The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It

 The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021)

Starring Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Ruairi O'Connor, Sarah Catherine Hook, and John Noble

Directed by Michael Chaves

Written by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick

Click here for my Letterboxd review

The RyMickey Rating:  B-

Annabelle Comes Home

Annabelle Comes Home (2019)

Starring McKenna Grace, Madison Iseman, Katie Sarife, Michael Cimino, Vera Farmiga, and Patrick Wilson

Directed by Gary Dauberman

Written by Gary Dauberman

Click here for my Letterboxd review

The RyMickey Rating: C-

Midway

Midway (2019)

Starring Ed Skrein, Patrick Wilson, Woody Harrelson, Luke Evans, Mandy Moore, Luke Kleintank, Aaron Eckhart, Nick Jonas, Etsushi Toyokawa, Tadanobu Asano, Keean Johnson, Darren Criss, and Dennis Quaid

Directed by Roland Emmerich

Written by Wes Tooke

Click here for my Letterboxd review

The RyMickey Rating:  D+

The Commuter

The Commuter (2018)

Starring Liam Neeson, Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Jonathan Banks, Elizabeth McGovern, and Sam Neill

Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra

Written by Byron Willinger, Philip de Blasi, and Ryan Engle
***This film is currently streaming via Amazon Prime***

Click here for my Letterboxd review

The RyMickey Rating:  C-

Aquaman

Aquaman (2018)

Starring Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, Willem Dafoe, Patrick Wilson, Dolph Lundgren, and Nicole Kidman

Directed by James Wan

Written by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick and Will Beall

Click here for my Letterboxd review

The RyMickey Rating: C

Movie Review - The Founder

The Founder (2016)

Starring Michael Keaton, Nick Offerman, John Carroll Lynch, Linda Cardellini, B.J. Novak, Laura Dern, and Patrick Wilson

Directed by John Lee Hancock

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

I can't tell you the last time I ate a McDonald's.  Still, I understand the restaurant juggernaut's appeal of providing cheap eats even if I was forever scarred from eating a McDonald's burger when as a young kid I attended a birthday party held at the fast food establishment and was given a sandwich with ketchup and pickles on it.  Such grossness was never forgotten.  Why am I divulging info such as this in a movie review?  Because The Founder details the formation of the fast food giant at the hands of Ray Kroc whose tenacious "take no prisoners" approach to business helped him become one of the richest men in America.

Kroc's wealth didn't come easy, however.  After struggling for years as a door-to-door salesman of kitchen goods, Ray Kroc (played by Michael Keaton) discovers the quick food establishment known as McDonald's in San Bernadino, California, after that restaurant's owners -- brothers Mac and Dick McDonald (John Carroll Lynch and Nick Offerman) -- decide to buy eight milkshake mixers that Kroc is selling.  The McDonald brothers transformed a drive-in into a walk-up fast-service establishment and found great success selling a limited number of items created in an almost mechanical, factory-like manner.  Kroc finds the process ingenious and convinces the reluctant brothers -- who had been burned by franchisees before -- to allow him to create several McDonald's outposts in the Midwest.  A strict contract detailing conformity in both the way the establishments and the food had to look was agreed upon by Kroc, but Kroc soon decides that he knows much more about running a "business" than the McDonald brothers.  At the very least, the ever-persistent Kroc thinks he knows more about how to make money and he does all that he can to try and bring more wealth into his pocket even if it means reneging on certain aspects of his contract wth the McDonald brothers.

Surprisingly engaging, The Founder owes much of its success to the believably slimy portrayal of Ray Kroc by Michael Keaton.  There's no doubt that Kroc carried a business acumen that would be envied by anyone -- and Keaton's Kroc certainly makes us envious of that aspect of his personality -- but he was also unethically egotistical.  Keaton portrays an outward cheeriness coupled with an "aw shucks" Midwest personality that masks an intelligence that undoubtedly allows Kroc to succeed at branding a commercial business where the McDonald brothers failed.  Perhaps the film could've been a touch more biting in its satire, but as it stands now John Lee Hancock's flick is an enjoyable look at an intriguing figure from the American business landscape.  And even though I've been scarred forever by the ketchup and pickle on that McDonald's burger from my youth, Ray Kroc proved to be a rather ingenious guy and The Founder helps to illustrate that.

The RyMickey Rating:  B+

Movie Review - The Conjuring 2

The Conjuring 2 (2016)

Starring Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Madison Wolfe, Frances O'Connor, Simon McBurney, and Franka Potente

Directed by James Wan

Although Psycho is my favorite film, the horror genre was one that I never explored as a youth, but as I entered by third decade, I found myself exploring scary movies with much more aplomb.  Three years ago, I was quite impressed with The Conjuring and the film landed on my Top Twenty list of 2013.  Director James Wan created a 1970s vibe that gained its scares from tension-filled build-ups as opposed to cheap jump scares and the film itself was one of the best horror films of the decade thus far.  Unfortunately, The Conjuring 2 doesn't quite live up to its superior predecessor, relying on a too-similar story, setting, and atmosphere to really feel like anything other than a rehash.

The Conjuring 2 takes us another journey with the husband-and-wife paranormal investigation team of Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga) whose talents are called upon to help the Catholic Church investigate a possible demonic presence in Enfield, England, in 1977.  A young teen girl named Janet Hodgson (Madison Wolfe) has purportedly become possessed and her single mother Peggy (Frances O'Connor) has had to send her other children away from their home for fear of Janet and the demons in their house causing them harm.  With the family desperate for help, Ed and Lorraine start their investigation, but soon discover that the Hodgsons may in fact be making this all up for attention.

There is certainly a foreboding atmosphere present throughout The Conjuring 2 as James Wan definitely has a way with creating scares not through gore and violence, but rather through an ever-building uncomfortable tension.  He also gets great work out of his cast all of whom elevate the horror film to a higher level than most.  Unfortunately, the story here (also co-written by Wan) just feels like too much of the same thing.  Running nearly 145 minutes, there's not enough new story brought to the table and, admittedly, the scares, though effective, also feel a bit repetitive from the first film.  The Conjuring 2 is by no means a bad horror film...it just suffers in the wake of its predecessor to which it hones a bit too close to truly be original.

The RyMickey Rating:  B-

Movie Review - Bone Tomahawk

Bone Tomahawk (2015)

Starring Kurt Russell, Patrick Wilson, Matthew Fox, Richard Jenkins, Lili Simmons, and David Arquette

Directed by S. Craig Zahler

***This film is currently streaming via Amazon Prime***

There aren't many western/horror/comedy mash-ups floating around, but Bone Tomahawk would probably fall into that amalgamated category.  When his wife (Lili Simmons), a young deputy sheriff, and a prisoner are kidnapped by a mysterious Native American tribe, Arthur (Patrick Wilson), the town sheriff (Kurt Russell), another deputy (Richard Jenkins), and a rich cowboy (Matthew Fox) set out to find them and bring them back to their small Western town safely.  Little does the quartet realize that they're about to meet face to face with a group of gruesome cannibals with no respect for Americanized society.

Although the film runs a bit too long and falls into the typical trap of the western genre with a whole lot of nothing happening for long periods of time, debut director S. Craig Zahler (who also wrote the flick) has crafted a quirky flick full of humorous dialog spouted by surprisingly detailed characters.  The cast gamely acts out the witty repartee with Kurt Russell, Richard Jenkins, Matthew Fox, and Patrick Wilson all playing nicely off one another as they trek across arid, barren landscapes.   Oftentimes, films that attempt to blend genres fail to adequately balance all aspects, but Zahler rather surprisingly is able to marry horror and western and comedy.  Quite frankly, it's a bit shocking that as the film veers into the horror category towards its finale, it feels like a natural fit and that's certainly a credit to Zahler.

Bone Tomahawk isn't a perfect film, but considering it's in the western genre which I typically detest, it's much more enjoyable than I could've ever anticipated.  Sure, it's a bit of a cult-type piece that isn't going to be for everyone's tastes, but it worked enough for me to recommend it.

The RyMickey Rating:  B-

Movie Review - Stretch

Stretch (2014)

Starring Patrick Wilson, Chris Pine, Ed Helms, James Badge Dale, Brooklyn Decker, and Jessica Alba  

Directed by Joe Carnahan

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

Several years ago, I surprised myself by placing Crank: High Voltage on my list of the Best Films of 2009 and while Stretch doesn't reach that level, the similar balls-to-the-wall aesthetic is appreciated as director Joe Carnahan doesn't hold things back in crafting a weirdly enjoyable little action-comedy film that was tossed aside by a film studio that understandably wasn't quite sure how to market it.

Patrick Wilson is Stretch, a stretch limo driver down on his luck who has been told one morning he has until midnight to pay back his bookie for a gambling debt.  With his boss on his case, Stretch agrees to take a rich, eccentric client around town in hopes that a big tip will be coming his way.  Little does he realize that he's in for a wild night filled with oddities and danger.

Never taking itself seriously, Stretch is fun.  It lacks any purpose and sometimes wears a little thin, but thanks to a solid performance from Wilson (who's always good in pretty much whatever he's in) and a ridiculously over-the-top turn from Chris Pine as the billionaire playboy Stretch picks up, the film retains an enjoyable feeling throughout.  Attempts at creating a romance for Stretch are silly (particularly considering that the bulk of the film takes place over the course of twelve hours) and I'm still unsure whether I liked or disliked Ed Helms as the ghost conscience of Stretch who pops out of nowhere in many a scene, but Stretch is a weirdly pleasant diversion.

The RyMickey Rating:  C+

Movie Review - Let's Kill Ward's Wife

Let's Kill Ward's Wife (2014)

Starring Patrick Wilson, Scott Foley, Donald Faison, James Carpinello, Greg Grunberg, Dagmara Dominczyk, Amy Acker, and Nicolette Sheridan

Directed by Scott Foley

***This film is currently streaming on Amazon Prime***

This is one of those late-night, "I'm in the mood for something light", "I'm in the mood for something under ninety minutes" kind of movies.  These hardly ever end well.  Let's Kill Ward's Wife is not an exception to that rule.  Best known for his roles on Scandal and Felicity, first time director and screenwriter Scott Foley fills his film with his tv actor friends, but his attempts at dark comedy fail to prove successful.  Admittedly, there's a tiny bit of charm that arises from these personable actors taking on such a dour story, but that allure wears thin quickly.

Newly married and now a new father, Ward (Donald Faison) is essentially shackled to his stereotypical bitch of wife Stacy (Dagmara Dominczyk) and Ward's buddies and their significant others aren't enjoying this new marital relationship.  After jokingly discussing an attempt to kill Stacy, an accident makes their wishes come true which then sets up a string of events that cause the group to commit acts they've never even thought about doing before.

Ultimately, the problem is that the script simply isn't very good.  Motivations are weak and the comedy is even weaker.  I'll give credit to the cast for always keeping things light and amusing, but they aren't given much to do.  There are much better comedies that have tread similar paths and you're better off leaving Let's Kill Ward's Wife behind.

The RyMickey Rating:  D

Movie Review - The Conjuring

The Conjuring (2013)

Starring Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Lili Taylor, and Ron Livingston

Directed by James Wan

When Carolyn and Roger Perron (Lili Taylor and Ron Livingston) and their daughters move into a secluded farmhouse in the Northeast US, their hope is for a fresh start.  Little do they know that their house is haunted and the ghosts inside aren't exactly known for simply lurking.  No...these otherworldly beings are nasty creatures causing much havoc for the Perron family.  Desperate for help, Carolyn seeks out paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga) who, upon entering the Perron home, realize that they've got quite a task ahead of them trying to exorcise these demons from the house.

Based on a true story (which you can believe or not depending on your predilections towards ghostly spirits), The Conjuring is a rather fantastic horror film.  Although rated R, I'm not sure there's a single curse word uttered throughout the movie and there's hardly any blood spewed either.  Instead, that "R" rating was garnered simply because of the mounting tension created by director James Wan.  Aided by a nice script from Chad and Carey Hayes, Wan keeps the film moving at a great pace, although he does allow the story to unfold naturally -- which some could read as meaning "slowly," but I felt was deliberately paced to increase the eerie mood of the piece as a whole.  Granted, there are moments towards the film's end when I felt the writers were getting a little "kitchen sink-y" in that they were seemingly throwing in quite a few classic horror clichés, but I still found myself on the edge of my seat for nearly the entirety of the final 45 minutes.

I've been a fan of Vera Farmiga for a while and she didn't disappoint here.  Farmiga along with her co-stars Patrick Wilson, Lili Taylor, and Ron Livingston all are much better than your typical "horror movie acting."  They're not acting in a horror movie -- they're acting in a movie.  There's a difference and their nuanced portrayals of admittedly not very complex roles is much appreciated.

Taking place in the early 1970s, The Conjuring certainly feels like an homage of sorts to some classic horror films of that era and I appreciated that it never oversold its somewhat simple story with bombastic special effects or outrageous gore.  Kudos to James Wan -- whose direction of the original Saw made me a little wary about checking this film out -- who's crafted a nice ghost story here that is well worth seeing.

The RyMickey Rating:  B+

Movie Review - Young Adult

Young Adult (2011)

Starring Charlize Theron, Patton Oswalt, Patrick Wilson, and Elizabeth Reaser 

Directed by Jason Reitman

Mavis Gary is a bitch.  There's really no need to bite my tongue when saying that because it's true...and in her heart, she knows that's the case.  She was the popular one in her high school in Mercury, Minnesota, a small town outside of Minneapolis, and nearly two decades removed from those days of making out with boys in the forest behind the school during lunch, Mavis, the now popular young adult novelist with a fondness for any kind of liquor (played brilliantly by Charlize Theron) is still as self-centered as ever living the big city life in Minneapolis.   After receiving an e-mail announcing the birth of their baby from the wife of her former high school beau Buddy Slade (Patrick Wilson), Mavis gets the crazy idea to head back to Mercury and attempt to rekindle her relationship with Buddy.  Yes, that's right...Buddy just had a kid and Mavis is trying to steal him away from his wife.

That's the kind of abhorrent character Charlize Theron is given here to portray in a screenplay from Juno screenwriter Diablo Cody.  Mavis is unlikeable at the start of the film and she's no more appealing at the film's end which may explain why this flick has ultimately failed at the box office.  We in the audience don't see a character arc from bad to good.  Instead, thanks to a powerful scene at the film's end in which Mavis is actually encouraged to continue her uncouth ways, Mavis ends the film perhaps even worse than at the film's start.  That isn't to say that Mavis doesn't have revelatory moments in which she realizes some of her faults, but she doesn't necessarily feel the need to change her actions...a ballsy move in which Up in the Air director Jason Reitman fully succeeds.

Mavis's brief moments of revelation often come courtesy of Mercury resident Matt Freehauf (Patton Oswalt).  Although Matt and Mavis had lockers next to each other in high school, they barely spoke a word to one another.  Matt has had his own share of troubles as the victim of a hate crime back in high school when a group of jocks mistook him for being gay and severely beat him.  After that incident, he isn't afraid to tell Mavis his true thoughts as he finds her plan to reunite with her married ex-boyfriend a horrible idea.  Oswalt, best known for his role in King of Queens, is allowed to be the voice of reason here as the conduit that makes a movie with a character as unlikeable as Mavis more watchable and relatable to the viewer.  

The key to the film's success, however, is Charlize Theron.  Even though a thirtysomething Mavis is childish in her actions, Theron's Mavis is always thinking and it shows courtesy of the slightest of eye movements or brow furrowing -- granted, her pondering may not necessarily be "correct" or "appropriate," but Mavis's mind is always whirring with ways to make things better for herself.  It takes talent to make a reprehensible character desirable to spend 110 minutes with (those Hangover guys fail miserably in this department) and the beautiful Theron is fun to watch.  As mentioned above, much credit also needs to be given to Diablo Cody who dropped the pop culture heaviness and catchphrases that proliferated her earlier films like Juno and Jennifer's Body and graduates to a much more adult theme here.

Cody has crafted a character most actresses would be too afraid to sink their teeth into -- one who hardly ever finds herself in the good graces of the viewing audience.  Thankfully, Charlize Theron was more than willing to tackle the tricky Mavis Gary and has given one of the best performances of the year.

The RyMickey Rating:  B+

Movie Review - Insidious

Insidious (2011)

Starring Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Ty Simpkins, Lin Shaye, and Barbara Hershey 

Directed by James Wan

I must admit that due to circumstances beyond my control, I saw the final three minutes of Insidious several months prior to watching it all the way through this past week.  Admittedly, that led to a little bit of spoilerish anti-climactic viewing experience watching this at home.  So, I guess this review should be taken with a grain of salt when it comes to talks of "suspense" or "tension."  Still, regardless of knowing the conclusion, this is a decent, albeit rote, horror flick that's buoyed by some decent performances and an eerie tone of unease throughout.

Seeing as how this is written and directed by the duo that brought the world the onset of torture porn flicks with the creation of Saw, Insidious reaches beyond the blood and gore and gains its thrills by seemingly giving homage to early horror flicks utilizing a minimal amount of special effects to create scares.  At its core, this is a haunted house flick, however it is soon discovered by the lead characters that it's not the house causing the scares, but their son.  And that's not really a spoiler.  When their son Dalton (Ty Simpkins) falls into a mysterious coma-like condition, Renai (Rose Byrne) and Josh (Patrick Wilson) are obviously devastated.  Months pass and Renai begins to see strange figures and hear odd noises throughout their house.  Eventually, things get so out of control that Renai begins suspecting something more insidious is afoot and she calls in the help of a medium (Lin Shaye) to attempt to make some sense of what seems to be paranormal entities.

Although there is an overall sense of discomfort and dread that permeates throughout Insidious, at times the scares are simply too generic and basic.  I understand that this low budget horror flick was certainly going for that homage-like atmosphere to horror films of yore, but there were some moments that were laughable as opposed to frightening.  It's also rather unfortunate that the film's final act isn't all that interesting.  After a bunch of build-up, I can't help but think that it felt like a bit of a let down (however, once again, the ending was spoiled for me, so perhaps that played a role in my disappointment).

Still, there are some good performances here from Patrick Wilson, Lin Shaye, Barbara Hershey (as Josh's mother), and Rose Byrne who manages to redeem herself after falling on my Worst Performances list in 2009.  Together this group of actors plays off the scares quite well.

The RyMickey Rating:  B-

Movie Review - The Switch

The Switch (2010)

Starring Jason Bateman, Jennifer Aniston, Thomas Robinson, Patrick Wilson, Juliette Lewis, and Jeff Goldblum

Directed by Josh Gordon and Will Speck

If I were to tell you that the synopsis of a movie was that a woman decides to artificially inseminate herself only to have the sperm from the supposed dreamboat donor be replaced by her pessimistic male best friend, you'd assume that the film was a wacky comedy perhaps in the vein of a Farrelly Brothers flick.  Oddly enough, The Switch has that exact premise, and, while it has its humorous moments, it's surprisingly touching and sweet -- something I wasn't expecting in the slightest.

Worried about the aging process, Kassie (Jennifer Aniston) is determined to have a child before it's too late.  Not finding the man of her dreams on the dating circuit, Kassie eventually meets the married and handsome Roland (Patrick Wilson), a nice guy college professor who agrees to donate his sperm to Kassie since he and his wife have hit hard financial times.  This whole process greatly upsets Kassie's best friend Wally (Jason Bateman) who has always harbored a crush for Kassie.  Nevertheless, Kassie throws a party at which Roland will leave his donation, followed by Kassie hopefully impregnating herself.  A drunk Wally comes across Roland's sperm in the bathroom and accidentally drops the "deposit" down the sink.  Not wanting to ruin Kassie's night, in an intoxicated haze, Wally decides to replace Roland's sperm with his own.  Needless to say, Kassie gets pregnant (by what she believes to be Roland's sperm) and moves out of New York City to be closer to her parents in the Midwest.

Reading the above, I can absolutely understand why no one would want to watch The Switch.  It just sounds stupidly godawful.  However, about thirty minutes in, the movie jumps ahead in time by seven years and finds Kassie returning to NYC with her six year-old son Sebastian (Thomas Robinson), and it is at this point that the movie turns over a new leaf.  It becomes a rather heartfelt film about Wally trying to become a better man so that he can be a better example for his best friend's son (for, you see, at this point, even Wally can't remember what he did that fateful night).  Wally sees a lot of himself in Sebastian and despite his best efforts, Wally grows to love the kid.

I realize that now I'm just making the movie out to sound all mushy and sentimental -- and it is -- but, in the end, it's a much better film than its first act makes it out to be.  Bateman is actually quite good once he moves past his character's first act bitterness and Aniston is perfectly acceptable (although she could do this role in her sleep).  That said, part of the reason the film succeeds so well in its final hour is because of young Thomas Robinson who plays Sebastian as a perfectly believable neurotic miniature doppelganger of Bateman's Wally.  Once his character makes an appearance, the movie's tone changes into something that works really well, settling into a tale that's strong on the heart that its first act is decidedly lacking.

So when you look at the poster above, look less at the disgusted look Jason Bateman is giving at Patrick Wilson's Cup O' Sperm and instead look at the byline that tells you that this film is brought to you by the people behind Juno and Little Miss Sunshine.  In the end, it's more like those two flicks than any of the ads would have led you to believe.

The RyMickey Rating:  B-

Movie Review - The A-Team

The A-Team (2010)

Starring Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper, Jessica Biel, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, Sharlto Copley, and Patrick Wilson

Directed by Joe Carnahan

I've never seen an episode of the television show The A-Team, so I have no clue if this flick is some bastardization of the premise.  The lack of connection to the show may have helped my opinion of the flick as I shockingly enjoyed this ridiculous action movie.  Granted, I tend to like my action movies a little more grounded in reality, but despite the ludicrousness of many a scene, I enjoyed this one.  

I hate to harp on Stallone's The Expendables, but a little injection of humor into that one may have helped things out quite a bit as the cast of The A-Team realizes that when you're dealing with ridiculous plotlines that have army tanks parachuting out of airplanes you need to have fun with things.  As much as I want to dislike the smarmy Bradley Cooper, I liked his machismo in this one.  He was seemingly enjoying himself while working on this one and it paid off.  His pairing with the more solemn Liam Neeson worked quite well.  While I wish they could have maybe found a better Mr. T clone than the wooden Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, Cooper and Neeson more than made up for Jackson's inadequacies.  

Yeah, I could get into plot here, but it really doesn't matter.  The whole thing's silly and so insanely implausible that if I sat here and typed it out, I think I'd wonder what the hell was wrong with me for liking the movie.  So, instead, I'll just say that while The A-Team is no masterpiece, it absolutely kept my interest for two hours and is worth your time if you want some mindless entertainment.

The RyMickey Rating:  B-

Movie Review - Morning Glory

Morning Glory (2010)

Starring Rachel McAdams, Harrison Ford, Diane Keaton, Patrick Wilson, and Jeff Goldblum

Directed by Roger Michell

I can't deny that the simple presence of Rachel McAdams onscreen makes me kind of giddy.  She's effervescent and completely natural...and so goshdarn cute.  Ms. McAdams alone makes the romantic comedy Morning Glory a lot better than it deserves to be.  Yes, there were some (I'd even go so far as to say several) laugh-out-loud moments, but as a whole, the story just falls into that "been there, seen that before" category which ultimately holds the film back from being an all-out success.

McAdams is Becky Fuller, an executive producer on a New Jersey local morning news show.  When she is let go because of budget cuts, she manages to land a job in New York City and the exec producer of broadcast net IBS's national morning show Daybreak.  Wallowing in last place, Becky has big plans to shake things the show up.  While she likes bubbly host Colleen Peck (Diane Keaton), Becky feels that Colleen needs a nice partner to bounce things off of.  Becky discovers that revered news anchor Mike Pomeroy (Harrison Ford) is contracted with IBS, but since he was forced out of the anchor position a few years ago, he has simply been earning a paycheck not doing a thing.  Becky manages to convince Mike to join Daybreak, but the curmudgeonly Mike doesn't quite fit the bill wanting to tell hard news stories rather than do the fluff pieces often seen in morning news shows' second hours.  As these stories often go, Becky must convince Mike to lighten up...and it's not a real surprise as to whether she succeeds or not.

What lifts this film up is the performance of the winning Rachel McAdams and the droll Diane Keaton.  Whenever either of these two ladies are onscreen, the film shines.  McAdams, in particular, is someone I want to be the Next Big Movie Star.  While it doesn't seem like it's going to happen (why aren't her flicks ever really successful?), she's a complete joy to watch (and not too bad to ogle over either).

The film falters a bit when it focuses on the men.  Harrison Ford plays the grouchy Mike adequately, but it all felt very cookie cutter, one-note, and caricaturish to me.  Along the same lines, Patrick Wilson plays Rachel McAdams' new beau with zippo charisma and energy.  Granted, his role is written so poorly that he's given nothing to do, but I didn't buy their relationship one bit and the problem lies moreso with Wilson than McAdams.

And its that underwritten boyfriend role that epitomizes what's wrong with Morning Glory.  There's just not much of anything there.  Yes, the ladies of the cast cull what they can out of the lack of story, but in the end, this film brings nothing new to the table at all, feeling like a retread of other generic romantic comedies we've seen before.  It also doesn't help that director Roger Michell (who directed the rather enjoyable Notting Hill) films everything so incredibly generically, too, peppered with moments of odd zooms that stood out to me like a sore thumb.

Despite these qualms, I laughed...quite a lot actually.  There are moments in the film that work really well and that is due to both McAdams and Keaton.  Together they elevate this movie to a bit more than the average rating it deserves.

The RyMickey Rating:  C+

Movie Review - Watchmen (2009)

Starring Malin Akerman, Billy Crudup, Jackie Earle Haley, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Patrick Wilson, and Carla Gugino
Directed by Zack Snyder

This is one of those movies (embarrassingly like Twilight) where even though I know it's bad, I still kind of like it. There's plenty of problems, and, honestly, not a ton to fawn over, but it still doesn't fail for some reason.

I read the graphic novel earlier this year as part of the Book-a-Week Quest and it holds no place in my heart, that's for sure. Not that it was bad, but I'm not geeking out over it.

Since the comic means nothing to me, my first problem is that the movie is much too long, retaining way too much of the superfluous storylines. It really feels like everything could be whittled down to an hour and forty-five minutes instead of two hours and forty-five minutes. Cut out the ridiculously awful sex scene aboard the "owl ship." You could truncate the first 50 minutes down to 20 easily. And the end felt a tad drawn out, too.

The acting was pretty darn awful -- Malin Ackerman, in particular. Good Lord, at first I thought it was just the dialog she had to spout, but towards the end, I realized it was her. And nobody (with the exception of Jackie Earle Haley as Rorschach) was really any good.

Despite the fact that I felt the beginning was filled with lots of nothing, I was interested because of Zack Snyder's direction. Unfortunately, the direction became flat after the first hour.

So, with all the bad, why the heck did I like it? I'm not sure. I guess it stems from the fact that the premise in and of itself is kind of nifty. I like the idea of a group of "superheroes" being shunned by the public, trying to regain their image. I liked the interesting question that the film raises -- is it okay to kill some to save others? And, despite the fact that it was really long, it didn't feel like nearly three hours...I mean, don't get me wrong...like I said above, it's way too long...but it wasn't Funny People or Public Enemies long, if you get my drift.

The RyMickey Rating: C

Movie Review - Passengers (2008)

Starring Anne Hathaway, Patrick Wilson, Dianne Wiest, David Morse, Andre Braugher, and Clea DuVall
Written by Ronnie Christensen
Directed by Rodrigo García

Anne Hathaway Crush Alert! I'm not gonna even discuss my Anne Hathaway Attainability Theory (not that it's much of a theory), so instead let's focus on this movie that no one's ever heard of before. This flick lasted for a whopping week at our theater last year...I was away on vacation, came back, and it was already gone.

This one was reminiscent of the movie Fearless that I saw awhile ago with Jeff Daniels and Rosie Perez that, if memory serves me right, I loved (It also dealt with the survivor of a plane crash and how he dealt with the aftermath). Unfortunately, Passengers didn't really work at all.

Hathaway plays psychologist Claire Summers who is providing group therapy for the five survivors of a horrific plane crash. I love watching Hathaway onscreen (even in shit like Bride Wars) because I think she's a strong presence. However, she just wasn't believable as this intelligent psychologist...she had to spout some crappy psychobabble lines that would be difficult for anyone, but I just didn't buy her in the role. Anyway, back to the premise...Claire is intrigued with one patient in particular, Eric, who is oddly unaffected by the plane crash. There's sexual tension, the patient becomes the doctor, yada yada yada. When the five surviving passengers start disappearing, Claire begins to think that there's some elaborate scheme in place to cover up the airline's errors...and she may be right.

Unfortunately, this 90-minute film feels longer than that...it is just plodding and boring and it lays there on the screen like a lump. The writer and director bring nothing remotely exciting to the table. There's somewhat of a twist ending and it's just ridiculous. It doesn't make any sense and it makes the whole movie seem completely pointless. Even though I didn't like the flick, the twist made me dislike it even more.

The RyMickey Rating: D