Despicable Me 3 — Pretty funny, better than the second one — 7*/10

Funny, hilarious at time, with lots of great details and many throwbacks to the 80s, it's definitely a better sequel to the original (read my review here) than the second one. If you like that universe, it's a no-brainer.

Steve Carell and Kristen Wiig.

Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3469046/

Kung Fu Panda 2 — A good funny successor to the original — 7*/10

• Story: Interesting and funny, a whole new chapter with solid ideas. The novelty of the first one (read my review here) is gone, but it retains most of its flair even if it has lost a bit of vigor in its content.
• Ending: Good.
• Acting: Nice.
• Known actors: Jack Black, Michelle Yeoh, Angelina Jolie, Gary Oldman, Lucy Liu, Seth Rogen, David Cross, Jackie Chan and Danny McBride.
• Cameos: Victor Garber and Jean-Claude Van Damme.
• Visuals: The quality of the graphics are just not as good as the first one. Still, it's satisfying enough.
• Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1302011/
• Entertainment value: Pretty good.
• Who is it for? Kids and anyone who liked the first chapter at least a little bit. The most critical fans might be a bit disappointed, but those who haven't seen the original will probably not like this iteration as much as those who have.

Kung Fu Panda — Awesome and original fantasy kung-fu animation — 8*/10

• Story: Captivating and highly funny, with great details.
• Setting: Very original animal setting in a fantasy version of some far eastern country.
• Style: A little bit silly, almost goofy with a strange slice of wisdom cutting right through it.
• Pacing: Quick and to the point, but not too much so. For some reason, you can really feel his development even if it happens fast.
• Ending: Sweet.
• Dialogs: Hilarious and sometimes witty.
• Characters: The hero, his master and his father have well developed personalities. The other are much simpler but nice too. The bad guy is unidimensional.
• Acting: Very nice.
• Known actors: Jack Black (hilarious), Dustin Hoffman (excellent), Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, David Cross, Michael Clarke Duncan and Wayne Knight.
• Visuals: Beautiful.
• Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0441773/
• Entertainment value: High.
• Who is it for? Anyone, kids and adults alike, especially Black fans. If you like a good laugh and animation this if for you.

Get Hard — Hilarious antics for some excellent enternainment — 6*/10

• Scenario: The story is pathetically simple, but that's not what this movie is about. It's about the antics of the two main characters. It's hilarious if juvenile. Excellent entertainment value.
• Dialogs: Very funny.
• Characters: Simple.
• Actors: It might not be one of Will Ferrell best performance, but it was good. I don't like Kevin Hart, but there's a few times where he impressed me, especially the courtyard scene. Other performance vary from poor to good.
• Photography: Nice.
• Sound: Good music and score.
• Special effects: Minimal.
• Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2561572/
• Who is it for? Those looking for easy laughter and any fans of Ferrell or Hart.

The Interview — A disappointment half the way through — 5*/10

• Story: It starts as the crazy shit Seth Rogen is getting known for and it feels good. However, it gets lost half way through as if they ran out of interesting material. The rest feels like unsatisfying filling. I usually love what Rogen does, but this is very poor.
• Characters: The type you'd expect.
• Dialogs: Funny, but then it gets repetitive and uninventive once they're in North Korea.
• Scenario: Like I said, it unravels at the half mark.
• Actors: Seth Rogen is funny as usual, but James Franco out of it, either that or he was given bad directions.
• Photography: Meh.
• Special effects: Minimal effects.
• Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2788710/
• Who is it for? If you're a hardcore Rogen or Franco fan and you've got time to waste or you're high out of your mind.

Yes Man — Easy entertainment that will cheer you up — 7*/10

• Story: Funny, based on an interesting concept, a bit predictable, but very enjoyable and entertaining.
• Characters: Not complicated, but good enough.
• Dialogs: Funny.
• Scenario: Good pacing, well built.
• Actors: Jim Carrey is very good in the main role as he steered away from excess. Zooey Deschanel does a nice job, even though she didn't have much room to show her talent. A small role for Bradley Cooper, before he had made his mark, well done. Solid mention for: John Michael Higgins and Terence Stamp.
• Photography: Nice.
• Special effects: Almost none.
• Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1068680/
• Who is it for? Those looking for light entertainment or Carrey fans.

Fred Claus — A slapstick Christmas comedy for all — 6*/10

Fred Claus is funny in a very goofy way and its story is very predictable. However, it can be touching and it has its moments. Paul Giamatti and Kevin Spacey both deliver a solid performance, especially considering the type of movie. Overall, it's a good Holiday flick, just beware the end, it is extremely sirupy, and the Brother Anonymous scene, it is really awkward.

Only if you're ready for the antics of Vince Vaughn.
6*/10

Horrible Bosses 2 — You can enjoy more of the same — 6*/10

Horrible Bosses 2, the sequel to the original Horrible Bosses, is entertaining if nothing else and achieves pretty much the same effect as the first one. The humor and the characters are simple and funny in a very basic way. Don't expect too much and you'll be entertained.

For some easy laughs.
6*/10

Let's Be Cops — To be watched only if you truly liked the trailer — 5*/10

Let's Be Cops is what the trailer looks like. To appreciate it, you need to at least have enjoyed the previews, then make sure you have no expectations and finally, please turn your brain off. It's a weird mix of slapstick comedy and reality check moments. Its main problems are the poor story and the shallow characters.

Only if you must.
5*/10

Austenland — Funny, but with as basic a humor as you can get — 6*/10

Austenland is a simple movie, and it's neither as bad or as good as you think. Its main winning points are that it doesn't take itself seriously and it has a number of very funny situations. Be warned though, it's slapstick comedy mostly. Its detractor might find some of the characters really annoying.

It's up to you.
6*/10

22 Jump Street — It doesn't take itself seriously, so don't either and have a blast — 7*/10

22 Jump Street, the followup to 21 Jump Street, is just as much fun and as ridiculous. It can take a while to get used to the self-deprecating message trumpeted in the first 20 minutes, "it's the exact same thing", but after that, it flows well. Lots of silly juvenile stuff, slapstick jokes, impossibly embarrassing situations, action, and some solid comedic acting.

For some stupid fun.
7*/10

A Million Ways to Die in the West - Very light entertainment for a slow night - 6*/10

A Million Ways to Die in the West is just silly and totally anachronistic. The trailer gives a good idea of what the movie will be like. Don't expect greatness. Turn your brain off and watch.

For those who don't need a comedy to make sense.
6*/10

Blended - Not worth going to the theater to see it - 5*/10

Blended is a story that fails to capture your attention. The jokes are easy and some of the acting is very poor. You'll need to do more than just turn your brain off to enjoy it, you'll need to overlook a lot of flaws and lower your expectations dramatically.

Wait for it on Netflix.
5*/10

Neighbors - A tough mix to pull off, but very funny - 6*/10

Neighbors doesn't sink too far into the juvenile and the awkwardness of the beginning does go away at some point. It doesn't take itself too seriously, yet it brings some really funny spins even if they're not new to Seth Rogen's style. There are a few excellent moments in there.

If you want to turn you brain off and have a good laugh without compromising your soul.
6*/10

21 Jump Street - Kick ass fun all around, very surprisingly - 8*/10

21 Jump Street is great mix of parody, action, and teen absurdity. I think Channing Tatum really shines as a comedic actor because he's the kind of person everybody sees in a serious light, yet he doesn't take himself seriously. Difficult to imagine a better partner for such an amount of silliness than Jonah Hill. The result is surprisingly good, especially since nothing is taken seriously.

For silly fun.
8*/10

Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues - Not as good as the first one - 6*/10

Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues lacked the novelty effect of the first instalment. It's difficult to build on something outrageous and make a second chapter just as good. That being said, the fight scene is quite interesting, with a number of good surprises.

For those wanting silly entertainment or more of Ron Burgundy.
6*/10

Horrible Bosses - Good basic fun - 6*/10

Horrible Bosses doesn't aim to be a great movie, it's a slapstick kind of comedy. However it's done well enough that it doesn't wander too far into the ridiculous. It is easy humor, that's a fact, with single dimension characters, but you will be entertained. It's all it really wants to do.

For a good time.
6*/10

We're the Millers - They're fake and they're fun - 6*/10

We're the Millers is a silly comedy who just aims at making you laugh. It easily succeeds and even bring some interesting elements. The big plus, is that the best jokes aren't in the preview reel. It's not a block buster or a even a great movie, but it's not aiming for that and the result is a sound piece of entertainment.

For a good laugh.
7*/10

This Is the End — Brain off, fun on — 7*/10

This Is the End is a slapstick comedy where fun is based on basest human behaviors.

The good. Incredible special effects. Constant ridicule for maximum laughter. Interesting story with an awesome end and some twists. Well paced scenario.

The actors. Although I like Seth Rogen and Jay Baruchel a lot, I think James Franco here has the best performance.

The bad. Very simple and linear story. No smart jokes.

The ugly. Danny McBride as his character is incredibly annoying.

The result. Don't expect anything intelligent and you'll have fun.

7*/10

The Internship — Same routine with many clichés but still funny — 6*/10

The Internship is your basic reject team movie. I'm a big fan of Wedding Crashers, but taking the same routine into a different environment doesn't make a new film.

The good. Uplifting. Funny. Nice characters. Some ideas have merits. The green and red paddle scene is hilarious, so is the club scene.

The actors. Vince Vaughn follows his usual style, but is just a bit much in this case. Owen Wilson delivers a better performance, but was certainly limited by the script. The rest of the cast is mostly subpar to the exception of Aasif Mandvi.


The bad. Unlikely scenario. The big finish is a bit too much, in tradition with Hollywood reject team flicks. The B and C stories are a bit empty.

The ugly. Lots of clichés. A good number of very embarrassing scenes in the first half, and if you're like me, they're going to make you squirm. Corporate propaganda.

The result. It's entertaining, but don't expect more.

6*/10