Nerve

Movies that have a focus on the dangers of technology are going to become more and more common as our current technology progresses. This movie takes the idea of online 'game seeping into the real world with disastrous effects and also warns against the dangers of mob mentality. It toys with the fact that online anonymity is the most dangerous thing plaguing privileged white people, so you better think before you post your next antagonistic YouTube comment.

There is a new online game going around and it's called Nerve. People sign up to be given a series of escalating dares for money. When Vee (Emma Roberts) is accused by her friends for not living life to the fullest extent, she is challenged by her friends to join up. When she does, Vee is forced to teamed up with another player called Ian (Dave Franco) by the watchers and soon their dares start escalating to more and more dangerous things to get to the final round.

Nerve is a bit confusing in who is it's target audience. It seems like it is targeted toward teenagers with its social media concepts and risky behaviour, but in its execution it comes of as though it's a movie for adults, showing what the kids are up to these days. It doesn't seem at all surprising that this movie came from Ariel Schulman and Henry Joost, who directed both the documentary Catfish and Paranormal Activity 3 and 4. All of those movies revolve around a certain amount of interaction with faceless online users and this seems like the cherry on top of those. I just feel as though the message it's trying to send won't appeal to that target audience.

That's mainly to do with the fact that the movie doesn't really set high stakes for the characters within. We learn that Vee and Ian are going to lose everything if they don't win, but the film doesn't make that feel risky enough. There is an interesting development between Vee and her friend Sydney (Emily Meade) who have a blossoming rivalry in the game, but their feud is solved in a very conventional manner. The performances don't lend anything to the movie as both Franco and Roberts are just not sympathetic or likeable.

For a movie that is trying to warn of the dangers of social media in our current era, Nerve doesn't really do a good job. It's just above those 'prank' videos where people try and show parents that their kids will get in a stranger's car and how gullible the kids are these days. But if it's coming from these directors, that message isn't a surprise at all.

Now You See Me 2

Coming into this movie with very low expectations, I left pleasantly surprised and actually felt the $17.50 movie ticket was worth it in comparison to some other films I’ve seen this month. Also, being a big fan of the first film, I’ll try to keep my opinions as unbiased as possible. Try.

Now You See Me 2 (a.k.a Now You See Me: The Second Act) is the sequel to the 2013 film, you guessed it, Now You See Me. The film once again reunites us with the Four Horsemen, J. Daniel Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg), Jack Wilder (Dave Franco) and Merritt McKinney (Woody Harrelson), with replacement 4^th member Lula (Lizzie Caplan) stepping in in the wake of Isla Fisher’s exit. In their latest adventure, the Horseman find themselves thrown into a new game and a new city, in which lies Walter Mabry (Daniel Radcliffe) who forcibly recruits them to help steal a profitable piece of technology from a rival company. After a year in hiding and doubting their overlords The Eye’s plans for them, the group are itching to have a chance at the limelight once more, however as always with magic tricks, things are not always as they appear to be.

The positives: Above everything, this film was fun to watch as the franchise has learned not to take itself too seriously. The storyline is full of twists and turns that helps to keep the audience engaged and entertained, as well as helping to stop it becoming a carbon copy of the last film, and definitely has its humorous moments that help break the tension. The film also addresses Fisher’s character Henley’s exit, rather than simply taking the easy route and sweeping it under the rug. There are also lots of nail biting scenes involving many new and improved tricks, including one inside a vault that really impressed me and that audiences will have fun with. All acting is essentially as it was in the first film, with Caplans’ ‘Lula’ adding a fun, flirtatious element that helps to contrast her with the rest of the mostly male cast and is the source of most of the humour. I also enjoyed seeing more of Mark Ruffalo’s character, FBI Agent Dylan Rhodes, acting like the son of a magician, i.e. doing magic tricks and understanding magic history.

The negatives: The bottom line is, if you didn’t enjoy the first film, you won’t enjoy this one. Although there are a lot of improvements between this and the 2013 release, the general atmosphere is the same. Some minor plot holes leave you with a bit of confusion once the credits roll. The ‘magic’ does lead to some unrealistic scenarios, just as in the first film, that the audiences are expected to gloss over because, well, magic. As well as this, I felt the ending was a little overdone and I would’ve been happier if the film ended 10 minutes before it did. Most annoyingly, the film attempts to address some issues surrounding sexism in a few scenes using Lula, only to completely negate their progress in the next by adhering to some pretty standard female tropes which was a bit of a let down and may be a little jarring for people who grew fond of the snarkier Henley compared to the fun-loving Lula.

Overall the film was a fun time that fans of the franchise will enjoy. The dazzling magic effects, entertaining characters and engaging plot do draw you in and make you remember why you enjoyed magic as a kid. If you’re looking for something in-depth and gritty, you won’t enjoy this film. But for a fun adventure movie, it has a lot to offer.

Bad Neighbours 2

A logical sequel to the original, Bad Neighbours 2 looks to spice up its comedy classification with touches of feminist commentary and character development (for those returning from Bad Neighbours). Despite not fully achieving this attempted depth, the film feels comfortable enough as a comedy and as a sequel, while still bringing something new to the table.

Bad Neighbours 2 sees Mac (Seth Rogen) and Kelly (Rose Byrne) attempting to sell their family home a few years after the events of the first movie, when a sorority led by the likeable Shelby (Chloë Grace Moretz) moves into the old frat house next door. Teddy (Zac Efron), who seems to be stuck in the past while his old frat brothers pass him by, floats between both sides amidst a "quarter-life crisis" to create a more dynamic plot, while the Kappa Nu sorority attempts to work outside the normal parameters of frat and sorority life and empower their members.

It's apparent from the start that the film is attempting to mirror the successes of the original while still differing enough to not be seen as a carbon copy, and although the writers weave in moments of uniqueness and difference, the overall plot remains much of the same. Despite the linear feeling to the plot for anyone who has seen the first film in the franchise, the back-and-forth between the sorority and the "old people" (as the sorority coined them) feels fresh enough, with new hijinks and disruption strategies spanning further than just the confines of their two houses. The comedy is as unpredictable and quirky as the first film's, with snazzy one-liners effectively catching the audience off guard multiple times and hilarious action sequences playing on the success of the physical comedy in the original. The film also effectively calls back prominent aspects from its predecessor without feeling forced, including Mac and Kelly's awful attempts at being intimate and the frat's notorious 'airbags' prank, as well as appearances from characters such as Lisa Kudrow's unorthodox Dean Carol and Dave Franco's 'grown-up' Pete Regazolli.

Despite being an overall pleasant comedy experience, the film does have a few discouraging qualities which perhaps take it out of the realm of 'quality filmmaking'. The film has some rather dull portions, with some dialogue feeling forced and cringe-worthy at times, as well as some unnecessary and over-the-top plot inclusions, leading to an unconvincing green screen and an unneeded (and repeated) minions cameo. The film's attempts at portraying more serious issues such as the empowering of women, the struggles of parenting and Teddy's post-college depression ultimately fall short, briefly touching on the issues and making them feel natural to the plot but failing to develop them to an effective extent.

Although sections of dialogue felt slightly forced and unnatural, acting was generally solid across the board, with each of the main cast impressing with their comedic quips and portrayal of character growth. The general production of the film seems sound as well, with director Nicholas Stoller returning with a similar style to the original to make the sequel feel recognizable and comfortable for viewers. The constant use of dynamic shots creates a live feeling to the viewing experience, with fitting uses of hyphy music adding to the party vibe of the film. 

Sequels to comedies are always difficult, and despite following a similar plot to the original, Bad Neighbours 2 still manages to surprise and entertain as it attempts to incorporate some freshness and depth into its hilarious story. Fans of the original will not be disappointed.

Unfinished Business

Director Ken Scott and Vince Vaughn team up once again in the comedy Unfinshed Business. With a strong cast, 90-minute running time and following in a similar vein to the Jump Street series, this promises to be another bite-sized fun American comedy, at least that's what I had hoped.

Daniel Trunkman (Vince Vaughn) works for a horrible boss (different movie), Chuck Portnoy (Sienna Miller). One day, he decides to quit and start his own business, going into direct competition with Chuck. He recruits Timothy (Tom Wilkinson), whose just been made redundent, and Mike Pancake (Dave Franco), a special-needs man who just failed an interview. One year later, they're coming close to making a deal with a big client, so they travel to Europe. But things get complicated when it turns out that Chuck's company is also vying for the client.

Unfinished Business was written by Steven Conrad (The Pursuit of Happyness), and unfortunately it has a very weak plot. The unlikely party-goers theme has been done several times before, peaking with 22 Jump Street, but here it's just feels tacked-on and not much fun. I honestly can't even rememeber how they ended up doing all the stupid crap that they did. I would never have guessed that I would see Tom Wilkinson starring alongside Vince Vaughn and Dave Franco, smoking a bong, taking (what I assume is) ecstasy tablets and dancing in slow-motion whilst topless women have a pillow fight around him, but then again, he is having somewhat of a renaissance with unusual roles (an Australian cop in Felony, the U.S president in Selma). Suffice to say, this is his weirdest and worst role in recent years.

Dave Franco plays a mildly-autistic "special" young man, who is often the butt of the jokes, and Franco's quirky performance is by far the best part of the film. Unfortunately though, the comedic elements are lukewarm. It doesn't have the huge volume of jokes that attack you from all angles in similar comedies, and the few jokes that are there often don't deliver. This is the kind of comedy that's good for a mild chuckle but will never have you erupting in laughter, something which I was able to test with the three or four mostly silent other people sitting in the cinema with me. On a side-note, there's a surprising amount of nudity in Unfinished Business, with a comparatively high penis-to-breast ratio of somewhere around 4 to 50, take of that what you will...look I was kinda bored, okay.

Vince Vaughn plays the grounded, sensible one, which also makes his character rather dull, and Nick Frost is surprisingly lively for the badly-written part that he recieved. On almost every level this film is just meh. I should disclose that the American sense of humour exhibited here is definitely not aligned with my own, but that's no excuse, because I've really enjoyed similar films over the years like the Jump Street films. It's somewhat saved by Franco's performance and the situations that Wilkinson ends up in, but that's not enough to make it a good movie.

22 Jump Street

So since neither Edward nor I could decide who would review this movie, you're all gonna get a weird (dis)joint(ed) review. So let's get to it.

Edward:

Having first seen 21 Jump Street when I was in high school, it was filled with plenty of jokes that I could relate to. Yet whilst it was funny enough, it always seemed like it was lacking direction in some areas, and I felt that much of the humour needed more of a setup. Now, as I’ve moved on to University, the boys are back and are going to college, with the (self-aware) sequel 22 Jump Street.

The new action packed installment picks up the pace a lot more, and overall I found the jokes quite a bit funnier than they were in the first. Whilst there’s still plenty of the “Suck my d*ck! No you suck my d*ck!!” sort of humor that dominated the original, it feels much more natural and flowing this time around, probably due to the vastly improved screenplay.

The film is also hilariously self-reflexive, taking satirical jabs at Hollywood’s obsession with sequels as we see the 23 Jump Street condominiums under construction, as well as the nature of the industry in general. There are also the absolutely hilarious credits - honestly one of the best parts of the movie - that I urge you to stay for, as they will certainly expel any worries you may have about the direction that this franchise is going in.

The action sequences are not over the top but definitely won’t disappoint, with plenty of eye-candy courtesy of explosions and slow-motion sequences. The acting is also spot on for this sort of comedy, with both Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum just as good as they were in the first and with a great supporting cast.

Verdict: Overall, 22 Jump Street stands up strong and is quite an improvement over it’s younger sibling.  If you enjoyed the first, you’ll be laughing all the way through this one!   

Jack:

Unlike 21 Jump Street, 22 knows it is a TV show spinoff (it also knows it a sequel but hopefully Edward's already written about that). We even get a previously on Jump Street recap, as if this is just another episode of a sitcom version of the original show.

This movie also has a bunch of references to other 80s TV shows and movies, such as The Golden Girls (which if you know the reference when it comes is hilarious) and Top Gun. These references are hilarious, but then again most of the film is funny. Schmidt and Jenko's bromance escalates to a homoerotic level that guarantees even more laughs.

This movie made me laugh so much that Edward must have regretted seeing it with me. The jokes were fast flowing and weren't too stale. However, the majority of the audience must have been a lot younger than us because I don't think they got a lot of the jokes, especially when the references are aimed at an older audience (like a superb Straight Outta Compton joke directed at Ice Cube).

Speaking of Cube, there is a lot more of him in this movie. And he is even funnier than he was in the first movie. His chemistry with both Tatum and Hill is fantastic and you tell they all had a really fun time making the movie. Especially Channing Tatum. He bounces around the screen like an actual teenager with a lot of glee.

The other standout performance comes from newcomer (to the franchise) Jillian Bell (Workaholics). If you are at all a fan of the aforementioned Workaholics, you'll especially like her character because she is just a slightly more unstable and violent version of Jillian on the show.

Verdict: A great sequel that is terribly self aware and just a pleasure to watch.

Bad Neighbours

There's something about a movie that bridges the divide between generations that I like. Bad Neighbours is definitely one of those films. On one hand it's about growing up, whilst on the other it's about retaining your youth as you grow older.

Mac (Seth Rogen) and Kelly (Rose Byrne) are a couple with a newborn baby who have just bought their first house. Soon after moving in, the large house next door is also up for sale and after much guessing over who will be moving in. They soon discover that it will be a fraternity from the nearby university. The president Teddy (Zac Efron) assures them that if they are ever too loud, Mac and Kelly should come to him instead of calling the cops and also invites them to party if they ever feel the need. Teddy loses his trust in the couple when they eventually do make a noise complaint and vows to make their life a living hell.

Zac Efron is a true powerhouse of acting in this movie, showing off his range in a variety of scenarios. One moment he is chilling with Mac smoking weed and the next he is menacingly devising ways to destroy his life. He also has some very touching moments when he realises that he isn't as smart as he thinks.

Dave Franco also stars as the accomplice and frat brother of Teddy, Pete. Pete is the more emotionally stable of the two and begins to feel remorse about what they are doing to their neighbours. His relationship with Teddy is hilarious, sometimes bordering on homoerotic.

Both Rogen and Byrne are funny, but the humour in the movie comes more from the insane antics of their neighbours than their reactions, then again they are playing the straight characters in a comedy and that role traditionally doesn't allow for too much wackiness.

The jokes in this movie are fantastic, most of them relying on the generation gap between the two sets of characters and the misunderstandings that this can cause. Some of the jokes early on where Rogen and Byrne are trying to endear themselves to the fraternity are just cringeworthy, but funny all the same.

Verdict: A really funny comedy about how the generation gap can cause wacky misunderstandings. It was great to see Efron in a slightly villainous role.

Warm Bodies

Warm Bodies isn't your average zombie flick, nor is it your average romantic comedy. Yet Warm Bodies seems to fulfil both genres.

Warm Bodies chronicles the story of R (Nicholas Hoult), a zombie who shuffles around an airport and occasionally spends time with his best friend M (Rob Corddry). During a food hunt into the city, R comes across Julie (Teresa Palmer), a human who was out looking for medical supplies. After eating Julie's boyfriend, Perry (Dave Franco), R sees Julie and immediately falls in love with her. He manages to calm her down and takes her to the plane where he lives. The two eventually bond, which causes R to come back to life.

After a couple of days, Julie is anxious to return home and R convinces her to let him join her, only to be abandoned by her. On his way back to the airport, R comes across M, who tells him that he and his group of zombies were kicked out of the airport by the Bonies, a form of zombie that has reached a new level of decomposition. M tells R that all the other zombies have started to come back to life and the Bonies feel threatened by this and that they are looking for him and Julie.

R uses the memories of Perry to find a secret entrance to the city, so that he can tell Julie the good and bad news. Once there, he meets Julie's friend, Nora (Analeigh Tipton), and her bitter and aggressive father, Colonel Grigio (John Malkovitch). R eventually convinces them of the Bonie threat by showing them that he can bleed (zombies don't bleed). Grigio turns his efforts to wiping out the Bonies.

This movie is really funny. Not in a hysterically funny way, but in a sustained and prolonged way, so that you feel satisfied by the humour in it. Most of the jokes come from R's internal monologue about his feelings toward Julie. That's another thing this movie does. It portrays the angst of youth and the feelings you get when you meet someone you like. Also the awkwardness. Lots of that.

Nicholas Hoult (Skins) is amazing as R. His portrayal of a thinking zombie is something that has never been done before and it certainly gives an insight into their motivations. His long and gangly body also helps get in the way of his movements (as we've seen before in X-Men: First Class).

Teresa Palmer (The Sorcerer's Apprentice) fantastically plays Julie. At the start, we see her confusion about R saving her and then how she falls for him. The inner conflict in her character is always there, but her performance is so captivating that you don't notice.

The rest of the cast is rounded out with performances from Rob Corddry (Moses Taylor for you Arrested Development fans out there), Dave Franco (brother of James) and John Malkovich (who still haunts my dreams).

Verdict: Warm Bodies is a really satisfying comedy about a situation that isn't. Not since Zombieland have I laughed so hard at zombies. But that was also it's downfall. No Bill Murray.