Muppets Most Wanted

Muppets Most Wanted (PG, 107 Minutes)

3 Stars

The biggest question I have been asked since seeing the new Muppet film, “Muppets Most Wanted,” is how it compares to the first one.  Which in itself is an interesting question since this is the 8^th feature film the Muppets have done.  Of course the last one, “The Muppets,” was considered a huge success.  It was very entertaining and had some very funny moments.

So is this one just as good?  Yes and no.

This new film picks up right from the end of the last film.  In fact it starts from the closing shot of the last film as the actors, dancers and extras clear the set.  The Muppets gather together and realize they can take their new show out on the road.  Instantly it seems a man appears named Dominic Badguy (Ricky Gervais).  His last name is pronounced bad – ghee, its French.  He is hoping the Muppets will hire him as their manager who will work alongside Kermit to make sure the tour is a success.  

   

Unknown to the group Dominic is working with the world’s most dangerous frog, Constantine, who has escaped from Gulag 388 in Siberia.  He looks familiar except for one mole above his lip.  After he escapes he corners Kermit and slaps a mole on him so they look exactly alike.  Kermit is then arrested and put into the Gulag.  Constantine schedules the tour dates for the groups into theaters next to museums and banks that he and Constantine are breaking into.  Soon Interpol is on the case and they find the connection.  

There are many cameos and celebrity guests in this film that add to the fun.  Tina Fey is funny as the warden of the Gulag.  Plus somewhat hidden in the mix of prisoners is Ray Liotta who does musicals numbers in the Gulag.  The audition scenes are very comical.  They even have Usher playing an usher, kind of corny but done well.  Miss Piggy even has a fairy godmother who sings with her by the name of Celine Dion.

There are many other cameos that are funny, but this film does not quite measure up to “The Muppets.”  Yes it does have some very funny moments, but the magic of the last film does not make an appearance in this one.  I did not feel as drawn in to this story as I did when Jason Segel and Amy Adams were fighting for the Muppets to keep their theater.  It may be the bad guy is not quite as mean, but it is not quite the same.

This does not mean that this film is not a good value for your family entertainment dollar though.  My kids fully enjoyed the film and we all laughed a lot, some more than others.  Another bright spot is the Pixar short at the beginning of the film.  It is a Monster U story called “Party Central.”  It is very funny.  This is a good film for the family, but do you expect anything else from the Muppets?

"Muppets Most Wanted": 3 points for parents

Violence – A man breaks out of prison and attacks guards.  He uses explosives to get out.  Some slap stick humor.  A character gets thrown back and forth by another.  Explosives are used to break into buildings. 

 Language – No use of profanity.  Some lying and deception by bad guys.

Nudity – Some men are seen in their underwear, long underwear.

Need for Speed

Need for Speed - PG-13 (130 mins)

1.5 Stars

So it seems that as long as you have fast cars and some unbelievable stunts you can make a film.  It doesn’t matter if you have a good story as long as you have the flashy stuff.  At least that’s what it was like watching “Need for Speed.”  

Tobey Marshall is running his dad’s garage after he buried his father.  The shop is in financial trouble but that doesn’t stop him from putting together a car that races the streets of Mt. Kisko, NY.  He of course is the best thing in town and his friends have no problem telling him such.  He does have an advantage with a plane in the air watching for cops and traffic that would stop the racing.

The town folk are not the only ones taking notice though.  Dino Brewster a home town boy who has moved on to racing in the pros asks Tobey to finish building a famous car for a big payoff.  Plus a racing fanatic with an internet show named Monarch, wants to bring him to his invitation only private race, something similar to the Gumball Rally but a serious race.  No really a serious race.

 

Instead Dino challenges Tobey to his own private race enticing him with all of the money from the sale of the car Tobey built.  Tobey’s friend Pete gets into the race as well but doesn’t make it out.  Tobey goes to prison for street racing and Grand Theft Auto while Dino has quickly found, or paid for an alibi.

Despite the bad story line there are some stunts during the races that are not likely to happen unless all drivers involved know what is going on.  There are jumps and some really impossible timing in driving across the country.   Plus the law enforcement in the story really does not seem to want to catch this guy who is breaking the law.  Nobody seems to see him as he travels from New York to San Francisco.  Except one trooper who falls prey to a car prank we have seen many times in film. 

All of this though, I have been told, is just like the video game “Need for Speed” which the film is based on.  Unfortunately I did not have a controller to change the way the movie went.  If I did, it would have turned out differently I think.

‘Need for Speed’: 3 points for parents

•Driving – Film is based on a racing video game.  Reckless street racing that endangers other vehicles on the road.  A man dies in a violent fiery race crash.  Non racing cars crash and catch fire.  Disregard for law enforcement while racing.  Some officers crash due to racers moves. 

•Language – Some profanity is used.  Male genitalia are mentioned as a measure of toughness.  Cars are said to compensate for other parts of life. 

•Nudity – A man strips while at work.  He kisses a woman and his backside is shown twice.  He walks out to a car from work. 

Mr. Peabody & Sherman

Mr. Peabody & Sherman – PG (92 Mins)

3 Stars

Having been a big fan of the original Peabody and Sherman that was a part of the Rocky and Bullwinkle show, I was very skeptical of the film version.  The cartoon show was great in small doses of course the segments were part of a bigger show so that was the nature of it.  I was afraid a full length feature would be too much and the story would get lost.

Fortunately, the filmmakers seemed to take my fears into account.  They used the time travel in this film to make what seemed like short episodes but then tied them together with a back story.  All of the bad puns were there, as well as the comedy of the old version.  At the same time there is a little history lesson as you learn about historical generalities.  They do take a trip and visit the Trojan horse but I doubt the soldiers inside were as ridiculous as the ones in the film.

If you don’t know the back story Mr. Peabody is a dog.  He is one of the smartest beings that have ever lived on the earth.  So smart he has excelled in politics, science, athletics and more.  His most advanced invention is the WABAC machine.  He invented it after adopting a son.  If a human can adopt a dog why can’t a dog adopt a human?

Peabody and his son Sherman take trips back in time to learn about history and start Sherman off right on his education.  Sherman’s knowledge soon lands him in trouble on his first day of school as he threatens the academic ability of another student, Penny.  Penny bullies Sherman and they end up fighting and Penny gets bit.  Just more proof that Sherman, like Penny says, is a dog.  Mr. Peabody invites Penny’s parents over to smooth things out before the social worker comes over to investigate whether or not Mr. Peabody should be allowed to keep Sherman. 

This homage to the original is done in the right way so it is entertaining for the whole family with fun and jokes for everyone.  

‘Mr. Peabody & Sherman’: 3 points for parents  

• Violence - Cartoon violence with pratfalls and slapstick.  One character is placed in a guillotine.  Many chase scenes with the possibility of danger at the end.  Soldiers are fighting in streets of a city.  A man has a taser used on him twice.  A crude drawing of a person being disemboweled is shown.  Two characters are bitten.
• Language/Humor - No foul language is used.  There are many puns used as well as some bodily function humor, including animal references.  There is one line that could be said to be suggestive but children will not get it.  
•  Alcohol:  One scene of adults preparing and drinking a beverage.

Non-Stop

Non-Stop, PG-13

106 minutes

2.5 stars

Liam Neeson stars as Bill Marks, a U.S. Air Marshall who has been down on his luck as of late.  He has a drinking problem and his wife is not too happy with him either.  He has a habit of covering up the smoke detector on an airplane and lighting up in the restroom.  Bill is booked onto a NY-London red eye and everything seems normal until he receives a text message on the secure network the Marshall’s use.  The messages are from a terrorist on the plane who says he will kill someone every 20 minutes unless he has $150 million wired to an account.

Bill doesn’t think the threat is real and neither do his connections on the ground, but every threat must be investigated.  The threat turns out to be real and Bill is being used as the patsy for the hi-jacking.  Bill searches the plane for the source of the messages but he comes up empty every time.  The passengers get very restless after they realize that something is going on.  Some are thinking they need to save the airplane from Bill.  One passenger trusts him, Jen Summers (Julianne Moore), yet even she maybe the hijacker.

The suspense in this film is genuine and it does build pretty well, even to the point you are really wondering if Bill is responsible.  Neeson and Moore do a good job in this film but it’s not enough to save the ending of the film.  The plot is believable up to a certain point in the film.  That is when there are some almost super hero actions that don’t really work with the rest of the film.  I have heard many people are enjoying this film and I can see why.  It does make you think in places and the acting is believable.  For me though, the last 20 minutes of the movie don’t feel right.  Plus there should have been more resolution; it feels like there was no more budget so they ended the film.

Non-Stop: 3 points for parents

• Violence – Two men fight in an airplane bathroom, one is killed.  Guns are used mostly to threaten people, not many shots are fired.  A group of men try to subdue another man.  Two other people are poisoned.  A bomb explodes and the passengers’ lives are threatened.
• Drugs/Alcohol – A man drinks in his car.  People are smoking outside the airport.  Some passengers are served drinks.  A man smokes in the airplane restroom.  A man is smuggling drugs in a briefcase.  One man discovers the drugs and tastes them.  
• Language/Sensuality – some expletives including abbreviated forms of words.  Words are hidden by cracked cell phone glass, others are not hidden.  A man has pictures of a woman’s cleavage on his phone.  A couple is under a blanket together as the man says no one can see.  The same woman accuses a man of searching her for sexual reasons.

After Earth

After Earth, PG-13

1hour 40 minutes

2 stars

There are times when your expectations exceed your abilities.  This happens to Kitai Raige (Jaden Smith) in the new film “After Earth.”  He is hoping to become a ranger just as his father, Cypher Raige (Will Smith).  Despite his efforts he falls short and will not advance after his evaluation is finished.  Not living up to his father’s ideals bothers Kitai but he is determined to keep going.

His father is a legend because he is able to “ghost” with alien creatures, Ursa, that track humans by smelling fear.  They use smell since they are blind and cannot see humans.

Kitai has a tough time facing his past.  He has memories of his sister being attacked by an Ursa and killed in their home.   This hinders his ability to be like his father and “ghost” as he does.  

Cypher is a military man and is tough on his son even to a fault.  In an effort to get closer to his son Cypher tells Kitai he will join him on his last mission before he retires.  While traveling to the training grounds their ship is damaged and crashes on earth.  It is 1000 years since humans left the planet so no one knows what to expect.  They are the only survivors and Dad is not in good shape.

The beacon they need to send back to their home planet in located in the tail section of their ship which landed about 100km away from their location.  Kitai must prove he has the ability to accomplish this task.  Oh they also were transporting an Ursa for training purposes, and it is possibly on the loose.

It is interesting that this film uses the theme of living up to an example for its central story, because the film itself is lacking in that department.  The story is a good one and a good idea but some of the plot points do not add up.

For instance the Ursas, they are blind but yet they still can stick a dead body on a sharpened limb to frighten other humans.  Also the environmental message is a little strong.  If you are looking for a political statement from your films then it probably won’t be too bad.  

While the story is a good idea it doesn’t feel complete.  There were times that it felt like the story jumped forward in time.  While the acting was good Will Smith is usually better than this.  It seems his strict father act doesn’t work on film.  He tried to be too serious.  Plus the final battle is definatly done on a green screen stage with tons of CGI.

All in all this can be a good film to see on video when it comes out but probably not good enough to spend the money to see it in theaters.