Archive for the ‘Movie Review’ Category

The Purge: Anarchy – Review

Posted: July 18, 2014 by MichaelSmithNC in All, Movie Review, Movies, Trailers
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Some movies are good enough all on their own, the story is complete and the issues resolved; the proverbial bow has been tied. Other movies are made with the intention of becoming a franchise or series. The unwillingness of Hollywood to tell a difference in the two scenarios leads me to a real problem in Hollywood; needless sequels. Based off of the success of last years movie, The Purge, director James Demonaco and his group came back to make an obligatory, unnecessary sequel; The Purge: Anarchy.

Last year, I got a taste of excitement with The Purge. It was something different, not amazingly good or anything but different. Before it came out, I looked for a graphic novel for it, a foreign version, an old TV show, anything that might fit the typical Hollywood process of finding ideas. When my efforts came up empty I went to the theatre full of hope that maybe DeMonaco and his group had found something that could break up the un-originality that plagues movie-making today. I left the screening pretty well satisfied, not awe-inspired or anything, but entertained.

Enter the sequel… What part of The Purge made you think a sequel was needed? After watching The Purge: Anarchy I pulled out my DVD of The Purge to see if I missed anything in the story, nope. I also looked for any commonalties between the two movies outside of the setting, still nothing. Finally, I looked to see if any of the characters somehow slipped my attention and appeared in both movies without me noticing, strike three. It is official; The Purge: Anarchy is a money-grab only.

The story is set in the same reality of the first movie. It is one year later from the events of The Purge and people in the downtown areas of the city are preparing. They are all preparing for the one night of the year when laws and morality are suspended and society is encouraged to “release the beast” and “purge for the greater good.” We are introduced to a mother and daughter in their apartment, a husband and wife driving through town, and a very disturbed man suiting up for war. Each is doing what they can to ready themselves for the 12 hours of carnage that are on the way. Once the horn blasts and the purge begins the three different perspectives all come together through circumstances outside their control and are forced to face the night as a team.

The cast of actors in The Purge: Anarchy does not contain a “big name” to anchor the cast like Ethan Hawke did in the first movie. As a matter of fact, it does even have a “bigger” name supporting cast member like Lena Headley. Frank Grillo who played Agent Brock Rumlow in the most recent Captain America movie and Zach Gilford from the TV version of Friday Night Lights were the most well-known, or recognizable, members of the cast. The casting of a large number of, primarily, TV actors will make you think, “I have no idea who that is, but I have seen them somewhere else.” Even considering the cast’s overall lack of big screen experience, no one really stood out as a negative. On the other side of that subject, no one really stood out as that good either.

The main weakness that I found in the movie was the dump truck load of political and sociological undertones that were dropped on my head. I get it! America is a violent country with lots of guns and a disregard for the poor. Can we not just move on with story and not try to solve all the problems of the country with a movie?

The Purge: Anarchy was not a bad movie. I went in knowing full well that it was a money grab sequel, I was right. If you liked the first one and wondered what else you could do in the story, then you will probably enjoy this installment. If mindless violence for the sake of violence, intense political undertones, and ambiguous morality in your heroes is a turn-off for you, then I would advise you to skip this one. Overall, when it hits Redbox, throw a dollar at it. Don’t purge $10 from your wallet at a theatre on this one.

The Rover (AUSTRALIANS ARE BLEAK AND WEIRD)

Posted: July 14, 2014 by whipkitty in Movie Review, Movies
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In a world where I see an average of ten movie previews a week The Rover (103 minutes) was an unknown quantity. I knew it was vaguely post-apocalyptic , starred Guy Pearce and Robert Pattinson, and it somehow involved a train. Of course, after I watched it I realized only two of those three things were actually true. In my defense, most independent/foreign/limited release trailers end up blended together in my pop culture mixer of a brain, so two out of three is very impressive.

I really didn’t know what to expect when I walked into the theater. In fact, my expectations were so low it took me a while to realize the strength of the film. What could have become a low-rent Road Warrior knock-off ended up being an unexpectedly powerful story. While I didn’t enjoy watching it in the same way I enjoy, for example, a Harry Potter movie, it was certainly worth my time.

An “unspecified global economic collapse” is the new pandemic/nuclear scenario favored by post-apocalyptic auteurs . In this case, the American dollar is the most accepted currency, even in Australia and a cross-section of humanity ends up down under, including Norte Americanos Henry (Scoot “my first name is funny” McNairy) and Rey (Robert “stupid sparkly vampires” Pattinson). They attempt to rob some kind of military convoy with two background characters, but everything goes horribly wrong. Rey is left behind, while Henry heads for the hills. During the escape they wreck the getaway vehicle and snatch a car that belongs to a guy with very bad hair named Eric (Guy Pearce).

Eric seems incredibly depressed, despite his ability to buy gas and random supplies under what must be conditions of near universal scarcity. When the bad guys steal his car, he steals their abandoned truck and after about five minutes of casual effort drives away after them. The ensuing chase ends rather bizarrely, considering how well everyone involved gets along face-to-face. Perhaps this can be explained by chalking up every bad decision a character makes to the fact that every character is a screaming lunatic.

Eric, having survived thus far, ends up in a sort of Asiatic den of iniquity. He comes across the caravan of a traveling circus, apparently stranded near the local brothel, and arms himself. In a real gem of a scene he confronts people who make it pretty clear that they are just waiting to get shot and don’t particularly care who does the shooting. The dialogue in this section is just—weird. Of course, when he gets back to his commandeered truck he runs into Rey, who becomes his new best friend and traveling companion, and the dialogue gets even weirder.

The two of them set off to intercept Henry and reclaim Eric’s car, managing to make themselves pretty unlikeable in the process. If it reminded me of anything it was a similarly bleak, low-budget Australian film written by Nick Cave (yes, the singer) and also starring Guy Pearce called The Proposition. The minimalist dialogue and sudden, shocking violence also recalls No Country For Old Men.

22 Jump Street – Review

Posted: June 13, 2014 by MichaelSmithNC in All, Movie Review, Movies, Trailers
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When 21 Jump Street premiered in 2012 I felt a good bit of trepidation about the movie. As a fan of the original series that ran on Fox from 87 to 91, I was wary of it being re-imagined as a comedy. After I sat down and gave 21 Jump Street a chance, I found myself thoroughly entertained and impressed by what I was seeing and hearing. My fears about not doing the original show justice were not needed.

Fast forward to 2014 and 22 Jump Street is on its way to theatres. Tatum and Hill are back in their roles, Ice Cube returns as the Captain of Jump Street, and a few other supporting cast members are back for more. With the amount of fun that I had with 21 Jump Street in the back of my mind, I went into 22 Jump Street prepared for a let-down. How many times have we gone to the theatre for a sequel and been let down? I know I have lost count.

Once the movie started, I realized that I really need to work on my attitude…

Right from the start this movie delivers with laughs and fun that rival the first. The writing team of Michael Bacall and Jonah Hill took the formula that was so successful with 21 Jump Street and brought it back with an infusion of cash to amplify it. The jokes were witty and smart, the action scenes were eye catching, and the supporting cast filled out the story.

Hill and Tatum picked up right where they left off with 21 Jump Street, their chemistry continued to click and their characters meshed even more than before. It became apparent that what we all saw in 21 Jump Street was no fluke; these two can really make this type of movie work. Maybe they will be able to capture what Glover and Gibson had with the Lethal Weapon series and keep this rolling.

As for the rest of the cast that returned, they stepped up their games as well. Ice Cube brought even more anger and energy to the role of Captain Dickson. The character was the recipient of greater emphasis in this installment with the insertion of his family into the story, his wife’s appearance on screen was a shocking laugh in and of itself. Nick Offerman as Deputy Chief Hardy returned as well and was rewarded with some of the funniest lines of movie. His meeting with the guys to tell them of their new assignment is littered with double-meanings about the movie that we all had in mind.

The new characters that are introduced stole the show in my opinion. The Kenny and Keith Yang are identical twin brothers that are the dorm neighbors to Schmidt and Jenko and Metro State. They are played by a real life set of twin brothers Kenneth and Keith Lucas and are very funny and dynamic in the delivery of their lines, they easily steal every scene they are in. Jillian Bell as quirky roommate Mercedes is also very funny. Bell’s dry delivery of the barrage of insults and jokes Mercedes directs towards Schmidt and Jenko is mechanical and relentless, but also good for several laughs..

Overall, 22 Jump Street is hilarious! It is very worth the trip to the theatre to see on the big screen. Good jokes, funny story, and a great team of actors make this movie really work. The team of Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill did what many others have attempted and failed; made a sequel that is as good as the first.

 

Edge of Tomorrow – Review

Posted: June 6, 2014 by MichaelSmithNC in All, Movie Review, Movies, Trailers
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In the near future, aliens land via a series of asteroid impacts and quickly rise up and take over the continent of Europe. The major militaries of the world unify in their efforts to fight the aliens forming a Unified Defense Force. The soldiers of the UDF are not typical soldiers; they are draftees and conscripts equipped with special robotic exo-suits called “jackets” that augment them physically. One such soldier is Sergeant Rita Vrataski, played by Emily Blunt, who is affectionately referred to as The Full Metal Bitch by her fellow soldier due to her prowess at fighting and dispatching the aliens she is put up against.

In direct contrast to the battle prowess and bravery of Rita is US Army Major William Cage, played by Tom Cruise. Cage is a sleazy advertising expert that uses propaganda and spin techniques to give the public a positive view of a war that is quickly being lost. When he uses his slimy skills to get out of an assignment that would take him to the front lines he quickly finds himself demoted to Private and assigned to the draftees and conscripts. During his first battle with the aliens he has a run-in that changes him and the war effort; he is given the ability to reset time every time he dies.

Edge of Tomorrow is a surprisingly entertaining movie, especially when you consider how poorly Tom Cruise’s last 2-3 movies were received.

The story is a well done mash-up of the science fiction, comedy and action genres. The first half of the 113 minute runtime can best be described as an action comedy. It is Saving Private Ryan meets Groundhog Day. As scary as it may sound, it actually works. As you watch Cage train with Vrataski and attempt the mission he is assigned over and over again, you find yourself laughing and wincing each time he dies.

Another funny positive is Bill Paxton as Master Sergeant Farell. Paxton was great as the smart ass drill instructor charged with getting Cage into battle. Paxton is equal parts R. Lee Ermey of Full Metal Jacket and Damon Wayons of Major Payne. Maybe it is just me, but I thought he was hilarious.

The second half of the movie takes on a considerably more serious tone. The story focuses on the dynamics of the relationship between Cage and Vrataski as they attempt to deal a deciding blow to the aliens. The action sequences slow down and the character development picks up. The movie takes on a more bleak and moody feel as you see the two soldiers try and fail over and over at achieving their goals. To me, the chemistry of Cruise and Blunt was a little off, but overall they get a passing grade.

Overall, Edge of Tomorrow is a fun summer action movie that gives you laughs, action, a little suspense, and a good overall payoff. It is available in 3D and regular formats, find the standard as the 3D serves no purpose.

Maleficent – Review

Posted: May 30, 2014 by MichaelSmithNC in All, Movie Review, Movies, Trailers
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The story of Sleeping Beauty is one that we have all heard at some point in our youth. It is the story of a princess cursed by an evil woman to fall into a deep sleep on her 16th birthday. The spell can only be broken by the kiss of a handsome prince.

The timeless story originally made famous by Charles Perrault, and compiled by the Brothers Grimm, has been adapted into many different forms over the centuries; film, stage and small screen. In 1959, Walt Disney adapted the story into an animated feature that was initially perceived to be a disappointment. Over time the original animated feature has become one of the classics that exemplify Disney.

In the original story, there is very little mentioning about history of the various characters. Folktales of the 17th century aren’t exactly known for their character development. The lack of fleshed out backstories has paved the way for Disney to revisit the story once again with an emphasis placed on developing the backstory of the villain, Maleficent .

Angelina Jolie as Maleficent is perfect. Her portrayal of the evil faery is the new standard for any others that ever attempt the role. Her portrayal gave physical form to the character much like Heath Ledger gave new life to Joker in the Batman series. She gives the character the edge that is needed while also adding wit and a little humor. In the scenes where Maleficent is seen watching over the growing Aurora, her internal conflict is perfectly translated to the screen. Jolie also manages to develop good chemistry with the many CGI characters she shares time with, something that can be very difficult.

Jolie’s co-stars, Elle Fanning and Sharlto Copley, were acceptable in their roles or Aurora and King Stefan. Fanning looked every bit the part of the enchanted princess and Copley was his usual awkward looking self. The three pixies played by Lesley Manville, Imelda Staunton and Juno Temple served as comic relief and were only mildly annoying; a Disney staple for comic relief characters.

The visuals of the movie are as impressive as Jolie’s acting. The near 100% CGI based world where the film takes place looks well developed and “real” to the eye. The special effects were also well thought out and never became too much to take in. The visual presentation of Maleficent has been panned by many, but I found it to be perfectly in line with how I imagined/remembered the character.

The adaptation of the story that Disney is attempting is not your typical Disney fairytale. The story is very dark with very strong themes of betrayal and revenge that are front and center throughout. There is much higher level of violence that is atypical of Disney movies. A few of the CGI characters can also be viewed as a bit scarier than some would expect. The normal portrayal of “Hero” and “Villain” is also very blurred with Maleficent seeming to switch back and forth from scene to scene.

All things considered, this movie exceeded my expectations. Jolie lived up to the hype and the new take on the story was interesting. My only word of caution would be for parents that take small children to see it. It could a bit too much for kids under 10 or so. Can we say nightmares? For everyone else, do your best to find a non-3D version of this movie and check it out. You will not be disappointed.

Coming Soon: Movies In Theatres This Week

Posted: May 26, 2014 by MichaelSmithNC in All, Movie Review, Movies, Trailers
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Maleficent

A Million Ways to Die in the West

Up and Coming Weekly

Posted: May 21, 2014 by MichaelSmithNC in All, Interview, Movie Review, Movies, Up and Coming Weekly
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In addition to EasternCarolinaStyle.com, Michael Smith is also a regular contributing writer for the Fayetteville, NC weekly newspaper, Up and Coming Weekly.

This week’s edition of Up and Coming Weekly features two articles from Michael.

First there is a feature about the upcoming Out of Sight Dining Event to benefit  The Vision Resource Center on June 6th.

Second, Michael sat down with filmmaker Mike Boettcher to talk about, and review, his new movie, The Hornet’s Nest.

Click the link below to read more
(You will be routed to UpandComingWeekly.com)

Michael Smith at Up and Coming Weekly

 

Godzilla – Review

Posted: May 8, 2014 by MichaelSmithNC in All, Movie Review, Movies, Trailers
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If you were to go out into the streets and ask people to name the most famous of the monsters of movies I would argue that Godzilla would win in a landslide. In the various installments, the proclaimed, King of the Monsters, has been both a terror to humanity and its hero.

Toho Company was the original film company to bring the monster to the big screen in the 1954 classic Gojira. The film was a made as a metaphor for the impending “monster” that was the nuclear arms race that had gripped the planet. Since that first film, the Japanese studio has gone on to make around 30 more feature length movies that have seen the monster become a near global household name, but slowly losing its moral/socio-political weight.

In the 50+ years of the Godzilla franchise there have been 3 films made by an American studios; 1956’s Godzilla, King of the Monsters!, a Sony reboot of the character in 1998, and then the most recent reboot; Legendary and Warner Brothers’ Godzilla that hits theatres today.

The 1956 movie that was the first to be made by an American studio was basically the 1954 Japanese version repackaged as a pseudo-documentary with Raymond Burr serving as the narrator. The 1998 dumpster fire that we were inflicted with by Sony was an absolute insult to the history of this iconic character and will never be mentioned again. That leads us to the Legendary-Warner Brothers film that hits theatres this weekend.

Is this Godzilla movie another stinker, a lame repackaging, or a winner?

The story is very close to the one we are all familiar with, actions taken by man awaken monsters from prehistoric earth that rise up to feed on radiation and destroy lots of stuff in the process. But to add a little bit of the human element to this saga, the writers inserted the personal impact the monsters had on the Brody family. This added element fit remarkably well and was easy to follow and believe.

Bryan Cranston plays Joe Brody who is the supervisor of a nuclear power plant in Japan. His plant is the epicenter of an uprising of monsters. Cranston does a wonderful job in the role, the emotional destruction of Joe Brody following the meltdown at the plant and the near psychosis that he falls into are very well done. Joe Brody’s son, Ford Brody is played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson. Ford is married with a kid of his own and serves as an ordinance officer in the Navy. Elizabeth Olsen plays Ford’s wife, Elle. The main cast is rounded out by Ken Wantanabe who plays Dr. Ishiro Serizawa, the lead scientist/investigator that oversees the monster events. Outside of Cranston the cast is adequate with no one really standing out as particularly noteworthy either in a good way or a bad way. Considering the star of the movie is the monster… that is a very good thing.

We all have an image in our minds as to what Godzilla is supposed to look like. 50 years of movies have seared that image into our minds. Obviously, in 2014 there is no way that a studio is going to make a movie by putting a guy on a scaled down city set in a rubber suit to achieve the look we have in our minds. Today we use motion capture technology and other forms of CGI animation to pull off this type of movie. We have seen what kind of work can be done with this scale of monster in movies like Cloverfield and Pacific Rim. So how did this incarnation of Godzilla do? I will say that purists will be happy and newbies will be impressed. The monster kept the classic feel, while also looking more lifelike than the original rubber suit.

All things considered, I am very impressed with the work that was done with this movie. With that “other” movie in the back of my mind, I had low hopes for what I was going to see. I am very happy to report that I was pleasantly surprised by the movie and will happily recommend it to anyone that is a fan of the classic Godzilla movies. For the rest of society that just likes to see a good big budget action movie, you are in for a treat as well. This movie has set the tone for the summer of 2014; hopefully the rest of the summer can follow Godzilla’s lead.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 – Review

Posted: May 2, 2014 by MichaelSmithNC in All, Movie Review, Movies, Trailers
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The X-Men franchise has turned into a cash cow for Fox with 6 movies already done and at least 3 more on the way. Disney is taking in cash by the dump truck load based off of the 8 or 9 movies that have been released in their Avengers based film franchise. They have 5 or 6 more in the pipeline to come!

With Disney and Fox bringing in BILLIONS off of their franchises you know Sony is going to do all that it can to cash in on the Marvel heroes they have the rights to. With their luck in being the owner to the film rights of one of the bestselling of all time, Spider-Man. How can they go wrong?

Let me tell you how they can go wrong. They can bring in a team led by Sami Rami to give life to the character over the course of 3 films in 5 years. They can let that team make BILLIONS (yes with a B) for the studio. They can ask the team to develop 3 more movies to continue the franchise. Then they can give the team the most unrealistic timetable possible. That deadline will send the team packing and forcing Sony to promptly reboot the series from scratch. Wait! What? Huh?

The first part of the reboot hit the big screen in 2012. The Amazing Spider-Man movie wasn’t a bad start despite only taking in about 60 million in its opening weekend. The new guy playing Spider-Man, Andrew Garfield, seemed like a good fit and the supporting cast seemed to be ripped right from the pages of the comics without any adulterations. Fans seemed to accept the new younger version of the wall crawler without much complaint or confusion.

Fast-forward two years and the next installment, The Amazing Spider-Man 2, is now ready for fans to enjoy and spend copious amounts of money on. The cast from the first movie has returned and a big name, Jamie Foxx, is brought in to be the main villain. All things considered, this movie should be as good as money in the bank.

Too bad it has so many issues. That money in the bank might end up being a series of small deposits that take years to get in. The movie has some very real problems that are going to be hard to overlook.

First, the story is too broad, maybe even to the point of being diluted. The cast of characters that appear in the movie feel crammed in and have too many sub-plots attached to them. It makes the story feel massive and unwieldy.

Peter Parker is actually the worst for having too many sub-plots to follow. He has to deal with girlfriend drama, daddy issues, buddy problems and saving the city from the crazy blue skinned guy that can shoot bolts of electricity from his hands. I think you could have done away with all of the love interest related build-up and been just fine in the end, all things considered.

Eventually, all the various sub-plots from the diverse cast of characters do come together and feed back into the main story. The story arc of the Sinister Six that is teased in the trailer is set in motion, Harry is fully into being the Green Goblin, also from the trailer, and the Peter-Gwen girlfriend issues are all cleaned up. Sadly, by the time all of the plotlines converge, the damage is already done. The sprawling story takes so much time to develop you find yourself to be the victim of fanny-fatigue from sitting in a theatre for two and a half hours.

Despite the weakness of the story itself, there are some very real positive to the movie that can’t be overlooked either.

Andrew Garfield is absolutely perfect for the wise-cracking super hero role. He has the right delivery and witty charisma to make even the staunchest of fanboys happy. His portrayal is good enough that it can effectively offset the awkward performance of Max Dillon/Electro by Jamie Foxx and the annoying Gwen Stacy from Emma Stone. If he could have put on just a little more muscle to better look the part, I would be able to say that he offset Dane DeHaan’s Harry Osborn performance too.

Another overwhelming positive is in the special effects. The effects designers’ attention to detail is very obvious right from the start. As Spider-Man dives from the height of a skyscraper at the onset of the movie you get to see the back of the suit actually flap and ripple in the wind as he falls. In Spider-Man incarnations past, that level of thought was just not applied.

The quality effects are not just limited to Spider-Man swinging around either. When the fight scenes between our hero and Electro occur, as well as the fight between Spidey and the Goblin, they are exactly what you would want them to look like. Another example of the exacting attention to detail is in the way the electrical current is seen flowing throw the small veins and arteries in Electro’s skin before he releases a bolt of lightning from his outstretched arms.

In the end, if you can accept that The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is a movie meant to bridge the chain of events that started two years ago with the storylines that are planned for the near future, you will probably enjoy this movie. If you are one that likes to really get into the story and pick apart the story and sniff out hints and clues of what is to come, you are in for a busy night trying to keep up with this story. Eat your Wheaties and bring an extra butt cushion, you will need it.

 

The Other Woman – Review

Posted: April 25, 2014 by MichaelSmithNC in All, Movie Review, Movies, Trailers
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The Other Woman

The Other Woman was supposed to be a “hilarious girl power movie” about a man’s mistresses and wife going after revenge when he gets caught repetitively cheating. “Hilarious girl power movie” is not what I spent 109 minutes watching.

Cameron Diaz was okay in the role of Carly and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau was okay as Mark. Outside of those two actors is where we find the first flaw of the movie, acting.

Leslie Mann as the wife; Kate, and Nicki Minaj as Lydia were both very hard to enjoy because of their choices in the way they portrayed their characters. Mann’s whiny delivery got very old very fast and Minaj’s accent sounded like a ratchet Barbra Streisand. They could have been delivering some of the funniest, most poignant lines ever spoken in a comedy, but I will never know it. I just wanted them to stop talking!

Obviously, I could also back a truck over Kate Upton’s acting, but I won’t. She was brought in to play a role that she was perfect for; the younger, blonder, bigger breasted mistress. She can do that effectively by just standing there and waving to the camera. No need to criticize that.

Setting aside the acting, the material they were working withdidn’t really give them much of a chance. I’m not saying there is nothing funny about the movie because that would be untrue. The scenes that are intended to be funny are often funny at first and then fall flat because they are taken too far. The writer, Melissa Stack, seemed to work on the mindset that “if some is good, more has to be better.”

Scenes that focus on Leslie Mann’s character of Kate are the worst for this. In the audience’s introduction to her, she takes a funny joke about needing “brain camp” and proceeds to run with the joke to the point where it becomes truly awkward to watch.

The scenes with Mann and Diaz together are also very predictable. The two actresses have good chemistry, but that chemistry is wasted due to some bad writing and direction.

Where the comedy failed the most is in the revenge plot itself. The truly petty acts that were chosen by the women led to pay off scenes that were mildly funny, but completely unoriginal. The execution of the revenge plot finale also seemed to be an afterthought. The petty acts are supposed to be part of a larger “master plan” that you quickly realize doesn’t exist.

There were some other issues that I picked up on that a casual viewer may not notice. They are subtle, but reflect an overall lack of attention to detail:

There is a scene where Don Johnson’s mouth is moving, but you hear Cameron Diaz’s voice. It is like an old Kung Fu movie or something. It was a sign of some half-assed or rushed editing.

In an unintentionally funny scene, they dubbed over Cameron Diaz dropping an F-bomb and thought no one would notice! It was so badly done that I thought I had initially misheard her. After conferring with a colleague, we agreed that Diaz’s lips read “Fuck” but voice said “Freak.”

How could a movie as flawed as The Other Woman make it to the screen to be seen in public in the first place? Conventional wisdom would state that someone in authority would have said, “Whoa, we have some issues here that we need to address first.” I know that bad movies get made every day, but this is not supposed to be a bad movie!

I have a few theories as to how it happened:

  • Cameron Diaz could have lost a bet with Drew Barrymore with making The Other Woman this way as the stakes.
  • Nick Cassevetes, the director, could possibly be in debt to the mob and needed quick cash.
  • Twentieth Century Fox might be playing a belated April Fool’s Day joke.
  • Maybe Al Qaeda has infiltrated Hollywood and is using the film industry to destroy us by rotting our brains and destroying our IQ points.

Root cause aside, if you do decide to go out and give this one a chance, you will laugh, albeit not as much as you should. Diaz does her thing and the rest can be passable to the right person. Overall, if you keep your expectations super low and can drink enough to get your standards for acting down to the right level; you might even enjoy it a little.

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