Captain Phillips

MPAA/Content PG-13 [AC, AL, SV]

Distributor Columbia Pictures

Technical 16mm 35mm 2.40:1

Genres THR ADV HIS

Runtime 134 mins.

Country USA

Budget $55M

 

CAST

Tom Hanks, Barkhad Abdi, Barkhad Abdirahman, Faysal Ahmed, Mahat M. Ali, Michael Chernus, Corey Johnson, Max Martini, Chris Mulkey, Yul Vazquez & David Warshofsky

 

CREDITS 

Director: Paul Greengrass; Screenwriter: Billy Ray; Producers: Scott Rudin, Dana Brunetti & Michael De Luca; Director Of Photography: Barry Ackroyd; Production Designer: Paul Kirby; Editor: Christopher Rouse; Costume Designer: Mark Bridges; Music Composer: Henry Jackman

 

THE SYNOPSIS

The Gulf of Aden, Oman, 2009.  Captain Richard Phillips (Hanks) takes command of Merchant Vessel Maersk Alabama, an unarmed cargo/container ship on a routine mission south to Kenya.  A highly competent seaman and martinet, Phillips engages his men in safety and security drills, knowing that pirates roam the waters in this part of the world.

The vessel is indeed attacked by skiffs piloted by young Somali pirates—desperate young men…some of whom serve their greedy warlords; others who must commit these crimes to feed their families.  The pirates are temporarily deterred by the Alabama’s anti-pirate countermeasures; but the determined young Somali Abduwali Muse (Abdi) returns the next day with another skiff and three able (and heavily armed) young men: Najee (Ahmed), Assad (Ali) & Bilal (Abdirahman) and successfully board the ship.

Muse warns Phillips that he is now the captain.  His goal (like that of all pirates) is to hold the ship and crew for a hefty ransom.  The plan goes awry when a crewmember cuts the power off to the entire ship.  After being overpowered, Muse is convinced to take Phillips as a hostage and leave the Alabama on a lifeboat with his men.

During this time, the USS Bainbridge arrives on the scene to delegate, although its master, Commander Frank Castellano (Vazquez) is under strict orders to not engage.  Other US ships arrive with the same orders.  A harrowing game of cat-an-mouse is underway as Phillips attempts to escape from the enclosed lifeboat more than once—testing the patience and limits of Muse, his men and himself.

The terror comes to an end when a sniper team of Navy SEALs arrives and takes out Najee, Assad & Bilal.  Muse, sent to the Bainbridge under the assumption that his tribal warlords will be there to negotiate Phillips’ release, is taken into custody and charged with piracy.  Captain Phillips, now safe on the same ship, finally breaks down in tears of shock and gratitude as he realizes that he is safe…and the ordeal over.

 

THE CRITIQUE

Based on the best-selling book A Captain’s Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALs, andDangerous Days at Sea by Richard Phillips with Stephan Talty, the film version CAPTAIN PHILLIPS is an instant masterpiece.  The screenplay, written with verve by veteran scribe Billy Ray (Shattered Glass, Breach, The Hunger Games), plays it straight—and perhaps more importantly…instigates parity in the moral dilemma regarding the pirates’ motives for the actions they are about to commit.

These men are hungry, frustrated, uneducated and trying to navigate the warlord fiefdom ecosystem imposed on them by their fragmented society.  Not that piracy is the answer—and not that every Somali pirate is merely trying to “pay the bills”, but at least this plight is presented to us in Ray’s screenplay before the action commences.  The end result (at least for me) is that someone—anyone—with human empathy can at least understand the motives.

Filmed over 60 days in open water, CAPTAIN PHILLIPS is directed with bravado by veteran British director Paul Greengrass (The Bourne Supremacy, United 93, The Bourne Ultimatum, Green Zone)—who once again proves that he is a master of the “shaky camera” action genre.  Rumor has it that Ron Howard was supposed to direct the movie, but switched up with Greengrass—who was to direct the equally-terrific Formula One flick Rush instead.  Sounds like the right call!

One thing is for certain: Greengrass gets a lot of nautical miles out of his cast.  What more can I say about Tom Hanks that hasn’t already been said?  He is our generation’s Jimmy Stewart; a fine actor and a sweet guy.  Playing Richard Phillips with a degree of old sea dog common sense and a martinet sense of duty to his crew and vessel, I would want no one (besides Harrison Ford, of course) being my captain!

Although he was (surprisingly) not nominated for an Oscar^®, Hanks owns the role.  After playing Capt. Richard Phillips and Walt Disney (in Saving Mr. Banks), Hanks should maybe next consider playing Capt. Chesley B. “Sully” Sullenberger (the heroic pilot of US Airways Flight 1549) or even St. Francis of Assisi.  The actor’s on a roll, so why stop now!

As great as Tom Hanks is in the movie, the real breakout is newbie Somali-American actor Barkhad Abdi, who hails from Minnesota by way of Mogadishu.  This dude nails IT…desperation, cunning, bravado, violence; even a hint of humanity, in the portrait of the real life Abduwali Muse—who is currently alive and well in a US Federal Penitentiary.  The rest of the Somali actors (also newbies from Minnesota) are solid too.  The remaining cast members do what they need to.

Production values of the modestly-budgeted $55 million (boxofficemojo.com) film are top shelf across the board.

Credit CAPTAIN PHILLIPS ‘ handsome widescreen-lensing to veteran British cinematographer Barry Ackroyd (United 93, The Hurt Locker, Green Zone, Contraband)—who does a fantastic job combining different formats to create a realistic mise-en-scène.  Per his interview in American Cinematographer (November 2013), Ackroyd had stated that he and Greengrass decided to shoot the movie on film (hallelujah!) in this fashion: Super 16mm (using the workhorse Aaton XTR Prod) for the Somali and skiffs sequences; Super 35mm (using the Aaton Penelope & ARRICAM cameras Lite, 235 & 435) for the main shoot; and HD digital cameras such as the compact-but-versatile GoPro for the SEAL skydiving sequences.

Besides being able to conform all of the footage into a cohesive film, I admire the taut cutting schema of veteran American editor/Greengrass collaborator Christopher Rouse (Oscar^®-winner for The Bourne Ultimatum; also edited The Bourne Supremacy, United 93, Green Zone).  Taking this yarn and ratcheting up the tension is what great editing is about.

Having been given the Maersk Alabama’s sister ship Maersk Alexandria to utilize in the shoot, production designer Paul Kirby (The Devil’s Double) brings to the mise-en-scène the veritas needed to make it all believable.  Appropriate costuming by veteran American designer Mark Bridges (Oscar^®-winner for The Artist; also clothed Boogie Nights, There Will Be Blood, The Master) and a strong score by British composer Henry Jackman (Kick-Ass, X-Men: First Class, Kick-Ass 2, Captain America: The Winter Soldier) round out the talent behind the camera.

The movie was filmed in Malta, Morocco (standing in for Somalia), Massachusetts & Virginia (USA) and England (for certain interiors).  Much of the lifeboat sequences were actually filmed in the famous water tank at Malta, while the denouement rescue mission was filmed in the Atlantic Ocean near Norfolk, VA.  And yes, the US Navy and Maersk offered their full support in the making of CAPTAIN PHILLIPS.

Man, what a flick!  I enjoyed it as much as it terrified me.  Are there some issues with the film?  Sure.  There are historical inaccuracies abundant in the yarn—but in the spirit of dramatic conflict and good freakin’ Cinema, I shall forgive the filmmakers.  To read more about the reel-vs.-real conundrum, check out the History Vs. Hollywood article here.  But highjack yourself and see the movie anyway!

 

THE BOTTOM LINE

Steering this movie in the right direction, CAPTAIN PHILLIPS earns its stripes as a terrific, action-packed thriller.  That it’s based on a verifiable true story gives the movie an august sheen of respectability.  Although we know how the story ends, it does not take away from the thrill of watching it.  Now, that’s filmmaking at its best!

 

 

 

IMDB:                     http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1535109/

Wikipedia:             http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captain_Phillips_(film)

Official Site:          http://www.captainphillipsmovie.com/site/

Gravity

MPAA/Content PG-13 [AC, AL, V]

Distributor Warner Bros.

Technical HD 65mm 2.40:1

Genres SCI THR ADV

Runtime 91 mins.

Country USA UK

Budget $100M

 

CAST

Sandra Bullock, George Clooney; voices of: Ed Harris, Orto Ignatiussen & Phaldut Sharma

 

CREDITS

Director: Alfonso Cuarón; Screenwriters: Alfonso Cuarón / Jonás Cuarón; Producers: Alfonso Cuarón / David Heyman; Director Of Photography: Emmanuel Lubezki; VFX Supervisor: Tim Webber; Production Designer: Andy Nicholson; Editors: Alfonso Cuarón / Mark Sanger; Costume Designer: Jany Temime; Music Composer: Steven Price

 

THE SYNOPSIS

Miles above the Earth floats Space Shuttle Explorer (Mission STS-157), where medical engineer Dr. Ryan Stone (Bullock) and veteran astronaut Commander Matt Kowalski (Clooney) are in the midst of a spacewalk on the Hubble Space Telescope.  They are warned by Houston Command (voiced by Harris) that debris from a defunct satellite fired upon by a Russian missile is heading their way.

Minutes later, the projectiles smash into the Explorer, vaporizing it and the rest of the crew onboard—causing Stone and Kowalski to float away from the telescope.  Using their thrusters, they aim for the International Space Station a mere 900 miles away.  The goal is to reach the ISS before the debris slingshots around the Earth on its deadly orbit.

Along the way, Matt urges Ryan to tell him about herself (to keep her calm and focused so as not run out of oxygen).  Turns out that Ryan lost her daughter a short time ago and carries that pain with her.  They reach the ISS, but so does the debris projectiles—causing another explosion.  Ryan and Matt are about to be sucked into the darkness of space—but Kowalski saves her by detaching himself and drifting off into space towards certain death.  Before he disappears, Matt calmly relays to Ryan the details of what she must do next to survive.

She climbs into the ISS and into a Soyuz capsule—launching it before the whole station explodes.  Per Matt’s pre-death advise, she is to navigate the Soyuz capsule to a Chinese space station, Tiangong, a mere 100 miles away.  Reaching her limit, Ryan decides to power down the Soyuz and die peacefully.  Suddenly, Matt climbs into the capsule with her and scolds her for giving up.  The hallucinatory pep talk works, as Ryan gets her second wind.

Unable to dock the Soyuz with the Tiangong, Ryan suits up and uses a fire extinguisher to propel her over to the station.  Once inside, she launches the last escape module and heads towards Earth, though more debris compromises her trajectory.  Miraculously, Ryan makes it back to terra firma and crash lands in a lake.  She fights her way out of the ship and swims to safety.

 

THE CRITIQUE

Whenever you think you’re having a bad day, do yourself a favor and take a look at GRAVITY.  What Sandra Bullock goes through will make you appreciate the (most likely) un-severity of your own situation!  But seriously…this movie is exciting, intense, frightening, hopeful—I could go on to Infinity…AND BEYOND!!  But I shan’t.

Written by director Alfonso Cuarón and his son Jonás (himself a budding multi-hyphenate filmmaker), the screenplay and its structure are deceptively simple in the Classical Literature sense: (Wo)Man vs. Nature, (Wo)Man vs. Fate, (Wo)Man vs. (her)himself.  However, its themes are far more complex than that.

Maternity plays a big part of the structure: Dr. Stone is a mother who lost her child; she performs her maternal duties by repairing damages and coaxing her fellow astronauts to focus on the mission (like any mother would…clean up the boo-boos and have their child focus on the daily tasks); Stone plies her trade in the shadow of Gaia (Mother Earth), at first attached to the ship (like an umbilical cord)—but yearning to return home to Mama Earth… get it?  Man, I’m good!

Other themes surface as the movie progresses: the balance of light and dark (hope and desperation) prevalent in outer space; survival of the fittest vs. survival of the most resourceful vs. survival of the most faithful; rebirth through the crucible of death; and ultimately… the grand theme of Life itself.  Yes: breathing fresh air is good!

Directed with flair, poise and cojones the size of Skylab by Mexican auteur Alfonso Cuarón (Y Tu Mamá También, Harry Potter And The Prisoner of Azkaban, Children Of Men), GRAVITY works more as science fiction that science fact.  No matter.  Cuarón plays up the human element as much as the fantastical celestial element with equal parts.  Even more so, he gets terrific performances out of his main actors.

Sandra Bullock buoys the entire movie on her lovely shoulders and she sells it with class, empathy and determination.  What can I say about George Clooney’s extended cameo?  The guy makes it all look too easy.  For such a limited role (originally to be cast with Robert Downey Jr.), Clooney imbues Matt Kowalski with levity, calm and (unfortunately) brevity—when he shuffles off into the darkness of outer space…my only complaint in this otherwise excellent movie—but I will elaborate further down the review.  Nevertheless, bravo to Clooney for taking a throwaway role (no-pun intended) and giving it the main character’s impetus for survival.  Oh, and it was great hearing Ed Harris representing Houston Control yet again (after doing so in Ron Howard’s Apollo 13 [1995]).  If the shit ever hits the fan, you’ll surely want Ed Harris on the other end of the line to help!

Production values for this $100 million (boxofficemojo.com) US/UK co-production are upper stratum all the way.  Now get ready for the kudos, folks—because I’ve got plenty in my rocket pocket!

First and foremost, my hats off to the talented Mexican cinematographer Emmanuel “Chivo” Lubezki (Y Tu Mamá También, Sleepy Hollow, The New World, Children Of Men)—who has created a clean, super-realistic visual palette in his striking, HD-widescreen lensing.  95% of the production utilized the ARRI AlexaM high definition camera system for the celestial and capsule sequences while the remaining 5% (the final sequence on Earth) was actually shot at Arizona’s Lake Powell on 65mm film utilizing the workhorse ARRIFLEX 765 camera. 

Per American Cinematographer (November 2013 issue), veteran Kiwi cinematographer Michael Seresin (Midnight Express, Harry Potter And The Prisoner of Azkaban, Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes) stepped into the role when Lubezki had to leave.  The end result is seamless and flawless.  For the record, GRAVITY was conceived in 2D and later converted to 3D for exhibition.  As I understand it, the 3D version is very well-rendered.  Aiding the cinematographers in creating the celestial effects is veteran VFX Supervisor Tim Webber (Children Of Men, The Dark Knight, Avatar)—whom I mention in this review as one of the pillars of the GRAVITY production because of the praise heaped on him and his crew by both Cuarón and Lubezki.  From working on realistic wiring rigs to facilitating zero gravity replication to the CGI rendering of costume minutiae and the illusion of outer space, Webber gets a kudo too.

Edited with restraint by Cuarón and British cutter Mark Sanger (assistant editor on Tomorrow Never Dies, The World Is Not Enough & The Mummy), the movie clocks in at a brisk 91 minutes.  Utilizing long takes—the first shot alone is 13 minutes long (!)—the editors manage to use the infinite expanse of outer space to ratchet up the tension, which never lets up until the very end.  GRAVITY is rumored to contain something like 150 shots in its entire runtime.  Wow!

The rest of the technical credits are also top-shelf.  The realistic (and NASA-consulted) sets & costumes are courtesy of former architect-turned-production designer Andy Nicholson (The Host, Divergent) and veteran costume designer Jany Temime (Harry Potter And The Prisoner of Azkaban, Children Of Men, Skyfall), respectively.  The percussive and intensifying score is courtesy of British composer Steve Price (Attack The Block, The World’s End). 

You can obviously tell that I am a huge fan of GRAVITY.  If I had one gripe (besides some of the scientific inaccuracies evident in the movie; for a list that someone actually complied, please see them here), it has to be the way Clooney shuffles of his mortal coil.  In my opinion, he lets go way too easy. But then again, I’m sure that his Kowalski character isn’t from Jersey like I am!  No oxygen?  No problem.  You ever try to breathe the air in Jersey?  Fuhgeddaboudit…

All told, this should be the movie to beat at this year’s Academy Awards^® ceremony (with 10 nominations to boot).  Oh—and by the way: all of the production artisans listed in this review were nominated for an Oscar^®.  Whatever happens, GRAVITY still gets my vote as the best movie of 2013.

 

THE BOTTOM LINE

GRAVITY sucks you in for frame one and doesn’t let go until the end credits.  Impressive for a movie that contains only two actors (albeit mega A-listers) and plenty of open space (no pun intended).  Technological aspects are groundbreaking and will become a harbinger of great filmmaking VFX to come.  The best film of 2013…I’d say hand down—but you may need those hands to prevent you from floating away into the æther!

 

 

IMDB:                    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1454468/

Wikipedia:             http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravity_(film)

Official Site:          http://gravitymovie.warnerbros.com/#/home

Insidious: Chapter 2

MPAA/Content PG-13 [AC, AL, V]

Distributor FilmDistrict

Technical HD 2.39:1

Genres HOR THR

Runtime 106 mins.

Country USA

Budget $5M

 

CAST

Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Lin Shaye, Ty Simpkins, Steve Coulter, Barbara Hershey, Leigh Whannell, Angus Sampson, Andrew Astor, Danielle Bisutti, Hank Harris, Tom Fitzpatrick & Jocelin Donahue

 

CREDITS

Director: James Wan;  Screenwriters: Leigh Whannell;  Producers: Jason Blum & Oren Peli;  Director Of Photography: John R. Leonetti;  Production Designer: Jennifer Spence;  Editor: Kirk M. Morri;  Costume Designer: Kristin M. Burke;  Music Composer: Joseph Bishara

 

THE SYNOPSIS

Los Angeles, 1986.  Nurse Lorraine Lambert (Hershey) calls upon the help of her medium friend Carl (Harris) and his psychic friend Elise (Shaye) to uncover the basis of her son Josh’s haunting.  After the apparition of an old woman is (temporarily) expunged, the psychics hypnotize Josh into forgetting his astral projection abilities…

Twenty-five years later (and immediately after the horrifying events in Insidious), an adult Josh (Wilson), his wife Renai (Byrne) and their children Dalton (Simpkins), Foster (Astor) & infant daughter Cali have moved in with Lorraine—hoping to rebuild their lives after the supernatural happenings that has claimed the life of her friend Elise.

The police are still investigating and those supernatural happenings are now occurring at Grandma’s house as Josh becomes possessed by the spirit of the scary old woman, Michelle (Bisutti)—who turns out to be the disgruntled specter of a former patient of Lorraine’s named Parker Crane (Fitzpatrick)…a psychotic serial killer who committed suicide back in 1986.  Lorraine enlists the help of Elise’s partner Carl (Coulter) and the dynamic duo of Specs (Whannell) and Tucker (Sampson) as Josh becomes more possessed by Crane’s mother.

Clubbed in the head by Josh/Michelle Crane, Carl ends up in The Further (the phantasmagorical realm of the dead/undead) and comes upon the real Josh, who is being guided by Elise’s benevolent spirit.  Together, they must combat Crane and his mother to save the Lambert family from unspeakable Evil…

 

THE CRITIQUE

Sequels to horror movies are inevitable as death and taxes (and another New York Giants Super Bowl win…hope, hope!)—so the fact that a sequel to the rather excellent Insidious (2011) has been produced and released was not surprising.  What is surprising however, is how well-crafted INSIDIOUS: CHAPTER 2 is on all levels.  I credit much of this to the solid production infrastructure led by the new Millennium’s current It-Horror Franchise Producers Jason Blum & Oren Peli (both of the Paranormal Activity series) as an example of successful & stable pedigree.

Directed with typical flair by genre veteran James Wan (Saw, Dead Silence, Insidious, The Conjuring) and written by series scribe Leigh Whannell (Saw I-III, Insidious, Dead Silence)—both of whom are college buddies from Australia, by the way—this sequel supersedes others by preserving the linear spine of the overall story and using alternate perspectives to fill in (or answer) several plot points in the original movie.  This concept impregnates INSIDIOUS: CHAPTER 2 with more heft in terms of story structure and continuity.  Nicely done, mates!

The returning cast of thespians keeps the continuity of the Insidious-verse intact—with veteran actors Barbara Hershey, Steve Coulter & Lin Shaye getting the best characterizations.  It is interesting to note how the roles of leads Patrick Wilson (Josh) and Rose Byrne (Renai) reciprocate in this sequel—with the former (now dangerously possessed), becomes less reactive…while the latter evolves into a more aggressive protector of hearth & home.  I love tough mommas!

Production values for this $5 million production (boxofficemojo.com)—shot entirely in California—are top-shelf.

The movie was shot in HD using the ubiquitous ARRI^® Alexa camera system—and again, while not a fan of digital photography (especially for genre movies), I will concede that veteran cinematographer John R. Leonetti (The Mask, Mortal Kombat, The Scorpion King) lenses the proceedings nicely with a widescreen palette chock full of shadows and eerie blue filters.  Of note, he also shot James Wan’s Dead Silence (2007), Insidious (2011) & The Conjuring (2013).

Production designer Jennifer Spence (Paranormal Activity 2-4) does a bang-up job of creating naturalistic sets within real locations: such as the use of a grand Victorian house in Northeast Los Angeles—as well as the closed Linda Vista Community Hospital (a dormant, yet oft-utilized structure in movies); and creation (and expansion) of the eerie realm of The Further, personified by darkness, fog and seemingly-infinite space.

Rounding out the kudos, veteran editor Kirk M. Morri (2006’s Pulse, Insidious, The Conjuring) gets a shout-out for some sharp cutting and strong continuity schema with the original (as aforementioned in the scripting) while veteran composer Joseph Bishara (Pulse, Insidious, The Conjuring) creates a very creepy score to go along with costume designer Kristin M. Burke’s (Paranormal Activity 2, Insidious, The Conjuring) appropriately creepy costuming of the restless specters.

All told, this creepy sequel holds up to its hit predecessor in all facets—even in spite of its genre-repelling PG-13 rating.  The use of the same talented cast & artisans in this series is the key to INSIDIOUS: CHAPTER 2’s solid mise-en-scene.  So are the terrific phantasmagorical SFX (both physical and digital) that were utilized in Part I.  Going forward, there’s a ghost of a chance for an Insidious three-peat!

THE BOTTOM LINE

INSIDIOUS: CHAPTER 2 contains more of the same horrors and revelations as its predecessor.  However, this movie—done on a low budget—still manages to fulfill its genre prerequisites with style.  Nifty production values and its pedigree cast/crew make the second go-around a frightfully fun affair.  Watch out for those red doors!

IMDB:                   http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2226417/

Wikipedia:             http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insidious:_Chapter_2

Official Site:          http://www.insidiousch2.com

Grown Ups 2

MPAA/Content PG-13 [AC, AL, V]

Distributor Columbia Pictures

Technical HD 1.85:1

Genre(s) COM

Runtime 101 mins.

Country USA

Budget $80M

 

CAST

Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, David Spade, Salma Hayek, Maya Rudolph, Maria Bello, Nick Swardson, Tim Meadows, Cheri Oteri, Colin Quinn, Shaquille O’Neill, Peter Dante, Jon Lovitz, Alexander Ludwig, Georgia Engel, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Steve Buscemi, Allen Cover, Andy Samberg & Taylor Lautner (uncredited)

 

CREDITS

Director: Dennis Dugan;  Producers:  Adam Sandler & Jack Giarraputo;  Screenwriters: Fred Wolf & Adam Sandler & Tim Herlihy;  Director Of Photography: Theo Van de Sande, ASC;  Editor: Tom Costain;  Production Designer: Aaron Osborne;  Costume Designer: Ellen Lutter;  Music Composer: Rupert Gregson-Williams

 

THE SYNOPSIS

Three years after their initial reunion, bigshot Hollywood agent Lenny Feder (Sandler) moves his wife Roxanne (Hayek) and their two sons back to his New England hometown. Lenny’s happy, as he is permanently reunited with his childhood pals Eric Lamonsoff (James), Kurt McKenzie (Rock), Marcus Higgins (Spade) and Nick Hilliard (Swardson).

Hijinks ensue when the guys encounter former frenemies, bullys, Marcus’ bitter long-lost son Braden (Ludwig) and a gaggle of wired-up fraternity boys led by the dictatorial Andy (Lautner)—who beat up our protagonists for being old and useless (!). Between this problem—and dealing with the usual familial issues—Lenny and the boys (and their wives) must come to terms with their place in life and how to beat those frat boys at their own game.

Hilarity, fisticuffs and bodily-function jokes ensue…

 

THE CRITIQUE

Amazingly, GROWN UPS 2 (the follow-up to the surprise 2010 hit) is star/producer/co-writer Adam Sandler’s first sequel.  Figure that one out.  Regardless, GU2 features more of the same hijinks & shenanigans as his last several movie outings.  Not surprising, as this one is again directed by Sandler/Happy Madison Productions alum Dennis Dugan (Grown Ups, Happy Gilmore, Just Go With It, Big Daddy & You Don’t Mess With The Zohan)—bringing a straight-forward directorial style to the movie.

Sandler brings his usual man-child métier to the proceedings and does not deviate, while James, Rock & Spade get to act exactly the same—everyone mugging for the camera in equal doses.  Even the ladies (Hayek, Bello & Rudolph) get in a few zingers of their own—courtesy of the Sandler co-written screenplay.  However, the plotting and structure only exist to set up the next practical joke and/or physical gag… a downside.

The first film’s charm lay with the true-life friendship dynamic between the principals—and this one is no different.  The glaring exception being that GU1’s Rob Schneider is nowhere to be found here (apparently, a rift may have developed in the working relationship of Sandler & Schneider).  Spastic comedic actor Nick Swardson has been brought in to fill the gap—though he lacks Schneider’s histrionic timing.  At least he makes up for it in his own weird characterization.

And check out all of the former SNL-alums cashing their paychecks for showing up (Meadows, Oteri, Samberg and the sleazy-amusing Jon Lovitz…I’m talking to all of you).  But hey—everyone has a right to make a living!  I did, however, enjoy NBA legend Shaquille O’Neill’s secondary role as well as former WWE champ “Stone Cold” Steve Austin’s extended cameo.  Nice to see these former athletes letting their “hair” down.

But again, there is some funny stuff to be culled from situations involving the 40-something set (of which I can identify with) vs. the young whippersnapper college elitists personified by the uncredited Taylor Lautner (who is quite funny in his obnoxious role as the leader of the Gestapo-esque college fraternity) and his brood of preppy thugs; look closely and you’ll see young Patrick Schwarzenegger as Lautner’s lieutenant.  The battle royale in the third act is very funny.

Production values are fine across the board—with Dugan’s usual cinematographer Theo Van de Sande’s (Grown Ups, Just Go With It, & Big Daddy) crisp HD photography complimenting both the comedic-beats cutting by editor Tom Costain (another Dugan alum on Grown Ups, Just Go With It & You Don’t Mess With The Zohan) and the naturalistic sets by production designer Aaron Osborne’s (Another Day In Paradise, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang & Sex Drive).

It’s also nice to see that a movie set in Massachusetts was actually shot in Massachusetts—though GU2’s mind-boggling $80-million budget does not justify all of the on-screen expenditures (must be expensive to pay these actors!).

 

THE BOTTOM LINE

GROWN UPS 2 rehashes the goofy charms and goodwill of the original up to a point.  The plotting is very basic, the reappearances of major characters will delight—and the easy laughs flow (albeit guiltily).  On the flipside—and as with any sequel—the laws of diminishing returns prevails. But hey, this is a Sander & Co. production—so don’t expect high art!

 

 

IMDB:              http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2191701/?ref_=sr_1

Wikipedia:      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grown_Ups_2

Official Site:    http://www.GrownUps2-Movie.com/