Kung Fu Panda 3 (2016) Movie Review

Jack Black is back as Po who is both panda and, more importantly Dragon Master. Po faces his toughest foe yet as Kai has returned from the spirit realm to take the chi of all the kung fu masters. Not only that, but Po's biological father who he thought was lost forever has shown up all of a sudden. Throughout the movie there are some elements of extreme predictability but that's about the only thing that really detracted from the movie for me.

Everything else was great, about what you would expect from the Kung Fu Panda series. The world itself is so creative, but at the same time doesn't feel out of place. After all, if there's a panda that knows martial arts, why not a praying mantis? Or a master chicken? Side Note: Master Chicken? Hilarious...As a viewer, you buy into the quirkiness but it never stops being funny. In this third installment, there are so many little touches it took me watching the movie twice to notice. 

The movie is hilarious from start to finish and it all starts with our star Jack Black. His rendition of an awestruck, innocent panda that just wants to find his place in the world is spot on. He is the engine that has kept this franchise moving in the right direction and he helps bring it to a close quite nicely. While the voice-acting is stellar, the action never disappoints either. I'm a big fan of martial arts films when they are done well. Yes, this movie is animated, but I'm willing to bet a great deal of research went into fighting styles and how to capture them just right. Fighting + Funny = Job Well Done.

The thing this series has done better than everything is leave the audience with a positive message. Kung Fu Panda 3 is no exception. One quote for me in particular stands out: "If you only do what you can do, then you'll never be more than what you are right now." These films are not just kiddie cash grabbers. In large part, I feel they are meant to inspire and promote self-confidence. Kung Fu Panda is one of my favorite trilogies of all time with the third being the best installment. I give it a well-deserved 98.

Deadpool (2016) Movie Review

Among the numerous things that Guardians of the Galaxy did right was the way they seamlessly incorporated comedy into an action sci-fi film. The movie wasn't centered around being funny, but it was a beautifully added bonus. Deadpool succeeds in the same sense. The jokes are in abundance, but I was never railroaded, meaning I never felt like the movie was trying to be something it wasn't or that it was trying too hard. One minute you're laughing and the next your eyes are perked up in surprise. In a couple of instances, you'll be doing both simultaneously. I mean it when I say the movie grabs you from the opening credits right down to the final clips after the closing credits.

It's hugely successful in large part due to the awesome cast. Ryan Reynolds provided the perfect sarcasm and wit to play the role he screwed up in the first Wolverine movie. The humor goes without saying, but I have to give him his kudos for the more emotional parts as well. Reynolds wasn't alone in his great acting efforts. Colossus played by Stefan Kapicic was probably my second-favorite. He's a super strong mutant made entirely of metal that is essentially the yin to Deadpool's yang. Colossus is trying the entire movie to recruit Deadpool to the superhero side of things while Deadpool just continues to wreck shop. Their on-screen contrast reminds me of why I found the Rush Hour movies to be so entertaining. Karan Soni's character Dopinder was another on-screen personality that had me cracking up.

The action doesn't disappoint by any means. Deadpool is a mercenary with superior fighting skills and an ultra-fast healing ability very similar to that of Wolverine. Him taking damage while dishing it out leads to a lot of violence and a whole lot of blood. Think of it as John Wick meets Kill Bill. 

As I mentioned earlier, the movie packs a bit of heart, although maybe not quite as much as Guardians. You quickly come to hate the antagonist (for reasons you'll understand while viewing the film) and find yourself fully behind Deadpool's efforts to succeed as the story progresses. Deadpool is more than just a killer with a mouth, but there are emotional ties behind his madness that the viewer can appreciate.

When Wade Wilson contracts terminal cancer in multiple parts of his body, he agrees to an experiment as a last ditch effort that is not only supposed to cure him, but give him amazing abilities as well. But it comes at a cost...Enter Deadpool, the Merc With the Mouth. I thought about bringing my eleven-year-old son with me to the premiere, but, after watching it, I'm beyond glad I didn't. I knew from the trailers there was a strip club scene, but what I didn't expect was that...and that and...Well, you just have to go and check it out for yourself.

I do have one con and, honestly, it's my own fault more than anything. The marketing team for the movie did a lot of load-blowing in the trailer. Although there are still gobs of unseen funny parts to go around, I do wish they had saved as much as possible for the film. She me the calf now, I can see the thigh later. Small gripe for an otherwise amazing film. One of my favorite Marvel films yet. Mr. Pool, you get a 97.

Retro Review: Necessary Roughness (1991)

When a drug scandal tears down the made-for-film football team of Texas State, recruitment has take a step outside of the ordinary. The movie centers around thirty-four-year-old Paul Blake (Scott Bakula) who was a high school football star but walked away from the game when some personal things happened in his life. Blake still has some college eligibility left and guess who comes calling? The Texas State Armadillos.

The premise is pretty ridiculous and, as of 2016, been done at least five times that I can think of off the top of my head. The entire team gets cut. Bring in the scrubs. I know, it's supposed to be a comedy and I preach all the time about suspending your disbelief, but I can't let this slide without docking a few points. Flag on the play. I have an immense respect for professional athletes of all sports. It takes a tremendous amount of talent to be able to produce at such a high level. So, when I see random dudes just showing up on the field (some after being in hiatus for over a decade), it feels somewhat disrespectful to the Peyton Mannings and the Lebron James' of the world. At 39, even Peyton isn't the same player he used to be and that's after years of being on the field. But you mean to tell me that a has-been can just step on the field and ball out of his mind? Erroneous.

This probably all sounds like I hated the movie, but the joke's on you. At the end of the day, it does what it sets out to do: be funny. Guys like Rob Schneider and Sinbad provide great comic relief. Even a young Jason Bateman steps into his role well and helps with a few laughs.They give you a reason to root for this group of has-beens and never-will-be's.

Yes, it's been done before and yes it's very unbelievable. Throw all that to the side and you have a film with funny and a little bit of heart underneath. I give it an 81.

Anomalisa (2015) Movie Review

Anomalisa is an animated story about an aging self-help author by the name of Michael Stone (voiced by David Thewlis). Michael is in Cincinnati promoting his newest book and the audience gets to follow him on this journey as he deals with ghosts of his past, present, and future. Honestly, that's about as interesting as I can make it.

That was the biggest con I have by far: the movie just wasn't all that interesting. For whatever reason, almost every scene seems drawn out, way too long to provide any lasting intrigue. In one of the first scenes for example, Michael is in a cab on his way to his hotel. The scene consists of a conversation with the cab driver and nothing more. I'm not sure how long it lasted, but it was long enough for it to quickly lose appeal. I don't think directors Charlie Kaufman and Duke Johnson could have gotten away with this had this been a live-action movie.

The critics have given this movie rave reviews and I just don't quite see it. Maybe I need to watch it again, but the thought of sitting through those long scenes again just doesn't appeal to me in the least. I give Anomalisa a 30.

Speed Review: Get Hard (2015)

Forgettable. Reaching. Overdone. Those are some of the words I can think to describe a few of the scenes in Get Hard. For a comedy, I just didn't find it all that funny. It was one of those movies where I was glad I watched it, but I wouldn't be sad if I never saw it again. There is something that is missing that I'm still trying to put my finger on. Thinking about it, the film wasn't horrible by any means. Just...missing something. To wrap it up with a bow, we'll just say a lot of flat moments made the film stagnant.

It stars Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart. Ferrell's character James is about to go prison and, for the sake of survival, seeks out Darnell (Hart) to give him tips on how to make it in the big house. While the concept is seemingly funny and I did find myself laughing openly at a couple of parts, Get Hard comes up a little short. I give it a 72.

McSween's Magnificent Movies of 2015

At the time of me writing this, I still have yet to see Anomalisa, Chiraq, or The Hateful Eight. If any of those three make the list, I will go back and edit it. However, I did see quite a bit of movies in 2015 and, while I don't think it was quite as strong as 2014, there were plenty of great movie experiences. Here were my top ten for the year:



10. The Avengers 2: Age of Ultron (My Rating: 91)


9. The Revenant (91)

8. The Night Before (93)

7. Trainwreck (94)
     This is one of those rare comedies that you leave not having expected to laugh nearly as much as you did. Amy Shumer did a phenomenal job, but suprisingly so in the more dramatic scenes. It's a movie with heart that will manage to make you pee your pants.

6. The Gift (94)
     This movie wasn't on my radar at all for 2015, but the more trailers I saw, the more intrigued I became. The Rotten Tomatoes score put me over the top and I had to see it. So glad I did as it is one of the best thrillers I've seen in awhile. There's hardly any violence, but the suspense is still extremely thick. The ending is one you won't soon forget.

5. The Visit (95)


4. Dope (95)

3. Jurassic World (96)
     Jurassic Park was the movie that got me into both movies and writing. I entered this movie hoping for the best and got that and so much more. Action-packed, great cast, very memorable moments. There was a lot to like about this dinosaur-driven film, including Chris Pratt's awesome performance.

2. Inside Out (98)
     Pixar did it again. This movie centers around an eleven-year-old girl and her journey of emotions and thoughts. The concept is brilliant, but definitely something that could be easy to mess up. From beginning to end, this movie is a homerun.


1. Paddington (99)
     You were expecting The Force Awakens? Listen, I'm surprised as you right now. Going into the year, I didn't expect to fall in love with a bear in a corduroy coat, but I'm smitten. I almost wish that my number one choice was some artsy fartsy movie or some popular cash cow for the sake of sparing myself the embarrassment of having to explain why Paddington was numero uno in my heart for 2015. I loved the originality. It made me laugh from beginning to end. It never took itself too seriously, but it still managed to pack a lot of heart. What's not to love? Paddington, you had me at marmalade. You had me at marmalade.