Tag Archives: Paul Rudd

Film reviews

Anaconda Review

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What makes Anaconda so entertaining is the fact that the plot revolves around characters that are true to the original franchise. This creates cleverness built upon a solid foundation. Given that the film stars Jack Black, Paul Rudd, and Steve Zahn, there are plenty of twists to keep the momentum spiraling with joy. Slithers of snakes combined with devotion to a franchise takes audiences on a journey filled with laughter. Directed by Tom Gormican, this is Anaconda.

Before jumping into the plot, I want to elaborate on the fanboy status which tops this movie. With the farce surrounding Anaconda, the chemistry amongst Black, Rudd, and Zahn is electric. As friends who play a team hoping to reboot Anaconda, it takes a lot more effort and risk than they expect. There is much uncharted territory, an Amazon with unexplained animals, and treacherous environs with surprises lurking.

The main characters are Doug McCallister (Black) and Ronald Griffin Jr. (Rudd). They are two friends who have always loved movies and always dreamed of making movies. Doug has a job where he shoots wedding videos, and he wants something bigger. Ronald does as well and claims he has access to the rights to the Anaconda franchise. This sets them down a path to find the budget to make their own independent version of it. The others who are with them in the process are Kenny Trent (Zahn) and Claire Simons (played by Thandiwe Newton). However, the licensing and rights are all over the place while the jungle is sketchy too. A colorful array of moving parts creates a boisterous ride where the rollercoaster never stops.

The writing of Anaconda begins as cheesy. As the film loops into the cinema aficionado’s mode (with Black and Rudd), the story begins to gradually create the atmosphere for accomplishments to occur. The filming requires everyone to be in the Amazon with many reptiles, the majority of which are dinosaur sized. Anaconda is like Jurassic Park but more likely to have creatures which are snake sized. This film also aims for the attacks to humor the audience instead of scaring viewers.That is what I love about this movie. When snakes jumped out, boisterous laughs ensued. The characterizations of Black and Rudd are outstanding in the danger-filled jungle.

Overall, Anaconda knows how to be funny. The film keeps a steady pace and loops in studio-related material to build upon its characterizations. I felt a sense of reality despite the quirkiness. It is not an amazing movie, but it is classy due to the flow of clever elements in the writing. Anaconda is one of the most fun films that many families should take time to enjoy over Christmas. It is a snake party for the holidays. Also, for those who remember the original Anacondas movies, audiences are in for a treat with this new version. Just make sure to fasten your seat belts! Three-and-a-half out of four stars for Anaconda.

 

Film reviews

Friendship Review

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When I went into this movie knowing that it stars Paul Rudd, what instantly came to my mind was his film, I Love you, Man–primarily because of the concept of a lack of friendship. That film was a hard R comedy with many humorous moments. Friendship has both of those components, but in a darker narrative. It works to still be dark and mutually funny with its undertones. Friendship is one of the most audacious and vibrant films I have seen to date. A bipolar disorder goes to the brink of mania in Friendship.

Friendship is written and directed by Andrew DeYoung. As a director, he captures the mode of mid-life crisis hitting a plateau and then adding many levels on top of it. Friendship’s main character is Craig (played by Tim Robinson). Craig is an introvert with a normal life and family. His wife is Tami (played by Kate Mara), and his son is Steven (played by Jack Dylan Grazer). Craig realizes he has a new neighbor, Austin (Rudd). They begin a “friendship”, but then their relationship becomes competitive over success. However, it is more about Craig overcoming his introverted mode that is the key to the film’s built-up tones of humorous suspense and laughter.

The livelihood is the mix of the film’s layers of success and frustration that create patterns. Craig feels jealous easily, and Austin feels uncomfortable easily. Austin puts up a boundary, and Craig feels disconnected. When Craig gets to the lonesome stage, all bets are off when it comes to his level of maturity. “Maturity” does not exist in Friendship.  The way this is written and presented is a revelation that I found to be astonishing. That is because it keeps finding the components to topple laugh after laugh.

Friendship creates an outlook that makes its audience understand who is reaching the crazy stage. It may look like Craig at one point and then Austin at another. The times where it hits the fan for both of those scenarios are ones to thank Craig for. The wonder of fun is the instant and repeated curiosity to who will fall apart first or go into a tirade that is hard to forget. Robinson and Rudd are a duo of suburban dads, each trying to create a perfectionist personality.

Friendship continues to display how the behavior of Craig is creating a weird environment. This is where the writing continues to be captivating.  The responses are humanistic in nature.  Like Craig’s son and wife, they tend to shift off in their own direction. Craig continually tries with  them and Austin, yet his approach is quite invasive. Of course, though, it only leads to more boundaries. When that happens more disasters, including a scenario with a sewer tunnel, self-destructive behavior, and a lot more angry moments get unpacked. The many curiosities of frustration do provoke laughter with excellence in a bizarre direction  in Friendship.

 If I had to compare, I do feel that the film relates to real-life loneliness, especially in the context of Craig giving in repeatedly in order to feel some sense of satisfaction. That correlation is what stirs the pot with overlapping contingencies and where this screenplay creates the highest peak of disconnect in Friendship. Three-and-a-half out of four stars for Friendship.

 

 

 

 

Film reviews

Death of a Unicorn Review

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This is one of the craziest retro films I have seen. It is full of colors, wonders, and quirky revelations all centered around a unicorn. Death of a Unicorn is one bonkers ride filled with elements of surprise. Written and directed by Alex Scharfman, The Death of a Unicorn is a film where one incident loops in theories and leads to silly outcomes. For a new director, it is visionary yet achieves more fantasy than value. Scharfman utilizes his directing skills to bring audiences on an invigorating adventure in Death of a Unicorn.

The film focuses on Elliott (played by Paul Rudd) and Ridley (played by Jenna Ortega), who play a father and daughter. They are in route to visit a wealthy pharmaceutical CEO when they hit a unicorn. They hide the unicorn in their vehicle which leads to an unimaginable ride once the unicorn goes bananas. It is a bizarre but enticing foundation because the unicorn has power. Once someone touches the horn of the unicorn magic is revealed which impacts each individual in a unique way. With the dynamics between the father and daughter who are visiting a wealthy family, lots of questionable judgment ensues. Egos collide which causes the fun to spiral and plays a key role in the massive joy in this film. It is especially entertaining when the middle-class tries to impress the upper-class and neither class knows what hit them Death of a Unicorn.

The story is a suspenseful ride that borders on insanity due in part to the wealthy family in the film. The family includes Odell (played by Richard E. Grant), Belinda (played by Tea Leoni), and Shepard (played by Will Poulter). Their butler is Griff (played by Anthony Carrigan). Elliott makes it his dream to satisfy this family, but when he brings the chaos of the unicorn tragedy to them. To an extent, it is clever that he cares so much about sucking up to this family because their silliness is over-the-top. They act like the world is in their hands, but the unicorn’s destruction puts an end to that. The wrath of vengeance unleashed in magical moments is out-of-this-world. Scharfman knows how to create new comedic trends in Death of a Unicorn.

There are special effects in the film that are worth noting. For example, touching the unicorn’s horn creates a world that looks like a Neil DeGrasse Tyson space. Those who touch the horn end up in a mind-boggling space-like universe. Effects like these are correlated with behaviors that make Death of a Unicorn feel interactive.

Overall, the film feels a bit cheesy perhaps because it tangles chronological events. The story starts with hitting the unicorn, then visiting the wealthy family, and then the unicorn wakes up. From that point on, more realizations and chaos evolve. Death of a Unicorn offers more than what audiences might anticipate.Some (i.e. members of the wealthy family) think there is a benefit to the presence of a dead unicorn, and others (i.e. Elliott and Ridley) see it as a bad sign of more destruction. In the end, the film is a jousting climax of unicorns, millionaires, and plenty of mesmerizing moments. Three out of four stars for Death of a Unicorn.