Hot Tub Time Machine and Greenzone Reviews

Hot Tub Time Machine
Directed by: Steve Pink
Starring: John Cusack, Craig Robinson, Rob Corddry, Clarke Duke, Sebastian Stan and Crispin Glover
(NSFW-Red Band Trailer)

From the awful trailers, to the ridiculous title, there seemed like no way this movie could be a success. But considering the critic's warm reviews and how much I really wanted to see a good entertaining movie (especially a non-3D movie) I decided to see it (half-priced). And as it turns out the movie is spectacularly funny. Every character greatly carries their weight, with Duke being surprisingly funny and Corddry (who has done nothing but suck since he left The Daily Show) is great, and Crispin Glover is possibly the funniest character in the movie. Full of great 80s pop references that are really well done, especially in the way that they use the rules they saw in the movies, like referencing the Butterfly Effect. Its not the most intelligent comedy, and because none of the characters are overly like-able, when the gags make a rare stop the movie slows down a little (I had the same problem with The Hangover), but like the Hangover its not at all a serious issue, and whatever negative can be drawn from it is obliterated by the fact that every single joke lands perfectly. Like all comedies I have no idea how it will hold up the second time, and despite a pretty bad lesson to be learned the movie is nothing but fun.

Rating: 7.5/10



Greenzone
Directed by: Paul Greengrass
Starring: Matt Damon, Greg Kinnear, Amy Ryan, Brendan Gleeson and Jason Isaacs

From the star and director of the frantic Bourne Trilogy comes a far more politically charged film than the Hurt Locker about the Iraq War. Damon plays a Chief Warrant officer in charge of clearing suspected WMD sites, when he repeatedly comes up empty, he starts asking questions, which draws the attention of CIA bureau chief Brendan Gleeson. He is reassigned and starts investigating the controversial intelligence source 'Magellan'. It is apparently all based in reality, and almost every element seems to be totally plausible (though it does veer into movie fantasy towards the end). I'm not sure how much of it really is true, its common knowledge that Magellan was a fraudulent source and the War was a huge mistake, but putting aside the politics, this is a damn entertaining movie. I will warn you, the friend I went to see this with got a pretty bad case of motion sickness because of Greengrass' "cinema verité" (to sound like a douche) style. (that means shaky-cam). If you're a fan of it as much as I am it should be no problem. The film has a great kinetic energy propelling it forward and you feel like you're in constant motion. Its exciting and tense. The problem is, you can't put the politics aside, if you disagree with the point of view on the war (which if I can soapbox for a second, it was a mistake and was executed poorly, its not a matter of patriotism or supporting the troops either; I love Canada and I have the deepest respect for our soldiers, but I really wish we could leave Afghanistan, though that war was justified) you can't push it aside for the sake of the movie. If you're conservative you'll laugh at the accusations, if you're a liberal, well you might like it. (especially the hippies among you who will have no problem with nausea, get it?). I consider myself a centrist, and I liked the movie, its entertaining, fun, the whole cast turn in good performances, and Brendan Gleeson does a much better job hiding his accent here than in Dark Blue (good god its almost 10 years ago!), and it makes you reflect on how the war could have been done differently. I don't think the movie is a big finger point in the direction of Republicans or Democrats, but instead the government and the military leadership who just made a series of mistakes and bad decisions. Its a solid entertaining movie, with some good points despite a little waywardness towards the end.*


Rating: 7/10



*[Spoilers] The waywardness and the veer out of believability comes with the whole special forces being sent to kill american soldiers "who know too much". That doesn't seem likely or plausible. Whether I'm considered skeptical or naive, I just don't believe that would ever happen. [/Spoilers]