Thursday 21 May 2015

60 Second Film Reviews #19


Quick movie reviews, without the waffle. 60 Second Film Reviews is a regular feature where I compile together brief reviews of recent films I've watched at home or at the movies - and generally couldn't be arsed didn't find time to write a proper review for.

This month we have Horrible Bosses 2 and Paddington

Horrible Bosses 2 (2014)


Horrible Bosses 2 is the largely unwanted sequel to 2011's semi-decent comedy, Horrible Bosses. Starring Jason Bateman, Charlie Day and Jason Sudeikis, the series sees three inept 30-somethings face up to their nasty or manipulative bosses. Following on from the first film, the trio are now striking out on their own and pitching a new invention - the 'Shower Buddy' - to some potential investors played by Chris Pine and Christoph Waltz.

When the deal falls through, the threesome hatch a scheme to kidnap Chris Pine's character in order to blackmail their company into paying a hefty ransom. Thing is, much like their murder scheme from the first film, they don't have a clue on how to kidnap anyone.

Most of the jokes are chuckle-worthy and good natured - Day and Sudeikis may be idiots but they're innocent idiots. Charlie Day is especially funny once he gets all worked up - "fuck you, I love Sandra Bullock!" Jason Bateman's alright - I think he's a bit like Corn Flakes though; a cereal that you only eat when you can't find anything better in the cupboard. He's okay, but never the scene-stealer. He's Arsenal, Iron Man 2 or Diet Coke. In my defence, I haven't seen Arrested Development yet. But still, he's kinda bland right?

Also returning to the cast is Jaime Foxx, Jennifer Aniston and Kevin Spacey, all of whom are hilarious. Aniston has a poor record of middling rom-coms so this was a great change of pace. One sticking point though - definitely not enough Spacey. Never enough Spacey.

Trouble is, the kidnapping plot loses steam about halfway through. After about an hour, the plot spears off in a different direction and hasn't really got anything to do with having 'horrible bosses' anymore.

Whilst I enjoyed the first film, and relished the chance to see the original cast back in action, Horrible Bosses 2 really doesn't do enough to register as a worthwhile sequel. Probably most telling is how quickly I zoned out and the movie became background noise. That being said, the final scene where Jaime Foxx breaks the fourth wall? Fucking brilliant.

I give Horribles Bosses 2: 4/10


Paddington (2014)


Directed by Paul King and featuring a wide array of British actors such as Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, Julie Walters, Jim Broadbent, Peter Capaldi and Ben Wishaw, Paddington is a delightful family affair that has, for some reason or another, flown completely under my radar since arriving in cinemas last Christmas.

Eager to revisit something I remember from my childhood, I sought out Paddington as soon as it arrived on VOD a few weeks back - and I'm really glad that I did. If you don't know the story of Paddington Bear, here are the basics - he's a talking bear (here voiced by Whishaw) from 'darkest' Peru that travels to London armed with a suitcase full of marmalade. He's taken under the wing of the Brown family, who are in this iteration played by Hugh Bonneville and Sally Hawkins, where he learns how to become a polite and caring family bear.

It's adorably inoffensive and charming, from Bonneville ringing the insurance company to ask if he could add Paddington to their policy ("Grizzly? Not particularly. Mind you, I haven't seen him in the mornings!") to a scene where Paddington fails to brush his teeth without flooding the entire bathroom. The cheery British humour suits this film down to the ground - you'd have to be in a terribly bad mood to not crack a smile at least once.

Nicole Kidman chews up the scenery as the Cruella Deville-esque villain Millicent, whose sole goal in life is to collect and stuff as wide a variety of animals as possible. It's all very panto, which I think adds to the charm.

Of course, Paddington himself isn't a 'real' bear - no, he's animated and I have to say, the animation  is really impressive with his thick fur being gorgeously detailed and realistic. Quaint and heartwarming, Paddington is worth your time and attention. It's mainly for the kids, but parents will appreciate the good-natured fun and games.

I give Paddington: 8.5/10 

8 comments:

  1. I love Paddington so much! So much charm...just beautiful. Kidman was the only weak link for me, but that was a character thing mostly. I haven't seen Horrible Bosses 2, but I'm not optimistic.

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    1. I know right? It was great :) I kinda liked that Kidman chewed up the scenery, I think she was sorta going for a Chilsnatcher from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang kinda vibe :)

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  2. Ohh, I can see what you mean about Jason Bateman but to be totally honest, Arrested Development is his best work! I'm a die hard Horrible Bosses fan so I'll try and un-read what I just read, but your review did make me chuckle :)
    - Allie

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    1. I've heard A LOT of good things about Arrested Development and it's sitting in my Netflix queue...for some point in the future! :) I'm sure I'll get to it sooner or later. Thanks, sorry if I was a little harsh on it ;)

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  3. I already forgot about Horrible Bosses 2. I never bothered, though I loved the first one.

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    1. Yeah, I think forgettable pretty much sums it up I'm afraid :/

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  4. I was also disappointed with HB2. I thought the first was rather funny, but the second I just stared blankly at the screen as it continued to be not funny at all. (By the way, if you want a funny Jason Bateman performance, try Bad Words....I found that one quite hilarious)

    I skipped Paddington because I thought the trailers made it look terrible, but I've heard nothing but positive reviews since it came out. I'll have to check that one out and watch it with my kids.

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    1. I have heard of Bad Words so maybe I'll check it out :) And definitely check out Paddington, it's awesome :)

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