Review: They Came Together (2014)

I’m really riding out this Parks and Recreation obsession right now. I’ve moved onto the phase of looking up the entire cast’s filmography and consuming it as quickly as possible. Don’t worry, I’ll be fine…

They Came Together (2014) is a spoof rom com of sorts, starring Amy Poehler and Paul Rudd as a couple telling their friends over dinner one night about the story of how they met. They claim their story is just like a romantic comedy, and so the movie plays out their telling of the events. As we all like to do, many of the details are exaggerated, which is the core of the comedy in this movie.

Molly (Amy Poehler) runs her own boutique sweet store in New York City called Upper Sweet Side, and Joel (Paul Rudd) just so happens to work for a huge corporate business who are trying to shut Molly’s business down. It was hate at first sight!

So, here’s what I loved about this movie. The cast was amazing. It had so many of my favourite TV faces in (Cobie Smulders, Ed Helms, Jack McBrayer, Max Greenfield, Adam Scott, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, just to name a few) that I could have happily watched just to spot them all. The comedy style was right up my street. It almost has a Muppets feel to it, it’s so literal, which I realise will probably put a lot of people off straight away, but honestly, I love that kind of humour. 

Just a really quick example off the top of my head: Mollie is chatting with her colleague at the sweet store and her colleague warns her that Joel is right outside. Mollie gaps in horror and exclaims “But I look like a chimney sweep!” and then we see Mollie, literally dressed as a chimney sweep, with soot on her face and everything. It just tickles me!

I think the humour more than makes up for the predictable plot, but I don’t even think that needs to be apologised for. There’s a line Mollie says very early on in the movie that clearly indicates where the plot is going, so it was deliberate anyway.

My one gripe with They Came Together, and it pains me to say, is that some of the jokes fall so flat they’re quite painful. One minute I was actually crying from laughing so hard, and the next, a joke would fall so flat I winced and kind of wanted to pretend the moment never happened.

I imagine this movie really splits opinions, but my score will rest somewhere in the middle.

Bonus screenshot:

Review: Vacation (2015)

Just when you thought I couldn’t talk anymore about Vacation on this blog, bam! Sequel/remake time. I’m in my prime right now. On a serious note though, the original Vacation was my whole childhood, and since the very recent passing of my Granny I’ve felt even more of a connection to it. Every Bank Holiday as a child would be spent at my grandparents with a KFC, and National Lampoon’s Vacation would be played.  I only watched the original Vacation once as a child so I don't have the same connection to it as Allie but I did enjoy it (even if I don't like Chevy Chase - Sorry Allie!!)

I’ve been waiting for this film for about 2 years now since it was announced. In fact, Jenna and I still worked together when it was announced! I think I had a celebratory Subway for lunch that day. I do however realise that sequels are very rarely as good as their originals, and by the time I bought my cinema ticket I was mainly just hoping it wouldn’t suck.

Rusty Griswold (Ed Helms) is all grown up now and with his family life stuck in a bit of a rut, he remembers the fun he had as a child on his family road trip and vacation to Walley World. Clearly he didn’t remember it very well, as it was a disaster, but nonetheless he decides to take his wife Debbie (Christina Applegate), and two sons James (Skyler Gisondo) and Kevin (Steele Stebbins) on the same road trip. As James wisely points out, he’s never even heard of the original vacation, but that’s okay, Rusty says it will stand on its own.  This was a great scene where they basically explained that you didn't need to see the original to enjoy this one...very clever!!

Whilst Vacation is never going to win any real awards, can I just award it an honourary ‘best opening credits ever’ award? Seriously, I was in stitches! Before I let this post turn into gushing praise though, I do accept that it’s not the best comedy in the world. No, it’s not better than the original and there are jokes that fall flat. Kevin was really irritating, and a lot of his bad language was just unnecessary.   I don't even remember the opening credits - is that bad?!  I don't think at any point I laughed hysterically, all the jokes were set up so you could see what was going to happen, which limited the surprise laughs to be had!

Other jokes though are making me laugh while I type this just thinking about it. The rocket button on the car’s key fob? I don’t even know what it was about that scene that made me laugh so hard, but my sides hurt after it! The Korean sat-nav joke never got old either, and completely caught me off guard every time. Even if you aren’t a fan of the film itself, this has got to be fun just to spot all the cameos! I didn’t even know half of them, but my friends did and we all know how fun it is to spot one of our favourite actors or actresses when we weren’t expecting them to turn up.  Thanks Allie for the reminder, I did laugh out loud a few times and they were all related to that car/key fob.  Although the fob joke was set up really early, I never had any idea what was going to happen to the car when they pressed any of the buttons so that did keep me entertained!

Hmmm...what was I saying again?

For fans of the original, there are plenty homages to spot. I think I confused everyone around me when I chuckled as the Griswold’s drove over that bridge. The biggest throwback for me though is the Holiday Road song that was played multiple times. It doesn’t matter where I am or what mood I’m in, that song will make me smile.  I think I missed most of the homages, as it has been a looooooong time since I saw the original - Allie we'll have to watch this together and you'll have to enlighten me!

I accept I may be alone in my praise of Vacation, but that’s okay. 

In this particular post, yes you are alone....

You don't understand!!

Looking Forward to Seeing in the Cinema: August 2015

This time its my turn to get in there first :-)  especially as there doesn't seem to be that much out in August - sorry Allie! I'm absolutely fine with this...there's only one thing I'm looking forward to this month! Of course, completely forgot about that one....

I was initially disappointed when I heard they were remaking Fantastic Four, the original was my first experience if a superhero/comic book movie and it started an obsession that would stay with me for a long time to come.  Unfortunately, I think I am the only one who thought much of that film so eventually the remake was inevitable.

I was also a bit disappointed to find out it was the same bad guy again but then I saw the trailer......... consider me converted.  It looks amazing and the advancements in CGI are evident plus it is another fix for my recent obsession with Miles Teller.

Fantastic Four is released in UK cinemas on 6th August 2015.

Allow me to re-name this post briefly to 'Looking forward to and absolutely terrified to be seeing in the cinema' for my half. It seems all summer I've been talking about National Lampoon's Vacation and Christmas Vacation too. This year we get a remake, named simply, 'Vacation'.

You lucky folks across the sea have already had the chance to see it, and by the time this post publishes on our blog I'll have probably already read the onslaught of one-star reviews, but as this is released on my birthday weekend in the UK, I'll be one of the first to see it over here, still holding out hope for a decent film.

Vacation will be released in UK cinemas on 21st August 2015.

Review: We're the Millers (2013)

WHY have I not reviewed this film before? I have watched it numerous times and it never gets old so I can't believe I haven't written this up before!! Confession time, when you text me with a message similar to that, I thought you having a 'Fault in Our Stars' moment and I hopped on the blog to double check. But you were right! Oops.  Nice to see you have faith - I already checked before I text you so I didn't do another 'Fault in Our Stars' haha!

David (Jason Sudekis) is a small time drug dealer who ends up owing a fair amount of money to his own dealer, Brad Gurdlinger (Ed Helms). In order to pay him back, Gurdlinger demands that he pick up a 'smidge' of weed from Mexico and bring it across the border for him.  In order to avoid looking suspicious he enlists his stripper neighbour, Sarah (Jennifer Aniston), homeless girl, Casey (Emma Roberts) and the strange kid from next door Kenny (Will Poulter) to play his family, the Millers. Smidge is now my favourite term for a large quantity of anything. Smidge of ice-cream, anyone?

There is rarely a film that I will watch over and over again no questions, I usually find that if I know what is going to happen I get bored easily and give up.  This film however, never seems to get old, its hilarious each and every time I watch it.  Is it just me who is desperate for a sequel to this?  I know it won't be as good but I want more!!

I can't count the number of times that I have watched this and I still find new jokes to laugh about.  One of my favourites being Kenny's rendition of TLC's Waterfalls!!  Ed Helms is brilliant as narcissistic big boss Gurdlinger, I was really surprised at how well he played that role, I thought after the Hangover he would forever be typecast by his role in that. If you've ever seen him in The Office US, he's a sort of familiar character! Nick Offerman and Kathryn Hahn are awesome as the Fitzgerald's, the exact type of family the Millers have based themselves on (with a few surprises!) - the 'swinging' tent scene made me laugh out loud.

I've watched this a few times since we finally got it on DVD. Me and my fiance were so convinced that we would each buy it for each other over Christmas, that neither of us bought it, and we both kept thinking we already had it. Oops! It's the kind of comedy you can watch over and over again, although the last time we saw it, I did lose interest with the second half.

I have read a few reviews on this film and they all say the same, why did they pick A-lister clean cut people to play these potentially dark and edgy roles.  I think had they have gone with less 'clean-cut' actors, this would have come out as a much darker movie with significantly less laughs.  Yes, we know its unrealistic, yes we know strippers willing to become drug smugglers don't look like Jennifer Aniston and yes, we know that kids abandoned by their parents usually have bigger issues than not being able to kiss but do we care? No. It is what it is and it's funny because of it.  It won't be up for any Oscars but it will make you laugh over and over again and that is all I expected and wanted.

Definitely a repeat watcher for (already is!) A laugh a minute and doesn't seem to get old.

This will always be one of my comedies to reach out for on a rainy weekend.