those universe-building post-credit sequence plugs. A brief, if unnecessary, reminder that no matter how well this worked, certain things will never change.

It's 1973 and with the U.S. just pulling out of Vietnam, senior government official with the Monarch organization, Bill Randa (John Goodman), seeks funding for an expedition to map out a mysterious location in the South Pacific cryptically known as "Skull Island" After meeting some initial resistance, he gets clearance to assemble a team, recruiting former British Special Air Service Captain James Conrad (Tom Hiddleston) as their tracker, Lieutenant Colonel Preston Packard (Samuel L. Jackson) and his Vietnam helicopter squadron as a military escort, backed by right-hand men Major Jack Chapman (Toby Kebbell) and Captain Earl Cole (Shea Whigham).

Joining them for the ride is Monarch's seismologist Houston Brooks (Corey Hawkins) and fesity, opinionated "anti-war" photojournalist Mason Weaver (Academy Award Winner Brie Larson). But immediately upon their arrival, it's clear this won't just be any expedition, as Packard's men begin dropping bombs that awaken a very angry Kong, who kills many of his men, leaving the remainder of the crew stranded and scattered on the island. But the giant ape may not be their biggest worry, with a more malevolent threat intent on making sure they never make it home.

Making its intentions clear early, the film's overall strategy stands in stark contrast to previous cinematic takes on the giant beast: Show Kong early and often. With little build-up other than brief introductions to the various characters and a few minutes designated to the assembly of the team, it's off to the island. There's no teasing here as Kong's impact is felt immediately, and once we lay eyes on him, it's obvious why they skipped the formalities and wanted to show him off.

A combination of CGI and motion capture performance, the monster (supposedly designed to invoke the 1930's version) looks as good as he ever has, instantly recognizable without really resembling the incarnation we saw in Peter Jackson's 2005 version, which also boasted fine effects work. It would be easy to call this design better, but it's probably more accurate to describe it as a little more expressive and distinctive enough for this reboot needed to step out from the shadows of its predecessors. As far as the creatively inspired call to set the story in the post-Vietnam, Nixon-era 1970's, it does give the narrative some thematic legs it wouldn't otherwise have, both in regard to certain characters' motivations and many of the aesthetic choices made. And it's those decisions, which to a point give this a look and feel similar to films from that period, is far and away the most captivating aspect of the entire production.

Ironically, an overstuffed soundtrack compilation of 60's and 70's hits do more to hurt that feeling than help since the plot and visuals were already doing a fine enough job. Calling this a great soundtrack wouldn't necessarily be wrong in terms of song choices, but it does beg the question whether it's possible to have too much of a good thing. A more conservative placement of music at carefully curated key moments probably would have been far more effective and impactful than drenching the first third of the picture in every famous classic rock song the studio was able to get their hands on. Henry Jackman's psychedelic, period-specific score goes a longer way in invoking the mood they're going for, and proves less distracting.

And since the priority is showing Kong as early as possible, the characters at first seem thinly drawn, at least until all hell breaks loose on the island and we find out who's made of what. Billed as the lead, Tom Hiddleston probably has the least developed character of the bunch, playing a one-dimensional heroic character who doesn't necessarily do anything heroic enough to stand out in any way. It's through no fault of his own that the screenplay is more interested in those who have a direct emotional connection to Kong. As Packard, Samuel L. Jackson returns to the same angry agitator that's been his stock in trade since the 90's, but this is actually one of his better performances since there's at least some motivation behind it, and as detestable as he is, the intentions behind his villainous behavior fit.

When Packard's obsession with downing Kong careens out of control,  the most dissenting voice is that of awesomely named photographer Mason Weaver, who's played by Brie Larson in her first post-Oscar role. In many ways she's the film's true focal point, with her character representing one of the biggest deviations from Kong's long outdated "damsel in distress" mythology. Unlike Fay Wray, Jessica Lange, or Naomi Watts, she isn't window dressing or set up as a love interest for the ape as we've seen in the past. It's of little surprise she's even great in something like this, with one particular scene providing what's sure to go down as the the film's most memorable visual. And to top it off, she looks like a total badass shooting a flare gun, squashing any concerns about her playing a screen hero, super or otherwise.

Skull Island works best when taking itself dead seriously, faltering only when it pauses for jokes. It's not as guilty as something like The Martian in that regard, but there's a time and place for that so it isn't unfair to wish the writers were more judicious in picking their spots. The only time it really works is whenever John C. Reilly's wisecracking Hank Marlow appears, a World War II lieutenant who crash landed on the island almost thirty years prior and makes it his mission to get this crew home.  That has more to do with the fact that it's Reilly playing him but there's no denying it's the strongest sub-plot, rightfully taking center stage at the end.

While most franchise movies die a slow, painful death near the two hour mark and limp for another thirty minutes to the finish line, this one not only avoids overstaying its welcome, but actually picks up steam. And because everything is so well directed and it looks and feels like the work of a real visual artist, it's almost impossible not to get greedy and wish for even more from the script. Or more accurately, less. As a franchise action movie with compelling action sequences, you also can't help but wonder how much of a difference it would make if this were a hard 'R' and they really went for the jugular, forgoing commercial concerns altogether. It may or may not have been as fun, but it's hard to take issue with what we get, which successfully signals that the iconic Kong is back with a vengeance. 
 

Cedar Rapids

 

Director: Miguel Arteta
Starring: Ed Helms, John C. Reilly, Anne Heche, Isiah Whitlock Jr. Kurtwood Smith, Stephen Root, Mike O' Malley, Sigourney Weaver, Alia Shawkat
Running Time: 86 minutes
Rating: R

★★ ½ (out of ★★★★) 

Cedar Rapids makes for an interesting case study of a how a comedy can be intelligently made and well-acted yet still not measure up because it doesn't bring the laughs. There just isn't much there and when it ended it almost felt as if I'd seen nothing at all. If this were a drama (which at times I wondered) it could almost be chalked up as a success because it's so character driven and the performances hold your interest. But it's a comedy and in director Miguel Arteta's defense I'm not sure a really good one could have even been made about an insurance convention in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The idea in itself doesn't exactly elicit a wealth of comic possibilities, with the action unfolding not disproving that theory. If someone asked me what this were about, I'd tell them just that: an insurance convention in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. There's some other stuff thrown in that's sort of a mess, yet also very predictable. For huge fans of Ed Helms' Hangover character or those clamoring for an Anne Heche comeback this may do the trick, but otherwise it's a skip.

Nerdy and naive Brownstar Insurance agent Tim Lippe (Helms) has lived a very sheltered life, having never left the small town in which he grew up, to the point where he's carrying on an affair with his former junior high teacher Macy (Sigourney Weaver) who seems far less into it than he. His world gets turned upside down when his co-worker dies in an accident and he's called on by his boss Bill (Stephen Root) to represent the company at the regional conference in Cedar Rapids. The pressure's on for him to make sure they take home the prestigious "Two Diamonds" award, which they've won for the past 3 years but takes on an added importance this time as a victory would help keep the small, struggling firm afloat. A fish out of water in his new hotel surroundings, Tim meets wild man Dean Ziegler (John C. Reilly) and Ronald Wilkes (The Wire's Isiah Whitlock Jr.), notable only for how normal he is and his obsession with The Wire. He also carries on a romantic fling of sorts with the married, free-spirited Joan (Heche) and gets involved with a prostitute named Bree (Alia Shawkat). Having never been exposed to much of anything before, the newly independent Tim is set loose in Cedar Rapids, having the time of his life but possibly compromising his company's award chances in the process.

I get what writer Phil Johnston is going for in attempting kind of a 40-Year-Old Virgin meets Superbad in the midwest but something got lost on the way to the screen and it doesn't exactly come together like it should. Ed Helms is sufficient in the lead but this is just Dr. Stu Price from Hangover. It's almost literally the same character with very few adjustments made, resulting in him giving the exact same performance as in that film. It's possible Helms has more to offer than that but we certainly won't ever find out if he continues being typecast as the uptight, middle-aged geek who has to come out of his shell. At this rate, he'll turn into the adult Michael Cera. But besides having a predictable story arc, where the movie ultimately misfires is in overestimating how funny this whole scenario (or lack of one) at the hotel really is, especially when these strange people Tim encounters are actually fairly normal, at least from a cinematic standpoint. The ads and commercials would have you believe John C. Reilly is as out of control here as he was in Walk Hard or Step Brothers but through little fault of his own that guy never shows up here and his supposedly sleazy character is stuck in neutral the entire time, never really contributing much in the way of laughs. They keep telling us he's crazy but considering Reilly's playing the part, it's probably up there with some of the more restrained work he's done, which is fine, just not comical in the slightest.

What's so bizarre is that at many points the dialogue seems to mock how boring Cedar Rapids is (except to the wide-eyed protagonist), but if that's the case, why would you set this there, then openly acknowledge that detail in the script?  In a way, it's a strength that the film was confident enough to not go too over-the-top but even when it tries to aim in that direction with Tim going on a drug bender and picking up a prostitute it just feels like something we've seen before in far too many other comedies and doesn't really mix with the material in this one. What surprisingly does work well is the romance, as 90's legend Anne Heche (don't pretend you don't remember Six Days Seven Nights, Volcano, Wag The Dog and Return to Paradise) ends up giving the most charming performance in the film as the loopy, eccentric Joan, reminding us again how she became a star by giving many scenes bite that wouldn't otherwise have any. I also found the Sigourney Weaver sub-plot one of the few laugh-out-loud funny scenarios, but that's unfortunately dispensed with after the opening minutes. Alia Shawkat is pretty much wasted in the thankless hooker role, her screen presence these days serving only to rub salt in the wound that we probably won't get that Arrested Development movie anytime soon, or maybe ever.  

Cedar Rapids is one of those comedies that feature likable, intelligent characters you don't mind spending time with and you're smiling much of the way through, but you end up forgetting you watched it the next day. Or even possibly the next hour. That it comes from the same director as last year's mild creative success Youth in Revolt is ironic considering that film was edgier and had a much sharper script, despite being targeted to a younger age group. This is more of a sophisticated adult comedy, and maybe too much so since most of its laughs come in the first five minutes with the set-up, before resembling a coming-of-middle-age drama for the remainder of its running time. It doesn't misstep much within that framework, but part of the problem could be attributed to so many male-driven comedies revolving around the tired plot point of a man-child having to grow up. Cedar Rapids is a somewhat solid, but needless entry into that genre, proving it's not good enough for a comedy to just be smart when it doesn't bother to also be funny.

Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story

Director: Jake Kasdan
Starring: John C. Reilly, Jenna Fischer, Kristen Wiig, Tim Meadows, Raymond J. Barry, Conner Rayburn
Running Time: 95 minutes
Rating: R

***1/2 (out of ****)

You know a comedy is off to a good start when you hit the floor laughing hysterically on the first joke. Jake Kasdan's musical biopic send-up Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story maintains nearly all of that momentum throughout its 95-minute running time. It's the rare spoof that's actually hilarious, mainly because it's lampooning a genre of film that hasn't been mocked that frequently, and as a result, the comedy feels inspired. It features an uproarious starring turn from John C. Reilly and is further bolstered by a clever Judd Apatow co-written script that knows all the targets it has to hit and nails them with pinpoint accuracy.

Almost in spite of itself, it's also a involving story in which we actually end up caring a little about the main character. If the film has any flaws it's that viewing the Walk The Line is an absolute prerequisite for anyone hoping to pick up on all the humor. Johnny Cash isn't the only target, as Bob Dylan, the Beatles and Elvis also take a huge thrashing, but he's the major one and its plot follows exactly the same plot formula as that 2005 film. The movie behaves like it really is an Oscar-baiting biopic and that's why it works so well.

Unfortunately, a side effect of this film is that I may never be able to watch Walk The Line the same way again. I'm a big fan of biopics in general but I don't think I fully appreciated just how clichéd and ridiculous they can be until seeing this. It hits on some silly truths about those films that almost make audiences look like idiots for liking them. In many ways, it's the ultimate compliment to have your movie spoofed, but on the other, if it's done really well it can make the original work look stupid. That's kind of what we have here. It's so good that the biopic, as we know it, may not be able to recover. But I guess if you're going to be spoofed, it's important that you're spoofed well and Apatow has it nailed down. While I loved Superbad, I'm one of the few who thought that Knocked Up didn't click. But Apatow's at the top of his game here with this. It's a big surprise and I can't recall a second when I wasn't laughing...hard.

As a young boy growing up in Springberry, Alabama, Dewey Cox (Reilly) lived in the shadow of his musically gifted brother Nate. After a freak machete accident took Nate's life, Dewey, hoping to carry on the family legacy, learned the blues. Before he's even out of his teens Dewey skyrockets to fame during the early days of rock and roll and what follows is a whirlwind trip through all the stages of Dewey's life. It hits on everything from the flower power era of 60's right through to the groovy 70's, as each touchstone offers up something new for the clever script to ridicule. The drug abuse, band infighting, the financial excess and marital infidelity are all well covered.

After his first marriage to chronically unsupportive wife Edith (Kristen Wiig) collapses he falls for his backup singer Darlene (Jenna Fischer), who becomes the love of his life. Fischer, who was given nothing to do in another 2007 comedy, Blades of Glory, is great here giving a hilarious take of Reese Witherspoon playing June Carter Cash. It's also jam-packed with cameos, from The White Stripes' Jack White as Elvis to Frankie Munez as Buddy Holly. But the funniest comes from Jack Black, Paul Rudd, Justin Long and Jason Schwartzman as the Fab Four. I particularly enjoyed Rudd and Schwartzman's dead-on portrayals of John and Ringo. In a hilarious touch, none of these famous characters are the least bit shy about informing Dewey (and us) exactly who they are.

As bad a beating as The Beatles take in this though it's nothing compared to what they do to Bob Dylan. After watching this, I now understand why Dylan didn't want anyone to go the regular biopic route with his life because he may have actually come off looking as silly as he does here. Credit Reilly who channels Dylan so well he should have played one of them in I'm Not There. Running gags involving Saturday Night Live's Tim Meadows as Dewey's drug dealing drummer and Raymond J. Barry as Dewey's angry, disapproving father never grow tired. He has a catchphrase that deserves its own t-shirt. Look late in the film for some big music star cameos, including one from someone who plays it so straight he could be presenting The Nobel Peace Prize. And what Apatow film would be complete without an appearance from Jonah Hill?

Then there's the music. Besides the lyrics being hysterical and filled with double entendres (especially the number "Let's Duet"), the songs actually sound like something Cash would have recorded. Supposedly Reilly actually toured the country as Dewey Cox, giving concerts in character. I can believe it. The guy can sing. In a movie like this tone is everything and Kasdan, who also directed the underrated Orange County, realizes everything is funnier when you appear to take it seriously. At times this veers so close the movie it's spoofing it threatens to actually turn into it. Since its success is so dependent on tone I'm not sure if this would have been as funny if Apatow directed it himself. He's probably a better writer than director and I thought, unlike Kasdan here, he had problems finding the appropriate tone in Knocked Up. It may not be coincidence the two films he only co-wrote or produced this past year were much better. This news bodes well for the upcoming Forgetting Sarah Marshall and The Pineapple Express, neither of which he's behind the camera for.

Surprisingly, Walk Hard flopped hard when it was released late last year, which is ironic considering serious biopics never tend to light the box office on fire either. That could have been part of the problem. Everyone missed out, though it deservedly nab two Golden Globe nominations for Best Original Song ("Walk Hard") and Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy for Reilly. The blame for no one going to see this definitely can't be placed on him or the fact he isn't a household name (Seth Rogen and Steve Carell weren't either). It seemed the studio felt the Apatow tag alone would be enough to sell this and didn't count on the fact that not everyone had actually seen Walk The Line. It's still funny if you didn't, but will play much better if you have.

The Two Disc Special Edition comes with two versions of the film. One is the original 95-minute theatrical version while the other is the "Overlong, Self-indulgent" 120-minute director's cut. I guess that's supposed to be a joke, but with the length obsessed Apatow attached to the project I couldn't be sure. You can guess which version I chose. A full two hours would probably be stretching it for a movie like this.

You have to wonder what audiences are thinking though flocking to brainless spoof films like Epic Movie and Meet The Spartans instead of this. Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story is more reminiscent of the superior Zucker/Abrahams comedies like Airplane! or The Naked Gun. It knows the key to a good spoof is to have genuine affection and respect for the material you're spoofing. Anyone who hasn't seen Walk The Line will want to after watching this, even if I have my doubts whether they'll be able to take it seriously

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby

Director: Adam McKay
Starring: Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, Sacha Baron Cohen, Gary Cole, Leslie Bibb, Michael Clarke Duncan, Jane Lynch, Amy Adams, Andy Richter
Running Time: 122 min.
Rating: Unrated

*** (out of ****)

If anything is ripe for movie parody, it's NASCAR. If there's any actor who should star in it it's Will Ferrell. While this may have been a better idea on paper than it ends up being in execution, it's a funny movie with many scattered laughs, and is worth seeing just to witness Ferrell being upstaged by many of his co-stars. The movie isn't quite as funny as it's hilarious title suggests, but I'm recommending it almost solely on the basis of the supporting performances. I'm sure Will Ferrell fans will enjoy it but don't trick yourself into thinking it's another Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy. It may share the same writer/director in Adam McKay, but it doesn't contain as much of that movie's wit and humor. Die hard Ferrell supporters or NASCAR fans curious to see how their sport is affectionately mocked will find the most to like about it.

Will Ferrell plays Ricky Bobby, who all of his life has dreamed of nothing other than becoming a top race car driver. We find this out in the hilarious opening flashback, featuring his drunken father (Gary Cole) being thrown out of his school on "career day" after giving a wildly inappropriate speech to the kids. Years pass, his father becomes estranged from the family and Ricky Bobby has become the top stock racing champion in the country. Alongside his childhood best friend and racing partner Cal Naughton Jr. (John C. Reilly) the duo take the racing world by storm finishing number one and two in nearly every race, earning the nickname "Shake and Bake." I should mention that the two characters repeat this unfunny catchphrase nearly 200 times during the span of the two hour motion picture, hoping it will only get funnier. It doesn't.

Their friendship is threatened when Cal tires of being "Number 2" and takes it upon himself to steal Ricky's hot wife, Carley (Leslie Bibb) and claim what he feels is his rightful position as the top driver in the world after being overshadowed for years by his best friend. Complicating matters further is the arrival of gay French racing sensation Jean Girard (Borat's Sacha Baron Cohen) and the reintroduction of his deadbeat father. He must fight an uphill battle to reclaim his position as the top driver in the world, while at the same time learn more about himself.

When I say Will Ferrell is upstaged in this movie I really mean it. He did a good job and fits the role fine, but the supporting characters provide most, if not all, of the movie's laughs. There are actually a lot of funny things going on in Talladega Nights on a fairly consistent basis. At the beginning of the film there's an absolutely hilarious scene at the dinner table with the Bobby family where Ricky's brat kids, named Walker and Texas Ranger curse out and insult their grandfather while Ricky and Cal cheer them on. There's a whole feature on the DVD of deleted scenes featuring these brats insulting everyone in sight that unfortunately didn't make the cut. These kids could have their own movie they're that good, or rather bad. Then we have Ricky's very bizarre, one-sided view of Jesus he shares with everyone while saying grace.

Will Ferrell may be the star, but Sacha Baron Cohen steals the movie from underneath him as rival Jean Girard. He speaks in this intentionally inaccurate and at times totally unintelligable accent that's so ridiculous you can't help but laugh at everything he says. It also helps that everything he says is incredibly stupid. I couldn't help but wonder if I would have enjoyed the movie more if it had focused more on him than Ricky. Luckily they realized what they had and Cohen does deservedly get nearly as much screen time as Ferrell, so no complaints The pride of Jean when he introduces Gregory (Andy Richter) to the NASCAR fans at the bar as "his husband" and the reaction of the ESPN reporters who have to reveal it is priceless. It seems like the movie's making fun of gay people, but it's much smarter than that. It's making fun of southern NASCAR fans who have probably never met a gay person in their life.

The movie tries to deliver a message between Ricky's abandonment issues with his father which leads to the neglection of his own family and friends, but I was too busy laughing at all the supporting players to even notice. Gary Cole is just great as the alcoholic dad and Amy Adams (Oscar nominee last year for Junebug), in a small role as Ricky's devoted assistant has an incredible scene at Applebee's that has to be seen to be believed, and I can tell you if you're a guy you won't be able to get it out of your head for weeks. I'd recommend the movie just for her.

I've heard some complaints about all the product placement in the film, but it serves a purpose in mocking product placement in NASCAR. There's no shortage of it in this film with Wonder Bread, Old Spice, Pierre, Powerade, Applebees and many more popping up. There's also bonus fake promos and commercials starring Ricky and Cal that you can access on the special features that are pretty funny. I also give credit to the writers for not having the final race go how you would expect it to at all. When the film was over I thought it was decent, if flawed. I didn't expect to like Talladega Nights, but there's a strange goofy, charm to it that pulls you in.