100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 126: Why Him?

Director: John Hamburg
Genre: Comedy
Runtime: 111 minutes
Year: 2016
Starring: Bryan Cranston, James Franco, Zoey Deutch, Megan Mullally, Keegan-Michael Key, Cedric the Entertainer

Description: A holiday gathering threatens to go off the rails when Ned Fleming (Bryan Cranston) realizes that his daughter's (Zoey Deutch) Silicon Valley millionaire boyfriend (Jame Franco) is about to pop the question.

Review: Ned and Barb are being invited to spend the holidays with their daughter Stephanie. Once they arrive, they meet her new boyfriend Laird, who isn’t exactly the ideal son in law.
“Why Him?” is a pretty funny comedy, directed by John Hamburg. A father meeting his daughter’s new boyfriend isn’t a new concept, but the cast makes it better then you would expect. I think James Franco is very funny, but his personal assistant (played by Keegan-Michael Key) steals the show in his scenes.
“Why Him?” doesn’t work all the time. Bryan Cranston doesn’t really shine and some of the jokes are a bit distasteful. It’s a comedy that will entertain you while having a lazy day on the couch. Funny yet missing the mark sometimes.

Rating: 3/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 163: Stealing Harvard

Director: Bruce McCulloch
Genre: Comedy/ Crime
Runtime: 85 minutes
Year: 2002
Starring: Jason Lee, Leslie Mann, Tom Green, Dennis Farina, Megan Mullally, John C. McGinley, Richard Jenkins, Martin Starr, Chris Penn

Description: A middle-class man (Jason Lee) turns to a life of crime in order to finance his niece's first year at Harvard University.

Review: The plot for “Stealing Harvard” is as simple as the film itsel. John once made a primuse to us niece, that if she ever got accepted to college, he would pay for it. When the time arrives, he just got the that money. But he is about to marry his fiancée and buy a house. To keep his promise to his niece, he asks his loser friend Duff for help.
The film isn’t as bad as I would think, especially since it stars Tom Green. Jason Lee plays a likeable character, somewhat reminding me of his character Earl in “My Name is Earl”. Some other supporting roles are for Leslie Mann, Megan Mullally and John C. McGinley, which are fun as well. Tom Green is, as always, over the top and not that funny. At least I don’t find his humor that laughable.
It’s okay, the movie is easy to sit through, but also pretty forgettable.

Rating: 2,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 94: Hotel Transylvania 2

Director: Genndy Tartakovsky
Genre: Animation/ Comedy/ Fantasy/ Adventure
Runtime: 89 minutes
Year: 2015
Starring: Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, Selena Gomez, Kevin James, Steve Buscemi, David Spade, Keegan-Michael Key, Fran Drescher, Molly Shannon, Megan Mullally, Nick Offerman, Dana Carvey, Rob Riggle, Mel Brooks, Chris Kattan, Jon Lovitz

Description: Dracula (Adam Sandler) and his friends try to bring out the monster in his half human, half vampire grandson in order to keep Mavis (Selene Gomez) from leaving the hotel.

Review: A couple of years ago Sony brought us “Hotel Transylvania”, not one of the best animations, but successful and very enjoyable. And because the young audience liked it, the inevitable happened: a sequel.
At the end of “Hotel Transylvania” hotel ownder Dracula realizes that he has to let his daughter go and let her live her own life. In this second film, it looks like he has taken a step back. Mavis marries Johnny and together they have a son. Dracula doesn’t want little Dennis to grow up in the ‘normal’ world, but as a monster.
The opening of the film is a bit rushed, a lot happens in the first half hour. The film is beautifully animated and has some really good jokes. And although “Hotel Transalvania 2” is entertaining, it brings us nothing really new or memorable.

Rating: 2,5/ 5