15 Directors Who Could (and Should) Direct the Next James Bond

November 20, 2015

Spectre has been a big hit at the box-office, making $545.2 Million worldwide and rising. With Casino Royale making $600 Million and Skyfall having a haul of over $1 Billion and all four of Daniel Craig’s Bond movies having positive ratings on Rotten Tomatoes it has been a very successful era for the series.

Spectre has received mixed reviews, dividing audiences into people who loved it or hated it. People who have seen Spectre know it’s a homage to the Bond movies of the 60s and 70s and it was a much lighter affair to the previous Craig movies. They also know that it did feel like the end of the Craig era.

Sam Mendes has also stated that Spectre will be his last movie for the franchise and it looks likely the next Bond flick will be a reboot of the series. So we at Monkeys Fighting Robots will look at 15 directors who can move the series forward, looking at both directors who can continue the darker, realistic tone of the Craig Bond movies and ones who could revert back to the lighter adventure approach.

Anton Corbijn

Music photography turned director Anton Corbijn is a man who knows how to make a thriller – having The American and A Most Wanted Man. Both movies would be well suited to the Bond universe: The American tells of the lonely assassin and gunsmith who travels to a small Italian town for one last job, while A Most Wanted Man – based on a John le Carré novel – is about a German spy in Hamburg leading an operation to bring down a terrorist financier whilst having an internal conflict between doing good and the harsh realities of being a spy. Both movies on a character level would serve as a model for making James Bond more like that character written in Ian Fleming’s novels.

The American and A Most Wanted Man are both much slower paced movies: The American can easily be described as an anti-action movie, deliberately underplaying the action, making it more grounded. If Corbijn did get the Bond gig he would need to pick up the pace.

Corbijn’s movies have been blessed with excellent acting and as you would expect from his background, great cinematography. He could easily do more with a bigger budget and visit fantastic locations and because of Corbijn’s connections in the music industry ensure a great band or singer to perform the title song.

Joe Cornish

Joe Cornish has only made one movie as a director, but it was one hell of a fun movie, the horror-comedy Attack the Block. On a limited budget of £8 Million, Attack the Block was an impressive feat of special effects and had strong action and comedy – making the movie a cult delight. Cornish has since been linked to A Good Day to Die Hard and the King Kong prequel Kong: Skull Island.

Although Cornish only has one directing credit to his name he has plenty of experience as a writer – writing and starring in the sketch show The Adam and Joe Show and working with Edgar Wright on The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn and Ant-Man, both very entertaining romps.

It would be unlikely that Cornish would be handed on the directing reigns, but it is not impossible. Editor Peter R. Hunt and editor/second unit director made their directorial debuts with On Her Majesty’s Secret Service and For Your Eyes Only respectively. Both movies being held in high regard by Bond fans. Matthew Vaughn was also considered to direct Casino Royale after his directorial debut Layer Cake.

Gareth Evans

Welshman Gareth Evans has had an unusual route towards becoming a director, moving to Indonesia to fulfil his dream: and the results were magnificent, giving us two of the best pure action movies in recent years – The Raid: Redemption and The Raid 2. Although The Raid: Redemption was light on plot it excelled at being an action experience, having some fantastic martial arts fights – and its sequel being even bigger regarding action and plot. The Raid 2 was as much a crime epic like The Infernal Affairs trilogy and The Godfather movies as well as being a great action movie. Evans was able to expand the form of action with the sequel, having car chases as well as fights.

Evans could be even more creative with his action sequences if given a Bond level budget as he showed with The Raid 2 he can handle more elaborate plots. Evans is pretty much his generation’s John Woo. Plus his “Raid” series star Iko Uwais would make an awesome assassin or henchman.

Tom Hooper

Oscar winning director Tom Hooper has been in EON’s sights to direct to a Bond movie, being shortlisted to direct Spectre when Sam Mendes stated his intention to leave the series. Hooper has shown himself to be a prestige director, making The King’s Speech, Les Misérables and the upcoming The Danish Girl and his refined approach would easily fit for a character known for his tastes for expensive suits, exclusive casinos, high culture events and high end champagne. Mendes has a similar filmography of prestige and if EON wants a movie like Skyfall then Hooper would be a good fit to repeat that approach.

Though Hooper is famous for his historical movies, he started out as a television director, working on series like the Newcastle-Upon-Tyne set teen programme, Byker Cake, East London soap Eastenders, the police-procedural drama Prime Suspect and HBO’s John Adams, so knows how to stay within certain constrains that franchise filmmaking requires. Hooper has also worked on commercials, including one of Jaguar where Mark Strong, Ben Kingsley and Tom Hiddleston revelled in their villainy and Britishness.

Kim Jee-woon

Kim Jee-woon is the first of two Korean directors to make it on this list, a celebrated filmmaker in his homeland. Kim is a man who has had a very eclectic career, making dark psychological thrillers like A Bittersweet Life and I Saw the Devil, horror in the form of A Tale of Two Sisters and the comedy Western The Good, the Bad, the Weird. Kim has also made an English-language actioner, the Arnold Schwarzenegger led The Last Stand.

Kim can easily make a dark psychological Bond movie, the premise of I Saw the Devil is a spy getting revenge against a serial killer by capturing and torturing him before releasing him and repeats the process over and over again. While with The Good, the Bad, the Weird Kim shows he can make something more light-hearted and any Bond director should be able to mix both approaches.

Maybe Kim could give a role to his regular actor Lee Byung-hun.

Baltasar Kormákur

Starting his career as an actor Baltasar Kormákur has become one of Iceland’s biggest named directors – working in both his native land and in Hollywood. Kormákur is a man who has worked in a number of genres, ranging from dark dramas and thrillers like with Jar City, comedy-dramas and action-thrillers.

English language audiences will know Kormákur for Contraband (a remake of his own thriller Reykjavik-Rotterdam), the action-comedy 2 Guns and the recently released Everest. Although his English-language movies have been met with decent, if unremakeable reviews, Kormákur has shown himself to be a capable action director and worked with top-of-the-range special effects. 2 Guns was particularly praised for the Mark Wahlberg/Denzel Washington team up.

Kormákur’s Icelandic work has been critically praised and his style of action could fit a Bond movie. To use another example of Bond directors – Martin Campbell and Roger Spottiswoode’s best work as filmmakers has been on Bond series and Kormákur could follow in their footsteps.

Christopher Nolan

Christopher Nolan is a fanboys favorite and they would love to see him direct or reboot any franchise or property, so getting him to direct would be more fantasy then reality. But there are signs of hope, Nolan is a self-confessed Bond fan and has stated that On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is his favourite movie in the series. The Bond series has also influenced Nolan’s filmmaking; he hired stunt co-ordinators from the Bond series when directing Batman Begins and the mountain chase action sequence in Inception was based on his love for Bond films. Back in 2013 Nolan was on a shortlist to replace Sam Mendes to direct Spectre after Mendes initially stated he was not going to return to the series. Nolan’s dark style that looks at psychological themes would make him a good match for the Bond series and his influence on the series he loves has already been felt on Casino Royale and Skyfall.

Park Chan-wook

With a filmography that includes Oldboy, J.S.A: Joint Security Area and Stoker, Park Chan-wook is easily one of the best, if not the best filmmaker to come from South Korea, developing a cult following in the West because of it. Park is known for making dark movies, the ending of Oldboy attests to that, yet still includes a sense of dark comedy. Park has ventured into comedy, making I’m a Cyborg, But That’s OK and Stoker was his first English-language movie. Park is an English-speaker and he was linked to direct the spy thriller Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, but turned it down.

Park has plenty of experience working in the crime and thriller genres, making the Vengeance Trilogy, a tense atmospheric psychological thriller with Stoker that has a Kubrickian style and J.S.A: Joint Security Area was both an investigation story and a personal drama, set to the backdrop of the international tensions between North and South Korea.

Just imagine if Park could replicate a scene like the hammer fight in Oldboy for a Bond movie.

Guy Ritchie

Back in 2013 when it looked like Sam Mendes might not return to direct Spectre, bookmakers William Hill made Guy Ritchie the favorite to replace him. At the time it seemed like a mismatch because Skyfall was a darker, serious take on the Bond series and Ritchie is known for having a lighter touch. But after seeing Spectre being more of a homage to the Sean Connery and Roger Moore era, a Guy Ritchie directed Bond movie does not seem so ridiculous.

Ritchie is a flashy director, known for quick editing and dialogue and disjoined of time. HIS fans love him, his distracters say he is a poor-man’s Quentin Tarantino. Yet Ritchie has been able to resurrect his career as a top action director after the failure that was Revolver. His Sherlock Holmes movies are entertaining action flicks, having some well staged sequences, plenty of wit between its two leads and a lot of intrigue and twists: good ingredients for a Bond movie. Ritchie also directed The Man From U.N.C.L.E. which gives us a taste of what a Guy Ritchie Bond movie could be. Maybe Henry Cavill could be Ritchie’s Bond.

Morten Tyldum

Norwegian director Morten Tyldum is a man well acquainted with the thriller, making Headhunters and the historical drama The Imitation Game. Though Tyldum was nominated for an Oscar for The Imitation Game, it’s his works on Headhunters that puts him in good stead to direct a Bond movie.

Headhunters is a thriller based on a novel by Jo Nesbø and is the highest grossing Norwegian movie to date. It is also a movie that has some of the features you would want from a Bond movie, its hero is a ruthless womanizer, it is set in the world of fine art and the villain played by Nikolaj Coster-Waldau was a very suave, determined ex-Special Forces soldier. Headhunters also had a surprising amount of humor while also maintaining a constant level of suspense.

Nicolas Winding Refn

Since making movies like Bronsan and Drive, Danish Nicolas Winding Refn has become a fan favorite to direct many franchise films, including the Bond series. He was even on the shortlist to direct Spectre with Nolan and Hooper.

Since Winding Refn’s early days as a director in Denmark, he has shown a prehensility for crime movies, from the very realistic and downbeat look of The Pusher Trilogy, a surrealist approach for Bronsan and the neon lit, neo-noir world of Drive. The Shanghai assassination scene in Skyfall had a similar look to Drive due to its use of lighting.

Winding Refn has worked with some great actors in his career, including Tom Hardy who is a popular fan’s choice to replace Daniel Craig and the Dane could easily handle action sequences like car chases and shoot-outs. But Winding Refn does have art-house sensibility and some of his movies like Valhalla Rising and Only God Forgives have divided audiences.

Edgar Wright

Since bursting onto British television screens with Spaced, Edgar Wright has been known as one of Britain’s brightest directing talents. Over the years, Edgar Wright has developed a big fanbase for his work with Simon Pegg and Nick Frost on The Cornetto Trilogy and the cult movie Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. Edgar Wright has shown himself to be an accomplished comedy and action director, his movies being known for their witty dialogue exchange, quick cutting and camera pans and well staged and choreographed action sequences.

Edgar Wright is a man who knows about genre filmmaking, deconstructing types of movies while paying homage to them. Shaun of the Dead was dubbed a romantic comedy with zombies, while lampooning George A. Romaro’s Living Dead series (earning him and Simon Pegg a cameo in Land of the Dead) and Hot Fuzz took the very American genre of the buddy cop genre and placed it in a small English village, resulting in blood and hilarity. Hot Fuzz, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World and The World’s End are masterclasses on how to film action sequences and it would great to see him work again with cinematographer Bill Pope. It would be easy to see Edgar Wright getting to play around with the tropes of the Bond series such as gadgets, guns and girls. The Bond series would be a great canvass for his talents and if the series continues to go down a lighter, more retro route Edgar would be very suited to sit in the director’s chair.

However there is a word of caution regarding Edgar Wright; he was famously linked to write and direct Ant-Man for Marvel but ended up leaving the project because of studio interference. He was also linked to direct Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol before Brad Bird got the job.

Joe Wright

The other Mr. Wright to make it onto this list is London-born Joe Wright. Joe Wright is best known for making period dramas like Pride and Prejudice and Atonement. Yet it is his work on the cult actioner Hanna that put Joe Wright in good standing for the Bond gig. Hanna is an excellent action movie, taking the silly premise of a 16-year-old girl being raised in the wilderness to be the world’s best assassin and played it straight. Hanna’s three stars, Sairose Ronan as the girl thrown into a world that she has learned about in books, but never experienced in real life, Eric Bana as her bad-ass secret agent father and Cate Blanchett being the villainess of the piece gave great performances. Hanna was a stunning little action movie with its highlight being a two minute tracking shot before Bana kills four CIA goons.

Joe Wright has also shown himself to be a master technician during his career, making visually distinctive movies and having a love for long continuous shoots. Atonement has a brilliant one set on the beaches of Dunkirk, lasting five minutes and Anna Karenina’s dancing sequence, showcasing everything it needed to without a word of dialogue.

Even when Joe Wright stumbles like with Pan, he still shows himself to be a director with a scene of audacity. The introduction into Neverland in Pan was a mine full of slave children being forced to see “Smells like Teen Spirit”; a moment people either love or hate.

Matthew Vaughn

Matthew Vaughn is often a fans favorite for many upcoming projects, including whenever the Bond series requires a new director. There is precedent for this, Vaughn’s directional debut Layer Cake helped Daniel Craig land the Bond gig and he was approached to direct Casino Royale before Martin Campbell was hired.

Ever since making Layer Cake, Vaughn has become known as A director who uses bright cinematography and art direction – having comedy and emotional dramatic moments and incredible action sequences. Vaughn is also a director who has a strong understanding of genre and subverts it: he did it with superhero genre in Kick-Ass and the spy-action genre with Kingsman: The Secret Service. Vaughn also shows appreciation for the genres.

Earlier this year Vaughn’s Kingsman: The Secret Service which was a very adult version of the Bond movies of the 60s and 70s, having spies with fancy gadgets, international travel and a megalomaniac villain who has boundless resources and his own mountain lair. Vaughn also injects a few Bond references into X-Men: First Class, such as when Moria MacTaggert infiltrates the Hellfire Club meeting.

Vaughn was able to reboot the X-Men series with his signature style, surely he could do the same with Bond.

Denis Villeneuve

Hailing from Québec, French-Canadian director Denis Villeneuve has had a meteoric rise as a director in recent years. Since 2011 his mystery drama Incendies was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and his English language movies, Prisoners, Enemy and Sicario have all been critically highly praised.

Villeneuve has shown himself to be able to make complex thrillers with a dark psychology edge, which would make him a great fit for the Bond series. He showed earlier this year’s Sicario that he can handle action sequences. When Villeneuve spoke to Coming Soon he stated that he loved the Bond series and would want to make a Bond film.

Villeneuve is also becoming a very in-demand director, he was linked to Terminator Genisys before Alan Taylor got the gig and he is currently attached to direct a sequel to Blade Runner.

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Review: Glass Mask ‘The Stairs of Fire’ – Slow, yet Amazing

GJ Corban

November 19, 2015

I wouldn’t hesitate to call this one of Glass Mask‘s weaker episodes. It functions mostly as a transition into the really meat of the show. But that doesn’t stop it from giving us some great character insights.

Review of Glass Mask Episode 4 ‘The Stairs of Fire’

The episode starts off with Ayumi. Many would assume after her initial introduction that she never really earned her fame. Her mother is a famous actress, her father is a critically acclaimed director, she was born with a silver spoon in her mouth. But Ayumi is careful not to let this define her, the episode begins with the narrator trying to prove this wrong. As the show continues you’ll see that Ayumi works very hard to determine her own identity, and step out of her parents shadow. I’d also suspect that Ayumi is addicted to rivalries, she immediately starts one with Maya (proof will come next week), and sets up one against her own mother.You can even see this at the end of the episode, “No, I’ll become an actress even better than my mother.” Man, Ayumi is pretty dang ambitious.

We don’t see too much of Hayami and Onodera, but what little we do see is quite revealing. Hayami mentions that it’s his father’s life goal to produce another showing of The Scarlet Angel. Last episode he said it was his and his fathers goal. Hayami’s goals are not his own. This will be further explored later, perhaps even next episode, so I won’t divulge much, but keep that in mind while watching the rest of the series. Also when Hayami pictures Maya when thinking about this actress Tsukikage is going to train proves the point I made last week about snatching Maya when he had the chance.

This episode we are introduced to the rest of the crew. Get familiar, because you’ll be seeing a lot of these characters, but I have to admit, Sayaka is a lot more bratty than I remember. I mean, she’s always been the least likable of the group, but man, gossiping about Maya, doubting her skills, and with what happens later on… keep an eye out on Sayaka, is all I’m saying.

Speaking of when Sayaka doubted Maya, let’s analyse that scene a bit. First, Maya chooses Ramen as her food, this reveals (in case you didn’t figure it out) that Maya is a plain, simple girl, she’s really down to earth (also I can’t believe she isn’t sick of that stuff, she practically lived around it). Later when ‘eating’ everyone is shocked when watching Maya eat. This goes back to the pantomime scene from episode 3. Most people when acting, consciously think about the actions they are making, they are trying to replicate what it would look like. But you don’t consciously think about that when actually eating, neither does Maya. Maya doesn’t ‘act’ she lives her characters. It just so happens that this character is just Maya, eating some Ramen. (Side note: Maya slurps A LOT, this is a cultural thing, everyone slurps in Japan)

By far the most intense moment of the show so far was that showdown between Tsukikage and Maya’s Mom, dang, that was tense. I’d like to comment on a few things before analyzing another great moment. First, we have further proof that Maya’s Mom is emotionally abusive, like really badly. “A talentless girl like you can never become an actress.” Geez, mothers are supposed to love, not hate right? When Tsukikage slaps Maya’s Mom, that was wonderful, I replayed that scene multiple times. I just really wish Tsukikage did it again when she chucked boiling water at her face, let’s not forget just how serious that is.

The best moment in the episode though, was as Tsukikage and Maya’s Mom’s argument got more and more heated, the show cut back to a tea kettle, which also got more and more heated. Now this is a common technique in film, but what truly makes this moment special is when the tea kettle became more than just a representation of the circumstances, it became a weapon. Now I don’t think this moment is thematically deep or anything, but that moment when the technique was broken by Maya’s Mom, I don’t know, it was just really good. I’m hesitant to call it a subversion or deconstruction of that motif, but it still added something to that moment.

A shocking, and seemingly amateur writing moment was later when Maya’s Mom seemed to immediately get over what had just happened. But it makes sense when you consider her motive. Mom (let’s just call her that from now on) loves Maya immensely, now she shows this love by abusing Maya both physically and mentally, but nonetheless she loves Maya. Mom’s action against Tsukikage is a combination of being worried about Maya’s future (let’s face it, acting doesn’t usually pan out) and not wanting to lose her daughter. After calming down and realizing that there is nothing she can do about it, Mom has no choice but to support and love Maya from afar. Where she can’t abuse her.

Of course this doesn’t change the fact that Mom is a horrible, abusive parent that should have been separated from Maya regardless, but it gives us an insight into her motives. Mom is a broken, multi-layered character, like a sympathetic villain, you love and hate them at the same time. Of course, this repentance from Mom is totally rejected by Tsukikage, but there’s a good reason for that, and I’ll cover it in just a second.

The theme here is clearly determination: Maya is determined to become an actress, Tsukikage is determined to mold Maya into that actress, Mom is determined to protect her child, Ayumi is determined to become a world-famous actress, Hayami and Onodera are determined to get The Scarlet Angel, determination is key. Early into the episode Tsukikage tests Maya’s determination, making sure it’s up to par (good thing for Maya determination is her biggest character quality). Ayumi develops her skill through determination. At the end of the episode, when Tsukikage burns Maya’s clothes, she is forcing Maya to full invest in her future.

Even what Tsukikage tells Maya, “Talent means believing in yourself.” Talent is having the determination to overcome whatever obstacle is in your way, to believe that you can overcome it. Talent is believing in yourself.

Spoilers

Just a quick note for all you who have watched Glass Mask before. This show really likes flipping your opinion on characters. Sayaka is a terrible person at first, but lovable toward the end. You hate Hayami with a passion, until you don’t (if you know what I mean?). Maya’s Mom is despicable, yet when she shows up later you can’t help but pity her. There are plenty of other examples, but I think I’ll stop there, I don’t want to spoil anything else.

Conclusion

And that, is ‘The Stairs of Fire’ This episode is a weak episode by Glass Mask standards, which proves that Glass Mask has insanely high standards. Because by another other standards this episode is nearly perfect. I just… I love this show.

But what did you think about this episode? Did you like it? What does ‘Stairs of Fire’ even mean? Let me know in the comments! And don’t forget to watch the next episode at Crunchyroll.

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REVIEW: “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 2” – Finale on film mirrors lackluster climax in the novels

Felix Albuerne

November 19, 2015

For those who enjoyed Mockingjay, the final novel in Suzanne Collins’ “The Hunger Games” series, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 2, which completes the adaptation of that novel started in last year’s Part 1, should be everything they hoped it would be, as it seems to follow the novel’s progression almost page-by-page, event by event, and works hard to incorporate as many of the final book’s twists and turns as possible.

On the other hand, for those who were let down by Collins’ climactic volume after the emotional highs and intensity of the first two novels in the series, this film will be every bit the scattered and uneven viewing experience they expected it to be, and just as unsatisfying a conclusion to the film series as the final book was to the novels. It does feature some of the finest acting in the series to date, particularly from series lead Jennifer Lawrence, but even her strong work here isn’t enough to lift the leaden portions of the movie that drag down the proceedings and rob them of much potential impact.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 2 picks up where Part 1 left off, with Katniss Everdeen (Lawrence) recovering from the attempt on her life at the end of the last film that left her arguably more shaken and terrified than anything she’d experienced during the Games. The rebellion of the 13 Districts of Panem against the Capitol, meanwhile, is now in full swing, and the rebellion’s leader, President Alma Coin (Julianne Moore), along with former Gamemaker Plutarch Heavensbee (Philip Seymour Hoffman), prepares her military forces to join with rebels from the other districts to take the battle right to the doorstep of Capitol President Coriolanus Snow (Donald Sutherland). In order to enter the Capitol, however, they must first capture or at least subdue the loyalists’ vast military presence within a mountain stronghold in District 2; then, with no remaining threat outside the Capitol to their efforts, they can focus on defeating the Capitol’s remaining Peacekeepers and bring Snow to the justice he so rightly deserves.

Though she’s far from at her best, Katniss, motivated greatly by what Snow and the Capitol’s torturers did to her one-time partner in the Games, Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson), still wants to be part of the final push. Coin has reservations about putting her in harm’s way again, but Plutarch convinces her of the Mockingjay’s continued value as a symbol and a rallying figure, especially if she’s in the field fighting by the rebels’ side. She’s assigned to Squad 451, the “Star Squad”, led by Coin’s trusted field commander, Boggs (Mahershala Ali), seasoned District 13 soldiers Jackson (Michelle Forbes) and Homes (Omid Abtahi), sharpshooting twins the Leegs (Misty and Kim Ormiston), Katniss’s fellow Games Victor Finnick Odair (Sam Claflin), and her lifelong friend Gale Hawthorne (Liam Hemsworth). Meant to be the faces of the final battle, as caught on film by Cressida (Natalie Dormer) and her loyal camera crew, the Star Squad is meant to stay behind the front lines, as the approach to Snow’s presidential palace through the Capitol has been made far more dangerous thanks to the planting of hundreds of “pods”, unique deathtraps conceived by the gamesmakers to make lethal sport of the rebels’ insurrection.

Despite her squad’s orders, the pods, and the additional danger they represent, Katniss has other plans besides being the figurehead of the attack. She means to end Snow once and for all, so when things start to go wrong and the Star Squad finds itself cornered and fighting to survive within the Capitol, she sees her chance. But the closer that chance gets, the more another potential danger to the liberty the people of Panem have bled to achieve starts to reveal itself. Katniss soon sees that the endgame simply won’t be as simple as killing Snow, and exacting revenge for all the pain and loss he and the war with him has caused her may cost her everything remaining that she loves and holds dear.

The fatal flaw in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 2 lies in its surprisingly sluggish pacing. With everything that last year’s Part 1 set into motion and left hanging at its conclusion — the introduction of District 13 and their role in the revolution, the ongoing propaganda war between Snow and Plutarch to sway the people of Panem either toward obedience or rebellion, and the rescue of those taken hostage by the Capitol at the end of Catching Fire — it might seem to those coming into Part 2 that there could be nothing but action remaining to resolve all those plot threads and bring the story to a rousing, thrilling conclusion. But in execution, the film starts very quietly and slowly, once again setting the scene and the stakes, once again reacquainting audiences with the characters and their roles, as though that’s necessary at this point after four films. It takes a good hour before the film really gets rolling in terms of action and intensity, and by then, arguably, all opportunity to get audiences as fully invested as possible is lost.

Then, after maybe forty minutes of breakneck sequences that come close to reaching the levels of suspense reached by the first two films, it all comes to a crashing halt, leaving the film’s intended cathartic denouement and resolution feeling needlessly drawn out and drained of life. Does it follow the novel’s progression of events? For the most part, yes. But this is one occasion where screenwriters Peter Craig and Danny Strong could and should have taken some liberties with the source material in order to craft a tighter, more emotionally visceral conclusion. The hardcore fans of the books might have been displeased by that move, yes, but for the rest of the film’s audience, it might have provided a far better payoff for all that was built up in the preceding films.

In terms of positives, as stated earlier, Jennifer Lawrence seems to have saved her best turn as Katniss Everdeen for last. Here she’s called upon to display depths of fear, despair, and determined resolve the likes of which had only been hinted at earlier in the series, and she delivers every moment with credible passion and conviction. The other standout performer here, though his screen time is, as it has been throughout, somewhat limited, is Donald Sutherland, who simply oozes malice with his every look, word, and calculated gesture as President Snow. Even when playing the villain laid low and defeated, Sutherland instills in Snow a lethal air, as though simply being in the room with him and exchanging a word or two might cost any character their lives. Through his work in this series, Sutherland has brought to life one of the 21st Century’s first truly memorable screen villains, as it is quite unlikely that anyone whose seen these films will ever look at a white rose clipped to someone’s lapel quite the same way ever again.

All in all, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 2 is on its own a mixed bag. It might prove interesting to watch Parts 1 and 2 back-to-back in order to gauge whether or not the film as a whole is a more evenly paced and satisfying film experience, and to compare that final product to other instances such as in the Harry Potter series or the recent Hobbit series of films where a story that was contained and effectively told in a single volume in print was divided into multiple volumes in film in order to incorporate more elements of the print version into the adaptation. Regardless of the fact that one might be working with adapting source material that is beloved by fans around the world, the “less really is more” cliché is a cliché for a reason — it’s often true. What’s ironic is that the producers and creative minds behind The Hunger Games series seemed to know and grasp that idea in the first two films, which many agree were superior entertainment experiences to reading the books, only to toss that idea aside in order to bring to life the story’s finale in a form as true to the book as possible, a book fans often argue was the weakest in the series. Quite frankly, this film franchise and its fans deserved a better ending, even if it ended up being something entirely different from what took place in the final novel’s pages. By playing it safe and sticking to the book, they basically assured that in terms of delivering the best final product possible, the odds would never be in their favor.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 2
Starring Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Julianne Moore, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jeffrey Wright, Willow Shields, Sam Claflin, Jena Malone, Natalie Dormer, with Stanley Tucci, and Donald Sutherland. Directed by Francis Lawrence.
Running Time: 137 minutes
Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, and for some thematic material.

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Review: Sakurako-san Episode 7 – Another Disapointment

GJ Corban

November 19, 2015

I have to admit, I was kind of looking forward to Sakurako-san Episode 7. In the roller-coaster of quality this show has offered, the first episode of two parters have been the strongest (though my only evidence was Episode 4). So I was hoping this episode, Sakurako-san Episode 7, would reach another peak for the show. However, I was more than a little disappointed by this episode… you’ll see.

Review of Sakurako-san Episode 7

Sakurako-san Episode 7 Body 1 — Shoutaro, dear, those glasses do not suit you

Immediately I was shocked at just how predictable those show is. During the OP (Opening) I decided to make a prediction: Our teacher friend is featured in the opening and was introduced last episode, so this arc must be his right? Well… kinda. I was right (Wow, it’s like I’m Nostradamus or something!), but so far there doesn’t seem to be much development, like at all.

Now, we all know one of the rules of anime, “Thou shalt have either a onsen, beach, festival, or school festival episode.” But, Sakurako-san seems to be ahead of the curve on this one, we get a festival and a school festival episode back-to-back! Yay…

Before we get to the story itself, allow me to nitpick a few things.

Shoutaro mentions that until ten years ago the school was an all-girls school, thus the girls in this school are really assertive. But, none of the students were there ten years ago, ten years is multiple high-school generations, in no way should the girls have this confidence due to the schools previous identity.

While defending the sanctity of bones and why they are set up, Sakurako says “It’s to teach others how they support and move the body!” But this is incorrect, for a bone expert, you’d think she’d know that bones don’t actually move the body. It’s the muscles that attach to the bones that do the moving. Get your anatomy together Sakurako.

Shoutaro’s class should really be pissed at him for completely ditching them. He didn’t even let them know, just leaves to clean a room full of bones. Considering how sensitive they were about time earlier, he should be dead meat.

The police should be way more suspicious of Sakurako considering just how many murdered corpses she’s found. Like seriously, we know Utsumi is incompetent but the entire police force?

For a show that claim’s it’s “Dedicated to those stuck in the past” this show is pretty sentimental. Sakurako with this Soutaro character, her cat, and so man other things. It’s kinda ironic, but I wonder if it’s intentional.

Whew, sorry, I just had to get that off my chest, I had a lot to cover, and this is after filtering some out. Geez. As for the rest of this article, I’ll cover the story itself, reveal the reason I’ve discovered as to why I don’t like Sakurako, and reveal a secret I found in the ending song.

The majority of the story given to us in Sakurako-san Episode 7, the story about this old teacher and Natsuko, is not really worth talking about. What information has been presented is not enough to discus in a satisfactory manner, nor is this show worth speculating on. However, the character moments can be discussed plenty.

The largest is when Shoutaro confronts Sakurako about turning her pet into a specimen. I may just be heartless, but I don’t quite understand why Shoutaro is so offended by it. Ulna had already died, and many people immortalize their loved ones. What’s wrong with someone who is obsessed with bones doing this to immortalize Ulna?

While Shoutaro is pitying himself after this confrontation he says, “I thought we had a connection, but I guess we really are different people.” He implies that being differing people with differing opinions is a bad thing. But that is not true in the least, it’s actually very beneficial to surround yourself with different people, helps you become a well-rounded person.

At the end of the episode we see Sakurako have a ‘chat’ with her uncle. First of all, it’s really hard not to make a probably offensive joke right here, but… I think I have the self-control. Also, it seems like Sakurako’s personal vice, as hinted at by the opening and episode 2, will become relevant. Perhaps this Soutaro kid, probably her brother, was murdered?

Now, I haven’t been the biggest fan of Sakurako as a character. Many other people, of similar opinion, have cited her obvious archetype as the flaw. But, I don’t believe this to be the issue, you can have stereotypes that are great, it’s all in the execution. That’s Sakurako’s problem, her character isn’t executed well at all. It seems like her character is all over the place.

She’s supposed to be obsessed with bones, but she supposedly knows everything, like about knots and jewels. And yet she often gets these wrong, and she even gets basic things about bones wrong! Sometime’s she hates everything, other times she’s squealing at the prospect of cake. Sakurako is supposed to be this antisocial genius (by the show’s own words too), yet other than preferring to be alone she’s perfectly social (trust me, I’m ACTUALLY antisocial). Not to mention just how convenient she is. “Oh, good think I can tell a real diamond from a synthetic one.” “Thank goodness I just so happen to be an expert on knot tying.” “I’ll just pick this lock with a skill I never referred to ever having before.” Sakurako Ex Machina. Basically, people don’t like Sakurako because there is no consistency, she’s all over the place. Sakurako does not feel like a real character. Even Shoutaro manages that, but he’s still annoying.

Now, as for that secret in the ending. Notice that more than a few shots in this ending feature naked Sakurako groping a skull. Just think about that… that’s actually creepy.

Now we know that Sakurako loves bones, but perhaps it extends farther than anticipated? Maybe this mysterious fiance that’s been referred to throughout the show is really just a human skeleton. Is Sakurako a necrophiliac? I’ll let you decide that one, but I wouldn’t put it past her.

Sakurako-san Episode 7 was terrible, and if this level of quality continues, so will the show.

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Midnight Special Trailer: Michael Shannon Protects His Super-Powered Son

Larry Taylor - Managing Editor

November 19, 2015

Michael Shannon teams up once again with Take Shelter director Jeff Nichols for Midnight Special, a sci-fi thriller where Shannon must protect his super-powered son. Along with Shannon, Midnight Special shows off its impressive cast in this new trailer, including Joel Egerton, Adam Driver, and Kirsten Dunst.

Here is the trailer:

And here is the official synopsis:

In the sci-fi thriller “Midnight Special,” writer/director Jeff Nichols proves again that he is one of the most compelling storytellers of our time, as a father (Michael Shannon), goes on the run to protect his young son, Alton (Jaeden Lieberher), and uncover the truth behind the boy’s special powers.

What starts as a race from religious extremists and local law enforcement quickly escalates to a nationwide manhunt involving the highest levels of the Federal Government. Ultimately his father risks everything to protect Alton and help fulfill a destiny that could change the world forever, in this genre–defying film as supernatural as it is intimately human.

Take Shelter, the first pairing of Michael Shannon and Jeff Nichols (who also directed the wonderful drama Mud), was a brilliantly intimate thriller, and this looks to be more of the same with a little sci-fi flourish. The film hits theaters March 18 next year.

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Into The Badlands Episode 1: “The Fort”

Mat Douglas

November 19, 2015

Into the Badlands is the newest offering from AMC Networks and it’s different from anything else you are watching on television right now. This is not an opinion or some haughty brag. This show is decidedly different in look, concept, and character.

Very loosely based on the Chinese fable “Journey To the West”, Badlands opening narration by MK gives you the outline of the world you are about to see. Set in the distant future after a war – there’s always a war – the world has changed considerably. What is left of the world (referred to as the Badlands) is now ruled by Barons. The normal folk, referred to as Cogs, serve the Barons in exchange for protection in what was assumed to be a dangerous world to live in. This is also a world where guns have been outlawed or no longer exist, but in this first episode, not one firearm is seen.

The Barons also have their own protection in the form of the Clippers. The Clippers act as enforcers, hitmen, and pretty much anything else a Baron may need done. Beginning with a look at the shows lead, a Clipper known as Sunny, who serves Quinn, a Baron who has control of poppy, all of the poppy by the looks of his fields.

Sunny (played by Daniel Wu) has a presence and gravitas, not something a lot of leads in shows of this nature have these days. After dispatching a number of bandits working for The Widow (another Baron), in a fight scene that is way too good for TV, and what may be the calling card of this series, he discovers a young boy, MK, locked in a trunk.

Sunny - Daniel Wu - Into The Badlands — Sunny played by Daniel Wu
photo by AMC Networks

MKs origins are unclear.

The Widow wants him, he has a pendant with a city of sorts on it, and when he bleeds, he goes into a trance and develops super strength. So in the first 20 minutes, a great fight scene, feudalism, and what appears to be mystical blood powers. See? Very different from anything else on television right now.

MK Aramis Knight Into The Badlands AMC — MK played by Aramis Knight (photo AMC Networks)

This first episode does a lot of world building. The Barons run everything, but seem to not coexist all that peacefully. One Baron controls poppy, the other controls all the oil needed to process the poppy. Clippers are trained from what looks to be a very young age, and being a Clipper seems to be a welcome alternative from toiling away in poppy fields for a lifetime of servitude.

Marton Csokas (Triple X, Kingdom of Heaven) plays Baron Quinn, the first Baron we meet, married to an ice queen, with an entitled teenage son, and about to take a very young bride as Barons can take all the wives they want, but it is Daniel Wu who grabs your attention and is very clearly the star of this show.

His origins are unknown, he was found by Quinn at a young age, but he does possess a compass that matches the medal that MK has. This show has built an intriguing world and provided intriguing mysteries. Hopefully the show garners enough attention so we can get those answers.

Into The Badlands airs on AMC, Sundays at 10pm, and will be on right after The Walking Dead for the next 2 weeks, with a 6 episode order

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Countdown to CREED: ROCKY V Returns Us Our Hero

Curtis Waugh

November 19, 2015

In anticipation of the November 25th release of CREED, we’ll be taking a look back at the ROCKY franchise and discussing why these characters and this world are still relevant and necessary forty years later.

Rocky V effectively killed the Rocky series. Sylvester Stallone considers the movie the series’ true nadir and one he made out of greed. Director, John G. Avildsen, who was nominated for an Oscar for directing the original Rocky says the movie isn’t what he wanted it to be. At one point, Rocky was supposed to actually die at the end of the movie, really ending the series, but Stallone reworked the script so he came out victorious. To put it bluntly, many people really hate this movie. Those people clearly haven’t seen Rocky IV, because while Rocky V is an aesthetically unappealing film with poor writing and a strange finale, it also features the purest continuation of the character since Rocky II.

Rocky V picks up immediately after Rocky IV and cleverly uses the events of that movie for exactly what they are: PTSD-inducing trauma. Rocky isn’t the same after his fight with Ivan Drago. We first come upon Rocky in the shower, hardly able to breathe and shaking, calling out for Adrian to help him. Drago knocked Rocky so silly that he’s permanently brain-damaged and is no longer allowed to fight. He returns to a country which, despite having stopped the entire Cold War, is displeased with his unwillingness to jump back in the ring and defend his title. Enter George Washington Duke (Richard Gant), an overt Don King reference who will stop at nothing to profit from Rocky’s name.

To make matters worse, it looks like Paulie has been up to his old tricks being a pile of human garbage and has wasted the entirety of the Balboas’ fortune on a bad investment deal. Rocky, Adrian, Robert Jr. (having strangely aged years in what has only been just a few months) and Paulie have to move back to the slums of Philly where Rocky dusts off the old black jacket and hat. Rocky takes up training fighters in Mickey’s old gym and is introduced to young brute, Tommy Gunn (Tommy Morrison). Tommy represents everything that Rocky thinks he used to be. He’s a bruiser with nothing but his punch in his pocket, looking to get his chance.

The only problem here is that Rocky was never Tommy Gunn. Sure, Rocky Balboa comes from nothing and is known for being a punching bag with a steel jaw and brutal left hook but he was never a guy looking to conquer the world. He had goals but he also had fears. Rocky was selected by Apollo Creed to fight for the championship and all he wanted was to last against the champion and hold his own. Rocky was never greedy.

Nonetheless, Rocky takes Tommy Gunn under his wing, training him and thusly ignoring the needs of his son. Robert Jr. is getting bullied at school and is in desperate need of fatherly attention after a short lifetime without Rocky. He isn’t wrong in his anger at Rocky, but Rocky isn’t displacing Robert for a new son like he thinks. Tommy represents Rocky’s skewed version of his mirror image. The movie is smart in letting Rocky just be Rocky, not forcing him into a corner where he’s purposefully hurtful toward his son because of his physical inadequacies. Rocky just doesn’t know how to handle that relationship, as evidenced by his awkward interactions with Robert Jr. before the family is kicked out of their mansion. Robert Jr. learns to fight on his own (with lame help from Paulie) and eventually becomes leader of his own pack, resentful of his dad for not helping him get to where he is.

Rocky, being the sweet soul that he is, can’t see that Tommy is slowly being poached by Duke who offers Tommy his chance at the title. Tommy, being the lump of stupid that he is, falls for the facade of women, cars and money and leaves Rocky for the title fight. The public, quite unbelievably, rejects Tommy Gunn as their champion after he wins his fight which prompts Tommy into confronting Rocky once and for all, demanding a fight so he can be crowned the true champion. The film resolves in a brutal street bout between Rocky and Tommy. Rocky is seemingly the great fighter he always has been (and totally unfazed by all the further brain damage he racks up here) and knocks Tommy onto his ungrateful ass. Rocky also gives Duke the what-for despite Duke’s constant threats of, “You touch me, I sue.”

The neighborhood, the Balboas and even the law enforcement hovering around to see the illegal street brawl shuffle their champion into an ambulance and, for at least 16 years, off into that good night.

If this had really been the last we saw of Rocky Balboa, I don’t believe this movie would hold as high esteem for me as it does. Judged on its own merits, it is a welcome return to the truest version of this character that falls into disappointment. Tommy Gunn, while being a compelling villain, is written too broadly and portrayed by an out-of-his-league actor. Ending the film in an all-out street fight also feels wrong as this was once the guy who refused to break someone’s thumbs in the shipyard even though he probably deserved it. The film is lit poorly, giving it the feel of an early ’80s indie flick and replaces the iconic score for ill-fitting pop/rap.

There are blemishes all over this movie, but it isn’t the disaster history has made it out to be and is often quite entertaining. After what became a parody of the character in parts III and IV, we finally have our Rocky back. We get him back even more some sixteen years later, with Rocky’s fully-formed triumph movie, Rocky Balboa. Bring some tissues for that one, folks. It’s going to hurt.

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Review: iZombie ‘Abra Cadaver’ – Imperfect Fun

GJ Corban

November 19, 2015

iZombie‘s Abra Cadaver is a wonderful episode. Fun, different, and fully entertaining, but, when compared to last week’s episode, it doesn’t quite stack up.

Review of iZombie Season 2 ‘Abra Cadaver’

This shouldn’t remove the value of this episode at all. ‘Abra Cadaver’ a fantastic episode, but last week was more fantastic episode. But enough comparison between episodes, let’s discuss this one.

This episode was the first in a while to really focus on the murder at hand, Season 2 seems to enjoy spending more time with our season long arcs than the individual stories, so to see the focus, at least temporarily, shifted back to crime was a nice change of pace. iZombie also picked the right episode to do it, the mystery behind ‘Abra Cadaver’ was full of both twists and interesting characters.

But, let’s cover our major plots first. In an unexpected twist (though in hindsight it seems obvious), Liv and Blaine have teamed up to hunt the zombie-hunter, in order to save both their lives and Blaine’s business. Their investigations significantly affected both sides of this plot. First Liv and Blaine were led to Dale’s house, first revealing the progress of Clive’s ‘relations’ with Dale, and letting us know just how much Dale knows about the whole situation.

We also have a bit of interaction between the two, with Liv falsifying the brain report and all. The really scary moment for any fan paying attention though, was when Blaine saw the missing dog report. It is almost certain that this is what will reveal the true nature of Major’s job, and if Liv had seen it, that moment would have arrived a lot sooner. Major has also found out that Liv is on to him, unknowingly of course, this is sure to cause some tension in the newly resurrected (Heh, zombie puns) relationship between Liv and Major.

We also have the ‘pleasure’ of seeing Ravi and Steph’s relationship wither out, fizzle down, just die. It wasn’t a fun moment at all, but you can’t blame Ravi, Peyton’s back, Peyton’s hot, and Steph never really seemed that interesting to begin with.

Speaking of Peyton, she was, rightfully, on edge throughout the entire episode, but the creepiest moment of the episode was not related to Mr. Boss. Instead it was when Peyton and Blaine seemed to almost… flirt with each other. No, no thank you, we don’t need anything like that.

But the real meat of the episode was definitely Mr. Sid Wicked and his rivals. The magician brain was lots of fun, watching Liv become obsessed with magic while surrounded by it was nothing short of entertaining.

The premise was nothing short of brilliant. It perfectly set up a scene, lots of suspects, and an easy reason why all these people are gathered there, although, you could argue that a death due to the Prestofest should have had some sort of reaction (postponement, cancellation, ETC).

What is really interesting though, was that of the three suspects, the one (or two) with the least amount of history with Sid Wicked was the most guilty. Houdina was his ex-fiance, but was guilty of nothing other than a pretty boring magic show. I mean come on, throwing cards at celery? I’ve seen ten-year-olds do that! Magicus was his kind of his mentor, but the only thing he could be charged with is naiveté. Come on, you should have known that hot girl didn’t really want, as Clive would say, “Do the nasty” with you.

iZombie Abra Cadaver Body 1 — Don’t worry, your dissapearing was still (kinda) impressive.

Instead, it was Smoak and Meers. They were great, in particular their name and the fact that they were obviously a rip on Penn and Teller. However, one thing didn’t really make all that much sense. It’s revealed that Meers is actually a woman and temporarily worked as a maid for the hotel in order to kill Sid (so he doesn’t reveal their big trick). However, Meers pretending to be a man has no real benefit whatsoever. The only reason Meers pretends to be a man is so the reveal at the end of the episode is more surprising. But Smoak and Meers have been in the magic business for a while now, so why did Meers hide her gender then? To what benefit? Why did Meers decide, “You know what? I think I’ll pretend to be a man from now on, Mulan style.” It just doesn’t add up.

There a couple other things that bugged me about this episode. The first being everyone’s reluctance to accept Wicked’s death. I can understand a bit, being in that industry and all, but it was brought up just a few too many times for nothing to come of it. The episode is called ‘Abra Cadaver’ for a reason after all.

It’s also pretty obvious that Clive has a history with magic… and not a good one. Multiple times he expressed his disinterest, and even hatred, in magic. He saw through that card game every time, and seemed familiar with sleight-of-hand. But this also had no relevance to the episode, and thus felt like a waste of time.

Additionally, in spite of just how much fun Liv’s persona was this week, it felt like almost a waste. We’re dealing with a goth magician here, it could have easily been split into two separate personas for two separate episodes. Don’t get me wrong, Wicked was a fun brain, but if iZombie ever tries a goth teen, or a more traditional magician, it’ll feel too similar.

All in all, ‘Abra Cadaver’ is just a plain enjoyable episode. It may have had a few more plotholes and unfinished ideas than usual, but the sheer amount of fun more than makes up for it. So while it might not compare to ‘Max Wager’, I still love this episode.

Also, “Zombie-wan Kenobi”, that was the best line… ever.

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REVIEW: “The Night Before” – Rogen’s latest is hilariously sweet R-rated holiday fun

Felix Albuerne

November 19, 2015

Time to add another selection to the list of “watch-them-every-year” holiday movies in your collection, but only if that collection is PG-13 and up. The Night Before is exactly what it looks like in its marketing: a buddy comedy adventure a la The Hangover from the folks that brought you This is the End and Knocked Up, all dressed up in tinsel and Santa colors, waiting under the mistletoe to give you a holiday kiss of laughter. But just because it is exactly what it looks like doesn’t mean it’s not enjoyable. On the contrary, it’s among Seth Rogen’s funniest comedic offerings in years, as it does what his best films have always done: make you laugh to the point where your face and belly hurt, while at the same time examining in a light and funny way very real and relatable truths about adult life.

For the past 10 years since his parents died in a car accident, Ethan (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) has spent Christmas with his two best buds, Isaac (Rogen) and Chris (Anthony Mackie), honoring a very specific set of madcap holiday traditions. But the trio now find themselves faced with the end of an era as each of their lives face big changes: Isaac and his wife Betsy (Jillian Bell, 22 Jump Street) are expecting their first child, while Chris has found success and fame as a pro football star, and so they recognize this as their ‘last hurrah’, the last time they will hit the streets of New York City on Christmas Eve and do their particular brand of Christmas crazy.

Part of that crazy has been seeking out the “Holy Grail” of NYC Christmas Parties, the legendary “Nutcracka Ball”, which every year is held in a secret location that has for the past decade eluded the intrepid trio’s every attempt to locate and crash it. But not so this time: With tickets to the party that he “happened upon” in hand, Ethan sets out with his fellow musketeers to fulfill the promise of their decade-long quest and thus make this Christmas the most memorable of them all. But what Ethan doesn’t know is that Isaac and Chris have thoughts of their own about what needs to happen that night aside from karaoke, toy store hijinks, and party crashing: an intervention of sorts for their friend, who they see as having gotten stuck at a point in the past and not able to move forward in life. Not an easy conversation to have, as they discover, especially when caught up in good times, holiday nostalgia, and all the unexpected mayhem that invariably finds them on this one night every year.

But with a little help from their high school pot dealer, Mr. Green (Michael Shannon), and run-ins with an ex-girlfriend, a scam artist, and a few celebrities, a Christmas miracle for the three friends begins to unfold, one that will help them begin a whole new Christmas tradition that will last for years to come … or result in Isaac divorced, Chris ostracized from his new bunch of football teammate buddies, and Ethan brokenhearted and beaten up by a pair of drunken Santas, among other less-than-ideal outcomes, or perhaps even all of the above.

If The Night Before establishes anything, it’s that Seth Rogen can be really, REALLY funny when he’s allowed to truly cut loose, as he is here. The freak-out Isaac experiences in the course of the evening thanks to intaking a variety of illicit substances, which director Jonathan Levine (50/50) helps audiences experience right along with Isaac through some truly inspired camera effects, easily earns the film’s biggest laughs, only a few of which are hinted in the film’s trailers. Watch for Isaac shooting a cell phone video for his future child shortly after inhaling far too much Bolivian Marching Powder, a very awkward text message and photo exchange that occurs due to his having gotten a hold of the wrong phone, and the vision of the future he glimpses after taking a toke from a very special joint provided by Mr. Green — those moments and quite a few others should very shortly be counted by fans as among Rogen’s funniest scenes on film to date.

But the drugged-out silliness is only about half of what makes The Night Before so enjoyable. There’s genuine warmth and heart here, thanks to Gordon-Levitt’s capable and credible delivery of an everyman stuck in a very familiar place in life for Millennials and many others: watching cherished friends move on with their lives in different directions, happy for them, yes, but also sad at the change and unsure of what direction, if any, their own lives might be headed in. Mackie, who has been a solid and welcome presence in a variety of films this past year, also brings depth and charisma to his work here, while also showing some serious comedic chops. The three leads together have an undeniable chemistry that powers the film through both its lighter and more serious moments, keeping you laughing while also also emotionally invested as the film progresses.

The supporting cast in The Night Before also deserves quite a bit of love, starting with Jillian Bell as Isaac’s loving, patient, and VERY understanding wife Betsy, who in her own way is responsible for sending Isaac out into the Christmas Eve night primed for debauchery. Also very funny here, although not departing too far from her sitcom persona, is “The Mindy Project“‘s Mindy Kaling, whose character bears the brunt of Isaac’s more out-of-control episodes while attempting to get her own holiday party groove on. And then there’s Michael Shannon, who after all the serious bad-guy and dramatic work he’s turned in over past few years perhaps was truly in need of working on something silly, and makes the most of the opportunity of the enigmatic and eccentric dope dealer Mr. Green. Shannon simply steals every one of the scenes he appears in by playing the intensity he’s become known for as a performer for laughs, and like almost everything else here, it just works.

So is The Night Before one of the year’s best? No, of course not. But it’s one of the best, if not THE best, comedic offerings of the season in theaters thus far, and in the years to come should prove pretty timeless as a grown-ups only holiday favorite. See it for yourself — if you’re not in the holiday spirit yet, you’ll most likely find yourself afterward a whole lot closer to it by the end, in addition to being slightly achy from laughing.

The Night Before
Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen, Anthony Mackie, Lizzy Caplan, Jillian Bell, Mindy Kaling, and Michael Shannon. Directed by Jonathan Levine.
Running Time: 101 minutes
Rated R for drug use and language throughout, some strong sexual content and graphic nudity.

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