Bridesmaids review... girls just wanna have fun

I only posted the trailer a few weeks go.  I have been anxiously Tweeting away about it.  The ensemble cast is as different and as funny as they come.  So what movie has got me so hot and bothered?  Bridesmaids!  It stars Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph (both SNL alumni) as best friends.  They have grown up together, been there for each other, and now Rudolph's character is getting married.  And of course, like any best friend should, she has asked Wiig's character to be her maid of honor.  The real comedy magic happens when Rudolph introduces Wiig to the rest of her bridal party.  I have a lot I liked about this movie, so let's begin!

What I liked about the film:
The Characters

I know this pretty much goes without saying; but the characters in the film are so funny, so unique, they're among the funniest I've seen in a long time.  Ironically, the last time I saw characters this unique; it was in the movie Bridesmaids keeps getting compared to, The Hangover.  There are five bridesmaids including Wiig.

Rose Byrne is the antagonist... according to Wiig's character.  She has formed a relationship with Rudolph that threatens Wiig's role in the bride's life.  She is everything Wiig is not, rich, has friends, connections, etc.  Byrne found a way to bring comedy to the role that could have otherwise been viewed as a villainous role.

I loved "Reno:911" when it was on Comedy Central, and one of my favorite characters on the show was played by Wendi McLendon-Covey.  In this film, she plays Rudolph's cousin and is the only bridesmaid with children.  She's a woman with a lot of marriage experience she shares with the other ladies; and she also has an urge for strip clubs.  Hillarious!

Ellie Kemper is one of my favorite characters on NBC's "The Office".  In this film, she plays a similar character in that she is sweet, innocent and a newlywed with very little sexual experience.  She forms a bond with McLendon-Covey's character and the two share a hilarious scene together!

And the award for scene-stealer goes to Melissa McCarthy who plays Rudolph's future sister-in-law.  The plus sized woman is electric in the role!  She's a lovable loser who happens to be confident with herself.  Her character definitely helps the movie earn its much deserved "R" rating.  McCarthy nailed it and will reap the same benefits as Zach Galifianakis did after The Hangover.  She's so good, I'm looking up her past roles to rent on redbox.

Heart

The movie was written by Wiig and Annie Mumolo.  It has a lot of heart.  I'm sure the real life friendship between Wiig and Rudolph only helped to authenticate their relationship on screen.  In Judd Apatow fashion (he is a producer on the film), you fall in love with the characters.  Most of the film is based in reality, which also helps us care for the characters.  This was great.

The Love Story
Believe it or not, this isn't like most "chick flicks".  Granted some of it is cliche and you can see certain plot points coming a mile away; but for the most part it is a grounded film.  Jon Hamm has a great little role in the film; he plays Wiig's screw buddy.  We see Wiig's character grow and evolve, eventually dumping Hamm for the other love interest in the film.  It is tastefully done and very well written.  I actually wanted to see Wiig end up with the good guy, something I usually don't care for in romantic comedies.


What I didn't like about the film:
Pacing / Run Time
I know this is something not a lot of people will concern themselves with, but I do.  The film goes from 100 miles per hour to 5 within a few minutes.  There are obviously fast paced scenes involving all the bridesmaids, but the character development material is exhausting.  Also the run time was a bit long.  I would have completely cut out some of the characters and sub-plots, like Wiig's roommates.  I understand what they were trying to do by having them in the film; but I believe it hurt the film more than it helped.  They were unique characters, but unfunny for the most part and made the movie drag a bit.The movie could have been tightened up and maybe even cut back a half hour or so.

The Repetitiveness

Sure, there are scenes where the repetitiveness is on purpose, but there were a lot of scenes in the movie where it didn't work in my opinion.  Or it was just too long a scene and it killed the joke.  Take the maid of honor speech at the engagement party for example; Wiig and Byrne compete for Rudolph's attention by fighting over the microphone confessing their love to her.  The joke works, but after 10 or so exchanges of the microphone, it becomes redundant and unfunny.  Unfortunately there are several examples of this in the film. 


The Verdict:
A much needed start to Summer 2011

I am so happy my Summer movie season is off to a good start.  I thoroughly enjoyed Thor last week and Bridesmaids was a treat for my wife and I.  I have to reiterate what a lot of people online are saying; hopefully this movie will help to generate a new breed of female driven comedies.  We need to laugh and cheer, not just fight super villains with our superhero friends.  It was a fun movie and hopefully the rest of the Summer goes as well as the last two weeks have, we'll look back at this post and see if it does!

Bridesmaids poster and red band trailer... AWESOMENESS!

Yes, I'm using the word awesomeness.  I guess I should start with an apology... to Kristen Wiig and company in the hilarious looking Bridesmaids!  I haven't posted anything about this movie but I think it looks terrific.  Dare I say better than the trailer for The Hangover II?  Maya Rudolph is a bride to be and enlists Kristen Wiig as her maid of honor to help with the festivities.  When the rest of the bridesmaids are chosen, the comedy begins.

Check out the red band trailer below:

Seriously, how great does this movie look?  I am very much looking forward to this film and the comedy of these wonderful actresses.  I am a huge fan of TV's Reno:911, so it is great to see Wendi McLendon-Covey back after leaving the show.  I'm also a fan of TV's The Office, and Ellie Kemper plays one of my favorite characters in the show, she's also in the film.  Jon Hamm is in the film, which is produced by comedy genius, Judd Apatow.  I will definitely try to see this one on opening weekend.

"Knocked Up" Spin-Off Coming Soon

When Knocked Up came out in theaters, it changed my life. Forever I would hear 'you look like the guy from Knocked Up'. Thanks? I think. That movie starred Seth Rogen and Katherine Heigl in one of the most successful comedies ever. Writer/director Judd Apatow cast Leslie Mann (his real life wife), as Heigl's sister. And Paul Rudd played Mann's husband in the film.

Well, much like Russell Brand got a spin-off from Forgetting Sarah Marshall to Get Him To The Greek... so too do Mann and Rudd. Apatow is in the process of writing the film and I'm sure it will be released late this year or early next.

I really REALLY liked Rudd's character in the film. He's this really down to earth, doesn't get upset about much, kind of guy. This is great contrast to Mann's character in the film. I really like Leslie Mann, I think she is so versatile, so funny, she can do no wrong in my eyes (check out 17 Again, she's beautiful). So I'm totally ok with this spin-off!

Really the only thing left to discover is whether Rogan will reprise his role from Knocked Up to this spin-off. We all know Heigl will not be welcome anywhere near the movie! She's such a moron... she accused Apatow of making the film appear sexist towards women instead of thanking him for everything she has. Instead we get Oscar worthy performances in 27 Dresses, The Ugly Truth, Killers and Life As We Know It. The woman should just shut up and go away!

On a lighter note... I give you... my twin

Get Him to the Greek review

Forgetting Sarah Marshall was released a few years ago and was OK. There was really only one stand out role in that film... Aldous Snow played by Rusell Brand. Brand was so funny, so memorable, he made the movie. Now comes Get Him to the Greek, a spin-off. Let's dive right in.

What I liked about the movie:
The Jokes
Last year, around this time, a little movie called The Hangover was released. It re-established my faith in comedies. 'Hangover' succeeded by having jokes with four guys just talking; not just physical comedy. 'Greek' achieves the same thing. Brand and Jonah Hill deliver their lines with such timing, you can't help but laugh. It's no surprise the movie doesn't totally depend on fall over funny gags. The movie was produced by Judd Apatow, who seems to be a part of every successful comedy of the past 4 years.



There is one shtick that didn't work for me at all. The threesome, that's all I need to say haha. I don't want to give anything away so I'll just tell you this; it felt forced, out of place and was done simply to be funny, not add anything to the story.

The Settings
There are a lot of "road trip" type movies I'm a fan of, this is one of them. The duo of Hill and Brand travel from London to New York, to Las Vegas to Los Angeles. And each setting adds something to the story. In other words, they are all necessary. There are a lot of movies where they visit a particular city just to give the audience something they recognize (Jumper).

The Music
I have not purchased a CD in YEARS. You may think I download illegally if I haven't bought a CD in so long, but I really don't. The noise the studios release as music every year is horrible these days. To hear all the original material written for Brand's character was great. Some were really funny. It was reminiscent of another Apatow production, Walk Hard. Creative writing and perfect delivery made the songs great.


What I didn't like about the movie:
The Pacing
This was a minor negative for me, but still worth mentioning. The transition scenes from one city to the next were a bit off. They were slow and had tons of dialogue (serious, not funny dialogue). Some of these transitions were too long and some were just a tad bit too short. The most memorable one was when the two friends discuss Aldous Snow's relationship with his father, it felt off. But again, a minor defect in the movie.


Overall the movie is a winner. It deserves the accolades it's receiving. Also worth mentioning is P. Diddy who's role as a studio exec is fantastic. Diddy has really grown as an actor and I like that he's trying comedy. The movie is not The Hangover, it's not. What it is though, is a funny movie. It's one of the better road trip films, one of the better music related films, and some of Jonah Hill's best work. Russell Brand is great in the movie and I see his career only getting bigger as this movie hits DVD and later cable. Funny stuff.

REAL Quickie: Funny People is...

I just want to share that I'm watching "Funny People" and it's bloody awful. Seriously, what the hell happened? Judd Apatow was on a freakin' roll, so was Seth Rogen. I can't stand to finish this movie, I'm an hour into it and I'm ready to turn it off.


Let's hear it... Who agreed to disagree? This movie sucks!

UPDATE: Ok I forced myself to finish it and it was worse than I thought it would be. What the flip man?! Judd Apatow was on a roll man, he lost it. This movie was so bad; I think I lauged twice in a long and dragging two hours. Wowzers.