The Sleepover

 The Sleepover (2020)

Starring Malin Ackerman, Ken Marino, Sadie Stanley, Maxwell Simkins, Cree Cicchino, Lucas Jaye, Karla Souza, and Joe Manganiello

Directed by Trish Sie

Written by Sarah Rothschild

Click here for my Letterboxd review

The RyMickey Rating:  C+

Rampage

Rampage (2018)

Starring Dwayne Johnson, Naomie Harris, Malin Ackerman, Jake Lacy, Joe Manganiello, Marley Shelton, and Jeffrey Dean Morgan

Directed by Brad Peyton

Written by Ryan Engle, Carlton Cuse, Ryan J. Condal, and Adam Sztykiel

Click here for my Letterboxd review

There RyMickey Rating:  D

Movie Review - Pee-Wee's Big Holiday

Pee-Wee's Big Holiday (2016)

Starring Pee-Wee Herman, Joe Manganiello, 

Directed by John Lee

***This film is currently streaming on Netflix***

Nostalgia is a funny thing.  In the case of Pee Wee's Big Holiday, it allows me to overlook the fact that Paul Reubens' return to the character that made him a giant hit in the 1980s isn't very good.  I fully recognize that the generic plot isn't worth praising and the comedic aspects feel as if they were cooked up three decades ago.  However, because of that kooky thing known as nostalgia, I warmed up to what I was watching and was able to (somewhat) overlook the many foibles of this new film because it reminded me of a simpler time.

In Pee-Wee's Big Holiday, our title character Pee-Wee Herman lives in Fairville, a picturesque small town that seems stuck in the 1950s based off its vehicles and clothing and general aesthetic.  After a signature Rube Goldberg-esque opening, Pee-Wee arrives at his workplace -- a diner where he is the short order line cook.  One afternoon before the big lunch rush, Pee-Wee finds himself alone in the restaurant when a mysterious man arrives.  After he orders a milkshake, Pee-Wee strikes up a conversation with the stranger who turns out to be Joe Manganiello (playing himself), an actor traveling through Fairville on his way home to New York City.  Joe -- a macho, carefree guy --  is seemingly the complete opposite of Pee-Wee whose pleasant, though buttoned-up persona has kept him cloistered in the town of Fairville, unaware of the wonders that could await him outside of the town.  Joe is about to celebrate his birthday and in an effort to open Pee-Wee's eyes to the wonders of the rest of America, Joe invites our title character to his birthday in NYC, but he insists Pee-Wee travel cross-country to get there so that he can truly experience the nation.  After Joe leaves, Pee-Wee ponders the notion and decides to live his hometown behind to take a journey to NYC and along the way he meets a bunch of loony folks who should ultimately make him realize that he should've just stayed home.

I am fully aware that Pee-Wee's Big Holiday is not good.  Its episodic nature grows old fast as some of the characters Pee-Wee encounters simply aren't enjoyable enough to spend ten minutes getting to know.  However, as someone who watched "Pee-Wee's Playhouse" and loved Pee-Wee's Big Adventure as a kid, I found myself sinking in to a warm and comforting nostalgia while watching this.  I laughed a few times and the innocence of the characters reminded me of a simpler time in my life and I'm not sure there's anything wrong with that.  If Pee-Wee Herman doesn't hold a special place in your childhood memories, this one isn't for you at all, but if you fondly remember waking up on a Saturday morning and turning on CBS to watch him prance around his playhouse with Chairy and Jambi and Pterri, Pee-Wee's Big Holiday will be an enjoyable enough ninety minutes.

The RyMickey Rating:  C+

Movie Review - Sabotage

Sabotage (2014)

Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sam Worthington, Joe Manganiello, Josh Holloway, Terrence Howard, Olivia Williams, and Mireille Enos

Directed by David Ayer

***This film is currently streaming on Netflix***

I don't know why Sabotage looked compelling when I saw the trailer over a year ago, but for some reason, I had in my mind that this was an Arnold Schwarzenegger movie that I wanted to see.  I'm shaking my head now because this was certainly a waste of time with The Governator playing a DEA agent who heads a team of stereotypical characters as they attempt to take down a Mexican drug lord only to have the DEA team being killed one by one in an act of revenge.

David Ayer who solidly directed End of Watch and Fury fails miserably here, but with Schwarzenegger's poor acting (and really the poor acting of everyone across the board) failing to garner any sympathy for his character who is seeking revenge for the deaths of his wife and son at the hands of drug dealers, Ayer's task was unenviable.  Then again, Ayer also co-wrote the piece and the flick certainly disappoints heavily in that department, too -- particularly the film's final twenty minutes which ends with two ludicrously shot set pieces that laughably bring things to a conclusion.

The RyMickey Rating:  D-