RBR: Kick-Ass 2

While it became a cult favorite for many, I had had my issues with the first Kick Ass film about a teen who decides he wants to become a real life superhero despite no actual superpowers. Based on a graphic novel, the first film was flawed for reveling in its debauchery rather than making an effort to try to say anything on the topic of vigilante justice and our fascination of superheroes. Despite those issues, I was curious to see if this follow-up would be more of the same or make an effort to improve upon its previous attempt. Sadly neither of those turned out to be the case as this sequel is a sloppy, uninteresting mess of a sequel. It pulls its punches (somewhat) in terms of the gritty violence that was on display first film for a more mass marketed approach to gore and violence. It's also bogged down with a revenge storyline that holds no weight. The fact that they have to saddle the film with a weak subplot involving Hit Girl (Chloe Grace Moritz) struggling to deal with mean girls in high school is evidence of that. The only silver lining in the film is Jim Carrey playing Sgt. Stars and Stripes, a new vigilante who is trying to band together with other like-minded do-gooders. Sadly, he's killed off far too early in the film leaving us with a lot of time to fill and nothing much to offer. This film does a disservice to fans of the first film and fans of film in general. This was one of my worst films of the year thus far. Rating: * 1/2

RBR: A.C.O.D.

File this one under 'Wasted Potential'. You take an excellent cast that features Adam Scott, Richard Jenkins, Amy Poehler, Catherine O'Hara, Clark Duke, Jessica Alba, and Jane Lynch. You put them in a movie with an interesting story about what kind of people do kids of divorce turn out to be once they become adults. All of that should add up to something pretty great and yet this never reaches those heights. Scott plays the titular A.C.O.D. (which stands for Adult Child of Divorce). His younger brother announces he's going to get married. In order to prepare for the wedding, he attempts to get his estranged parents to start talking to each other once again. Dealing with them dredges up bad memories, so he also seeks out his former shrink (played by Lynch), who never was an actual therapist but still made a lot of money writing a book based on his issues growing up. The way the events play out in this film makes it feel like the pilot for a TV show. A lot of characters get introduced here that have some interesting quirks about them, but never fully get fleshed out. In addition, there's no really clear climax to the film. It really feels like an introduction without any clear resolution. If this had been a pilot, I would have been very invested to see where things go from there. As a standalone movie, I feel cheated. Despite the charming cast, there's nothing to sink your teeth into here. While there are certainly far worse movies that have come out in the past year, I cannot in my right mind recommend this one because I have no doubt that others will end up feeling just as disappointed as I was with this one. Rating: **1/2

RBR: Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa

The Jackass films take on a different life in Bad Grandpa as leader of the gang Johnny Knoxville dons old person makeup to play Irv Zisman, a newly widowed gentleman who is ask to drive his grandson cross-country to be with his dad after his mother is sent to prison. This narrative serves as a loose thread to string along a series of vignettes of Knoxville and the boy behaving badly in front of unsuspecting onlookers. Such narrative really isn't needed here and it would have worked better if they had simply gone more with the approach of the previous Jackass films of having it simply be a compilation of scenes. I had also wished that they would have gone further with some of the scenes. Not in terms of shock value, they make sure to maximize that. But rather in terms of commentary. There's an uproarious scene late in the movie where the grandson is entered into a beauty pageant and ends up performing a strip tease as mothers and daughters watch on in horror. The beauty pageant circuit is rife with material to mock and shed light on, yet the movie seems content with providing its shock moment and then moving on to the next bit. Despite these issues the film offers up some solid laughs in several scenes that carry the film to a moderate thumbs up. If you've enjoyed the previous Jackass films there's no reason why you won't find something to enjoy in this entry as well. Rating: ***

RBR: Despicable Me 2

The first Despicable Me was a pleasant surprise thanks to the wonderful voice work by Steve Carell and the story containing a lot more heart than you would expect given that it centered around a notorious supervillian and his quest to take over the world. Given its box office success it was only natural that a sequel would be made in short order. This second effort contains some of the same charm as the original, but also feels like a missed opportunity. This time around Gru (Carell) is recruited by the Anti-Villain League to help stop another evil villain. There are two problems with this set-up. First, the actions of the villain in question are rather undefined so it becomes hard to become invested in seeing him captured. Second, the Anti-Villain League quickly dumps Gru after he opts to focus on a criminal that the organization does not believe is the culprit. It makes you wonder why they bothered seeking out a villain in the first place if they were simply going to dismiss him so quickly. Really all of that set-up is a lazy way to pair up Gru and a female agent who works for the AVL who has the hots for him. Of course being a sequel the film also amps up the amount of screen time for Gru's Minions. This is a case where more is not exactly more. Overall, this sequel still has some decent laughs and looks great but remains underwhelming. Kids will no doubt love it, but for everyone else they are better off rewatching the first film. Rating: ***

RBR: Prisoners

Similar to last year's End of Watch, Jake Gyllenhaal has come out with a thriller that probably deserved more awards recognition than it has received. This year, it's Prisoners, a tense, twisty kidnapping drama that will keep you invested all the way through. Gyllenhaal plays a detective who's put it upon himself to investigate the abduction of two little girls. Unlike in End of Watch Gyllenhaal is probably the weak link here. He gives a rather mannered performance complete with heavy blinking and glowering that causes you to pay too much attention to him. The more compelling performance comes from Hugh Jackman who plays the father of one of the two kidnapped girls. Jackman plays a survivalist family man who becomes hellbent on finding out who took his little girl. Fairly early on he becomes convinced that they were taken by Paul Dano, who perfectly plays the creepy guy that would make anyone believe he's the prime suspect. Dano is discovered driving an RV that the girls were playing nearby when they were last seen. Jackman goes to extreme lengths to prove Dano is guilty even after the police move on in their investigation. The actions of Jackman produce some uncomfortable questions that will stick with you long after the movie is finished. Besides Jackman and Gyllenhaal, the film is filled with an all star supporting cast that includes Terrence Howard as the father of the other abducted girl, Viola Davis and Maria Bello as the two mothers, and Melissa Leo, who plays Dano's aunt. With several characters and twists aplenty, the film keeps you guessing as to who is really behind this evil crime. While I correctly pegged the victim early on, the film did a nice job of making me constantly second guess myself. I should also point out the incredible cinematography of the film. The look of the film is nicely atmospheric. I don't normally pay attention to something like that, but since it was so noticeable here, I looked at who the cinematographer was and it turned out to be Roger Deakins, who did Skyfall. It's no wonder I took notice of it. Deakins who was nominated for his work on Skyfall has once again been nominated this year for his work on this film. Like most thrillers, this one does have its issues in terms of some plot holes. If you find yourself getting caught up in the story, however, you're likely not to care. It also could have been a bit tighter. With a runtime of 2 and half hours, it drags out the final act longer than it needed too. Still, this is a solid thriller that deserves to be seen if you missed it in theaters. Although given its subject matter I don't know how well parents will appreciate the film's difficult storyline. But if you're simply in the mood for a good psychological drama, this one is one of the best from 2013. Rating: **** 1/2

RBR: The Wolverine

Given the lukewarm reception that the first solo Wolverine film received back in 2009, I wasn't sure if we really needed to see another movie featuring the mutant with the adamantium claws. However, credit director James Mangold and the rest of the crew behind this new adventure for delivering something dramatically different. Set almost entirely in Japan, the film focuses Wolverine being asked to say goodbye to a dying Japanese man he once saved back in World War II. On his deathbed the man offer Wolverine the opportunity to remove his mutant power and make him a mortal man. From there the plot kicks into gear as there are several parties involved trying to take over the dying man's corporation. The action in the film is quite compelling, especially a scene that involves Wolverine battling members of the Yakusa on top of a speeding bullet train. However, the film does suffer from some pacing issues. The middle of the film sags and the risk of having a cast of unknown actors alongside Hugh Jackman does not always pay off. The woman who plays Mariko, the granddaughter of the dying man and potential love interest for Wolverine is a real bore. However, the actress who plays Mariko's adopted sister is a real fine. She is compelling and brings an energy to the scenes she's in with Jackman. Overall, the film's flaws prevent it from being an out-right winner. However, I applaud the efforts of everyone involved for trying something different. I want to see more attempts like this rather than safe, bland, inconsequential stories like the one featured in Thor: The Dark World. Perhaps best of all, this story serves to get me all that much more excited to see X-Men: Days of Future Past. If nothing else The Wolverine showed that there's plenty of life left in this immortal being. Rating: ****

RBR: Don Jon

Truth be told, I did not rent this one from Redbox because it's not available on Redbox yet. I actually used a service called MGO, which is an individual online rental service that gave you two free rentals upon initial registration.

As for the film, this is the writing and directing debut for Joseph Gordon Levitt, who also stars in the film as a young guido who has an affinity for online pornography. While he has no difficulty meeting and sleeping with women, he prefers watching the porn because he is more easily able to "lose himself" when watching it than he can when being with a woman. For him watching pornography is just as much of his daily routine as going to the gym, cleaning his apartment or going to church. This creates a problem, however, when he begins to date the beautiful Barbara (Scarlet Johanson). She finds it disgusting and wants him to focus only on her. The films sets up a lot of intriguing storylines beyond the tension the Jon's habit has on his relationship. There's an emotionally unstable woman (Julianne Moore) who befriends Jon at the night class he is taking. There's Jon's parents (Tony Danza and Glenn Headley) who always seem to fight and Jon's sister (Brie Larson), who never stops playing on her phone. As I watched I kept waiting for the payoff to these characters and their issues but it never really goes anywhere. I was hoping that the story would have something to say about the ubiquity of pornography and the reason people can become addicted to it. Instead it settles for a romantic comedy conclusion that the character seemed to rail against earlier in the film. The cast here is extremely likeable and Levitt shows some promise as a director, but on the whole Don Jon left me unsatisfied. If I had wanted that, I could have just watched actual porn instead. Rating: *** 1/2

RBR: 2 Guns

You would never hear anyone note similarities in the acting styles of Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg and yet teaming them together has produced quite the charismatic pair in 2 Guns, an action thriller from earlier this year. Washington is a DEA agent and Wahlberg is a Marine who have teamed up to take down a Mexican drug lord (played by Edward James Olmos) without fully revealing to the other who they really are or their motivations. The banter between them provides the film with a nice spark that resembles some of the pairing of great 80s buddy cop movies like Lethal Weapon or 48 Hours. Because these two keep their plans from each other, it sets up a number of other characters in the film who also have their own agendas. While it makes the story a bit preposterous, it is also exciting because you cannot immediately tell how things will turn out. Paula Patton fills the sex appeal role playing a fellow agent working with Washington. I would have actually like to see a bit more development in her character, but she's at least easy on the eyes. Given the breezy chemistry that the two leads had it is disappointing that the film opted to have the action portrayed in such a violent manner. The film's title is quite the misnomer given that way more than two guns are used. The violence shown here suggests a grittier film than the way Washington and Wahlberg play things. A more consistent film would have produced something great. As it is, this merely settles for being a solidly entertaining film and makes me interested in seeing these two leads team up again either in a sequel or in an unrelated project. Rating: ****

RBR: We're the Millers

This comedy about a small time drug dealer who pretends to have a family so he can smuggle a large quantity of marijuana across the border turned out to be a surprise hit earlier this year. Now having seen it on DVD, its success is that much more surprising to me. For one, movies that come in August typically are not poised to be blockbusters. But the bigger reason is that the film's humor and subject matter do not seem like they would lend themselves to a mainstream hit. Credit the likeable cast for driving this creaky premise into a film that does enough to get by. SNL's Jason Sudekis plays the drug dealer who rounds up Jennifer Aniston, Emma Roberts, and Will Poulter to play his family members. The film also features appearances from comedians including Ed Helms, Nick Offerman, and Kathryn Hahn. The humor here is very hit and miss. I found too many of the gags had decent setups with weak payoffs. The bigger issue though was poor character development. Almost everyone here is inconsistent and behaves in a manner that suits the joke and the role they play in it. Unfortunately, I found there to be very few surprises offered here. Given that this is a film that is relying on half of its jokes to work based on shock value, that's a problem. I also found the film to be a bit too cynical at times regarding the American dream and suburban family life. It feels like they want the characters to take a jaded attitude toward that lifestyle, but the actors seem to be good representatives of it. I did not find myself actively hating this film like other pathetic comedies I have seen this year, but I also was left confused as to what was offered here that struck a nerve with so many viewers to cause it to earn as much as it did at the box office. To me this is the epitome of an average film that gets by with its pleasant actors engaging in some occasionally humorous antics. Rating: ** 1/2

RBR: The To Do List

After last year's quirky Safety Not Guaranteed, it became apparent that Parks and Recreations's Aubrey Plaza has the potential to be a leading lady in films. In The To Do List she tries her hand at the R-rated comedy genre. She plays Brandy Klark, an over-achieving high school grad who realizes that for all she knows, she's uninformed when it comes to sex. She sets out to learn everything that there is to know before she heads off to college and treats it in the same organized fashion that she would studying for chemistry or history. Surrounding her is a cast of funny regulars in films like these including Alia Shawkat, Donald Glover, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, and Andy Samberg. Working as a lifeguard for the summer Brandy encounters several guys who are more than willing to help her check off her list items. The movie plays out in a similar fashion as other "high schooler wants to get laid before college" movies, but this one just doesn't work like it should. Part of the problem is the disconnect between what the central character should be and what she really is. For as talented as Plaza is, she makes Brandy too poised and mature for a character that has supposedly had her nose in a book her entire life. She achieves her tasks too easily and hardly shows any awkwardness. Even though it's a natural setting for this type of film, I also question why he character would want to be a lifeguard. The bigger problem with the film is that too many of the jokes simply don't land. Some of the fault here lies with writer/director Maggie Carey. She's working with a solid idea but does not seem to know exactly how to mine it for the most value. The one exception of this is with Bill Hader, who runs the swimming pool that Brandy works at. He manages to produce laughs in every scene that he's in. This may be due to the fact that Hader is married to Carey. Given their relationship, she probably just let him loose and have his natural comedic talent shine. The rest of the cast though needed a bit more direction in order to make the material work. This is not a bad film, just one that did not live up to its potential. Hopefully 'make a better film' will be on Carey's to do list. Rating: *** 1/2

RBR: The Hangover Part III

A lot of people spent a lot of time griping over The Hangover Part II, knocking it for being basically a carbon copy of the first film. While I felt the criticism was a bit overblown, I understood it given how much people loved the first film. Despite the complaints, the fervor for the series was still there to encourage everyone to make a third film. So it was to my surprise that Part III came and went with hardly any discussion at all. There was no anger, yet no proclamations of the series returning back to form. It seemed odd until I finally had a chance to watch the film for myself and see that this was basically a Hangover movie in name only. Sure the members of the Wolfpack are all back but there is no blackout drunkenness nor the hilarity that goes along with it. This plays more like a straight forward action thriller than it does a comedy. I almost wonder if director Todd Phillips made this film out of spite. As if to say that if people didn't want a repeat of the first movie then he would give them the complete opposite. The plot centers around Doug getting kidnapped by a drug dealer (John Goodman) who won't release him unless the rest of the Wolfpack brings him Mr. Chow, who has stolen a large amount of money from him. In their quest to find and capture Chow, the film attempts to provide some closure to the events of the first two films, but none of it yields very many laughs. In fact the biggest laughs come from the post credits scene which most closely resembles something you would have seen in one of the first two films (perhaps lending more credence to my spite theory). At this point, it seems that the book has finally closed the Wolfpack. It is a shame that they chose to do so in a way that leaves the audience feeling wounded and hurt rather than howling with laughter. Rating: ** 1/2

RBR: World War Z

I put the blame for how horrible Quantum of Solace was squarely on director Marc Forster. As a result, I had decided that I would not watch or support any future film he would do. But with enough time having passed and with a lack of better options at the time at Redbox, I decided to check out his latest film, the zombie apocalypse thriller, World War Z. This is not necessarily a genre I am particularly fond of, but when it offers something interesting, like the comedic take in Zombieland, I take somewhat of an interest. This is an adaptation from a popular book, but from what I understand it takes some significant liberties with the story. Brad Pitt stars as a former UN worker who gets roped back in to help find a way to solve this zombie problem. I give the film a lot of credit in that it does not waste any time in getting into the action and frenzy. Once it starts, it really doesn't stop until the end credits roll. Along the way we get a number of decent set pieces, but nothing really revelatory about zombies or why they've suddenly started attacking the planet. The end result is probably the most mainstream version of a zombie film that you will ever see. For those who loves these films, this will likely come off as a disappointment, but for those who know nothing of the 'walking dead', this is probably a good entry point. Forster's work does nothing to make me reconsider my stance of what he did on Solace, but I am certainly more open to seeing other films from him in the future. Rating: *** 1/2

RBR: Identity Thief

Perhaps we shouldn't be surprise that a film with a premise all about stealing the identity of someone would so liberally steal elements from other movies. That's what happens though in Identity Thief, a movie with a ton of promise thanks to the casting of two extremely funny people and saddling them with a tired, rehashed plot that has been done so much better in the past. There are elements of Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, Midnight Run, and Taking Care of Business seen here but this movie strips away the humor, intelligence, and heart found in those films. Instead, this film focuses on car chases, action scenes, and a physical brand of humor that yields very few laughs. It is a shame that a film that features two comedic actors who I enjoy produced only one actual laugh from me. I quickly became disinterested in seeing how everything would get resolved. Not surprisingly the central story ends on a predictable note while other subplots get ignored or are paid off in an unsatisfactory manner. Given how successful the film was, I know that I am now one of the last people to actually see this movie, but if you have managed to hold out longer than I have, continue doing so because there's nothing here worth your time. Rating: **

RBR: Monsters University

We have long known that Pixar spoiled movie goers with the quality of the movies that they put out for over a decade. Audiences and critics began to realize that producing classic after classic is not a given based on Pixar's recent streak of underwhelming efforts. It was not only taken for granted that each film they made would be great, but that even their sequels would be just as good as their original films. When you look at both of the Toy Story sequels, it is remarkable how they were able to maintain such excellence. A large part of that was likely due to them having a clear vision for what the stories should be for each of those films. We saw actual character development and a defined story arc related to life and mortality. The same cannot be said for Monsters University, a prequel to 2001's Monsters Inc.. Unlike with Woody and the gang, it seems as if the Pixar crew has no idea what to do with Mike and Sully. The concept of taking a look at them in college is intriguing, although a bit odd for a movie aimed at such a young audience. The fact that they essentially do a Revenge of the Nerds ripoff is disappointing. There are plenty of colorful characters and jokes that work regardless of how old you are, but none of this feels innovative or fresh. If this were merely a Saturday morning cartoon extension of the franchise, I probably would not be as hard on them. But for them to revisit these characters nearly a decade later, I expected something more worthwhile. From a technical standpoint, there's nothing wrong here. However, this film is more representative of a student who coasts through school on decent grades rather than the valedictorian who puts everything they've got into making sure they are the best. Rating: ***

RBR: Grown Ups 2

I am developing quite the cognitive dissonance when it comes to Adam Sandler's films these days. As I watch more films and learn more about what it takes to make a great film, I increasingly notice the flaws that are found in his movies. And yet one fact remains (mostly) true whenever I watch him on screen - he finds a way to make me laugh. Given the sophomoric nature of the humor, I don't always take pride in the fact that I laugh, but what can I say? In this follow up to the successful film from 2010, we find Sandler and all of his buddies (Kevin James, Chris Rock, and David Spade) and their families all living the sweet life in suburbia. If you are looking for a plot here, do not bother. While story has never been a strength in the Sandler library, this one is particularly startling in how flimsy of a premise there is to string along these scenes. This is moreso a collection of scenes with Sandler riffing with his friends, as well as more tertiary friends (Tim Meadows, Colin Quinn, Nick Swardson, etc.). The sad thing is that among this collection of scenes you see some morsels of goodness that make you believe a better film could have been delivered by this cast if anyone was interested in putting in some effort. Both the adults and the kids (all of whom are back from the first film) have some nice moments. Ultimately, this is the perfect type of movie to watch on cable. You can turn it on in the middle, leave at various parts and come back again and watch some more later and never really miss a beat. During the times you watch, you're likely to find at least a few jokes you'll like but you also won't feel like you're missing out if you do not see every frame. For all of their weaknesses, this is a group of guys that I enjoy watching and hanging out with. This one won't be winning any awards (save for a few Razzies perhaps), but I'm ok with that. A steady diet of this would be too much, but there's nothing wrong with an occasional low-brow indulgence. Rating: ** 1/2

RBR: RED 2 (Quick hits)

This one is not available on home movie yet, but it is long gone from the theaters, so we'll just stick it here and be done with it. Those who were fans of the first RED film, will get another dose of the same here. Thankfully I enjoyed the first one and found enough to like here as well. It mostly comes from seeing this group of aging stars have a lot of fun blowing stuff up real good. Could they have done something more interesting from a storytelling perspective? Absolutely. But this is the type of film that matinee theaters were built for. It's harmless entertainment that keeps you engaged for a few hours but then you'll likely quickly forget about a few days after you watched it. There's no need to do a third film in this series, but if they opted to do so, I wouldn't be totally against it. This was certainly better than most of Bruce Willis' efforts (A Good Day to Die Hard, G.I. Joe: Retaliation) this year. Rating: *** 1/2

RBR: The Croods (Quick hits)

Technically this one isn't available at Redbox yet, but it is available on home video and will be at Redbox next month. This animated caveman picture does have some charm. The voice cast including Nicholas Cage and Emma Stone attempts to bring some energy to the characters. It also creates some memorable animal characters that the kids will adore. The biggest problem with the film is its story that plays more like a TV pilot than a self contained film narrative. There is a sense of desperation on the filmmakers part to setup each character and have you like them so that you can see more wacky adventures from this crew. If this had been on Nickelodeon or Disney, I would rate it higher. However, there have been way better animated films that were actually worth your money as opposed to this prehistoric dud. Rating: ***

RBR: Broken City (Quick hits)

Talk about a dreadfully dull film. You would think that a film starring Russell Crowe, Mark Wahlberg, and Catherine Zeta Jones would crackle with life, but this nearly put me to sleep. About the only thing keeping me awake was trying to wrap my head around the numerous plot holes and mistakes that are found in the story. Like Admission, we see a lot of characters doing dumb things that make no sense to anyone with half a brain. I was hoping for some decent police/political thriller but this material isn't even worth doing on a fourth rate Law & Order spinoff. Rating: **

RBR: Admission (Quick hits version)

So there have been a lot of films that I have seen over the past few months that I never got around to reviewing for one reason or another. I am going to try and knock them all out in a row right now. Given that most of these films aren't in theaters any more, I won't do lengthy reviews. But at least you get to hear my thoughts on them anyways. So here goes nothing...

Tina Fey has earned fame and acclaim for her brand of smart comedy. Whether it was being on SNL or 30 Rock, making films like Mean Girls, or writing one of her successful books, she has managed to find the funny in an intelligent manner. For that reason, I am dumbfounded to see her associate herself with such dumb material like this film. What's even more baffling is that her character works for one of the most prestigious universities in the country. Fey plays an admissions counselor for Princeton. For someone responsible for evaluating the lives and merits of others, the decisions she makes in her own life are highly questionable. After breaking up with her boyfriend (Michael Sheen, doing a rather unfunny running gag of always showing up at inopportune times) she learns that she may have found a son that she gave up for adoption at birth thanks to Paul Rudd who teaches the boy at a progressive charter school. Fey's actions dealing with this potential son do not yield much laughs nor warmth. You just sit there wondering why anyone thought this material was good. Even character actors like Wallace Shaw and Lily Tomlin get wasted here. Now that 30 Rock is over, there were high hopes that Fey would make a successful transition to film, but if she continues to do projects like this she better hope to get a new job in TV real soon. Rating: ** 1/2

RBR: G.I. Joe: Retaliation

When people criticize Hollywood for being out of ideas, one of the first pieces of evidence that gets cited is the abundance of television shows that get turned into feature films when they have no business being on the silver screen. The GI Joe franchise, however, seems like it would translate well to the big screen. You have a colorful cast of characters and a relatable story of good and evil. Given the source material that they have to work with, it is baffling how much Hollywood has mismanaged this franchise and turned in now two disappointing entries. What has been apparent in both 2009's Rise of Cobra and the recent sequel Relatiation is the corporate fingerprints that have put a stranglehold on the direction of these films. Things like putting it in 3D and adding The Rock and Bruce Willis to the cast offer nothing to the actual storytelling and are included merely because some studio executives has the misguided belief that this is what audiences want. In the cartoon, all of the Joes had distinct names and corresponding attributes that made them unique. In this latest film, the only way a character stands out is because of who is playing him. Why is Dwayne Johnson called Roadblock? Beats me. They might as well have just called him The Rock because that's what everyone is thinking while seeing him on the screen. The villians are not much better in terms of being distinct. The handling of Cobra Commander is slightly better here than in the first film, but he has to share time on the screen with several other villains so we can never really appreciate any of them. That brings up another issue with the film in that there is too much going on, yet none of it feels like it matters. Half of the film is spent on the rivalry between Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow and too often I had no idea why I should care or what it had to do with the other plot involving an ambush on the Joes. I will give credit where it is due and say that there are some impressive action scenes sprinkled throughout the film. The ninja fight that takes place on the side of a mountain in particular is very well done. But again, none of it feels like it matters. Never before have I seen an entire major city get destroyed in a film and have it feel as insignificant as it does here. Until this franchise can show a little bit more coherence in its storytelling, I'm going AWOL. Rating: ** 1/2