Despicable Me 2

ANIMATED/COMEDY/FAMILY

Gru - When You Need a Hero?

8.0 out of 10 | Movie or DVD

---

Rated: PG Rude Humor and mild action
Release Date: July 3, 2013
Runtime: 1 hour 38 minutes

---

Director: Chris Renaud, Pierre Coffin
Writers: Justin Haythe, Ted Elliott, Terry Rossio
Cast: Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Benjamon Bratt, Miranda Cosgrove, Russell Brand, Ken Jeong, Steve Coogan, Elsie Fisher, Dana Gaier

---

Watch Trailer

SYNOPSIS:  Gru is recruited by the Anti-Villain League to help deal with a powerful new super criminal.

REVIEW: Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud return as directors of the Gru-tastic follow up to Despicable Me. Written by the Despicable Me creative team of Ken Daurio and Cinco Paul (The Lorax), we find that Gru has changed his ways in order to be a good father to Edith, Margo and Agnes. But the good times will not last long!

Gru (Steve Carell, The Way, Way Back) has denounced his wicked and evil ways in favor of taking care of his three adopted daughters Edith (Dana Gaier), Margo (Miranda Cosgrove, School of Rock) , and Agnes (Elsie Fisher). Gru has even given up crime in favor of having his minions and Dr. Nefario (Russell Brand, Rock of Ages) work on a legitimate business venture with jellies and jams. When a top secret research facility in the artic circle is stolen for a even more top secret experimental serum, an agent named Lucy (Kristen Wiig, Bridesmaids) from the AVL (Anti-Villain League) recruits Gru to root out the villain behind the heist, believed to be hiding out at the local mall. While undercover, Gru is sure that he has uncovered a supposedly dead super villain named el Macho (Benjamin Bratt, Snitch) but is overruled due to lack of evidence. Can Gru find out the truth before his minions and, more importantly, his precious girls are put into danger?

The return of Gru and his minions is an exciting prospect. What person with emotions did not smile during the original film or the commercials when Edith thrusts her stuffed unicorn into the air and declares 'he's so fluffy!'? A sequel was all but demanded by that simple act of a little girl and the warming of the heart of a ruthless criminal mastermind. This time around, Gru has already shed the trappings of being a criminal, focusing all his efforts on the happiness of his little girls.

Gru still has his snarky edge from his years of being a bad guy, but he has warmed up to the fact that being a father is better. The problem is that Edith wants to have a mother too. Facing a threat even greater then an archenemy, Gru shrinks back from the idea of dating. Agent Lucy Wilde, on the other hand, finds Gru enchanting and fun. It does not take a mad scientist to know that a chemical reaction will take place between Gru and his new junior agent partner.

Steve Carell brings back his Gru character just as you would expect. Kristen Wiig, as Agent Wilde, voices her character with a lighthearted romantic slant. Benjamin Bratt, as el Macho, amps up the villain with as much machismo as he can muster. The minions are funny as always, laughing, speaking of their strange language, and blowing raspberries at each other, for supreme comic effect.

The story is a little different from the original. But the main difference is that Gru already has the love of the girls and will do anything to keep them safe. It was fun to watch him in the original while he was trying to make that realization. There is something lost in the fact that Gru is not trying to peddle off the girls back to the orphanage. The action, though, is on par with the original film with a few additional flares.

The creative team does manage to change things up a little bit by adding more pop culture references. From the music group All for One, a homage to Donald Sutherland and Invasion of the Body Snatchers, to Isaac from The Love Boat, to an aerial shot not unlike the final battle in Star Wars: A Phantom Menace, there is something for everybody to enjoy – not just the kids.

While not as good as the original, Despicable Me 2 does entertain kids and adults alike. It may not do as well as the other animation out this season, namely Monsters University, but it will draw enough minions for it to be a success.

---

Rock of Ages

Come for the Story, Stay for the Music

---

Rated: PG-13  Sexual content, language, some heavy drinking and suggestive dancing
Release Date: June 15, 2012
Runtime:  2 hours 3 minutes

---

Director: Adam Shankman
Writers: Justin Theroux, Chris D'Arienzo, Allan Loeb
Cast:  Diego Boneta, Julianne Hough, Tom Cruise, Alec Baldwin, Russell Brand, Bryan Cranston, Catherine Zeta-Jones,  Paul Giamatti, Malin Akerman

---

---

SYNOPSIS: A small town girl from Oklahoma comes to Hollywood to be a singing star, coming across a bar back boy with his own dreams of fame.

REVIEW: Adam Shankman, director of musical projects like Hairspray and Glee and choreographer on dozens of films, takes the popular New York Broadway and brings it to the screen with help from writers Justin Theroux (Iron Man, Tropic Thunder), Allan Loeb (Just Go With It), and Chris D'Arienzo from D'Arienzo's 2009 Tony Award nominated "Rock of Ages" for which he wrote the Book.

Small town girl Sherrie Christian (Julianne Hough, Burlesque) travels by bus from Oklahoma to the bright lights and big city of Hollywood, California to pursue her dreams of singing. She quickly comes across a bar back named Drew (Pretty Little Liars) who works at the legendary Strip establishment The Bourbon Room with his own dreams of singin' and rockin'. Both idolize the rock god Stacee Jaxx (Tom Cruise, Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocols) and his hits as the frontman for the band Arsenal. Planning for an Arsenal show at The Bourbon Room by Jaxx's manager Paul Gill (Paul Giamatti, The Hangover Part II), Paul contracts with Bourbon Room owner Dennis Dupree (Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock) and his trusty sidekick Lonny (Russell Brand, Arthur) for Jaxx's last show before he goes solo. Meanwhile, politics play their part as Mike Whitmore (Bryan Cranston, Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted) and his wife Patricia (Catherine Zeta-Jones, The Rebound) try to shut down the club and cleaning up the Strip by protesting the club and looking for any discrepancies in their books or practices. As the music and crowds heat up, passion ignites but runs on the rocks as fame gets complicated.

As a person who has not seen the New York Broadway show yet, I can only speak from conjecture and rumor about how the film was crafted in relationship to the Broadway show. From what I have heard, the role of Stacee Jaxx was moved from a minor subplot to a major main plot line for the film. I am sure there are others out there with more knowledge of the live show than me. That being said, let's delve into 1987 Hollywood as it appears on the silver screen.

Rock of Ages is at its beating heart a love story. Drew Boley and Sherrie Christian quickly find each other and their mutual hopes for a more glamorous and adventurous ascent into singing stardom. At first naive and hopeful, miscommunication and poor decisions force them apart in their own musical pursuits. In addition, Dennis Dupree and Lonny are in love with rock and roll, and the continued running of the Bourbon Room. Stacee Jaxx, typically drunk, full of himself, and able to alienate roadies and musicians as well as he inspires and entices the ladies, seems lost, lonely and looking for an elusive perfect song.

Rock of Ages is a fun, tune-filled journey down musical memory lane. Like its live show counterpart, the huge appeal are the songs from the decade of the 80s. Big hair, rubber brackets, and tight clothes are no match for the nostalgia of Def Leppard, Pat Benatar, Gun N' Roses, Poison, and more. Some of the best songs are the ones that are the product of a mash-up. Most notable are 'We Built This City' by Starship and 'We're Not Gonna Take It' by Twisted Sister. Mary J. Blige and Julianne Hough's duet of Quarter Flash's 'Harden My Heart' kicks as much butt as it tells a story. And that is the most important point of all. For good or bad, for seriousness or silliness, each song tells a story, fitting perfectly into the fabric of the film.

All in all, Rock of Ages is a toe-tapping delight with all of the music from my youthful formative years. The story is paced well, even for its 124 minutes length, mostly anchored down and hoisted up by the plethora of music - either sung by one or more of the cast or used as fill in the background. Conflict abounds throughout, starting with the union and breakup of Drew and Sherrie, and continuing with Dennis trying to combat both the lecherous Paul Gill and the vindictive Patricia Whitmore for the survival of the Bourbon Room.

Rock of Ages may or may not live up to the expectations that patrons of the live show may have. I liked the characters and story, and loved the musical selections and mash-ups. The film could have been balanced a little better with some more non-musical scenes, but for those who can appreciate the now classic music of their youth, this film is built on rock and roll! Don't stop believing!

---

WORTH: Matinee or DVD

Arthur (2011)

A Drunken Attempt

Director: Jason Winer

Writer: Peter Baynham, Steve Gordon

Stars: Russell Brand, Helen Mirren, Jennifer Gardner, Luiz Guzman, Greta Gerwig, Nck Nolte

RANT: Here is the second movie I took in yesterday. Managed to write the review for Scre4m at Starbucks while waiting to meet up with my friend. After Arthur, we drove back out to the Queens/Long Island border to take in a rock band in the basement of a church. For a $15 donation, the Fabulous Unknowns were pretty good.

SYNOPSIS: A drunken playboy's public misadventures start to affects the image of his mother's foundation, Bach Worldwide. Arthur is given an ultimatum to marry a woman he does not love or lose his near-one billion dollar inheritance.

Who is Arthur? What is Arthur? Should Arthur have been remade? These are the questions one must delve into after watching Jason Winer's direction of the 1981 Dudley Moore classic. Winer, a veteran of television directing with Modern Family and Samantha Who? under his belt, takes a big step and a bigger risk moving into the often disappointing arena of movie reboots. Based on the Steve Gordon stories of the original Arthur and Arthur 2 On The Rocks, Peter Baynham creates a screenplay for Winer that brings the Arthur character into the 21st century.

Taking the original concept for the Dudley Moorefilm, the new Arthur is updated to be more sympathetic, if not every bit the alcoholic. The Russell Brand Arthur spends his money on material things, never companionship. When, that's not entirely true. He does get lots of friends over when he's spending money on them or for them, but he never "pays" for companionship like the Dudley Moore Arthur did.

Instead of John Gielgud's Hobson, we are treated with Helen Mirren in the role of Arthur's nanny. Both the role of the quick-witted butler and the role of the ever diligent nanny bring a little heart to the film. In fact, Helen Mirren, is the heart of the movie. She is gracious and stern - watchful like a hawk, but mindful of when to look away. Russell Brand, although somewhat more likeable as Arthur, loses something. He is intelligent, but with no regard of the limits of what his money can fix. He adores the public and his fellow man, but gives in to the ultimatum of a loveless marriage in order to keep his money. And when he falls for unlicensed Grand Central Terminal tour guide Naomi (Greta Gerwig), he would rather keep her a secret than commit to her entirely. It doesn't really matter, though. The only real tenderness comes between Hobson and Arthur. How Arthur feels about the gold digger Susan (Jennifer Gardner) is how the audience feels about the chemistry of Arthur and Naomi.

Arthur has some high points an funny bits. Toward the end of the film, there is a group of story time children at the New York Public Library who poke holes in Arthur's story that he tries to tell Naomi. If you loved the original, I would leave the 2011 Arthur remake on the top shelf, even if it isn't top shelf material.

WORTH: DVD or Netflix

Hop

Here Comes Peter Cottontail

Director: Tim Hill

Writer: Cinco Paul, Ken Daurio, Brian Lynch

Stars: James Marsden, Russell Brand, Kaley Cuoco, Hank Azaria, Gary Cole, Elizabeth Perkins, Hugh Laurie

RANT: Remember my rant about making choices about what movies to see? Now, a decision was made for me! Off I go to the movies to see Hop, functioning as an honorary uncle and grandfather! We will see how will behaved they all are. And, of course, I will be sure to not sit in front of any of them!

SYNOPSIS: E.B., the Easter Bunny's son, heads out to Hollywood to break in the rock 'n' roll biz as a drummer, abandoning his father's hope to pass on the tradition of Easter Bunny to him.

Filling a holiday season movie void, director Tim Hill takes on a "tale" of the Easter Bunny legacy. But when E.B., the next in line to the Easter Bunny mantle, decides that he does not have the right stuff to be the big bunny, he instead tries to live his dreams of being a rock 'n' roll drummer in the non-magical world. Along the way, he shacks up with a slacker, Fred, who is also trying to get his life in order. All the while, both Fred and E.B. live under the shadow of fathers who expect big things from their sons. Finally, toss in a second-in-command chick with plans to overthrow bunnies as the distributors of holiday candy, and you have a recipe for some kid-friendly fun.

Not as engrossing for kids of all ages, Hop, from the studio that brought us the wildly successful Despicable Me, still delivers laughs and tears to those of us with the heart of a child (or at least the mentality, like me). Russell Brand reels his manic side back in as a voice over talent, to delightful results. You can still hear the wild man trying to get out, but we are treated with enough Brand-iose mannerisms to appeal to all. James Marsden returns to the live action/animated genre as Fred, still able to interact with the imaginary critters set before him. He is not as gallant as he was in Enchanted, but since he is a slacker with daddy issues, its hard to compare the two roles. The Big Bang Theory's Kaley Cuoco comes in as Fred's sister, Sam. Gary Cole is Fred's father, Henry, and Elizabeth Perkins is his mother, Bonnie. Hank Azaria rounds out the cast as the frustrated, scheming chick, Carlos, bent on ousting the bunnies as the prime Easter Bunny representatives.

There is plenty for the kids, from the Pink Beret Royal Easter Bunny guard bunnies tasked to find E.B., to pratfalls with large dogs, to pooping out jelly beans, to a chick that can't stopping dancing when the music plays, to multiple scenes with E.B. banging out some sweet thumps on a drum kit. But for every good scene, there are some lulls that parents will be bored with. Even some of the kids may find themselves distracted from the kaleidoscope of color on the silver screen. Maybe Russell Brand's E.B. is still too kinetic, cause when he isn't in the scene, there seems to be a vacuum.

Sporting a Santa Clause-inspired ending, the kids will enjoy Hop. But parents may hope for Easter Sunday to come ad go. I give Hop a 3.5 for the kids, and 2.5 for the adults.

WORTH: Matinee or DVD

Despicable Me

Definitely See

[Steve Carell, Jason Segel, Russell Brand, Kristen Wiig]

RANT: It finally happened. Remember the great little kid I enjoyed going to kids movies with? He was having a bad day and finally cracked. About two-thirds into the film he wanted to go home and let his mother know it. She shushed him as best she could and tried to refocus him to what was happening on screen. It all ended well, though, because when asked if he liked the movie, he beamed and said yeah!

SYNOPSIS: Super villain Gru gets upstaged by a young hip villain, Vector, and resorts to adopting three orphan girls in order to get access to Vector's shrinking ray gun for the crime of the century.

With the wave of 3D movies and 3D animation, I wonder when the wave will come crashing down with audience fatigue. There is the element of the additional cost and the younger age of some of the viewers unwilling to keep the glasses on the entire film. At any rate, 3D or not, this animated film carries itself... to the moon!

Steve Carell lends his vocal talents as Gru, a hungarian accented super villain bent on perpetrating amazing crimes and achieving world domination. As an middle-aged doer of evil, he has the adoration of his begoggled diminutive yellow minions and the loyalty of his weapons designer, Dr. Nefario. What he doesn't have is a serious credit to his name. Sure, he has stolen the Times Square Jumbo-Tron and the Statue of Liberty (from New York, New York in Las Vegas), but younger scoundrels are stealing his limelight (and ability to secure a loan to fund his latest world dominating scheme).

Enter three orphan girls, Margo, Edith and Agnes, trying to stay on their keeper's, Miss Hattie's, good side by selling as many mail order cookies as possible. Since Gru's nemesis, Vector, is smitten with the cookies, Gru finds it necessary to adopt the orphan girls to gain access into Vector's fortress.

As you would suspect, the hard-hearted Gru and the girls are at odds from the beginning. I do not need to tell you how it ends up for them all. But knowing the destination does not stop the enjoyment of the journey. Gru's minions are unintelligible and hilarious. The orphan girls are funny, independent and can melt your heart with a droopy stare. Even Gru's dog(?) offers up some levity.

The action is both ACME and 007. The rivalry between Vector and Gru, and their gadgets is over the top. But at the end of the day, their deep-seated issues ultimately stem from their desire to win the approval of their parents. And, I believe, "Despicable Me" will also win the approval of parents and kids alike.

Worth: Matinee and a DVD

I am also trying out a new rating system shown below based on reader reaction to my somewhat complex monetary rating scale. I will give both ratings and see what kind of reaction I muster. A movie can receive up to 5 popcorn buckets. Why popcorn buckets? Because I am a slave to the thousand + calorie delight! Enjoy!