Summer Movies - The Score So Far

Okay, three movies off my summer list are now behind me (and we’re still in April?). Here’s how things have looked so far, in my opinion (which is what counts here, because it’s my damned blog!).

“Street Kings”. Wow. That stank. James Elmore being involved in the writing couldn’t save a Keanu-infected film. Keanu’s non-Matrixy acting endeavors seem to be worse than ever, and he managed to drag an otherwise promising supporting cast down with him. It’s awful to see what he can do with dialogue. My GOD is it painful hearing him try to use the word “punk”. Everyone besides him seemed, to me, to be a little embarrassed to be in the movie, like they all knew it was crap but knew there was now no way out of it once the cameras started rolling. Saw it with Tim, who didn’t seem to think it was that bad, so maybe it’s just me. Or…maybe not.

“Forgetting Sarah Marshall”. Certified GOLD. I can’t tell you how much I loved this movie. I saw it again later in the week. My kind of funny, which is what I expect from the Apatow gang. But I didn’t know what to expect from Jason Segel, carrying his first leading role AND writing the screenplay. He NAILED it. Funny as hell. Man, I never gave much thought to Mila Kunis in the few episodes of “That 70s Show” that I watched, but somewhere along the way, she got GORGEOUS. Wow. She nails the role is the replacement love interest, and comes off as such a cool chick that you desperately want to hang out with her, too. Kristen Bell was AWESOME in her role, and Segal did a great job of not making her some stereotypical ex that we’re supposed to hate. There were no clear “bad guys” here, which is what really made the film shine. And that was embodied most of all – and most brilliantly of all – by the surprise scene-stealing performance of Russell Brand, who plays her bad-boy pop-singer Brit replacement boyfriend. He will slay you. I can’t wait to own this thing (even though its still in theaters), and because of it, I’ve already gone out and gotten season 1 of “How I Met Your Mother” so I can experience more Jason Segal. And trust me, as soon as the film’s over, you’ll want to run home and jump on iTunes and buy the soundtrack, just like I did. You’ll see what I mean. The big winner of the season for me so far. Definitely see it – unless, of course, you’re not comfortable with unexpected visits from “Mr. Winky”…

“Harold and Kumar 2”. That was exactly what I was expecting. Stupid, childish gross-out humor, extremely silly, completely over-the-top. In short, the perfect film to see with all your buds when you’re all in the mood for exactly that. We all laughed like idiots and had a great time. Cho and Penn nail it again, and N.P.H. returns to his former self-portraying glory with, once again, unforgettable results. I think the best part of the film is the performance of George W. Bush, actually (yeah, he’s in it…didn’t you know?). Can I recommend the film? Hard to say. I can only say if the first one made you laugh, then you’ll be very pleased with this one. If you haven’t seen the first, or if the first made you cringe, don’t bother. As I said before – leave your sophistication at the door. Go to have fun. And to feel like a 14-year old that snuck into seeing this after paying for “Narnia” like you told your parents you were going to see…