Movie reviews

Step Brothers
(Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, Mary Steenburgen, Richard Jenkins)
Two spoiled 40-year-old guys become competitive stepbrothers after their single parents get hitched. (And hilarity ensues.)

Good:
--Big fan of Will Ferrell, and any type of sophomoric humor in general, so this was right up my alley.
--I laughed my ass off.
--Will Ferrell sings, and to be honest, he’s actually pretty decent. Not fabulous by any means, but at least the guy can hold a note when he actually tries.

--Fave quotes:
“We’re here to fuck shit up.”
“You have the voice of an angel. I mean, it's like Fergie meets Jesus.”
"Stop being a fucking dinosaur and get a job.”

Bad:
--Overuse of the "F" word. I toss the “F” word around way more than I probably should, but this movie overdoes it. They use it as much as they possibly can, which got a bit annoying after a while. (HOWEVER, seeing Mary Steenburgen scream, “What the fucking fuck?!” was SUPER amusing.)
--Over-the-top acting. I know some pretty immature close-to-40’s, and they don’t act HALF as bad as Ferrell & Reilly portray them. They are dressed and act more like 12-year-olds. (For example, what 40-year-old, no matter HOW immature, does not know what sex is, or understand the concept??)

Consensus: Rent it. I plan on buying it, but for those of you who are unsure, rent first. If you have a twisted, juvenile sense of humor, I guarantee you'll like it.

Tropic Thunder
(Robert Downey Jr., Jack Black, Ben Stiller, Nick Nolte)
Through a series of freak occurrences, a group of actors shooting a big-budget war movie are forced to become the soldiers they are portraying.

Good:
--Um…not so much…
--Robert Downey Jr.’s portrayal of a black man. The makeup, wig, facial hair, voice, everything. Some of it was a bit stereotypical, and I believe the characters even reference that at one point in the movie, but I still think it was very well done.
--A cameo by a particular actor. I’m not going to give his name, but he’s nearly unrecognizable in the role.

--Fave quotes:
“I don't read the script. The script reads me.”
“A nutless monkey could do your job.”
" I know what dude I am. I'm the dude playin' the dude, disguised as another dude!”

Bad:
--NOT funny. The previews, to me, made it look funny; however, the movie itself proved that appearances (and trailers) can, in fact, be deceiving.
--The whole. Damn. Movie.

Consensus: Don’t rent it. Don’t buy it. I enjoyed Downey Jr.'s performance in the film, but even he couldn’t save it. I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone.

Sweeney Todd
(Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman)
The infamous story of Benjamin Barker, a.k.a Sweeney Todd, who sets up a barber shop down in London which is the basis for a sinister partnership with his fellow tenant, Mrs. Lovett. Based on the hit Broadway musical.

Good:
--Cinematography. Dark, eerie, dingy. Lower, destitute London back in that time period is captured and portrayed very well. The entire film is this way – cold and dark - and it really lends to the mood and story.
--Depp’s singing. Surprisingly enough. There were a couple instances in which I found myself going, “Ehh…”, but on the whole I found him to be really good. (Not to mention, he’s one of my favorite actors. I enjoy his performances & movies because he picks odd characters. He gives them dimension, and can make you feel sorry for the oddest of the odd. This is no exception.)
--Alan Rickman, as always. I love this actor. I find him superb in whatever he does. Bravo.

--Fave quotes:
"Well, if not, he'd certainly done something to warrant a hanging." "What man has not?"
“Trust me, dearie, it's gonna take a lot more than ale to wash that taste out. Come with me; we'll get you a nice tumbler of gin, eh?”

Bad:
--Make up on Depp & Bonham Carter. I know they’re poor, dingy, down in the dumps, etc. etc. But why do they have to look like corpses?
--Dialogue. Some of the dialogue was near whisper, inaudible. I had to constantly adjust the volume on the TV as we watched.

Consensus: Rent it. Then buy it. You may have to watch it a couple times to catch everything. But totally worth it.