Superbad

When I think of the times that I went to the movies with friends in high school, the movie that I remember the most was Superbad. This movie appealed to me because it was rated 18A, so I needed my mom to buy the tickets for me and my friends to get in. After watching Superbad for the first time in theaters, I walked away content, but not blown away. I thought it had some funny moments, but faltered as the movie progressed, turning a bit too sentimental.

Superbad was a real career starter for the young stars. Jonah Hill, Michael Cera, and Christopher Mintz-Plasse have all gone onto successful acting careers, including a Best Supporting Actor nomination for Hill. The screenplay was written by Seth Rogen, and was directed by Greg Mottola. The story centers around a group of soon-to-be graduating high school students who get invited to their first grad party. After Seth (Hill) casually talks about getting into clubs with his fake ID, he, Evan( Cera), and Fogell (Mintz-Plasse), are asked to buy the alcohol for the party. 

When Fogell tries to use his fake ID at the liquor store (with the name Mclovin), he gets knocked out by a robber and questioned by the police. Seth and Evan believe that he was being arrested by the police, and head out on an adventure of their own to get the booze for the party.

Despite being a movie about struggling teenagers, I appreciate this movie a lot more now than I did when I was the age of the characters. I couldn't believe how much I was laughing for the entire movie, and the sentimental moments were heartfelt and believable. 

I encourage people to take a second look at this movie, as I believe the humour has matured extremely well, and it will keep you laughing all the way through. One of my all-time favourite comedies.

5/5

Oz, the Great and Powerful

After capturing top spot at the box office for two weeks in a row, and grossing 144 million dollars in the U.S alone, Oz, the Great and Powerful can be considered and early year blockbuster. Boasting a line-up of stars that includes James Franco, Mila Kunis, Rachel Weiss, Michelle Williams, and also being a prequel to one of the most famous films of all time, The Wizard of Oz, this movie didn't have much to do to become a smash hit. This is lucky for the investors, because this movie didn't do very much very well.

From the opening scene, you could already tell that James Franco was horribly miscast for the role of Oz the magician. He looked as is he was high the whole time (which he probably was), and was so out of place either in Kansas, or in Oz. This was a distracting factor the whole time. Also, the dialogue was so poor, that i'm sure most children could tell how cheesy most of it was. At times, Oz felt as if it was for very young children, but other times it was quite frightening. There were serious moments in the dialogue that you could not contain your laughter, because they were either so poorly acted, or so over the top. Mila Kunis' makeup as the Wicked Witch of the West, was distracting as was the voice overs for her menacing laugh.

Sounds pretty bad doesn't it? Well, actually it was quite entertaining. The 3D started off a little bit distracting, but really was worth it when the movie got to Oz. The colours were brilliant and vibrant, and the whole world was unbelievably beautiful. When it came to the acting, only Rachel Weiss had a strong performance. She was not as overly expressive as the Franco and Kunis (besides a few scenes) and not as out of place and uninterested as Williams. The story did put together a lot of interesting aspects of The Wizard of Oz, but there were also many flaws in the plot line.

Despite laughing at things that weren't supposed to be funny, and cringing at other parts that were supposed make you laugh, I walked out of the movie content and entertained. There are lots of things wrong with Oz, but it isn't boring, and it isn't a waste of time.

3/5

Jeff, Who Lives at Home

For months, I had skipped over Jeff, Who Lives at Home, expecting a nice little movie, but nothing more. Only when my brother praised the movie constantly, did I decide to watch it, and I was not disappointed.

Jeff, is the story of an early 30's man, Jeff, played by Jason Segal, who believes that life will provide him with signs to tell him what he needs to do. While looking for these signs, he lives in his mother's basement, do nothing productive, and falling behind in life. One morning he gets a phone call from someone looking for a Kevin, and Jeff takes this as a sign.

After following his instincts for while, and only managing to get himself beat up and robbed, he stumbles by a local Hooters, where he meets with his brother Pat, played by Ed Helms. Pat thinks of himself as quite a successful man, having a steady job and a wife, and has no problem flaunting it. Pat starts of as a condescending older brother, trying to get Jeff to do something with his life, while continually making fun of his belief that the world will show him the signs.

As the movie proceeds, more and more signs and coincidences pile up, and Pat starts to believe that maybe his brother isn't as crazy as he had once thought. While deciphering all of the signs, Jeff realises that they all seem to be helping everyone else in his life, and that maybe his life doesn't have any deeper purpose, until all of the signs finally click, and he realises what he has to do.

I have to admit that I am a sucker for these kinds of movies. Jeff, Who Lives at Home has plenty of laughs, moving dialogue, and a great climax that ties the whole movie together. Some people will find some parts of it a little bit cheesy, and I would understand, but these moments are overshadowed by the ambition and emotion that this movie possesses.

4.5/5

The Master

Any time the name Paul Thomas Anderson and new movie are used in the same sentence, there is reason to be excited. When the names Joaquin Phoenix, Philip Seymour-Hoffman, and Amy Adams are linked to this new movie, the anticipation goes through the roof. On top of all of this, the first cryptic trailer was released a few months prior to the movie's release, which gave us a brief look at what promised to be another Paul Thomas Anderson masterpiece.

Unfortunately, The Master did not receive a full theatrical release. Only a select few theaters were playing the movie, and none of them were near-by. This wasn't quite the news that I was looking for, but I could wait until it was released on DVD. Six months after the theatrical release, The Master was finally ready for the small screen.

Even with months of anticipation and high expectations, I was not let down. Every shot was beautiful, the story was unique, the acting was unprecedented, and the story was ambiguous. As with most Paul Thomas Anderson films, this movie challenges the viewer in ways that will leave many of them confused, or even off-put. The story is centered around a World War II veteran, Freddie Quell, with many quirks, and a severe drinking problem. After unintentionally poisoning a coworker with his homemade alcohol (made with various chemicals), he takes off to avoid persecution and in his drunken stupor, lands himself on a boat where he meets Lancaster Dodd, the leader of The Cause.

Apparently based on the birth of Scientology (which could have been a movie on its own), The Master instead focuses on the characters, leaving everything else as a backdrop. The three main characters are extremely layered and complex, and their interactions make this movie so full.

This is a multiple viewing kind of movie. I know that I have missed many things in my first run through, and I am excited to watch it again. Don't go into this movie expecting everything to be laid out in front of you, or you will be extremely disappointed when the credits hit. The Master will linger in you thoughts for some time after, and the beauty is undeniable.

4.5/5