The Happytime Murders (2018)

In a world where humans and puppets co-exist (but a heavy prejudice still lingers), a hard-nosed P.I. is on the hunt for a puppet killer. He's reluctantly teamed up with a human who also harbors ill feelings towards his ilk. Featuring puppet prostitutes, junkies and other foul-mouthed felt bastards, it seems destined to offend anyone with delicate sensibilities. Brian Henson summons his Puppet Up! days to bring us this dark, perverse murder mystery comedy that feels closer to Meet the Feebles and Avenue Q than anything Jim Henson has put out. The sheer audacity of bringing this film into existence is to be commended. This one isn't for the kiddies or the pearl-clutchers.

3 silly string cumshots out of 5

Genie (2023)

A bland, cookie-cutter remake of Bernard and the Genie. It's cute, I suppose, but very formulaic and lacking in genuine warmth (it didn't pass the litmus test of inspiring those "Christmas feelings" in me). Alan Cumming (who portrayed Bernard in the original) plays the role of the evil boss here (originally played by Rowan Atkinson). This time, the genie is Melissa McCarthy, who basically plays herself as a fish out of water. Whereas the charm of the original felt simple and effortless, this update feels forced and compelled to shove the Christmas spirit down your throat, and the whole thing ends up backfiring. 

If nothing else, I'm grateful that this movie introduced me to the original.

2 triangles of red bread out of 5

GHOSTBUSTERS [2016]

Paul Feig's Ghostbusters reboot never stood a chance against the army of "It Raped My Childhood" pussies and it's a shame because it really isn't that bad.
It basically follows the exact same formula of the first two films: bumbling scientists get together in New York City to hunt ghosts, everyone thinks they're a hoax, seedy government folk try to bring them down, they visit the mayor as a hole opens up in the sky which leads to a supernatural mayhem montage and finishes off with a giant icon trudging through the city streets.
It's pretty obvious this won't make the same surprising cultural impact as the original film did but it's going to toss some pretty funny yuk-yuks and fantastic cast chemistry at you with the best it can.  It's stitched together with more finesse than the 1989 sequel but like that film, if you're a kid, it's going to be a pretty damned fun ride with plenty of wide-eyed moments for a new generation of rugrats.

3 pairs of cuckoo pants 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

ST. VINCENT [2014]

Just when I was ready to write off Melissa McCarthy as a one-hit wonder along comes writer/director Theodore Melfi's quiet little comedy St. Vincent.
It's the contrived story of a grumpy loser of an old man that finds a new reason to get up in the morning through the friendship of the new kid next door.  The best part about St. Vincent is McCarthy isn't the best part, the rest of the cast are just as good as she is, including Jaeden Lieberher, who never gets too cute or steps into "I'm a good child actor" territory.  Sure the story's been trampled over a million times before but the wonderfully played characters and sharp dialogue make this harmless heart-warming comedy well worth the visit.

3½ plates of "sushi" 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

THE HEAT [2013]

I really didn't expect much from Bridesmaids director Paul Feig's buddy cop comedy The Heat so it's hard to be disappointed with such expectations.
Melissa McCarthy and Sandra Bullock have great chemistry and are serviceably funny as the foul-mouthed oil & water partners.  However it takes a good 40 minutes to get going making for a very dull introduction to a very predictable story and being an action-comedy that's hardly acceptable.  It's the type of film where you know exactly what you're getting into and if you're fine with that then it's okay.  If you're not fine with this sort of stupidity then steer clear.

2½ shit jerk dick fucker assholers out of 5

IDENTITY THIEF [2013]

With the exception of a handful of films, actor Jason Bateman does mostly shit outside of Arrested Development. Bridesmaids Horrible Bosses director Seth Gordon's crime caper comedy Identity Thief falls under that "shit" category.
Normally with films like these I expect it to be predictable from beginning to end but count on it to provide some good throwaway laughs.  This film spurts a few minor chuckles and very little of anything else.  I really like Melissa McCarthy but even her schtick can't save this from being a complete bore.

1 throat punch out of 5

THIS IS 40 [2012]

Billed as the "sort-of" sequel to 2007's Knocked Up, writer/director Judd Apatow's This Is 40 is a funny and touching comedy about hitting middle age while in a marriage with kids and an "insane" family.  

Gifted with a fantastic charismatic cast, contemplative observations and a heavy dose of funny, the film is unfortunately dragged down by a ridiculously long running time as it wastes it time on a few aimless plot points and minor characters.   In the end, I was left completely satisfied with just being able to laugh for 2 hours and thirteen minutes.  

3½ episodes of LOST out of 5