Ruthless People.

Review #1938: Ruthless People.

Cast: 

Danny DeVito (Sam Stone), Bette Midler (Barbara Stone), Judge Reinhold (Ken Kessler), Helen Slater (Sandy Kessler), Anita Morris (Carol Dodsworth), Bill Pullman (Earl Mott), William G. Schilling (Police Chief Henry Benton), Art Evans (Lt. Bender), Clarence Felder (Lt. Walters), and J. E. Freeman (Bedroom Killer) Directed by David Zucker (#585 - Top Secret!, #664 - Airplane!, #699 - The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!, #821: The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear), Jim Abrahams (#028 - Hot Shots!, #375 - Hot Shots! Part Deux, #585, #664), Jerry Zucker (#585, #664, #1274 - First Knight, #1626 - Ghost, #1714 - Rat Race)

Review: 

This is an interesting film to cover. Oh sure, the filmmaking trio of Jim Abrahams and the Zucker brothers (Jerry and David) did plenty of comedy material back to their days with their own small theater in their native Wisconsin, but this one was certainly interesting to consider among the rest. For one, it is the only time that the trio directed a film together that they did not write themselves. The film was written by Dale Launer, who took inspiration from the kidnapping of Patricia Hearst; when asked about the similarities between the film and "The Ransom of Red Chief" (a story about a kid so annoying his kidnappers to where they pay the father to take him back), he said it was just a coincidence. He later wrote for films such as Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988) and My Cousin Vinny (1992). This was the third of three films that the trio directed together (after Airplane! and Top Secret), as from that point on, they would direct their own solo projects. The reason for their split was because they simply were ready to move in different directions alongside the fact that they did not see as much financial success as they believed they would from this (due to studio accounting, since the directing salary was split three ways with them). So yes, David Zucker would direct the first two Naked Gun films while also writing it with his brother and Abrahams, and each respective director went their own way in comedy.

So yes, here is a comedy with a premise built on a kidnapping that spirals into silliness when the hostage situation is really a one-way street, complete with mistaken identities, an unrelated serial killer, and a climax on a pier. It may be the odd film in their features, but it is a still a pretty good experience, one with plenty of amusement as a farce with fun misanthropes, complete with a look and style perfectly decadent for the era of the 1980s. With such a cheery dark premise, the key to making it all work is to have folks with enough energy to carry the material with the edge required. What we have is a key quartet ready to handle it together: DeVito, Midler, Reinhold, and Slater. DeVito shows great passion within a role designed with slime in mind: who else but him could play such an earnest villain? He has such confidence in the role, one that can sell the opening monologue with gusto, whereas a lesser actor would make it sound like an exposition-dump. Comeuppance or not, it is satisfying to see him engage as the master of the shit-eating grin in ways that other actors could only dream to get down the way he does. Midler (an actor when not singing on a regular basis) is the perfect type of abrasive: confident in her abilities and roaringly amusing, one who gets on the nerves with righteous timing and no sense of inordinate irritation. Reinhold and Slater play the kidnapping duo with resourceful timing as the nicest folks of the whole film (playing to the irony of them being the only folks we see commit a crime) as beleaguered and shy folks that we like just as much as the folks designed as being ones loved in hating. Morris and Pullman (in his first film role) are the other key group to the puzzle, with the former being good in the conniving side-person to the over-the-top hilarity and the latter being quite amusing as the dimwit. Probably the best representation of the film in its dark glee is an exchange between DeVito and Reinhold in which the latter is trying to lower the price down in the hostage giveaway only to find that the former is practically daring them to send the hostage to the morgue (they would know, because they just came from there!). As a comedy of misunderstandings filled with odd little people, it works out pretty well for 94 minutes, presenting its ever-growing odd situations with useful execution by pros in a useful curiosity: a dynamite script without their intervention that they handle just as well as their other films. Crude but unapologetic, Ruthless People is a neat little gem worth looking into.

Overall, I give it 9 out of 10 stars.

Beverly Hills Cop II.

Review #1842: Beverly Hills Cop II.

Cast: 

Eddie Murphy (Detective Axel Foley), Judge Reinhold (Detective Billy Rosewood), Jürgen Prochnow (Maxwell Dent), John Ashton (Detective John Taggart), Ronny Cox (Captain Andrew Bogomil), Brigitte Nielsen (Karla Fry), Allen Garfield (Chief Harold Lutz), Brian O'Connor (Detective Biddle), Dean Stockwell (Charles Cain), Gil Hill (Inspector Douglas Todd), Gilbert Gottfried (Sidney Bernstein), Paul Reiser (Detective Jeffrey Friedman), Paul Guilfoyle (Nikos Thomopolis), Robert Ridgely (Mayor Ted Egan), and Alice Adair (Jan Bogomil) Directed by Tony Scott (#029 - Top Gun, #253 - Unstoppable, #357 - The Last Boy Scout, #1632 - True Romance)

Review: 

Admittedly, it isn't much of a surprise that this film came on the heels of a successful feature, one that  celebrates its 35th anniversary of release. Beverly Hills Cop (1984), based on a script by Danilo Bach and Daniel Petrie Jr with direction by Martin Brest, was the right movie at the right time to bring its main star (Eddie Murphy rather than Sylvester Stallone, who is referenced from time to time in this movie) to widespread popularity, one that was the biggest blockbuster (and biggest overall hit) of its year. As such, the sequel features the same producers in Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer along with most of the regulars back to star; the movie was done rather than the idea of doing a television series, which is what Paramount Pictures wanted to do (Murphy said no to the idea). Of course, the writers are different, as Larry Ferguson and Warren Skaaren wrote the screenplay while Robert D. Wachs and Eddie Murphy did the story. For what it's worth, Murphy said a few years later that it was a "half-assed movie." Tony Scott, who had made a serviceable hit for Bruckheimer with Top Gun (1986), was brought in to direct the movie, which was his third ever feature as director (with his older brother Ridley, they had founded a company together in 1968 that honed directors like him and Alan Parker in making commercials).

At least "Shakedown" is a good song to start with (Bob Seger is underrated)? Honestly, it is just okay. It doesn't do well in terms of generating amusement, but Scott does well enough with staging the action and general charm of Murphy and friends to make a relatively decent experience. One gets to see Murphy paired with Reinhold and Ashton while others nearly fall by the wayside, whether that means Prochnow or with Cox. It glides around for103-minute with some of the same beats from the original while trying to not muddle the machinations of the plot, which goes from "fish out of water breaking into a crime ring by a businessman" to "not fish out of water breaking into a crime ring by a businessman" (both involving someone close to him being shot in Beverly Hills), with "alphabet crimes" being the name of the game here. Scott stated this film as a cross between Beverly Hills Cop and 48 Hrs (1982), but it inadvertently serves as a precursor to Murphy doing second-tier work in later years such as Another 48 Hrs (1990), although at least this film doesn't strain itself too hard to explain its plot beyond what it needs to. Murphy at least makes the effort in driving the movie along with his general charm that maneuvers his way through the action/comedy beats with staid patience rather than complete "paycheck mode". Additionally, Reinhold and Ashton make for a good trio to follow along with in budding engagement, where one likes to see them around making good beats for timing with contrast between calm and hard-lined personality. Prochnow and Nielsen are moderately around the adversarial level that the first film had in general "okay" quality that can't exactly stand out too well from Murphy besides cardboard threats of inevitability (Stockwell being used as a front man rather than for actual moments of ooze is particularly vexing, I don't care how many movies Prochnow has done, you cannot tell me Stockwell isn't up to his par). Besides, Garfield is the hard-lined foil to remember for short bits anyway. There are a select number of small appearances with recognizable faces (established or not), with some of those working out fine like with Gottfried and his momentary bumbling (also, Chris Rock makes his first film appearance) while others...do not (no one, and I mean no one, needs a sequence at the Playboy Mansion). As a whole, the movie is glossier and perhaps less heightened than the original, one with all the right (cliche) moves that will please just the folks who are fine with what they have seen before, serving as a pinnacle of average. There is nothing great or terrible with it, which seems more of a description of fast-food products more than anything. With that in mind, this is one of those "take it or leave it" movies, where Murphy and company carry it far enough over the finish line to make the experience mostly worth it. In a sea of Murphy movies, being in the middle of the pack is not a bad thing to consider.

Overall, I give it 7 out of 10 stars.

Beverly Hills Cop.

Review #1474: Beverly Hills Cop.

Cast:
Eddie Murphy (Axel Foley), Judge Reinhold (Detective Billy Rosewood), John Ashton (Sergeant John Taggart), Lisa Eilbacher (Jenny Summers), Ronny Cox (Lieutenant Andrew Bogomil), Steven Berkoff (Victor Maitland), James Russo (Mikey Tandino), Stephen Elliott (Chief Hubbard), Paul Reiser (Jeffrey), Jonathan Banks (Zack), Gil Hill (Inspector Douglas Todd), and Bronson Pinchot (Serge) Directed by Martin Brest.

Review: 

"In reality, all men are sculptors, constantly chipping away the unwanted parts of their lives, trying to create their idea of their masterpiece."

In the 1980s, Eddie Murphy was a comedy star like no other. Inspired by comedians such as Richard Pryor, Redd Foxx, and Peter Sellers, Murphy started a career in comedy at the age of 15, going from talent shows to Saturday Night Live in a period of four years, with his four year run on the show being a tremendous success that soon led to film opportunities, with 48 Hrs (1982) and Trading Places (1983) proving successful for Murphy. This was his fourth film (the cash grab appearance in Best Defense was his other film of his in 1984) and first film with just him as the primary star. Strangely enough, this was actually not intended as a star vehicle for him at first - it was actually intended to star Sylvester Stallone. In fact, some of the revisions that he had tried to make to the screenplay would actually be used in Cobra (1986), since he did not feel right for comedy. Even having a star in place didn't keep everything in place, since there was plenty of improvisation done throughout filming (the screenplay was credited to Daniel Petrie Jr, who also co-wrote the story with Danilo Bach). The film was a blessing to its director as well. Martin Brest (who had debuted with Going in Style five years prior) had been fired from WarGames the previous year and rejected doing the film on numerous occasions before an ultimate decision on the basis of a coin flip. Two sequels were made after the film's release (both with Murphy, Reinhold, and Hill), but neither reached the heights of the original.

What can one say about a buddy cop classic other then the fact that it makes for a pretty good time? Murphy seems completely at ease here, one suited to generating charm and laughter through a frenzy of one-liners and impersonations with a quickdraw focus. He is a show of force that works handily whenever paired with someone on screen (whether for interaction or some sort of bright gag). The others aren't easy to be overshadowed, however. Reinhold and Ashton prove to be an amusing team together, filled with a few snipes that make for riveting chemistry at times. Eilbacher proves adequate, while actor/musician Cox proves a breakthrough in stern enjoyability (the same also can be applied to actual Detroit cop-turned-actor Hill in the first few minutes). Berkoff proves a capable adversary to sneer with, and others make their impressions in small doses like Russo and Pinchot. There is a fair balance of comedy and action within 105 minutes that succeeds more so in the former category than the latter (the gunfights prove okay at best), with Murphy and company driving things around making amusement out of its fish-out-of-water story that makes for a worthwhile time, with the music being bright and catchy (Harold Faltermeyer's "Axel F" was a theme I listened to quite a bit before I even watched the film). It is a good comedy for those who prefer to see Murphy in action with zip and charm to spare.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

Fast Times at Ridgemont High.

Review #982: Fast Times at Ridgemont High.

Cast: 
Sean Penn (Jeff Spicoli), Judge Reinhold (Brad Hamilton), Jennifer Jason Leigh (Stacy Hamilton), Robert Romanus (Mike Damone), Phoebe Cates (Linda Barrett), Brian Backer (Mark "Rat" Ratner), Amanda Wyss (Lisa), Ray Walston (Mr. Hand), Forest Whitaker (Charles Jefferson), Scott Thomson (Arnold), Vincent Schiavelli (Mr. Vargas), and Lana Clarkson (Mrs. Vargas) Directed by Amy Heckerling.

Review: 
By sheer coincidence, the 35th anniversary of the release of this film was yesterday, and it only makes sense for me to get around to doing this movie, seeing how I am so clearly the type for coming of age high school comedy films. But in any case, this is a fine movie, encased in a time capsule of its own doing that will serve as decent entertainment, mostly because of how the cast pulls itself together. This was adapted from the book Fast Times at Ridgemont High: A True Story by Cameron Crowe (a future film director), who posed as a high school student at Clairemont High School in San Diego, with the book having been published one year earlier. The movie does have raunchy elements to it (hence why it was rated R), but it isn't merely just a romp through a high school year, although the plot admittedly does not have much depth to it. It tells a story much like how one would look back at a high school yearbook, with varying success depending on the investment one has in the story told. For me, it does have enough charm and moments to push it to the finish line capably. Obviously the highlight of the film is Penn and his relatively charming stoner character that serves for some decent laugh inducing moments, complete with Vans shoes. Reinhold clearly seems like he is having fun with his role; Leigh does a fine job as well, having a charm that makes her character worth watching. Romanus and Backer have a fine chemistry with each other, being a fairly capable duo. Cates is also pretty decent, mature along with fun. Walston is enjoyable to watch in how he contrasts with all of the other characters, with him being the only adult among all of the teenagers (except for Schiavelli, though Walston has more screen-time), with his scenes opposite Penn being especially amusing. It is interesting to note that the film also features Forest Whitaker (in his second film role) along with small appearances by Eric Stoltz and even Nicholas Cage (credited under his real name of Nicholas Coppola). The soundtrack is pretty good, with "We Got the Beat" from The Go-Go's being a fine opening song (along with being catchy). It isn't a great comedy nor even an exceptional coming of age high school flick, but it is certainly an entertaining experience that stands along with other films of its ilk that soon followed in the decade, all with their own kind of flair.

Overall, I give it 7 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause.

Review #496: The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause.

Cast
Tim Allen (Santa Claus/Scott Calvin), Martin Short (Jack Frost), Elizabeth Mitchell (Mrs.Claus/Carol Calvin), Judge Reinhold (Neil Miller), Wendy Crewson (Laura Miller), Liliana Mumy (Lucy Miller), Alan Arkin (Bud Newman), Ann-Margret (Sylvia Newman), and Spencer Breslin (Curtis the Elf) Directed by Michael Lembeck (#318 - The Santa Clause 2)

Review
The first film (#313 - The Santa Clause) was at least enjoyable, not too bad for a Christmas film. The sequel was mediocre, predictable, felt sort of forced (but I guess workable), and should have ended the series right there. But of course, they made a third film, and naturally, it is about as forced and tired as you would expect. Most of the cast returns, with of course one new addition, Martin Short, and boy does he try to make this film less forgettable...mostly failing. I can't blame him though, I blame the mostly unfunny script that traps him with such mediocre lines like "I invented chill!" and "Excuse me... Did you just accuse me of being skillful and delicious?", but oh well. Allen doesn't really do any better, but with a film so forced, it makes some sense. Even the effects look mediocre, not really noteworthy or terrible, just meh. This is a poor "conclusion" to the film series that probably didn't deserve to be a film series, and a Christmas film you could skip. Countdown to 500 Reviews: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4...

Overall, I give it 3 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: The Santa Clause 2.

Review #318: The Santa Clause 2.

Cast
Tim Allen (Santa Claus/Scott Calvin), Elizabeth Mitchel (Carol Newman), Eric Lloyd (Charlie Calvin), Wendy Crewson (Laura Miller), Judge Reinhold (Dr. Neil Miller), Liliana Mumy (Lucy Miller), David Krumholtz (Bernard), and Spencer Breslin (Curtis) Directed by Michael Lembeck.

Review
Sometimes films are made just because apparently there is a need to make one. This is one of them. While the film does have some chuckles, it doesn't have much of the spirit as the first one. It just feels like a predictable, mediocre Christmas film, not as enjoyable or as memorable. Allen does a good job, not a downgrade, more of a compromise from the first film. The other actors are allright, not half bad. I just don't feel this was really needed, like the plot device was only introduced just to have another one, which is kind of pointless, you could've ended on the first with no problems. I suppose there could be a good idea or two involving Santa (granted without the "Clause" in the title), but this isn't really an idea, more of a "roll with it" idea. But oh well, there is some usefullness to it. Kinda. I hope the next review will cheer me up.

Overall, I give it 5 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: The Santa Clause.

Review #313: The Santa Clause.

Cast
Tim Allen (Scott Calvin), Eric Lloyd (Charlie Calvin), Judge Reinhold (Neal Miller), Wendy Crewson (Laura Calvin-Miller), David Krumholtz (Bernard), and Peter Boyle (Mr. Whittle) Directed by John Pasquin.

Review
It's been a while since I've reviewed Tim Allen (#082 - Christmas with the Kranks, #237 - Galaxy Quest), who seems to do a consistently decent run of performances. Does he have a decent performance? No he doesn't. He has an better than just decent performance. I like him in this film, you get the sense of fun and you especially get into the Christmas spirit (If there is anyone who is tired of me saying that, let me know), doubts and all. While Reinhold's character sounds deliberately jerk-like on paper, he isn't all bad. There is no real villain, no evil Santa has to beat.  (Which is a good thing, though the idea of Santa fighting evil with a high powered sleigh is a good idea. That or him being an Time-Where was I? Ah.) It's funny at times, and it does makes sure to not lose balance (Even the child actor is decent. Is it a pattern to have either a Christmas review or have a child actor in one?), and to have cheer and all that we love.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.