Movie Review - The Secret Life of Pets

The Secret Life of Pets (2016)

Featuring the vocal talents of Louis C.K., Eric Stonestreet, Kevin Hart, Jenny Slate, Ellie Kemper, Lake Bell, and Albert Brooks 

Directed by Chris Renaud and Yarrow Cheney

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

There's nothing inherently wrong with the animated The Secret Life of Pets, but this Illumination Entertainment picture (from the company that brought us the mind-bogglingly popular and also mind-numbing Despicable Me franchise) doesn't excite in any way -- visually, vocally, plot-wise.  In the end, it just sort of sits there, creating amusing-enough background noise, but not involving the viewer in any way.

In full disclosure, I'm not a "pet person" so the plot about what happens when owners leave their pets home alone for the day doesn't ingratiate itself to me at all.  Human Katie (Ellie Kemper) and her dog Max (Louis C.K.) have a nice life together in their small apartment in New York City.  Things are going swell for Max, but then Katie decides to adopt another dog -- a big ole mutt named Duke (Eric Stonestreet) -- which sets off a tension-filled fight for dominance between the two canines.  This leads to a romp through the Big Apple with silly story tangents that fail to really create a cohesively engaging story.

Much like other Illumination Animation pictures, the visuals look decent, but never exquisitely intricate or cleverly designed.  The basic nature carries over to the vocal talent which takes a cadre of comedians who give solid performances, but nothing exciting.  The lack of anything truly riveting is a staple of this studio's animated pics and until they up the ante, they'll just be middle-of-the-road like The Secret Life of Pets.

The RyMickey Rating:  C+

Movie Review - No Escape

No Escape (2015)

Starring Owen Wilson, Lake Bell, Sterling Jerins, Claire Geare, and Pierce Brosnan

Directed by John Erick Dowdle

No Escape landed on several Worst of 2015 lists when normal reviewers (unlike myself) rolled them out earlier this year and while it's certainly not great, it manages to have enough excitement that I was able to look past some story flaws and ludicrously silly direction (slow mo action is never a good thing).  Sure, it may not be good, but I was at least interested in its (obvious) outcome so that keeps it out of the lowest reaches of my 2015 movie list.

Jack Dwyer (Owen Wilson) realizes the difficulties involved in moving his wife Annie (Lake Bell) and his daughters Lucy (Sterling Jerins) and Beeze (Claire Geare) to a foreign (unnamed) Asian nation near Vietnam, but when his new job for Cardiff Industries wants him to oversee the installation of water systems, he totes his family along for the ride.  Upon their arrival, the Dwyers face a bit of a culture shock with tv's, telephones, and electrical outlets not working in their hotel, but they're seemingly willing to face the difficulties seeing as how Jack had been out of work for quite a while.  Rather unfortunate, however, the night of the Dwyers' arrival, the Prime Minister of this unnamed country is murdered by a large group of rebels upset that their water systems are being sold out to an American company.  The assassination of the head of the government sets off a massive riot in which huge portions of the population set out to kill all the Americans in their country as well as anyone trying to help them.  The Dwyers are forced to run for their lives, attempting to find a safe haven in the midst of the violent chaos.

Director John Erick Dowdle (who co-wrote the film with his brother Drew) is best known for horror flicks (some good, some not so good) and No Escape is really his first mainstream venture outside of that genre.  While I actually thought he did a decent job of capturing the familial aspects of the script -- I found Wilson and Bell to be believable as parents desperate to do what it takes to keep their daughters alive -- the action aspects of the plot and the motivations of the rioters oftentimes seem silly or ludicrous.  This is one of those films where the bad guys capture the good guys and then stand around pointing their guns at them as opposed to simply shooting them quickly.  The bad guys have a little conversation (here, in an unsubtitled foreign language so it makes even less sense) while the good guys can formulate a plan for escape.  Dowdle also peppers his direction with some really silly tricks - the aforementioned slow motion, as an example - that don't do anything except invoke laughter.

No Escape also runs on a little too long and grows a bit repetitive which is why, in the end, I had to rank this just below a RyMickey recommendation.  While I don't think it's quite as bad as other critics made it out to be, there's just one too many faults to really make it worthwhile.

The RyMickey Rating:  C-

Movie Review - Man Up

Man Up (2015)

Starring Simon Pegg, Lake Bell, Sharon Horgan, Ophelia Lovibond, Rory Kinnear, and Olivia Williams

Directed by Ben Palmer

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

Man Up is an average romantic comedy elevated only by the oddball chemistry and talents of Simon Pegg and Lake Bell who make this silly flick better than it really has any right to be.  Bell is Nancy, a thirty-four year-old single woman who has all but abandoned dating due to her admitted awkwardness.  While on a train out of the city to celebrate her parents' fortieth wedding anniversary, Nancy meets Jessica (Ophelia Lovibond), a young twenty-four year-old whose obsession with a very popular self-help book has led her to embark on a blind date.  Nancy falls asleep on the train after berating the young woman for her bubbly personality and when she awakens she discovers that Jessica has left her book behind.  Rushing to catch up with her, Nancy is mistaken by Jack (Pegg) to be Jessica as he was looking for a woman holding the aforementioned self-help book.  Nancy is immediately taken in by Jack's equally awkward, though charmingly witty, demeanor and Nancy decides to pretend to be Jessica, taking an uncharacteristic plunge and going on a blind date.  Not expecting much, Nancy begins to fall for Jack and he for her -- of course, considering the case of mistaken identity, humor should be abundant!

While all-out hilarity may not ensue, there were a several chuckles and maybe even a few flat-out guffaws throughout Man Up mostly thanks to Simon Pegg's deliveries and Lake Bell's reactions to them.  The two pair off of each other nicely and make this otherwise formulaic and typical rom-com fare a little better than average.  Unfortunately, rather than try and build a story that focuses squarely on these two individuals, the film's debut screenwriter peppers in one-note unfunny characters that do little to advance the plot, but take up much too much of the film's running time.  Even with a speedy 90-minute running time, these superfluous "extras" unnecessarily pad and bring down the movie.  There's better out there than Man Up, but it proves that Lake Bell is an underused commodity in Hollywood and Simon Pegg is a clever and witty cinematic comedian.

The RyMickey Rating:  C+

Movie Review - Mr. Peabody & Sherman

Mr. Peabody & Sherman (2014)

Featuring the vocal talents of Ty Burrell, Max Charles, Ariel Winter, Stephen Colbert, Leslie Mann, Stanley Tucci, Lake Bell, Patrick Warburton, and Allison Janney

Directed by Rob Minkoff

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

The voiceover talent of Ty Burrell and Max Charles as the amiable titular characters Mr. Peabody & Sherman -- the former an incredibly intelligent dog and the latter his adopted elementary school son -- really do all they can to make this animated film come together, but something doesn't quite click in this Rob Minkoff-directed piece.  Based off a segment from the Rocky & Bullwinkle cartoon series, the characters Peabody and Sherman are amusing to watch and, as I previously stated, Burrell and Charles breathe life into the characters, but the punny humor of the old tv show doesn't translate as well as it should to the big screen.

The dog and his human son have had many adventures thanks to Peabody's WABAC machine -- a time machine that allows Peabody and Sherman to travel anywhere in the past they'd like.  While this travel has certainly provided an education to Sherman, Peabody makes the determination that he needs to send his son to a real school.  On his very first day, Sherman gets into a fight with obnoxious bully Penny (Ariel Winter) which results in Penny's parents coming over to Peabody's luxurious abode to hash out punishment.  While there, Sherman invites Penny into the WABAC machine and the two young kids create a bit of chaos that may even be difficult for the genius Peabody to resolve.

Animation-wise, we're looking at typical Dreamworks stuff here -- it's not bad, but there's certainly nothing beautiful about what we're seeing (although Peabody and Sherman themselves are amusingly drawn).  Despite some nice voice work for our titular characters, the story feels episodic -- we move from one period in history to the next -- and the through-line of Sherman trying to make Penny a better person doesn't work or appeal to this viewer.  Mr. Peabody and Sherman isn't bad, but it didn't quite come together in the end.

The RyMickey Rating:  C+

Movie Review - Million Dollar Arm

Million Dollar Arm (2014)

Starring Jon Hamm, Lake Bell, Suraj Sharma, Madhur Mittal, Pitobash, Aasif Mandvi, Bill Paxton, and Alan Arkin 

Directed by Craig Gillespie

Million Dollar Arm is an amiable sports drama that follows many cinematic paths trodden before and does so well enough, although it lacks a bit of drive and momentum, meandering as it tells its true story of two youths from India (Suraj Sharma and MadhurMittal) who are discovered by down-on-his-luck sports agent J.B. Bernstein (Jon Hamm) in a last ditch effort to save his floundering career.  With cricket being India's go-to sport, J.B. concocts an idea to head to India, create a reality show to find those who can fast pitch a baseball (therein building excitement in the country), and help buoy his career by "selling" one of these athletes to a US baseball team.  With this being a Disney film, a happy ending is likely not out of the question so some of the flick's dramatic elements lack some gravitas, but the struggles of young Rinku and Dinesh as they attempt to make their country proud are surprisingly touching.

I've never watched Mad Men -- I've tried a few times and failed -- so my connection with Jon Hamm mainly stems from his guest appearances on 30 Rock.  As a leading man here, there is a charisma present that is much needed, but there's also a smarmy cockiness that exudes which is certainly fitting for a sports agent whose struggle to venture on his own has proven unsuccessful thus far.  We find ourselves rooting for J.B. from the get-go not only in his struggle to succeed in business, but also in his rocky relationship with his renting tenant Brenda played by Lake Bell, who is quite charming and continues to impress this reviewer.

Million Dollar Arm is by no means a home run, but it certainly doesn't strike out either.  With equal opportunity spent on both the young Indian ballplayers and J.B.'s personal troubles, director Craig Gillespie does a nice job balancing both story lines in a way that's respectful to all parties involved.

The RyMickey Rating:  B-

Movie Review - Black Rock

Black Rock (2013)

Starring Katie Aselton, Lake Bell, Kate Bosworth, Will Bouvier, Jay Paulson, and Anslem Richardson

Directed by Katie Aselton

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

Black Rock certainly doesn't reinvent the wheel when it comes to Deliverance-esque thrillers, but it definitely is head and shoulders above modern-day horror films.  Here, three childhood friends -- Abby, Lou, and Sarah (Katie Aselton, Lake Bell, and Kate Bosworth) -- reunite for a camping trip on a remote island off the coast of Maine.  While bonding (and fighting) on the island, three men (Will Bouvier, Jay Paulson, and Anslem Richardson) come upon the women's campsite.  After a nice, though slightly uncomfortable evening together, an unfortunate accident puts the three gals in danger, running for their lives and fighting for survival.

With an incredibly quick running time (under 80 minutes), I was quite surprised how much character development manages to be compressed into the flick by director Katie Aselton (who, as mentioned above, also stars in the film) and her screenwriter-husband Mark Duplass (who also has acted in things like Humpday and Safety Not Guaranteed).  Granted, some of these obligatory scenes of exposition prove to be a bit eye-rolling, but they also set up Abby, Lou, and Sarah as smarter-than-your-average damsels in distress.  Perhaps most interesting about Black Rock is that there's never really a moment where you say to yourself, "Why are these people doing that?  That's so stupid.  Only people in horror movies would do something like that."  We all know that feeling when we watch thrillers.  That "Don't Go Up the Stairs" kind of moment.  Black Rock has very few, if any, of those and for that it gets loads of credit in my book.

All three leads -- Ms. Bosworth, Ms. Bell, and Ms. Aselton -- more than hold their own and all are impressive in what I assume are their first "thriller" leads.  Being a lead actress in a thriller/horror movie isn't an easy thing.  You're forced to run a lot and have reaction shots with your eyes wide open while you're gasping for breath.  However, these three elevate these stereotypically stock roles into something a little more intelligent and a little more lively.

Is Black Rock going to necessarily give you anything you haven't seen before?  Not exactly.  However, if you're in the mood for a flick like this, it's one of the better ones of this genre I've seen in a long time.

The RyMickey Rating:  B

Movie Review - In a World...

In a World... (2013)

Starring Lake Bell, Fred Melamed, Ken Marino, Demetri Martin, Rob Corddry, Michaela Watkins, Alexandra Holden, and Nick Offerman

Directed by Lake Bell

Written, directed, and starring Lake Bell, In a World... (which will be ellipsis-free from here on out in this review) is a charming debut for the first-time writer and lenser.  Bell is thirty-one year-old Carol who, at the film's start, is still living with her father trying to make a career out of being a dialect coach for famous actors.  Her father Sam (Fred Melamed) is a famous voice-over artist who is well-known throughout the biz as being the second-most-respected talker behind the world-famous Don LaFontaine (a real-life voiceover artist who died within the past several years).  Sam is a likely successor to LaFontaine's crown, but he recognizes that his time in the business is nearing its end so he's been acting as a mentor to the up-and-coming Gustav (Ken Marino) who is quickly becoming a star in the voice-over world.  What Sam can't seem to fathom is that Carol wants to follow her father's footsteps in a business that doesn't look kindly on females.  When a movie studio decides that it wants to create an epic trailer that harkens back to and honors Mr. LaFontaine who made the words "In a World" so infamous in the realm of movie trailers, Carol, Sam, and Gustav all find themselves duking it out to claim this coveted prize.

While Lake Bell certainly crafted a film about a topic I'm not sure we've ever before seen grace the silver screen, In a World is, admittedly, quite typical in its stories and characters.  While Bell doesn't reinvent the wheel when it comes to a comedy, what she is able to do extremely well is create characters and dialog that seem believable and relatable.  Sometimes these low budget comedies are filled with people who either (a) wouldn't exist in the real world with their weirdly verbose vocabularies, or (b) you find it a chore to hang out with for ninety minutes.  In In a World, all of Bell's characters seem based in reality -- granted, it's a reality we may not be entirely familiar with given that I've never met nor likely will ever meet a voice-over artist, but it's still a world that I could easily find myself easing into.  There's something charming about the notion that these characters seem so down-to-earth.

Certainly, Bell's cast helps aid this easy-going atmosphere that she created for the film.  In addition to the aforementioned Fred Melamed and Ken Marino (who both are quite funny here), there's a nice repartee created by Rob Corddry and Michaela Watkins (the latter of the recently cancelled Trophy Wife which was the most underrated show of the 2013-14 tv seaston) as Carol's brother-in-law and sister.  Their relationship anchors a good portion of the plot which, in retrospect, does take a little too much of the focus off of Carol, but still doesn't prove overly detrimental to the overall tone of the flick.

I know that In a World isn't a perfect film and as I reflect back on it, I realize that its script could've used a little more refining.  However, for a first go at writing a feature-length film, I think Lake Bell shows a huge amount of promise.  Not only does she excel at creating a believable environment in both her writing and her directing, but she's utterly charming to watch onscreen.

The RyMickey Rating:  B+