Get Hard: Another March release soaked in mediocrity

Today, after yet another hiatus, I'll look at this new-ish comedy vehicle.

Get Hard:
Will Ferrell plays James King, a wealthy but oafish hedge fund manager who is framed for embezzling money from his company and is sentenced to 10 years in prison (and not just any prison, San Quentin), with a 30 day period before he is sent there. Terrified, King seeks out his car washer Darnell, who he assumes knows about prison life because he is black. Darnell, who is really a family man with no street experience, takes the opportunity to make some money off his dickhead boss and pretends to "train" him, using prison movie cliches, which results in them inevitably bonding.
    I never had high hopes for this movie, but after hearing from several peers that is was worthwhile, I figured I'd check it out. I have never been so underwhelmed by a Will Ferrell film, so I was highly disappointed. Ferrell is able to deliver his trademark awkwardness that makes him so entertaining, but ultimately it comes off as more tired in this film than ever, and there is nothing memorable about this character compared to his others: no outlandish and highly quotable lines, no catchphrase, nothing. I've never been a huge Kevin Hart fan, I don't know why, his comedy style doesn't really appeal to me. However, I will admit his first few stand-up specials got some laughs out of me, but here, I don't know what the hell he's doing. He just repeats tired old gags about cultural stereotypes that just don't pack the same punch they used to. The only scene where these two are funny is a scene where Kevin Hart replicates what "The Yard" will be like in prison, and he slips in between different characters that Ferrell will encounter in prison. Speaking of the duo, these two just don't have the chemistry they should. Their relationship is the emotional backbone of this movie, and their personalities and comedic styles just don't seem to mesh. The rest of the cast includes Alison Brie, Craig T. Nelson, Paul Ben-Victor (a great character actor from The Wire), Dan Bakkedal, T.I., Edwina Findley, and cameos by Jimmy Fallon and John Mayer. This supporting cast do have their moments, but ultimately were probably just there collecting paychecks.
    There's not much to say in the way of music except that its' composed by Christophe Beck, who has done some good work in the past, so it's sad to see him also simply collecting some cash. Again, the jokes are by-the-book and overused, and the entire concept did have potential, but ultimately it is yet another case of a possbily excellent comedy being watered donw by studio execs who are too afraid to take risks. Get Hard is hardly worth a rental, and is just a mediocre waste of efforts. 2/5 stars.

                     (Image: Wikipedia)
 

Kingsman- The Secret Service: It can't be summed up in a single sentence...

Today, after a long hiatus, I return to doing reviews of current movies.

Kingsman- The Secret Service:
Gary "Eggsy" Urwin, an aimless delinquent with problems at home but a genius-level IQ, is recruited by Harry Hart, codename "Gallahad", to be part of ane elite team of secret agents working independently from the British government: the Kingsmen. Undergoing extensive training and pairing with similarly recruited young people, Eggsy must help the team to take down a deranged ecoterrorist and billionaire entrepreneur named Richmond Valentine.
    This is like most of Matthew Vaughn's filmography, in that it is a film that is just meant to be a fun, stylized, no-holds-barred joyride. This is my first cinematic experience since January, and the first film I've seen that was actually originally released in 2015, and I must say, this is one of the best "first movies of the year" I've seen in ages, and the most fun I've had watching a movie in quite some time. It's just so thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining that I don't see how anyone could dislike it completely. It completely rejects the notion of darker blockbusters and recent spy films which take a more serious route (i.e. Casino Royale, The Bourne Trilogy, Mission: Impossible, Skyfall, etc.), and decides to pay homage to the more ridiculous and theatrical plots of older spy thrillers.
    Taron Egerton plays Eggsy, and he is very relatable and charming and funny, and he is one of the best likable asshole characters since Tony Stark. Colin Firth abandons the dramatic intensity of his earlier roles to opt for a more funny, cool, and bad-ass role as Hart/Gallahad. It was so jarring to see the calm and reserved Firth suddenly fighting twenty plus guys with an almost cartoonish fluency. Samuel L. Jackson also takes a nice departure from playing the hardcore hero to play a comical villain: Valentine. His effeminate and immature mannerisms, funny lisp, and distaste for violence make him unique among spy movie villains, as does his reason for wiping out humanity: his love for the environment. This is also interesting, because the audience can actually understand his motives and that he has good intentions at heart, but not agree with his extremist methods. Mark Strong plays trainer and agent Merlin, who is essentially the Kingsmen's Q, with the main difference being his willingness to participate in the action. Michael Caine, Sophie Cookson, Sofia Boutella, Mark Hamill (Star Wars, Batman: The Animated Series, Batman: Arkham), Jack Davenport, Hannah Alstrom, Samantha Womack, and Geoff Bell comprise the supporting cast, and they all perform their roles very well for an action blockbuster. Bell essentially plays the stereotypical evil stepfather to Eggsy, though the film handled this movie cliche caricature remarkably well,
    I haven't read the comic this film is based on, but now I want to. I've heard that the film doesn't do certain things as well, but improves other aspects, but on its' own, I feel the movie is highly enjoyable and is leagues above Kick-Ass. Speaking of kick-ass, the action sequences (particularly the violent but still awesome and enthralling church sequence set to the guitar solo from "Free Bird") are heavily stylized and kinetic, and are extremely well-shot. In a world full of shaky-cam fight sequences and over-CGI'd garbage, it wa refreshing to see these complicated and over-the-top action scenes handled with just the right balance of crisp and clear cinematography and digital effects.
    Kingsmen: The Secret Service is an exhilirating, energetic, and lively action-comedy that pulls no punches. It is one of the few movies in recent memory where I actually felt thrilled by the climax and was invested in the characters. It has an underdog hero and a cool mentor character, as well as some extremely violent and awesome combat scenes, and is just a really entertaining film. 4/5 stars.

                                           (Image: Wikipedia)