Melissa McCarthy (The Heat) is really becoming one of my favorite actresses in the comedy world. I have enjoyed for the most part a lot of her films so it was only natural to want to watch and review her latest offering in The Boss where she served as a writer, producer, and star. For Michelle Darnell (McCarthy), life hasn’t always been that easy for her after a life of being tossed around in the foster child care system. She vowed to change her life for the better and she did just that as Darnell became a millionaire. Now, I didn’t say that she became a millionaire from just hard work, but those things she did will come back to haunt her as a former colleague Renault (Peter Dinklage) screws her and she lands in jail and loses everything. Now with the help of a former employee named Claire (Kristen Bell), she will try to rise to prominence once again in a different kind of business. The film also stars Ella Anderson (Unfinished Business) as Rachel, Tyler Labine (Tucker and Dale Vs. Evil) as Mike, Kathy Bates (Misery) as Ida, Cecily Strong (Saturday Night Live) as Dana, Kristen Schaal (Bob’s Burgers) as Scout Leader Sandy, Timothy Simons (The Interview) as Stephan, Eva Peterson as Crystal, Annie Mumolo (This Is 40) as Helen, and the film was directed by Ben Falcone (Tammy).
As I said above, Melissa McCarthy is quickly becoming one of my favorite actresses in comedy. I heard a lot of mixed reviews from people before I went to the theater to check it out for myself and for the people bad mouthing it, what are you talking about? There are so many scenes in the film that McCarthy has me laughing hysterically. I honestly felt bad for the people in the theater that had to put up with me. I don’t know what people are expecting from her in this film, but I was thoroughly entertained which is what a comedy is supposed to do. Melissa’s interactions with the rival girl scout troupe mother is hilarious and Peter Dinklage was amazing too. The film having Peter Dinklage was the icing on the cake that was already a good film. There is a fight scene in the film between the two troupes that you have to check out because it was one of my favorite moments in the film. Another great scene in the film was the interaction between Tyler Labine’s character with the security guard in Renaults building. That was an unexpected, but amazing laugh. In my opinion, every single person in this film served their purpose and played their roles the way they were supposed to. While I agree that this may not be the best Melissa McCarthy film (cause The Heat is still the best in my opinion), this ranks up there with the best of them. I think you all should go and check it out because the film is exactly what it is, a comedy. That is why I am going to give the film an A- for a final grade.
I was excited for today’s film when I saw that it was available at my local Redbox location. I was a huge fan of the Goosebumps book series that came out in the 90’s from R.L. Stine and I was excited for the film version which stars Jack Black (High Fidelity) as R.L. Stine. Zach (Dylan Minnette) and his mother Gale (Amy Ryan) are trying to start fresh in a new town when they move to Madison, DE. While at the new home, Zach meets his neighbor Hanna (Odeya Rush) and her weird over protective father (Black). One night, Zach swore that he heard a scream coming from Hanna’s house so with the help of his skittish new friend Champ (Ryan Lee), they’ll go over to investigate, but trouble lurks ahead for them. The boys by accidentally let out the monsters from R.L. Stine’s Books and one them named Slappy the Ventriloquist doll (voiced by Jack Black) will stop at nothing to rid the world of Stine to ensure they can never be trapped again. The film also stars Jillian Bell (22 Jump Street) as Lorraine, Halston Sage (Neighbors) as Taylor, Ken Marino (Role Models) as Coach Carr, Timothy Simons (The Interview) as Officer Stevens, and even a cameo by R.L. Stine himself.
I was wondering going in to watching this film whether I would let a child see it because these were children’s horror stories. After watching it, I would say that I think it would be OK, but be watchful of some scenes depending on the age of your child because there is a werewolf, Zombies, a creepy clown, and much more. The movie overall was fun and cool to see come to life. I was weary of how Jack Black was going to do and he did fine in the film. He wasn’t an over top goofball like he can be which was pleasant to see. I loved the combination of Dylan Minnette who plays the strong type and Ryan Lee who is a complete chicken. Yes I know it’s very stereotypical cannon, but there is a reason why it’s around because it works. Just ask Scooby Doo! The monsters were very cool to see and there was plenty of action, comedy, and suspense to keep you going through the whole film. I had a lot of laughs as I watched in suspense and the set design was what was even better. I loved the scenes in the old fairgrounds that they have in the film. It’s visually stunning in my opinion especially when you throw some monsters in it. There’s also a little bit of a love story, but don’t worry cause it’s not overpowering. Just a nice little touch thrown in by the writers. I am going to give the film an A- for a final grade.
365moviesin365dayschallenge 