In defense of the ‘Despicable Me’ series

Posted on July 1, 2017 by reelentropy

Images courtesy Universal Pictures.

7/10 Despicable Me 3 isn’t a movie, it’s a commercial, but it serves the function of a movie quite well.

The movie starts with Felonious Gru (Steve Carell) and his wife, Lucy Wilde (Kristen Wiig), losing their jobs at the Anti-Villain League after Gru lets wanted villain Balthazar Bratt (Trey Parker) get away. Gru then learns of and reunites with his twin brother, Dru (Carell). In a B plot, Wilde tries to bond with her new step-daughters. In a C plot, the minions lead a revolt against Gru and end up in prison, which they run with caution tape-yellow iron fists.

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‘Baby Driver’ is not where it needs to be

Posted on June 29, 2017 by reelentropy

Images courtesy TriStar Pictures.

6/10 Baby Driver is a movie trying to cartwheel down a well-trodden path, telling a story you’ve heard a dozen times with undeniable style. Unfortunately, that cartwheel is, well, about a six out of 10.

The film follows Baby (Ansel Elgort) — get it? Because it’s about a driver named Baby, and the movie is titled Baby Driver! It’s a pun! Get it? — a getaway driver and ’50s pop music enthusiast who owes millions of dollars to Doc (Kevin Spacey). Baby squares his debt and strikes up a relationship with local waitress Debbie (Lily James), but Doc won’t let him leave the increasingly violent gang. Baby eventually has to shoot his way out.

Basically every part of Baby Driver needs to be at least a little bit better. It’s is kind of boring, and it really shouldn’t be. Writer/director Edgar Wright was clearly going for kind of a Drive-meets-’50s-Guardians of the Galaxy vibe, and he misses the mark for several reasons.

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Bayhem!

Posted on June 22, 2017 by reelentropy

Images courtesy Paramount Pictures.

1/10 Baydlem!

PandeBayneum!

Star Wars: The Last Jedi Transformers: The Last Knight is the crowning achievement of one of history’s worst filmmakers. It’s filled with the most sound and fury, it signifies the least. It is a critical mass of Bay.

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‘Cars 3’ is wonderful

Posted on June 16, 2017 by reelentropy

Images courtesy Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

9/10 In 2006, after an immaculate decade of releasing instant classic after instant classic, Disney Pixar released its first mediocre film.

Cars, along with its numerous sequels and spinoffs, occupy an odd place in the studio’s hierarchy. Though they are, to a movie, the studio’s worst work, mid-’00s children took to them in a way that they didn’t to The Incredibles or Monsters Inc, and bought toys in droves. Between Cars and Cars 2, Pixar released four films — Ratatouille, Wall-E, Up and Toy Story 3, all much better received at the time and much better remembered now. They combined to make almost $3 billion worldwide, very impressive for four movies.

During that time span, Cars merchandise brought in $10 billion.

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Bloodcurdling ‘It Comes at Night’ stands as the year’s best so far

Posted on June 15, 2017 by reelentropy

Image courtesy A24.

10/10 It Comes at Night might have been filmed on a golden reel.

After a zombie-esque plague rips through society, Paul (Joel Edgerton, who also executively produces) lives with his wife and son, Sarah and Travis (Carmen Ejogo and Kelvin Harrison Jr.), in an isolated, well-secured cabin. When another survivor, Will (Christopher Abbott), breaks in scavenging for supplies, the family keeps him at arm’s length, but eventually brings him and his own wife and child, Kim and Andrew (Riley Keough and Griffin Robert Faulkner), into their group. Everyone initially gets along, but tensions mount and boil over.

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