DVR Purge: 6/20-6/26

The last remnants of the regular season are finally gone with Hannibal having its finale (and Mad Men to a lesser extent). From here on out we are in full summer mode in time for Dexter's return next week and Wilfred re-entering the fray this past week. I think Dexter will still be a marathon-situation, so we will likely continue to see some lean weeks. This break is allowing me a lot of catchup time for other shows though (Sopranos: done. Deadwood: almost done. Oz: plugging away. The Shield: next on deck).

Sure, Mad Men's finale was better, but I'm getting tired of pictures for it every week.

Burn Notice "Down Range"
It's the final season, so it's probably for the best that we don't have an extended period of Michael and the gang being split up, but I'll admit, it is a bit of a tease to basically have no time when they are apart after preparing us for it in the season premiere.

Hannibal "Savoureux"
Season's done and I still don't know how I feel about this show. It is a really solid drama and not like anything else that is on. It's also very draining. That's not a positive or a negative: it's a fact. I couldn't binge this show. It won't happen. I'd need some breaks. I like Brian Fuller though and I think the aestetics are wonderful. Mad Mikkelsen is a great Hannibal and Hugh Dancy is simply great. I don't see this moving to my top tier any time soon, but I'm more than hooked to see how Will gets out of captivity and closer to catching Dr. Lector.


Wilfred "Uncertainty" & "Comfort"
I know the showrunner left, but this feels like the same show I've been watching the past two years. It's a little odd not having it paired with Louie, but I think the fact that I still wanted to watch it not part of a set must mean I enjoy it. Hopefully they keep the balance of dark/mythology episodes and comedic ones in check.This is not a comedy I watch hoping for a mind-fuck.

Mad Men "In Care of"
I was curious to see how much would happen in the finale. It's wouldn't've surprised me one bit if they'd let a lot dangle and resolve itself off camera. There will still be a lot of that but plenty happened in this season's final hour. I laugh every time I think about Pete's mom and that entire situation. I feel bad for his mother, I suppose, but everything about it is so absurd. A surprising comedic piece to the finale. Otherwise, so much happening that I can't cover it all. Don had one hell of a pitch, then one hell of a pitch that was also a breakdown. I sure am curious to see what unattached (by work, wife, and to some extent, children) Dick Whitman will look like next year.
-I like Megan, but I'm also fine if this is the last of her as a regular. Simply put, I see every minute of her as a drain on Peggy's status as a lead. If I'm picking sides, Peggy wins.
-Boy, the California branch escalated quickly. It was going to be a one man job. Now, it has two partners setting up shop. Can't wait to see how that plays out, especially considering that California trips have been a mixed bag for the series.

The Point of the Purge
Past Purges:
5/30-6/12       6/13-6/19       

5/1-5/7            5/8-5/14         5/15/-5/18       5/19-5/24         5/25-5/29

4/4-4/7             4/8-4/9           4/10-4/16        4/17-4/21         4/22-4/30

3/13-3/15         3/16-3/19        3/20-3/26        3/27-3/31         4/1-4/3

2/22-2/26         2/27                 2/28-3/3           3/4-3/7            3/8-3/12

2/5-2/8             2/9-2/11            2/12-2/18        2/19-2/20          2/21

1/17-1/18         1/19-1/21          1/22-1/23         1/24-1/29         1/30-2/4

12/16               12/17-12/21      ...12/22-1/7      1/8-1/9             1/10-1/16

11/25-11/28     11/29-11/30      12/1-12/5         12/6-12/8          12/9-12/15

10/28-11/3       11/4-11/10        11/11-11/16     11/17-11/20      11/21-11/24

9/22-9/28         9/29-10/4          10/6-10/12       10/13-10/19     10/20-10/27

Movie Reaction: Monsters University

Formula: The Internship + Monsters Inc.

Why I Saw It: I like to see an animated feature from time to time [despite all the loud children] and Pixar is as reliable a studio as one is going to find.

[Voice] Cast: I can barely comment of live-action performances, so there wasn't much for me to pick at here. Billy Crystal and John Goodman are both fine. The main compliment I have is that at no time (other than waiting for John Ratzenberger to show up and thinking "is that Aubrey Plaza) did I find myself thinking about the voice-actor for the character, so I suppose that means the characters were well fleshed out.

Plot: Like most Pixar movies, the story is pretty straight-forward. Twists aren't their thing. They prefer effective story-telling. It's basically a rivals become friends and a rag-tag bunch of misfits beats the odds story mashed together. Perhaps because I don't remember the first movie all that well, some of the events toward the end surprised me, including a resolution to Mike's story which was written for every Scottie Pippen of the world to feel better about himself. Personally, I say it a bit as a cop-out, but there's a solid message in there regardless.

Animation: The short at the beginning, The Blue Umbrella is gorgeous. It took a while for me to even realize that it was all animation (as opposed to animation on top of a filmed backdrop). The feature movie looked fine. You can definitely see a great improvement from 2001. Overall though, since it takes place in a very fictional world, it looks a lot more animated than other movies, which is fine. It just doesn't have anything as showy as Merida's hair.

Elephant in the Room: Did this need a prequel? Pixar movies are at their best when they have two things: a good message and a topic ripe with jokes. Toy Story always had a gut punch of a theme and a ridiculously endless supply of gags about toys. Finding Nemo dealt with loss and had an ocean's worth of material. Up basically ruins you within 10 minutes and mines the dog jokes wonderfully. Thematically, I think Monsters U. falls a little short in that it has a much more sobering message than I expected (you can't be anything you want, so accept what you are good at isn't too inspiring). The first movie exhausted most of the monster humor, so all the fun in the screenplay went toward the college stuff, which I thought was lackluster or overly-tread material.

To Sum Things Up:
Look. Pixar is in a tough place. They are haunted by their own ghosts. No company can continue being as good as they were for a solid decade. Expectations as so high for them. had this come out 10 years ago, people would say this is another solid effort by Pixar. Now, people are wondering if Pixar has lost the magic. Monsters U. is a perfectly amiable movie, great family entertainment, and certainly not a creative low for the studio. It's just not as good as previous outings.

Verdict (?): Weakly Recommend

DVR Purge: 6/13-6/19

Fuck it. I'm back to doing these weekly I know I'm not throwing off anyone's schedules by doing this. 1) I don't even put these out on consistent days, so it's impossible to keep track to begin with and 2) I also know people aren't hanging on my every thought on these. I'd have to put more effort into them to warrant that.

Gee, it'll be nice when there's more shows to choose shots from every week

Burn Notice "Forget Me Not"
I had a feeling it wouldn't be long before the gang was back together. It isn't in Burn Notice's DNA to let that stew for long. Fi's prison sentence is the exception, not the rule. They seem to be hinting that they are splitting back up next week. As I said before, I'm curious to see how this show goes out.

Hannibal "Relevés"
I'm somewhat confused by Hannibal's plan here. Has he been plotting to have everything fall on Will for a while or is he just cleverly covering his tracks? I'd be curious to get a little more in the mind of Hannibal next season. So far, he's the smartest person in every room he walks in to as well as the most powerful. I'd like to see how that unravels.
-Am I the only one a little curious how he was able to get the comb in the chamber? I feel like it would be better monitored, even for a doctor.

Mad Men "The Quality of Mercy"
So the Bob Benson mystery is finally revealed and, well, it's what we should've expected all along. No masterplan. No treachery. He's just a guy trying to change his stars. Pete's handling of it also proved how much he's learned over the years. I've always liked Pete a little more than I think I'm supposed to, so I like that he got his odd moment of triumph. And, on that note, Don got a much crueler moment of superiority. I must admit, depite how much of a douche he was being, it was nice to see him in a place of power in a meeting. Oh, and I knew it was only a matter of time until we see Glen again. It's nice to see Sally getting more use in the later episodes. I was worried all this Bobby focus would come at the expense of her.


The Point of the Purge
Past Purges:
5/30-6/12       

5/1-5/7            5/8-5/14         5/15/-5/18       5/19-5/24         5/25-5/29

4/4-4/7             4/8-4/9           4/10-4/16        4/17-4/21         4/22-4/30

3/13-3/15         3/16-3/19        3/20-3/26        3/27-3/31         4/1-4/3

2/22-2/26         2/27                 2/28-3/3           3/4-3/7            3/8-3/12

2/5-2/8             2/9-2/11            2/12-2/18        2/19-2/20          2/21

1/17-1/18         1/19-1/21          1/22-1/23         1/24-1/29         1/30-2/4

12/16               12/17-12/21      ...12/22-1/7      1/8-1/9             1/10-1/16

11/25-11/28     11/29-11/30      12/1-12/5         12/6-12/8          12/9-12/15

10/28-11/3       11/4-11/10        11/11-11/16     11/17-11/20      11/21-11/24

9/22-9/28         9/29-10/4          10/6-10/12       10/13-10/19     10/20-10/27

Movie Reaction: Before Midnight

Formula: Before Sunrise + 18 Years
                 Before Sunset + 9 Years

Why I Saw It: Sundance reviews raved about it and I recently saw and loved the first two movies.

Cast: Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke. It's not limited to them quite as much as in the past, but it's basically a two-man show still. They are still every bit as engaging as ever with this two very lived-in characters. It's odd to be able to listen to an argument between two characters and find myself switching sides as often as I did. Really marvelous work by both of them.

Plot: If you've seen the first two movies, then you know the drill. It all takes place over a day. We follow them around as they laugh, argue, and philosophize for 90 minutes. This time is different though. In the other movies, they are virtual strangers. Now, we find Jesse and Celine have been together for nearly a decade which makes it so much more interesting. In the past, they are learning about each other. Now, we are learning about them as a couple. There isn't a lot of plot going on because it isn't needed.

Elephant in the Room: It sounds like 90 minutes of people talking. That's exactly what it is, and I'll admit, that description makes it sound like My Dinner With Andre: some experimental film for movie snobs. Maybe it is. I'd hardly call myself a snob and I am easily turned of by a lot of experimentation, but I still found this greatly enjoyable.

To Sum Things Up:
It figures that as soon as I call This Is The End my favorite movie of 2013 so far I get another solid contender for the prize. [That's not to say it is topping the list but they aren't exactly comparable either.] I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. It is interesting in ways that not a lot of movie are [or pull off successfully]. It definitely helps to have seen the first two movies, but I'm not convinced that it's necessary to appreciate this one since it is sort of different from the others. Regardless, it is very good.

Verdict (?): Strongly Recommend

Movie Reaction: This Is The End

Formula: The humor of Superbad + the casting of Ocean's Eleven + the plot of Dogma + the Hollywood treatment of Tropic Thunder

Why I Saw It: Superbad is a top 5 movie for me, so I have been revved to see this since I first heard about it.

Cast: Primarily it's Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel, James Frano, Craig Robinson, Danny McBride, and Jonah Hill playing themselves. All of them play the exact version of themselves you'd expect in a comedy. They poke fun at themselves a lot, so maybe that's something to entice people that balk at that list of actors. There's also great, small parts from Michael Cera, Emma Watson, and everyone else you've seen in a Judd Apatow movie (and couple others I'd like to leave as a surprise).

Plot: A bunch of actors try to coexist during the end of days. The biggest fear with this movie was going to be if all the good jokes are in the first half and it peters out at the end when it tries to come to terms with the story. I'll admit, the beginning certainly has more jokes per minute but some of the biggest laughs are at the end. I can safely say I was entertained start to finish. There's also a story as its backbone of friendship and growing apart which is a touch they didn't have to include. It's very secondary to the jokes however and that's a good thing because the jokes are so good. Also, despite how the plot plays out I don't think it's aiming for any sort of a religious message (more of a means to an ends, I'd say).

Elephant in the Room: Isn't this one, big Hollywood inside joke? Absolutely. I am a huge fan of all things Apatow (Knocked Up, Superbad, Freaks and Geeks, etc.). I've listen to all the commentaries and followed all their careers. I'm not sure how much of that informed my own enjoyment, but the laughs in the rest of the theater told me that the humor lands for pretty much anyone. It helps to remember who is in Pineapple Express and know some filmographys to get some of the jokes, but not necessary.

To Sum Things Up:
Unsurprisingly, this is my favorite movie of the year so far. It is shameless and crude, no doubt, so that should be considered before seeing it. If you are hopelessly determined to see this as man-child humor with no merit, then that's your choice. Personally, I love when you can tell how much fun people had when making a movie like this. It's why something like Ocean's Eleven has always been a favorite and this is in the same vein. People took pay cuts to be in this and lined-up to make fun of themselves and it's awesome to see egos left at the door like that. Simply put, this movie is a delight.

Verdict (?): Strongly Recommend

Movie Reaction: Man of Steel

Formula: It's kind of hard to put a formula to a movie about the character who is the template of a superhero.

Why I Saw It: It is one of the year's biggest movies. Nolan's name being attached certainly helps. And, the cast ain't half bad.

Cast: I didn't know much about Henry Cavill before seeing this. I still don't. For a movie that was half origin story, the main thing I learned about Clark Kent is that he's pretty bland. I do think that was the intent and Cavill plays it right. I was impressed by Amy Adams playing Lois Lane. That character has potential to be nothing more than a damsel in distress and they made her someone who was in the thick of things as well. Michael Shannon is intense as hell. His Zod is a villain with a motivation I can understand. Kevin Costner and Diane Lane are very believable Kansas farm parents. Russell Crowe is equally commendable as a Krypton parent.

Plot: As an origin story, it's pretty effective. As a saving the world story, it's a little much. I think they handle the destruction of Krypton well and they user flashback to tell about Clark's childhood. All I have to say is that kid sure had a lot of convenient disasters happen in his formative years. When the movie is in the present, the super part kicks in. From there it's all about Superman saving the world from Zod. It's pretty straightforward as far as superheroes movie go. There was a lot of convenient exposition for Clark to learn about Krypton and the fighting might've been too big. I really don't know where they go from here. This movie is about as big as you can get.

Elephant in the Room: Do you believe a man can fly? Superman is a tough sell. In today's movie landscape, superhero movies work best when they start grounded. Superman requires aliens from the onset which is tougher. The movie does as good a job as it can with the handling of the character but he is too powerful. Think about it. Put Iron Man in a Spider Man movie and the challenge is about the same. Put Superman in The Dark Knight and it's a short film. I have no idea how Justice League would work.

To Sum Things Up:
Superman isn't my favorite hero so I wasn't crazy for this going in the same way a lot of people were. I think this movie does an admirable job of telling the story (it's certainly better than Superman Returns, to say the least). The action is big and well-staged. The cast is well-chosen. The story isn't anything special, although I'd hardly call it bad. Superman fans will probably be pleased to have this movie even it's not perfect. Regular movie-goers may find it a bit more out there. If I were to compare, I'd put it about on par with Iron Man 3: good, not special.

Verdict (?): Weakly Recommend

2013 DVR Bloodletting

It's that time of year again. The traditional TV season has ended and I need to go through my DVR too clean up my series recording list, to take inventory of what I want to keep watching, what I have to keep watching, what has ended, and what I need to let go.

Let's start by reviewing what I did last year. I've got 44 shows currently, more than the 36 I had last year (31 after the bloodletting), so I'm doing the opposite of slowing down (I only re-added one show that I said I was done with, which is better than my initial guess of 3). I think this year really does have potential to slow down. Enough wasting time. Let's get to where I stand on shows.

* - Assuming I still have Showtime.

Absolute Locks to Stay
Breaking Bad - Like I'm going to stop watching one of the best shows on TV with only 8 episodes left.
Mad Men - It keeps chugging along and gets richer as it ages.
Shameless* - I realized sometime during this seasons that this is one of my favorite shows. Hopefully I'll still have Showtime, but this is likely to fall victim to my cheapness, but I will miss the Gallaghers.
Parks & Recreation - As long as NBC keeps renewing it, I'll keep watching. It's as simple as that.
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia - Other people are reporting this show's decline more than I have. It continues to be one of the funniest, least conscionable shows on TV.
Louie - It'll be a long wait for Spring 2014 but I'll be there when it's back.

Going Down with the Ship
Dexter* - This most recent season was a big improvement. I still see this as a sinking ship that I've got one more season with.
How I Met Your Mother - I'm watching till the bitter end regardless, but it's looking like the final season has enough going for it that I'm something close to excited to see it.
Community - Season 4 showed some improvements by the end but it still a far cry from the highs. I love the cast too much to stop watching. For now, I see this as a sinking ship.
Burn Notice - The summer will be the end of the show regardless. The last season or two have been a chore as much as anything, so it will be a welcome end to a show that has not aged well.

Update: With the news that Dan Harmon is back in charge of Community, I'm tempted to put this back in lock-status, but I think I need proof that it can regain its mojo before I do that.

80/20
The Walking Dead - It still does everything it needs to for me to like it and nothing for me to love it.
New Girl - I've enjoyed it as much as any show on TV this season, but there's still something about it that I can't quite trust.
The Mindy Project - I like so much about this show and I'm hoping it can make a second season leap.
Tosh.0 - It's too interesting to see how the show continues to evolve from being just a clip show.
Parenthood - This should probably be a lock. It's too new of a pick up for me to move it to that hallowed realm though.
Cougar Town - TBS didn't ruin it. Consider me shocked.
The Middle - This is such a charming show that I simply can't imagine I could stop watching it.
Suburgatory - It didn't make the leap I hoped for this year, but it did improve.
The Big Bang Theory - It's nice to turn on the TV and pretend I'm watching a show from 1998.
Archer - It's consistent as hell. I'll give it that.
Wilfred - This summer will be the true test of how much of my enjoyment of it is a result of being a package deal with Louie.
The League - A solid laugh or two each week is enough to keep it here.
Saturday Night Live - I've caught nearly every episode this year, normally weeks after, but I do watch them.
Legit - Jim Jeffries is really funny.

One Wrong Move
Homeland* - I was not pleased with the second season overall. If I still have Showtime, I'll probably continue with it, but I will not be keeping Showtime just so I can watch this.
Californication* - This year took a big dip. If the writers don't seem to be trying any more, why should I?
Modern Family - I really am ready to drop this, but until it loses at the Emmys, I'll stick with it just so I can say to people "No, it's not that great and it hasn't been getting better. Quite the opposite, in fact."
The Americans - I kept waiting for something in the show to wow me. As is, I can say it is very solid.
Hannibal - Jury is still out on this one. The season goes late and I assume it will not get a season 2.

Series Ended/Cancelled
Ben & Kate - Sad to see it go. It was likely always going to be a charming "likable but not extremely funny" show regardless.
Happy Endings - It is such a shame this could never get solid footing on its own. I will miss it but now mourn it.
Go On - I wanted to like it more than I ever did.
Don't Trust the Bitch in Apt. 23 - Equal blame goes to the quality of the show and ABC's handling of it. I think it was always doomed.
30 Rock - I am still sad that it's over.
The Office - No matter how strongly it ended, these last couple seasons have been rocky as hell. It was a very good show that I am happy to finally see end.
Up All Night - I gave up on this a while ago regardless. It's cancellation merely seals it.

I'm Done With It
House of Lies - I said I was done last year. I mean it now. It wasn't good. There's no other way I can say it, sadly. I wanted it to be better than I ever found it to be.
Nashville - I still don't know how I lasted through the whole season. It was never the show I thought it would be. I'm sure it has its fans, but that does not include me.
Key & Peele - I watched maybe two episodes. I just haven't deleted the series recording yet.
Made - I haven't watched one of the recorded episodes in months. I think I've finally outgrown it.
Dave's Old Porn - Parts of the show were fun. Overall, I never liked it enough to keep up with it.
Inside Comedy - I'll stick to WTF and the Nerdist. This had nowhere near the depth I hoped for.
Jeselnik Offensive - There's a chance I'll check back in and love it. For now, it is too raw.
Inside Amy Schumer - Like Jeselnik, it's raw and I don't see enough at its core to keep with it.

That leaves me with 29 (25 if I get rid of Showtime). There's number of shows, basically all HBO which I would be keeping up with if I had the opportunity (Girls, Game of Thrones, probably Veep, Family Tree) but I don't have the means and I'd say there's a good chance I'll be caught up on Justified to watch the new season on time. And, that doesn't even account for new shows, so that final tally is likely to balloon come fall. For now, I'm fine with that number.

DVR Purge: 5/30-6/12

So, this may become an every other week thing until more shows start picking back up. In two weeks, I could only find five total. It's been a nice break, but this dearth of programming is allowing for me to get very lazy.

Hannibal "Buffet Froid"
Having just binged the fourth season of Arrested Development a few days before, Hannibal featuring a story about face-blindness had a more comical effect than intended. Beyond that, I'm still trying to figure out Hannibal's (the character) endgame with Will. He obviously wants to keep him thinking he is insane, presumably because he thinks Will is the only one who can figure him out. It's all one big game for the good Dr. Lector and I'm curious to see how much longer he can play so fast and loose before it catches up to him.

Mad Men "A Tale of Two Cities"
Finally, we are getting back to the things that interest me the most in the show, the office and what's going on there. That's not to say I hate the personal stories of homelife and family, but, like preferring vanilla over chocolate, I'm most interested by what is going on at Sterling, Cooper, & Partners, as it is called now. That office is in disarray and the nomenclature issue is only the surface of it.

Burn Notice "New Deal"
So begins the final season. I think the single most frustrating thing about the show has been that it has grown beyond the initial concept but it still has the same opening credits. By that, I mean it has been fighting between being procedural and evolving to the point that it has gotten hopelessly convoluted. For example, who actually burned Michael? There's been so many leads over the years, I don't even remember who it ended up being. This first episode sets things up interestingly. The time jump feels way bigger than 9 months, but it is interesting to see how things have changed and not changed. Fi has moved on. Madeline is getting custody of her grandchild. But, they are all still friends. That, mixed with Michael taking on an actual story arch is a nice change of pace. It looks like we will be back to the episodic adventures next week, but this most recent tweak to the formula (no contact with the gang, employing the cast of Heroes, etc.), I'm intrigued to see how this final season goes from here.

Hannibal "Roti"
Shit's getting crazy. There was not a lot of Hannibal this week but when he was there, he was used well. I'm impressed how well the show is keeping the audience genuinely confused when they want us to see things from Will's perspective. That guy is losing it. Much like Hugh Dancy's wife in Homeland, I'm wondering how they will pick the pieces of him back up for season 2, because I'm not seeing an out for how he has fallen apart so far. And, is it just me or is Eddie Izzard a perfect casting call as a guest star in this show?

Mad Men "Favors"
Bravo to those of you who correctly called that Bob Benson was "friends with Sal". I thought they'd already touched upon that kind of story so it wouldn't be something they'd return to, but I was wrong, indeed. And, as it turns out, that was only one noteworthy element of a fantastic episode. We got some great Pete and Peggy moments and a little more insight into Ted. The biggest event of all is, of course, Sally catching Don in the act. That's a pretty seismic moment in the series. He can't get rid of a kid (ok, he kind of already has, but you know what I mean). He can't run away from this the way he has in the past. I'm extremely curious to see how this plays out. I wanted another Sally episode this season and that's definitely what I got this week.

The Point of the Purge
Past Purges:
5/1-5/7            5/8-5/14         5/15/-5/18       5/19-5/24         5/25-5/29

4/4-4/7             4/8-4/9           4/10-4/16        4/17-4/21         4/22-4/30

3/13-3/15         3/16-3/19        3/20-3/26        3/27-3/31         4/1-4/3

2/22-2/26         2/27                 2/28-3/3           3/4-3/7            3/8-3/12

2/5-2/8             2/9-2/11            2/12-2/18        2/19-2/20          2/21

1/17-1/18         1/19-1/21          1/22-1/23         1/24-1/29         1/30-2/4

12/16               12/17-12/21      ...12/22-1/7      1/8-1/9             1/10-1/16

11/25-11/28     11/29-11/30      12/1-12/5         12/6-12/8          12/9-12/15

10/28-11/3       11/4-11/10        11/11-11/16     11/17-11/20      11/21-11/24

9/22-9/28         9/29-10/4          10/6-10/12       10/13-10/19     10/20-10/27

Movie Reaction: The Internship

Formula: The First $20 Million is Always the Hardest + Google sponsorship

Why I Saw It: I wanted context for the [unfavorable] reviews I'd been reading and Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson are always fun to watch playing off one another.

Cast: Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn together can go one of two ways: charming and affable or jabbering and exhausting. Sadly, this falls into the latter category. They might actually be fish too far out of water for this one. I like Josh Brener's nervous guy thing he has going on but it's a little too much in this case. Regardless of how effective her character was, it was so refreshing to hear her real accent. Max Minghella, Tiya Sircar, and Tobit Raphael, sadly were interchangeable parts, although I'm not sure the fault is totally theirs. Max Minghella is a really one dimensional villain. Aasif Mandvi plays soft of like his participation in the film is all part of one big Daily Show sketch that has yet to be revealed to us.

Plot: A rag tag group of rejects interns saves the day gets the jobs. That's it. This is a movie without a home. PG-13 is a total compromise. You know that feeling when you are in a group of small children that makes you want to start yelling "fuck" over and over again (It can't just be me, right?). That's what this movie is. It's a PG movie that wants to be vulgar but doesn't know how. The plotting, story points, conflicts, character development, inspiration speeches all scream "Family Feature", which is fine. I'm not sure I need Wilson and Vaughn on board for the movie, but whatever. The situations, dialogue, and stars lead me the think it wanted to be something edgier, hit some jokes that they couldn't with the PG-13 rating. Then, of course, there's the fact that this movie was written thinking it was 2003, not 2013. There's no excuse for that. I simply cannot believe that Wilson and Vaughn's characters know as little about technology as this movie needs me to believe.

Elephant in the Room: What about Google? Here's the thing, having Google's name attached to this legitimizes the premise to some degree, more than making a fake company that is basically Google. It grounds the movie and avoids the urge to go over the top to cartoonish degrees. The downside is that, no matter how "cool" Google is about things, it's going to look like a recruiting video for Google. For god's sake, they talk about "Googliness" as a serious thing.

To Sum Things Up:
Simply put, this movie is too afraid to offend. I'm not sure why Vaughn and Wilson signed on to this (I know Vaughn is a writer on this, but looking as his history as a writer so far, I'd be fine if he stuck to just acting, which disappoints me to say). I really don't want to call it bad, because it is ok. This movie is Small Soldiers: perfect as a movie for the kids or the family, but for some reason targeted to an older crowd. More than anything, this movie is another reminder of how pointless the PG-13 rating is for comedy.  

Verdict (?): Weakly Don't Recommend

June Preview

Shit! The floodgates are open. I should've seen it coming but I didn't. All those months of keeping up with a movie a week (at least) during the slow months (Jan-Apr) lowered my threshold for what's worth seeing. Now that it's the busy summer months and I keep telling myself "well, I saw The Last Stand, so surely I can see ______". That means, for the second month in a row, I have too many movies to see, the free time and funds to see them, and the diminished will to say "No".

6/7

So Arrested Development can't use Google but this can?

The Lock: The Internship
This hardly looks like a Wedding Crashers. The premise is a stretch. It only has a PG-13 rating. Not a lot is working in its favor beyond a lack of strong alternatives, the good rapport between Wilson and Vaughn, and what looks like a strong supporting cast. That should be enough. Hopefully it exceeds my expectations.
Odds I'll See It: 60%

In Consideration:

 I'm sure they're up to something good.

The Purge - The premise sounds interesting: a family trying to survive a legal vigilante night or something. I'd have to hear a lot of great things about it before I'd bother seeing it in theaters though.
Odds I'll See It: 5%

Classy

Much Ado About Nothing - Realistically, I'm only seeing this if one of my Joss Whedon fan friends invites me to see it and I have nothing else to do.
Odds I'll See It: 15%

6/14

 I'm sure it's fine, whatever it is.

The Lock: This Is the End
This fits all my comedy prerequisites. The writers of Superbad: check. A cast of Apatow production regulars: check. Self-effacing Hollywood humor: check. R-Rated comedy: check. To say that I'm excited for this movie would be redundant.
Odds I'll See It: 100%

I hope he punches someone this time.

The [Other] Lock: Man of Steel
The Nolan name attached to the production is all I need for this to go from "I'll probably see it because it's a superhero movie" to "I'll be planning my weekend around this".
Odds I'll See It: 100%

In Consideration:

She grew up.

The Bling Ring - I think I already have a pact with at least one friend to see this. The way I see it, I saw Spring Breakers so I'm likely to see this. That's a full weekend though.
Odds I'll See It: 50%

6/21

They look so young.

The Lock: Monsters University
Pixar has my blind seal of approval, but as Cars 2 proved, sequels don't get the same benefit of the doubt. I am much more favorable to Monsters Inc. than Cars so that works in its favor. There's a chance that I get backed up from the previous weekend. Otherwise, I assume I'll see this.
Odds I'll See It: 65%

In Consideration:

Teamwork!

World War Z - Is it possible to see so many previews for a movie that I no longer want to see it? If so, that is certainly the case with this. Also, rumors of production issues and zombie over-saturation is working against it.
Odds I'll See It: 30%

6/28

It's like an older, feminine Bad Boys, right?

The Lock: The Heat
Paul Fieg directing. Sandra Bullock doing a comedy. Melissa McCarthy no doing all the heavy lifting. Buddy cop hijinks. This has all the makings of a good summer comedy.
Odds I'll See It: 75%

In Consideration:

Reminds me of Independence Day. How about you?

White House Down - I thought about not even listing it. Unless it starts lighting the box office ablaze I'm likely to skip it. I do like Channing Tatum though, so maybe that'll be enough to get me in the theater.
Odds I'll See It: 10%

Vampires look way better than zombies.

Byzantium - I feel like I read a favorable review about this a while back, but I can't find it now. Maybe I made that up. Maybe this movie is awful. A dark vampire movie is not my thing usually, so it's doubtful I get around to this, even once it makes it to my Netflix queue.
Odds I'll See It: 2%

Movie Reaction: Now You See Me

Formula: (Ocean's Eleven + The Prestige)/Mystery Men

Why I Saw It: Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, Dave Franco, Mélanie Laurent, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine,. And, if that isn't enough, I've seen the preview for this so many times and for so long that I don't think I had a choice at this point.

Cast: As I've already hinted at, the cast is big and talented. Despite what the previews show, I'd say Mark Ruffalo is the lead here. He and Mélanie Laurent play off each other well and are very entertaining together. Jesse Eisenberg and Woody Harrelson are definitely the leads of the magicians and do exactly what is asked of them in the roles. Isla Fisher is yet again sidelined deep down the bench. I would've liked to see her role a little bigger. Dave Franco is mostly an afterthought except for one or two sequences. Morgan Freeman doesn't play God, so, that's nice. His character is wise but highly imperfect, which is a nice change of pace from what he's normally cast as these days. Michael Caine has a fairly small but important role. The couple Batman reunion scenes alone, with him and Freeman are worth casting him though.

Plot: Four magicians rob a bank during a show. The FBI and Interpol investigate it. Twists abound. That's it in terms of plot. It's one of those movies that can definitely surprise you and is very proud of all its misdirection. The Ocean's Eleven DNA is undeniable. It's also an unfair comparison. This isn't as good. Plain and simple. The main difference is that Ocean's Eleven has one really great plan that seems oddly feasible and there's so many small beats along the way that there's always new value in rewatching. Now You See Me has one of those master schemes that has so many variables that, upon slight examination it's downright absurd and there is such focus on the "how'd they do it" that there's not a lot of substance to it beyond that. Don't get me wrong. The first time you see it is a lot of fun. I could tell the whole theater was very impressed by the end and I know I didn't see a lot of the twists coming. I'm just not sure that there's much substance beyond that.

Elephant in the Room: What about the magic? You mean "the super powers"? My biggest issue with the whole movie was that the magicians, specifically Harrelson, basically have super powers. Eisenberg is inhumanly good at slight of hand. Harrelson is less of a hypnotist and more Professor Xavier, and so many part of the plan rely of his hypnotizing abilities that it often feels like a narrative cheat. Oh, and Dave Franco's master locksmith abilities, and Isla Fishers skill for escaping from anything, those are essentially forgotten as soon as they are established.

One other thing:
Eisenberg does a card trick at the beginning. I'd don't know about everyone else, but it worked on me. That was pretty cool.

To Sum Things Up:
This movie is at first really impressive but upon closer examination, falls apart more than I'd like. I'm reminded of how I felt when I watched Lawless. For fans of this specific type of movie, there's plenty to enjoy and it'll fill your need for some new content. The most damning thing I have to say about it is that there are much better examples of this kind of movie out there. You will never hear someone say "Now You See Me is my favorite" anything. It's exactly as good as it needs to be. I don't regret seeing it, I just wish it had some more to it.

Verdict (?): Weakly Don't Recommend