2.5 Razors

The Hangover Part II

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: The Hangover Part II
  • IMDB: link

hangover-part-ii-posterPhil (Bradley Cooper), Alan (Zach Galifianakis), Doug (Justin Bartha) and Stu (Ed Helms) are reunited in Thailand for Stu’s wedding to his new bride (Jamie Chung) in this sequel to the surprise box office hit of 2009. Once again things get crazy and a forgotten night leads to a blurry-eyed morning in a hotel room and the search for a lost member of the Wolfpack, this time the bride’s 16 year-old brother (Mason Lee).

Like most sequels, this one is far too similar to the original with almost the identical setup and resolution we got the first time around. But hey, this one has a monkey! Director Todd Phillips‘ logic is simple: If it worked once why not try it again? Not only do we get drugged-induced haziness but mistaken identity, kidnapping, and Stu’s crying over an unexpected change to his appearance.

This time the drugged setup feels even more forced the the original and creates an unnecessary change to Galifianakis’ character who was always creepy and strange, but here comes off much meaner than in the first film.

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Star Wars: Jedi – The Dark Side #1

/ / Comics

star-wars-jedi-dark-side-1-coverFifty-three years before the Battle of Yavin, and twenty-one years before the events of Episode I: The Phantom Menace, the Jedi Council uncovers dark rumblings in the Outer Rim Territories.

Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn and his padawan Xantos (a noble of Telos IV) will be sent, along with Jedi Master Tahl and her padawan Orykan, to Xantos’ home planet to stop a political assassination and a conspiracy which threatens the lives of everyone on the planet.

This new series from writer Scott Allie and artist Mahmud Asrar will focus on Qui-Gon Jinn’s years working on the Outer Rim long before he would take on a padawan named Obi-Wan Kenobi. The first issue sets up the characters and situations which will play an integral part in the first five-issue story arc, but it doesn’t do much more than that. I also found Asrar’s art a bit sloppy in places. The close-ups of each character are very detailed and you can tell why he was chosen for the project, but the larger shots seem rushed and a little blurry. Hit-and-Miss.

[Dark Horse, $2.99]

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Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
  • IMDB: link

pirates-on-stranger-tides-posterHonestly, I don’t know if Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides is any better than the last two disappointing entries of the franchise or I simply don’t have it in me to care about what happens to these characters anymore. Even though the film did its best to remove the only thing I really liked from Dead Man’s Chest and World’s End (namely Keira Knightley), this one is certainly no worse the wear.

The story opens with Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp), once again without a boat or crew, on the search for the Fountain of Youth. And he’s not the only one. Others looking for the prize include the Spanish Armada, the British Navy under the command of Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush), and the nefarious Blackbeard (Ian McShane).

What follows is a mismatched tale which is part treasure hunt and part wacky reunion as Jack is forced to confront his feelings for an old flame (Penélope Cruz) who just happens to be Blackbeard’s daughter.

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Doctor Who – The Curse of the Black Spot

/ / Television Reviews
  • Title: Doctor Who – The Curse of the Black Spot
  • tv.com: link

Although the Sixth Series has had a few memorable moments (such as the appearance of Richard Nixon and The Doctor’s new nickname for River Song), I’ve got to say it’s been largely a disappointment. The foreshadowing of the Doctor’s (Matt Smith) death and the malevolence of the Silence is the weakest intro to a season since the first two episodes that relaunched the series with Chrisopther Eccleston. I’ve been hoping things might pick up, but I’m afraid they’re getting worse.

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Soul Surfer

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Soul Surfer
  • IMDB: link

soul-surfer-posterBased on the experiences of Bethany Hamilton (played here by AnnaSophia Robb), Soul Surfer tells the story of a young girl who lost her arm to a shark attack which threatened to end a promising amateur surfing career.

The main focus of the film is Bethany’s struggle, and that of her family and friends, to come to grips with with what has happened and her attempt to move forward. It’s a little too Hallmark Hall of Fame for my tastes, and more than a little formulaic, but there’s definitely an audience for this type of movie.

The young protagonist faces hardship, learns something new about herself and the world, has her faith tested and then renewed, and eventually comes out stronger for the experience. Sound familiar? That’s because it is.

Helen Hunt and Dennis Quaid star as Bethany’s parents, and both do well to present the emotion called for in each scene, even if at times the dialogue lets them down. The movie does get the feel of the entire family, including Bethany’s best friend (Lorraine Nicholson) and her father (Kevin Sorbo), just right.

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