Mediocre King “Long live the king,” says villain Scar to his brother Mufasa, seconds before Mufasa falls to his death. It’s a key moment in The Lion King, both …
Taking Shots at Politics Long Shot makes no attempt to restructure the mainstream romantic comedy. It uses bigger stakes – the American Presidency – and still finds a way …
Brittle Satire Danny McBride is meant to play an idiot in Arizona. Set at the beginning of the recession, McBride is turned into an American consumer satire, an SUV-driving, …
Steak Night There’s an egregious inconsistency to Sausage Party: Either the food’s packaging is alive or the food itself is. The answer isn’t consistent. And if it’s the food, …
Neighbors 3: Political Campaign The first Neighbors concerned a middle class suburban couple under assault by a next door fraternity. A weird, excessive, and often ridiculous comedy, but funny. …
Po-faced Kung Fu Panda 3’s important lesson buries itself under 80 or so minutes of frantic action. Po (Jack Black) learns the value of failure and how it makes …
Levitt, Rogen, and Mackie pair for this lagging buddy comedy The cast of The Night Before have a great time on set. Audiences might not since the fun doesn’t …
Performing the Job(s) Steve Jobs releasing so near the Ashton Kutcher-starring Jobs is a Steve Jobs thing – confident, arrogant, and knowing the competition will fail. Whether the market …
Black crush hampers an otherwise gorgeous presentation For a film meant to shamelessly satirize the situation in North Korea, The Interview makes the mistake of casting the superlative Randal …
Probably not worth an internet-based conflict In an alternate reality The Interview is an important film, one with a sardonic lock on North Korea’s uncomfortable existence while satirizing the …