RBR: This is 40

Like many, I've been a huge fan of Judd Apatow's work over the years. He was on an incredible role until Funny People, which was one of the most disappointing films I've ever seen. It was my hope then, that he could get back into his groove with his latest, This is 40; a film that allows him to go back to his roots somewhat by taking a couple of side characters from his film, Knocked Up and putting them center stage here. The two characters are Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann's Pete and Debbie - a married California couple struggling with the problems associated with middle age. And if this film is to be believed, there are a LOT of problems as you reach mid-life including financial woes, sexual frustration, tensions with parents, tensions with kids, and an overall sense of fulfillment in life. As someone who has not yet hit 40, I can't speak on this with any expertise, but I couldn't help feeling as I watched this film, that the problems that these characters go through are not representative of most people at that age. It's not that people in their 40s don't deal with these issues, it's the specifics behind the depiction of these problems that seem out of touch. The Apatow films that work for me have always seemed to have its humor grounded in reality, whereas I didn't know who this film was meant to speak to. Part of the problem is the film's narrative structure. For the first half (of this unnecessarily 2+ hour film), there doesn't seem to be any organization whatsoever. It's just a compilation of small scenes that either touch on a problem or go for a laugh. By the time the film makes an attempt at getting to a central story there's just not enough to hang on to for it to work. There are admittedly some funny scenes in the film. When you're working with a funny cast, that also included Albert Brooks, Jason Segal, John Lithgow, Robert Smigel, and surprisingly Megan Fox, it's only natural that some laughs will develop. However, nobody outside of the two central stars are given enough to do. Those characters definitely needed more screen time. Not just because they are deserving of it, but also because Rudd and Mann's characters are so mean and depressing for the majority of the time that they are together that we needed more of buffer between their scenes involving them hanging out with other, more enjoyable people. While This is 40 does not sink to the level of Funny People, it has to be considered a disappointment. For as talented as he is, I think it's become apparent that Apatow is not as successful tackling more mature subject matters like he's attempted to do in his last two films. It seems like he wants to move away from the arrested development/man-child storylines, but he should also realize he should stick with what works. Rating: ** 1/2

RBR: The Five-Year Engagement

Some pairs just seem like a match made in heaven. But as we all know, looks can be deceiving. This is true for the characters in The Five-Year Engagement. Tom (Jason Segal) and Violet (Emily Blunt), are a couple who seem to be deeply in love at their engagement and yet struggle to actually tie the knot. This idea is also applicable to the film itself - a movie that has a great cast and setup and yet can't turn that into something successful. This is certainly through no fault of the casting. Segal is his usual doughy, loveable self and Blunt is consistently charming (As a side note, she is quickly becoming one of my favorite actresses who has shown tremendous range in her past few roles). Rather, this movie commits a few of my 'mortal sins' when it comes to filmmaking. One of them is the reliance on cliched characters. I mean how many times do we have to see the 'lecherous older male professor' character. Maybe given my profession, I'm more sensitive to this cliche than others, but it just felt unoriginal and you knew every beat to that character's story arc. The other sin committed here is poor communication. I had expected this film to be about a series of events that conspire against the film's leads, preventing them from getting hitched. Instead, there's really on one primary issue here and it could have been resolved or dealt with in much more succinct manner. It should not have taken five years to arrive at the resolution they come to by the movie's end. It's feels more like a six months to a year issue at best. And while the timeline in the film doesn't feel very long, watching the film feels like five years of the viewers' time has passed. More time was needed in the editing room for this film. Somewhere buried inside is a good film. The cast and everyone else involved is too talented to turn in an effort like this. As it stands, this comes off as a disappointment. Rating: ** 1/2

2012 Fall Movie Preview (December)

DJANGO UNCHAINED (December 25)
Plot: Set in the South two years before the Civil War, "Django Unchained" stars Academy Award-winner Jamie Foxx as Django, a slave whose brutal history with his former owners lands him face-to-face with German-born bounty hunter Dr. King Schultz (Academy Award-winner Christoph Waltz). Schultz is on the trail of the murderous Brittle brothers, and only Django can lead him to his bounty. The unorthodox Schultz acquires Django with a promise to free him upon the capture of the Brittles - dead or alive.

Quick thoughts: I can't say I'm the biggest fan of Quentin Tarratino's work (I'll admit I still haven't see Pulp Fiction) but I absolutely loved Inglorious Basterds, so I'm excited to see what he does for a follow up. Having a pair of Oscar winners as the leads and Leonardo DiCaprio in the mix hamming it up seems like a recipe for success to me. This isn't the most conventional Christmas movie, but it seems like it'll certainly be a nice gift for all moviegoers.


THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY (December 14)
Plot: "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" follows title character Bilbo Baggins, who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor, which was long ago conquered by the dragon Smaug. Approached out of the blue by the wizard Gandalf the Grey, Bilbo finds himself joining a company of thirteen dwarves led by the legendary warrior Thorin Oakenshield. Their journey will take them into the Wild; through treacherous lands swarming with Goblins and Orcs, deadly Wargs and Giant Spiders, Shapeshifters and Sorcerers. Although their goal lies to the East and the wastelands of the Lonely Mountain, first they must escape the goblin tunnels, where Bilbo meets the creature that will change his life forever... Gollum. Here, alone with Gollum, on the shores of an underground lake, the unassuming Bilbo Baggins not only discovers depths of guile and courage that surprise even him, he also gains possession of Gollum's "precious" ring that holds unexpected and useful qualities... A simple, gold ring that is tied to the fate of all Middle-earth in ways Bilbo cannot begin to know.

Quick thoughts: While three of the four movies on this month's list were no-brainers, I struggled with the final one. I ultimately chose The Hobbit because it will no doubt be the 'biggest' of all the movies I considered. While I admired the filmmaking of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, the story did not capture my interest like so many other people. While I doubt I would be rushing out to see this on my own, I have friends who are huge fans of anything Tolkien, so I'll no doubt be checking this one out as well later this year.


JACK REACHER (December 21)
Plot: Six shots. Five dead. One heartland city thrown into a state of terror. But within hours the cops have it solved: a slam-dunk case. Except for one thing. The accused man says: You got the wrong guy. Then he says: Get Reacher for me. Sure enough, ex-military investigator Jack Reacher is coming. He knows this shooter, a trained military sniper who never should have missed a shot. Reacher is certain something is not right, and soon the slam-dunk case explodes. Now Reacher is teamed with a beautiful young defense lawyer, moving closer to the unseen enemy who is pulling the strings. Reacher knows that no two opponents are created equal. This one has come to the heartland from his own kind of hell. And Reacher knows that the only way to take him down is to match his ruthlessness and cunning, and then beat him shot for shot.

Quick thoughts: After last year's fourth Mission: Impossible film, I learned never to question Tom Cruise's ability when it comes to action films again. So even though he doesn't exactly match the description of Jack Reacher as author Lee Child has established him in his series of novels, I have all the confidence in the world that Cruise will be able to pull the role off and deliver another terrific thriller.


THIS IS 40 (December 21)
Plot: Writer/director/producer Judd Apatow ("The 40-Year-Old Virgin," "Funny People") brings audiences "This Is 40," an original comedy that expands upon the story of Pete (Paul Rudd) and Debbie (Leslie Mann) from the blockbuster hit "Knocked Up" as we see first-hand how they are dealing with their current state of life.

Quick thoughts: It's been three years since Judd Apatow directed a film and even longer since he directed a good one. I'm anxious to see him return to greatness and based on the trailers, he's got a shot with this one. 40 was a lucky number for him when he did Virgin with Steve Carell, and Rudd and Mann were the best part of Knocked Up, so let's hope that all adds up to a winner here.


OTHER POSSIBLE FILMS OF INTEREST
Les Miserables (December 14)
Monsters Inc. 3D (December 19)
Zero Dark Thirty (December 19)
The Guilt Trip (December 25)

Age is but a number

I wasn't expecting this so soon (given the films that will be coming out sooner that we don't have trailers for yet), but here's your first look at Judd Apatow's next directorial effort, his quasi-sequel to Knocked Up, This is Forty

2012 Movie Preview (#12 - 7)

12. The Dictator (May 11th)

Plot: The film tells the heroic story of a dictator who risked his life to ensure that democracy would never come to the country he so lovingly oppressed. It is inspired by the best selling novel "Zabibah and The King" by Saddam Hussein.

Personal opinion: So which Sasha Baron Cohen will we get here? The one who became a cultural phenomenom with Borat or the one who turned off audiences by crossing the line from funny to offensive with Bruno? Based on the trailer I posted here recently, it seems like his latest film has a mixture of both in it. However, the final scene involving him running in a race had me in stiches and gave me the confidence that this one can be a real winner.


11. The Bourne Legacy (August 3rd)

Plot: The Universal release has taken the title from the Eric Van Lustbader book based on the series created by Robert Ludlum, but they will not be using the story. "This is not a reboot or a recast or a prequel. No one's replacing Matt Damon. There will be a whole new hero, a whole new chapter...this is a stand-alone project," said Gilroy. "The easiest way to think of it is an expansion or a reveal," Gilroy added. "Jason Bourne will not be in this film, but he's very much alive. What happened in the first three films is the trigger for what happens. I'm building a legend and an environment and a wider conspiracy... the world we're making enhances and advances and invites Jason Bourne's return [down the road]."

Personal opinion: The Bourne franchise has been one of my favorite of the past ten years, so I'm somewhat conflicted over this latest entry. It's a shame they felt like they needed to continue it despite neither Matt Damon nor director Paul Greengrass returning for this one. Their absence will no doubt be huge. Having said that, there are several of the supporting actors who are returning to help maintain continuity. As for the replacements, Jeremy Renner is quickly establishing himself as a mainstream action star and Tony Gilroy, who will direct this one, was a writer on the previous Bourne films and has also directed Michael Clayton proving that he has the directing chops and familiarity with the material needed to fill Greengrass' shoes. This will be no easy feat, but if they can pull it off, it'll be one of the most pleasant surprises of 2012.


10. This is Forty (Decemeber 21st)

Plot: The film will feature an original story with characters created by Rudd and Mann in "Knocked Up."

Personal opinion: Here's another possible case of redemption. After disappointing virtually everybody with the unfunny Funny People, Judd Apatow is finally getting back behind the camera with this sequel/spin-off of Knocked Up focusing specifically on Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann's married couple. Apatow struck gold when exploring the life of a 40-year old before, so I look forward to seeing what he can come up with this time. Hopefully by returning to some familiar territory with some friendly faces he'll get the comedic juices flowing again.


9. Django Unchained (December 25th)

Plot: In Quentin Tarantino's new spaghetti Western, the title character Django is a freed slave, who under the tutelage of a German bounty hunter (Christoph Waltz) becomes a badass bounty hunter himself. After assisting Waltz on taking down some bad guys for profit, he is in turn assisted by Waltz in tracking down his slave wife and liberating her from an evil plantation owner. The film deals with racism, while it's 100 percent pure popcorn and revenge flick, it takes on the evil slave owning south.

Personal opinion: I'll admit I took awhile to get on the Quentin Tarantino bandwagon. However, after seeing Inglorious Basterds I became a convert. By the looks of the cast he's rounded up for this film, it seems many other people are believers as well. You have guys like Leonardo Dicaprio and Jaime Foxx working on this film along with Tarantino alums like Samuel L. Jackson and Christophe Waltz. With Basterds Tarantino conquered the war film, so now I'm really curious to see what he has up his sleeve for the spaghetti western genre. This could be another major player come awards season.


8. American Reunion (April 6th)

Plot:In the comedy "American Reunion," all the "American Pie" characters we met a little more than a decade ago are returning to East Great Falls for their high-school reunion. In one long-overdue weekend, they will discover what has changed, who hasn't and that time and distance can't break the bonds of friendship.

Personal opinion: So may look at this and feel that this franchise has worn out its welcome, especially with the addition of those pitiful direct-to-DVD, quasi-sequels, but I've always had an affinity for these films. I guess because the characters' timeline closely mirrors my own I see these films as a time capsule of my own experiences. The fact that they were able to get everyone from the original cast back for this one is exciting and the trailer released earlier this year has me believing that this slice of pie has not become completely stale yet.


7. Looper (September 28th)

Plot: Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays a contract killer who works for the mob of the future, and who kills victims that are then sent back in time 30 years so there's no trace of the crime, but one day, he recognizes one of his targets (Bruce Willis) as a future version of himself.

Personal opinion: I always appreciate when a sci-fi film can develop an idea that's unique and creative and on paper this one sounds like it will fit the bill. This one is being directed Rian Johnson, who impressed a lot of people with his first two films, Brick and The Brothers Bloom. I like both Gordon-Levitt and Willis, so it should be fun to see them share the screen in this one. The only concern I have is the release date. There have often been a lot of promising sci-fi films released in the fall that have turned out to be duds. Based on some early buzz I've heard about this one though, it sounds like it should be able to avoid that problem.