Sadly, I am not able to see Captain America: Civil War until tomorrow night (which I am incredibly excited for). So in the meantime, I figured I would share some quick thoughts on two of last weekend's big releases that I did not get a chance to review before. There is not too much to say, hence the "quick and dirty" title, but I will let you know what I thought anyway. Hit the jump for more.
Keanu is the first feature length film by the comedic duo Key and Peele. Jordan Peele plays Rell Williams, a lonely stoner dude who has just gone through a brutal break-up. One day, while moping on the couch smoking weed, he hears scratching at his door. When he opens the door, he discovers a tiny kitten who seems to have been destined to find him. Rell names the kitty Keanu and he finds a new love for life through this adorable cat. However, his house is soon robbed by a local and powerful gang and Keanu is nowhere to be found. Rell recruits his cousin Clarence (Keegan-Michael Key) and the two decide to infiltrate the gang by putting on "black gangster" personalities so they can find their kitten buddy and bring him home.
The movie finds its humor in the exploration of racial stereotypes around the black community and organized crime and it works quite well. When it could come off as one-note, Key and Peele consistently find new angles to the satire they are creating and it is often gut busting and hilarious. The characters are also well rounded and actually quite thoughtful. I was engaged in the plot throughout and I loved the weird and dark turns it often took. The film could have used more consistent big laughs, but when the moments hit, they hit hard. My problem lies in the third act; notably the final few minutes. It descends into violent chaos rather fast and the humor starts to run thin, despite still having a few good moments. The final minutes fail to stick the landing however. The film prided itself in showing the absurdity of the plot while staying relatively grounded. The very end of the film decides to go in a more farcical direction that I do not think meshes well with the rest of the movie. The final jokes also fall incredibly flat and were sadly disappointing. Throw in a random plot twist that does not quite work and you have a rather frustrating final few minutes. This is not a deal breaker though as the film provides enough laughs to keep things energized and fun. There is a drug trip scene that rivals the Jump Street movies in its absurdity and hilarity. Also, that kitty. That is one cute cat. He steals the movie every second he is in. He is a really funny and ironic counterpart to the often violent shenanigans that take place around him.
All in all, this is a fun but imperfect film with an amazing comedic pair leading it, some big laughs, some fun action, and the cutest kitty cat in the world.
Grade: B-.
Ratchet & Clank is the first film under Sony Playstation's film production banner and is based on the long running video game franchise. This film and the recent video game counter part that was released shortly before the film acts as a sort of reboot of the series with an updated origin story for its characters. Ratchet is a "wombax" who lives on a desolate planet repairing space ships. He dreams of doing big things, as one does, which includes becoming part of the Galactic Rangers who are led by the pompous Captain Qwark. Ratchet soon meets a crash landed Clank, a tiny robot who has knowledge of an impending assassination attempt on the Galactic Rangers by the evil Chairman Drek. The unlikely duo soon join the Rangers and attempt to stop the evil plans of Drek and his co-conspirators and save the galaxy from destruction.
We have seen this all before. This movie is derivative of every major science-fiction property that exists, especially Star Wars. This could be forgiven if the movie was fun. Unfortunately, this movie lacks an energetic spark that it desperately needs. It feels like it is just checking things off the list of the typical sci-fi animated kid's movie. The animation is adequate for the most part, but I was often distracted by the inconsistency of some of the character designs. The characters that existed in the prior games have their own simplistic charms that translate decently onto the screen, but new characters that are voiced by celebrity voice actors like Paul Giamatti, John Goodman, and Sylvester Stallone look like they came from a different movie altogether. Especially when compared to the designs of the general alien population, they have more detail and expression than the other characters do at times. The biggest example is Rosario Dawson's character who sports a tremendous amount of realistic human features, despite her alien origins. She often shares scenes with Captain Qwark, who is designed to be more like a simply drawn Saturday morning cartoon character and it is a really sharp contrast. There is a lack of consistency with the animation and character design that brings the movie down tremendously. The tone of the movie is also inconsistent as it tries to be heartfelt and sarcastic and knowing at the same time. It sort of feels like it is trying to be the animated kid's movie version of Deadpool with the sometimes obvious meta humor. It is sometimes endearing, but more often than not it comes off as incredibly obnoxious and annoying. It will only appeal to the youngest of audiences.
Despite the fine voice talent and some fun moments, Ratchet & Clank is a dull affair that lacks any inspired elements to redeem its run of the mill writing and animation. The video game series is known for its wit and its often biting and edgy humor. The movie lacks any of this and ends up being a generic exercise in cash grab movie making aimed at children.
Grade: D+.
Keanu and Ratchet & Clank are now playing in theaters everywhere.
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