20s Movie Review - Thunder Force

Director: Ben Falcone
Genre: Action/ Science Fiction/ Comedy
Runtime: 106 minutes
Year: 2021
Starring: Melissa McCarthy, Octavia Spencer, Jason Bateman, Melissa Leo, Bobby Cannavale, Pom Klementieff
Description: In a world where supervillains are commonplace, two estranged childhood best friends (Octavia Spencer, Melissa McCarthy) reunite after one devises a treatment that gives them powers to protect their city.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2025 MOVIE CHALLENGE
WEEK 35: A FILM WITH OCTAVIA SPENCER
 
Review: Director Ben Falcone has his wife, actress Melissa McCarthy, star in his films pretty regularly. No matter if their movies are a hit or miss, they continue to work together. This time, they combine their forces for “Thunder Force”. McCarthy plays Lydia, who accidentally gains superpowers. And now, together with her estranged best friend from school she is trying to fight the villains, the so-called Miscreants, in their city.

This movie is not good. In any case, it’s not Melissa McCarthy’s fault. She has the timing and talent to turn any half-baked idea into something that can pass for mildly amusing. Octavia Spencer also delivers an excellent performance as the brilliant but introverted friend Emily. However, there is little chemistry between the two. They don’t feel like two women who grew up together and have a close bond despite all the tension. A palpable friendship is exactly what this film needs the most.

“Thunder Force” contains superhero clichés. And clichés don’t bother me when done well, but that’s not the case for this film. Parents who must be avenged, strange names for alter egos, having to learn to control one’s powers. And little humor is drawn from this. At best, there are a few funny moments. Half-baked funny ideas that are not very well developed.

I could have gone along with it, if it was some sort of parody film. But whenever something ridiculous does appear, it seems out of place. Like Jason Bateman’s characters, called The Crab. He has crab claws instead of hands, which does indeed look laughable, but its mainly strange and not funny. As it’s clearly intended to be.

What remains is a predictable action comedy, with few jokes.

Rating: 2/ 5

Movie Review - The Little Mermaid

Director: Rob Marshall
Genre: Adventure/ Family/ Musical/ Fantasy
Runtime: 135 minutes
Year: 2023
Starring: Halle Bailey, Jonah Hauer-King, Melissa McCarthy, Javier Bardem, Noma Dumezwemi, Jacob Tremblay, Awkwafina, Daveed Diggs
 
Description: A young mermaid (Halle Bailey) makes a deal with a sea witch (Melissa McCarthy) to trade her beautiful voice for human legs so she can discover the world above water and impress a prince (Jonah Hauer-King)

Review: Disney know how to create a successful animation. Turning these same animated movies into live-action flicks has not been as successful. There have been a few hits, but I can say that “The Little Mermaid” is not really one of them.

Even though the choice of Halle Bailey as Ariel was unacceptable according to many fans, she does a good job. She has a beautiful singing voice and manages to give Ariel more character than the animated version. Melissa McCarthy as Ursula the sea witch also deserves some kudos, she was chosen perfectly. Javier Bardem on the other hand, playing Ariel’s father, really has no idea what to do with his character.
It's a live-action film, with of course use of a lot of CGI, but it still feels too animated for my liking. And it’s the underwater scenes. They could have made it more realistic.

I really do like the fact that they gave Prince Eric more substance and a background. But the fact that Ariel is in love with him after only seeing him once is still strange.

I do think there are worse Disney live-action films, but “The Little Mermaid” is just okay for me.

Rating: 3/ 5

00s Movie Review - The Life of David Gale

Director: Alan Parker
Genre: Drama/ Crime/ Thriller
Runtime: 130 minutes
Year: 2003
Starring: Kevin Spacey, Kate Winslet, Laura Linney, Gabriel Mann, Matt Craven, Rhona Mitra, Jim Beaver, Melissa McCarthy

Description: A man (Kevin Spacey) against capital punishment is accused of murdering a fellow activist and is sent to death row.

Review: David Gale is an ardent opponent of the death penalty. From his position as a renowned professor, he reaches quite a few people with his message. To this end, he is also a member of the non-profit organization Death Watch. One day, however, circumstances throw a spanner in the works. Gale is accused of raping and murdering his fellow activist Constance Harraway and ends up on death row himself. Three days before his execution, Gale agrees to an exclusive interview with reporter Elizabeth “Bitsey” Bloom. Bitsey soon learns that there is more to the assignment than she had imagined and that this man’s life is in her hands. Risking her life, she makes frantic efforts to piece together the shocking events surrounding the murder before it’s too late.
The death penalty has been a hot topic of political and social debate for decades, particularly in the United States. This is one of the few countries where the death penalty is still actively practiced. “The Life of David Gale” unmistakably has a political message and its position is against. However, this is not thrown in your face. The film is not a political pamphlet. The message is cleverly integrated into the overall narrative.
Kevin Spacey plays the titular David Gale and was third choice after George Clooney and Nicolas Cage. In retrospect, this is a stroke of luck, as Spacey is convincing and intense as ever. He puts down a layered character, keeping you in the dark for a very long time about his morals, motives and what exactly happened. Kate Winslet must meet a high bar to reach this level, but this experienced actress certainly holds her own. She is a bit more one-dimensional and less colorful than Spacey, but Spacey character simply gets more room to explore. After all, in the end, everything revolves around David Gale and the other characters are the extras needed to shape the whole thing. For a thriller, it is important that it is exciting. “The Life of David Gale” surely succeeds at that. The journey is just as important as the destination, but that twist is really good. As a thriller, the film doesn’t really excel cinematically. But because of the strong cast and overall story, the film is one to remember.

Rating: 3/ 5

Movie Reviews - Can You Ever Forgive Me?

Director: Marielle Heller
Genre: Drama/ Comedy
Runtime: 109 minutes
Year: 2018
Starring: Melissa McCarthy, Richard E. Grant, Dolly Wells, Ben Falcone, Jane Curtin

Description: When writer Lee Israel (Melissa McCarthy) falls out of step with current taste, she turns her art form to deception.

Review: Author Lee Israel called it her best work: the letters that got her arrested. To get by, Israel sold letters from famous writers like Noël Coward, Dorothy Parker and Ernest Hemmingway. She wrote them herself, on old typewriters, in the style of the sender. And she did it well, that even highly trained literary collectors didn’t see they were forged. She eventually managed to sell around 400 letters.
Israel had some success in the seventies and eighties, with two well received biographies. After her book about Estée Lauder didn’t become a bestselling novel, writer’s block hit her right in the face. And she lost total grace in the literary world. But this was also her character. Israel was a complex and difficult to deal with woman. A mundane job was not for her. When she hit rock bottom, forging letters was her way out.
It took her a year and a half to be discovered by the FBI. “Can You Ever Forgive Me?” is based on Israel’s memoires, and shows how she worked. But most of all how pigheaded, weary and witty she actually was. It’s an alluring portrait of an anything but alluring woman. And she isn’t your typical main character, definitely not as a woman. That the film makers decided not to make her more sympathetic, is a very bold move. But it works very well because of it.
Melissa McCarthy is mostly known for her comedy roles and she often is very over the top. But in “Can You Ever Forgive Me” she is admirably modest. And because they don’t put the focus on the laughs, the jokes work better and Israel’s harrowing loneliness is more perceptible. Richard E. Grant plays Jack Hock, a similar type of outcast who befriends Israel. And his performance is super strong as well. Both actors were nominated for an Academy Award for their roles.
Touching moments and harsh humor vary and the film is wonderfully crafted.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

10s Movie Review - The Happytime Murders

Director: Brian Henson
Genre: Action/ Comedy
Runtime: 91 minutes
Year: 2017
Starring: Melissa McCarthy, Elizabeth Banks, Maya Rudolph, Leslie David Baker, Joel McHale, Cynthy Wu, Michael McDonald, Mitch Silpa, Hemky Madera, Brennan Spens, Ryan Tran, Fortune Feimster, Bill Barretta

Description: When the puppet cast of a '90s children's TV show begin to get murdered one by one, a disgraced LAPD detective-turned-private eye puppet (Bill Barretta) takes on the case.

Review: In “The Happytime Murders”, the Sesamestrees and Muppet-like puppets lose their innocence. With this comedy, Brian Henson seems to rebel against his father Jim Henson’s legacy. Jim Henson was the mastermind behind “Sesamestreet”, “The Muppet Show” and “Fraggle Rock”. Brian Henson used them for a more adult themed film in “The happytime Murders”, where we see a parody of the film noir detectives like “Chinatown” or “L.A. Confidential”. A promising idea, but cringing humor.
Where in “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” people lived in the same world as cartoon characters , puppets live together with people in “The Happytime Murders”. Puppets have the same rights as people, but are treated like second-hand citizens. Phil Philips was the first puppet cop hired by the L.A.P.D., but due to an incident he got fired. Since then he is working as a private detective, had a drinking problem and can’t seem to leave the past behind him. When a serial killer is out there murdering the cast of the former TV show ‘The Happytime Gang’, Phil is forced to work together with his former (human) partner Edwards.
From the first minute it’s clear it’s not a normal muppet-like film. Especially when Philips has to visit a sex shop for his first case. It causes hilarity. At first. But very early on in the movie, it falls into juvenile and cringeworthy jokes.
I really loved this concept and I was looking forward to seeing this film. But it only manages to meet my expectations in the first 15 minutes. It’s all downhill from there.

Rating: 1,5 / 5

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 100: Ghostbusters

Director: Paul Feig
Genre: Comedy/ Action/ Science Fiction
Runtime: 116 minutes
Year: 2016
Starring: Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones, Chris Hemsworth, Ed Begley Jr., Bill Murray, Andy Garcia, Cecily Strong, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Sigourney Weaver, Steve Higgins, Zach Woods, Charles Dance

Description: Following a ghost invasion of Manhattan, paranormal enthusiasts Erin Gilbert (Kristen Wiig) and Abby Yates (Melissa McCarthy), nuclear engineer Jillian Holtzmann (Kate McKinnon), and subway worker Patty Tolan (Leslie Jones) band together to stop the otherworldly threat.

Review: The movie got a lot of negative critique, even before the movie was released. A new “Ghostbusters” movie with an all-female cast. Director Paul Feig never intended to do a remake or to copy the eighties version of the film. This movie breathes new life into the concept. In 2016 Venkman, Stanz, Spengler and Zeddmore never existed. Bill Murray even has a small cameo as a scientist that doesn’t believe in ghosts. The Ghostbusters from the 1984 and 1989 movies are not a part of Feig’s universe.
Physicist Erin Gilbert is trying to make a career at a prestigious university, but is reminded of the book she once wrote with her friend Abby Yates. A book about ghosts. Abby is still seriously investigating the paranormal, with her engineer friend Jillian Holtzmann. When there is a ghost sighting in the city, the three check it out and realize that they were right all along. When also Patty Tolan joins them, who knows a lot about the city, the four women get an office, hire the very dumb secretary Kevin and try to catch ghosts for a living.
The plot is not that different from the original film. The story is a bit bland. But the film is supposed to be a comedy. And it is a really funny film, all thanks to the great women. Melissa McCarthy is really on a roll with both physical and verbal humor. Kristen Wiig is really strong, Leslie Jones is hilarious and Kate McKinnon is crazy. I also loved Chris Hemsworth, as the dumb (yet hot) secretary Kevin. But there is also the problem. It’s definitely a women’s film, because every male character is either a douchebag or very stupid.
There are many nods to the original film and I really liked that. “Ghostbusters” got a lot of crap and not all deserved. Is it better than the original? No. It does look better, but that’s logical because of today’s techniques. I really enjoyed the film and I thought it was very funny. Sceptic at first, a little surprised and very entertained.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 81: Spy

Director: Paul Feig

Genre: Action/Comedy

Runtime: 120 minutes

Year: 2015

Starring: Melissa McCarthy, Rose Byrne, Jason Statham, Jude Law, Miranda Hart, Allison Janney, Peter Serafinowicz, Bobby Cannavale

Description: Desk-bound CIA analyst Susan Cooper (Melissa McCarthy) volunteers to go undercover to infiltrate the world of a deadly arms dealer, and prevent diabolical global disaster.

Review: Susan Cooper works as an analyst for the CIA. Behind her desk she helps out CIA agent Bradley Fine during dangerous missions. When something happens to Bradley and the identity of all the other agents is revealed, Susan is the only one that has never worked undercover.

An action comedy with a female lead, that’s very rare in Hollywood. The talented Melissa McCarthy and director Paul Feig, who worked together before for “Bridesmaids” and “The Heat”, make it happen. McCarthy’s character changes from an insecure woman to a bad ass agent. The perfect woman for this role. The movie has great humor, it’s never cheesy or lame.

Jason Statham probably has the most fun role, as over the top spy, who can’t handle the fact that a woman like Susan is send into the field. Statham’s character Ford appears in the strangest places, to screw up the mission and brag about his heroic actions. Statham is seriously hilarious and clearly has a talent for comedy. Also Rose Byrne, Allison Janney and Miranda Hart get enough room to exploit. Funny and strong supporting roles.

In an action comedy you don’t only expect catchy jokes, but also entertaining action. Director Feig manages to gives us that too. It’s fast paced and well filmed.

“Spy” is a hilarious comedy that gives Melissa McCarthy plenty of room to shine. And I think if “Spy” is a success, we don’t have to wait long for “Spy 2”.

Rating: 4/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 36: St. Vincent

Director: Theodore Melfi

Genre: Comedy/ Drama

Runtime: 102 minutes

Year: 2014

Starring: Bill Murray, Melissa McCarthy, Naomi Watts, Chris O’Dowd, Terrence Howard, Jaeden Lieberher

Description: The young Oliver (Jaeden Lieberher) whose parents have just divorced finds an unlikely friend and mentor in the misanthropic, bawdy, hedonistic war veteran Vincent (Bill Murray) who lives next door.

Review: “St. Vincent” is the directorial debut of Theodore Melfi and is about saints that are closer than you think. It can be your mom, a teacher or a friend. Or someone who doesn’t act like one at first sight. Vincent likes his booze and gambles away his savings. He isn’t very fond of people. This grumpy man has gambling debts and doesn’t have empathic feelings. The only person he has any affection for is Daka, a so called ‘lady of the night’.

When single mom Maggie and her son Oliver move into next door, Vincent’s life takes a different turn. He starts babysitting Oliver, when Maggie has to work long hours at the hospital. Vincent teaches Oliver lessons in a very unconventional way, by taking him to the race track, the local strip club and a bar. And also to ‘Sunny Side’, the home where his demented wife Sandy lives. The two develop an unlikely friendship.

The story may not be that original: a grumpy man befriending a kid. Bill Murray makes it into something special. His role is remarkable and unique, this is why I like Bill Murray. Naomi Watts portrays Daka with a big heart, also a very good performance by her. And it’s good to see Melissa McCarthy in a more modest role. Also a very funny small role for Chris O’Dowd, as Brother Geraghty. And the young Oliver is played by Jaeden Lieberher, the one with probably the most sense. Good role by him too.

“St. Vincent” has a good combination of comedy and drama, great performance and it’s easy to watch. Seriously, not watching it is a sin.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2014 - # 72: The Heat

Director: Paul Feig

Genre: Comedy/ Action

Runtime: 117 minutes

Year: 2013

Starring: Sandra Bullock, Melissa McCarthy, Marlon Wayans, Michael Rapaport, Jane Curtin, Taran Killam, Michael McDonald

Description: The uptight FBI Special Agent Sarah Ashburn (Sandra Bullock) is paired with the foul-mouthed Boston cop Shannon Mullins (Melissa McCarthy) to take down a ruthless drug lord.

Review: The role of FBI-agent isn’t new to Sandra Bullock. She played one in “Miss Congeniality”. In “The Heat” Bullock does it again. This time she’s the serious agent Sarah Ashburn, whose only company is her neighbor’s cat. Her co-workers don’t like her because of her ‘know-it-all’ attitude. Even though her qualities as a team player aren’t perfect, her boss gives her a chance: if she manages to track a drug lord, Sarah might get a promotion. Off course it doesn’t go without the proper obstacles. This time in the form of Melissa McCarthy, as detective Shannon Mullins. She is an unconventional cop, with strange interrogation skills and a foul mouth. Ashburn and Mullins are forces to work together, if they like it or not.

The story is pretty plain, but Bullock and McCarthy manage to lift it to a higher level. They work well together and form a great duo. Bullock is great as the somewhat stuck-up Ashburn, but McCarthy steals the show. I especially like the constant offensive insults she makes.

“The Heat” isn’t surprising at all, because we all know that Mullins and Ashburn aren’t going to hate each other the entire movie. The plot isn’t the reason to see this movie. The duo Bullock-McCarthy is though.

Rating: 3 / 5

In the Picture: The Characters from "Bridesmaids"

I recently saw this film. I'm a huge Kristen Wiig fan and this movie didn't disappoint me at all. Great humor, loved it. And the characters were awesome too. Here they are.

Annie Walker
Played by: Kristen Wiig
Annie is a single woman in her mid 30's. She had a bakery, which was her dream, but it didn't work and she had to close the store. She also lost her boyfriend and her savings and Annie has to work in a jewelry store to earn money. She is in a sexual relationship with Ted, who isn't looking for a commitment and who she doesn't level with whatsoever. Her friend Lilian is her only source of happiness.

Lillian
Played by: Maya Rudolph
Lillian and Annie have been best friends since childhood. They share everything together and Lillian asks Annie to be her maid of honor. Lillian also has a new friend, Helen, who she really connects with but on a different level than with Annie.

Rita
Played by: Wendi McLendon-Covey
Rita is a wife and mother of three boys. She's Lillian's cousin and all she wants is a little bit of adventure in her life. Rita hates her life as a mother and the fact that she has to have sex with the same guy everytime. She's very cynical and a brutaly honest.

Becca
Played by: Ellie Kemper
Becca is the complete opposite of Rita. Becca is a newlywed and went toe Disneyland for her honeymoon. She can't wait to have children and she loves the fact that there's only one man for her for the rest of her life.

Megan
Played by: Melissa McCarthy
Megan is Lillian's future sister-in-law and very raunchy. She literally doesn't care what other people think of her. She is very open about everything and not ashamed of anything. Megan may be raunchy, but she does have a heart of gold. When Annie is all alone, she shows up at her door.

Helen Harris III
Played by: Rose Byrne
Helen is Lillian's new friend and Annie sees her as her rival. Helen married a rich man, loves her luxury and has contacts with a lot of big names. Helen actually tries to interfere between Annie and Lillian and wants to be Lillian's new best friend. Eventually she manages to take over the maid of honor role and steals all of Annie's ideas which she didn't agree on in the first place.

Nathan Rhodes
Played by: Chris O'Dowd
Nathan is a police officer and a very kind and good hearted man. He pulls over Annie because of a broken taillight, but they starts flirting. Nathan is the one that tries to give Annie her love for baking back, which eventually works.

Favorite Character: Nathan Rhodes