Hello!
Well, this weekend I went to two movies in theaters, and figured I might as well review them since I’m really bored. Here’s the rating system.
SEE IT- Go to it in theaters NOW!
RENT-Maybe worth watching in theaters, but it’s probably best you wait it out to watch it on TV or Netflix.
PASS- Don’t watch it. It’s bad. It’s pure evil.
“21 And Over”
21 And Over was your average party film. You have three characters, one is more outspoken and comfortable with making people uncomfortable, another character who is more conservative and feels out of place in their situation, and then we have the third mystery character who carries the plot by being in a troubled situation.
The movie tells the story of Jeff Chang, a college student whose friends are celebrating his 21st birthday by taking him out to a few bars for some alcohol. Shenanigans ensue, and things get out of control and crazy.
This film has it’s fair share of over-the-top moments. Violence, nudity, and obnoxious jokes are to be expected, much like The Hangover or Project X before it. Eventually, sincerity is brought into the flick to give the characters more personality, but it’s rather drab, and almost comedic (in the wrong way) and how drab it is.
I didn’t hate this movie, and found myself laughing now and then, but this movie was definitely nothing special. It’s a decent movie, it has it’s laughs and moments, but it isn’t anything special. It’s the kind of movie that you go into knowing what’s going to happen and just hope to god that there’s something special to it. Unfortunately, there really isn’t.
RENT (if interested)- PASS (if not)
“The Incredible Burt Wonderstone”
The Incredible Burt Wonderstone, starring Steve Carrell, Jim Carrey, and the tremendously underrated Steve Buscemi, was actually somewhat of a surprise to me. At first, I was surprised that Carrey was even involved in this movie, since it seems his focus isn’t the goofy comedic roles he’s loved for anymore. Don’t get me wrong, I think he’s a great actor, and his upcoming Kick Ass 2 portrayal looks amazing to me, I just cannot remember a goofy Jim Carrey movie like this since Bruce Almighty (which also starred Steve Carrel).
Wonderstone tells the story of two magicians (Carrell and Buscemi) who grew up unpopular but used the magic of…well, magic, to create a powerful friendship. However, over time, it’s apparent that their act has become old and what’s popular in magic is drastically changing with the influence with the new edgy magician in Steve Gray (Carrey), who is like a hybrid of Kris Angel and David Blane.
I laughed quite a bit in this one, however, the crowd I was with, didn’t. I wasn’t expecting anything oscar-worthy with this one, just a few laughs and a decent story, and that’s what I got. Buscemi’s acting once again made me ask the question of how he isn’t more successful, but Carrey was definitely the funniest character in the movie, his physical comedy talent stole the show, at least for me.
However, despite the title and my satisfaction with the movie, Burt Wonderstone wasn’t very incredible (see what I did there?). It had some laughs, a cameo or two, and a decent plot/story, but other than that, wasn’t very memorable. I recommend watching it, but I’m not quite sure about in theaters. This movie will probably be on TV a lot in the future, that or Netflix, and maybe it’s best to wait it out to see it there.
RENT
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Thanks for reading this post! Let me know if you enjoyed it, or want to see more movie reviews in this style. Thanks and have a great day!
-Adam E.
StrikerBlade Productions