Friends with Benefits

So I actually rented this before realizing I had already seen it and given it a really nasty review back in January of 2012. But the thing was I couldn't remember the movie at all or why I gave it a nasty review, so when it showed up I watched it again. And loved it. I laughed really hard at most of it. The only thing I wrote in my old review was that I hated the acting, which is ridiculous because Kunis and Timberlake were both so great I genuinely have crushes on them both. Well, with Justin anyway, but I had one of those already. I really don't get why I originally didn't like it, because I really enjoyed it and actually would watch it again, which actually seems to be a theme in the Netflix review. So, in sum, don't know why I didn't like it the first time, I love it now, go watch it if you haven't. 4/5

Friends with Benefits

Ted

Alright, I'm going long here, so bear with me. Faithful readers of this blog will know that I have no time for raunchy, absurdist humor that has no grounding to it. Don't get me wrong, I love adult humor, but, if it isn't balanced or grounded in some way it feels like a monkey desperately hurling shit at a wall just to see what kind of pattern it makes. It feels cloying and desperate to me, like someone trying to buy humor with mere shock value. I've taken films to task for this in the past, and I levied the same criticisms at "Deadpool", which I saw earlier today. "Ted" is not such a film. Yes, it has a very absurdist and very raunchy humor to it, but it worked so very well because MacFarlane spent so much time crafting his world. "Ted" takes it's absurd premise and makes it seem so real and delivers it's humor is such a beautifully deadpan way that it succeeds where so many before it have failed. The comic structure of the film is sheer perfection, as is the delivery of the material. The acting was amazing, which I never thought I'd say for Wahlberg. THIS IS HOW YOU DO THIS KIND OF HUMOR PEOPLE. Live it, learn it, love it. A perfect comedy, the best I've seen in a long time. 5/5

Ted on Netflix

Jupiter Ascending

#FTRQ "Jupiter Ascending" - Before I say anything, let me emphatically state that I could care less about political agendas in my films. Quite the contrary, I tend to hate massive political overtones in my films, so when I say that the makers of this film should be incredibly ashamed to put out this anti-feminist piece of garbage, that's it's REALLY bad. So bad that I could not help but marvel at what a helpless dim-witted fool Jupiter Jones was, and why she immediately fell in love with a man who needed to constantly save her from herself. This film is insulting to the senses in nearly every way, but if there was any way I could have felt anything but dismay and disgust at the helplessness of our heroine, perhaps I could deem this movie at least worth watching. As it is, it's pretty CGI with a terrible story. The only thing worth watching is Redmayne, but isn't he always? Terrible. Just terrible. 1/5/5

Jupiter Ascending on Netflix

First Person

Haggis does it again with a wonderfully poignant & delicate interlocking story that is beautifully written. 4/5

First Person on Netflix

Friends with Benefits

Wow this was just a really horrible movie. I expected WAAAY better acting from these two. Just bad. 2/5

Friends with Benefits on Netflix

Extract

Wow, Mike Judge has lost his edge with movies! This was barely watchable with a ridiculous plot - very disappointing. 1.5/5

Extract on Netflix

Date Night

I really wanted to hate this but I swear I actually LOLed through the whole thing. Carrell & Fey are hilarious. 3.5/5

Date Night on Netflix