Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby.

Review #1706: Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby.

Cast: 

Will Ferrell (Ricky Bobby), John C. Reilly (Cal Naughton Jr), Sacha Baron Cohen (Jean Girard), Michael Clarke Duncan (Lucius Washington), Leslie Bibb (Carley Bobby), Gary Cole (Reese Bobby), Jane Lynch (Lucy Bobby), Amy Adams (Susan), Andy Richter (Gregory), Houston Tumlin (Walker Bobby), Grayson Russell (Texas Ranger Bobby), David Koechner, Ian Roberts & Jack McBrayer (Hershell, Kyle & Glenn), Pat Hingle (Larry Dennit Sr), Greg Germann (Larry Dennit Jr), Molly Shannon (Mrs. Dennit), Ted Manson (Chip), and Rob Riggle (Jack Telmont) Directed by Adam McKay (#526 - Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, #693 - Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues, #1574 - The Big Short)

Review:

There are just a few movies that are inevitable to watch, as I've said before. I was waiting to do this film for quite a while, so why not today - the fifteen year anniversary of its release? It's strange to say this, because I've had a strange time of memories when it comes to NASCAR. Honestly, I remember being a fan of racing as a kid, mostly because my dad was fan of the sport (particularly with Dale Earnhardt, as I recall); I haven't kept up with it as much, but I find it an interesting curiosity (granted, this also applies to the Indianapolis 500 but not so much with Formula One). Honestly, it is probably an interesting task to try and make a worthy movie about stock car racing when the argument about the best one at that point was between Days of Thunder and Cars (of course, one could be charitable and add The Last American Hero)? But hey, one needs a good ballad involving Talladega Superspeedway and the art of racing in the hot sun and hoping to avoid "The Big One", as the saying goes. The idea for the film came to Ferrell and McKay when the former was working on Elf (2003); despite not being huge fans of the sport, they soon got swept up in the phenomenon involved with the track experience (incidentally, Ferrell actually studied sports information at the University of Southern California). This is the second of five collaborations between director/writer McKay and Ferrell (who had met on Saturday Night Live, as McKay worked as a writer and Ferrell as a performer), who each wrote the script for this film. 

It doesn't take too many words to say that I enjoyed this one. It has fun with the sports movie formula (specifically the biopic angle) by coming off as fairly authentic in its enthusiasm for the sport (one filled with cars driving for brands, if you remember) along with having a well sense of timing and improvisation that one can see with the end credits and its various takes on certain little moments that never rides a gag for too long or overstay its welcome in 108 minutes. It rides the wave of clichés well, extolling itself about family and the spectacle of victory without condensation or fluff. Ferrell plays the title role with great relish, confident in his timing that lends itself to plenty of zingers and brash charm beyond just the race track. Reilly makes a worthy counter to Farrell, a useful second fiddle with earnest infectious charm, while Cohen zings his way through eccentricity as the main foil that plays to consistent chuckles when paired with Farrell in any type of scene, which either involves a friendly conversation about broken arms/crepes to the nature of needing to beat the other at driving. Duncan was always a solid character presence, and he certainly makes his little moments count for what is needed, made clear with an amusing sequence where he and Reilly try to "gently" help Farrell's character out of a chair and end up with two knives. The rest of the cast make it count fairly well with chuckles and warmth, whether that means with the transient (and brilliant) Cole or zippiness in Adams or even with the snappy Tumlin & Russell (Bibb and Lynch each serve as worthy counterparts to Ferrell, lest I forget). Germann rounds it out as the occasional straight man (paired at times with a spirited Shannon, naturally) that fits the film to a T with amusement that keep the film on its feet without seeming beholden to desperation; the races don't dominate the focus of the film, but one gets their fill and enjoys what they see from Talledega and perhaps sees the appeal of what draws folks to a place in Alabama every year. As a whole, it moves through its arc of rip-roaring racing and humor with plenty to offer for those who seek a feature that has not lost any steps to time that might be McKay and Ferrell's most solid work together, one for the folks who desire a bit of speed in their lives along with someone to go with it.

Overall, I give it 9 out of 10 stars.

Ralph Breaks the Internet.

Review #1167: Ralph Breaks the Internet.

Cast: 
John C. Reilly (Wreck-It Ralph), Sarah Silverman (Vanellope von Schweetz), Gal Gadot (Shank), Taraji P. Henson (Yesss), Jack McBrayer (Fix-It Felix Jr.), Jane Lynch (Sergeant Calhoun), Alan Tudyk (KnowsMore), Alfred Molina (Double Dan), Ed O'Neill (Mr. Litwak), and Bill Hader (J.P. Spamley) Directed by Rich Moore (#386 - Wreck-It Ralph and #782 - Zootopia) and Phil Johnston

Review: 
Wreck-It Ralph (2012) was a fine film for entertainment, certainly seeming different from other Disney films, and it is not too surprising that a sequel would occur, although I imagine it wasn't supposed to take six years for said sequel to happen. I will admit that the idea of bringing these characters up to date with the Internet seemed like an interesting idea, particularly since Reilly and Silverman made for a fine duo to play off each other in the first film. The fact that the film focuses on their reactions to their encounter of the Internet and how their friendship changes accordingly is a fine centerpiece for a movie that tries to balance that with a mashup of gags and an overload of product placement that nearly collapse the experience into a big mess. It sure is strange how the film reminded me of Ready Player One (2018) with its collection of references and flashy colors, although I will say that at least this film actually aims to be funny on purpose, and it works more often than not with making jokes, along with a few songs to go with it. The animation is nice to look at, bright and colorful without overloading the senses too much, having numerous set-pieces that certainly stand out well from one another.

Reilly shines once again with big-hearted charm and some interesting moments that manage to make him feel fresh and not tired. Silverman shines again with a fun sense of humor and a curiosity that drives the film well enough, and the song she sings alongside Gadot (called "A Place Called Slaughter Race", of course) is fine to hear. Gadot is a welcome addition to the cast, showing some charm in her gritty world she occupies. Henson, playing an algorithm, plays the role with a bit of pomp and flash that makes for occasionally amusing points. It's a shame that McBrayer and Lynch don't have much time on screen, although I suppose the focus on Reilly and Silverman and their characters' story meant that anyone not on the Internet wouldn't have too many moments. Or perhaps having a B-plot would've made the film (with a run-time of 112 minutes) felt longer. Tudyk and Hader give off amusing moments whenever each is on screen, representing their parts of the Internet (for better or worse) just fine. On the whole, the movie works best when it tries to just have fun with casual gags about the Internet, or more specifically when the film isn't trying to make so many references within Disney itself. The part with the Disney Princesses are okay, but the movie as a whole feels like it nearly collapses into self-parody near the second half, where it almost falls into the trap of pandering without substance. Honestly, the fact that the film doesn't have a villain is a bit surprising, but at least the movie has a climax and a message that makes the experience worth it without becoming too ham-fisted or over indulgent. The film has enough charm and fine moments to make up for the occasional slip-up, and I'm sure kids will do just fine with it and the adults will tolerate it alright. The film isn't anything great by any means, particularly if compared to recent Disney films or the original film, but it is at the very least fine entertainment that will work just alright for its audience.

Overall, I give it 7 out of 10 stars.

Kong: Skull Island.

Review #919: Kong: Skull Island.

Cast:
Tom Hiddleston (James Conrad), Samuel L. Jackson (Preston Packard), John Goodman (Bill Randa), Brie Larson (Mason Weaver), John C. Reilly (Hank Marlow), Corey Hawkins (Houston Brooks), John Ortiz (Victor Nieves), Tian Jing (San Lin), Toby Kebbell (Jack Chapman), John Ortiz (Victor Nieves), Corey Hawkins (Houston Brooks), Jason Mitchell (Glenn Mills), Shea Whigham (Earl Cole), Thomas Mann (Reg Slivko), and Terry Notary (King Kong, motion capture performance) Directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts.

Review:
It's easy to admit that the idea of doing a Kong reboot could be regarded as unneeded, if put in the wrong hands. Having the film be set in 1973 (one could almost nickname the movie "VietKong", actually) is certainly an interesting choice. For me, I thoroughly enjoyed this film and everything that it wanted to be: a fun good time. It's easy to admit that this is a popcorn movie, with a great amount of entertainment and characters that would be right at home in a explorer movie. For me, this might've been just a bit better than the 2014 Godzilla film (#582), as this film definitely lets one see more of Kong - right from the beginning, in fact. Obviously there is more to the movie than just Kong (with some fine CGI and some fine motion capture from Notary), there's also the fine effects of the Skullcrawlers and enough eye-candy (with regards to how the movie is shot) and cinematography that I appreciated. There isn't any kind of cop-outs nor teasing, it flat out goes for the thrill and chills - and it succeeds. Hiddleston is a fair enough lead, but obviously the big standout is Jackson, who just hams it up in such an adversarial manner that just clicks. Larson is also a fair lead as well, with Goodman being as gruff and relatable as ever. Reilly is also pretty fun, having an eccentric but likable presence. The rest of the cast does a fine job, being useful enough. Honestly the best kind of lead are leads who act and move convincingly without just being screamers/stilted glory hogs. They aren't too developed, but they also aren't too one dimensional either. There is a good mode of pace and design, with monster fights that manage to be riveting. Obviously this is a movie that works as fun entertainment (and something to try and get one ready for a Godzilla/Kong matchup a few years down the line), and there's nothing wrong with that. It achieves what it wants to accomplish without derailing itself at any point, while letting Kong be Kong.

Overall, I give it 9 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: Guardians of the Galaxy.

Review #626: Guardians of the Galaxy.

Cast
Chris Pratt (Peter Quill/Star-Lord), Zoe Saldana (Gamora), Dave Bautista (Drax the Destroyer), Vin Diesel (Groot), Bradley Cooper (Rocket), Lee Pace (Ronan the Accuser), Michael Rooker (Yondu Udonta), Karen Gillan (Nebula), Djimon Hounsou (Korath), John C. Reilly (Corpsman Rhomann Dey), Glenn Close (Nova Prime), and Benicio del Toro (The Collector) Directed by James Gunn.

Review
When it comes to having a good time at the movie theater, picking a Marvel movie is usually a safe bet. And that rings true once again with this film, which is a real treat. Does it feel like a pastiche of other films? Maybe, maybe not, but I don't care, this...is just a fun movie to watch. The main heroes all work so well because they're not just a team of heroes, they're a team of rouges who are all different, weird, and yet so fun to watch. It surprised that of all the heroes in this film, it's Groot that is just so delightful to watch. Even if he's in the background he still manages to leave an impression. And Vin Diesel has just a few lines to convey his character in voice...and it works. Diesel manages to convey emotion with those lines, though the effects on Groot also help that, and Groot smiling is just fun to watch. The villain is alright, Pace at least does manage to do a good job under all that makeup, and I liked seeing Karen Gillian, she did a pretty good job in a minor role. The effects are really impressive, for both the characters and the action, it's a movie that is amusing but also thrilling as well. The ending credit scene is pretty amusing, movies don't usually end on Howard the Duck, but it sums how zany this movie is, and how enjoyable it is, from it's retro music (that has a purpose) to its characters to its willingness to just have fun. Go see it, you'll most definitely have a good time.

Overall, I give it 9 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: Wreck-It Ralph.

Review #386: Wreck-It Ralph.

Cast
John C. Reilly (Wreck-It Ralph), Sarah Silverman (Vanellope von Schweetz), Jack McBrayer (Fix-It Felix, Jr), Jane Lynch (Jean Calhoun), Alan Tudyk (King Candy), Mindy Kaling (Taffyta Muttonfudge), Joe Lo Truglio (Markowsk), Ed O'Neill (Mr. Litwak), Dennis Haysbert (General Hologram), Adam Carolla (Wynnche), and Horatio Sanz (Duncan) Directed by Rich Moore.

Review
Wreck-It Ralph has an interesting enough premise and it uses it extremely well and has a heck of a time while doing it. The cast works out really well, especially John C. Reilly and Sarah Silverman (two actors I thought I'd never utter in the same sentence), who pair off really well. The same could also go with Jack McBrayer and Jane Lynch, which also meshes well. The animation looks great not just for looking nice but because it manages to keep focus on what it has (either its pixels or the lush animation), and it works well. It sets itself up nicely for a sequel, which I honestly hope happens. Well done...Disney.

Overall, I give it 9 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: 9.

Review #321: 9.

Cast
Elijah Wood (9), Jennifer Connelly (7), John C. Reilly (5), Crispin Glover (6), Christopher Plummer (1), Fred Tatasciore (8), Martin Landau (2), and Alan Oppenheimer (The Scientist) Directed by Shane Acker.

Review
This is an unusual film, with a different kind of animation than usual and a decent set of characters. While it does feel shorter than it could've been (Seems to be a cliche that some animated films don't last longer than 79-90 minutes), it is imaginative and very deep in its intended roots of being a dark tale not just for kids (at least I hope that is the intention), and it makes sure not to be a disappointment. The voice acting is fine, not being embarrassingly odd, just doing a fine job of establishing the characters (though odd they may be), which is a benefit. I like the fact that the film manages to have some sort of pace, always keeping you in check and making sure not to be slowed down. In the end, it's a decent film, with some sort of focus and imagination, and I'm mostly glad I watched (and reviewed) it.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.