Sex Tape

Movies about sending an unwanted sex tape to the wrong people aren't exactly fresh and exciting. And this one is definitely neither fresh nor exciting.

The film begins with a long and largely unnecessary introduction to the relationship of Annie (Cameron Diaz) and Jay (Jason Segel). The reason it's unnecessary is because I couldn't really believe that these two people were in their twenties. After that, we finally get introduced to their adult married life, which is sexless, despite the fact that they love each other very much. In the spur of the moment, the decide to film each other having sex with each other. This soon turns bad when the video gets synced to every iPad that they've given as gifts (which is a lot apparently).

This movie misses the mark when it comes to most of the jokes. There is only little potential in the set ups that are there and these mostly fall flat, especially the jokes about the domestic lives these two characters have (again because the two leads aren't playing believable roles).

The film is buoyed up by some master direction from Jake Kasdan (Orange County) and the script written in part by Segel is passable, but to have two leads with as little chemistry as these two. The film is partially saved by the supporting cast. Rob Corddry, Ellie Kemper and Rob Lowe all do their best to prop up Segel and Diaz. The best casting decision was probably putting Jack Black as a cameo role. His scene just entails him improvising the names of porn companies and is suitably hilarious.

Verdict: A mediocre comedy at the best of times. Road Trip did a better job.

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.