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: **

New Fall TV review: Brooklyn Nine Nine

As we begin the fall TV season, I'll do my best to review some of the new shows that are debuting in hopes of letting you know whether or not they will be worth your time. First up is a new sitcom on FOX set in the world of a Brooklyn police department. SNL vet Andy Samberg stars as the hotshot detective who loves his job and he's good at it. In fact his sergeant (played by the great Terry Crews) states that the only case he hasn't been able to solve is how to grow up. This rubs his new captain (played by Andre Braugher) the wrong way. Braugher has fun playing the serious boss while also having some fun with the same type of role he's played on police dramas. The show also has a good set of supporting actors including Joe Lo Truglio who knows a thing or two about cop comedies after his stint on Reno: 911. The true find, however, is Chelsea Peretti, whose sarcastic take on her job and her co-workers had me heartily laughing every time she was on screen. Developed by Michael Schur, who also created Parks and Recreation, this show managed to deliver a lot of laughs, which is not always easy in pilot episodes that are so dependent on introductions and exposition. Playing crimes for laughs can also be difficult, but if they continue to be dealing with crimes like the theft of a $6000 ham as they did in the pilot, this show has a definite chance of being very successful. It may only be one episode, but this show already has me arrested. Verdict:Given a season pass on the DVR

2 tickets to the Guns show

Here's a trailer for the new action comedy 2 Guns starring Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg. This looks like it could be a lot of fun, particularly during the dog days of summer.

RBR: End of Watch

Films depicting the lives of cops in Southern California are nothing new and yet more continue to get made because they typically offer an effective mix of drama, action, suspense, and character study. This remains true in End of Watch, which follows two cops (played by Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena) as they deal with guns, gangs, and drugs. One of the things that allows this film to rise above the familiarity of the genre is the performances of its two leads. Gyllenhaal and Pena not only bring an authenticity to their roles, but you also truly feel the bond that has been established between these two "brothers", which is how they refer to each other. We really see who these guys are both in and out of the uniform as he film also takes the time to develop characters for their respective mates (Anna Kendrick nicely plays Gyllenhaal's wife). One of the biggest issues of debate surrounding the film is the decision to present this story from a documentary/found footage perspective. On one hand, I feel that this has now become a tired narrative approach that we've seen too often recently. In the particular film, I'm torn on how its used. At times, this approach creates some interesting angles to depict the action, but in other instances I think it handicaps the film's ability to properly tell the story. Ultimately, I would not cite this a reason to skip the movie, but I would be very interested to see how much the film would change/improve if it had used a more traditional filmmaking style. Ultimately, the strong performances and compelling story win out here to make this a much better film than I had anticipated. If you had previously ignored it because of its generic title, familiar storyline, or shaky cam style, don't let that deter you from checking it out now on home video. This is solid cop thriller that will instantly suck you in to its story. Rating: ****