Sausage Party

Cartoons for adults have popped up more and more in recent years with TV shows like BoJack Horseman, Rick and Morty and Archer being really popular examples, so it makes sense that that popularity should spill over into movies. And who better to make such a movie than Seth Rogen and his crew of comedy friends. At first glance, the trailer makes Sausage Party look like the same old movie from these guys, but it is actually really funny and original.

The day in a supermarket begins with all the items singing a song about "The Great Beyond", a magical place where you go when one of the gods (humans) buys you and you can live in harmony with them. Frank (Seth Rogen) and his girlfriend Brenda (Kristen Wiig) are excited to be picked because of "Red, White and Blue Day" and they know that they will finally be together. Everything is going okay, until Honey Mustard (Danny McBride), who has returned from "The Great Beyond" and knows the truth, is put in the cart. He attempts suicide and as a result a whole bunch of items are thrown from the cart, including Frank, Brenda, Sammy Bagel, Jr (Edward Norton), Kareem Abdul Lavosh (David Krumholtz) and Douche (Nick Kroll). In the mess that results, Douche is severely injured (his nozzle is bent) and makes it his mission to take his revenge on Frank who just wants to get back to his shelf.

With all those characters, especially Douche, it sounds like Sausage Party is just filled with childish, infantile jokes that would only appeal to teenage boys. But it actually has a lot of jokes that go beyond that. A large chunk of the movie is dedicated to relationship between Kareem Abdul Lavosh and Sammy Bagel, Jr and is used as an allegory for the current Arab-Israeli situation (the Halal food was in their aisle first, but then the Kosher food just had to start taking over). There's actually a lot of this us and them mentality in the film that mirrors real life, everything from more land disputes (Firewater (Bill Hader) says that the supermarket used to be all Native American before other foods came in and took it away), historical genocides (the sauerkraut wants to eliminate all the juice) and even the blind acceptance of religious belief. It's not all real life, a lot of pop culture is made fun of too. My favourite was when the classic Meat Loaf song "I Would Do Anything For Love" is sung by, well, a meat loaf.

This is what we're doing to bacon? It almost makes me not want to eat it.

The characters in this are so fun to watch because special care has gone into creating nearly every single grocery item (both from a character and animation point of view). All the foods are the nationality that they represent, and while this can make for some cultural stereotypes, it's still pretty funny. Salma Hayek's lesbian taco is a bit too obvious but very fun to see (well, hear) such a big star in this role. The same goes for Edward Norton. I had no idea it was him, I actually thought it was Woody Allen. My favourite character was the villain Douche because his characterisation of a fraternity brother who just wanted to get juiced or jacked the whole time made complete sense. Another favourite was the Stephen Hawking style gum who had his own wheelchair and provided the heroes with vital information.

While Sausage Party is crass and vulgar at times, it's also really original. Who would've thought a movie about grocery items would be funny let alone evocative of history and current events (to be fair, it does gloss over these things). Overall, it's a top notch comedy and it's great to be able to go see how far animation has come without having to go to a movie for kids.

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.

Steve Jobs

Apple founder Steve Jobs has become a rather scrutinised figure in both documentary and film after his death in 2011. This latest biopic however, comes at the hands of both director Danny Boyle and screenwriter Aaron Sorkin, both of whom are known for their rather honest depictions of the world as it is and portrayals of famous people in not so flattering terms. This already fixating combination of talents is made complete with a subtle but powerful performance by leading man Michael Fassbender.

Steve Jobs is split into three acts, each covering a specific period in the life of the man, taking place prior to a product launch that was important in his life. The first takes place in 1984 at the launch of Jobs' (Michael Fassbender) latest dream product, the Macintosh. He is supported by his marketing manager and confidant Johanna Hoffman (Kate Winslet) as he contends with the mother of his daughter Chrisann (Katherine Waterston) and technical problems with the launch that he blames on Andy Hertzfeld (Michael Stuhlbarg). In 1988, Jobs has left Apple and is working on a new project NeXT, which he thinks will be an important educational tool despite its high price. He also clashes with Apple CEO John Sculley (Jeff Daniels) about leaving Apple and Steve Wozniak (Seth Rogen) over comments made during an interview. Finally in 1998, Jobs is back at Apple and is about to launch the iMac G3, the product that revitalised the company.

Where this film succeds that past films have failed (particulary 2013's Jobs) is that is not an ambitious film in its scope. Instead of covering every aspect of Jobs' life, the film covers three important moments in his career. That's not to say that the film is lacking for details about Jobs' personality or where he came from. We learn a lot from brief flashbacks where characters discuss his background. Despite Sorkin's snappy writing, the film does have a certain level of predictability when it comes to each of the segments. It seems that Sorkin just had a formula for each one and just changed certain details. Somehow this dragged out the movie for me and made the film less riveting than it should have been.

Which was a lot, considering Fassbender's remarkable performance is completely riveting. He plays Jobs as a sociopathic egomaniac who just wants to make the world of his genius. And you do believe that he believes he is the smartest human ever because Fassbender plays him with the right amount of charm, Kate Winslet's role I found difficult to categorise. I was trying to figure out whether she was a lead character orm a supporting one, but I suppose they all are next to who the movie is about. She really was the emotional core of the movie. Seth Rogen's boyish lovability comes in handy as Steve Wozniak and Jeff Daniels plays a more depressing version of the CEO he played in The Martian. Newcomer Perla Haney-Jardine is a strong presence as Jobs' daughter Lisa in the older sequences.

Boyle's biopic is convincing at times and peters out at others and this has to do with a shaky script from the usually strong Sorkin. Fassbender's performance I think will be strong enough for him to take home the big prize at the Oscars.

Classic Movie Review: Fanboys (2009)

Over the next few days, Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens will finally be released across the globe. But let's not go crazy with excitement just yet. Some will remember a time when we got excited about a new Star Wars movie nearly twenty years ago. There is a movie that captured our excitement and disappointment back then in Fanboys. Like the Ghost of Star Wars Past, I'm going to take us all on a journey.

The year is 1998 and Eric Bottler (Sam Huntington) is working for his father as a car salesman. At a Halloween party he runs into his old friends Hutch (Dan Fogler), Windows (Jay Baruchel) and Linus (Chris Marquette). They bring up an old idea they had of breaking into George Lucas' Skywalker Ranch to steal a rough cut of the The Phantom Menace. Bottler dismisses the idea, but after Hutch and Windows come to him with the revelation that Linus has cancer, Bottler decides to help him with his dream. Together with their friend Zoe (Kristen Bell), they drive across America to fulfill every Star Wars fan's pre-prequel dream. Along the way they meet a whole bunch of colourful characters, including super geek Harry Knowles (Ethan Suplee), Seth Rogen as a Trekkie and drug dealing Star Wars fan and pimp and William Shatner as himself.

Fanboys is filled with deep cuts references to Star Wars fandom. The guys have debates about whether or not Luke and Leia actually love each other in a romantic way despite being siblings, actual merchandise from he era and the rivalry between Star Wars and Star Trek fans. The film even features Ray Park, who played Darth Maul in The Phantom Menace. All the main characters have equivalents from the movies. While the jokes may seem very basic, but funny if you're in the right mood. The funniest sequence probably comes when they encounter The Chief (Danny Trejo) who gives the guys guacamole laced with peyote. This scene also has an emotional aspect to it as The Chief taps into the fact that Linus has cancer.

The lead actors here aren't the best but that's not the focus of the film, it's more in the smaller roles. This film has some of today's biggest comic actors before we knew how big they would become. Seth Rogen had only marginal fame before he did this. Watching him fight himself is a great scene to watch. Danny McBride features as well as Joe Lo Truglio, Will Forte and Craig Robinson. Ethan Suplee plays actual nerd Harry Knowles, but a little more aggressively than the actual man. Veteran actors William Shatner, Carrie Fisher and Billy Dee Williams all have cameos.

The last line of the movie is uttered by Bottler just before they sit down and watch The Phantom Menace and it's "What if the movie sucks?" I guess what the purpose of this review is for us all to be mindful like our favourite Jedi. We have had new Star Wars movies in the past and been disappointed, so let's not be too upset if we're disappointed by J.J.

The Night Before

Who knew that Kanye West's "Runaway" is actually the perfect Christmas song? Well in a scene straight out of Big, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen and Anthony Mackie prove just that. It's actually a scene that sets the fun tone for the remainder of the film. And it doesn't diminish for the entire length of the film.

On Christmas Eve 2001, Ethan (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) buries his parents after they were killed in a hit and run. His friends Isaac (Seth Rogen) and Chris (Anthony Mackie) decide to get him drunk and help him focus on the present. This is a tradition that they have kept ever since. Fast forward fourteen years and they have all changed. Ethan is a struggling musician with commitment issues, Isaac is about to have his first child with his wife Betsy (Jillian Bell) and Chris is now a famous football player. Because of all the changes that have happened, the guys decide that this will be the last night in which they do this.

What I love about this movie is that the plot motivation is very simple. The three guys are trying to get to the holy grail of Christmas parties: the Nutcracker Ball. That's the ultimate goal of the movie, but the journey along the way is the fun part. Ethan is trying to get back with his girlfriend Diana (Lizzy Kaplan), Chris is trying to get some weed for his football teammates, but is thwarted by the Christmas Grinch (Ilana Glazer) and Isaac just trips out on every drug under the sun while he tries to recover his phone from Diana's friend Sarah (Mindy Kaling). Tying them all together is the mysterious drug dealer Mr Green (Michael Shannon).

Mr Green acts as the emotional core of this movie, but he is also one of the many references to other classic Christmas movies. He is the substitute of the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future which he delivers through three different strains of weed. Ilana Glazer's character references The Grinch, Die Hard and Home Alone. The large majority of jokes in this film go towards Isaac's confusion about Christianity as he is Jewish, but there are some like Sarah's overt sexuality and James Franco's ambiguous sexuality (he plays himself) and confusion over his dick pics.

Not all the performances in this film are really worthy. Seth Rogen is adept at playing his character by now, as are Lizzy Caplan and Mindy Kaling. I feel as though both Anthony Mackie and JGL dropped the ball, as they both felt quite hollow to me, which is disappointing for leading actors. It was great to watch the serious dramatic actor Michael Shannon have fun in this movie, although he doesn't drop his seriousness at all, instead bringing the film a touch of class. It's great to see Tracy Morgan back in action as Santa and cameos by Randall Park, James Franco and Miley Cyrus lift the fun.

Seth Rogen keeps up his annual comedy releases with The Night Before and doesn't disappoint. Like I said with Love The Coopers, this is a great movie for those who love Christmas, although a lot more silly, less depressing and a lot less traditional.

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.

This Is The End

I'm going to come straight out and say that this is probably one of the funniest movies I've seen this year. I was going into it thinking that the reunions of Freaks and Geeks and Superbad had joined for a massive after party, but I was wrong.

Jay (Jay Baruchel) is visiting Seth (Seth Rogen) from Canada. After a day of playing video games and smoking weed, Seth suggests that they go to a party that James (James Franco) is putting on. At the party, Jay becomes gradually disconnected with the partygoers and leaves to buy cigarettes. He is joined by Seth. At the shop that they go to, people at the shop are sucked up by blue beams of light. This is the beginning of the apocalypse foretold in the Bible. What follows is the rest of the predictions made in the Bible.

The rest of the group who survive the initial trouble include Craig (Craig Robinson), Jonah (Jonah Hill) and Danny (Danny McBride). This group all have an amazing chemistry and even though I know that they were all playing fictionalised versions of themselves, it was really hard to tell where the characters and real people separated. There are also an huge number of cameos, including a hilarious scene with Channing Tatum and the Backstreet Boys performing their seminal classic (Backstreet's Back, in case you need a reminder).

I was also surprised by the special effects in this movie. There seems to be a large amount of practical effects, instead of the usual reliance on CGI. I was especially impressed with the hell beasts that are featured toward the end. They are all clay stop motion figures that were inserted into the film. Very cool.

Verdict: One of the funniest movies I've seen in a long long time. The only thing that might usurp this title is the upcoming comedy The Way Way Back. One quick reminder that it probably is one of the grossest gross-out comedies in a while, but it has a strangely uplifting message.