The Rewrite (2014)

A desperate screenwriter named Keith (Hugh Grant), living under the shadow of his one major success, takes a job as writer in residence at an American university that's 1000+ miles away from his comfort zone. His British cynicism and apathy are at full mast, but the conscience that he didn't know he had is lurking, waiting for the right time (and person) to stir it to action.
It's a rom-com with some clever wordsmithery, but an equal amount of the same that falls flat. Given the setting, etc, film-fans with an interest in literature may find more to latch onto than folks who don't have that focus.
Marisa Tomei plays a crucial role, insightfully reading between the lines, but she has less screen time than perhaps her character deserved.

2½ ill graces out of 5

MISS PEREGRINE'S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN [2016]

Without the aid of Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter or Danny Elfman, director Tim Burton steps out of his comfort zone for the best with his adaptation of Ransom Riggs' Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children.
When his storytelling grandfather dies, young Jake travels to England where he discovers the tales are true, after he time travels into the 1940's to a hidden orphanage that houses a group of bizarre super-powered children.
Like the black & white photos that litter the novel itself, Burton's film can get immensely creepy and oddly disturbing, so don't take the wee ones to this one.  It's filled with beautifully frightening imagery and fantastical music, so naturally it's going to please fans of the director's earlier works.  The characters are a little thin and things are a bit rushed in moments but overall it's the perfect answer to the over-exposure of dystopian future YA stories.

3½ delightfully tasty eyeballs out of 5

OVER THE HEDGE [2006]

DreamWorks Animation's big-screen adaptation of the nationally syndicated comic strip Over the Hedge is a safe, pleasant surprise that makes it too easy for itself to get lost in the sea of other films of it's kind.
It's about a pack of wild animals that discover their woodland home is now a park in the middle of the suburbs, forcing them to find new means of survival.
It's a breezy, light-hearted affair that offers nothing new to the table but is enough fun for the whole family to enjoy, unless you're the type constantly seeking out deep character arcs and quick-witted dialogue in your cartoons.
It's as easy to enjoy as it is to forget.

3 crazy, rabid squirrels that wants cookies out of 5

SPY [2015]

Director Paul Feig's thriller/comedy, Spy, is as funny as it is violent, quite often simultaneously.
Melissa McCarthy plays a desk-bound CIA analyst who's thrust into the field to recover a nuclear device, much to the dismay of a far more experienced field agent, played by Jason Statham.
Whoever's idea it was to team-up McCarthy & The Stath knew it would work wonderfully, especially when both are sticking to what they do best, being the typical lost-in-luck American middle-aged white woman or the grunting hard-assed Pip-pip with a temper.
Instead of parodying the Bond/Bourne films, Spy simply inserts the fish-out-of-water character into the fold and runs with that, quite often letting the jokes create themselves along the way.  The number of characters gets to be a bit of a mess by the end of the film but it's a wildly entertaining and hilarious ride along the way.

4 Cranks out of 5

MINIONS [2015]

You'd have to be living under a rock that's under another rock in order to have avoided the 2015 marketing campaign for the Despicable Me spin-off/prequel film, Minions.
It's set in London, 1968, where three of the little yellow buggers have left their clan to track down the next despicable leader they need to follow and find it in Scarlet Overkill & her 2nd fiddle husband (scene-stealers Sandra Bullock & Jon Hamm). The Minions were funny in the DM films but they are simply just too much here, with their gibberish language, easy to distract little brains and general all around irksome presence. It's impressive to see that the writers got as much mileage as they did out the wordless yellow bastards for 30 entertaining minutes but clocking in at nearly an hour and a half was more than enough.  There's some really hilarious moments scattered throughout but when it was all said and done I would rather these little yellow lumps stick to minor characters, their own animated shorts or rolling down the streets of Dublin.

2 tea & scones out of 5

Tammy (2014)

The husband & wife duo of Ben Falcone and Melissa McCarthy bring us the story of one Tammy, a deeply immature and uncultured woman. At the crossroads of her life, she makes a hard left turn into debauchery and degradation. Much like McCarthy's previous comedies, the humor is at times crass and the acting forced. Many scenes deserve trimming for the lingering improvisation. The characters are well fleshed out and quite specific. McCarthy is reminiscent of Chris Farley at his best in her role of the overzealous yet lovable Tammy. A surprisingly strong supporting cast (Susan Sarandon, Kathy Bates, Gary Cole, Allison Janney) slightly elevate the simple plot, but only enough for a handful of truly comedic moments.

2½ viking burials out of 5

TRUST ME [2013]

Actor Clark Gregg writes & directs this black comedy/drama Trust Me which follows a down-in-the-dumps talent agent who's new client brings more trouble than she might actually be worth.  

Like a lesser version of Robert Altman's The Player, Gregg's film seems to fancy itself a noirish satirical view of the Hollywood biz.  Only it never pulls strong enough punches (which occasionally seem to be aimed in the wrong direction) and only comes off as mildly amusing at best.  Fortunately the acting is all top-notch and the dialogue is fresh enough to never becoming too boring, even when the film seems to teeter off towards the side into some questionable out-of-place weirdness.  

2½ butterflies out of 5

MR. PEABODY & SHERMAN [2014]

I didn't think I'd want to see a CGI animated update of an old Rocky & Bullwinkle cartoon.
Mr. Peabody & Sherman proved me wrong with it's high energy, non-stop humor and all around time-travelling romp of a good time.
Directed by The Lion King's Rob Minkoff, the film is surprisingly fast-paced, jammed with witty historical jokes and enough heart to keep you smiling when the credits begin rolling.  It's nothing like it's source material but that really doesn't matter because, let's face it, the original cartoon was about as much fun as watching paint dry in a funeral home.
By no means will this become a classic but it's got enough flash and enthusiasm to enjoy multiple viewings and then some.  

3½ creepy boys out of 5

BAD WORDS [2014]

Actor Jason Bateman makes his directorial debut with the twisted comedy, Bad Words.
Filled with some hilariously mean-spirited one-liners, the film is sure to offend and disturb anyone who's a bit too light-hearted to indulge in this sort of nasty sarcasm.  Bateman is superb as the vulgar and unlikable lead adult character who pushes his way into a child's national spelling bee contest.  As funny as the film can be, it falls short of anything memorable or a lack of topical conversation afterwards.
To put it simply, Bad Words is just alright.

3 girls without nipples out of 5

THE WAY WAY BACK [2013]

The Descendants' Nat Faxon & Jim Rash write, direct and co-star in the coming of age dramedy The Way Way Back.
The Killing's Liam James carries the film as a outcast 14 year old kid and with the help of some scene-stealing performances from Sam Rockwell and Allison Janney, the overly familiar plotline is heightened by it's warmth, humor and finely tuned dialogue.  Nothing will leave you blown out of your mind or your jaw on the floor from a crazy twist or new idea but this quiet little film isn't about that and instead leaves you with a smile on your face for a nice change.

3½ wonky eyes out of 5

FINDING NEMO [2003]

Andrew Stanton successfully brings life to the Pixar's fifth CGI animated film Finding Nemo with the help of beautiful visuals and strong voice performances from Albert Brooks and Ellen DeGeneres.

It tells the timeless story of a clownfish who is willing to take risks for the first time in his life in order to find his missing son.  Stanton blends touching moments with genuine humor, filled with a fantastic cast of supporting characters that all leave you in awe with it's wonder and imagination.  

One of Pixar's best with it's seamless storytelling that fully absorbs you into a different world.

5 Tank Gangs out of 5

THE HELP [2011]

Kathryn Stockett's debut novel, about the civil rights movement in 1960's Mississippi, The Help is brought to the screen carried by a strong ensemble cast and wonderful script courtesy of director Tate Taylor. 

With subject matter as dark as it is, most films would fall fate to overly dramatic tear-jearking but The Help manages to tug at the heart strings with wonderfully fleshed out characters and perfectly timed humour.  I went in expecting weepy eyed, preachy schmaltz and came out rather surprised it was 100 times better than that.

3½ Special Chocolate Pies out of 5

Juno (2007)

Juno is a coming of age comedy/drama that proves once again that even on a small budget (it was shot for just $6.5 million) a great cast and a great script are superior to 90% of what the major studios drop out of their inflated, protracted asshole. It deals with teen pregnancy in an intelligent and non-judgemental manner that only a bloodthirsty religious zealot would take exception with.
Ellen Page is perfect. J. K. Simmons is hilarious. Michael Cera is Michael Cera. Even Jennifer Garner can’t ruin it.

4½ blue slushies out of 5