Baywatch is a 2017 movie that is based on the famous earlier television show (called Baywatch). The original Baywatch was known for its eye candy (with David Hasslehoff and Pamela Anderson). This movie is a comedy that casts Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as the lead lifeguard and Zac Effron as a troubled gold-medallist.
The main plot revolves around the lifeguards getting involved in a criminal enterprise occuring on their beach. As part of this, Zac Effron also goes through his redemption arc as he proves himself to his mentor, chases the girl, and rises to the occasion. However, this movie isn't here for its originality but for its comedy.
For the most part, the comedy is okay. It definitely suffers in that the funniest parts have been shown in the trailers. The remains of the comedy isn't really anything that gets more than the occasional chuckle. The actors are charismatic enough, but the script and interactions really let them down.
But who is let down the most in this movie are the female characters. Every female character that has more than a passing mention only really exists to be a goal for the male characters. They don't really have any other moments of awesome, character development, or any resistance to the main characters charisma once they have saved the day.
So all up middling comedy and grating representations of characters means that this is more a miss than a hit. If you really want the best funny parts, just go and watch the trailers.
2 out of 5 watching waffles.
Showing posts with label Comedy Movie. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Comedy Movie. Show all posts
Sunday, 14 April 2019
Friday, 11 May 2018
MOVIE REVIEW: SHAOLIN SOCCER (2001)
Shaolin Soccer is a movie that sounds exactly like the title suggests. What would happen if you combine some Shaolin kung-fu, a sports story, and treat it all irreverantly and with a comedy-like wrapping. The result is a movie called Shaolin Soccer.
Shaolin Soccer follows the story of a down-and-out former player. Here, he joins forces with a bunch of former monks in order to compete in the soccer league. Their goal is to win the soccer tournament for money, recognition, and some revenge.
The movie is a comedy movie. The monks all have super-powers, the villain is cartoonishly evil, and the outcome is pretty predictable. However, this is a comedy and in this it succeeds. Taking its premise of super-powers in normal sports to its conclusion, the film is entertaining throughout.
There are also other side plots going on through-out the movie that tie together well. The movie never forgets that it is a comedy at heart. With this, it keeps a lighthearted tone right up until the end. Allot of comedies eventually take themselves too seriously, but Shaolin Soccer manages to avoid this pitfall.
This isn't to say you don't care about the characters. Or more accurately the team. One of the weak points of the movie is that, while you feel the monks should all be deep characters, only 1 or 2 of them are given any real fleshing out. The rest are just there to sort of fill in the super power numbers.
The other weak point is that if you don't like the semi-slapstick style of comedy in the movie, it is likely to fall flat. This type of comedy is often an acquired taste, but you can get a good feel of it by the trailers. This may limit the individual appeal of the movie. However, I found that the comedy hit and that the movie was very enjoyable.
4 out of 5 Shaolin Waffles.
Shaolin Soccer follows the story of a down-and-out former player. Here, he joins forces with a bunch of former monks in order to compete in the soccer league. Their goal is to win the soccer tournament for money, recognition, and some revenge.
The movie is a comedy movie. The monks all have super-powers, the villain is cartoonishly evil, and the outcome is pretty predictable. However, this is a comedy and in this it succeeds. Taking its premise of super-powers in normal sports to its conclusion, the film is entertaining throughout.
There are also other side plots going on through-out the movie that tie together well. The movie never forgets that it is a comedy at heart. With this, it keeps a lighthearted tone right up until the end. Allot of comedies eventually take themselves too seriously, but Shaolin Soccer manages to avoid this pitfall.
This isn't to say you don't care about the characters. Or more accurately the team. One of the weak points of the movie is that, while you feel the monks should all be deep characters, only 1 or 2 of them are given any real fleshing out. The rest are just there to sort of fill in the super power numbers.
The other weak point is that if you don't like the semi-slapstick style of comedy in the movie, it is likely to fall flat. This type of comedy is often an acquired taste, but you can get a good feel of it by the trailers. This may limit the individual appeal of the movie. However, I found that the comedy hit and that the movie was very enjoyable.
4 out of 5 Shaolin Waffles.
Monday, 2 April 2018
MOVIE REVIEW: GAME OVER, MAN (2018)
Game Over, Man starts with so mich promise. The premise of the movie is a die-hard-esque movie with some unlikely heroes in a besieged hotel. The twist is the heores, villains, bystanders, etc. are modern-day celebrities.
The movie follows three male-waiters in a hotel. During a party for an internet celebrity, a group of terrorists takes over the hotel. The three male waiters than become unlikely heroes, fighting the terrorists using their eccentricities.
This movie answers the question: what happens if in a siege-type Die Hard-esque movie, all the characters were unlikeable jerks. Instead of helpless prisoners, they are cocky, arrogant people. The most relatable character is actually the big bad villain, and the most sympathetic.
So with no characters to relate to, you are only left with a bunch of characters and slapstick comedy. The comedy is very good in the beginning. However, after this, it just falls into old cliches. While the cliches and plays on stereotype roles work at the beginning, the creativitiy and originality quickly drains. Then you are just left with a bunch of jokes that don't even come close to the mark.
So overall this movie is a big miss. The comedy and premise start with promise. However, the characters that you are meant to be hopiing survive and prevail are so unlikeable and unrelatable that you are left numb and uncaring by the end.
1.5 out of 5 Game Over Waffles.
The movie follows three male-waiters in a hotel. During a party for an internet celebrity, a group of terrorists takes over the hotel. The three male waiters than become unlikely heroes, fighting the terrorists using their eccentricities.
This movie answers the question: what happens if in a siege-type Die Hard-esque movie, all the characters were unlikeable jerks. Instead of helpless prisoners, they are cocky, arrogant people. The most relatable character is actually the big bad villain, and the most sympathetic.
So with no characters to relate to, you are only left with a bunch of characters and slapstick comedy. The comedy is very good in the beginning. However, after this, it just falls into old cliches. While the cliches and plays on stereotype roles work at the beginning, the creativitiy and originality quickly drains. Then you are just left with a bunch of jokes that don't even come close to the mark.
So overall this movie is a big miss. The comedy and premise start with promise. However, the characters that you are meant to be hopiing survive and prevail are so unlikeable and unrelatable that you are left numb and uncaring by the end.
1.5 out of 5 Game Over Waffles.
Sunday, 1 January 2017
MOVIE REVIEW: GHOSTBUSTERS (2016)
Ghostbusters is a movie that seemed to come around with allot of controversy. And most of this controversy seemed to be for controversy's own sake, as most people I talked to weren't too concerned about it being made with a bunch of female protagonists. As it turned out, the movie actually turned out to be pretty good.
The movie is about a bunch of scientists who go around capturing ghosts. One of them starts as being reluctant (not because of skepticism, but because of the damage to her career in academia it may cause), but becomes part of the group after she encounters a ghost. After forming the group, they get an office, find a fourth member (a non-scientist subway worker), hire a sexy dumb male intern (Chris Hemsworth, looking like he was born for comedy), and start capturing ghosts.
This is a pretty standard Ghostbusters movie. And it is a good one at that. It constantly goes around with tongue-in-cheek-style humour in its approach to situations and lets defined characters (in the ghost busters) react to situations in a believable manner. The only stumbling block this movie has is the ending or the more dramatic moments. Here, the movie stumbles. When the movie tries to get too serious, it doesn't work.
Unfortunately, the climax (involving someone killing themselves to set-up a master plan, to let you see serious) feels like it drags for the sake of having a big ghost battle climax (ala Marshmallow Man). Chris Hemsworth, despite being a good thing, is also over-used. It is like they realised how good he was and then doubled the length of all his scenes so the joke is slightly overblown as opposed to being appreciated.
While not as good as the original, this movie is definitely worth a watch. The comedy and characters are really good, the story is good and the effects are good. It did stumble by putting a bit too much a good thing in and also not nailing the change from comedy to serious well, but still highly enjoyable.
And the only reason I remember the Chris Hemsworth actor is because he is an Avenger.
3.5 out of 5 Ghosted Waffles
The movie is about a bunch of scientists who go around capturing ghosts. One of them starts as being reluctant (not because of skepticism, but because of the damage to her career in academia it may cause), but becomes part of the group after she encounters a ghost. After forming the group, they get an office, find a fourth member (a non-scientist subway worker), hire a sexy dumb male intern (Chris Hemsworth, looking like he was born for comedy), and start capturing ghosts.
This is a pretty standard Ghostbusters movie. And it is a good one at that. It constantly goes around with tongue-in-cheek-style humour in its approach to situations and lets defined characters (in the ghost busters) react to situations in a believable manner. The only stumbling block this movie has is the ending or the more dramatic moments. Here, the movie stumbles. When the movie tries to get too serious, it doesn't work.
Unfortunately, the climax (involving someone killing themselves to set-up a master plan, to let you see serious) feels like it drags for the sake of having a big ghost battle climax (ala Marshmallow Man). Chris Hemsworth, despite being a good thing, is also over-used. It is like they realised how good he was and then doubled the length of all his scenes so the joke is slightly overblown as opposed to being appreciated.
While not as good as the original, this movie is definitely worth a watch. The comedy and characters are really good, the story is good and the effects are good. It did stumble by putting a bit too much a good thing in and also not nailing the change from comedy to serious well, but still highly enjoyable.
And the only reason I remember the Chris Hemsworth actor is because he is an Avenger.
3.5 out of 5 Ghosted Waffles
Saturday, 18 April 2015
MOVIE REVIEW: LET'S BE COPS (2015)
Let's Be Cops is a 2015 comedy movie that provides a bit of a shake up to the old buddy cop formula. Featuring a white guy and a black guy who are approaching mid-life and are quite disappointed in life, they each experience what it is like to be respected in the community. And once this happens, there is no turning back for them.
The big downside for this movie is that it just isn't very memorable. I can't really recall the names of the characters. One of the characters is a video game designer and the other character a washed-up former highschool football star. After the games designer gets his latest game shot down, they take some leftover police costumes to a costume party.
What follows next is semi-predictable. They like the response they get and the respect when they are walking home in uniform. They then decide to do it more often. Originally it goes well until they get over there heads. What follows is that true cops show that they are the real heroes they are while the main characters help out and find their self worth.
Being predictable isn't bad, however. This movie keeps up the constant laughs without any sudden tonal shifts. The main characters never turn into action heroes and the situational comedy is constant. Every time they get in over there heads, you wait to see it blow up in there faces. Although at the end it takes some liberties for the happy ending, it makes sense in the context of the movie.
Overall, Let's Be Cops is a surprising movie. It was constantly entertaining with a clear story that never tried to be something that it is not. It also earned its happy ending (for the most part).
4 out of 5 Legal Waffles.
The big downside for this movie is that it just isn't very memorable. I can't really recall the names of the characters. One of the characters is a video game designer and the other character a washed-up former highschool football star. After the games designer gets his latest game shot down, they take some leftover police costumes to a costume party.
What follows next is semi-predictable. They like the response they get and the respect when they are walking home in uniform. They then decide to do it more often. Originally it goes well until they get over there heads. What follows is that true cops show that they are the real heroes they are while the main characters help out and find their self worth.
Being predictable isn't bad, however. This movie keeps up the constant laughs without any sudden tonal shifts. The main characters never turn into action heroes and the situational comedy is constant. Every time they get in over there heads, you wait to see it blow up in there faces. Although at the end it takes some liberties for the happy ending, it makes sense in the context of the movie.
Overall, Let's Be Cops is a surprising movie. It was constantly entertaining with a clear story that never tried to be something that it is not. It also earned its happy ending (for the most part).
4 out of 5 Legal Waffles.
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