Melissa McCarthy

The Happytime Murders (2018)

Happytime Murders

The Happytime Murders (2018)

Director:

Brian Henson

Starring:

Melissa McCarthy

Elizabeth Banks

Maya Rudolph

Bill Barretta

Plot:

When the puppet cast of a ’90s children’s TV show begin to get murdered one by one, a disgraced LAPD detective-turned-private eye puppet takes on the case.

Review:

This is a dirty, filthy movie. If you want to see puppets do stuff you’d never see on Sesame Street than feast your eyes.

The Happytime Murders is a noir film with puppets. Phil, Bill Barretta, is a disgraced cop turned PI. He was the first puppet to ever become a police officer and he botched it because he missed a shot and accidently killed another puppet. The movie opens with him going into his office and discovering a curvaceous broad with a sob story. It hits all the usual noir tropes, with the addition of puppets and their weird quirks.

It was at times funny and entertaining, but mainly because you were seeing puppets in weird places. The story wasn’t original and wouldn’t have been worth watching without the puppets. It was just, kind of, weird.

3/5

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Ghostbusters (2016)

ghostbusters-2016

Ghostbusters (2016)

Director:

Paul Feig

Starring:

Melissa McCarthy

Kristen Wiig

Kate McKinnon

Leslie Jones

Plot:

Following a ghost invasion of Manhattan, paranormal enthusiasts Erin Gilbert and Abby Yates, nuclear engineer Jillian Holtzmann, and subway worker Patty Tolan band together to stop the otherworldly threat.

Review:

Finally got around to watching this since I wasn’t able to see it in theaters. My husband is a huge fan of the first and had no desire watch and while I do love the first the idea of this was still appealing to me.

The beginning started off with promise but it quickly grew boring for me. McCarthy and Wiig were themselves as Ghostbusters and it honestly wasn’t that funny. McKinnon was either not crazy enough or too crazy, I’m not sure which. Jones was probably the only character that didn’t annoy me at any time during the movie, though I wish she’d pointed out more often just how weird the others were. The less said about Hemsworth’s character the better.

Looking for reviews and opinions on this movie was difficult, especially when talking with friends. People either felt it raped their childhood because no movie could ever compare to the first, or they acted like having an all-female cast was the worst idea ever or that it was just a money grab, or they thought it was amazing because it was an all-female cast. It was difficult to get an opinion on the movie that wasn’t clouded by a whole host of other things.

I wanted to like it because I like the actresses and I like the idea, but I didn’t find it funny, which made me sad. I thought the pacing was off at times and the continuity editing was 90s era WB bad. I really felt like this could have been so much better with just a bit more work.

I liked when it didn’t try and copy the original and could have done without the few call backs there were, though I do think it could have done with a montage in the middle to liven things up like the original.

It would take more time than I care to use to try and figure out what could have fixed the comedy for me, but every now and then I could see something better shine through which just makes me all the more disappointed.

2/5

Spy (2015)

Spy-Movie

Spy (2015)

Director:

Paul Feig

Starring:

Melissa McCarthy

Rose Byrne

Jude Law

Peter Serafinowicz

Miranda Hart

Jason Statham

Plot:

A desk-bound CIA analyst volunteers to go undercover to infiltrate the world of a deadly arms dealer, and prevent diabolical global disaster.

Review:

I laughed a lot with this movie and that’s always a good sign. It wasn’t perfect and I again got tired of the jokes making fun of McCarthy’s weight and unremarkableness, but it was nowhere near as bad as some of her other movies.

Some of the best parts of the film were the supporting characters. I loved the sex obsessed Aldo, Peter Serafinowicz, and Nancy, Miranda Hart, played a great best friend. I liked that they didn’t make Nancy as field capable as McCarthy’s character.

I was surprised at what they did with Ford, Jason Statham’s character. Based on the previews I thought he was going to be a sort of mentor to McCarthy’s character but instead he was a macho idiot. I’m not sure if I liked him or not.

***Spoiler***

I really liked the ending and that she didn’t wind up in bed with Jude Law’s character, I did wish that he had stayed bad and that they hadn’t made him a triple agent.

If they do a sequel I hope it’s with the same characters.

3.5/5

 

St. Vincent (2014)

stvincent2

St. Vincent (2014)

Director:

Theodore Melfi

Starring:

Bill Murray

Melissa McCarthy

Naomi Watts

Plot:

A young boy whose parents have just divorced finds an unlikely friend and mentor in the misanthropic, bawdy, hedonistic war veteran who lives next door.

Review:

I wasn’t sure if this was going to be a Bill Murray comedy, as in his recent darker comedies, or if this was going to be a Melissa McCarthy comedy, as in raunchy. For those who are curious, it was a Bill Murray comedy. Actually I wouldn’t categorize this as a comedy and feel it was a dramedy at best. Very few funny moments.

It was ok. The characters were difficult to like, though, none of them were horrible.

I don’t understand how the mom could be happy about the son nominating Vincent, Bill Murray, for sainthood. It’s like we were supposed to forgive him for taking the kid to horse races, bars, and having him spend time around a prostitute. Yeah he took care of his wife in a home, and sure he was a war hero, but I’m not sure if that overrides all the bad, I’m just not sure.

The movie wasn’t horrible but probably not one I would recommend.

2.75/5

Tammy (2014)

Tammy

Tammy (2014)

Director:

Ben Falcone

Starring:

Melissa McCarthy

Susan Sarandon

Kathy Bates

Plot:

After losing her job and learning that her husband has been unfaithful, a woman hits the road with her profane, hard-drinking grandmother.

Review:

I’m glad that Melissa McCarthy is getting roles in comedy movies, but Tammy left a lot to be desired.

The plot makes it sound like a raunchy comedy with a grandmother and granddaughter, but it doesn’t deliver. I’m not sure if McCarthy just wasn’t given free rein or if she was having a series of off days, either way I didn’t laugh once. There were too many emotional parts and relationship revelations and not enough comedy. The main jokes were just about how disgusting Tammy was and I’m getting tired of those jokes. I hate when comics pick one thing and harp on it forever, like Kevin Hart and being short. Get over it.

Look at a Will Ferrell comedy or the better Adam Sandler movies, when they have a deep, meaningful, revelation it doesn’t take up half of the movie and a lot of the time they come to the wrong realization. Why can’t a female driven comedy do that? Why do they actually have to grow? Why do they have to make themselves “pretty”?

When Ricky Bobby has to find himself he goes about it in the most ridiculous ways and it’s hilarious because he’s doing it all wrong and he doesn’t know any better. When Dewey Cox gets his life together it’s just a long montage with him playing catch with his billion kids.

Tammy spiraled out of control, but the entire time she knew what she was doing was wrong, and it wasn’t funny. It was sad, because she was too stupid to figure out other options and she knew it.

Her finding a man at the end didn’t bother me because they do that in male driven comedies as well, but I didn’t really buy him being in to her.

I had such high hopes and I think that made the movie worse, for me.

1.75/5