Mud

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Tye Sheridan, Matthew McConaughey, & Jacob Lofland in Mud.

It's a rarity when a movie like Mud comes along. Truly unique film achievements that are incomparable to any other still find their way to the big screen but not as often as they once did. Motion pictures like Mud remind me why I love movies, and after all these years, they still have the ability to entertain, inspire and surprise you.

Texas teen Tye Sheridan stars as Ellis, a confident fourteen-year-old Arkansas boy. He and his friend Neckbone (Jacob Lofland) motorboat to a small island nearby. There, they explore a fishing boat, somehow nestled up in a tree. What they didn't expect to find was a squatter hiding away in the boat, who calls himself "Mud."

Mud (Matthew McConaughey) has a past. A past full of violence, heartbreak, frustration and murder - all because of Juniper (Reese Witherspoon), his lifelong love. After Mud kills Juniper's abusive boyfriend, she pledges to be with him. Hiding on the island for his own safety, Mud plans to get the boat down from the tree, bring it to shore, find Juniper and sail off together. Ellis and Neck agree to help. Neckbone helps because Ellis wants to; Ellis helps because he believes Mud and Juniper really love each other. Although Mud and Juniper only share one brief scene in the entire movie, their tortured past and tumultuous feelings can be felt as if they were together on-screen for the whole time. That's just one testimony to how awesome these performances are, and how well-made the movie really is.

Although the marketing and title suggest that Mud is the protagonist, he's really used to help illustrate the characterization and further the plot of the the true main character, Ellis. Tye Sheridan (who is already attached to four future film projects) is absolutely perfect as Ellis. Almost flawlessly is Sheridan able to showcase the wannabe toughness of the character, while simultaneously conveying the innocence that the role requires. You can see right through Ellis' macho facade and right to his vulnerability. Even though he punches three people in the face and hits on senior girls, he reacts the same way any boy would when he finds out his parents are getting divorced, or when his girlfriend starts to ignore his calls. With this performance, Tye Sheridan is the Tom Holland of 2013, and I can't wait to see what his future roles will bring to cinema.

The film is earnestly directed by Jeff Nichols, who also wrote the film's screenplay. Nichols' touch gives the movie its sincerity that will hopefully make it stand out for generations to come. Add those factors to the spot-on cinematography; the star making performance by Tye Sheridan; and the music that beckons you to rush to iTunes, buy the soundtrack, and listen throughout the night work to make Mud an early contender for the best movie of 2013.

In most of my reviews, you'll see that I try to make a connection or comparison to some other movie. This time, I simply can't. Mud is astoundingly unique, and at my very limited level of film expertise, I can't think of any motion picture I can compare it to, say it's better/worse than, or delve into the thematic differences. But this is a good thing. Mud goes to show that indescribably and utterly brilliant movie miracles are still possible, and deserve our attention and appreciation.

Rating: 5/5

Kick-Ass 2

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The good guys are here.

I loved Kick-Ass. It reminded me so much of a Tarantino movie with its over-the-top violence, dark humor and brilliant acting. Plus, like a Tarantino movie, I didn't realize how much I loved it until the second time I watched it and that my admiration would only grow with each additional viewing. Needless to say, my expectations for Kick-Ass 2 were very high. With a disappointing 29% approval from critics on RottenTomatoes.com, I hoped that the 71% of critics who gave it a negative review were wrong. Thankfully, they were.

I loved Kick-Ass 2. Loved it, loved it, loved it. I have no idea what the critics could've bashed about this movie. It had amazing, captivating action scenes, a solid script, comic relief, interesting new characters and great performances from all cast members.

After the events of Kick-Ass, this sequel follows high-school senior Dave (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), who moonlights as powerless-superhero Kick-Ass. He trains with Mindy, a freshman who dons the alter ego of Hit-Girl. Mindy, who was raised by her father to be a remorseless, ruthless vigilante, is forced into retirement after her guardian, police officer Marcus (Morris Chestnut), makes her start living a normal life. As a huge Hit-Girl advocate, I was a little sad to not see Chloë Grace Moretz in her costume for the bulk of the movie. Having said that, it gave a lot of room for Mindy's character development. Chloë, to no surprise, stole every single scene she was in, whether she was wearing her costume or not.

Dave instead joins Justice Forever, a group of heroes who have been inspired by his actions. Members include a born-again Christian and former mafia informer (Jim Carrey), a twenty-something whose sister was murdered and found in a dumpster (Lindy Booth) and a middle-aged married couple whose abducted son was never found. I was pleasantly surprised how well each of the new members of the Justice Forever were introduced and developed. No one's character felt forced.

Meanwhile (and that is the actual word that shows up on the screen), Chris D'Amico plots his revenge against Kick-Ass for killing his crime-boss father. He forms his own alliance of super villains to counter Justice Forever, and they quickly start killing off the good guys. The ongoing turmoil between Dave's and Chris' conflicting trials lead to a gleefully violent confrontation.

Kick-Ass 2 was funny, action-packed and a remarkably well-made sequel. It's right on par with the spirit and cinematic atmosphere that made me fall in love with the first Kick-Ass. Does this sequel measure up to the original in every way possible? No. Kick-Ass was more original and funny, and I wasn't a fun of some of the subplots here (such as the one with Dave's friend Todd). But Kick-Ass 2 is still extremely enjoyable in its own right. It's one of my favorite movies of 2013 so far - hands down. And I just have to say it again - I loved it. It was just what I had hoped for and then some, and was the most fun I've had at the movies this year. Bring on Kick-Ass 3.

And can we please just get Chloë Grace Moretz her well-deserved Oscar?

Rating: 4.5/5

The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones

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With the Twilight Saga out of theaters, something naturally had to take its spot. I mean, what else are 11-15 year-old girls going to hype about now? The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones is a perfect choice to fill the vacancy. It's based on a book series with a small, devout following, and like Twilight, the movie has a lot of potential that it fails to bring to fruition.

New York teenager Clary (Lily Collins) lives with her single mother. She has no idea that both she and her mother are both "shadowhunters" by blood and are entrusted with killing the demons that walk the Earth. When her mother disappears, Clary is forced to confront her past and search for the secrets of her family's history (and one of those secrets is a total Star Wars rip off). Clary meets fellow shadowhunter Jace, who introduces her to a team of demon-killers who hide away in a secluded area of the city. The group, along with Lily's human friend Simon, seek to get to the roots of Clary's past and save her and her mother.

I truly wasn't expecting much from this movie, but was slightly impressed by a few takeaways. Lily Collins gave a stellar performance, and she did all the best with the material that was given to her. There was a decent amount of comic relief, and I was surprised at how good it was. These were really about the only things I can say I truly enjoyed about The Mortal Instruments. It was over 2 hours long, and believe me when I say they used up far too much time. The pacing and story of the first half originally had me on track to give this a 3.5/5. But as more characters were introduced, more plot devices were thrown in, more mindless action dominated the screen, and more twists occurred, I lost interest and just wanted it to end. 

The Mortal Instruments is no failure of a movie; it's just not an achievement in any significant way. But if you're dragged to the theater by someone who "just has to see it," you won't be totally disappointed. There is an interesting story here, but it's just not good enough to recommend. If you have the option, go see Kick-Ass 2 instead. In case you didn't read my review on that, I loved it.

Side note: Humans in this movie are referred to as "mundanes" by the shadowhunters. Is it just me, or don't the first two letters of that word already help serve as a derogatory term for humans in a different literary universe? 

Rating: 2.5/5

2 Guns

NBC

Let's face it. The concept of two polar-opposite lawmen working together is no stranger to the big screen. First was Lethal Weapon, then came Rush Hour, and we've seen a few others along the way. Now, we have 2 Guns. It's entertaining, no doubt. But it only has some of the elements that make a buddy-cop action-comedy a hit. 

DEA Agent Bobby Trench (Denzel Washington) and Navy Officer "Stig" Stigman (Mark Wahlberg) are both set up by their respective department superiors to steal drug money hidden in a bank as undercover thieves. Both, however, are initially unaware that they both work for the U.S. Government, each seeing the other as a crook. To top it all off, they find out that the money they stole was not actually money from one drug kingpin but percentages from local drug lords who use the bank as a depository to pay off the CIA for silence. Bobby and Stig spend the rest of the movie trying to cut their ties with the money, clear their names, and, in the most captivating and entertaining way possible, bring all the bad guys (there are a lot of them in this movie) down.

It's no surprise that two-time Academy Award-winner Denzel Washington and Academy Award-nominee Mark Wahlberg are able to light up the screen with their brilliant chemistry. Watching these two talented actors stand in front of the camera and do what they were born to do made for a fun hour and forty-five minutes. Although their characters didn't set aside their differences and start working together until around an hour into the movie, when they were together it proved to be worth the wait.

2 Guns is good summer entertainment, but it's not worth sacrificing time or money that you may not readily have available. My biggest complaint is that the plot suffered. That's disappointing, especially after the Lethal Weapon movies and Rush Hour proved how essential the plot is to this type of movie (Disagree? Compare Rush Hour with its sequel). Furthermore, there was a strong presence of the theme of hierarchal corruption that wasn't as fleshed out as it should've been. But of course, Marky Mark and Denzel carried the movie all by themselves, and when their guns were blazing in the final shootout, I was enjoying every minute.

So, no, 2 Guns doesn't rank as highly as Rush Hour or Lethal Weapon in my eyes. But on an uneventful summer afternoon, it's really not a bad way to spend $9. There was a clever sense of comedy that the movie carried throughout its entire runtime, and the action scenes and the two leads took care of the rest.

Rating: 3/5

The Way Way Back

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In the months leading up to The Way Way Back's release, I kept asking myself why it had that title. When I finally sat down in the theater to see it, I noticed the movie opened up with a shot of 14-year-old Duncan sitting in the way way back of the car. Cue the internal "oooooohhhhh." Coincidentally, the film ends with a very similar shot. Maybe that's not even the real meaning of the title. Maybe I missed some deeper meaning or underlying themes. If I did, oh well.

Duncan and his mom Pam (the astoundingly-talented Toni Collette) head down to the cape with Pam's boyfriend Trent (Steve Carell) and his daughter. As we literally see from the start, Duncan wants no part of this journey to build a new family, instead preferring to go live with his father. 

Clearly a social hermit, Duncan finds solace from his 3-month hell trip at Water Wizz, a water park within biking distance from Trent's house on Cape Cod. After bonding with the owner, Owen, and the staff one day, Owen offers him a job, which Duncan gleefully accepts. Over the course of the rest of the film, Duncan begins to come out of his shell with Owen's help while confronting the issues that lie behind the threshold of his mom's boyfriend's home. 

The film offers what seems to be a pretty accurate insight into the mind of a 14-year-old boy like Duncan. He's portrayed by Liam James, an unknown to those who haven't watched "Psych" or "The Killing" on TV. Liam gives it his all here, especially in the scenes that demand much of him dramatically. Thanks to him, we have a truly charming and likable lead heading this movie. However, the movie's scene-stealer was clearly Allison Janney, a marginally alcoholic neighbor of Trent. Both the lines given to her character and Janney's performance made for one of the best parts of the movie.

Did Steve Carell really deliver Trent to me? Steve Carell, as an unfaithful, ignorant, and casually cruel father figure? He began to sell me towards the end, but overall, I saw him as Michael Scott on a bad day and with an occasional temper. I will give him props for one key thing - they way he called Duncan "buddy" while clearly sending no endearment with the sentiment. 

This movie is a sheer delight. It's worth going out of your way for, and the first movie of 2013 I can honestly say I'm excited to watch again in the near future. But in the advertisements, you'll see it's "from the studio that brought you Little Miss Sunshine and Juno," and was written and directed by 2 of the 3 Oscar Winning writers of The Descendants. Does this movie compare to these three Oscar-winners for Best Screenplay? The answer: no - but only for one reason. In all three of those other movies, it is the characters that are well established, who are then placed in situations that further the plot. Here, we are presented with interesting and plot-furthering scenes, but don't always care about the underdeveloped characters that are the scene's key players. As seen by The Descendants, Juno, and Little Miss Sunshine, characters should be priority one. As long as we care about them, the situations they get into will take care of themselves. 

Rating: 4.5/5

This Is The End

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This is the end. Well, you know, unless there's a sequel. 

In a time when comedy is usually defined by how idiotically Will Ferrell reacts to everyday situations, it's nice to know that there are still screwball antic movies that can be coarse, funny, and original. Stars you know well (Seth Rogen, James Franco, Jonah Hill, Craig Robinson, Emma Watson, etc.) and some not so well (Danny McBride, Jay Baruchel) all play fictionalized versions of themselves in this apocalyptic comedy. Jay comes to LA to visit Seth, and the two end up at a party at James Franco's house. At the party, Michael Cera hits on Rihanna, Craig Robinson and Emma Watson discuss their love of Forrest Gump, the trio from Superbad relive their glory days, and the world ends.  

A handful of the stars, including Craig, Seth, James, Jonah, Jay and Danny, survive the initial shockwave, but are discouraged when they find out why they're still on earth. After determining that this is the Biblical Apocalypse, they conclude they were not among those worthy enough to ascend into Heaven. Instead, they must struggle to stay alive on the now treacherous Earth, where cannibals and demonic monsters are waiting to take the actors' lives for their own. 

Now, with a cast like this, it's clear that the bulk of the comedy is similar to such films as Knocked Up, Hot Tub Time Machine, and Superbad. All of these films, including This is The End, see most of their comedy come from a group of guys talking about inappropriate stuff and doing inappropriate things. But in this movie, there's a little more to the comedy on top of the usual gags, and it makes This is The End a bit more noteworthy.

As a movie fan, I really appreciated the connections to other cinematic works. I saw this as a movie made by movie lovers, for movie lovers. There were obvious hints to The Exorcist and Evil Dead towards the end. But hearing things like Jonah Hill saying "God? It's me, Jonah. From Moneyball," listening to the Forrest Gump debate, and seeing a homemade sequel to Pineapple Express made for plenty of Hollywood nostalgia ranging from the most recent and distant years of film. Personally, one of my favorite parts of the movie was seeing Michael Cera, Jonah Hill, and Christopher Mintz-Plasse all talking by the pool, and contrary to the way they acted in Superbad, seeing Cera as the reckless alcoholic and Hill and Mintz-Plasse as the well-mannered gentlemen. Sometimes, the little things are the most memorable.

There's plenty to pick at with this movie. The party scene was often a jumble of names and faces, and only of the few jokes and puns were truly laugh-worthy. I was a bit thrown off with how the movie had household-names like James Franco and Seth Rogen placed alongside lesser-known stars like Danny McBride (for those who haven't seen Pineapple Express) and Jay Baruchel. Both men have respectable filmographies, but aren't recognizable in a mainstream context. Their roles and portrayals were great, but I couldn't help but ask myself many times during the movie, "Who are these guys?"

Overall, I thought the beginning was okay, the middle was great, and the latter part was fantastic. Towards the end, I came to realize how genius the script was and that the movie is a both a delight and a crudely humorous romp for those who are able to appreciate and enjoy film at the same time.

Rating: 4/5

Monsters University

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Young Mike finds his true calling in Monsters University

I've read parts of some reviews that gave Monsters University a mediocre or unfavorable score. Most of them said that this prequel is good but doesn't compare with the other films Pixar has delivered. The part where they say it's not as good as other Pixar films is correct. Does Monsters University compare to such greats as Up, Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, or Toy Story 2? No, unfortunately not. But does Monsters University still have a lot of heart, and bring plenty of fun to everyone in the audience? You bet it does.

The story mainly follows Mike as he enters his freshman year of college. Randall is his roommate, and although he's nice at first, we get to see him transition into the slimy jerk he becomes in Monsters, Inc. Mike, Randall, and big-shot Sully are all enrolled in the school's scaring program, with the ultimate goal of becoming scarers for the city's energy supply. Mike, the three-foot tall, one-eyed green orb, studies hard to maintain his spot in the program to prove that he is in fact scary. Sully, part of a legacy of legendary scarers, knows he can get through the program with little effort. But when the two clash, they get on the bad side of the college's headmaster, and are removed from the scaring program.

To earn his place back in the program, Mike recruits Sully to join a fraternity with him, Oozma Kappa. As per the deal with the headmaster, if Oozma Kappa wins the school's prestigious Scare Games (their version of the Greek Olympics), they're back in the scare program. If they lose, they're both out of Monsters University.

What follows the two becoming frat bros isn't as high-quality a story as Pixar usually delivers. It's true that Monsters University isn't the most creative, funny, clever, or sincere of Pixar movies, but it's still creative, funny, clever, and sincere. Giving this movie a bad rating simply because it isn't as phenomenal as its predecessors of the studio is ignorant. Monsters University contains several laughs and surprises of its own. And as a current college student, I could tell Pixar did their research on college life. Thank you, Pixar, for another great animated dramedy that will be valued and enjoyed for decades to come.

Rating: 4/5