Category Archives: Comedy
Comedy
Flash Movie Review: Thelma
THOSE WHO KNOW ME WELL, KNOW I will not open any links they send me via text or email unless they have specifically called me to say they were sending it to me. Some may think my fear borders on paranoia, but I do not care. I have this inherent mistrust of electronics, specifically computers, which makes me overly cautious whenever I must use an electronic device. Not so much the phone unless I am forced to use it for some type of confirmation or step to complete a business transaction. Though I get made fun of, I do not have an ATM card, nor do I do any type of online banking. If I know I am going to be on an extended vacation during the time I know I am to receive a charge card statement or some other type of bill, I double pay the previous month’s bill so there will be enough of a credit balance on my account to cover the following month’s bill. This minor trouble is worth it to me for the price of not paying things online. When I must make an online purchase, I have one dedicated charge card with a small credit limit that I use. That same card I take traveling with me after calling the issuing bank to let them know where I will be. You may think I am too extreme; I simply feel I am protecting myself. THE CLOSEST I CAME TO MAKING an error of judgment and allowing a fraud to unfold was when I received an email from my bank, questioning me about some unusual activity they discovered on my account. The email instructed me to log in, which I did without thinking. When I set up the account, it was because the bank needed my email address to send me documents to approve. So, I created it but did nothing about tying my account to any banking information. As I typed my email address, I was wondering what kind of activity it would be since there was no trail in place to touch my checking and savings accounts. Suddenly, I became aware that this email had to be a scam; so, instead of continuing to enter my personal information, I called the bank to ask them about the activity on my account. They confirmed everything was normal and they had not sent me any type of alert. I was relieved and grateful I did not cause a fraud to occur. However, I know friends and family of mine were not so lucky; their stories are so sad. One of them had a similar experience to the one depicted here in this action comedy, film festival winner. FINALLY REALIZING SHE WAS THE VICTIM of a scam; an elderly grandmother vows to get revenge and justice. With June Squibb (Nebraska, About Schmidt) as Thelma, Fred Hechinger (New of the World, the Woman in the Window) as Daniel, Richard Roundtree (Shaft, Moving On) as Ben, Parker Posey (Dazed and Confused, Lost in Space-TV) as Gail and Clark Gregg (Moxie, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.-TV) as Alan; this movie inspired by true events was a real treat. The whole cast had so much fun, led by the amazing June and Richard with their performances. I thought the script created a simple fun viewing experience. There were a few predictable scenes but overall, the amount of enjoyment watching this cast was worth the admission price. I laughed aloud a few times and sure the idea may have been far-fetched, but I think because of that it works in this film’s favor. And I must make special mention that June is 94 years old and seeing her in some of the predicaments the writers put her through made this viewing experience even better. I appreciated watching, for a change, a good old-fashioned comedy that was not too filling, but had the right mix of comedy and thrills with a few jabs of pre-conceived notions of what old people do. There was an extra scene during the ending credits.
3 ¼ stars
Flash Movie Review: Hit Man
BEFORE I COMMIT TO A NEW job, I must first see myself in that position. I cannot imagine I am the only person who acts this way. When I decided to become certified to be a fitness instructor, I used to imagine myself teaching classes during my own workouts. I would be a participant in an aerobics class and replace the instructor with myself in my mind. Maybe this helped build my confidence, or maybe it got me comfortable with the idea of being an instructor; I do not know. However, I will say by seeing myself doing something it did make my first day at the job easier. A long time ago, a furniture company hired me to set up store displays of their home accessories. When I went to the interview, I arrived earlier than the agreed time so I could walk around and look at all the items out on the floor. While I waited to hear back from them after my interview, I did different settings in my head of their products. For example, I would group the vases by color then by size; the terra cotta statuary, I would break out into small groups throughout the store. There were various combinations I would see in my mind, so after I was hired, I was able to quickly adapt and create interesting displays of the store’s products. NOT EVERY JOB I HAD WAS great, which may have attributed to me fantasizing about other professions. During my stint as a salesclerk, I started imagining me being a go-go dancer. From all the clothes on display, the dance music playing, and the clientele; I used to picture myself dancing on platforms and tables while placing clothes items in shopping bags for the customers. There was a brief period where I fantasized me doing surveillance for a government agency. I would trail people I conjured up in my brain and follow them around town, hoping to catch them “red-handed” as they say. From surveillance, I saw myself as a Ninja and from there I saw myself as a long-distance cyclist; the opportunities were endless, and the amusement was abundant. In a way, I think I chose exotic jobs as a way to break up the monotony of the workday; it was fun to pretend to be a superhero for the day. Sure, there were some things that were not realistic; however, there were others I wanted to do but for whatever reason, I never pushed or got pushed to try out for it. I cannot be the only one who has daydreamed of such things, and the proof can be found in this comedy, crime romance. A MILD-MANNERED PROFESSOR WORKING A SIDE job helping the New Orleans police department, discovers he enjoys getting into character until he finds himself attracted to one of his victims. With Glen Powell (Anyone But You, Devotion) as Gary Johnson, Adria Arjona (Morbius, Father of the Bride) as Madison Figueroa Masters, Austin Amelio (No Future, The Walking Dead-TV) as Jasper, Retta (The Greatest Hits, Parks and Recreations-TV) as Claudette and Sanjay Rao (Bad Romance, The One You’re With) as Phil, this film directed by Richard Linklater (Boyhood, Before Midnight) was a big surprise for me. First off, I thought Glen easily managed helming this picture. Secondly, the chemistry between him and Adria was right on target; they were totally believable. The script had its fun and exciting moments, though I have to say I had an issue with the moral dilemma presented. Granted these are my feelings on the subject of “actions beget consequences.” But outside of that, I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. The directing was sharp with a few twists in the story, and it was fun to watch. And after seeing this film, I feel fine continuing to fantasize about various exciting occupations.
3 ¼ stars
Flash Movie Review: Unfrosted
I DO NOT REMEMBER WHAT AGE I became where I no longer found kids’ jokes funny. There was the constant “knock, knock” jokes, along with jokes like “Why did the chocolate chip cookie go to see the doctor?” He felt crummy. Or “What’s a pirate’s favorite class to take in school?” Arrrrrt. At some point, I had heard them so much they were no longer funny to me. Even today, I have a couple of friends who constantly tell the same type of jokes multiple times. At some point I can no longer pretend they are funny; the jokes lose their surprise element. Changing a word here and there does not change the joke. I feel the same way about food companies that introduce different variations of their best-selling items. A sandwich filled cookie where the filling changes and gets weirder does not appeal to me. I am here to say, I am not on the pumpkin spice bandwagon. When I walk through the aisles of the grocery store and see so many products with this flavor, I cannot make sense of it. Why would I want my pasta, butter, or salmon to taste like pumpkin spice? NOW THERE IS ONE FOOD ITEM I do not care what they do to it because I was never a fan of it. I was never attracted to food items that had fruit filled centers. When Pop Tarts were introduced, I was curious about them but did not want to eat one. The only time I tried them was when I was at a friend’s house. If their mother offered me one, I did not want to be rude by saying no, so would take one and try to eat it. Many times, I would eat around the edges because there was so little fruit filling there. It would be times like that where I wished my friend’s mom would have chocolate chip cookies, which were my favorite. I believe the other reason I was not a fan of Pop Tarts was because they could be toasted. In my mind, if something is going into the toaster then it is meant to be eaten for breakfast or it is bread. I could not tell if this fruit filled item was a dessert or snack item. Now that you know I get tired of the same jokes told repeatedly and am not a fan of Pop Tarts, what do you think I thought about this biographical comedy? LOCKED IN A BITTER RIVALRY FOR store shelves, it was a race to see which food company could come out with a completely new food item that would change everyone’s minds about breakfast and dessert. With Jerry Seinfeld (Seinfeld-TV, Curb Your Enthusiasm-TV) as Bob Cabana, Jim Gaffigan (Collide, Peter Pan & Wendy) as Edsel Kellogg III, Hugh Grant (Wonka, Love Actually) as Thurl Ravenscroft, Amy Schumer (I Feel Pretty, The Humans) as Marjorie Post and Melissa McCarthy (Genie, The Little Mermaid) as Donna Stankowski; I honestly thought with this cast, along with the variety of celebrity cameo roles, there would be no way this film, written and directed by Jerry Seinfeld, would not be funny. I was completely wrong. Not only was it not funny, but it was lame. I do not know if I can honestly say if there was any acting taking place. The script was so boring and ridiculous that I only kept watching because I thought it would have to get better at some point. Instead of appearing like a movie, this felt like a series of comedy bits that kept falling flat. The only time where I showed interest in humor was one exchange between Melissa and Hugh; that was it. I would have enjoyed seeing how Pop Tarts came into existence, but I believe there was only a speck of truth the script was based on, and the rest was slapstick nonsense. For viewers who grew up during that time, the retro references could be fun, but so many of the shown ones were attached to some nonsensical scene that instead it could become irritating. There was nothing fun or entertaining about this picture. Even if I loved Pop Tarts, I still would not have subjected myself to watching this if I had known what the script was going to be. This film had no shelf life and was stale from the start.
1 star
Flash Movie Review: Drive-Away Dolls
I WANTED TO KILL MY FRIEND. It was bad enough he enjoyed pushing my boundaries, but this time he went too far. He was outgoing and I was more of an introvert. There were times we would get together to hang out and in the middle of a conversation he would tell me he signed both of us up for an event. Sure, I could have said no; but most of the events were affiliated with some type of charitable organization and I did not want look like this uncaring, self-centered guy. I say this because my friend would mostly tell me about these things with other friends around. For one occasion, he put my name down to be a raffle ticket seller at this gala event that was being held in one of the old, grand downtown hotel’s ballrooms. The idea I would have to circulate through the entire ballroom, go up to strangers, and ask them to buy raffle tickets for the silent auction frightened me. I had experiences like this with my very first job, when I was thirteen years old, which was going door to door selling household goods that my friends and I were told were assembled by visually impaired people. At that age we believed the person who hired us; however, a few years later when we were no longer working for them, we found out on the news the whole thing was a fraud. The man who hired us was jailed. THE EVENT MY FRIEND SIGNED ME UP for was an auction, where I would be one of twelve men being auctioned off for charity. The charity that was having this auction bought small multi-family residences throughout the city to house those too ill to take care of themselves. It was a highly regarded organization which made my decision tougher. I did not talk to him for the rest of the day after I heard the news. The next day, I called the organization to see exactly what would be required of me. For the next three months, I would need to be available to go to several spots within the city for meet and greets, where potential bidders could get to know me and the rest of the “bachelors.” I would also need to have a couple of outfit changes during the auction. The scary part for me was the meet and greets instead of the actual auction, though I would be upset if I could not at least reach the opening bid. It turned out my fears and anticipation were worse than the actual events; I had an enjoyable time after I got over the first couple of meet and greets. Deep down I knew my friend meant well and was just trying to get me out of my shell. And this is why I understood what the friend was trying to do in this action, comedy, thriller. WHAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A fun road trip for a couple of friends turned dangerous when, due to accidental circumstances, they got on the radar of a criminal gang that had only one thing on their mind. With Margaret Qualley (Sanctuary, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood) as Jamie, Geraldine Viswanathan (Blockers, The Beanie Bubble) as Marian, Beanie Feldstein (The Humans, Lady Bird) as Sukie, Joey Slotnick (Twister, Hollow Man) as The Goon and Coleman Domingo (The Color Purple, Rustin) as The Chief; this movie written and directed by Ethan Coen was too much of one thing for me. I found the script dull at times, where the same scenario was being repeated over and over. On the other hand, there were several humorous moments and I especially enjoyed Geraldine’s acting. Most of this picture felt like a rehash of previous films I had seen before; I was periodically bored at times. I will also add there were many scenes of a sexual nature and with harsh language. The only way one should see this movie is if a friend asks you to go with them; but it better be a good friend.
2 stars
Flash Movie Review: Ricky Stanicky
WHILE AT A FRIEND’S HOUSE, THERE was a crash we heard coming out of the kitchen. We both raced to see what happened. On the floor were scattered ceramic pieces mixed with what looked like to me, broken chocolate chip cookies. Over to the side of the mess was their young son. When asked what happened, the little boy said the cookie jar fell off the counter. Their parent asked if they did it and the young son said he did not. I stayed near the kitchen door because I could see where this conversation was going, and I did not want to find myself in the middle of it. I assumed there was going to be crying or wailing soon, so I wanted to make sure I could step quickly out of the room while my friend managed the situation. It did not take long for the crying to start, so I made my exit and sat back down on the sofa. I only had to wait a couple of minutes before my friend returned. We were both amused about the situation, commenting on how most kids’ first response when confronted by a troubling situation is either “I do not know” or “not me.” Granted at an early age, responsibility can be an obtuse concept. I can tolerate a young child not grasping this concept; but not for an adult, who should know better. WHEN I ENCOUNTER AN ADULT WHO does not take ownership of their actions, that is when I have a tough time engaging with them. I worked at a company that had an employee who never admitted to any kind of wrongdoing or inconsiderate action. They worked in a different department than I did, but we all worked close together in a large office. Because I was not a coffee drinker, I was not involved with the perpetual employees who would come out of the kitchen and ask who left an empty coffee pot on the burner of the coffee machine. No one ever confessed to this “crime” as far as I could tell. However, I remember one time walking into the kitchen just as this one employee was drinking the last bit of coffee from a Styrofoam cup the company provided with the coffee. Before they turned to acknowledge me, they quickly tossed the cup into the garbage. We exchanged a couple of pleasantries before they walked out. I noticed there was an empty coffee pot sitting on a burner that was still on. I turned it off before I got my cup of water and returned to my desk. Whenever someone would come out of the kitchen and ask who left an empty pot, I always took a glance at this employee. They never let on that they were the culprit. Granted, in the scheme of things, this is not a major thing; however, if you want to see adults not taking responsibility for their actions in a big way, then you might want to watch this comedy. THREE ADULT MEN WHO KNEW EACH other since elementary school had a friend that was always getting in trouble for them. The friend, however, was not a real person; he was made up. With Zac Efron (The iron Claw, The Greatest Showman) as Dean, John Cena (Freelance, Vacation Friends franchise) as Ricky Stanicky (Rod Rimestead), Andrew Santino (The Disaster Artist, Me Time) as JT, relative newcomer Riley Stiles as Young Dean and Brian Jarvis (The Greatest Beer Run Ever, Daddy Knows Best-TV) as the Police Chief; this film was lucky it had John and Zac in it. The script was a mix of slapstick and lowbrow humor, with some crassness thrown in. I gave John credit for all the situations he was put in which he wholeheartedly took on. Also, he does have a certain screen presence that makes the viewer root for him. With some scenes not being believable to me, I was bored part of the time. I am afraid the writers have no one to blame for this car crash of a story but themselves.
1 ¾ stars
Flash Movie Review: Upgraded
FROM MY DATING EXPERIENCES, MY FAVORITE way of meeting someone was by chance; though I hesitate to say chance because I believe there are no accidents. I met someone at the grocery store who I dated for 6 months, all because they asked me a question about a food product, we were both looking to buy. There were a few individuals I met while riding the city’s public transportation. In fact, a partner of mine was someone who I met while waiting in line to get on a ride at a Florida amusement park; I was with a group of friends as were they. All I did was ask if they would take my camera and shoot a photo of me and my friends. After that both groups of friends started talking to each other since there was a long wait to get on the ride. What made for an easier time to be able to talk to each other, even while getting on the ride, was that each seating compartment fit eight individuals. They wound up in my car, seated behind me. After the ride was over, and I was able to get my equilibrium back, we chatted at the exit until the rest of our friends joined us. By the time we were going off in our own directions, we exchanged contact information and promised to communicate once we returned home. THE NEXT BEST WAY I ENJOYED meeting potential dates was online. However, I was on a learning curve before I was able to really deal with all the different facets of online dating. Some people’s profiles were too blunt and aggressive for me; I was more of a hopeless romantic, enjoying the art of interaction and conversation. The other part that I had a tough time with were the individuals who did not match up to their stated profile. This would annoy me to no end; why would someone willingly lie about themselves to get a date. I do not mind a little exaggeration to accentuate a person’s better qualities, but some of the things I witnessed were utterly foolish. And here is the thing, when it came to a person’s physical attributes, I did not care about their weight, height, color of hair or occupation. The only thing that concerned me was whether they had good teeth and clean fingernails. One time I met a potential date at a coffee shop. I stood near the front door while looking for them, never realizing they were sitting at a table, which I had already scanned over when I arrived. I did not acknowledge them because they looked nothing like what they conveyed to me. Why would someone want to start out a potential relationship with a lie? I asked myself this same question while watching this romantic comedy. AFTER BEING UPGRADED TO FIRST CLASS, for a business trip, a young employee winds up being seated next to a handsome man. He takes an interest in her when he mistakenly believes she is the head of a firm, due to her not correcting his misunderstanding. She had to find a way to tell him, despite enjoying their time together. With Camila Mendes (Palm Springs, Riverdale-TV) as Ana, Archie Renaux (Catherine Called Birdy, Shadow and Bone-TV) as William, Marisa Tomei (The King of Staten Island, Spider-Man franchise) as Claire, Leno Olin (Adam, The Artist’s Wife) as Catherine and Anthony Head (Imagine Me & You, Buffy the Vampire Slayer-TV) as Julian Marx; this film does not break any new ground. However, having Marisa and Lena in the cast made for a better than average story. I will say, I thought I was watching a “The Devil Wears Prada” wannabe, except for the added love story. There were many enjoyable scenes, despite the script’s predictability and I enjoyed the set up of having powerful women figures. I also liked the fact that there was another story going on besides the bumpy relationship between the two main characters. This was an easy and harmless movie that did not pretend to be something more than what it was meant to be.
2 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: Freelance
LEAVE IT TO FATE TO PLAY a cruel trick on me, being chosen to be the driver for a presenter that made me have a bad attitude towards her. It was the year prior; I was attending a fitness convention where she was one of the headliners. To lower the cost of attending, I joined as a volunteer. Being in such a position, I was able to see the things that were taking place behind the scenes. To say this presenter scared a bunch of us may be an exaggeration; however, most of us were cautious around her because she was demanding. She needed things done her way, even if the results would come out the same as us. The part that I disliked the most was the way she would sometimes talk down to a volunteer, as if they were her personal indentured servant. It was appalling how rude she could be. Now, I understood she was a big name in the industry and had to be tough to get to the position she was currently in, but couldn’t she still get there with a little kindness? What is that phrase about being kind to the people you meet on the way up because you will be meeting them on the way down; it could certainly happen to her, I felt. During the convention, I made it my mission to stay out of her way. FAST FORWARD TO THE FOLLOWING YEAR’S convention, where my volunteer assignment was to drive this same person around for the weekend. This entailed picking her up first thing in the morning and returning her at night, besides any errands she might need throughout the day. I could not believe that I got chosen for this position. The first day I went to pick her up, I had to convince myself not to show my dislike for her, besides not getting into an argument if she started treating me like I remembered how she was acting the year prior. She was waiting outside when I arrived; I took her gym bags and put them in the trunk before we began our route to the convention spot. On the way we started out making small talk, but our conversation took a more serious turn when she asked how I became a fitness instructor. I had nothing to hide so told her the facts about being picked on for years for being overweight, flunking P.E. in school and how I found a group of people who accepted and made me feel welcome in their exercise class. It turned out she had a similar experience with being overweight and shared some horrific things that were done to her. By the time we arrived at the convention I had a better attitude about her. She even talked about the reservoir of anger she still has that comes out when she sees someone not taking pride/ownership in their actions/responsibilities. This change of attitude was like how I felt about one of the main characters in this action, comedy film. AN EX-SPECIAL FORCES SOLIDER AGREES TO help a friend’s business by being the security detail for a journalist traveling to interview a dictator. Soon after they arrive a military coup takes place that forces them to hide out into the jungle alone. This was only the start of their troubles. With John Cena (Ricky Stanicky, Hidden Strike) as Mason Pettis, Alison Brie (Promising Young Woman, Somebody I Used to Know) as Claire Wellington, Juan Pablo Raba (The 33, The Marksman) as Venegas, Christian Slater (Chupa, Very Bad Things) as Sebastian Earle and Alice Eve (Star Trek into Darkness, She’s Out of my League) as Jenny Pettis; this film came across like an action wannabe. It had similar elements to films like Romancing the Stone and a similar vibe to some of Dwayne Johnson’s movies. Though there was little chemistry between John and Alison, I did not mind their characters and thought John had a similar quality that matches Dwayne’s persona in his pictures. The script was super basic, not providing many surprises or thrills. It felt like a hodgepodge of previous movie bits that were hobbled together to try and make a coherent story; it did not work. Sadly, this was an easily forgettable film that I was glad I did not go to the theater to see.
1 ¾ stars
Flash Movie Review: Mean Girls
I THOUGHT HIGH SCHOOL WOULD BE an easy transition for me because it was across from my elementary school. My walk to school would not be different, I could go home for lunch if I did not want to eat in the school cafeteria; it seemed like everything was in place for me. After the first week went by, when all the students were figuring out where they fit in, I had a sense of dread. I did not feel I fit in anywhere. There were lists of clubs and activities posted throughout the school, but when I looked at the lists there was nothing that either interested me or I felt I was capable of participating in. The only thing that stood out for me was to be part of the sales team for the high school yearbook that came out once a year. It turned out there was very little contact with anyone else on the team because we were simply assigned receipt books we had to carry with us throughout the school day, that we would fill out when a student wanted to place an order. I had to let students know I was one of the yearbook reps, which you would have thought would be a good introduction to establishing connections with other students. However, that turned out not to be the case. Among some of the responses I got were being laughed at and spitted on, told to get out of their face, punched in the stomach and verbal abuse. I did, however, sell some yearbooks that first and only year I sold them. IT SOON BECAME APPARENT TO ME there was a pecking order or hierarchy established within the student body. Those students that participated in the mainstream sports of football, basketball, baseball, and cheerleading were the alphas of the school. Those with big personalities, who quickly grabbed the spotlight and held on to it tightly were the next group up. After them came the brainiacs, as they were called. They were the ones who understood most class lessons, who had more “A” grades than anyone else and the best part, they could get away with not dressing up in the latest fashion trends. After these three groups, it was a toss-up on who had any pull or sway among their classmates. My claim to fame, if you even want to call it fame, was never to get into trouble. In other words, I was a “good” kid. That did not give me hardly any street cred among the students; I still had a miserable time throughout high school despite being native to the area. For a student that transfers into the area, I do not know how they could survive. See for yourself in this comedic musical. AFTER HAVING BEEN HOME SCHOOLED, IT was like stepping into a different world when Cady Heron, played by Angourie Rice (The Beguiled, The Nice Guys), found herself being chosen to become friends with one of the elite groups in the school. Things were going smoothly until she took a liking to the group leader’s ex-boyfriend. With relative newcomer Renee Rapp as Regina George, Auli’I Cravalho (All Together Now, The Power-TV) as Janis “Imi’ike, newcomer Jaquel Savey as Damian Hubbard and Avantika (Senior Year; Mira, Royal Detective) as Karen Shetty; I was surprised by the number of musical performances performed in this film. Nowhere in any of the advertising did it show any music scenes. As for this being an update on the original film, there were some tweaks made to accommodate our current times; but overall, I was bored with the script and story. There were isolated scenes that stood out for me such as Avantika’s comedic timing and Renee Rapp’s screen presence; but It was not enough to maintain my attention. The musical score all sounded the same as did the dance performances in various musical scenes. I was not a fan of my high school years, and I was not one of this updated remade film.
2 stars
Flash Movie Review: Self Reliance
I WAS CHANNEL SURFING WHEN SOMETHING caught my eye that made me stop at a channel. I could not understand what was taking place; I was dumbfounded. There were two people completely unclothed scavenging for food on either some exotic island or jungle setting. There were palm trees and thick foliage that rose above the couple as they looked about for something edible. At certain angles where their genitals could be visible, the censors had blurred them out, but just barely. It took me a bit of time to realize I was watching a reality show. A reality show!? I could not imagine who would want to be placed in a setting with no food or water, stripped of all their clothing and left to fend for themselves. And it was not just for a day and night, it was for a couple of weeks. As the program progressed there were a couple of shots of wild animals that were lurking by; but were they really lurking by I wondered. Obviously with the production company spending a bunch of money on the show, I am sure they would not want their contestants killed off in the first episode, or for that fact any episode I am guessing. Though if it would give a boost to ratings, who knows? I HOPE I DO NOT SOUND judgmental, but certain reality shows make no sense to me. Watching people make fools of themselves for a free trip or cash prize is not my thing. I remember at a health club where I was working out, they had one of their TV monitors on a channel that showed an obstacle course that was designed to knock the contestant off balance. This had nothing to do with strength or balance; the obstacles were more cartoonish like a huge foam hammer that would pound the track the contestants had to walk on. Or there was a waterfall of some green slime that one had to run through despite the road being slippery from the gooeyness. The shows I tend to watch are more talent based like singing or dancing. Even shows that test mental capabilities, like searching for clues in a foreign city or figuring out a recipe to bake with only random food items the producers gave them, are types of reality shows I can watch. I could never see myself participating in any type of reality show, no matter how much money I was offered. And I especially would not participate in the show being done that the main character agreed to do in this comedy thriller. THE CHANCE OF WINNING ONE MILLION dollars was enough for Tommy, played by Jake Johnson (Safety Not Guaranteed, New Girl-TV), to agree to a dark web reality show and because he believed he had found a loophole that would keep him alive. With Andy Samberg (Palm Springs, Brooklyn Nine-Nine) as Andy Samberg, Bjorn Johnson (The Passing Parade, Parallel Chords) as Magnus, John Hans Tester (Royal Pains-TV, The Man in the High Castle-TV) as Anders and Anna Kendrick (Woman of the Hour, Pitch Perfect franchise) as Maddy; this movie had an interesting mix of humor, satire and drama. Since Jake wrote and directed this picture, I expected his comedic timing to be on target and it certainly was perfect. I thought he and Anna had a good screen presence together. As the story moved to the last half, things started to break down for me. I do not know if I was simply getting bored or missing the point of the plot, but I felt myself becoming disengaged. It might have to do with some scenes feeling repetitive to me or it could be the fact that things became predictable. Either way, I was left with only an okay feeling after viewing this movie. It was not great nor was it horrible and that is my reality.
2 stars
moviejoltz 