This week as we prepare for Transformers: Age of Extinction, our movie poll is very simple. If there was a fight between Optimus Prime and Bumblebee, two very bad-ass Autobots, who would you take in the fight? They’re both pretty awesome and it’d be one heck of a fight, so who do you pick?
Vote now in the poll below and leave a comment as well!
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Director: James Gray
Writers: James Gray, Ric Menello
Stars: Marion Cotillard, Joaquin Phoenix, Jeremy Renner
Synopsis: In 1921, unfortunate circumstances drive newly arrived immigrant Ewa into a life of prostitution, and a complex, volatile relationship with two men – her conflicted pimp and his romantic cousin.
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DIRECTION
James Gray’s The Immigrant is visually beautiful, creating what appears to be a pseudo 1921 aesthetic full of dark colors that parallels the story presented here. Every shot is detailed and the camera work moves fluidly while being creative with his lighting choices. The last frame of the film is a fantastic money shot and it works extremely well…visually. However, the narrative that builds up to that moment isn’t quite as earned and reduces the potency it could’ve had. The premise of the story is a solid one but it feels as if Gray wasn’t sure what to do with the characters that was written for this film. He took the “Michael Bay” approach to this film; Focus on the visuals and let the characters and story come second. All in all though, not a terrible effort.
Grade: B-
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SCRIPT
The story begins with Ewa Cybulska (Marion Cotillard) and her sister Magda (Angela Sarafyan) in 1921, who have migrated to the United States from Poland looking for a new life. However, as they arrive at Customs, doctors hold Magda in quarantine, thinking she may have tuberculosis or some lung disease and have ordered Ewa to return to Poland. However, before she’s able to leave, she runs into Bruno Weiss (Joaquin Phoenix), who eventually pays off Customs police, so that she could stay with him in the U.S. illegally. Ewa eventually starts to work at the theater Bruno manages dancing provocatively and trying to earn a living. The theater is also a front for an illegal prostitution house, which Bruno forces Ewa into despite her resistance. You also see that it’s Bruno’s first choice either and inner conflict builds as he falls in love with Ewa. Ewa eventually meets Orlando the Magician (Jeremy Renner), who also falls in love with her and wants to give her a better life. As you can imagine, a three-way drama unfolds, which is intensified when you find out that Bruno and Orlando are cousins. The script’s premise is fine but the character’s lack the kind of emotional pull that this film really needed. The focus is lost toward the third act and some scenes even come off a bit goofy at times. The inner conflict of Ewa and Bruno is interesting but needed some further exploration.
Grade: C+
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RELATED: The Signal Movie Review
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PERFORMANCES
Marion Cotillard is incredible and nailed her character of Ewa. She’s scared and nervous, yet strong and motivated at the same time. Cotillard was able to navigate through her different languages fantastically and you believed every moment she was on screen. Phoenix was also great in his role, although it didn’t feel 1920’s but rather a great actor who’s fantastic at showcasing inner struggles and conflicts they may be going through. If there’s any criticism to Phoenix’s performance, it’s that it lacked the period piece aspect. Jeremy Renner on the other hand, is full out miscast for this role. He not only lacked the 1920’s aesthetic, but he wasn’t believable as this magician either. Renner is a great Hawkeye, and not to typecast him, but this isn’t him. The rest of the supporting cast is fine and work for the film as need be.
Grade: A-
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SCORE
Chris Spelman was nodded to score for The Immigrant, which is actually beautiful at times and adds some nice layers to the melodrama, which is a significant piece of the film. The score is as subtle as you’d want it to be here but absolutely serves the film okay enough.
Grade: B
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FINAL THOUGHTS
The Immigrant features some great performances from Cottilard and Phoenix and the visuals are gorgeous, but it’s not enough to elevate this film to any significance due to a muddled and overly melodramatic script. And the miscasting of Renner is pretty distracting as well. Again, the inner conflict of these characters was compelling on the surface but needed further exploration for the conviction to really hit hard. The film just didn’t quite have the emotional potency it was going for.
This week on the InSession Film Podcast, we reviewed the Clint Eastwood’s Jersey Boys, which is based off of the great musical of the same name. Musicals are not for everyone, but for those that do like them, there are a ton of great gems out there that made this Top 3 nearly impossible. It’s even more difficult when discussing specific numbers, given many movie musicals have several amazing songs that could’ve made our Top 3. However, we were up to the challenge and it was a really fun time revisiting a great element of film that we really enjoy.
That being said, which musical numbers from movies would make your list? Here are the one’s that made ours (Keep in mind we all have different criteria for our lists as well):
JD
1) Singin’ in the Rain – Singin’ in the Rain
2) Moulin Rouge! – Elephant Medley
3) Lion King – Can You Feel the Love Tonight
Brendan
1) Sound of Music – The Hills are Alive
2) Once – When Your Mind’s Made Up
3) Beauty and the Beast – Be our Guest
Brandi
1) Little Mermaid – Part of that World
2) Pocahontas – Colors of the Wind
3) Frozen – Let it Go
Honorable Mentions (Combined)
Many songs from these films – Rent, Grease, Wizard of Oz, Annie, Mary Poppins, Guys and Dolls, Team America: World Police, Mulan, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Les Miserables, Chicago, West Side Story, The Muppet Movie
Hopefully you guys enjoyed our lists and if you agree or disagree with us, let us know in the comment section below. There are about a billion other great songs that we didn’t cover that could’ve easily made our lists if not our honorable mentions. So that being said, what would be your Top 3? Leave a comment in the comment section or email us at [email protected].
For the entire podcast, click here or listen below.
For more lists done by the InSession Film crew and other guests, be sure see our Top 3 Movie Lists page.
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This week on the InSession Film Podcast, Brendan Cassidy co-hosts and Brandi Duran joins us as we review the latest film from Clint Eastwood, Jersey Boys, the behind-the-scenes story of The Four Seasons. Going off of that, we do what felt impossible and we discussed our Top 3 Musical Numbers from movie musicals, which was challenging, but also a lot of fun. And we also continue our Transformers Movie Series with our review/discussion/Q&A on Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. Normally we finish off the show with Films We’ve Seen This Week, however due to time, that segment will be on this week’s Bonus Content.
This week, Blake had the week off but he will be back next week when we review Transformers: Age of Extinction. Brendan is new to the main show, however, we’ve recently introduced him as our co-host to our Extra Film podcasts that you can hear every Friday. And a huge thank you as always to Brandi for joining us and she’s terrific as always. Also, be on the lookout for this week’s Extra Film where we review The Rover and The Immigrant.
Anyway, check it out and let us know what you think in the comment section below. Thanks for listening and thanks for supporting our podcast!
– Jersey Boys Movie Review (4:24)
Grades
JD: C
Brendan: C+
Brandi: B-
– Top 3 Musical Numbers (37:01)
Musicals are not for everyone, but for those that do like them, there are a ton of great gems out there that made this Top 3 nearly impossible. It’s even more difficult when discussing specific numbers, given many movie musicals have several amazing songs that could’ve made our Top 3. However, we were up to the challenge and it was a really fun time revisiting a great element of film that we really enjoy. That being said, what would be your Top 3?
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RELATED: Listen to Episode 69 of the InSession Film Podcast!
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– Transformers Movie Series – Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (1:09:34)
Grades
JD: D+ (critic); A (fan)
Brendan: B
Brandi: B-
Click here to see the rest of this Movie Series.
– Movies We’ve Seen This Week (Hear this segment on this week’s Bonus Content)
JD: Jersey Boys, How to Train Your Dragon, Saving Silverman, Valiant, The Immigrant, Fighter Squadron, Singin’ in the Rain, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Brendan: Jersey Boys, Trust Me, How to Train Your Dragon, Kill Bill
Brandi: Jersey Boys, 21 Jump Street, How to Train Your Dragon, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
– Music
Sherry – Jersey Boys
I’ll Make a Man Out of You – Donny Osmond
New Divide – Linkin Park
The Return of the Eagle – Atli Örvarsson
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InSession Film Podcast – Episode 70
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Main Review – Transformers: Age of Extinction
Top 3 – Movies of the Year (so far)
Movie Series – Transformers: Dark of the Moon
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For this week’s Movie News video, we discuss the latest rumors surrounding Matt Damon and his involvement in the fifth installment of the Bourne franchise as well as Rian Johnson who has been tapped to direct Star Wars: Episode VIII.
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The story of four young men from the wrong side of the tracks in New Jersey who came together to form the iconic 1960s rock group The Four Seasons. Jersey Boys is directed by Clint Eastwood and stars John Lloyd Young, Erich Bergen and Michael Lomenda among others.
This week on the InSession Film Podcast: Extra Film segment, we review the latest animated film from Dreamworks, How to Train Your Dragon 2, which is arguably the best animated sequel of all-time. Seriously. In the 2nd half of the show, we are joined by D.J. from Simplistic Reviews who helps us review the newest film from Clark Gregg, Trust Me. This was one of the funnest shows we’ve had all year and one you don’t want to miss!
D.J. is one of the funniest people we know and it’s always a pleasure having him on the show. Definitely be sure to go check out the Simplistic Reviews podcast. As a quick reminder, go check out Ep. 69 where we discuss 22 Jump Street and be on the look out for our next episode where we review Jersey Boys.
Anyway, we hope you have fun listening to this week’s Extra Film segment. Check out the show and let us know what you think in the comment section below. Hope you enjoy and thanks for listening!
– How to Train Your Dragon 2 Movie Review (2:50)
Grades
JD: A+
Brendan: A+
– Trust Me Movie Review (31:38)
Grades
JD: C
Brendan: C
D.J.: C
– Music
Dragon Racing – John Powell
Becoming Stars – Hans Zimmer
The Return of the Eagle – Atli Örvarsson
We try to make this the best movie podcast we possibly can and we hope you enjoy them. Subscribe on iTunes and Stitcher and please leave us a review on iTunes. You can also find us on Soundcloud and TuneIn Radio as well. We really appreciate all your support of the InSession Film Podcast
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How to Train Your Dragon 2, Trust Me – Extra Film
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Win FREE movie tickets to see Transformers: Age of Extinction!
Sure, the Transformers franchise has become a punchline for many, but they’ve also made over $2.5 billion, meaning a lot of people do love these movies. So, whether you loathe this franchise or love it, you may as well go see the new one for FREE, right? And you may as well admit it, deep down you want to see this film. The new cast looks awesome and the action will be a lot of fun.
So how do you win? It’s very easy. Here’s all you have to do:
1) Like us on Facebook or Follow us on Twitter
2) Leave us a review on iTunes.
It’s that simple. Once you follow us and leave us a review on iTunes, you will be qualified. If you already follow us and you’ve already left us a review, then no worries, you’re automatically entered into the contest!
Transformers: Age of Extinction comes out Friday, July 27th, and looks to be a lot of fun. Enter today!
Official Rules:
Must “Like” us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter. Must leave review on iTunes.
Winner will be randomly drawn from all legitimate contestants.
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Director: Clint Eastwood
Writers: Marshall Brickman (screenplay), Rick Elice (screenplay)
Stars: John Lloyd Young, Erich Bergen, Michael Lomenda
Synopsis: The story of four young men from the wrong side of the tracks in New Jersey who came together to form the iconic 1960s rock group The Four Seasons.
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INTRO
I had to see Jersey Boys because the song Can’t Take My Eyes Off You has helped me woo so many members of the female sex. Most movie goers will probably flock to see Think Like A Man Too this weekend and I hope that I can convince you that Jersey Boys is a worthwhile film. Clint Eastwood does a wonderful job transitioning the jukebox musical to the big stage by effectively using the characters strengths and balancing the on-screen and off-screen details of the Four Seasons.
DIRECTION
Eastwood is a great director and has directed one of my favorite films: Million Dollar Baby. He does a fantastic job of balancing the story between the main characters Frankie Valli and Tommy DeVito including the right amount of Bob and Nick’s background to keep the movie moving swiftly. Eastwood, along with cinematographer Tom Stern, saturate the colors onscreen in various scenes to accentuate the film’s feelings in that particular moment. Stern uses varied scenes of dark and bland colors to highly bright coloration in others to help us keep our focus where the film wants it and that particular moment. Perfect examples of every time the Four Seasons perform in the film the way the camera and lighting is set up is perfect to let the songs shine. Since this was originally a musical, the narratives in the film could have been deleted and it worked in some cases and other cases it simply didn’t work.
Grade: B
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SCRIPT
Jersey Boys is the full length VH1 behind-the-music about the Broadway Musical of the same name, which tells the rise and fall of The Four Seasons. The film starts off with an introduction to Tommy Devito (Vincent Piazza), a small time criminal with an eye for talent. Devito has a group that changes members and names faster than the Spurs scored points on the Heat. Devito finds his Angel amongst the stars in Franki Valli (John Lloyd Young), the young 16 year old with a voice that will steal away any man’s woman. Valli and Devito are joined by Nick Massi (Michael Lomenda). The three struggle to find a name for themselves until they are introduced to songwriter Bob Gaudio (Erich Bergen), where things start looking up from there. As the Four Seasons become more successful, some things never change and the film beautifully tells the demise of the Four Seasons. Whether it be a book or a play it is difficult to translate stories into a film but the script written by Marshall Brickman & Rick Elice resulted in a successful rendition. The only issue I had was I felt that in the films running time they failed to mention any other groups that may have been challenging them for success and also why The Four Seasons deserve to be acknowledged the first place. I was not born in this time so I have no idea why they got a musical and a feature-film but nevertheless as a film it told the story it needed to.
Grade: A
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RELATED: The Signal Movie Review
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PERFORMANCES
The performances are another bright spot in this film and John Lloyd Young played Valli very well, credit him playing the same role in the musical. Christopher Walken was great as usual as the laid-back Gyp DeCarlo. Mike Doyle was standout as Bob Crewe and provided some great unsuspected comedy. Vincent Piazza played a convincing Devito and had that swag the character needed. There were a lot of characters in this film and everyone for the most part fully utilized their moments on set.
Grade: B
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SCORE
When you use great songs such as Sherry, Big Girls Don’t Cry and Walk like a Man in a film, than of course you get a 4.0. However, to maintain the A is always a hard thing to do and the film drops down in points for a failed attempt to work the songs into the main plot. One particular scene, Fankie Valli is singing, My Eyes Adored You to his young daughter Francine. Singing a song about a childhood crush to your daughter is very creepy and it caught me by surprise. Despite this the rest of the compositions were fun and engaging, especially the final number.
Grade: A
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FINAL THOUGHTS
Jersey Boys is up against some tough competition in THINK LIKE A MAN TOO, but if you want a nice-clean film that is beautifully shot and heard than it is worth checking out. I have no idea how this compares to the musical but from a film stand point I thought it was enjoyable and will make for a great date night movie. Do not fall for the Kevin Hart syndrome and flock to see THINK LIKE A MAN TOO. Jersey Boys is the best choice this weekend.
Director: Micheal Bay
Writers: Roberto Orci (screenplay), Alex Kurtzman (screenplay)
Stars: Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel
Synopsis: An ancient struggle between two Cybertronian races, the heroic Autobots and the evil Decepticons, comes to Earth, with a clue to the ultimate power held by a teenager.
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INTRO
Let me begin this by saying that Transformers was a huge part of my childhood and that I’m fully aware that I’m one of 4 people that like this franchise. That being said, these reviews aren’t about fandom and I will be fair to them.
DIRECTION
Michael Bay, love him or hate him, is good at making popcorn movies that are fun. Sure, his films never have any depth to them, but that’s never his goal either. Transformers fits snugly into that category as well. Bay, as always, is excellent with action set pieces and creating an aesthetic that is intense, fun and nostalgic for those that were fans of the original series. He also wastes no time getting into it. It’s not even three minutes into the story before we see our first Transformer transform and create chaos, which was well handled. However, Bay’s comedic timing throughout the film is terrible and it doesn’t blend well into the narrative or action. And while the action is great, the shaky cam effect is troubling at times and can lose some people. All in all, Bay delivers a fun action movie that is arguably the best of the trilogy.
Grade: B
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SCRIPT
While Bay get’s a lot of crap over the script for these films, tis not forget this was written by Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman. The film opens with a group of soldiers in Afghanistan who are soon visited by an unidentified aircraft, which turns out to be the Decepticon Blackout. He soon wreaks havoc and the world is introduced to a new threat they’ve never seen before. Back in the U.S., we meet Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf), a high school teenager who’s looking to buy a new car so he can meet the girl of his dreams, Mikaela (Megan Fox). Well, the car he buys happens to be the Autobot Bumblebee, who’s been looking after Sam, who unknowingly has an ancient artifact that will help save mankind. The story is rather simple and easy to follow, however, hardcore lovers of original Transformers mythology will probably struggle. Some of the narrative takes goofy turns with unfocused results, but when the attention is on the Autobots and the action around them, it’s more than serviceable. The human characters are mostly terrible and needed a lot of re-writes, but hey, who watches Transformers for human characters? Am I right?
Grade: B-
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RELATED: The Royal Tenenbaums Movie Series Review
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PERFORMANCES
Peter Cullen is the man. There is only one voice for Optimus Prime and it’s Cullen. He was perfect and everytime he spoke, nostalgia hit me like a semi-truck (see what I did there?). Shia LaBeouf, like Bay, gets a lot of negative criticism for these films as well. However, Sam represents the main human character of the original series, which was a little kid, and LaBeouf personifies that really well. People may not like him, but given how Sam was written, he was a great casting choice for the role. Megan Fox, in her first big role, is very hit or miss. She has some good moments but it doesn’t take a prominent movie critic to tell that she has some very amateur moments. Josh Duhamel and Tyrese Gibson aren’t terrible and have some pretty good chemistry together as well. Their characters are pretty one dimensional but they suffice in the roles. If you like over-the-top characters, then you’ll love John Turturro, who really goes for it as Agent Simmons. Rachael Taylor needs to do more work and who doesn’t like Anthony Anderson? Both were pretty fun on screen. All that said, the person that steals every scene she’s in is Julie White. She is absolutely perfect for that character. Her comedic gags are one of the few that works really well.
Grade: B
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SCORE
Where do I even begin? Steve Jablonsky’s score for Transformers is absolutely gorgeous. For me, this is easily the best score since Jurassic Park. The main theme is beautiful as Jablonsky orchestrates his strings flawlessly. The vocal work is impeccable and blends so well with the rest of the elements. The entire score is perfect and extremely fun to listen to outside of the movie, especially for those that liked the film. The track Arrival to Earth perhaps elevate that scene in the film to the best in the entire trilogy. It’s absolutely wonderful and criminally underrated.
Grade: A+
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FINAL THOUGHTS
Transformers fits well into the category of “fun action movie with a lot of flaws.” The rivalry between Bumblebee and Barricade is fun as well as the big fight sequences at the end. The final monologue from Optimus Prime is beautifully written and you got to love Cullen’s voice performance. The film does have a lot of issues, but if you can get past them, it’s a good time.
Hazel and Gus are two teenagers who share an acerbic wit, a disdain for the conventional, and a love that sweeps them on a journey. Their relationship is all the more miraculous given that Hazel’s other constant companion is an oxygen tank, Gus jokes about his prosthetic leg, and they met and fell in love at a cancer support group. The Fault in Our Stars is directed by Josh Boone and stars Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort.
For our Ep. 69 Bonus Content, we discuss how awesome May was at the theater, which was surprising and just a lot of fun. Everything big from The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and Godzilla to smaller films like Chef and Locke, were just really great. It wasn’t a perfect month but for the most part, it was still very enjoyable. We also discuss the very new trailers for Dumb and Dumber To and The Interview, which looks like a lot of fun.
To buy this item and support our podcast, click here. As we mention on our Bonus Content page, while the buying of these bonus podcast segments helps support the show, they will now be available for free listening as well. Either way, we appreciate your support and thanks for listening!
Director: William Eubank
Writers: Carlyle Eubank, William Eubank (story)
Stars: Brenton Thwaites, Olivia Cooke, Beau Knapp
Synopsis: On a road trip, Nic and two friends are drawn to an isolated area by a computer genius. When everything suddenly goes dark, Nic regains consciousness – only to find himself in a waking nightmare.
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DIRECTION
The Signal is a weird science-fiction story that was probably written backwards because the final shot is a thing of beauty and everything the film does is used to set up that moment no matter what. The way the film progresses, felt like writer-director William Eubank and co-writers Carlyle Eubank and David Frigerio, were struggling finding a way to get to the huge climax. The Signal leaves the viewer with two options: You can sit back and watch the story untold or you can try to solve the mystery before the characters do. Both viewpoints will leave you disappointed because the film takes a turn for the worse in the middle. Despite the stellar performances by Brenton Thwaites, Olivia Cooke, and Beau Knapp, I am afraid nothing could have saved the second phase of the film. However, the special effects in this movie somewhere have James Cameron smiling. This is clearly the best thing about the film. Every scene in The Signal is depicted well and will blow you away visually.
Grade: C
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SCRIPT
The film begins with a road trip, following three college friends as they drive across the country to California. Haley (Olivia Cooke) is transferring to Caltech, a move that her boyfriend Nick (Brenton Thwaites), is choosing to read as a breakup. Nick has early stages of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and becomes distant to Haley because he thinks she will breakup with him when his disease becomes worse. During the awkward pilgrimage, the students receive taunting texts from Nomad, a skilled hacker whose previous pranks nearly got them expelled from MIT. Jonah (Beau Knapp), the geeky third wheel along for the ride, traces the stranger’s IP address to a secluded outpost in Nevada. One detour and a close encounter later, right out of a Paranormal Activity scene, Nick wakes up to find himself in quarantine, the unwilling test subject of hazmat-wearing scientists. As things develop, Nick suspects that the mysterious leader Damon (Laurence Fishburne), is hiding something. Part of the fun in this film is letting the events play out on their own, so without going into any specific plot details, I will say that the writing trio does do a terrific job of keeping you interested through short but concrete narratives and stunning visuals and great acting. One of the best scenes in this film comes from a brief encounter with Lin Shaye’s character Mirabelle. One of the redeeming qualities of this film is the way the characters interact with each other because the movie offers large set designs with very few people in it so it is up to the actors to fill the empty spaces. If it was not for the way the story shifts in the middle, this could be an A film.
Grade: C
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RELATED: 22 Jump Street Movie Review
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PERFORMANCES
If you do not know who Brenton Thwaities is, then you will after this year as he has five films coming up this year. Thwaities last seen briefly in Maleficient, was also the star opposite of Karen Gillian in Oculous. Thwaities is the main focus here as Nick Eastman and the results are for better than I expected. The beautiful Olivia Cooke who was the lone bright spot in The Quiet Ones, again did a stellar job here as Haley. Cooke has that natural ability to display her emotions through her eyes and body language. Laurence Fishburne as the lead researcher Damon, did a remarkable job shielding his motives behind an unnervingly ambivalent demeanor.
Grade: A
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SCORE
Composer Nima Fakharara has a score that isn’t that memorable but it serves the intensity of the film and fills the space nicely. It’s never distracting and let’s your focus stay where it needs to be, especially if you’re working hard figuring out the narrative aspects.
Grade: B
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FINAL THOUGHTS
If you want to watch a great movie this weekend, and it’s playing in your area, check out The Signal because it showcases brilliant young talent with a unique and engaging story.
This weekend on the podcast, we will be discussing Clint Eastwood’s new film, Jersey Boys, based off of the Broadway musical. Regardless of whether you’ve seen the Broadway play, Eastwood has garnered some major respect over the years and perhaps that plays into your expectations of the movie. Maybe you just like musicals in general and that’s the reason you’re interested. Either way, we’d like to get your input on what you think Jersey Boys and what it will be.
So finish this sentence: Clint Eastwood’s Jersey Boys will be…(vote below!)
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This week on the InSession Film Podcast, we reviewed the very funny film 22 Jump Street, so going off of that we decided to discuss our favorite buddy cop movies. This genre has really solidified itself over the last 30 years or so and in some cases, it’s even become a punchline for some stereotypes. Either way, a lot of films in the genre are just a lot of fun and you can’t help but like them. On this week’s show, we break em all down and go over some of our favorites.
That being said, which movies would make your list? Here are the one’s that made ours (Keep in mind we all have different criteria for our lists as well):
JD
1) Hot Fuzz
2) Bad Boys (1 and 2)
3) Die Hard with a Vengeance
Blake
1) Lethal Weapon
2) Tango and Cash
3) The Other Guys
Matt
1) Hot Fuzz
2) Se7en
3) End of Watch
Honorable Mentions (Combined)
Men In Black, 48 Hrs, Beverly Hills Cop, The Guard, Rush Hour, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Training Day, Canadian Bacon, Super Troopers, Armed and Dangerous
Hopefully you guys enjoyed our lists and if you agree or disagree with us, let us know in the comment section below. I’m sure we missed some other good films, so let us know. What would be your Top 3? Leave a comment in the comment section or email us at [email protected].
For the entire podcast, click here or listen below.
For more lists done by the InSession Film crew and other guests, be sure see our Top 3 Movie Lists page.
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This week on the InSession Film Podcast, Matt Oakes from Silver Screen Riot joins us once again as we review 22 Jump Street starring Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill. Going off of that we discuss our Top 3 Buddy Cop Movies, which led to a lot of arguing as you’d expect from that genre. And with Transformers: Age of Extinction coming out soon, we started our Transformers Movie Series with our review of the first Transformers, which has garnered a lot of negative criticism over the years. All in all, we had a very fun show!
Big thanks to Matt for stepping in as our guest this week and definitely be sure to check out his reviews, which are always worth checking out. Be sure to stay tuned for this week’s Bonus Content where Blake and JD discuss how much fun May was at the box office as well as a few new trailers that were worth bringing up. Also, for our Extra Film this week, we will review How to Train Your Dragon 2 and Trust Me, so be on the lookout for that.
Anyway, check it out and let us know what you think in the comment section below. Thanks for listening and thanks for supporting our podcast!
– 22 Jump Street Movie Review (6:20)
Grades
JD: B+
Blake: A-
Matt: A-
– Top 3 Buddy Cop Movies (30:54)
This week for our Top 3, in the spirit of 22 Jump Street, we decided to discuss our favorite buddy cop movies. This genre has really solid itself over the last 30 years or so and in some cases, it’s even become a punchline for some stereotypes. Either way, a lot of films in the genre are just a lot of fun and we break em all down on this week’s show. That being said, what would be your Top 3?
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RELATED: Listen to Episode 68 of the InSession Film Podcast!
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– Transformers Movie Series: Transformers (56:19)
Grades
JD: B- (critic); A (fan)
Blake: C+
Matt: D
– Movies We’ve Seen This Week (1:22:37)
JD: 22 Jump Street, Transformers, Trust Me, Le Week-End, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, The Guard, Momento, Tango and Cash, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, How to Train Your Dragon 2
Blake: 22 Jump Street, Transformers
Matt: 22 Jump Street, How to Train Your Dragon 2, The Rover, Snowpiercer, They Came Together, 2 Days in Pars, 2 Days in New York
– Music
Live Forever – Travis Barker, Juicy J, Liz
Men in Black – Will Smith
Arrival to Earth – Steve Jablonsky
Dragon Racing – John Powell
The Return of the Eagle – Atli Örvarsson
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InSession Film Podcast – Episode 69
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Next week on the show:
Main Review – Jersey Boys
Top 3 – Musical Numbers in Movies
Movie Series – Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
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Director: Dean DeBlois
Writers: Dean DeBlois, Cressida Cowell (“How to Train Your Dragon” book series)
Stars: Jay Baruchel, Cate Blanchett, Gerard Butler
Synopsis: When Hiccup and Toothless discover an ice cave that is home to hundreds of new wild dragons and the mysterious Dragon Rider, the two friends find themselves at the center of a battle to protect the peace.
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DIRECTION
What Dean DeBlois was able to do with the first How to Train Your Dragon was just incredible and has become big favorite of mine since then. There was some huge expectations for How to Train Your Dragon 2 and boy did Deblois deliver. The aerial shots of Hiccup and Toothless are just fascinating and absolutely beautiful. The aesthetic they create is very similar to the first film and the animation is just impeccable. There’s a compelling blend of characterization and action that DeBlois handles flawlessly in this series. He also handles the dark moments of the film really well too, which does get a bit deep for some youngsters, but serves the story so well. Everything from the story to the animation to the music came together for a full and rich experience.
Grade: A+
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SCRIPT
The story picks up not far after the events of the first How to Train Your Dragon, where dragons have fully integrated into the society of Berk, including dragon races that look like a ton of fun. Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) is on the verge of being appointed Chief of Berk (the next King essentially), but he doesn’t feel like it’s something for him. He likes to fly with Toothless and be on adventures. Hiccup, while flying on Toothless, find a new spot of land that is something they haven’t seen before. They discover that an evil is lurking, which they discover to be this menacing Dragon Master, Drago, who will kill for nothing. Hiccup feels it’s his duty to find Drago before he comes to Berk, but while flying he runs into a mysterious dragon rider that will change his life forever. Some of the story here gets a little convenient, however it’s potent in its’ presentation and even gets pretty emotional. The climax is nothing short of amazing, even more emotion and robust storytelling. This is one both parents and kids will love.
Grade: A
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RELATED: 22 Jump Street Movie Review
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PERFORMANCES
Jay Baruchel is really great as Hiccup and fully embodies that persona of a young man who’s trying to find himself, especially within this world. His interactions with his family and with toothless are just incredible. Gerard Butler is perfect as Stoick. Anytime Butler gets to use his natural accent is okay with me and he was the quintessential voice for this role. This isn’t Cate Blanchett’s best work but it’s absolutely serviceable and works well in the films most intimate moments. Craig Ferguson didn’t have a ton to do, but was magnetic when his character was there. Jonah Hill, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, America Ferrera, Kristen Wiig, T.J. Miller and Kit Harington offer small supporting roles that were mostly used as comedic devices.
Grade: A
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SCORE
John Powell was born to score the How to Train Your Dragon series. His score for the first film is one of the best and emotional scores you’ll hear for an animated film. His score here is no different and elevates every part of the film. It’s gorgeous and captivating, especially when the film gets sentimental. The action sequences are fun and intense, which Powell works magically with his full orchestra. Go listen to this score. You’ll thank me later.
Grade: A+
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FINAL THOUGHTS
There were a lot of expectations for How to Train Your Dragon 2 and it did not disappoint. Every time we see Hiccup flying on Toothless, it’s riveting and makes me want to do that so bad. The film is just as emotional and engaging as the first one, with a climax that’s just as powerful. I cannot recommend this film more highly.
